Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping - Beyond Reason Essay -- Robinson Ho

Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping - Beyond Reason   Ã‚   Marilynne Robinson gives voice to a realm of consciousness beyond the bounds of reason in her novel Housekeeping. Possibly concealed by the melancholy but gently methodical tone, boundaries and limits of perception are constantly redefined, rediscovered, and reevaluated. Ruth, as the narrator, leads the reader through the sorrowful events and the mundane details of her childhood and adolescence. She attempts to reconcile her experiences, fragmented and unified, past, present, and future, in order to better understand or substantiate the transient life she leads with her aunt Sylvie. Rather than the wooden structure built by Edmund Foster, the house Ruth eventually comes to inhabit with Sylvie and learn to "keep" is metaphoric. "...it seemed something I had lost might be found in Sylvie's house" (124). The very act of housekeeping invites a radical revision of fundamental concepts like time, memory, and meaning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robinson delights in an intense "undifferentiated attentiveness to all the details" (82). The ordinary is given added significance and, as a result, the pace of the novel is slowed considerably. While supplying a layer of added realism, these mundane, fragmentary domestic details serve as an important thematic strategy to Robinson. The reader's attention becomes focussed on the passing of each moment in time. Ruth is initially frustrated with the seeming discontinuity of her own existence and tries to assign some order to it. "What are all these fragments for if not to be knit up finally?" (92). She yearns for a time when there "would be a general reclaiming" of the various seemingly meaningless fragments of human existence, a moment when "time... ...ould become unnecessary and meaningless "if only the darkness", like nothingness, "could be perfect and permanent" (116). Nothingness does preclude individual identity of any sort, however. Surrendering completely to nothingness would negate any possibility of authentic intimate human relations: the one source of meaning and happiness to Sylvie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The house Sylvie attempts to "keep" must accommodate change including the peace and threat implied by nothingness. "A house should be built to float cloud high, if need be...A house should have a compass and a keel" (184). Rather than being seduced by the ultimate and final separation of nothingness, Ruth learns (as a transient) that housekeeping can be an expansive and inclusive method of engaging and interpreting the world. Work Cited: Robinson, Marilynne. Housekeeping. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.

Movie Evaluation

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: An Autistic Childs Perspective Message 1: September 11, 2001:†Are you there? Hello? If you’re there darling pick up. I just tried the office, but no one was picking up. Ah, listen, something happened. I’m ok. There telling us to stay where we are and wait for the firemen. I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll give you another call when I have a better idea of what’s going on. I want to let you know that I’m ok and not to worry and I’ll call again soon. This was the first of six messages on September 11 2001 that 11 year old Oscar Schell (Thomas Horn) heard from his father Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks) that were left on the answering machine as tragedy was unfolding. His father was on the 105th floor of tower one as the first plane crashed into the building. This movie is based on events that took place during the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. A young boy (Thomas Horn) named Oscar narrates the sto ry of how the day unfolded from his point of view referring to it as â€Å"the worst day. † Oscar comes home after being released from school because of the events that were taking place.At this point he doesn’t really know what is actually happening. He continues in his routine grabbing a snack from the fridge and then pressing the play button on the answering machine. In this scene He listens to the first of six messages his father left as the events unfolded. He then turns on the television as the messages continue to play and witnesses what has happened and realizes his father is in the building. Just as the news camera captures the first tower falling Oscar falls to his knees, the pudding he got from the fridge spews everywhere and he begins to sob.This movie is categorized as a drama. Certain aspects should be within a drama and relating criteria should be established this includes first and foremost emotion, second would be a powerful message, also if the movie is based from real events, such as this one, realistic scenarios should take place and last but not least quality acting and effective casting, which go hand in hand. In a beginning scene from the movie when Oscars mother Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock) gets a phone call from her husband Thomas Schell while she is at work.You can hear the sheer panic in his voice and the chaos of distraught people in the background. Linda Schell now understands how dyer the situation is because he is in the building. She panics and tries to talk him into staying on the phone with her, they get disconnected. The viewer can easily relate to Linda’s fear and helplessness. Throughout the entire movie you can feel Oscars pain of losing his father. After â€Å"the worst day† Oscar refused to step foot in his father’s closet until one day he gathers the courage to do so. He is sorting through his father’s things when he knocks a vase off of a shelf.The vase shatters and he finds a key and believes it was a last â€Å"reconicense mission† his father created for him. He deems it necessary to continue the game they played that consisted of Oscar going on â€Å"reconicense quests† that his father would develop for him so that he would face his fears of being out in society. Loud noises, lots of people and being out in public put Oscar on edge as he has Autism and he has much trouble trying to make sense out of the simplest things in life and understanding why he can’t make sense of them, but his focus of understanding turned to his father’s untimely death.This movie does have a powerful message of how an unexpected tragedy can change lives forever. We may not have answers as to why or no complete understanding of what truly happens, but we must find a way to move on. As far as depicting real scenarios I believe this movie is right on point with one exception, Oscar was released from school as things started to take place. Before these attacks happened no one felt there was a real threat to humanity, but in a real situation such as this one, school districts, in my opinion, would not have released the children off on their own.Even if no one quite knew what was happening. It is the facilities responsibility to protect and care for those children while they are under their care. This was the only scenario I didn’t agree with. It almost gives a misconception of how schools would react, I think. Last but not least a drama should have quality acting which would foresee effective casting. Someone might seem right for the part but cannot portray the character effectively, which doesn’t make it believable or relatable. If the wrong people are casted, who aren’t quality actors, it would create a different atmosphere for the movie.It may not do so well if the characters aren’t portrayed effectively. I look for actors/actresses who have been awarded for their work and those I’m familiar w ith because there is a good chance the movie will be worthwhile. Overall Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a captivating, emotional and heartfelt movie about a boy with autism whom has just lost his father and learning to cope. With its quality acting and effective casting, powerful message and real life scenarios this movie is a must see.

What to Do if Youre Failing a Class in College

Failing a class in college can be a major problem if its not handled in the right way. A failed class can have an impact on your academic record, your progress toward graduation, your financial aid, and even your self-esteem. How you handle the situation once you know youre failing a college course, however, can have a significant influence on what happens after grades get turned in. Ask for Help as Soon as Possible Ask for help as soon as possible once you know you are in danger of failing any class during your time in college. Keep in mind, too, that help can take many different forms. You can ask for assistance from a tutor, your professor, your academic adviser, a learning center on campus, your friends, a teaching assistant, members of your family, or even people in the surrounding community. But no matter where you go, start going somewhere. Reaching out for help just may be the best thing you can do. Learn What Your Options Are Is it too late in the semester or quarter to drop the class? Can you switch to a pass/fail option? Can you withdraw — and if you do so, what is the impact on your transcript or financial aid eligibility (and even health insurance)? Once you realize youre failing a class, your options vary depending on when in the semester or quarter you make that realization. Check with your academic adviser, the registrars office, your professor, and the financial aid office about what you can do in your particular situation. Figure Out the Logistics If you can drop the course, when is the add/drop deadline? By when do you have to get paperwork in — and to whom? Dropping a course at various parts in the semester can have varying effects on your financial aid, too, so check in with the financial aid office about what needs to be done (and by when). Give yourself a little extra time, too, to gather all the signatures and coordinate other logistics for whatever you plan to do. Take Action One of the worst things you can do is to realize you are failing a class and then do nothing. Dont dig yourself in deeper by not going to class anymore and pretending like the problem doesnt exist. That F on your transcript may be seen years later by future employers or graduate schools (even if you think, today, that youll never want to go). Even if youre not sure what to do, talking with someone and taking some action about your situation is a critical step to take. Dont Be Too Hard on Yourself Lets be honest: lots of people fail classes and go on to live perfectly normal, healthy, productive lives. Its really not the end of the world, even if it feels overwhelming at the moment. Failing a class is something that youll handle and move on from, just like everything else. Dont stress too much and do your best to learn something from the situation — even if its how to not let yourself fail a class ever again.