Thinker vs. Doer

I inherently have more the personality of a thinker than a doer. I like having enough time to process my thoughts and weigh both the positive and negative consequences of a situation before I act. I have to plan first, so I feel prepared and can make the right decision. At times I would consider this quality a weakness, similar to Hamlet, especially since I tend to over think problems, which makes the situation more complicated than necessary and prevents me from taking action. I often take too long to make unimportant or everyday decisions, where the outcome has little effect. Even though I think before I speak, my thoughts usually sound better in my head than when they are said aloud. However, my doer side likes to be productive and not waste time. Also, in urgent situations, I would be able to react quickly. In contrast to Hamlet, I am a more consistent thinker. He hesitates to murder Claudius while he is praying, but then rashly stabs Polonius to death without considering that someone else may be hiding behind the curtain. Also, Hamlet has unusuallly dark thoughts because he worries that Claudius might not suffer in Hell rather than about the moral dilemma of killing a person.

Thinking and doing are not exactly opposed to each other, but one needs to find a balance between them, like all qualities. Thinkers need to put more of their thoughts into action by not over analyzing a situation, while doers should first think matters through to avoid making impulsive or careless decisions. It is important that people are thoughtful, but not to such an extent that they miss the chance to take an opportunity. Sometimes it is easier to just make a quick decision and act without worrying about it. One of my goals is to become more decisive and not spend as much time thinking.

"Ethics" Explication

 In "Ethics", Linda Pastan considers the moral dilemma of whether to save an inanimate but world-renowned painting or an unknown human life. At first, many readers would think that a life is obviously more important than a painting, but she makes them question their ethics by going through the thoughts of a girl maturing into an old woman. As a young child, she does not have an answer because she does not care much about either the painting or the woman. She does not understand their importance and devalues them by calling the painting a picture and saying the woman is close to death anyways. She has probably not even learned about Rembrandt yet. The children are "restless" and answer the teacher "half-heartedly" because they cannot imagine themselves in this situation. Sometimes the woman is her grandmother in the half-imagined museum, so she tries to put the problem into perspective, but she does not use her full effort. When Linda says they should let the woman decide for herself, she alludes to when she is an old woman, but she remains undecided about the question of ethics.

In the end, as an old woman, she still does not know whether she would save the painting or the life, but for different and more complex reasons. She has learned to care about both the artwork and life. She recognizes the value of the painting, which seems as alive and old as the woman. She describes the colors as darker than winter because it is associated with cold and death, unlike the spring. However, she says that earth's "radiant elements burn through the canvas", so despite its age, it continues to be warm and living. Since the painting is as alive as the earth, its importance seems equal to the life of the woman. Even after maturing, the question continues to be left unanswered, but she knows that it is definitely beyond the comprehension of a child.

To Worry or Not To Worry

To worry or not to worry - that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The anxiety of striving for perfection,
Or to ease the mind of our self-consciousness
And, by laughing at one's mistakes, embrace them. To relax-
We end the discomfort that consumes our lives
In the face of ambivalence. To relax-
Perchance to have fun and take risks
For in that relief of the mind what fun may come,
When we inhale and exhale,
We do not interfere with the course of destiny,
Taking time to enjoy life.
Why clutter our thoughts with the burden of anxiety?
Why waste precious thoughts on what may never happen?
But in the dread of failure, in comparison to others,
That we do not live up to our expectations,
We analyze every minute decision
Weighing the consequences of the past, present, and future
And we become prisoners of a list of "What if's?"
Thus uncertainty does make us cowards
And makes us bear tremendous stress.
Despite temporary relief from diversion,
We struggle with subconscious worries.

Hamlet 1.4-1.5 The Ghost

At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 4, Hamlet shows that he is very pensive when he considers King Claudius's custom of drinking. He seems like he would be a better king because he is more conscientious and disapproves of the carousing at night, which creates a bad reputation for the kingdom. Then, he continues to think more deeply about how people only remember the one defect in a man, despite his other virtues. Also, Claudius is not helping to improve the country's stability with it preparing for war and his drinking. Although Hamlet is usually passive, he takes direct action when he leaves to talk with the ghost. Horatio warns that he could be an evil spirit that drives Hamlet to madness, which I think foreshadows how it does make Hamlet crazy with the knowledge that his uncle might have killed his father. He has no fear of the ghost, unlike Horatio and Marcellus, who he threatens not to hold him back (I.iv.95).

Even though the ghost would feel angry and betrayed by his brother, it seems like they did not even have a good relationship when he was living. He acts like he was condescending to Claudius when he says that his brother's natural gifts were always inferior to his own talents (I.v.58-59). He might be an evil spirit, who wants Hamlet to kill Claudius and ruin Denmark, because he shares many of the same ideas as Hamlet, which would convince him to believe the ghost. He also calls Claudius incestuous for marrying the queen and he also expected her to have more dignity (I.v.49). The ghost contradicts the rumor that a serpent stung the king, which killed him while he was sleeping in his garden. He reveals that the serpent was Claudius, who is similar to the devil in the Garden of Eden in the biblical story of original sin (I.v.46-47). Also, at first the ghost seems still loving to Gertrude, which matches Hamlet's earlier description of the king, because he does not want Hamlet to take revenge on her, but then he says that he wants her to suffer with guilt, which may be a worse punishment. When the ghost exits, Hamlet begins to act crazy because he does not trust his friends anymore and repeatedly tells them to swear to keep the secret when they have already sworn to him.

"Kitchenette Building" Explication

Gwendolyn Brooks lived in Chicago during World War II when an increasing number of African Americans moved to the city. She lived in a kitchenette, which was an apartment building that was divided into small rooms to fit more families, who had to share kitchens and bathrooms. In "Kitchenette Building," she speaks to impoverished families by using "we" to include everyone. They are reduced to "things" without individual dreams because of all their burdens. Her use of sensory imagery compares hopes to reality. Dreams are useless and make a giddy sound, while rent and family duties, which have a strong sound, are reality. She questions if they will rise above the smell of onions, fried potatoes or garbage, which are very pungent and unappealing, because she doubts their importance. The dreams have to fight to survive, like the poor themselves. They "flutter or sing", which are happy and light words, but unsubstantial. Many people are unwilling to believe in their dreams because they do not want to raise false hopes. Even if people began to dream, which is uncertain, they would quickly return to reality. "Number Five," one of the families with which she shares a home, refers to people as things again as a reminder of her difficult life. However, in the end, she reveals that she has not given up dreaming because people still find time to keep warm and clean, similar to their dreams. This contrasts with "dry hours" of their struggles in the beginning, so hope remains.

Even today, I think Brooks's message holds true for anyone. Many people have busy lives, so they forget to take time to dream or relax. Especially with new technology, they are always rushing or working, while dreaming is left behind. Also, I often associate dreaming with children, so she marks the change from childhood to adulthood when people gain responsibilities, such as paying bills or taking care of the family. Yet, she preserves hope to show that even adults continue to dream.

Hamlet 1.1-1.3 First Impressions

King Claudius gives little thought to the recent death of his brother because he glosses over the funeral with the merriment of his wedding, which is strange. He tries to reason with Hamlet with logic instead of emotion by explaining that it is natural for his father to die. He seems harsh and uncaring because he calls Hamlet unmanly for continuing to grieve. Yet, he acts like a loving father because he asks Hamlet to stay with them rather than return to school in Wittenberg. Then, after he leaves to plan a celebration for him, Hamlet reveals his disapproval. Claudius hastily marries Gertrude as if he had known beforehand that his brother was going to die.

Queen Gertrude is taking her husband's death too well. It is peculiar that she remarries within a month of his death to his brother. I would expect a wife to spend a longer period of time mourning her dead husband, especially since Hamlet says that he was so loving to her. She seems superficially cheery because she asks what is wrong with Hamlet when it is clear and understandable that he would be grieving for his father. She has quickly moved on with her life and wants Hamlet to do the same. Also, she seems like a caring mother because she does not want her son to leave for school, and he listens to her.

Prince Hamlet appropriately laments in black clothes with teary eyes for his dead father, unlike Claudius and Gertrude. He had a very close relationship with his father, who he praises as an excellent king. He describes him as a sun god compared to Claudius, a goatlike satyr, which shows their strained relationship. He rightfully criticizes his mother for getting married again so soon after the funeral. He seems thoughtful at first because of his long considerations about the death, marriage and his father's ghost. However, both Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia about his impulsiveness because he is a young man. They do not believe that he truly loves Ophelia, but he must be charming for her to be in love with him.