For those who don't know, "The Turn of The Screw" is a novel by Henry James. It's a rather terrifying tale of ghastly apparitions and daunting demons, all in the setting of a country estate.
The main character is a governess, hired by the uncle of two children to look after them. upon arriving at the estate the governess falls victims to a plethora of hallucinations, whom she later finds out from the head maid of the estate are visions of people who used to work at the estate....but...dare I say... are now DEAD!
This would be a little startling, don't you think? As the story progresses the governess begins suspecting that the children are also aware of the ghosts, but are concealing their knowledge for some reason. So i guess the real question is, did the children know?
The governess' opinion of the children shifts dramatically from the beginning to the end of the tale. At first, she is infatuated with the children and speaks of them only in the highest regards, but near the end she is always convinced that they are hiding something.
The head maid, Mrs. Grose, confirms that both children had interactions with the ghosts the the governess is seeing when said ghosts were alive, but she knows nothing of these interactions as of late. She even says the Miles (the older male child) had rather inappropriate relations with one of the ghosts, but does not elaborate past that.
there are also many incidents of the children doing things when they should be in bed. for instance, miles is found outside one night, and he insists it's to prove to the governess the he can "do bad things". Also, the conclusion of the book rises a huge amount of suspicion. Miles and the governess are chatting late at night about an incident concerning a letter, when the governess sees the ghost of Peter Quint, the ghost who in life had the "relations" with miles. Miles then looks in the ghosts direction, utters the ghost's name, and then promptly dies.
So, I say that the children knew the entire time. One might wonder why they'd conceal their knowledge, but I'd instead ask why they wouldn't. Miles clearly had some sort of incriminating relations with one of the ghosts in life, so whats to say that he didn't fear punishment even after the man died. Also, the end of the book really just give's it away. Sure, he didn't say "hey, theres that dead guy that i still see all the time", but he might as well have.
thesis aside, the book was incredible. Quite an easy read and it keeps you on your toes. I'd suggest it to anyone!
thats all for now,
-Captain Swagger
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What I got on
I'm often called feminine by classmates for the way i dress, but little do they know it's called swagger. I've been dressing sharp since the end of 8th grade, and it all began with a single pair of Supras.
I picked up those Supras going into freshman year with the intentions of trying something new. Little did i know, though, that that simple action would change my fashion sense and swagger for the rest of my high school career.
At the start of second semester freshman year, i broke out the skinny jeans. I had gotten them as a gift from my fashionista sister for Christmas, and was skeptical at first. This was just another stage in the evolution of my swagger, i would later find out.
I like the way i dress, i think it makes me unique. I'm happy to look different and buy different clothes, rather than rocking the same khakis and polo every day. Here's my question to you all, what makes life worthwhile? in my opinion, it's making life your own. I've never been one to follow the crowd, blindly at least.
I make my life my own through my ever changing swagger, and i encourage all of you to find a way to accomplish the same goal.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Pictures, by yours truly
I'm a photographer for my school newspaper, and i also take pictures for fun. here are some I took recently, totally unedited. These are my attempts at being artsy.
This is an escalator in a mall near my house. I though it was appealing because of the way the light is projected from the glass. It looks surreal.
I snapped this in a store at the same mall. The angle is pretty nice, it turned out well.
This is actually an exhibit at a museum about smart home, this is the exterior. I like the focus on the bush rather than the rocks in the background.
My sister's drink at a restaurant in NYC, I was very bored at dinner.
Some appealing decorations in a building my mother took me to, she's a designer.
The top of a water bottle. And my father's nose!
Ive never received any sort of training and I'm not saying that these are next level photographs, it's just for fun. Let me know what you think.
Steakon (steak cooked in bacon fat, also known as heart attack in food form)
I've had this twice now, and I got the general idea from my favorite youtube channel, EpicMealTime (this is not for those with weak stomachs) In short, it's among the best tasting things I've eaten in my entire life, as it should be, seeing as I felt like i had eaten an entire cow afterwards.
Despite the near death feeling that i fell victim to post eating, It was totally worth it. eating bacon encrusted steak with your best friends is a true bonding experience. Here's the process. we left school at 3, and headed to Lucky Strike and shot pool for a few hours (I destroyed them).
Then we hit up the grocery store, and got 6 prime sirloin steaks and 3 packages of beacon. no to mention root bear, orange soda (orange drank as they called it), grape soda (purple drank) and a few baguettes (because were classy).
Next, we headed to the crib, played some Nazi Zombies, and began cooking. thankfully, we documented the entire thing (see pictures!) We fried the bacon, wrapped the steaks in bacon, downed about 6 sodas each, and even made some ravioli to top it all off.
It was a fantastic night, and we fed 6 people to the point of stomach sickness for like 50 bucks. Perk to eating in I guess. I suggest you all try Steakon, because it's simply amazing.
Despite the near death feeling that i fell victim to post eating, It was totally worth it. eating bacon encrusted steak with your best friends is a true bonding experience. Here's the process. we left school at 3, and headed to Lucky Strike and shot pool for a few hours (I destroyed them).
Then we hit up the grocery store, and got 6 prime sirloin steaks and 3 packages of beacon. no to mention root bear, orange soda (orange drank as they called it), grape soda (purple drank) and a few baguettes (because were classy).
Next, we headed to the crib, played some Nazi Zombies, and began cooking. thankfully, we documented the entire thing (see pictures!) We fried the bacon, wrapped the steaks in bacon, downed about 6 sodas each, and even made some ravioli to top it all off.
25 things that not everyone knows about me
let's get personal, shall we?
1) I've had one PB and J ever, and it was only a few weeks ago.
2) I don't eat candy (except tootsie rolls and purple jolly ranchers)
3) I watch Grey's Anatomy (guilty pleasure, don't hate.)
4) I did judo for 7 years
5) I'm an insomniac
6) I don't just eat food, i INHALE it
7) I spent two summers at culinary school
8) For the majority of my early childhood i was very convinced that i was adopted
9) My favorite movie is Billy Madison
10) I love techno music!
11) I don't understand the appeal of twitter over facebook
12) Titanic was way to long, i mean common people
13) Pikachu was my LEAST favorite Pokemon
14) my mother, my sister, and myself all have the same pair of jeans (they're tight. it's called style, get some!)
15) my mother is a hippy
16) My father falls asleep at 8:30 nightly, and his idea of watching tv is sleeping on the couch while the tv is on.
17) I'm half Italian, and Half Russian
18) I've always wanted to learn how to escape from handcuffs (I don't know why)
19) my favorite color is purple
20) I watch unhealthy amounts of television
21)My favorite meat is duck
22) My brother is deaf
23) Mint milanos make me smile
24) I listen to 2-5 hours of music daily
25) I constantly think about what would happen if there were zombies, and how to fashion my lacrosse stick into a weapon
thats a little about me, hope you enjoyed
1) I've had one PB and J ever, and it was only a few weeks ago.
2) I don't eat candy (except tootsie rolls and purple jolly ranchers)
3) I watch Grey's Anatomy (guilty pleasure, don't hate.)
4) I did judo for 7 years
5) I'm an insomniac
6) I don't just eat food, i INHALE it
7) I spent two summers at culinary school
8) For the majority of my early childhood i was very convinced that i was adopted
9) My favorite movie is Billy Madison
10) I love techno music!
11) I don't understand the appeal of twitter over facebook
12) Titanic was way to long, i mean common people
13) Pikachu was my LEAST favorite Pokemon
14) my mother, my sister, and myself all have the same pair of jeans (they're tight. it's called style, get some!)
15) my mother is a hippy
16) My father falls asleep at 8:30 nightly, and his idea of watching tv is sleeping on the couch while the tv is on.
17) I'm half Italian, and Half Russian
18) I've always wanted to learn how to escape from handcuffs (I don't know why)
19) my favorite color is purple
20) I watch unhealthy amounts of television
21)My favorite meat is duck
22) My brother is deaf
23) Mint milanos make me smile
24) I listen to 2-5 hours of music daily
25) I constantly think about what would happen if there were zombies, and how to fashion my lacrosse stick into a weapon
thats a little about me, hope you enjoyed
Pepys
Hey everyone!
For those who don't know, Pepys was a 17th century upper class Englishman with a taste for classy wine, infidelity, and wife beating. Great guy right? I bet your thinking that he would never be accepted in today's society, but have we really grown past behavior life that?
“After that done, and gone and kissed the mother in bed – I away to Westminster-hall and there hear that Mrs. Lane is come to town. So I stayed loitering up and down, till anon she comes and agreed to meet at Swayns; and there I went anon and she came, but stayed but little, the place not being private. I have not seen her since before the plague. So thence parted, and rencontrai a her last logis (met her at her last lodgings), and in that place did hazer what I tena a mind para faire con her (did what I had a mind to do with her).”
(Tuesday, 20 February 1665)
The passage above was a quote from the subject's famous diary, and as you can see he very openly states that he had his way with a woman other than his wife. It's very easy to blindly believe that infidelity is wrong, but it happens all the time today. Tiger Woods for instance is a prime example of accepted infidelity. A few weeks of being the spotlight in the news, a few weeks of rehab, and bam. People simply stop caring. So how can we dismiss Pepys from modern society on those grounds? Marriage is hardly sacred anymore, seeing as the divorce rate for first marriages in America is over 40%.
Pepys cannot be defined solely by his infidelity, people. We must praise him for living in the moment, as this quote clearly shows.
The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it; and, out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it. (Saturday 10 March 1665)
Pepys also was a true veteran of the theater, an affiliate of many higher-ups in English society, and fantastic at his occupation. So is it to far fetched to say that he'd fit into today's society? We glorify his lifestyle today, actually. Television programs like the Jersey Shore and countless others display drinking daily as something to strive for, and infidelity as something to feel bad about only momentarily. So all in all, i dare say that Pepy's, while he by no means would be a model citizen, would have very little issue fitting into todays society.
Works Cited-
Pepys, Samuel. "Tuesday 20 February 1665/66 (Pepys' Diary)." Pepys' Diary. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1666/02/20/>.
"Divorce Rate in America." Divorce Rate : Divorce Rate In America. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.divorcerate.org/>.
Franklin, Nancy. "MTV's “Jersey Shore” Review." The New Yorker. 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2010/01/18/100118crte_television_franklin>.
For those who don't know, Pepys was a 17th century upper class Englishman with a taste for classy wine, infidelity, and wife beating. Great guy right? I bet your thinking that he would never be accepted in today's society, but have we really grown past behavior life that?
“After that done, and gone and kissed the mother in bed – I away to Westminster-hall and there hear that Mrs. Lane is come to town. So I stayed loitering up and down, till anon she comes and agreed to meet at Swayns; and there I went anon and she came, but stayed but little, the place not being private. I have not seen her since before the plague. So thence parted, and rencontrai a her last logis (met her at her last lodgings), and in that place did hazer what I tena a mind para faire con her (did what I had a mind to do with her).”
(Tuesday, 20 February 1665)
The passage above was a quote from the subject's famous diary, and as you can see he very openly states that he had his way with a woman other than his wife. It's very easy to blindly believe that infidelity is wrong, but it happens all the time today. Tiger Woods for instance is a prime example of accepted infidelity. A few weeks of being the spotlight in the news, a few weeks of rehab, and bam. People simply stop caring. So how can we dismiss Pepys from modern society on those grounds? Marriage is hardly sacred anymore, seeing as the divorce rate for first marriages in America is over 40%.
Pepys cannot be defined solely by his infidelity, people. We must praise him for living in the moment, as this quote clearly shows.
The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it; and, out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it. (Saturday 10 March 1665)
Pepys also was a true veteran of the theater, an affiliate of many higher-ups in English society, and fantastic at his occupation. So is it to far fetched to say that he'd fit into today's society? We glorify his lifestyle today, actually. Television programs like the Jersey Shore and countless others display drinking daily as something to strive for, and infidelity as something to feel bad about only momentarily. So all in all, i dare say that Pepy's, while he by no means would be a model citizen, would have very little issue fitting into todays society.
Works Cited-
Pepys, Samuel. "Tuesday 20 February 1665/66 (Pepys' Diary)." Pepys' Diary. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1666/02/20/>.
"Divorce Rate in America." Divorce Rate : Divorce Rate In America. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.divorcerate.org/>.
Franklin, Nancy. "MTV's “Jersey Shore” Review." The New Yorker. 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2010/01/18/100118crte_television_franklin>.
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