“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” warns us that we are in danger of becoming monsters ourselves if we don’t hold on to our humanity when responding to monsters like alleged child molester Jerry Sandusky, close associate of Coach Joe Paterno.
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Paterno’s Rapist Associate and Mr. Hyde
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Child Abuse, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Lolita, monstrosity, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Robert Louis Stevenson, Vladimir Nabokov Comments closed
Love in the Time of Cauliflower
The blog “Hairpin” came up with the a series of book titles which, altered slightly, becomes delicious food puns.
Reading Too Much into a Lover’s Words
A friend scrutinizing the language used in a conversation with her not-quite-boyfriend reminded me of the hypersensitive Faulkland in Richard Sheridan’s play “The Rivals.”
A Spurned Lover’s Revenge Fantasy
A recent Kinsey study reporting that men prefer cuddling and women prefer sex got me thinking about John Donne’s strange “you’ll be sorry” poem “The Apparition.”
Wilt Thou Forgive My Sin of Fear?
Donne’s last question is whether God will forgive Donne’s lack of complete faith in Him.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Hymn to God the Father", death, John Donne, Religion, Spirituality Comments closed
It’s the Pictures that Got Small
Watching movies at home makes them something other than movies.
Cardinals’ Victory Invokes Mythos of Spring
St. Louis’s improbable World Series victory corresponds to the mythos of comedy as described by Northrup Frye. Comedy’s improbably reversals symbolize the escape of life from the clutches of winter.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Anatomy of Criticism, Baseball, Northrup Frye, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals Comments closed
Captain Ahab, a Tyrant for All Seasons
Nathaniel Philbrick describes “Moby Dick” as a “metaphysical survival manual” which helps us understand the nature of tyrants.
Qaddafi Died Like Macbeth, Richard III
As Shakespeare understood with Macbeth and Richard III, narcissistic dictators like Qaddafi are so obsessed with control that they think they can stage manage their own deaths.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Dictators, Macbeth, Qaddafi, Richard III, William Shakespeare Comments closed
