Shawshank Redemption

Plot
The movie plot went along with the plot of the short story. They pretty much had all the key parts the same. There were a little bit of differences but not significant differences. I really enjoyed the movie. I will admit that it did make me tear up when Brooks, the cute little old man, hung himself...Anyway, the movie was good. It's definitly a movie that I will watch again soon. It was just fascinating through the whole thing. I never found myself bored during the movie.

Point of View 
The point of view was the same as the short story. It came from a guy named Red, a fellow inmate. He observed the man named Andy Dufresne. The point of view made the movie that much better. It was as if we were watching and observing Andy as well. The second person point of view helped to put things into perspective. It is, after all, what the book did as well. I think that it is what makes the book and movie so good. It gives it better quality and it makes for better entertainment.

Characterization
The characterization is the same as the story as well. The characterization of the story matches what the movie has pretty well. They are almost identical. There are some differences but they aren't really significant. The characters couldn't have been more right for this story. Each character is different in their own ways. They make the story that much better. I couldn't have read/watched a better story. Everything from the characters to the plot interested me.

Setting
The setting was at a prison. Both the story and movie have the same setting. The name of the prison is actually Shawshank. That being why the title of the story is "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" or simply just "Shawshank Redemption." In the short story I had some great trouble trying to picture what the prison looked like. When I watched the movie it just fascinated me what a prison looked like inside. I'm not going to lie...it doesn't look like too much fun. I personally would not want to be in one of those cells...those poor, poor, poor fellas! Guess they deserved it though, except Andy.

Theme
The theme of the story was probably the best one I have ever read. I haven't read many but this had my two favorite subjects in them: Murder and Prison Life! I love the theme of murder because every murderer is different and does things in different ways. No two murders are the same. Murder and Prison Life being part of the theme I had no problem sitting down and reading/watching about it. The theme of the story and the movie were the same. They would have to be...that's why they made a movie of the story. I think that the movie did a great job of following along with short story. The two were almost indentical but they did have some slim differences that weren't too major.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

Plot

The plot of this story is the fact that the main character, Andy Dufresne, is innocent but he remains in jail. There is a prisoner that comes around, Tommy Williams, has information that would have let Andy walk a free man. One of Tommy's former cellmates, Elwood Blatch, told him that he killed Glenn Quentin. Tommy said that Elwood told him this; "El said he thought the guy might have cash in the house, maybe as much as five thousand dollars. That was a lot of money back then, he says to me. So I go: 'When was that?' And he goes 'After the war. Just after the war.'" (62)

The structure of the plot is nicely put together. It was an easy story to follow along with. As a person who doesn't like reading I actually enjoyed this short story. It was easy for me to comprehend. There were lots of fascinating things. I've always liked to look at things that involved prison and murders. I found that most my favorite TV shows have something to do with both prison and murders (NCIS, Bones, CSI, etc.). The pace of the plot was nice and steady. As I already said, it was easy to follow along with.

Point of View

I enjoyed how the point of view was coming from another inmate. It made it feel more realistic because it was what someone else viewed Andy as. You could tell that the story was not gonna be about the narrator when he says, "I want to tell you about a guy named Andy Dufresne." (16) I felt as if the story was not in second person that it wouldn't have been as intriging for me. I enjoyed the point of view in this story because it was showing us how close the two had gotten by being at Shawshank together. Andy really began to trust the narrator, Red, by telling him things that he normally wouldn't have told anyone, especially about his pseudonym that he had his friend set up for him. "All of that's one hundred per cent illegal, setting up a false ID like that." (76)

Characterization
Narrator: "I was young, good-looking, and from the poor side of town. I knocked up a pretty, sulky, headstrong girl who lived in one of the fine old houses on Carbine Street." (16)

Andy Dufresne: "He was a short, neat little man with sandy hair and small, cleaver hands. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles. His fingernails were always clipped, and they were always cleaned...He always looked as if he should have been wearing a tie." (17)

These are the two main characters of the story I feel. The way they are described is realistic. It puts things in a more logical state of thought. It gives you a good way to imagine these kind of people and make them up in your head. Whenever I do read, I like to picture the story in my head as it goes along. It makes it easier for me to follow along. The way the characters are characterized just made it that much easier to do so.

Setting
"There is a guy like me in every state and federal prison in America..." (15)

The story tells you from the get go that it is set in a prison, Shawshank. I bet if it hadn't just come out and said where it was that I would have been confused. As I said in the Characterization part above i like to picture things when I read. During the first couple of pages I was able to picture where they were and what they looked like. The structure of this story over all was outstanding. I actually enjoyed reading this story which is a tremendous shocker for me. I never thought I would be able to enjoy reading. This was an eye opener.

Theme
"I committed murder." (15)

The theme of the story was one that interested me. As i mentioned in the Plot part of this blog, I am highly interested in murder stories and prison. I used to want to be a Forensic Scientists. Since the theme involved two of my great interest it was easy for me to read. If I would've chosen a different story I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. I absolutely enjoy reading things that interest me. I wouldn't be shocked if i found myself reading this again. I know the citation I made is not exactly the theme of the story, I enjoyed how it was just straight out said. I would have to say that theme is probably about Andy and his journey into escaping out of the Shawshank Prison.

Shakespearean Sonnet Blog

Sonnet 130

The message/them for this sonnet is no one is perfect. He compares his mistress' features by saying for example "Coral is far more red than her lips' red;" He is saying that her lips can't be as red as coral because coral is coral and lips are lips and that they can not be the same thing. You can not say that something is the same as something that it is not. Another example would be when he says that "I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks," this is saying that her cheeks can not be as red as roses for the same reason that lips can not be the same color as coral. The speaker of this sonnet is saying  that no one can be perfect, not even his mistress. Even though you think someone is stunning and unbelievably breathtaking they are not a goddess/god. They can not be in the perfect image as you  may perceive them to be. The speaker is being realistic by saying that she's not perfect and describing why she's not perfect. He is putting it in perspective that way his audience can understand what is being said and what the message/theme of the poem is.

I do not agree with the sonnet's message/them. I believe that one can be perfect. You do not have to be perfect to everyone but to someone you can be perfect. Not everyone has the same taste and perfect means different things to different people. In the Notebook for example, Noah believes that Allie is the most perfect girl he has ever seen. He tries to fight for her love and does whatever it takes to fulfill her dreams even though they are not together some of the time. To Noah, Allie is like a goddess. He does not want anyone else except him. So it is possible for someone to be seen as perfect. It just depends on how you feel what perfect is.

Ballad Blog

Do You Believe Me Now

by: Jimmy Wayne

Do you remember
the day I turned to you and said
I didn't like the way he was lookin' at you?
yeah
How he made you laugh
you just couldn't get what I was sayin'
it was my imagination

(Chorus)
So do you believe me now?
I guess I really wasn't that crazy
and I knew what I was talkin' about
Everytime the sun goes down
he's the one that's holdin' you baby
yeah me I'm missin' you way 'cross town
so do you believe me now?

I'm kickin' myself
for bein' the one foolish enough givin' him the chance to step in my shoes
ohhh
He was bidin' his time
when he saw our love was havin' a moment of weakness
he was there between us

(Chorus)
So do you believe me now?
I guess I really wasn't that crazy
and I knew what I was talkin' about
Everytime the sun goes down
he's the one that's holdin' you baby
yeah me I'm missin' you way 'cross town
so do you believe me now?

oh yeah, I bet now you see the light
oh yeah, what's the use in bein' right...
when I'm the lonely one tonight?

(Chorus)
So do you believe me now?
I guess I really wasn't that crazy
and I knew what I was talkin' about
Everytime the sun goes down
he's the one that's holdin' you baby
yeah me I'm missin' you way 'cross town
so do you believe me now
yeah
so do you believe me now
yeah

Everytime the sun goes down
he's the one that's holdin' you baby
yeah me I'm missin you way 'cross town
so do you believe me now?


"Do You Believe Me Now" qualifies as a ballad because it falls under the catagory of jealous sweethearts and unrequited love. The song is about a jealous ex-boyfriend that let his girlfriend slip right through his fingers. He was jealous of the other guy for awhile and tried to tell her but she would not listen. Some of the characteristics it has is dramatization of a single incident, it has use of a refrain, and the use of a burden. It is dramatization of a single event because Jimmy Wayne is singing about an individual that breaks a couple up. The refrain is shown when the lines are repeated as it approaches the climax. The chorus of the song would be also known as the burden. The burden of this song tells you what the main focus is. It is what Jimmy Wayne wants you to get out of this song.

Hero

Literary Hero:

Iron man is a hero because he helps others. He goes out and tries to protect his country. He fights against the enemies that try to hurt his country. Iron man is courageous and very intelligent. He was able to build his own suit to break free after he was captured. A lot of people look up to him for being the hero that he is.

Personal Hero:

My favorite hero would be my dad. He has been my hero since the day I was born. In my eyes he is the strongest and smartest person I know. My dad knows how to deal with anything that comes his way and take it like a man. I don't believe that I have ever seen him scared. He has held my hand through everything in my life. I still look up to him till this day. He is my hero for now and forever.

Popular Hero:
A hero that I don't know personally would be soldiers in Iraq. They are very brave to be fighting for our country. Soldiers just want to do what is best for their country. Their job is to make sure that all of us are safe. They are basically protectors of the country. They try their best to keep the bad guys from getting to us. They are the true heroes of America.