Culture Shock: Romeo & Juliet

The reference to Romeo and Juliet in culture I decided to write about is the song "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits. The song is very obviously about Romeo and Juliet but some of the lyrics imply that the song writer were more inspired by the movie than the book. Here are the lyrics:

NARRATOR:
A love-struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made.
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"

Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey la, my boyfriend's back.
You shouldn't come around here singing up to people like that...
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?"

ROMEO:
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet when you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

Come up on different streets, they're both the streets of shame.
Both dirty, both mean, yes, in the dream it was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real.
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver,
You can fall for chains of gold,
You can fall for pretty strangers
And the promises they hold.
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah!
Now you just say, "Oh Romeo? Yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him".

Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry.
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

I can't do the talk, like the talk on TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be.
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you.
I can't do anything, 'cept be in love with you!
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be.
All I do is keep the beat... and bad company.
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme,
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time!

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

NARRATOR:
And a love-struck Romeo sings a street-suss serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"

ROMEO:
You and me babe, how about it?

Skits

The first scene in the book that I would like to see turned into a skit is in chapter 30 when Trabb's boy is mocking Pip. I would love to see what it looks like when hes freaking out and having little seizures. If the person playing Trabb's boy could actually act I feel it would be hilarious to watch.

The second section I want to see performed is when Miss. Havisham catches on fire and Pip is completely freaking out. Its so fast and dramatic that it would be like a soup opera if it was acted out. Also the whole concept of someone trying to act like their on fire is amusing.

Lastly, I want the part were Pip is captured by Orlick to be made in to a skit. The entire chapter that happened in was so random and unnecessary and Orlick seemed so suddenly diabolical that it was funny. Plus the dialogue between Orlick and Pip was so silly, I want somebody to scream 'YOU ENEMY'. I'm just putting it out there.

Great Expectations Question #2

I am a bit confused by Miss. Skiffins character and her importance to the book. Also in chapter37 on page 299 is Wemmick trying to put his arm around Miss. Skiffins, or what is happening on that whole page. After re-reading it several times just made me more confused I gave up thinking about Miss. Skiffins and decided to forget her until she comes up again. Here's the part that really confuses me. "I noticed Weemmick's arm beginning to disappear again, and gradually fading out of view. Shortly afterwords, his mouth began to widen again." What the heck is going in right now?

Questions on Great Expectations

I was really confused about what was going on before and during Mrs. Joe's funeral in chapter 35. At the bottom of page 281 it says, "The remains of my poor sister had been brought round by the kitchen door, and it being a point of undertaking ceremony that the six bearers must be stifled and blinded under a horrible black velvet housing with a white border, the whole thing like a blind monster with twelve human legs, shuffling and blundering along under guidance."

I don't really understand what he's talking about right now or why Mr. Trabb is in control of the funeral proceedings. From pages 280 to 282 in which the funeral is described, I was lost as to what was happening. My feeling is that I'm missing some reference to how funerals were done at the time this was written. Perhaps some serious background knowledge of mourning procedure would be helpful.

Photo Post: Great Expectations

This photo represents how Pip is improving his social standing by leaving his village, family and everyone he knows behind to go to London. Pip suddenly feels that he is above others because he is going to be"brought up as a gentleman", something the photo also clearly communicates.

Great Expectations

In this quote Pip is referring to his visit with Miss. Havisham and saying it is a moment that would change the rest of his life. During the short time he was with Miss. Havisham and Estella that day he saw a different way of living, something far outside his common day-to-day life. Pips view of life has widened: he sees the possibilities outside his small village, outside his intended profession. Unfortunately he also sees himself through new eyes; he recognizes his own commonness, his ignorance and extreme sensitivity. An incredible sense of shame in himself and his surroundings begins inside of him after he discovers how others live.

I cant remember the day my chain started and I'm pretty sure that the formation of my character cant be traced back to a single day either. My character is made up of more things than can ever be contained in twenty-four hours. Even a single year that changed my character is hard to find; memorable things happened to me all through grade school that make me who I am. The most meaningful experience happened when I was six and I took ballet at the community center and I absolutely loved it, it was the highlight of my week. Problem was, I was horrible at it and all the other girls in the class never let me forget it. It was almost tragic that I was bad at the thing that made me the happiest. I'd like to say that I this taught me not to let peoples opinions affect me but that's not what it taught me. I learned that what people say can change your whole outlook on something forever and that if you never try at anything you never have to fail at anything.

The Importance of Being Earnest Essay

So I'm writing about the biggest and most serious lies that are told in the play. This is going to go after Ahlora's paragraph and before the conclusion. My first concrete detail is that Algernon creates an invalid friend Bunbury. My CM is to point out that Algy has done this to escape unpleasant things that happens in his life. The second CM is that he uses the lie of Bunbury to lie to people, for example Algernon tells his Aunt Augusta that Bunbury is why he cant have dinner with her.
The second CD is disturbingly close to the first; Jack has told the people in the country that he has a younger brother called Ernest. My first commentary is about how and why Jack uses Ernest to leave the country and go to town. The second is about the differences between how Jack and Algy use the person they have created. My final CD is how Jack and Algy both pretend to be named Ernest. A CM for this is that they both do this to woo the women they love and if this makes the lies any less severe. The last CM is that by pretending to be named Ernest they are doing possibly the least earnest thing ever.
I'm having some trouble thinking of a good transition from Ahlora's paragraph to mine so if you think of anything that would be nice.