The Classical Introvert's Blog

  Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “The Lie” is a short story that shows arrogance and entitlement of privileged people which was portrayed in the characters of the Remenzel family. Eli, the main character in the story hides the truth from his parents that he failed to pass the entrance examination; only to be revealed in the worst way possible. When the parents find out that their son was denied admission to the most prestigious school for boys where all his forefathers had gone, they had demanded the board to make an exception for him. The Remenzels are known for the many contributions to their school that had led to opportunities for the less privileged, at least according to Mrs. Remenzel. In the beginning of the book, they displayed prejudice towards the less fortunate and the ‘colored people’ but are then veered towards a revelation that would cause them shame. They are humbled when the chairman disagrees with their arrogance and commands.   Discussion:     ...

              “The Bet” is a short story written by Anton Chekhov in 1889. There are two main characters in the story: the banker and the lawyer. They had made a bet on one another after discussing whether capital punishment is better or worse than life imprisonment. The banker wagered two million that the lawyer will not last five years in prison. The lawyer took the bet and added ten more years in prison in order to prove that life imprisonment is better than death penalty. The lawyer would be locked away with strict supervision inside the banker’s lodge in his garden. The lawyer can request any kind and at any quantity of books, musical instruments, wine, and tobacco; however, he is strictly not allowed to communicate orally nor was he allowed to hear human voices. He can only communicate through writing outside of his cell.   Discussion:             The excer...

  Spirits Rebellious: In Marxist Critical Perspective by Kate Borlasa               “Spirits Rebellious,” a book written by Khalil Gibran, originally published in Arabic in 1908 contains three short stories entitled: Madame Rose Hanie, The Cry of the Graves, and Khalil the Heretic. The characters in these stories share the same fictional universe in the country of Lebanon where they struggle to attain financial and moral justice in their society. Gibran uses freethinking characters who break away from the oppressive social rules by following the “truth.” He conveys the messages and lessons in his book by discussing the concept of humility, justice, and the teaching of Christ as opposed to human laws and societal norms. This textual analysis of Spirits Rebellious will look on the Marxist elements depicted in the stories. Karl Marx’s theory discusses the concept of capitalism and how it causes division among the society:...

  Afro-Asian Literature: A Handful of Dates Written by Tayeb Salih A Contextual Analysis by Kate Borlasa Summary              The story is told from a memory of the narrator, recalling himself as a young boy who is very fond of his grandfather. The young boy highly looks up to him and describes him to be of an ideal man that he wanted to be just like him when he grows up. He also describes to having a very close relationship with his grandfather – as for him being his favorite grandson.           One day, the young boy asks his grandfather why he dislikes their neighbor, Masood. His grandfather answers to the reason that two thirds of Masood’s land property which he inherited from his father now belongs to him. He also told the boy that the reason for this was that Masood has to sell his land to him every time he marries another woman – an act of which the grandfather does not like. A moment late...

"I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." — Vincent Van Gogh Art I: Artist: Jaried Millare Art form: Painting Title of the Artwork: Bicol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition A. Formal Analysis             Jarried Millare’s piece entitled Bicol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition (2010) was created using acrylic paint on board 12” x 12”. It represents the beliefs and folkways of the Bicolnon culture. The composition of the painting is realistic as there is no beating around the bush in representing the title and the purpose of the artwork. The characters in the drawing abruptly personifies the subject of the painting. In its horizontal orientation, the left side of the painting is dominated by the colors black and white and with morsels of red. It is predominantly dull in color to represent the eerie side of Bicolnon beliefs and folkways. Ghastly...

Summary Anna Felicia Sanchez’ short horror story starts with an opening anecdote of Richard Servacio’s father telling a myth of a secret to immortality that “kept the land from drying, from crumbling under the weather of a world that had lost its way along its own axis. With this knowledge, the rest of the land could be saved from drowning in the color of blood, there would be no need for the shadows of things long gone… there would be life…” and so the story continues with Richard and his cousin, Totoy, driving a “grimy” owner-type jeep on the way to an isolated forest – which was once a village – in the jungles of Batangas. Richard, who was a 25-year-old corporate speech trainer suffering from a quarter-life crisis – after being told a “lousy” motivational speaker by his boss for the fifth time. Because of this, he hoped to seek comfort of the countryside view of Batangas and after Totoy promised him that Martinés – their destination – would change his life forever. But rat...