Bruke's English Journal

In 2007, you wrote an article exposing your paranoia and anxiety towards the future of language and the effect texting and abbreviations will have on it. I understand that you wrote your article in 2008, approximately eight years ago where the future was feared and full of uncertainties. I’m writing in response to your article retrospectively. This allows me to resolve any worries you had and confirm if your fears were correct. A change was something you appeared to be scared of. You may try to deny this but you want the English language not to evolve for your own comfort.

Tradition and habit are different things. A habit is a regular practice or tendency that is difficult to give up. A tradition is a custom that has been practiced from previous generations.  Your love and obsession with the Oxford English Dictionary is understandable and relatable with many. The use of the Dictionary is a tradition due to its usefulness. Your hatred for the hyphen being removed from ‘no fewer than 16,000 words’ is pedantic in my opinion. Since the hyphen was removed it stopped being a tradition because it was grammatically incorrect. The habit you developed of typing ‘milli-second’ instead of millisecond may be, with great certainty, due to you being stubborn. I grew up spelling millisecond without a hyphen and if the spelling was to change again I can accept it with an open mind knowing that the change is how our language is evolving. This may be a generational thing. Furthermore, if the meaning or the clarity of the words are at stake, there is no need to make a fuss. Using common sense, everyone knows that a walking stick, which used to be walking-stick, is a stick for walking and not a stick that walks.

Even though the reason for the change is what most annoys you, this is the future. Time is money and characters are also ‘money’. When writing a personal statement, the maximum number of characters was 3,000. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange certain sentences to fit a 4,000 plus character personal statement into a 3,000 character limit. I didn’t have enough characters spare to write hardworking as hard-working (with a hyphen). This update to the English language could be seen as a positive if we look for it. Now I can confidently hand my personal statement in, knowing that I was able to fit in all the characters that I felt I needed.

Written English will not and has not evolved into something that is unrecognisable compared to 2007. Change is inevitable and that is what is meant to happen. Shakespearean (Jacobean) English is vastly different to modern day English, but Shakespearean (Jacobean) English did guide the journey our language would take to reach us now. Shakespeare invented around 1700 new words that are used in our common day speech. He put words together that would never have joined, he changed nouns into verbs and verbs into adjectives and not forgetting the new words he created entirely.

Language is there so that communication between us is possible. Every person has a different personality, therefore, your relationship with them will be different. You should act accordingly and in a perfect world this would mean the way you talk and write would change.

In certain languages, such as my family’s, Amharic, there are different letters to use with the same sound. You choose to use one of the letters when writing formally and one letter for casually. In English, the structure and vocabulary you use determine the formality.

‘They are destroying it: pillaging our punctuation; savaging our sentences; raping our vocabulary. And they must be stopped’ This is also one example of your use of hyperbolic language to show your personal opinions which I disagree with. Texting is almost another language is something we agree on. You could say that texting is to English what English is to Latin if Latin were alive and kicking. But texting, with all the emoticons and abbreviations, just wants to live side by side with written English. This is what I think from this day and age. I would also like to add that this metaphor ‘doing to our language what Genghis Khan did to his neighbours eight hundred years ago.’ is very exaggerated and detaches the seriousness and barbarousness from Khan’s actions.

There are many reasons why texting is the future of communication and not to be feared. Like you mentioned it is economically more wise to text compared to call. Currently, the trend for communication is to use an application that is compatible with both iOS and android. WhatsApp allows free calls, individual chats or in a group. There is also instant photo and video sharing possibilities. All of this is available on other apps and also require an internet connection. These apps encourage the use of emoticons in chats by making it as easy to post a confused emoticon as is it to post a question mark. Of course, it is possible to type a question mark, but every generation leaves a mark in the arts on this planet. Language is an art and it can be used in various ways. ballerinas don’t tell street dancers that they are moving to the music wrong. Ease of expression is one of the reasons the English language is so popular worldwide.

The fact that I am writing this piece in English and not textspeak demonstrates that you have nothing to worry about. ‘:-)’ (hyphens still have a purpose.)

I played Achilles.

I believe the final performance my group delivered featured our main goals for the scene. There were certain parts that we planned out before that we didn’t do. Some of these unplanned features still supported our interpretation of the scene and didn’t change the conclusion we want to reach by the end of the scene.

We started with a slow motion walk around the stage to the centre, where Ajax would look disappointed at Achilles and Achilles stubborn at Ajax. The execution of the walk wasn’t perfect. Achilles and Ajax weren’t in sink when walking. We planned to be at the centre by the end of the music, but this doesn’t affect the scene. We planned to start like this to make the transition into the scene easier because we would be given time to think about how our characters are feeling. I believe that more time should have been used staring each other in the eyes because now it seems a bit rushed, this caused the build up in tension becoming lost in the audience. In the time that I did have, I was thinking about the time when my mother died and how in some instances I would have to stop myself from breaking down because I was trying to be brave. The build up in anger and grief would sometimes erupt a I would lash out on those nearest to me, but of course I could never really hurt anyone I loved.

We planned that as soon as Ajax started to speak to Achilles, Achilles would stand up and address Ajax. We did this well and this showed how Achilles is trying to mask his true feelings. If he waited to long it would show to the audience that he is really hurt by the death of Patroclus, but with him standing quickly it suggests that he doesn’t really mind that his best friend is dead. This is supported by the lines Achilles says ‘Where is my armour?’ We can imply that Achilles is trying to cover up his emotions. I believe those were the intentions of the playwright.

Throughout the beginning of the scene, Phoenix looks tired. He did just come back from a battle, however I believe that he is more tired of witnessing the cycle of death and revenge repeated. He has seen all of this before and is Achilles’ voice of reason in a way. He knows that war just leads to death after death and he tries to stop Achilles from avenging Patroclus, but Achilles is too stubborn. In the scene Phoenix successfully presented the idea that he is tired of witnessing war consume victim after victim, he is calm throughout the play, which is in contrast to the other characters. When Ajax starts to get closer, almost pass the divide in the stage, Phoenix stops him. Phoenix then tries to make Achilles realise that he will die. That fact is seen as irrelevant to Achilles.

We didn’t plan our scene to have any literal time setting, we decided to focus more on the emotions created in the scene. The lack of information on the time of the scene seems not to have affected the story. I believe it enhanced the story because my focus was directed to the symbolism and how the characters were reacting to each other. The use of symbolism in the t-shirts was effective in my opinion. At the end of the scene, before the darkness, we planned for Achilles to take off his grey top to reveal the white top underneath. This was to symbolise that Achilles had finally understood, by the end of the scene, that the only way for him to escape the cycle of war and death is to die. We kept the use of tops as symbolism with all the characters. The rest of my costume did not have any deeper meaning. In the final performance I did not take off the top at the end before the lights turned off which is my fault. This did however give me a different interpretation. The idea of Achilles being held back by the death of Patroclus and that the others had moved on is shown in the final performance where the others throw their clothes onto the body and step in front of it. Until Achilles kills Hector, he will not be able to move on with his life. That is why he keeps his top on and stands behind the body.

The fact that the cross was white and the cloth covering Patroclus was black was decided by me to make the cross more defined. I also chose for ‘the Last Post’ to be played at the beginning and the end. This was to create the atmosphere of sacrifice and death. Everyone should have a basic understanding of what the piece of music means. The effect was what we wanted, however if we were to do this again I would play the piece until Achilles and Ajax were at the middle.

Adam Smith wrote a book called ‘The wealth of nations’ in 1976, while Karl Marx wrote a book called ‘the communist manifesto’ in 1848. In these books is where the ideologies of capitalism and communism can be seen broken down. The main ideas in capitalism are competition between companies, the ability to become an entrepreneur and the idea that the skill needed for your job is in positive correlation to your wage. The main ideas in communism are that businesses are own by the everyone that works for them and that the wealth is distributed equally among all people whatever their job. All the companies would work together for the good of the people. If there was a demand in a business, such as doughnuts, the government would open a doughnut shop. 

The sunlight touches everything and gives it a warm embrace. The air has a perfumed scent and the seats are plush. Every surface is dustless. All the polished metal shimmer as to demand your touch. You walk to the seats and sit. The impact of your rear is completely absorbed by the light green cushions. The second phase of sitting down is almost as pleasant as the first. Your back falls into the padded chair. The chair fits you perfectly, you were made for each other in the heavens. The nurses are nonchalant and they move with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. There are vases of colourful flowers and framed pieces of art on the walls. In the corridor is a burping water dispenser and in most rooms you can hear the noise of a television.

After a while, the horizontal lines of blended colours are all you can comprehend. The occasional pause of a doctor answering a query from a lost guest attracts your attention and you are drawn. The exact words spoken are beyond you since your mind is full of its own words; work, time, food, responsibility, care, school and on. The sanitised, spilt tea free, table possesses a few too many magazines. The glossiness of the all the covers reflects the sunlight onto a no-longer empty wall, filling it with reason and purpose. You flick through the books thoughtlessly, aimlessly looking back at the previous magazines.

An appealing voice calls out a name, it is yours. You are comfortable where you are, everything is fine. To stand makes no sense. Why step into unpredictable darkness masked by promises and pamphlets? Yet you begin to leave the grasp of the chair, the chair trying its absolute hardest not to let go. You fight it. You are up. There, you hear the voice again; it comes from the other side of the hall. A stampede of doctors, nurses and patients block the ever-growing distance from the voice.

The first steps are always the hardest, if only that was true. Every step you take becomes more difficult than the last. The sunlight becomes harsh on your eyes. The sounds that didn’t concern you become noisier. The sweat dripping down your forehead collects at the tip of your nose. You have all the time to wipe it but you don’t. Silence, only broken by the inevitable droplet of anxiety that falls and shatters, hitting the ground.

Your vision returns, the contrasts dimming down. The constant tears. The uninterrupted beeps. The endless crying. The perpetual cheers. No longer constant. Time stops and starts without hesitation. You doubt your understanding of the present and it has become futile to try. Your senses are returning to normal, but not completely. The softest cry you have ever heard resonates around you. There, in her arms, nature’s product of true love. Perfection is a rare sighting for most men who live on earth, yet you, you have perfection in front of you.

The subtlest of breezes comes in through the gap in the window, which sweeps and carries your pains away. The calm whistle of the wind clears your mind, as the first laugh of your child paints a new image in your once troubled mind. Your face reflected on theirs. A more vibrant you, a more caring you, a more loving you. You stare at this precious little angel. Your hands quiver as you slowly reach down to touch their little fingers and feel the softness of their skin. You run the tips of your fingers gently across their smooth face. You fall in love.

You regain all your senses, but they are different. You find the burping water dispenser meditating. You appreciate the sun illuminating the room, you can see clearly. You are happy.

Genesis 2:7 – “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Personification – How has personification been used in this poem to enhance meaning? Why?

Owen uses personification to present to the naivety of the speaker. ‘ Gently its touch awoke him once’. The speaker is referring to pre-war, when the dead soldier would wake up in the morning due to the Suns beams. The Sun is being personified as its touch is what awoke the soldier. Of course this is not the reason we get up, but without the Sun nothing will be. The speaker believes that the Sun is what ‘awoke him once’ so it can do it again.

They are asking God to bring back life into the fallen soldier. God and the Sun allows seeds to grow into plants, and even let there be life on  Earth ‘cold star’ . With this power to give life, the soldiers believe it is possible for the Sun to give life again. This is there naivety. At the end of the end of the poem the speaker’s anger is directed at the futile Sun. ‘O what made fatuous sunbeams toil, To break earth’s sleep at all?’ The speaker is questioning the point of the Sun giving life if all that humans do is destroy each other.

In stanza one the Sun is described as “kind” and “old”, its warmth ancient and affirming, as if it were a God. The idea of reviving the fallen soldier could be a metaphor for finding comfort in religion. In stanza two however the tone changes, they start to question the Sun’s power which disproves the idea of looking for comfort within religion. ‘Was it for this the clay grew tall?’ The biblical idea that God sculpted us out of clay is implied in this line. The idea of the sun making the world can be linked to the way God created the world in seven days, in the bible.

After Caesar is assassinated by the senate, Anthony shows a front to the conspiritors to make sure they don’t kill him. ‘Fulfil you pleasure’ Anyhony tells them to do as they wish and that he want stand in their way ‘ if you beat me hard ‘ if they have a grudge against him because he was Caesar’s ‘arm’.

When Anthony is alone he feels guilty for being ‘meek and gentle with these butchers’

‘This Flesh is mine’ is a play written by Brian Woodland. In the play Brian interlinks two stories into one play. The story of Achilles, the greatest Achaean soldier and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Brian seamlessly changes the setting, noises, costumes, ect. to tell us the story of a great Greek soldier who refused to fight for a king and wished to exit war. The story of the Achilles and the Trojan war falls under the category of myth, while we know the  middle eastern conflict is true. But in 3000 years it may also become just legend.

After World War 2, the Jewish survivors of the holocaust wanted their own country, to have a Jewish state like the Arab states around the Middle-East and Africa. They were given the large majority of Palestine by the allies of the war. They weren’t welcomed by the neighboring countries (e.g. Jordan and Egypt). The Jews felt like this was their original home and that they were always supposed to be there. Tensions rose. In 1948 the Arabs and Israelis went to war because five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate as soon as the announcement of the state of Israel independence on May 14, 1948. The war concluded with Gaza under the control of Egypt and the West Bank under the control of Jordan. The Palestinians fled to these locations, from what is now Israel, for safety.

After another war in 1967 Israel took control of the Gaza strip and the West bank, While the majority of the Palestinians were still there. Israeli troops stayed there for years. Israelis hoped they might have been able to exchange the land they gained for the Arab countries’ recognition of Israel’s right to exist and end the fighting. Israel finally left in 2005, however soon after a ‘terrorist’ group called Hamas won elections with the ideology of taking back what was originally their home. Hamas uses violence to achieve their goals. As a result to Hamas attacks, Israel created the blockade,2007, that stands till today to prevent Hamas from gaining weapons and to prevent attacks. The blockade also stops imports and exports drastically effecting the living conditions for the civilian population.

The second part of the interlinks is the Trojan war with Greece. The history of the war is mixed with myth and fact. This is evident in the most supported reason why the war began. It started as a way for Zeus to reduce the increasing population of humans and. The more practical reason, as an expedition to reclaim Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon. Helen was taken by the Trojan prince Paris as his prize for choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a competition with Athena and Hera to win a single golden apple. Menelaus and the Greeks wanted her back and to avenge Trojan impudence.

A Greek tragedy entails a tragic plot based upon myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics.(where the story has a theme of grandeur and heroism). Usually you would have a man with great power and significance or personal qualities, fall or die due to his inability to deal with an uncontrollable circumstance or through the combination of a personal failure. We see how Achilles deals with grief, rage and war. During the play we witness the downfall of Achilles eventually leading to his death.

The scene I have selected to perform is Act 1 Scene 9. I believe this scene is the point at which the audience knows the Achilles is on the down fall. The death of Achilles’ closet friend, in some interpretations his lover, Patroclus, simply made him angry. However during the scene we see Achilles blame himself because his feud with Agamemnon was the reason for Patroclus’ death. At the end of the scene Achilles seals his own fate by thirsting the blood of Hector, Patroclus’ killer (‘he merely dealt the final blow’). Achilles accepts the fact that he will die if he kills Hector, but he is overwhelmed with rage that he has to do what he thinks is necessary. I feel that the transitions in grief would be interesting to explore in the performance and the moment Achilles snaps into realization that war is inescapable and if you try those closet to you pay the full price. Achilles’ attempts to exit the conflict are futile, he is a warrior and warriors only know war. I also believe that Ajax and Phoenix represent Achilles’ conscience. They are true characters beloved by Achilles, however they can also symbolize the questions running around the crazy mind of Achilles.

Shakespeare’s tragic characters are all fundamentally flawed. It is this weakness that leads to their downfall. Caesar’s ego is presented through the majority of  play, therefore his fall is greater.

Shakespeare uses metaphorical rhetorical question to present the assassination of Caesar. Caesar’s hubris is also presented before the assassination. After explaining why he will not change his decision to banish Cimber, Caesar asks to Cinna ‘ Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus? ‘. Caesar asked a rhetorical question because no one can lift up the home of the Gods, even Caesar. He is trying to tell the senate that he has to sacrifice a lot and work hard to be Caesar. Another interpretation is that mount Olympus is figuratively speaking Rome, and lifting it is being Caesar. Shakespeare used dramatic irony to make the audience aware that Caesar will die in this scene and Caesar asking if anyone will be able to take the reins and ride the horse that is Rome is basically a double confirmation that this is the end for Caesar.