Intertextuality-The Raven

Throughout my years of English in high school, I had two different teachers who showed a Simpson’s clip in class in order to show an example of a literary element. In one particular clip of the Simpson’s, Homer acts out a very famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven, read by most people in high school depicts almost a gloomy setting about a student who is slowing going into madness after the loss of his lover named Lenore. The man who seems to be a student although really unknown, sits reading “forgotten lore” in his chamber in order to try to forget his love. While reading, he hears a rapping at his door and when he opens it finds nothing. While the student is sitting in his room, he continuously hears a tapping and when he opens the window and finds a raven, he hears the bird only saying “nevermore”. He then begins to hear the same tapping but a little louder by his window. When he goes it his window to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. The man is shocked by the fact that the raven can speak and demands that the bird tells him its name. However, the raven only responded with “nevermore”. The man then figures at that the raven only learned one word from his depressed master which was “nevermore”. Finally, the man feels as if the raven is trapping him within his darkness after trying to get the bird to answer his questions. As the poem comes to a close, the man feels like he will be left in this darkness and “shall be lifted out nevermore”. Poem wrote this poem in order to both show critical and popular tastes. However, in the Simpsons, the main reason for them having this poem incorportate in the episode is to give their Halloween story a little more meaning and to somewhat entertain their audience with a different kind of taste. The Simpsons as well as a number of other shows are known for having intertextuality within them. Many times it helps them get a point across or to either create some humor and history within a scene. With these intertextual references, it can be easier for people to relate to as well as have a better understanding of what the author is trying to draw out. Intertextuality may not always work, but many ways it can be beneficial to the audience as well as the author. In the Simpson’s clip of the Raven, I feel like they do a good job of depicting the poem and acting it out. It allows the audience to have a better understanding what Poe was trying to say in a funnier atmosphere.

Travel/Blue Highways

Just to start off this writing assignment, I must say that I was not the biggest fan of reading 88 pages over break but now that I am done with it, I am not so upset about the whole thing. But anyways, I hated the story at first. It took me forever to get through the first 15 pages without putting the book down and falling asleep but then as I began to read more into the 88 pages haha I began to like it a little more. The story is pretty interesting but it is somewhat hard to follow and really get a grasp on since he goes from history to the road to people he meets and so forth. Hopefully the book will have a little more kick to it in the next 300 pages because I don’t feel like I will really enjoy reading 300 more pages just about meeting this and that person and then being on this historical road and what not. I understand his point in the whole story but I just have a lack of interest or attention span for stories or novel like that. I am still not giving up on the book but I feel that I am going to like Northern Lights a lot more then this book. It may be due to the fact that the book was just a lot easy to read and flowed well or else I feel like I am just more interested in the whole storyline a lot more then Blue Highways.
Enough said with the book although not a lot but over spring break well actually tomorrow I am driving to Ohio University to see some friends and my boyfriend. My parents are not the biggest fans of me driving by myself on the highway for 3 hours and my mom is still freaking out but I will be on my little old adventure tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I will be safely back at Miami on Monday with no cuts or bruises but we will see. I would have to say that this relates directly to travel considering I am taking a fairly long trip away from my hometown and kind of out of my comfort zone to another school. I could have gone last weekend with everyone else that is on spring break right now but my family wanted me to spend some “family bonding” with them when I got home so now I am somewhat stuck with going by myself. The only beneficial thing is that one of my best guy friends and coming back with me on Saturday since he doesn’t have to take any exams and gets out a week early for spring break….lucky duck. But anyways, my traveling experience should be pretty fun. I am excited to finally be able to travel alone and be independent but at the same time I am a little scared of being by myself. I honestly could never have done what Clarissa did considering she traveled 20 times the distance I am going tomorrow. However, I feel that it should be a good experience and allow me to grow as an individual. As I get older and hopefully when I am able to finally bring a car to school, I will be driving a lot more alone and the distance will be about an hour and a half more. Hopefully after this weekend, my parents especially my mom will get an idea for how I have become as an individual and allow me to take my car with me next year =)!! Fingers crossed but we will see. As long as I come back with no tickets, scratches or bruises, I should be fine. I would write more about my travel experience however I can’t really say how it will turn out. But with the help of my gps and hand written directions, I feel like I should be fine and have a safe traveling experience.