"The Metamorphosis"

Response:

Gregors life

When he first turns in to a bug, Gregor thinks about how his life is pretty worthless. Gregor realizes that his job is not satisfying and he is only a salesman so that he can pay off his parents debt. He also talks about how his room is dreary and it makes him melancholy. After he turns in to a bug, his life remains worthless. He is sad because he cannot help his family at all and he feels like he is a burden. He realizes that his life does not matter very much whether he is a human or a bug. This thought fits with the philosophy absurdism which was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s when this short story was written. Gregor is an existentialist and he thinks that his life does not matter. This can also be seen when he refers to himself as a monstrous verminous bug. He does not think highly of himself or his worth and sees himself in the worst light possible. 

Questions:

1. At the beginning of the story, Grete cares about Gregor and tries to help him. Why does her thoughts towards Gregor change at the end and why is she happy when he dies?
2. Grete has to take on a lot more responsibilities after Gregor becomes a bug. To what extent does she have a metamorphosis of her own as she matures?

"Death and The Kings Horseman"

Response - different cultural thoughts about death: 

Death and the Kings Horseman is a play that begins with the kings horseman the Elesin who is choosing to die. It is a tradition that when the king dies, the kings helpers also die so that they can accompany him to the afterlife. Iyaloja, the lady in the market, is worried that Elesin will not follow through with this. Their culture says that if the death of the Elesin does not happen, the world will fall apart. The women in the market talk about how the world is in Elesin’s hands because of this cultural tradition. This is not a British tradition so the British officers who are in Nigeria are not happy that he is going to kill himself. The difference of opinion based on cultural thoughts on death sets up conflict for the rest of the story. The Englishmen think that life is precious and should not be taken away unless by nature. The native nigerians believe otherwise because of their cultural tradition. 

Questions:

1. The authors note talks about colonialism and cultural clash in Nigeria. Then, the first and second act focus on people of different cultures. What role do the cultural differences of the characters play in the first two acts?
2. What is the significance of the not I bird? Elesin talks about how the not I bird comes to people when they are about to die and they all say not I. By referencing this bird, is Elesin saying not I to death or is he ready to go?

"The Tempest" colonialism article main points and questions

Main Points

1 - Caliban and the role of the natives during colonialism - some people empathize with Caliban while others see Prospero as justified in his rule.

2 - Prospero’s ruling of the island after Sycorax as compared to European colonialism in the 15 and 1600’s. 

3 - How Shakespeare took inspiration for The Tempest from American colonialism and shipwrecks in the Americas.

4 - How Ariel’s enslavement and Sycorax’s other witch-like deeds affect the debate over who has right to rule the island in Prospero’s favor.

5 - How The Tempest has recently been read differently (from an colonial viewpoint) and used as an anti colonial argument in Africa and Asia in the 1960 and 1970’s.

Questions 

1 - Who is more justified in their claims to island rule, the dominant Prospero and Miranda as intruders/colonialists or Sycorax and Caliban as established rulers/natives?

2 - To what extent is The Tempest autobiographical? Maybe not an autobiography of Shakespeare himself but more an autobiography of the 1600’s and Europe at the time.