Something is Rotten in the State of BHS: Favorite Version of Hamlet

Choosing from the three film versions of hamlet which we viewed in class, I was automatically drawn to Franco Zeffirelli's version of the timeless play.  It begins with a scene of some of the main characters, such as, Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude; all of them mourning the King.  A brilliant camera angle gathers an image of Gertrude looking across her late husband's body at his brother, Claudius.  It goes straight to the heart of the conflict without any annoying background information clogging up the opening scenes.  Also the mindfulness of color, shadow, and lighting was evident within the first couple of seconds.  I feel like the deep blues and blacks utilized created a beautifully dark, and gloomy backdrop for the stoic, haunted expressions of the battle-ready soldiers.  Furthermore, the acting was just the right amount of "woe is me" and "forget the world" without being overly histrionic and whiny.  Overall, the characters were casted well, the acting is balanced, the setting is superb, and the plot is paced brilliantly.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing: Daisy to Gatsby

My dearest Jay,
It has been the longest time since I've seen your lovely smile.  I can still see it clearly in my minds eye and I long to speak to you again, just like we used to on those warm mornings, sitting in my white roadster; simply enjoying each others presence.  Now I'm sitting at the edge of my dock, dangling my feet towards the glassy surface of the sound while writing this with only a small green light to see by.  Silly of me you might think, but I've never forgotten you or the promises we made to one another before that awful war came and tore us apart.  You may never get the chance to read this, regardless, I need to let you know how much I wish it was you that I was sharing my life with now.  During the short time we were able to be together you had shown me a love unparalleled by any other.  It was like every fibre of my being was alight, as if my every limb  was apart of some great Conney Island carnival.  I miss that feeling in my life and I would give up every ounce of wealth in my possession simply to be with you again.

Love Always, 

Daisy 

Digging Into Chapter 3: Passage 4

" There was dancing now on the canvas in the garden, old men pushing young girls backward in eternal graceless circles, superior couples holding each other tortuously, fashionable and keeping in the corners-and a great number of single girls dancing individualistically or relieving the orchestra for a moment of the burden of the banjo or the traps. By midnight the hilarity has increased....A pair of stage "twins" -who turned out to be the girls in yellow did a baby act on costume and champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger bowls...I was enjoying myself now. I had taken two finger bowls of champagne and the scene has changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental and profound".

Here one can clearly observe the dial on Nick's moral compass slowly but surely turning as he becomes engrossed and integrated into this lavishly atrocious world.  Although Nick does not realize it, he is in fact judging every single person mentioned above.  The men are described as "old" and the girls, "young."  This would be innocent enough if the two were not in fact dancing together.  By way of Nick's description one may understand that he feels uncomfortable with the strange pairing.  Also, he describes the party as "the hilarity," its almost as if he is mocking the idea of this wild party and he is clearly not enjoying himself.  He explains only after he had a hefty amount of alcohol, "I was enjoying myself now."  Only after he succumbed to the wildly lavish party style did he begin to feel more comfortable.  Therefor turning his moral compass and becoming more comfortable with other actions which are morally wrong.  The lifestyles of East and West Egg are very much like a drug.  The more Nick experiments with it and is exposed to it, the more validated it seems.