to be or not to be

to be or not to be

Cathy Pham03/20/2011Period 1In Act3 Scene1, Hamlet does not seem to know who he is. “to be or not tobe-that is the question:,”(line 64) he wants to be a killer but needs to becivil. At the beginning of the video he seems very calm then becomes aviolent person pulling out a knife. Hamlet has no respect for himself thereforethere is no respect for anyone including his mother Gertrude. Hamlet feelslike everyone is against him, even himself. He stands in front of a mirrorbecause there is another person reflecting in his own eyes. The mirror is areplica of himself but may have a different personality.When Hamlet looks inthe mirror he sees a devil that wants to murder himself and not have to putup with any ones business but he wants to do what is right. When we look ata mirror we see our self but when Hamlet looks in the mirror he sees a deadman. Hamlet is very tense and confuse because one moment he ask himself who he wants to be, he should know who he is and who he shouldn’t be. Whyis it so hard for Hamlet to talk to his mother in a respectful manner? When Ilook at Hamlet he kind of scares me because he looks insane and evil, like aghost has enter his soul and taken over his body. I wonder if the King hasenter his body and took over. Hamlet changed overnight and a lot of peoplechange over night when drastic things happen to a person. The second videois dark and seems very lonely. He is all alone in a big room. That can meanhes alone in the big world, meaning no one is with him and everyone isagainst him. He has no one to talk to and trust because he can not trustanyone, especially his own family. When he talks he seems worried or afraid,and doesn’t know what he wants to do. “ To die, to sleep-- No more”(Lines68-69), this line shows that he can not sleep in peace nor will any more of hisclose friends and family will die. He will not allow himself to do any of this.The video shows Hamlet being very self-conscious and in decisive, aboutwhat his next move will be. The video is next to a brick stand, that can meanthat Hamlet is very stubborn and will not listen to anyone but his internalfeelings. He feels like the world is cold and dangerous just like a brick, a brickis hard and cold and rough just like the situation that he is in. He tends topause for a long time, this can mean that he is taking a break from his lifeand become the killer his father wants him to be. He wants Claudius to sufferjust like what he did to the king, his brother. When he talks, he is precise andorganize, this can be the idea of the kill of Claudius. The third video seems soromantic because its next to the sea and on a rock. The ocean is wherepeople can let out all their anger and relax. The sound of the whoosh is verycalming. The lighting is black and white just like the way Hamlet’s idea. The video appeals strategic strategies to let out anger. The fourth Video showsblue and white. His father corpse is still on the death bed, and he kisses him.Ophelia is also there while he starts to begin the speech. Hamlet also turnson a tape player, maybe he had an idea to record himself before he decidesto kill himself. All of the Video has Hamlet at different ages which makes nosense. He seems very calm but has built up anger inside him, he wants tomake a stand that he will no longer live in a lie and he wants to find himself and who he is. The king looks very pale and skinny, and in the other showshim fat. Hamlet wants to just die because he feels like he lost Ophelia and hismother, his only people that had his best interest. Hamlet seems bipolarbecause he feels calm then evil and mean. He worked his way up to kill justlike Claudius. What makes Hamlet if he does the same to his uncle? They sayan eye for an eye but why can’t Hamlet just give the evidence to the courtand have Claudius put in jail rather then kill him and make Hamlet a killerhimself. Hamlet does not know what to do because he is so young and wasn’traised in that kind of manner. He was once a loving and kind young man. Thisshows that childhood can change instantly depending on the circumstances aperson is put into. He loves his father because he looks up to him, andHamlet was suppose to be King not Claudius. Hamlet knows it isn’t fair thatClaudius took crown and declare he was King. Hamlet knows that he has lostevery ones trust and he doesn’t want anyone to love him because he doesn’tlove himself. He has no one to turn to but his dead father. Hamlet will getrevenge but in a nice way because that’s the way he was born and raised.When Hamlet kissed his father, I can feel the connection between them, likethey were very close and did everything together. It such a hard situation forHamlet because he is to young to hurt a fly. He has no guts to hurt hismother by killing Claudius because who will his mother have? That is why heis stalling on the kill, that is why he puts away the sword. He has Claudius somany times but not once did he kill him. I feel like Hamlet wants to killClaudius at the right place and the right time. So, he will be the “not to be”part for now.

combined essay of Albert Camus

AnalysisforCamusTheStrangerJanuary

Annotated Bibliography for Albert Camus

The Stranger Essay

Cathy Pham

Camus's essay

Cathy Pham

 In the passage The stranger, Albert Camus suggests that once humans lose something special, humans want it back but its to late. When Salamon had the dogs in his possession he treated them poorly, once he lost the dogs he was worried and terrified about the fact that he may never see his dogs again. As humans we tend to unappreciated the things we have in our life, however once we lose this privilege we start to miss it and want it back. Camus shows that humans are unappreciative, greedy, and never satisfied.

The beginnings of the passage “Raymond pointed out that to him that the dog might have gotten lost and that he would come back,” as humans we have faith. This shows that once Salamon lost the dogs he wanted them back because he spend all day and night with him. “If only somebody would take him in,” This quote has a tone of jealousy, and only because he doesn’t want the dogs to be happier with another owner. This shows how greedy Salamon is because he only wants happiness for himself.

“Then he got mad:” Pay money for that bastard-HA! He can damn well die!” This show how unappreciative he is and how money decides if a person or dog lives or survive. Salamon decided that his dog wasn’t worth his money, meaning when humans can not get what they want, they get frustrated. This shows that humans have serious mood swings, almost like babies.

The last passage Camus shows that once humans don’t receive what they want they have a mental break down. “And from the peculiar little noise coming through the partition realized he was crying,” this quote shows that with or without what is missing life still moves on. It’s hard to go on but humans have to cope with it and move forward. It only teaches humans a lesson to appreciate and cherish their valuable possession.

Camus displays different behaviors of humans. It’s important to not be greedy and value what is presented. Camus hints the golden rule, to treat other the way we like to be treated. Camus demonstrate that humans doesn’t know what they truly have until it’s gone.

Independent reading "Runaway"

Cathy Pham

29 October, 2010

12 English CP

Ryan Gallagher

                                                RUNAWAY by Evelyn Lau

            In Evelyn Lau’s memoir, Runaway diary of a street kid the character Evelyn’s passion for writing conflicts directly with her parents, ultimately resulting that being homeless is very dangerous. Evelyn is only 14 years old and love writing more than anything including her life. She decided to runaway because her parents wanted her to focus on school and they would lock her inside her room to study all day and night. She had the passion for writing and if she took out her journal she would get beaten. Evelyn decided to runaway and realizes that the streets were full of drugs, prostitutions and reality.

Evelyn Lau was an innocent 14 year old girl that loves to write. The only problem was her “parents did not approve of my writing and or the peace movement.” (page 11) Her parents didn’t believe that she can make a living off of writing. They only wanted her to score a perfect score on all her exams, when she received an “89 percent on an exam.” (Page 10) She would have to study and study with no free time to be a kid. She should have some time to run around the yard and have a few pals over to be kids. Her parents made her very upset and she decided to pick up and roam the lonely dangerous street.

         Evelyn never had the love connection with her parents, she was never cared for. When the guy name “Ed told me he loved me,” (Page 248) she was very cold hearted and her “comeback, I laughed and said matter of factly oh yeah. WOW, what a shock. Why?” (Page 248) She didn’t say that because she was heartless. She said it because throughout her life time no one ever loved her and she came across a lot of pathetic guys. So, when Ed told her he loved her she didn’t know the right thing to say. Evelyn was on the right track because it was out of the ordinary, her respond was reasonable because it was unusually for someone to say that to her. She might have not even understood the word love. Io someone were never expose to it they wouldn’t know how to react to it as quickly as someone else that was love their whole entire life.

   The most intense part was when Evelyn part was when Evelyn went to “work” she had token “Valium before leaving the house,” She was walking into a war zone on Broadway. She had to fight to get what she wanted; she could either get killed or seriously hurt. The previous nights a guy put a “knife to the throat,” of Evelyn. She was terrified, because having to experience violence at a young age is very scary. She was like a baby competing with the other hookers on the streets. This was the only way Evelyn can “self destruct.”  She would sometimes wish a guy would kill her in the dark alley way. She just wanted to be taken out of the world of reality.

    Evelyn Lau has found a nice guy that she is staying with. He takes very good care of her. He reminds her as a father figure that she had never had. She was going through a phase of suicidal thoughts. She is a very talented young lady. These experiences only made her stronger and who she is today. The end of the book she said it is painful to look back at her own writing because of all the dangerous positions she was in. She has grown up to be very successful. She always wanted a parent figure and to be appreciated. Her life is very complete now. Evelyn demonstrates that we have to go and get what we want we can’t wait around because the possibilities are that it wouldn’t come at all. So, follow your heart and your dream and don’t let anyone hold us back.  

           

Plum Plum Picker

Cathy Pham
Ryan Gallagher
English 12 C.P
20 October 2010


In Plum Plum Picker by Raymond Barrio, he suggests that when people is in a bad situation they tend to blame someone else for it. This short story display many negative thoughts and shows the level of authority. Raymond Barrio point of view is that rich people have no sympathy, money is very tight, and social pyramid.
The author portrays the white rich people as idols. They have their own rules and sit in "their cool filtered offices" while smoking a "cigars." Manual, the protagonist sees this as a selfish act. He is working outside in the "hot dry air," with nothing to drink and lunch break is as fast as a blink of an eye for him. He is q very hard working man and deserves a little bit if the lavish life style.
Manual is described like a poor Mexican peasant. He works continuously in the "hot dry air" and dangerous "endless maze of apricot trees." He explains to us that he is a "beast" because he works long hours and little money. This also shows that he is treated like an animal. Manual review that he is very dedicated and works for very penny he makes. Morales job is to eyeball the pickers. He has an easy job and he gets paid probably double the pickers. When Morales asked for "two cents" back Manual was very upset because he worked long exhausting hours to earn two pennies.
The social pyramid is demonstrated quite clear in the story. He talks himself as an "Animal," and animals are usually poor and has many high authority then them, which we call an low paying employee. Morales is a middle class gentlemen that has only one higher authority, which we call a Manager. He is a "Mexican general" which reviews that he is living stably. The "guero" are the rich white people that have lavish homes, no one to boss them around, drive nice cars, they are entrepreneurs. The "guero" is at the top of the social pyramid.
In Plum plum picker, Raymond Barrio, shows that reality and life can be very exhausting. There are always a boss, manager, and an employee. Life can very repetitive and only the employee can improve. This also shows that we must go into a career that we love otherwise we will suffer our whole lives. This story is perfect for a reality check.