“Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams

           At first I thought it was under Psychoanalytic Theory but I read it for the second and third time that is when I come up to the idea that it is in Structuralism Theory. As I focused to the text alone I noticed that it has well pattern structure and the choice of the language and the use of characters emotion determined the meaning of the text. There is also relevant connection among the element of the story which means one element affects other elements.

          

         In the story the young girl is very confident in disobeying the doctor because she was aware that the doctor would never do offensive action inside their house, this denote that the setting influenced the behavior of the characters and how they are going to deal with other characters. This behavior of one character is affected by the behavior of other characters. The protagonist of the story showed his two sides the active and passive. At first he was so gentle with the child but as he lost his temper he suddenly became forceful.

           Williams aside from idioms also used irony to convey the idea of the text. The scene when the parents keep on repeating the words “he is a nice man” showed situational irony because at the end of the story the doctor turn out to be rude in forcing the child to open her mouth and when the doctor said he was falling in love with the child denotes verbal irony for the doctors really means the opposite. The climax of the story heightened through the different conflicts raised in the story. The part when the doctor forces the child to open her mouth defects his struggle with the child and his own conscience.

            The use of force utilized a very good textual structure.

United Fruit Co. by Pablo Neruda

When the trumpet sounded

everything was prepared on earth,

and Jehovah gave the world

to Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda,

Ford Motors, and other corporations.

The United Fruit Company

reserved for itself the most juicy

piece, the central coast of my world,

the delicate waist of America.

It rebaptized these countries

Banana Republics,

and over the sleeping dead,

over the unquiet heroes

who won greatness,

liberty, and banners,

it established an opera buffa:

it abolished free will,

gave out imperial crowns,

encouraged envy, attracted

the dictatorship of flies:

Trujillo flies, Tachos flies

Carias flies, Martinez flies,

Ubico flies, flies sticky with

submissive blood and marmalade,

drunken flies that buzz over

the tombs of the people,

circus flies, wise flies

expert at tyranny.

With the bloodthirsty flies

came the Fruit Company,

amassed coffee and fruit

in ships which put to sea like

overloaded trays with the treasures

from our sunken lands.

Meanwhile the Indians fall

into the sugared depths of the

harbors and are buried in the

morning mists;

a corpse rolls, a thing without

name, a discarded number,

a bunch of rotten fruit

thrown on the garbage heap.

         This is under the Marxism theory because it revealed social struggle specifically the struggle of the workers to get equal and humane treatment from their employer. The repetition of the different names of corporation denotes the existing the suppression of rights of the workers in our society and the lack of opportunity to be heard because these corporation increasing became more powerful. There are also existing unequal distributions of wealth in the society that leads for those in the upper class abused the lower class. If we try to scrutinize its meaning the poem is about the native people (the workers) who have lost their land because of these greedy large corporations. They have lost their right to work in their own land with humane treatment. Thus this poem is a revolution to the “corporation invaders”.

             

              This poem is one of those poems which intended to seek for equality among men.

"Richard Cory " by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown, 
Clean-favoured and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good Morning!" and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine -- we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked and waited for the light,
And went without the meat and cursed the bread,
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet in his head. 

 

         This poem is under the psychoanalytic theory because it reveals the unconscious works of human mind and how this affects the interaction of man to his surroundings. The use of the third person point of view (we, referred to townspeople) denotes how majority of the people were deceived by the appearance of other people. Richard Cory as a subject in the poem was being examined and judged by the people in terms of his achievement and wealth which are very common standard of judging a person. The adjectives being used in the poem is in exaggeration to emphasize the feeling of envy and admiration of the narrator (townspeople) towards Richard Cory. This also revealed how man’s mind differs in their perspectives. The people viewed Cory as a subject of perfection yet Cory himself is actually admitting that there is huge space in is a life- an emptiness that no one had ever seen. Committing suicide despite of the kind of status he had in life reflects is unrevealed sadness.

“The Last Judgment” by Karel Capek

       This is under the Hermeneutics theory because it appeals to the values of the reader and offers different interpretation. In the story the characters have different views in terms of who must judge a man after his death either God or other man thus create argument whether who is deserving to be the judge that give emphasized to the communication of the characters in the story with different point of view. This also denotes the usual habits and expectation of man (man is expected that God is the one who will judge us). This also offers different perspectives that affect our views towards religions and values.  The understanding about death and after life is expressed in religious beliefs or views.

Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa

       

        This film tackles about the perspectives of man towards woman in our society and how the majority viewed woman in our society that is why I consider this as under the feminist theory. In the film the student named Marlon has a huge admiration to his teacher. Marlon thought that her teacher named Karen was really an ideal woman but at the end it turns out that she is just like any other woman who has weakness which is merely revealed in the story. In this film it helps the audience understand how a woman can be so loyal with her passion. Yet this film also shows the problem usually faced by the single woman and other weaknesses of the woman resulting from her feeling of loneliness and longing.

          

        Furthermore, though this was written in feminist agenda, the director had able to innovate it through making this story be seen in the man’s perspectives (through Marlon). Marlon’s admiration towards Karen denotes how woman affects the life of men in society. A women can be the cause of man’s destruction or improvement.  

      This also under feminist theory because this film was adapted from the different poetry under the theory of Feminist like “Kasalo” by Joe Barrios . This film is a reflection of greater appreciation of the contribution of the woman in arts. With the collaboration of the different poem and the excellent interpretation of the director, the film turns out to be a good masterpiece.

"The Lament of Apolinaria" by Ruth Mabanglo

I am now past thirty

And I evaluate being a teacher.

Every morning, when I walk,

An ineffable longing tugs at me.

I walk the same old paths

The same old trite faces flicker by:

Fallen leaves swept into a corner

Or whirled away by a sudden gust of wind,

Eager and gloomy eyes

Shadowed by trees,

Carefree children and

Greetings, voluntary and innocent.

My hair is turning gray,

Loneliness is concealed in my forehead.

My hands ruffle my hair,

Intending to brush away the clinging fear.

The mirror is my friend

If someone could notice my beauty.

But it is cruel and intentionally deceives

When wrinkles gleam in the light of the oil lamp.

Solitude pursues me

Along the road I tread each morning,

Along the road my day follows,

Along the road that gives meaning to my routine.

Sometimes I cannot blame

My envy for the silhouetted

Lovers’ amorous display.

Because I have nothing to boast of

Except for the company of the cicada’s cantata or

The blankets and pillows that frequently abandon me

When my mind is overcome by sleep

My distressed heart

Frequently unveils jealousy

Especially for young lovers

Whose laughter wades through the fences.

The time will come when my voice will crack.

My hands, too, will grope.

I will become dry and barren.

Love is a myth

That is not offered me.

The summer of sinegwelas

Is a ghost that haunts

Those with no one to caress.

Whispers in the dark remains a dream,

Rice or corn to harvest

But devastated by a monsoon.

I, too, loved once when I was sixteen.

It ended in grief.

A young man who dreamt of sailing,

Who counted stars even in daylight.

The rust of old ships consumed his nails,

Devoured by tuberculosis, then tetanus.

We had not succumbed to our desires,

A bitter youth pampered by promises.

I am a guava rotting in the bough,

Desired by no one,

Faded and withered to the womb.

Old people say, better to be a virgin

Until the wedding day,

No reproach, no sin.

The child I should have had ate fire,

Before it was conceived, I had already sung a dirge.

Anguished and grieved,

Even tears elude me.

II

Hope serenades me

When the 80s arrived.

I am now past thirty

And I evaluate being a teacher.

An ineffable longing still tugs at me,

Every morning, at breakfast.

And because even the calendar pursues me

I scour the newspapers.

There I meet Walter.

Thanks to the personals my darkening eyes

Persuade me to explore.

A man in his autumn,

His waning heart still desires to burn.

He fills me with scented promises,

Showers and bathes me with fragrant words;

An unnamed desire melts me,

His signature is the contract I depend on.

I insert my love between the pages.

I enclose my kisses and sighs.

The sweet of sugar and sting of pain

Can no longer be differentiated by my ecstatic mind.

My love flies mile upon mile,

Waiting to perch on gates and cities.

The letter reveals and gives thanks

The fingers become the censure.

The much awaited May arrives,

Amidst the drumbeats of Sinulog for Santo Niño;

I no longer notice the autumn of sinegwelas

His marriage proposal is my visa.

My tears flow endlessly,

I can indeed cry when I am happy.

III

Walter is already old but he remains ambitious,

Though withered he still wants to blossom.

My womb is like the dry leaf

In the Palmolive soap ad--

It revives as oil is poured on it,

It defies the laws of nature.

I am now past forty

And I evaluate my heart:

Was it love or lust that brought me here,

With this man I do not know?

The mirror has a crack whenever I look,

I realize it is not enough to arrive as a virgin.

I am now past forty

And my heart persists:

Why does the sinegwelas bear fruit when it dries up?

Have you no faith?

Sarah conceived when she was old.

Mary was impregnated without seeing a man.

Hope still flows between my legs,

I am revived at least once a month.

Should I allow Walter to fade away?

He alone genuflects on the mossy wall.

I release this ancient fear,

Thinking that sadness is sadder,

I vow to sacrifice my own blood

So that my love could endure.

What if an elegy were to clutch me

And here a lullaby will be heard.

In the mirror my face hardens,

In the morn, I will observe mass.

IV

I am now past forty

And fear pricks me.

Walter has me imprisoned in a white room,

Here he will test the sincerity of my love,

With a heavy heart I comply,

I cannot express my mind’s reluctance.

Fifty, there are fifty of them,

Ungentlemanly gentlemen with arid laughs.

Now that I am past forty

Do I still need to flirt?

I am caged in a white room,

Unearthed by the misty sky.

My mouth is gagged,

My eyes are blindfolded,

Arms and feet are shackled

My movement is restrained.

I long for Walter’s touch,

I realize he is a concrete wall.

He doesn’t scream for help when they stretch my thighs,

He even masturbates when I am catheterized.

Fifty, there are fifty of them,

Ungentlemanly gentlemen with arid laughs.

Helping each other, taking turns,

Plowing my womanhood.

My clitoris is ripped, my tongue wrenched,

My breasts butchered.

Determining if I am a woman or man,

With a probe driven deep into

My cleaved womb.

I am now past forty

And my soul is surrendering.

I blame myself for this grief,

Fate does not discriminate.

I abandon spinsterhood

Only to find fervent flames.

I reveal my dissected womb

In hopes of bearing a child.

Remorse now embraces me

With unending regret.

My life is a myth,

A woman warrior meeting misfortune in war.

My country people, my kin, my sisters,

Never, never enclose your heart in a letter.

          When I had first read this poem, tears fell suddenly in my eyes. This poem is so meaningful one that it captures the sympathy of many readers. This poem is under the feminist theory because its focused in the struggle of a woman whose hope to have a happy married life despite of her age failed her. In this poem women are perceived to be weak and pathetic. It also give emphasized to  the wrong notion of our society towards the unmarried old woman which is done through repetition of the age of the persona in the poem and her feelings towards it. This notion revolved around the idea that woman should marry and have their own family which makes the women in our society gives too much concern with their marital status.The persona revealed her desire of marriage in full honesty. This desires lead her to faced the biggest trials of her life and for that it also denote the discontentment  of a woman can lead her  to misery.

         Furthermore, the meaning behind the poem is not only commendable but also its structures, the author style in writing gives justification in adapting the story of  Apolinaria Masong. The language use in the poem is very vulgar that  added to its realistic appeal. The narration technique use in the poem gives a vivid understanding about what the author tries to convey. While the ending of the poem gives a simple realization that one should be careful in giving their trust.

(P.S This poem was inspired by a true story)

         

         

Team Building Activities

Activity Description 

Never to frightened of the dark because constantly someone who will assist you throughout your journey in the chasm of confusion. Just be careful of what you step on. 

Applied Theory: New Criticism

I related this activity with New Criticism Theory because like New Cristism in tries to avoid other aspects of the text(such as its historical background) but merely focused on the text alone. This activity a member is blindfolded and he/she should be able to finish the maze without getting the bottle fall in the ground. The player  should  focused only to the voice of the leader so that he will able to surpass all the obstacles in the field. Focusing on the voice of the leader alone will help him to understand fully the direction he/she must follow likewise focusing on the text alone will help the critic to fully comprehend and grasp the meaning of such text.

Activity Description 

Have you seen Dr. Jose Rizal recently? Well, it's been a while since I saw him drowning at the moment. Save him from misery.

Applied Theory: Symbolic or Mythic Theory 

This activity is associated to the theory of Symbolic because this activity symbolizes the life of Jose Rizal as a sacrifice to get the country's freedom. The game is all about collecting  all the 1 peso coins in the water. The 1 peso coins remind us how much our national hero love our country. The water symbolizes sacrifice.This activity where we ought to dive to look for the coins symbolizes our turn to be a hero, meaning, as the future of this generation it is about time to help our country like what Rizal did.

Activity Description

The doctor is out OMG! You have to save your group! You don't need to be a doctor to save them! A heart jam-packed of determination could salt away your group from losing.

Applied Theory:Marxism

On this activity I remember one of the episodes on i witness which tackled about how people in isolated areas struggle to bring the sick people to hospital. The lack of facilities and mode of transportation lead them to have what we called in Tagalog ambulansayang de paa. Well this also implies how lucky the people are in urban areas as compared to those who lived in provinces or rural areas. This thought made me deduced that this activity can be linked to Marxism theory. The Marxism theory emphasized social struggle such social struggle that can be associated with the activity is the struggle between the rich and the poor. As we observed in our society those in high social status(the rich and known people) have a better  access to medicine services (like having better mode of transportation-ambulance service)unlike with those who are poor. 

Team Building Activities

Activity Description

A game that would stir thinking and imagination. Collaboration of ideas is very much needed and it has no room for failure. An excellent story may take place from it. Try and try until you succeed is risky.

 Applied Theories : Structuralism and Romanticism

          I associated this activity in structuralism because this activity is about forming a story out of the given pictures which implied that in order for us to do so we have to look for the existing  relationships between this pictures. We also have to figured out which among the given pictures can be considered the protagonist and what type of protagonist he/she would be by just analyzing the interconnection of the pictures.This also deals on how we will going to structure our narrative whether we will be going to use the very common introduction " Once upon a time or Once there lived a...or are we going to come up to a new and modern style of introducing a story.

           I also considered this as a Romanticism, my assumption is based on the outcome we had produced during the activity. Well, out of the given pictures we had create a story of an man who is willing to struggle and to face all the challenge he ought to encounter just to save his love ones. In the activity we had expressed how much a person can be so selfless and emotional because of love.

Activity Description 

Teamwork is the name of the game. Don't get nervous and have a good hold on your rope of focus. You will sooner or the later uncover DHL and FedEX cleverness in you.

 Applied Theory : Reader- Response

         This activity is associated with this theory in the sense that we had to "understand how things appear" which applicable in doing this activity. We have to see the possible effects of those strategies that we are going to use in order for us to transfer the soft drink bottle. We had to think of the reality which mean if we had  chosen the wrong strategies then the result we will be spending our time in doing the task that will waste our time.