A Different Journey: Anticlimax, the name suggests...

Anticlimax: a drop, often sudden and unexpected, from a dignified or important idea or situation to one that is trivial or humorous. 
Also a sudden descent from something sublime to something ridiculous. In fiction and drama, this refers to action that is disappointing in contrast to the previous moment of intense interest. In rhetoric, the effect is frequently intentional and comic.

Where the Term comes from !!!

The term Anticlimax comes from the combination of two Greek words: anti, which means "against" or "the reverse of," and klimax, which means "a ladder" and was derived from klinein meaning "to slope."

Examples

1. Novels

Oh, poor Mr. Jones," mourned Mrs. Smith, "Did you hear what happened to him? He tripped at the top of the stairs, fell down the whole flight, banged his head, and died.". " Died?" said Mrs. Robinson, shocked. "Died!" repeated Mrs. Smith with emphasis. "Broke his glasses, too."

(Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor. Houghton Mifflin, 1971)

Examples from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Pride and Prejudice!

1.     The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.

2.     He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended; but he continued to apologize for about a quarter of an hour.

3.     Mr Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth – and it was soon done – done while Mrs Bennet was stirring the fire.

4.     …his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a-year.

2. Songs
And as I'm sinkin
The last thing that I think
Is, did I pay my rent...

(Jim O'Rourke, Ghost ship in a storm)

3. Movies

A famous example is the ending of The War of the Worlds, where, amidst the chaos of the extraterrestrial takeover of planet Earth, the aliens are defeated by the most unexpected organism: the common cold. Another example could involve the protagonist faced with insurmountable odds and ultimately being killed, without accomplishing their goal, despite what appears to be a turning point for the character.

4. Quotes

"The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money." — Mark Twain

A Different Journey: "The Tell-Tale Heart" Why is it Gothic?

The Tell-Tale Heart, what makes it Gothic

Name: 김호성A (Hosung, Kim)

Class: 10v1

ID Number: 131048

One of the classic gothic short-stories written in the Victorian era is perceived as “The Tell-Tale Heart.” However the author Edgar Allan Poe, the master of Victorian gothic literature has actually focused on some different aspects of gothic. Mainly gothic suggests the combination of Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romantic, Fantasy, and possibly Victorian. But Poe focused more on the psychological aspects of his characters as they were often described mad or insane. When reading “The Tell-Tale Heart” it is apparent in the story that the person who is narrating is with no doubt crazy. It is written as a first-person narrative of an unnamed narrator. So going into the details let’s find out what aspects does Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” portray in terms of being a gothic literature.

There are some notable genres that are demonstrated in “The Tell-Tale Heart” such as being a horror story. The main plot of the whole story is basically killing an old man. The murder is committed through detailed planning and ends by disassembling the old man limb by limb. The horror doesn’t end here. The way of murdering the old man should be fairly noted as well. The narrator kills the man with a bed, crushing him under it. He traps him inside it and waits many minutes, until there is no heart beat to be heard. The idea of being concealed inside a bed and suffocating to death is frightening. Nobody I presume would prefer a death like the shown example. Even after that the murderer he tries to conceal the carcass by tearing it apart and putting it under three wooden planks. “First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.” A classic gothic horror story all the way.

The next genre to focus on is Romantic. In order to define Romantic the word “Passion” comes to mind. We often confuse Romantic with romance as the words are organized similarly. However the differences of these two words should be noted. Romantic is basically a mixture of strong feelings such as love or hate. It doesn’t necessarily mean love at all times, but if an emotion is expressed strongly and passionately we perceive these emotions to be Romantic. In contrast, romance mainly focuses on the emotion love as beautiful and ravishing. So how is Romantic shown in this story? Apparently the narrator has strong feelings for the old man’s eye which is the cause of the murder.

He describes it as an “Evil Eye” and shows his abhorrence by stating “I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” On a normal person’s point of view this statement is very abstruse. How could a man commit a murder for a dislike of an eye? As we go on strong feelings about the man’s eye is splattered along the pages of the story. We can presume that the eye gave him a sense of vulnerability or weakness. A possibility would be that a power relationship might have been present between the narrator and the old man. The old man was the superior of the narrator and the eye was supposed to be the way of intimidating him or making him feel abject as an inferior being.

Finally we turn to the most important genre of all, Mystery. “The Tell-Tale Heart” could be explained with this one word, mysterious. From the beginning of the story the reader gets dragged into the story mysteriously by a conversation. The narrator suddenly and obdurately suggests that he is not mad. Also he tells you a story where he murdered a man. The story starts with a mysterious setting and evokes the readers to presume what would happen next. Another point to focus on is that the scenery of this incident is also mysterious as it is vaguely described. The ambiguous description gives a much more frightening and mysterious feeling for the readers. Furthermore, the dark environment that the incident takes place gives crucial information. The dark is when our eyes become useless and humans become dependent on other sources of light like the lantern. The narrator uses a lantern to see through the dark, but it has much more meaning to it. If we hold a lantern, the holder is able to visualize everything but the people who see the lantern are unable to recognize you. This creates an advantage of concealment over you. Relating to the story, the narrator feels a sense of superiority to the old man and his eye by holding a lantern as it hides his identity. Concealing one’s self is also an important issue on this particular story.

Concealment can be found all over “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Even from the beginning the narrator tries to hide the fact that he is mad. Going on he uses a lantern to cloak himself from the view of the old man’s eye. The murder is also done by concealment as I previously mentioned. The bed kills the old man by suffocating him to death. Suffocation is one of man’s greatest fears. For example, when I was little I used to go inside my blanket and tried to stay there for more than 10 minutes while my brother blocked all the exits, but it was impossible. The fear of suffocation and the lack of air gave me the chills. This clearly gives a spin to the genre of gothic. Finally, the concealment of the corpse is another theme of the mystery explained inside the story. Hiding creates a mysterious atmosphere. This is essential to create a tense feeling for the readers. So we can conclude that the genre Mystery not just creates a theme for the story but it is also essential for the main purpose of gothic literature, horror.

             In conclusion, the things that make “The Tell-Tale Heart” gothic are Horror, Romantic, and Mystery. But what about other aspects like S/F, Fantasy and Victorian? Unfortunately S/F and Fantasies aren’t included in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Poe might have excluded those aspects as it wasn’t common in his days. However in the case of being a Victorian Era story, because it was written between 1819~1900 “The Tell-Tale Heart” suffices the qualifications. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a classic gothic literature as many arguments and reasons support it. Now I have a much better comprehension in deciding whether the story is gothic or not. Just rely on the factors that form a gothic literature. Horror, Mystery, Romantic, S/F, Fantasy, and finally Victorian.

A Different Journey: "The Prophet" On Crime and Punishment

On my first 사제동행 (Teacher-student book reading) I needed to memorize poems and write essays about it. It took me 2 weeks to memorize this particular poem... And there were 6 more poems that I needed to memorize... However somehow I managed to do it all! In reading Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet  I managed to understand poems in depth and memorized various poems that inflicts upon our various lives such as love, prayer, and death.

Crime and Punishment

It is when your spirit goes wandering upon the wind,
That you, alone and unguarded, commit a wrong unto others and therefore unto yourself.
And for that wrong committed must you knock and wait a while unheeded at the gate of the blessed.


Like the ocean is your god-self;
It remains for ever undefiled.
And like the ether it lifts but the winged.
Even like the sun is your god-self;
It knows not the ways of the mole nor seeks it the holes of the serpent.
But your god-self does not dwell alone in your being.
Much in you is still man, and much in you is not yet man,
But a shapeless pigmy that walks asleep in the mist searching for its own awakening.


And of the man in you would I now speak.
For it is he and not your god-self nor the pigmy in the mist, that knows crime and the punishment of crime.
Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world.
But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you,
So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.
And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree,
So the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will of you all.
Like a procession you walk together towards your god-self.

You are the way and the wayfarers.
And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone.
Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.
And this also, though the word lie heavy upon your hearts:
The murdered is not unaccountable for his own murder,
And the robbed is not blameless in being robbed.
The righteous is not innocent of the deeds of the wicked,
And the white-handed is not clean in the doings of the felon.
Yea, the guilty is oftentimes the victim of the injured,


And still more often the condemned is the burden-bearer for the guiltless and unblamed.
You cannot separate the just from the unjust and the good from the wicked;
For they stand together before the face of the sun even as the black thread and the white are woven together.
And when the black thread breaks, the weaver shall look into the whole cloth, and he shall examine the loom also.
If any of you would bring judgment the unfaithful wife,


Let him also weight the heart of her husband in scales, and measure his soul with measurements.
And let him who would lash the offender look unto the spirit of the offended.
And if any of you would punish in the name of righteousness and lay the ax unto the evil tree, let him see to its roots;
And verily he will find the roots of the good and the bad, the fruitful and the fruitless, all entwined together in the silent heart of the earth.


And you judges who would be just,
What judgment pronounce you upon him who though honest in the flesh yet is a thief in spirit?
What penalty lay you upon him who slays in the flesh yet is himself slain in the spirit?
And how prosecute you him who in action is a deceiver and an oppressor,
Yet who also is aggrieved and outraged?

And how shall you punish those whose remorse is already greater than their misdeeds?
Is not remorse the justice which is administered by that very law which you would fain serve?
Yet you cannot lay remorse upon the innocent nor lift it from the heart of the guilty.
Unbidden shall it call in the night, that men may wake and gaze upon themselves.
And you who would understand justice, how shall you unless you look upon all deeds in the fullness of light?


Only then shall you know that the erect and the fallen are but one man standing in twilight between the night of his pigmy-self and the day of his god-self,
And that the corner-stone of the temple is not higher than the lowest stone in its foundation.

A Different Journey: About the Syrian Civil War

Title: About the Syrian Civil War and How to prevent it...

 

Syrian Civilian Riots

70,000 people dead, 4,000,000 refugees, problems including inflation and lack of food. This is currently happening in one country, Syria. Syria has been in a civil war since March 2011. The main cause of this catastrophe is related to a simple peace demonstration by 15 students. The students were caught for writing a statement on the wall and were charged of being rebels of the government. They were also tortured and the citizens of Syria requested for their discharge and in doing so they also asked for democracy including the guarantee of freedom.

 

However president Assad had reacted too rashly by involving the government's army on this account. It resulted in the murder of 4 innocent citizens and the demonstration for the abdication of president Assad had begun. The following results of the demonstration was brutal. Both the government and the rebels have tasted the true meaning of war. Now this incident is considered a major dilemma over countless nations. The solving of this problem is crucial and two possible solutions may be efficient.

 

Problems can’t be solved if both sides each argue for their benefits. The act of negotiation must be done while both sides give up some of their wants for the greater good. First, the government should stop their military approach on the Syrian citizens. Peace is never accomplished if force is used in solving disputes. The death of many citizens have made Syria unstable and people of Syria are forced to take refugee in foreign countries. If military encounters continue this civil war may turn out to be the biggest dispute inside a country. Saudi Arabia, USA, EU are all helping Syria’s rebels economically and with providing military gear. If this continues casualties will only increase in numbers. So as the government stops using force, the rebels must refuse the military support from foreign countries. This is the first step that Syria must take in order to protect their citizens and put an end to this civil war.

 

Second, if we hear the story it is likely to think that the government should turn into a democratic system and accept the people’s wants and needs. However the autonomy of Syria must be respected. Other countries are not legalized to barge into a country and try to solve their problems for them. But for Syria in order to get their rights preserved the government should first release the 15 students and grant the citizen’s wish for freedom. Freedom is a basic right for each and every person in Earth. If this is not kept, the international society should intervene and stop the military approach and convince the government to negotiate with the citizens peacefully.

 

Syria’s civil war is getting bigger as the time passes. It is urgent that we solve the problems and disputes in Syria. But the question still raises itself. “Is it the respect for the autonomy of Syria or the saving of Syria’s citizens?” The choice that we make will surely change the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Different Journey: An Easy Contemplation of Ganggangsullae...

Ganggangsullae (강강술래)

- What we usually Know -

1. Ganggangsullae is a Korean Traditional Dance that we do at August in the Lunar Calendar. Known to be in act at Choosuk (Korean Traditional Holiday).

2. Usually done at night with groups of women nationally.

3. The most known women dance in Korea and is known to  have the most feminine beauty.

"I was attempting to fully translate and understand the song mentioned above (ganggangsullae), so if anyone would be keen enough to have a go at explaining it on their blog."                 
                                                     -Mr. Menard- 

What a big problem! It's usually hard for foreigners to understand the cultures of Korea. So Today we will explore the wonders of Ganggangsullae and comprehend it.



Women doing Ganggangsullae

-What we should Know-

1. The meaning of Ganggangsullae 

2. When and where does it take place

3. Various Versions of Ganggangsullae (Translated in English)

4. What we can learn from Ganggangsullae

- The Meaning of Ganggangsullae - 

Doing Ganggangsullae in front of
General Lee-Sun-Shin...

Ganggangsullae, the name is unfamiliar to most foreigners. But in Korea it is perhaps the most well known traditional dance. Then a questions raises in mind. "What is the meaning of Ganggangsullae? Well it sounds like a medicine..." But I'm here to explain about it. Gangangsullae is a Korean Traditional Women Group Dance to explain concisely. It is told that the first Ganggangsullae was done in a battle including General Lee-Sun-Shin(이순신). When the famous 임지왜란 occurred General Lee-Sun-Shin used Ganggangsullae as a battle strategy. He ordered the women to dress up like men and told them to turn around and around to make an illusion that there were more soldiers than there usually was.


-When and Where does Ganggangsullae take place?-

Doing Ganggangsullae at
정월대보름(Jung Wall Dae Bo Reum) 

So hopefully now you know what ganggangsullae is about and what it means to Koreans historically. Then when does this event take place and where is this custom done? To give you the short answer Chuseok. Korea's major holiday Chuseok is when most of the Ganggangsullae is done. But it is known that in 정월대보름 - Jung Wall Dae Bo Reum (January 15th in Lunar Calendar) we carry on this tradition too. So recently it was 정월대보름 and many people would have danced ganggangsullae together.

Now we know when, but where? At first it was only done as a memorial in 호남(전라남도, 전라북도, Korean regions) as 호남 was where ganggangsullae was originated. But as it began to spread to the entire nation ganggangsullae became a part of Korean Culture.


- Various Versions of Ganggangsullae (Translated in English) -

<1st Version>

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

산아 산아 추영산아 놀기 좋다 유달산아
Mounatain, Mountain Mt.Chuyoung A good place to play, Mt. Youdal

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

꽃이 피면 화산이요 잎이 피면 청산이라
If the flower blossoms it's a volcano, if leaves come out it's a green Mountain.

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

청산 화산 넘어가면 우리 부모를 모시려만
If we climb Mt. Green and a Volcano we would go and take care of our parents

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

우리 부모 명자씨는 어느 책에가 씌여 있나
Our Parent Myungja, which book are you in

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae


The first impression you may get when you first see this line you might think "What the heck?" If you read this there are many metaphors made. For example, we explain a flower blossomed mountain as a volcano because we can imagine a mountain full with color as a lava flowing mountain. Can you make the connection? My mind is imagining the scene right now... To help I'll post pictures.

Volcano

 Can you see the remarkable resemblance of the two???

The way that the lava flows
The way the red flowers are positioned

Aren't they similar?
^o^

-----------------------------------

Now let's move on.


The another sentence that we should focus on is this.

"Our Parent Myungja, which book are you in"

What could this possibly mean?
What does it portray?

In order to understand this line we must examine the previous sentence.

"If we climb Mt. Green and a Volcano we would go and take care of our parents" 

It shows the Korean custom to care for the elderly. But to do that we need to go a far way to visit our parents. There were no transportation at that time. We needed to ride a horse or walk all the way. So there could be many interpretations but the main reason seems to be locating the parents whereabouts. Books tell us information and maybe
in order to find and care for our parents we needed books... It might sound strange but it's the interpretation that I did for the line. If you have other inspiring ideas feel free to post comments.


<2nd Version>

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

달떠 온다 달떠 온다
The moon is rising The moon is rising

강강술래 강강술래
Ganggangsullae, Ganggangsullae

동해 동창 달떠 온다
East sea, East... The moon is rising

저- 달이 뉘달인가
Whose moon is that

강호방네 달이라고
It's Ganghobang's Moon

강호방은 어디 가고
Then where is Ganghobang

저 달 뜬 줄 모른단가
Doesn't he know that the moon has risen

So let's try an interpretation with this one too. So mainly this is about the moon rising. But what does it mean if the moon rises? The moon is the only thing that shines in the night bright enough to show light. In Korea the moon was a symbol of grieve and longing. So as we can see in the lines further we can see that someone is longing for a man called Ganghobang.

Or another interpretation could be made about this line

"Doesn't he know that the moon has risen?" So maybe lovers would try to meet when the full moon was up and whisper their love. Maybe it was a love that couldn't be accomplished. We can put the concept of historical perspective of social levels here. The couples had different social levels so it was impossible for them to continue on with their love. This was common in Korea historically and there are many stories involving this  particular issue.


- What we can learn from Ganggangsullae -

Ganggangsullae is a Korean Traditional Song sung from many regions and it shows the Korean Feeling of Longing. We know that the longing was because of the differences in social levels.





I hope that this posting helped lots of Foreigners understand the true meaning of Ganggangsullae and even Koreans as well.

Thank you for reading this far and I hope you find interest in other Korean Customs too ^^ ~~