Reflection on Antigone on Trial

This is a really great experience. Although it was not a good ending for Creon (he lost his civil rights), still I think he would be glad, because so many people stood by his side (13 out of 30 people).

Generally I am satisfied with my performance in the trial. I defended myself really well during the cross-examination part while demonstrating Creon's controlling and strong character. And in the closing statement I also spoke very confidently without being very commanding. One of the audience told me after the trial that he thought my closing statement would have won me this trial, and my portrayal of Creon was better than the one last year (I am actually very proud of that^^.) 

In real life I have always been trying to take care of people's feelings. And I think giving the closing statement really gives me the chance to master it. I spent an hour inserting rhetorics and appeals to pathos when I wrote my script, and I think they did function well when I spoke and my efforts were paid. I have learnt how to convince and impress others in a natural and appropriate way, and this is definitely the most valuable part of the trial to me.

However I believe that there is still room for improvement for me. I was too nervous when I first spoke, during my responses to the prosecution's questions, and that made me stutter and prevented eye-contact with Patsy. I must work harder to master English. I must speak more and listen more in class.

But after all I really love this experience and I hope that we can have a trial for another story in the future. I just can't wait to justify another antagonist!

Second Antigone Quote and Follow-Up Question

"Come, my last hour and fairest, my only happiness ... come soon. Let me not see another day. Away ... Away ..." (161)
This quote is definitely my favorite quote, since it is the darkest one I can find in the entire play. But beside its darkness, I think this quote does mean something about life. When Creon says it after he has fallen into complete hopelessness, he understands that all happiness are gone, and only death can give him comfort. The last hour of his life would be his happiest hour. I think what Creon says is true to everyone.
Life is just about suffering. We can never have real happiness on this planet. We may not fall because of hubris, but we all just fall immediately after we were borne. We must leave someone we love in our life, we cannot get rid of hatred, we cannot achieve everything we want, and we cannot forgo things that we once had casually without pain. Everything causes bitterness and we just cannot get rid of it. Only death can end all pain. This is the truth about life.
My question is, do you agree with what I said, do you agree that only death can bring real and ultimate happiness to humans?

Antigone Quote and Follow-Up Question (-143)

"But he that, too rashly daring, walks in sin in solitary pride to his life's end."
The chorus in Antigone often talks about the meaning of life and comments on human's behaviors. Among those comments from the beginning of the play to Haemon's entrance, my favorite one is the one about how tragic flaw, or hubris, leads to the fall of the great human race, in p.136. The quote is, "But he that, too rashly daring, walks in sin in solitary pride to his life's end."
Greek tragedy is usually about how a great, noble person, falls from high position because of a tragic flaw. This quote brings out the exact core value of Greek tragedy, because the quote tells how great humans are, but because of some flaws, like rash, or hubris, they fall and lose their precious life. This idea can also reflect Antigone's deeds onto the audience's life. Antigone is a good and kind person, but her pride, her stubbornness and knowledge makes her unable to calculate and defy Creon's order. This puts her in danger at the end of this scene, where she is imprisoned and is going to be killed by Creon.
So, after reading this, do you think hubris, would be the reason Antigone fall and die? Or do you think she will survive?

October MOR--1984

Maybe I should be glad that US and Hong Kong are in the same nation in 1984.

(This entry is about book one of 1984.)

Thanks for reading this book with me, Jordan!

I first heard about this book when I was in 8th grade in Hong Kong, and I knew that someday I would have the chance of reading it, and finally it is the time. 

I feel like 1984 is basically a book about the hopelessness of the people under a solid dictating communist regime. Everyone has got used to the injustice, except for the protagonist Winston Smith, one of the few people who are still conscious and are secretly waiting for a better tomorrow. Despite his hope, sometimes Winston also gets lost. In most of the time in Book One, he does not even know why he is still pursuing for freedom when basically the world is deplorable. To show this internal conflict within Winston, Orwell (the author of 1984) asks the audience a lot of questions, through the character himself. For example, Orwell writes, "For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable--what then?" (Chapter 7, Book One). Orwell means to show Winston's pain and the ironic environment of his world to us by asking these rhetorical questions. We all know that two and two make four, and we don't doubt that. But in the world of 1984, it is twisted to a point that absolutes are no longer absolute and justice is no longer reliable. I think this is just horrible and I really pity Winston after reading through these questions. Therefore I think Orwell does a great job in creating the hopeless atmosphere of 1984 and in the meantime arising reader's sympathy.

So Jordan I actually do have some more analysis about Book One because I think it is just fascinating, but I really don't want to make this entry too long so you don't have to respond too much^^, so I will talk about those later. However I do have a question for you: if you lived in Oceania in 1984, would you rather die because you have no freedom? or would you organize rebellions? Or would you just passively wait for others to rebel?

My Personality Test Results

Hi! I got the result of "ENTJ" in Briggs-Myers Personalty Test just now! According to the percentage description, ENTJ is Extravert(16%) iNtuitive(12%) Thinking(1%) Judging(31%). I think the reasons for me to get this result is because I am quite moderate, thus I don't get high percentages in any aspects.
This type is called the Commander in the 16personalities.com, who "embodies charisma and confidence".

I am glad to be called a commander because I have high aspirations, that I wish to make the world better. This does encourage me to work hard so as to reach my goals. Besides, my favorite American ever in history, Franklin Roosevelt, was also categorized into the group of commanders!