The Tragedy of Igneous and Amethyst

In the time of Ancient Rome, when the civilization was thriving and the citizens were lively. On the outskirts of the city, lived Igneous and Amethyst. They were not the merriest pair. They argued often; however, their loyalty towards each other was an unbreakable bond. Amethyst would petition to God every night for a happier marriage. It seemed as if God had turned a deaf ear towards Amethyst's earnest plea. Outside their marriage, they lived mundane lives. Igneous worked as a carpenter, while Amethyst stayed home and tended to the needs of the house. When the house was pleasing by her standards, she would devote herself to religious studies. Her usual rituals consisted of burning incenses, singing hymns, and praying. One day, Igneous did not return home at his usual time. It was past the hours of his shift and he was nowhere to be found. A worried Amethyst waited for her husband's safe return. Eventually, Igneous walked through the front door. He looked hammered, with a bottle of Rum in his left hand. His speech was slurred and incoherent. He staggeringly walked towards Amethyst. In a drunken tone, Igneous said, "You look mighty there Amethyst.". His breath reeked of alcohol; the stench hung heavy in Amethyst's nostrils. He began to reach for Amethyst's blouse, but she swiped away in disgust. This anger Igneous, so he grabbed her by the arm and demanded sex from her. Amethyst trembled with fear, but she refused to comply. She bolted towards their bedroom, locking the door behind her. Igneous frantically pounded on the door and ordered her to open it. Amethyst began to softly sob in the corner of the room. "I just want to be happy with the man that once found love in me. What have I done to deserve this, my Lord? God please, why does he treat me this way? I want to find solace in my marriage, my Lord. That's all I ask of you.", she prayed softly. Suddenly, she had an idea. She knew who can her marriage. She grabbed her coat from out of the closet scurried out of the bedroom. She dashed towards the forest and did not stop running until the house was out of her sight. She embarked on a three-day journey to an old sorcerer. She wanted an enchantment to establish order and pure happiness in her house. Along the journey, Amethyst ran into an old friend. His name was Authur. He was once an honorable, and respected knight by all of Rome. Unfortunately, he was de-ranked and exiled for attempting to seduce the Queen. Although poor, Authur had an exquisite charm that women fell in love with when they lied eyes upon him. He was known for sleeping with married women and was hated by the husbands of said women. Authur approached Amethyst and surprised her. She was startled by his unforeseen approach, but she happily greeted him. They were childhood friends before their families were separated by the Great War. Inevitably, separated them. They talked briefly about ordinary things, such as how was life for them at the moment. However, Amethyst did not tell Authur about the troubles of her marriage. The townspeople walked in utter disgust but did not confront the two. They knew Amethyst was married to Igneous and immediately began to think negatively about the friendly conversation. Amethyst informed Authur about her journey to the sorcerer. He insisted that he went along with her, but she denied his generous offer and continued on her way. Arriving the sorcerer's house, she noticed that he was outside tending to his Amos trees in his garden. She signaled for his attention and the Sorcerer welcomed her with open arms. Amethyst explained the purpose of the journey. The sorcerer heard this and was eager to help her with marriage issues. He gathered materials from his garden; one of which was the resin from an angelic plant called Angel Tears. He combined the ingredients until it had a consistency like water. He then proceeded to water a single rose in a flower pot. The concoction seemed to have no effect on the rose; but to Amethyst's amazement, the flower began to pulsate with a pinkish glow. The Sorcerer explained to Amethyst that the rose was now enchanted. The rose's glow was now connected to her happiness and will dwindle when she was not happy. Furthermore, the scent of the rose would fill the air with positivity and euphoria. Amethyst paid the Sorcerer 15 gold coins and thanked him for his services. On the way home, she stopped by the local market to buy food for the dinner she was preparing for her and Igneous. As she approached the house, she noticed that the house appeared to be empty. Maybe Igneous was at the local bar again or out with his friends. This was the perfect to surprise him with a dinner for two she thought. She zealously opened the door. The house was dark and the atmosphere was ominously foreboding. She set the groceries down on the kitchen counter, along with the rose. She began to prepare the meal around the hour of his usual return. She decorated the table for the both of them; She sat the rose in the middle of the table, next to a bottle of red wine. She called for Igneous, in case he was asleep and did not notice her arrival. Yet, the house was silent. She grew nervous about husband's well-being and his whereabouts. She began to walk around the house, in hopes to find her husband. She slowly made her way into the living room but found nothing. She went into the bathroom and still did not find Igneous. When she opened the bedroom door, Amethyst was filled with angst. Igneous was hanging from the ceiling with a note barely hanging out of his pocket. She quivered with dread as look upon her lifeless husband. Her feet planted in the door frame, unable to move. She finally mustered up the courage to reach for the note in his pocket. It read, "My dearest love, precious Amethyst. I can not forgive myself for the pain I forced you to endure. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.  I can not be angry at you for renouncing your oath of loyalty for me. For I have failed as a husband. Perhaps, Authur will give you the love you so desperately desired. I left you a gift under the bed. Your Love, Igneous.". Amethyst could not hold the heavy tears and began to cry uncontrollably. She felt defeated as she knelt on the ground and sobbed in her knees. The will to get up was lost along with her husband, Igneous. She crawled towards the edge of her bed and lifted the sheets that draped over it. She found only a red box. She opened it and inside was a beautiful purple scarf and a ring with an Amethyst stone on it. She also found a little slip of paper that read "Will you marry me, Amethyst?" Igneous planned to give her the box as a sign of condolence and to apologize for his actions. The feeling was unbearable. With the strength she had left, she arose from her knees and went into the bathroom. She grabbed cherry pits from the medicine cabinet; which was used for fertilizer. She grounded them into a fine powder and return to the table that she had prepared for dinner. The food was now cold and untouched. She grabbed the wine that sat in the middle of the table and infused the powder into the wine. She then poured a glass of the now poisonous wine and walked back to the bedroom. She stood in front of Igneous and raised the glass to his dead, lifeless body. She toasted to their marriage and sup from the glass of wine. Amethyst dropped the glass and grabbed her beloved by the hands. She kissed and wiped her tears from her face with his cold fingers. "Sleep well, my sweet Prince.", she mumbled as she embraced her appending demise. The rose remained on the table. As Amethyst succumbed to the poison that was coursing through her veins, the rose began to wither. Its glow began to fade and the slumped over the pot. Petal by petal, the rose lost its light, as well as Amethyst and Igneous.

*It's ironic that people who make us whole will evidentially leave the deepest hole in our hearts. And once it all falls apart, there will be no redos or restarts.

Women's Role during the Medieval Period

According to history, women were treated as secondary citizens. They were not treated the same as men. During the Medieval period, most people lived in rural areas that reside in Europe. Often, women were tasked with mundane chores; This includes cleaning, taking care of children, cooking, and tending to livestock. Women that lived in the urban areas of Europe did things making clothes, producing metals, and running inns. Though women were often overshadowed by men, they were capable of exercising their power in higher levels of society. For example, women could hold a position called abbesses of covenants; This position was higher than monks. Lastly, women played a big role in a child's life. Women would have an abundance of children; However, most would not live to see adulthood due to the living conditions of that time. They would do this so their chances of having a child that would see adulthood would increase, so the cycle can start anew.                                                                                                                                                                            https://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/women-in-medieval-society

Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer

After reading about the life of Geoffrey Chaucer, I learned that he was praised, yet criticized for his poetic talent during his time. Because of this, he was depicted as "the father of English literature; However, English literature has been around before  Chaucer, making this information false. Some of Chaucer's achievements consists of some of his works and declared to be "the first" in literature. An example of this is Troilus and Criseyde. It was credited by G.L. Kittredge as "the first novel, in a modern sense, that was ever written in the world. I also learned that Chaucer's work, The Canterbury Tales, is a comedy. This is not because the humorous aspects of the story, rather than its overall tragic tone. Furthermore, this work is a comedy because its divine perspective is achieved throughout the narration. This work could be considered tragicomedy because of the blend of drama, tragedy, and comedy.

Blog Post Assignment 10

Dear Adviser

            My name is Grant Wiggins, and I need help. First, I'll start by giving you a synopsis of the situation at hand. My aunt wants me to make her god-son, Jefferson, a "man" before he dies. He was on trial for a triple murder and theft; his appointed lawyer label him to be a hog in order to his intelligence and innocence. My aunt and I visited Jefferson 3 times, but reaped little to no progress of getting through to him. Today, my aunt was pretending to be sick, so I could visit Jefferson alone. I was humiliating for me at first, but gathered the will to go visit him. I just seen him, and achieve nothing. I know my aunt will be upset and heartbroken once she finds out what really happen during my visit. Should I lie about what happened or tell the truth? If not, what do you think I should do?

                                                                                                       Sincerely,
                                                                                                     Grant Wiggins
 

Blog Post Assignment 9

Chapter 3:

1. His insistence of whether Jefferson did it shifted the plot narrative by showing a biased point of view to an already controversial situation.

2. Grant is implying that Miss Emma was looking at him, but was not acknowledging him.

3.

4. She begs him and tells him that she has done a lot for his family.


Chapter 4:

1. It echoes the public defender's summation in Jefferson's trial by expanding on the idea of Jefferson's upcoming death. He is awaiting his death; the same as a hog in a slaughterhouse.

2. Grant feels the need to flee because he believes that he is living a unfulfilled life in his current city and condition he is living in.


Quote #1: "But i could feel her eyes on the back of my neck." Chapter 3, Pg. 17

This quote indicates the conflict between Grant and his aunt. Grant believes that he being forced to Henri Pichot's house under his will.
This quote also characterize his aunt because it reveals that she is a stern person and what every she says goes.

Quote #2: "I was too educated for Henri Pichot; he had no use for me at all anymore." Chapter 4, Pg. 21

This quotes give details about the setting. It gives an image of Grant staying out of the way while his aunt begs Mr. Pichot to talk to the sheriff.
This quote also indicates conflict between Grant and Mr. Pichot. Grant believes that he is too educated for Mr. Pichot, but Mr. Pichot may view him as just a typical black person.

Blog Post Assignment 8         

          Dr.King used figurative language in his famous speech. An example of this is when he uses a metaphor to compare the oppressed people to veterans of war. He quotes "You have been the veterans of creative suffering". This quote means that people who fall victim of segregation are like veterans because of the suffering both have to endure. It also strengthens his point of view on segregation and how it has affected many. Another example of figurative language is imagery and how he paints an image in the audience's mind. An example of this is when he mentions police brutality. He says "We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.

This quotes give the audience a visual representation of segregation and the struggles of black people. 

          A rhetorical question was asked during Dr.king's speech. He asks "When will we be satisfied?" This answer is implied, not blankly answered. By using this rhetorical device in his speech, Dr.King highlights something the audience already knows. It also empathizes his point of view and gets the audience to think about his question.

Blog Post Assignment 7

1. Why do you think his illusion of the northern battlefront was caused by magic? Pg. 85, last paragraph.

2. Analyze this quote, "Kien arose, wearily trudging away from the house and out along the pavement, a lonely-looking soul wandering in the beautiful sunshine.". Pg. 87, 2nd paragraph.

3. Why did Kien feel unbalanced? Pg. 87, 2nd paragraph.

4. Why do you think Kien included the change of his own soul when he mentioned Nguyen Du Street and the Thuyen Quang lake? Pg. 87, 3rd paragraph.

5. What caused Kien to rewind memories from his past? Pg. 88, 1st paragraph.

6. Analyze this quote, "There is no terrible hell in death.". Pg. 90, 1st paragraph.

7. Why did Kien believe the dead was more significant than the living? Pg. 90, 2nd paragraph.

8. Why do you think the MIA team believed that they would be burdened by the soldiers' death if they could not identify them by name?  Pg. 91, last paragraph.

9. Why did Phan decide to help the enemy solider who attacked him? Pg. 92, first paragraph.

10. Why do you think the sorrow of war is similar to the sorrow of love? Pg 94, 3rd paragraph.