When you see the picture above, would you look into the letters and read between the lines to figure out what on earth it means? For me, it just makes no sense, but I actually really appreciate the way these … Continue reading
shixuzheng
Pay as You Wish, But You Must Pay Imagine a foreign visitor, with excitement and expectation, visits New York City. Certainly, he does not want to miss one of the landmarks in the center of world, the Metropolitan Museum … Continue reading
I chose longing, darkness, and power as three motifs in my animation. I took my background picture downstairs my apartment during the sunset. When I edited the pictures, I followed the storyline of the film Nosferatu in which two lovers are … Continue reading
I like this film!! Perhaps because I have barely watched any pantomime before, I am really involved in the show and try to find out what will happen. As the characters in Nosteratu use there dramatic gestures and facial expressions … Continue reading
Earlier this year in May at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie “Blue Is the Warmest Color” started to be in the spot light after the chairman of the jury, Steven Spielberg, awarded the Palme d’Or to the French director, … Continue reading
My interview subject is Debra Caplan. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Baruch College. Her research focuses on Yiddish theater and drama and its global impacts, as well as theatrical travel and immigrant performance culture. She is a … Continue reading
OK, The Nose is just another nonsensical story just like Metamorphosis. A guy named Kovaliov loses his nose. Well, how is he able to breath? This question arouses when I read the beginning of the story. It might be off the … Continue reading
Stunning background music, dramatic contrast between black and white, exceptionally creative combination of emotion and gestures. Mr. Pitas made my first experience in a theater remarkable. #Metamorphosis #ballet #emotion
When I began to read the Story Metamorphosis, I was really impressed, if not shocked, by the straightforwardness of Kafka, but the second time I read the sentence stating Gregor’s metamorphosis, I started to assume “OK, this is how the story is supposed to start — a healthy guy suddenly changes to a bug” and then I guessed the story would be all about his life or his struggling to beat the obstacles, but I wasn’t able to conjecture if it will be a tragedy or another motivational story. I found it really absurd when Gregor just woke up and acted normally as if nothing had happened. I meant if I were in the same situation, I would have screamed out for help like a scared bullied child. However, Gregor did not act so. He was startled by his transformation but later on he seemed to adjust to his new appearance easily. This scenario, for me, lessens the verisimilitude of the story. I felt intense when the manager was trying to see Gregor. What would happen after the door is open? Would all of them become bugs? (I know I am trying to be funny) How would everyone including Gregor react? I was pretty sure that the family and the manager would be petrified but I was more concerned about the fates of Gregor and his family since Gregor had been the only resource of money. When I read that Gregor was mentally tortured and the relationship between him and his family diminished, especially when his sister was behaving ungratefully to her brother who had raised money to send her into a conservatory, I knew the story would be tragic.I could not find any hint that might be a sign of change for good in Gregor’s life after the metamorphosis. Maybe his mom was the only one who showed lots of sympathy when she insisted on keeping Gregor’s stuff in his room and who still regarded Gregor as a human when she referred to Gregor as “my unhappy son”, she was such a pushover that she was so easy to be persuaded when Grete argued about the removal of the furniture. Ultimately ,the relationship between son and mother faded, too. I mean it was the person (I regarded Gregor as human since he could think in a human way) that you gave birth to, how could you just cut off the love and biological bond without any mercy? Maybe in that particular society, people were living only for material gain or maybe it was because I was born and raised China where I was taught to be value my family. Speaking of money, I think it is one of the themes of the story. The importance of money might account for the feeling of burden of Gregor for his family, he was so subjugated by the income source of the family, to some degree, even more than his doom brought by his physical alternation. Also, money might explain why the family would become so nonchalant on Gregor after his change because he was no longer financially “useful” for the family. He became such an encumbrance that at the end no one cared about his death. One more thing, at the end, Grete became an attractive, independent woman who would succeed Gregor to support the Samsa Family. I appreciated the efforts she demonstrated during the hard time which was ultimately beneficial for her own metamorphosis to a independent woman , but at the time I read the sentence “And it felt like a confirmation of their new dreams and their fond intension”, I felt sorry the family. I started regarded her as a new tool to get money for the family just like Gregor( Forgive me if I am too cynical.) I think the whole story is definitely metaphorical because the story is just too absurd and unreal. I felt sort of wired when I finished it. It is definitely not a comedy but ,for me, it is not entirely tragic because the family regained vigor and hope for the future at the end and for me, a tragedy would be something like everything is gone. The story did not really appeal to me. … Continue reading
Hi, my name is Shixu Zheng, a newbie in Macaulay at Baruch. I went to Francis Lewis High School and I am currently living in Flushing.Fortunately, last two years has been smooth and constructive for me. Having been China for … Continue reading