Author: Kristina

PR to A Doll’s House play – Kristina

A Doll’s House is a thought-provoking play.

The beginning was like the life of an ideal family for many people. A family of five – a loving father, a caring mother and three children, and a grandmother helping them. They lived in abundance in a large house, did not quarrel and supported each other.

But then the play began to touch on the themes of gender roles, power dynamics and societal expectations. Throughout the play, Nora defies the gender norms of her time and asserts her independence, while showing intense love for her husband, for whom she has gone into debt, although she knew that her husband did not approve of this.

PR to the Merchant of Venice play – Kristina

“The Merchant of Venice” is a play by Shakespeare that is difficult to read but easy to understand. It explores life themes that are still found in everyday life, such as greed and love, friendship and revenge, justice and mercy.

In the play, the wealthy Venetian merchant Antonio borrows money from the Jewish pawnbroker Shylock to help his friend Bassanio look after the beautiful and wealthy Portia. But at one point, Shylock demands a pound of meat as collateral, in case the loan is not repaid, only Antonio’s ships are lost at sea and he cannot repay the loan, then Shylock demands a pound of flesh in court, where at the same time he is disguised as a youth Portia.

The theme of greed and love is revealed on the example of the Bassanio – Portia couple; the theme of friendship – on the example of Antonio – Bassanio; the theme of revenge – on the example of Shylock – Antonio; and the themes of justice and mercy on the example of Portia in relation to Antonio. In the play, the characters struggle with the consequences of their actions and their beliefs, which also brings up the theme of justice and mercy.

Overall, “The Merchant of Venice” is a thought-provoking play that makes readers think about the complexities of human nature and the moral consequences of our actions.

PR to the Merchant of Venice video – Kristina

“The Merchant of Venice” is a movie adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. It was directed by Michael Radford and released in 2004. The movie is a complex drama that explores themes of love, greed, justice, and prejudice.

The story is set in the 16th century in Venice, Italy. It follows the life of a wealthy merchant, Antonio, who borrows money from a Jewish moneylender named Shylock to help his friend, Bassanio, pursue his love interest, Portia. Antonio agrees to repay the loan with a pound of his own flesh if he fails to repay it in time. Unfortunately, Antonio’s ships are lost at sea, and he is unable to repay the loan, leading to a dramatic court case where Portia disguises herself as a lawyer and ultimately saves Antonio’s life.

Topics covered in the film:

Prejudice. The movie highlights the anti-Semitic attitudes of the time, with the character of Shylock being subjected to verbal and physical abuse by the Christian characters. This theme is further explored through the plotline involving Portia’s suitors and their racist attitudes towards her non-white suitors.

Love. The movie explores different kinds of love, from the romantic love between Bassanio and Portia to the platonic love between Antonio and Bassanio. Portia’s father’s unusual test of her suitors, where they have to choose between three caskets, also highlights the theme of true love.

Justice. The movie raises questions about the nature of justice and the limits of the law. Shylock’s insistence on the pound of flesh, despite being offered double the amount of the loan, challenges the court’s ability to provide fair and just outcomes.

Greed. The movie also explores the theme of greed, with both Antonio and Shylock being motivated by their personal financial gain. It highlights how greed can lead to selfish behavior and ultimately lead to tragic consequences.

Overall, “The Merchant of Venice” is a thought-provoking movie that raises many important questions about human nature and society. The powerful performances by the cast, particularly Al Pacino as Shylock, make it a memorable and engaging cinematic experience.

The Bully and His Victim – Kristina

In this situation, given that we do not know all the details of the case, my decision would be to punish both boys, but give a more severe sentence to the one who hit the bat, as he caused severe harm to the bully’s health. As a result, the bullies would be punished for bullying the boy, and the boy for lashing out at them, his revenge was far worse than any bully action.

(I don’t know how it is in Canada, but in Russia for bullying at school, parents must pay a fine of $ 10 and no more punishment follows. And for assault and bodily harm, criminal liability comes into play and the appropriate punishment is imprisonment for a period of 5-8 years.)

PR to Langston Hughes – Kristina

Throughout this section, while reading selected poems written by Langston Hughes, I began to enjoy not only the reading of the poems, but also the way the author presents the very idea in the verses. Langston Hughes writes about the struggles of the working minority, people suffering from unfair labor and discrimination, and he describes it in a way that has a deeper effect and meaning to the message he is trying to convey. His mental impact, transmitted through poetry, is so lively and positive that it is almost impossible to remain unanswered. The author emphasizes the meaning of his poems using rhymes, various poetic structures and metaphors. Among his works, I especially remember the poem “Theme for English B”. In this answer, I will analyze how “Theme for English B” differs from other poems by Hughes.

I think the poem “Theme for English B” was one of the most powerful because it really touches on how black students can feel. This gives us an idea of what they might have experienced. This poem is very sad. A black student was afraid to write a page about something because he thought his white professor wouldn’t be able to understand it. The contextual significance of the poem “Theme for English B” lies in the complexity of how to communicate one’s identity. The theme of this poem is that two people can learn from each other, regardless of their ethnicity. I feel like it was a real learning experience for a professor and a student.

I liked the rhyming schemes that Hughes included in some of his poetry. The rhymes changed frequently and gave the impression of a smoothly flowing story with abrupt changes in some parts. At first, everything seems to be clear and consistent, but at some point the rhyming scheme changes and the story opens up from the other side.
I also liked the fact that the endings of Hughes’ poems could be not only optimistic, but also pessimistic, as well as open. This makes me think about real life, because life is not only optimistic or pessimistic, it is a combination of these factors and during life the end is always open.

Outsmart Your Brain (ch.5) – Kristina

In chapter 5 of Outsmart Your Brain by Daniel.T Willingham the author explains student mistakes in reading difficult texts and how to correct them.

  • SQ3R – Survey & Question & Read & Recite & Review – method to concentrate on the central idea it improves comprehension
  • Informative study guide – a document in which complex and important learning aspects are described in a concise and understandable language (not just notes, but thoughtful, detailed, but brief reviews)
  • etc…

I should use these methods, as I believe they can help me in my studies and in life.