SLA Junior Seminar 12: Hamlet

'Tis now the very witching time of night, 

When churchyards yawn and hellitself breathes out 

Contagion to the world. ' (p.41)

What does Hamlet spoil his life for his uncle's sin for? It is normal that royal son is devoted himself to his nation and family. The miserable story starts from his uncle's ambition to be a ruler.

Hamlet is a prince of Denmark and has already his would-be wife. Amid the peaceful life, one sad accident happens. Hamlet's father is killed by someone. He loses his energy as he had and is called 'a mad man' because of his death. One night, the king's ghost shows up in front of Hamlet and tells that his uncle deprives of the king's throne and queen. Therefore, the ghost begs Hamlet for his revenge for Denmark. From the very next day, Hamlet's plan commences. He tries to hide his secret and seek the truth of the accident day. Gradually, his obsession for the revenge escalates and goes toward different aims. Unfortunately, he misses his girlfriend and his mother. Ultimately, his revenge comes to live, but is it the ending what he and the king imagine before?

The words, 'revenge' and 'hate' come up when it comes to reading the complicated kingdom story. Every time the protagonists end their life in an unfavorable way, I think hate generates only hate again... This circle can apply to the current world affair. Even though the languages and cultures are various from countries, the peaceful life is the thing we definitely call for. Since it is important norm, I would repeat the phrases. 'Hate generates only hate.' 

Do you want to touch old English? If you so, Hamlet from Macmillan Readers is one of most appropriate for you to get new vocabulary in present English and gain knowledge of older English ones. 

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (2009) Oxford; Macmillan Publisher Limited. 

SLA Junior Seminar 11: Transcultural Japan

"As a Japanese" and "as a Korean" are phrase we do not use in bringing up our daughter. (p.58)

As time passes and reviewed our cultural history, we can not or should not describe one word about it. Through learning English and Chinese and having international friends, one of my interest is to be deep thought into people who have two identity. In this context, it indicates those who have international parents or have lived in different environments so far. I pick up a story written by a Japanese-Korean woman about her life.

Nobuko is a 'Zainichi Japanese' living with her Japanese husband and a daughter. Although international marriage is relatively popular recently and most of you don't mind if your neighbor is international couple, the time when Nobuko determined to be a wife is harsh and full of bias. The first step she had to experience was to be handled with much politeness and attention. Her mother-in-law is a typical Japanese woman who was suspecting that her son would be with a Japanese woman. Therefore, when Nobuko and her husband went to meet her parents-in-law at first time, the mother care about Nobuko's lifestyle such as her language, food, and nationality and so forth. However, Nobuko has lived longer in Japan than in Korea, so the fact could make her relieved. The second one is to consider of their daughter's identity. They were concern that their daughter would be puzzled to show her nationality or origin. It is not appropriate to say 'She is Japanese' or 'She is Korean', so she might be bullied by classmates. They discussed for a long time and at last reached an answer. That is one nationality does not make her what she is. They swore to be generous and not to care about mean words.

I often see foreign family and international family live as Japanese citizens. Some of them changed their nationality from their birthplace or others plan to live in our nation for good. Accordingly, I think the definition 'nationality' is getting variable.  We had a dark history with other countries, so actually it is not easy to get rid of the discrimination and exclusion problem. Nevertheless, as some countries are recognized as a multicultural country, it is time to welcome everyone who lives in Japan as a resident.

 David Blake Willis, Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu. Transcultural Japan. (2008). Tokyo; Paperback 

SLA Junior Seminar 10: The Sphinx Without a Secret

'She had a great love of secrets and mysterious.' (p.58)

Oscar Wilde is favored of creating strange story that doesn't sit right with me. The Sphinx Without a Secret is one of them. Surely, I have read the same story a few times due to a uncomprehending story. Nevertheless, I have not yet reached the answer of his intention.

It started from a man's love for a woman. Lord Murchison sees Lady Alroy being in a yellow carriage in a street. She is emanating an aurora of sophisticated but somehow mysterious thing. He falls madly in love on account of not being able to describe the perfect woman with any words. He asks her out to get the whole of herself, and then they become a couple at last. However, the mystery comes to live actually. Sometimes she appears to be cautious about staying together and looks around to see if anyone is near them. Moreover, she is off to the last house in a street frequently. But alone. He doubts if she deals with another man or something threatens her. Gradually, he can not believe what she says and left the country. During his break, an accident happens to her, and then he can not fix the problem and mystery forever. (I would like you to enjoy the ending.)

Anyway, why does Lord Murchison feel love a woman who wants to veil her identity? I suspect he is not lured by the woman herself, but the mystery that is similar to the sphinx. To say more, it means he loses his wife woefully despite the fact that he has not yet known who she is... 

Wilde, Oscar. The Canterville Ghost and other stories. (2000). Oxford, UK: Penguin Books.

SLA Junior Seminar 9: The Mill on the Floss

'When they separated, Maggie intended never to see Philip again. ' (p.21)

      Many stories reflect the author's life in the protagonist's situation. Needless to say, the famous writer George Elliot applied the way of describing behind her distress. She had an affair with a man despite the fact that she had strong faith in God. I believe the dilemma she and the protagonist had lead an unpredictable ending of this story. 

     Maggie lives with a father and brother, Tom owing a mill on the floss. Her father has difficulty in doing his business and paying back the debt. Therefore, her family has not good relationship with a lawyer's family. One day, Maggie bumps into Philip, a son of the lawyer and falls in love at the first glance. They can not stand with the serious relationships of each family, so she makes her mind not to see him again. A few years later, Maggie moves to the relative's with her brother, and begins living with her cousin. Since the cousin is a friend of Philip, Maggie can see him again and remembers her affection to him. Unfortunately, her love keeps away by receiving another love from the cousin's boyfriend, Steven. Gradually, she gets confused to judge which love to choose and betrays everything she respects at the moment. 

      As possible to guess from her pseudonym, George, every woman was obedient to men regarding not only connection but the options of their life. Maggie is one of the miserable woman who was forced to follow the men. After she moves to her cousin's house, an arrogant man (Steven) pushes one-side love for Maggie fiercely. It is sure that his behavior looks like brainwashing her all the time. I suspect that is the point George Elliot wanted to tell us. Why have women ignored their life at any period? In addition, how much of worship for God were there in their life? I would like you to compare the story with a contemporary story. I am sure how the authors and readers have changed their side drastically over the decades. 

George, Elliot. The Mill on the Floss. (1992). Oxford, UK: Penguin Books.

SLA Junior Seminar 8: Terrace House star dies at 22

 
     Today I pick up one article from Japan times alpha that made me deep in thought. As the title above shown, a cast appears on Terrace House, Japanese drama series was killed by herself taking toxic gas at so young age due to dreadful cyberbullying. Can you imagine how she ended her life? Even if young people such as teens and early twenties have not related life with the bullying, their mental state is so unstable and in development that a small thing can effect them physically and mentally. In her case, on top of that, her mind completely destroyed by mean words. What do the attacker keep the cyberbullying for?

     

     If you use SNS on daily basis that allow you to connect with strangers, you may have seen the sensitive comments on that at least once. It is the good feature of SNS that the user exchange ideas anonymously and make the drama more energetic, but in other word, the return can be much bigger in a negative way than you expect like her story. Although we have educated the correct use of the internet from elementary school, it is often the case that people forget the moral and consideration for other users by browsing the website and finding some who has the same opinion. I think if you are the real lover of the work, which comment would be supportive for it or your favorite cast? 

     To control the pandemic of novel coronavirus, more and more people sit behind the screen in a day and have influence from the material. There is not any special law about cyberbullying or sue the attackers in Japan now. Above all, every user have to concentrate on yourself, not others at first. In addition, it is not necessarily keen to stupid words that go viral or join the bad comments to protect yourself. 

The Japan Times Alpha

Friday, June 5, 2020

Vol. 70 No. 22