Othello Reflection

I learned a lot from this socratic seminar. I was in the dominate group which was good for me because I got to challenge myself. I agreed with Mason when he said that Shakespear showed the weakness of women in this text. I agreed with this because as I was reading I noticed that all of the women obeyed their husbands at that time. I also liked how Lydia asked about suicide being a resolution because it was interesting to hear everyone's opinions on that topic.

Although I agreed with many things, I disagreed with the use of Desdemona. Someone in the seminar said that they believed that made Desdemona extremely disobedient in order to negatively show what independent women were like. I understand they were trying to say that Shakespeare had a biased opinion against women because of the time period, but I believe that Shakespeare was ahead of his time in writing so he was actually trying to show the paraelle between the two women.

This socratic seminar was very successful. For the next seminar I would like to speak up a little more in order to get my opinions across. Next time I also think we should let the leader lead instead of all talking at once.

Othello Outline

I.               Introduction

a.     Have you ever been hurt by a close friend?

                                               i.     Fate or free will is the character’s destiny versus the choice in life. The character Iago impacts the focus on fate or free will by manipulation.

b.    The Tragedy of Othello is a tragic love story about a woman named Desdomona who marries a moor, but the moor becomes suspicious of adultery because of the manipulation of Iago. Iago is a jealous and evil man, who ends up causing many deaths.

                                               i.     In William Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, Iago manipulates the characters the most through his use of pathos.

II.             Topic Sentence #1: Iago manipulated Othello’s free will through the use of pathos in order to cause doubt within Othello.

a.     “Or to be naked with her friend in bed”

                                               i.     Iago creates doubt in Othello’s mind by causing him sadness to picture his wife in bed with another man.

b.     “ I am sure it was your wife’s – did I today see Casio wipe his beard with.”

                                               i.     Iago is lying to Othello about Desdemona to evoke an emotion of betrayal by Desdemona.

III.           Topic Sentence #2: Iago uses pathos in order to show how disloyal Cassio and Desdemona are to Othello.

a.      “Men should be what they seem, or those that be not, would they might seem none!”

                                               i.     Iago is telling Othello that Cassio isn’t a man and is speaking with passion so he can get Othello angry.

b.     Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!

                                               i.     Here, Iago is telling Othello to watch out for Cassio’s jealous which is making Othello even madder. Iago is manipulating Othello into thinking that Cassio is a jealous, evil friend.

IV.           Topic Sentence #3: Iago is manipulating Cassio by creating self-pity and showing fake sincerity.

a.     “Ask her to help you get back your position. She is so generous, kind, and ready to help that she thinks it’s wrong not to do everything she can, even more than she is asked to do.”

                                               i.     Iago is tricking Cassio into talking to Desdemona by explaining how sweet she is. He is making Cassio feel bad for not wanting to go talk to Desdemona because of how kind she is.

b.     “I’m helping you because I like and respect you.”

                                               i.     In this quote we see that Iago is manipulating Othello by telling how much he likes him. Iago is trying to get Othello to appreciate his kindness.

V.             Counterargument

a.     Iago does not effectively use ethos and logos when comparing it to his use of pathos in order manipulate.

                                               i.     "I do love Cassio well, and would do much to cure him of his evil"

                                             ii.     Iago is using logos to show reasoning as to why he loves Cassio but he is missing passion and emotion when he is expressing his love.

                                            iii.     “My lord, you know I love you.”

                                            iv.     This shows the attempt of ethos from Iago. This does not work as well as pathos because it does not persuade Othello enough to fully trust him. There is no pure emotion to Iago saying, “ I love you”.

VI.           Conclusion

a.     Iago used pathos in order to create doubt, anger, and self-pity within Othello and Cassio.

b.     Free will is compromised when Iago uses pathos to disrupt the ability of personal free will. He creates people’s horrible fates by making a web of lies.

c.     Iago represents an important idea about human nature that people will do anything in order reach their goals. Free will will be taken when someone has to take drastic measures in order to reach their achievements.

Title Justification Essay #3

The final section of The Other Wes Moore is titled "Paths Taken and Expectations fulfilled". In this section the impacts of the two Wes's life decisions are shown. The third part is tilted Paths Taken and Expectations fulfilled" because it shows the two opposite paths and outcomes that were shown. The expectations also refers to when the other Wes Moore said " We will do what others expect of us."

This section shows the impact that the decisions made by the two Wes's truly impacted their lives greatly. Wes was on a great path because of his positive life decisions. He " walked across the stage as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate who was also the first Rhodes Scholar in thirteen years at John Hopkins and the first African-American Rhodes Scholar in school history." Wes was able to accomplish all of these things because of his personal decisions and the expectations of others. With help from mentors, they pushed Wes into becoming a better person because they expected him to achieve great things in life. His mother originally sent him to military school because she had high expectations for his future. Even though Wes started out by making poor decisions, people positively helped him reach his goals and achieve many things that he thought he was never capable of. Unlike Wes, the other Wes Moore never had strong mentors growing up to help him make positive life choices. Wes's later choices to rob a store caused " The hands of the state would stay on him for the rest of his life." His future would now be behind bars because of his decisions and actions. Wes also had to resort back to the drug game because it was the only way he could support his family in his situation. People expected Wes to fail which was one of the many reasons why he took a downward path. Although he made his own choices, many outside factors like people holding him back with negativity and negative influences impacted his future. Wes and the other Wes Moore both had similar choices in the beginning but moved onto different paths as opposite execrations were fulfilled.

This section of The Other Wes Moore is titled "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled" because the section shows the paths that both of the Wes' took and the expectations that they fulfilled. The decisions that they made impacted their lives in opposite ways. The author Wes moved onto traveling, receiving high education, and accomplishing his goals while the other Wes Moore is spending his whole life in prison because of his life decisions. This part of the book shows how their lives are very similar but different. The author Wes and the other Wes Moore chose different decisions that lead them to very opposite paths in life.

Chapter 8: Surrounded

Theme 1: Overcoming extreme obstacles can cause someone to make a drastic choice.

 "Baltimore City was now averaging over three hundred murders a year, making it one of the per capita deadliest cities in America."

Many people in Baltimore City grew up having to overcome many obstacles.  People turned to crime in order to provide for their families and protect themselves. The choice of murder can come from the choice of selling drugs or being in gangs. Drastic choices are made when people have to overcome hardships that they have or have gotten themselves into. When faced with a difficult situation, people tend to make quick decisions that can impact their lives.

"Three days earlier, in broad daylight, two masked men had run into J. Browns Jewelry, waving guns at the customers, ordering them to the ground."

Robbery is a popular and easy crime to commit when someone doesn't have money. People commit these crimes in order to overcome obstacles like poverty. In many cases, people have limited options in bettering their life and our often left with no other options. Robbery was also popular because it helped people get out of the drug game which was a far worse, deadly crime. People needed to make these drastic choices in order to provide for their families and stay out of dealing drugs.

"Look, I just found out that my sons are wanted for killing a police officer. If I find anything out, I will tell you, and I will cooperate however I can."

This shows the drastic life choices that can be made when overcoming obstacles. Wes did not intend to shoot the police officer, but only to steal jewelry for money. The police in this situation were very prepared to find the two boys because crimes like this have been committed very often. When people are put in difficult situations they might have to get out of them with choices they are not proud of. Poverty can cause people to do anything in order help their situation. 

" Early losses condition you to believe that short term plans are always smarter."

Wes had many " early losses" in his life that caused him to make quick decisions. Since he was making little money and needed to provide for his family, he made the choice to rob a jewelry store. He did not think about the consequences, but only the wealth he was about to revive for his family. When people want to better their lives, sometimes they are stuck because of difficult obstacles in their way. People make quick choices in order to solve a long term problem.

" The hands of the state would stay on him for the rest of his life."

This quote shows how Wes's choice to commit a crime caused his whole future to fall. He did not think of his future when he made his poor decisions. Like Wes, many people make bad choices that put them in a poor situation. People give up their whole futures to the state because of one choice they made based on impulse. Drastic choices are also made in order to survive without thinking of the future consequences. 

Chapter 7: The Land that God Forgot

Theme 1: A positive mentor can impact the way someone makes life choices.

"I thought about Lieutenant Colonel Murnane, my tenth-and eleventh-grade history and social studies teacher, who lit a fire in me about the importance of public service."

Lieutenant Colonel Murnane was one of the many new men that influenced Wes's life. Wes was not used to growing up with positive male role models so this teacher really helped him become fascinated with public service. Wes was going down the wrong path and was impacted by the mentors in order to get him back on track.  Many kids who grow up without positive mentors in their life have to struggle and make tough life decisions on their own and at a young age. With positive role models, children can strive to make future goals and have someone to help them if they fall. 

"[Colonel Murphy] said something I will never forget. 'When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were ever here.'

I believe that this quote stuck with Wes because it was one of the few times in his life where someone gave him the ability to become a leader. By Murphy saying this, Wes now has the ability to believe in himself and make smart life changing choices. Wes now felt like he belonged and had a purpose to his life with the help of his mentors. A mentor in a child's life can make the child see the value that they have. Mentors can help them see that they have potential to be something great if they a persistent in order to reach their goals.

" The other people in the room looked at one another and giggled. But Wes did not flinch. His teacher smiled . " Great I look forward to seeing it '"

Even the smallest encouragement from a role model can impact someone's life. When the other Wes Moore made the decision of building a house for his daughter, people laughed at him because the idea sounded crazy. Although the idea may have been out there, Wes's teacher stood by him with an encouraging smile and told him that he was eager to see it. People in life may laugh or bring someone down because they don't know how to understand who the person is or what they are doing. With a positive role model standing by a child's side, many outstanding ideas can be created. A mentor can help children set up goals that will impact their futures.

Theme 2: The environment surrounding someone can cause them to make different life choices.

""I wanted to stay at Valley Forge and attend its junior college, which would allow me to …become a second lieutenant in the Army.  I wanted to lead soldiers."

At this point, Wes had made many good life choices and was on the path to making even better ones in the future. Military school was a great environment for Wes because he did not have to worry about money, drugs, or violence. With this environment, Wes just had the ability to focus on his goals and make smart life decisions. Being in a good environment can change how someone sets up future goals and deals with conflict. The environment that someone lives in can impact the choices they make for their future.

"As the baking soda swirled in the rapidly heating pot, Wes held the plastic bag with both hands and poured in nine ounces of cocaine."

Wes had done an amazing job at the Job Corps program. By receiving his GED his was able to get a few low paying, inconsistent jobs but it wasn't enough money to pay for child support and help his mother out. The honest jobs in Wes's environment didn't make nearly as much as drug dealing. For that reason, Wes made the difficult life choice of selling cocaine again, even though he didn't want to. The environment that someone is in can force them into some difficult life decisions. If there are hardships like poverty, drugs, and crime, it may be hard to overcome those obstacles in order to make the right life choices.

Title Justification Paper #2

The Other Wes Moore is split into three different parts that each contains a collection of chapters. The second part of the book is called Choices and Second Chances and includes the chapters "Marking Territory," "Lost," and "Hunted." In “ Marking Territory” the negative choices that both of the boys made are shown. The second chances that they were given were shown in chapter two, “Lost”, and the final chapter shows what both boys did with these second chances. The reason why this part is called “Choices and Second Chances” is because in this part of the novel, both boys start to determine their very different fates by choosing different life choices and different ways of using their second chances.

         The outcome of both Weses’s futures depend on the life decisions they make in this part of the novel. In the first chapter, the Other Wes has already made some bad life decisions, “ In addition to the knife fight when he was younger, Wes had been arrested a few years back for stealing a car.” These choices have already affected the Other Wes’s life. The Other Wes also got into the drug game even though his brother warned him saying, “ If you won’t listen, that’s on you.” At that moment the Other Wes had the option of leaving the drug game but he decided to stay in it even though he knew of the potential consequences. Wes also made some crucial life decisions during this part of the novel.  When Wes got caught for “tagging” a wall with spray paint the police officer said to him “You kids are way too young to be in this situation. But you know what, I see kids like you here every day. If you don't get smart, I'm certain I will see you again. That's the sad part.” This made Wes question what he was doing and made him realize that he needed this second chance in order to stay out of trouble for good. Although he promised himself he would be good for his mother, he was back at spray painting within the next week. Wes was just trying to figure out how to make his mom proud of him. Even though his grades were slipping, he hadn’t gotten into serious trouble like the Other Wes Moore.

Overall, Wes and Other Wes both have a hard time making the right decisions in order to keep them out of trouble. By not getting enough attention from their hard working mothers, both boys easily slip into bad situations where they have the choice between right and wrong. Sadly so far, both Weses have taken second chances and thrown them away as they gravitate back towards the crime scene.

Chapter 6: Hunted

Theme 1: Lack of education can create many missed opportunities.

Quote 1: “ Not surprisingly, without a high school diploma or job training, and with a criminal record, Wes found it almost impossible to find a job to support his growing family.”

This quote shows how the lack of education in the other Wes’s life impacted his future. He is having lots of trouble finding work because of his lack of education. With a high school diploma it is easier to get hired into the work force. Wes not finishing high school, closed many doors as he tried looking for jobs to support his family. This shows the many opportunities that can be missed without the proper education.

Quote 2: “ Getting arrested was starting to feel like a routine.”

In this passage we see the effects of Wes not staying in school. In order to make money, Wes has to sell drugs because he cannot find any other jobs. The jobs he can’t get require a high school diploma. Wes is forced to sell drugs because it’s the only thing that doesn’t require years of being in school for. By not receiving a good education, many people don’t have a way of getting good, high paying jobs. This shows how many opportunities are ruined when people don’t receive a high school diploma or a good education.

Theme 2: A family environment can make someone feel secure.

Quote 3: "They would work together, fight together, stay together. An unbreakable bond united the crew. For many members it was the only support system they had. It was family."

In the quote, Wes is talking about his drug corporation. The way his “crew” protected him made him feel secure and important. This was the closest thing Wes had to a real family. Although he felt safe in this environment, it leads him to dangerous shootouts and run ins with the police. Wes not only felt secure but he also felt needed which was a new and addictive feeling for him. Since Wes never felt secure in his family life, school, and on the streets, this drug corporation was where he felt the safest. A family environment can make someone forget about whatever negative situation he or she is in at the moment. This shows how a family environment can make some feel safe and needed.

Theme 3: Role models can positively impact a child’s life.

Quote 4: “ They made it clear that they cared if I succeeded, and eventually so did I.”

In this quote Wes is explaining the close bond between his role model, Cadet Captain Hill. Role models, like Hill, show support and are there when someone needs guidance. Wes needed an important figure in his life to look up to since he didn’t have a strong male figure to look up to in the past. Role models set good examples and make the person they are helping create goals for themselves. Wes started caring as soon as he had someone believe in him. Positive encourage and support can help a child excel.

Theme 4: Overcoming obstacles are difficult but can be done.

Quote 5: “ But I had to let this one go. I had to look at the bigger picture.”

This excerpt shows how much Wes an improved over the years. Even though he was a troubled child and made bad decisions growing up, he overcame those obstacles and is now acting responsible. When Wes was called a racial slur he knew that he should not fight back like he would have done in the past. Wes overcame living in poverty, living with out a father, and getting into trouble. Obstacles can be dealt with if your mindset is in the right place. This shows how overcoming hardships can be possible if your mind is put to it.