November 27, 2024

LEONA ZHOU

The Character Development of Gollum

The first time we ever met Gollum is in The Hobbit. And even though he has been discussed in The Fellowship of the Ring, he was never really shown up. We finally get to meet him again in Book Four, Chapter One, where he has been tailing Frodo and Sam all along, and he was looking to get his “precious” Ring back. Now, how he has been discussed all along before we meet him made him sound like a vile, evil creature who has been devoured by the power of the Ring. But much to my surprise when I read Chapter One, his character has developed quite a bit. And yes, Gollum is a terrible creature, but Gollum is Gollum. He’s a whole different creature compared to Smeagol. Smeagol is a hobbit who found the Ring ages ago and was consumed by the power.

Essentially they are the same, but as we learn from Gollum’s monologue, he is talking to himself. Could the split be Gollum talking to Smeagol and vice versa? The way I see it, is that all the time with the Ring, it has created an evil, selfish creature inside of Smeagol, called Gollum.

“‘Yess. Yess. No!’ shrieked Gollum. ‘Once, by accident it was, wasn’t it, precious? Yes, by accident. But we won’t go back, no, no!’ Then suddenly his voice and language changed, and he sobbed in his throat, and spoke not to them. ‘Leave me alone, gollum! You hurt me. O my poor hands, gollum! I, we, I don’t want to come back. I can’t find it. I am tired. I, we can’t find it, gollum, gollum, no, nowhere. They’re always awake. Dwarves, Men, and Elves with bright eyes. I can’t find it. Ach!’ He got up and clenched his long hand into a bony fleshless knot, shaking it towards the East. ‘We won’t!’ he cried. ‘Not for you.’ Then he collapsed again. ‘Gollum, gollum,’ he whimpered with his face to the ground. ‘Don’t look at us! Go away! Go to sleep!’”, (Tolkien, page 662). This quote is crucial to understand the psychology and the damage the Ring has done to Smeagol. The Ring has the power to change anyone; we have Bilbo as proof. But if it has been with someone like Smeagol for a very very long time, Smeagol is proof it will create a monster inside of you (Gollum) that will get stronger and stronger until you can no longer control it, until it bends your will. We learn that maybe Smeagol has grown in a way. He has grown extremely tired of being controlled by Gollum and the Ring, but since he’s powerless, he’s desperate and weak. But can he prove to be trustworthy? I’d say that’s hard to say after how he had once escaped one of the most strongly guarded prisons. Around the end of Chapter One, we can see that Frodo makes Smeagol or Gollum promise that he will lead them to Mordor, with the threat that if he doesn’t they will use the Elves rope to bind him, causing him torturous pain. At the end of the Chapter, we get a closer look at Smeagol’s personality, or at least how he is around Frodo and Sam. “From that moment a change, which lasted for some time, came over to him. He spoke with less hissing and whining, and he spoke to his companions direct, not to his precious self. He would cringe and flinch, if they stepped near him or made any sudden movement, and he avoided the touch of their elven-cloaks; but he was friendly, and indeed pitifully anxious to please”, (Tolkien, page 664). There is a humongous effect the Ring had on Smeagol after such a long time. But yet, Frodo proves there is a power that can weaken the monster the Ring had created inside of Smeagol: kindness.

October 25, 2024

JASON QIN

Jason is just beginning Intro to Rhetoric which uses State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America as textbook. Many years ago (10) another student wrote an essay on Joe Sacco’s inimitable style, but in Jason’s foray into the unit, he hit a line drive that kept on sailing until … HOMERUN!

One of the most perplexing things about Joe Sacco’s graphic essay on Oregon is the overall negative tone. Perhaps this is simply Sacco’s style, but is Sacco aiming to portray Oregon as a place for people with a sense of inadequacy? The short answer is that he does not. For the long answer, we have to examine the purpose of the heavy tone applied to the essay.

We know that Sacco sees Oregon in a positive light. He establishes this in the first cell of the entire graphic essay, where he tells the reader that he’s “lived in Oregon on and off” since he was 14. If Sacco truly does not view Oregon in a positive light, he would not have “lived in Oregon on and off,” as he implies that he had returned to the state from other places; he may have had his grievances, but he loves the state anyway. Why would he return to a place that he does not want to live in?

Also, although he is seemingly in a war with Portland’s weather, we see through his self-deprecation and regular discomfort that he is averse to disorder. We see this in how he claims to suffer in any weather, perhaps the most disorderly thing on Earth. He wipes mud off of the dog before letting it inside on the “polished, hardwood floor,” and he portrays his discomfort visually when Amalie trails mud on the floor. He is a man of order, which he shows with his system for not losing umbrellas; he attempts to counteract the variability of weather by always carrying an umbrella with him.

On the other hand, he manages to change within his framework of order throughout the graphic essay, to the point where he welcomes the enriching (gentrification) of the Pearl District. The last bubble, “It will matter that much less whether it rains or shines,” does not have a distinct character attached to it. The cell seems to follow Amalie’s line of thinking, but it seems like Sacco’s thought too. In a sense, Sacco’s essay on Oregon is a journey of embracing the disorderly characteristics of his life, as by the end of the essay, Sacco seems to imply that moving downtown would help him get over his issues with weather.

The twenty-three-year-long time span of the essay depicts this journey toward fully accepting the chaotic nature of Oregon (as depicted through the weather) through the overall negative tone. Sacco communicates to the reader that to truly appreciate the state of Oregon one must see past the rainy gloom of Portland and look, perhaps, to the desert that his friend, Mike, painted. Sacco aims to portray Oregon as a blank slate, and it can only be what the reader wants it to be, similarly to how Sacco had to craft his experience of Oregon until he could see past the weather.

October 16, 2024

LEONA ZHOU

Saruman was first mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien in Chapter 2, The Council of Elrond. It was where everyone meets up, including Bilbo, and talks about what to do next about the great evil rising, and what to do with the Ring. Gandalf tells his story about Saruman’s betrayal. And it was then it became clear that Saruman had crossed to the evil side: “‘I looked then and saw that his robes, which had seemed white, were not so, but were woven colours, and if he moved they shimmered and changed hue so that the eye was bewildered. ‘I liked white better,’ I said. ‘White!’ he sneered. ‘It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken’“(page 252). From this, we can see that Saruman’s morals and principles were diminished, and it seems from then on Saruman just gets worse and worse. I think the cloth changing colors is to show white means purity and wisdom, but it can change colors according to its wearer, and in this case, Saruman is shifting, so there are more colors, meaning something has invaded his purity to remain good, as he did later on try to hold Gandalf captive in Isengard. Luckily, Gandalf escapes and redeems himself and becomes Gandalf the White instead of Gandalf the Grey, since the wizards needed a new leader now that Saruman has gone evil. Moving on to The Two Towers, Saruman’s plans show that he is growing more and more selfish and power hungry. The reason for that is he has creatures like Orcs working for him to capture Merry and Pippin, because he thinks having them would somehow help him get closer to the Ring. Which proves to be a terrible plan because Merry and Pippin are brighter and braver than you think, for they eventually escape by offering a cruel Orc a bribe and taking advantage of the chance to run away; and now, we can see that Saruman is actually weakening. He still puts up a great fight when Treebeard and his Ents invade and destroy his territory, but when Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, and Eomer confront him, his voice doesn’t quite work on them, partly because of the strong wills of who Saruman is trying to waver, but also because it seems the evil has done him damage, too. Not to mention, Saruman is really prideful, which is one of the reasons why he’s not willing to take Gandalf’s offered chance to him: “his voice was shrill and cold. Pride and hate conquering him. ‘Will I come down?’ he mocked”, (Tolkien, page 568). His hatred and betrayal leads to Gandalf breaking his staff.

September 17, 2024

THEO RAO

There are many flavors and types of ice cream. For example, you probably have heard about the basic flavors vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. But, did you know there are actually much more to ice cream then just a few flavors? One special thing about ice cream is how there are many types of ice cream.

For example, you can have soft serve, sorbet, gelato, and much more. Also, you can get it in many different cones or bowls. If you walk into an ice cream store, they will probably ask you what flavor and what type of cone or bowl. Many ice cream stores have different types of cones. For example, some stores have chocolate cones, sprinkled cones, normal cones, and much more! Also, ice cream can be found at just about any part of the world. Every place has their own kind of ice cream.

An example of this is how in Italy, you will see many gelato places because this is their version of ice cream. Lastly, one of the best parts of ice cream is how you can pick your toppings. In some stores, they will have an option to let you choose what you want. Some of these could be cherries, sprinkles, or even small cookies. I thought I had mastered all of the world’s ice creams, and that I was an expert on this most satisfying of desserts. But you’ll never believe what happened: I tried Baked Alaska!

I thought I had mastered all of the world’s ice creams, and that I was an expert on this most satisfying of desserts. But you’ll never believe what happened: I tried Baked Alaska! Baked Alaska is like a perfect mix of ice cream and cake.

The Neapolitan ice cream layered with meringue is that perfect dessert. Baked Alaska looks like the perfect cake you dream of. But did you know that it actually has ice cream on the inside and has toasty marshmallow meringue on the outside instead of cream? Also, did you know that Thomas Jefferson created Baked Alaska?

Even the presidents had to try it because it was so good. Lastly, I think you should really try Baked Alaska because it is cold on the inside but it actually is warm and soft on the outside which creates the perfect combo. As you can see, Baked Alaska is a heavenly dessert that I think everyone should try.

Overall, ice cream is a great dessert and I recommend you trying it.

September 17, 2024

MONTSERRAT REYES

“A Visit of Charity”

Montse read the story once, and then wrote her response, tracking her experience. If you have not read this story, do not read the below. This is only for current or former Welty students.

Now, we first have to deal with the illustration. While it does capture Marian’s flight, the hat is all wrong. So here are some options:

So we went hunting and Montse selected these two:

I wonder what the “pointed white cap” looks like, I’m imagining a white witch hat, but I’m sure that’s not what Welty had in mind. I can’t tell if the setting is supposed to be cozy or cold, because the Home looks “like a block of ice” but the girl’s red coat and mittens makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I can picture her warm breaths being visible in the cold air as she walks up to an igloo-like building.

Within the retirement home, the receptionist “looked as if she were cold”. Her white uniform might have something to do with that, but could it be a reflection of her attitude too? Think about it, working with old folks who forget everything could be boring and annoying at times, so I’m not surprised if that’s the case. Welty includes a detail about the girl, who is a Campfire Girl, tucking her hair behind her ear, which I think is really cute and adds a dimension of reality to the scenario. A typical young girl, trying to do volunteer work, nothing out of the ordinary… yet.

Then we hear “an old lady of some kind [clear] her throat like a sheep belting”. I guess old people do make some very weird noises at times, but where it gets interesting is that behind that door with the sheep-lady, was an “old woman… with that terrible, square smile… on her bony face”. CREEPY! I thought old ladies were supposed to be round and cheerful and full of purse candy, not terrible.

The story suddenly takes a turn when Marian is dragged into the room and “the next moment the door closed behind her”. Their room is humid, mucky, and overall unpleasant, “like being caught in a robbers’ cave, just before one was murdered”. After this, Marian’s lens changes, because as the women speak she says they scream and refer to them as robbers. The bedridden woman in the room is the sheep and even her talking sounds like belting. During all this, Marian seems to be hallucinating because she starts to get confused about the littlest things, like the type of plant she brought or what she did in school because she could not remember.

After listening to the ladies bicker, the second finally pulls her attention back to Marian. “Marian was trembling, and her heart nearly stopped beating all together for a moment.”

I have to point out that Welty compares the old women to youthful beings, like when the first one was “rocking so high that her black comfort shoes lifted off the floor like a little child” or when the second one was whimpering and sounded like a little lamb instead of a sheep. Is this what they’re truly like, but Marian’s fear makes her portray them scarier than they actually are?

Finally, some sense gets knocked into Marian and she decides to just head for the door and leave, about time! She goes running, finally free of the elderly, of the Home, and runs for the bus, eager to not be left behind for another second.

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