Patricia+Gonzaga



Many parallels may be drawn between Aeneas and Sam Flynn from TRON: Legacy. Aeneas was given the task of laying the foundations down for the building of Rome by Fate, which in this case may be seen also as Jupiter, as he is the one who appears to be calling all the shots from what can be see from his numerous dealings with Venus and Juno. Sam's father, Kevin Flynn, is considered the leading videogame developer, and creates this virtual world in which he gets trapped in for twenty years. He suppposedly sends out a signal to his son, which is what leads Sam to uncover the mystery of his father's disappearance. Although Sam's journey may only be seen merely as a rescue mission, it ultimately worked to achieve a different purpose: Sam fulfilling his destiny and inheriting his father's destiny.

For twenty years, Kevin Flynn's creation, or in this case, kingdom, has been kept a secret from the world. Because he is unable to save himself, his son Sam must take this virtual world and claim it as his. At the same time, however, there is another force working against him. Klu, who is a virtual copy of Sam's father and appears to have similar, if not greater authority than the original, works to halt Sam in his efforts to take back this world. In destroying the Flynns, he hopes to prevent his own destruction, and take Kevin's spot in the real world. He has many allies, and uses that to his advantage in his quest to search for Kevin. Although the opposing force may appear to have the upper hand, Sam's father still has an advantage since he is afterall, the creator. This is similar to how Jupiter, although his actions may not be seen as directly or as powerful as Juno's wrath, works fate out for Aeneas.

This whole idea of laying down the foundation for the future is evident in both works, as Aeneas must found Rome so that the greatness of the Roman race may be carried on for years to come, which would ultimately alter the fates of many existing in its time (Carthage). Although he may not realize it, the success of Sam's mission would serve to improve the technology of his time. Upon reaching home, Sam would have to assume his position as rightful heir to his father's huge corporation.

Assignment 6 The Lovely Bones tells a story about a young girl named Susie Salmon who becomes the unfortunate victim of her neighbor, George Harvey's trap. After watching her one afternoon from his house, Mr. Harvey becomes obsessed with her and goes to work designing his trap to lure Susie. Because she is so distracted by her crush, Ray Singh, Susie is unaware of Mr. Harvey watching her on multiple occasions, and thus was unsuspecting of her neighbor when he asked her to come and check out his sketchy hideout. Once inside, Mr. Harvey starts complimenting Susie, which scares her. As she struggled to leave, Mr. Harvey killed her :( Ever since her death, her family (her father in particular) had been driven to the edge after two years of trying to find her killer.

The story of Persephone is quite similar to that of Susie's in that they were both taken from a field and brought down to the 'underworld'. Persephone, the beautiful daughter of Demeter was sought after by gods such as Hermes, Ares, Hephaestus, and Apollo. Hades, too, fell in love with her and planned to abduct her. One day, Persephone was picking flowers in a field one day when Hades came and brought her down to his domain.Demeter, in panic, searches far and wide for her beloved daughter but was dismayed to find that her daughter was in Hades' domain. Because she had eaten pomegranate seeds, she would have to live in the Underworld for a few months each year.

Both young women, because of the temptation they had on their abductors were taken away from their happy lives, and forced to live a life in the after-life. Although Persephone was not actually dead, the idea of her transcending the threshold into another world--the world of the dead parallels that of Susie's story They both had something keeping them in this place of misery; Susie could not move on until her the mystery behind her death was resolved and her mother had come to terms with her death, and Persephone who had been tricked into eating food from the Underworld was forced to remain in the Underworld for part of each year. Both stories depict the tainting of innocence. Susie was young and still had her whole life ahead of her. She had never experienced love before, and once she was finally given a chance with her crush, Ray, it was taken away from her. Soon after, her once pure heart was consumed by anger and hatred. Persephone, who had been living a life separate from the gods was at peace; shielded from the world by her mother, Demeter. Like Susie, she too was yet to to experience many of life's wonders before her freedom and ignorance was taken away from her.

Assignment 5 Did curiousity kill the cat? Yes, yes it did. In //Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull//, Irina Spalko, a misunderstood psychic, goes on a quest to find the Crystal Skull. Having been shunned by those around her from an early age, Spalko is determined to find the secrets behind her psychic powers, for she believes that finding her purpose in life will ultimately save her. She was selected by Joseph Stalin himself during the Cold War period for her passion for psychic research which has allowed her to achieve a great deal in her field. She can be described as being a very ambitious character who could never be content with what the world had to offer her; a flaw that led to her demise.

Irina Spalko's character is a combination of that of Daedalus and Icarus' in that she was just as driven and intelligent as Daedulus, but still foolish like Icarus. Daedalus was known to many for his skill in craftsmanship was ordered by King Minos to build a labrynth in which the Minotaur could live. However, Daedalus, along with his son, Icarus, was later exiled to the island of Crete after having aided Ariadne in helping Theseus find his way through the labrynth and kill the Minotaur. After being locked away in a tall tower overlooking the labrynth he had built, Daedalus went to work on finding a way to escape. Because he was so clever, Daedalus was able to fashion wings for him and Icarus so that the two could fly home to Athens. However, because the feathers were held together with wax, it would be disastrous if they were to come to close to the sun, or get wet from the sea that lay beneath them. Despite his father's warning, Daedalus was so overcome with excitement and curiousity that he flew too close to the sun and fell to his death.

What ties the two stories together is that each character has a excessive pride or ambition that leads them to their downfalls. It is because they were not satisfied with what was given to them--what was enough to save their lives, that they perished. After witnessing the power of the Crystall Skull and returning it to its body, Spalko finally discovered what she had been looking for, but she pressed further, and asked for omniscience. However, it is not humanly capable to know everything, and thus she disentegrates into thin air. This idea of stepping out of the boundaries of human capabilities can be seen in the story of Daedalus and Icarus in that flying was only meant for escaping imprisonment. Only gods could reach the sun, and by daring to fly higher than was necessary, Icarus demonstrated hubris--an act punishable by the gods.

Assignment 4 ==== Horace’s philosophy, “seize the day” closely resembles the mindset of Carl Allen in //Yes Man//. The movie starts off where Carl is overcome with grief after his beloved wife’s death, and starts to neglect his social life, and focus more on his personal life. He ignored his friends, and spent his time watching movies in his apartment alone. However, his life takes a turn for the better when he attends the “Yes!” seminar after being told that if he continued to have such a negative outlook upon life, he will end up empty and alone for the rest of his life. Inspired, Carl decides to live by the Yes! code, forcing himself to say ‘yes’ to everyone’s requests in hopes of reaching fulfillment. Such a mentality, to live life to the fullest and seize the day, is present throughout Horace’s poems, particularly 1.11. In line 7-8, he says, “dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas” warning readers that one should not waste time thinking, for it will only make them lose site of the bigger picture. One can never get time that is wasted back—that is why they must seize the day and live life to the absolute fullest. In //Yes! Man//, this idea is used as method of achieving enlightenment, as it requires one to respond to others’ requests in a definite manner, which eliminates the thought process. One must simply “go with the flow” and accept things for the way they are: live in the moment-another very important message Horace conveys to readers within his poem. In line 8, he says: “quam minimum credula postero” where he stresses the need one to live life the way they want to; do things for the sake of love and happiness, not because they hope it will help them later on in life. One should not be afraid of the consequences of taking risks, for the outcome will ultimately end up benefitting them, whether it’s directly through instant gratification, or indirectly through learning from their mistakes. By dedicating himself to the task of saying “yes” to everything, Carl discovers that there was a future for him after all, and he was wrong to condemn himself to a life of misery. Terrence Dundley, the speaker at the Yes! seminar tells his audience: “When you say yes to things, you embrace the possible. You gobble up all of life’s energies, and you excrete the waste.” By living by this very message, despite his doubts, Carl is able to experience love again, and learns to love himself by taking up new challenges. Carl is able to live again by clearing all his negative thoughts from his head—an idea also seen within poem 1.11. In line 6, Horace urges readers to unclutter their lives: “liques vina”. By filtering out all the unnecessary things that will only act in weighing a person down, one can truly enjoy life. Carl’s tale parallels that of Horace’s philosophy for he learns that there is always hope; life can only be good if you make an effort to make it that way. It is only one learns accept things for the way they are and move on that they able to really live life. ====

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Assignment 3 In the movie Kung Fu Panda, Po, the ponderous panda protagonist aspires to become a kung-fu master. However, when he is presented with the golden opportunity of fulfilling his dream, he is received with much criticism, mainly because his ebullient personality makes him appear to be a complete idiot. He's clumsy, fat, not the brightest animal in the forest, and the idea that he is supposed to be the hero that they are counting on to save them from the notorious Tai Lung unsettles Master Shifu and The Furious Five. His story closely resembles that of Arius' in that they both dare to dream despite their differences. Arius wishes to sound intelligent, placing an h infront of words in hopes of sounding sophisticated yet unbeknownst to him, has quite the opposite affect as indicated by Catullus' sarcastic tone: //insidias Arrius hinsidias et tum mirifice sperabat se esse locutum//. He makes fun of Arrius for being so stupid as to even think that he sounds smart.

In poem 84 Catullus takes on a more impersonal tone when addressing Arius; the fact that he uses the third person to criticize him supports this idea. The nature of his mockery is humorous, similar to the way The Furious Five make fun of Po for being clumsy and overweight. As he is a nice guy, they feel pity for him, yet they find enjoyment in making fun of his weight. In one scene, Mantis makes a joke about how 'when he walks, the very ground shakes'. Near the end of Poem 84, Catullus jokes about how Arius managed to change the name of the Ionian Sea: //Ionies fluctus, postquam illuc Arrius isset, iam non Ionios esse sed Hionios//. --a ridiculous idea which further supports his impression that Arius is an idiot.

Catullus does not blame Arius for his strange accent, he believes that he inherited it from his mother who inherited it from her parents. He also goes on to say "//hoc misso in Syriam requierant omnibus aures: audibant eadem haec leniter et leviter//": after he was sent into Syria all the ears had relaxed, they heard these same things gently and lightly. The insertion of the word //aures// within this sentence indicates that no one holds any personal dislike towards Arius, it is only his voice that afflicts them. Po is not to blame for being pleasantly plump for he is a panda; as were his parents, and grandparents before him. Because of Po's admiration for them, the Furious Five are unable to dislike him, yet his strong personality acts in irritating them because his presence reminds the Furious Five of their own inadequacies.

Assignment 2 media type="youtube" key="SuFScoO4tb0?fs=1" height="385" width="480" The song Honesty by Billy Joel reflects upon a relationship that parallels that of Catullus and Lesbia where the Billy is in a state of confusion because he feels that although his lover says that she loves him, he does not know if she speaks the truth. In poem 70, Catullus talks about how Lesbia, his lover //Nulli se dicit muliermea nubere malle quam mihi--"//my woman says she prefers to marry no one else than me". However, Lesbia never did anything to ensure Catullus that such feelings truly existed. Catullus is skeptical of Lesbia's feelings as illustrated in the line //mulier cupido quod dicit amanti, in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua//--"that which a women says to an ardent lover, it is right to write in wind and rapid water". Catullus is basically saying that there is no substance to what Lesbia says; she says that she loves Catullus, but she fails to demonstrate any acts of affection towards him. This reinforces his idea that Lesbia has never truly cared for him. In the song, Billy Joel talks about how "[he] [does] [not] want some pretty face tell [him] pretty lies, all [he] wants is someone to believe" which is similar to Catullus' own desires in his relationship. To Catullus, Lesbia is beautiful, but that alone is not enough to satisfy him. He does not need a pretty woman; as long as his lover is sincere, that is all he needs.

Catullus' relationship was, for the most part, one sided. In poem 70, he uses the word //nubere// meaning "marriage" to refer to Lesbia's feelings. A strong word such as this indicates that Catullus is very passionate about their relationship, and wants Lesbia to feel the same. Billy and Catullus are both similar in the respect that they are both slaves to love; they know of their lovers' insincerity, yet they cannot help but love them anyway. "But when i want sincerity tell me where else can I turn 'Cause you're the on that I depend on".

If you search for tenderness It isn't hard to find You can have the love you need to live

But if you look for truthfulness You might just as well be blind It always seems to be so hard to give

Honesty is such a lonely word Everyone is so untrue Honesty is hardly ever heard And mostly what I need from you

I can always find someone To say they sympathize If I wear my heart out on my sleeve

But I don't want some pretty face To tell me pretty lies All I want is someone to believe

I can find a lover I can find a friend I can have security Until the bitter end

Anyone can comfort me With promises again I know, I know

When I'm deep inside of me Don't be too concerned I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone

But when I want sincerity Tell me where else can I turn 'Cause you're the one that I depend upon

Assignment 1 After reading Catullus 5, I have found that his love story closely resembles that of Troy and Gabriella's in the movie //High School Musical// where both sets of lovers are caught in between the conflicting views of their society. In his poem, Catullus speaks of how the opinions of others should not affect his relationship with Lesbia, for as long as they both share an undying affection for one another, that is all they should ever need.

The theme of 'forbidden love' is apparent throughout //High School Musical,// but it is only towards the end of the movie that both Troy and Gabriella discover the lesson that Catullus has attempted to convey to Lesbia throughout his many poems. After sharing their first song together, Troy and Gabriella realize something about themselves that they have never thought was possible. They both loved to sing, and more importantly, they loved to sing **together**. However, as the movie progresses, their affection for one another is tested when their 'friends' try to separate them, insisting that they maintain the "status quo" by "sticking to the stuff they know", and not mingle with people outside of their group. Although despite their efforts, Troy, convinced that his love for Gabriella was much more important than maintaining his 'cool' image decides to break free of the expectations placed upon him by society, and just be himself.

In a similar fashion, Catullus begs Lesbia to "value all the rumors of strict old men at a single penny", and not let their opinions interfere with their love. "Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus, rumoresque senum severiorum omnes unius aestimemus assis!" Catullus was known for being a bold man; one who wrote whatever he pleased without giving it a second thought. Therefore it is understandable that he would expect his lover, Lesbia, to be as open about the situation as he is. He also asks her to "sleep a continuous night", which would signify her commitment to him. media type="youtube" key="v5CMU1KgBsY?fs=1" height="385" width="480"