Journal #1

    My first impression of Othello was a little overwhelming. Shakespeare is always a little tough to understand right when you start reading. It usually takes a little bit to get used to the style and flow of the text. The meanings and side notes really do help me comprehend whats going on. I cant wait to read on and find out what happens the characters.

Moors Research

     The word 'Moor' means dark. Which implies dark skin. Moors fled to Europe from Spain because of religious purposes. It is noteworthy that these Moors were in Europe as conquerors and served as a “civilizing force,” as opposed to being enslaved by the Europeans. The Moors had a tremendously positive impact on European cultural, socio-economic and political institutions.

Berit's Journal- I also found it interesting that Moor meant dark. It's like how negro means black. They connect and make sense.

Haylee's Journal- What did the Europeans do to convert them to Christianity?

Irvin's Journal- What was the negativity in this culture that caused them to constantly be at war?

Alec's Journal- I thought it was interesting how the capital name kept changing.

Journal #8

     The Piano Lesson ends in a way that i did not expect. Sutter's ghost kind of takes control of Boy Willie and madness brakes out. I did think it was rude when Boy Willie took that bowl of water and started throwing it everywhere right as Avery was blessing the house with the holly water, in an attempt to mimic him. That was probably offensive to Avery. As Berniece went and played the piano she asked help from Mama Ola. As she sang and played all the madness ended and Sutter's ghost seemed to be gone. That goes to show the power of music. I liked how the piano was what created the whole conflict in the first place but yet the piano was also what solved everything. Good play!

Journal #7

    In the beginning of Scene 5, we experience some brother-sister bickering. Boy Willie and Berniece argue about almost everything. They even bring Mareatha into all of it, when Boy Willie starts telling Berniece how to talk to her daughter. I did have an Ah Ha moment when Boy Willie explained what the Yellow Doy thing really was. I was confused about that the whole book but it makes sense now. I really found Boy Willie's monologue, about how he isn't afraid of death, very interesting. Also, when he talks about his fathers hands. Those hands become a symbol that represent family history and creation. Boy Willie's dad's creative hands are the whole reason the piano is here. Berniece also threatens Willie with a gun with i think is a little drastic over a piano.

Journal #6

    Act 2, Scene 3: I thought the part when Boy Willie brought Grace back to Doaker's house was so funny. It was a very clever choice that the author made to add romance mixed with humor to draw them in again. It was such a classic thing for Boy Willie to do and when he said, "Let me heist your hood and check your oil. See if your battery needs charged." I'm pretty sure i laughed out loud. That is so cheesy haha.
   Scene 4: When Lymon came to the house after Boy Willie left, we learned a lot about him and what he wants in life. I really like Lymon's character and at this point I started to think that Berniece and Lymon would make a better couple than Berniece and Avery. I wonder who she will choose.

Journal #5

     In Scene 2, Avery shows up right as Berniece was about to take a bath. They talk about their relationship a little but Berniece isn't so sure. In my opinion, i think Avery and Berniece would work out really well if they were to get married. I think it would be good for Mareatha to have a dad again. In this scene you can really tell how strong of a woman Berniece is. That would of been a very interesting character to play in a performance. You would have to be confident and stern with a damaging voice that people cant help but listen to. I think Avery's calm listener personality would complement Berniece's personality very nicely.  

Journal #4

      Moving into Act 2, Scene 1, we become aware that Berniece was not the first to see Sutter's ghost. In fact Doaker saw him playing the piano downstairs three weeks before she saw him. I thought that was an interesting twist and why didn't Doaker tell Berniece? If he would of said something then everyone wouldn't of all thought that Berniece was crazy and seeing things. Wining Boy then gives Lymon a bright blue suit and promises him that it has magical powers with the ladies. This blue suit becomes a symbol not only to help Lymon find a girl, but it also represents hope and Lymon's future by giving him confidence. I think i want a blue suit with magical powers now! I loved how Winning Boy coached Lymon on pick up lines.

Journal #3

     After reading Part ll of Act 1, Scene 2 I really learned about the history of the piano and all that it has gone through. I made me see why Berniece is so connected to the piano and all that it symbolizes. The hobos in the boxcar reminded me of Avery's dream. I wonder if the two different sets of hobos represent the same thing. After Doaker is done telling his story, Boy Willie strongly suggests that all these events are in the past and that his father would have agreed with what he wants to do now. This shows that Boy Willie is a tad bit selfish and only focuses on the future. For some reason a part that really stood out to me was when Berniece said, "Mama Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years. For seventeen years she rubbed on it till her hands bled." That just seems almost unbelievable. Why did Mama Ola love that piano so much?

Journal #2

     So now that everything is set up, such as, the conflict, the setting, the characters and the plot; we are able to dig deeper into the context and the dialogue quotes. In Act 1, Scene 2, the author takes about religion. Which adds a new element to the play and helps the reader understand the time period and the other characters. Wining Boy was introduced. I wondered how Wining Boy got his name and why he keeps the letter, that announces his ex-wife's death, in his pocket all the time. We find out about how Crawly died. Sense he was shot by white men, that may create a sensitive tension between whites and Berniece's family.

Journal #1

     As we start reading The Piano Lesson, I  felt very excited because it was a short play! Since I'm in theater, play writes are easier for me to understand. With Act 1, Scene 1, I thought the description of the setting was very clear and easy to visualize. I wonder why the author chose to have Boy Willie and Lymon selling watermelons. Why not apples or potatoes? As for characters, Boy Willie, Lymon, Mareatha, Berniece, Doaker, Sutter, Avery, and Crawly were introduced or explained in this opening scene. I think Berniece is a little dramatic, but maybe its just because brother showed up at 5 o'clock in the morning with a broken truck full of watermelons. I like Boy Willie's character. He is funny and creates conflict that shakes things up. I thought is was very interesting that the blood on the piano was so significant to Berniece and how stubborn she was to not sell it. I like this play so far!

Piano Lesson Project: Body Paragraph

     The constant direction giving by Berniece is preventing Maretha from becoming anything more than a minor character in the story. Berniece keeps her out of the room whenever somebody is talking about the piano or any family history. She feels like Maretha will live the same life she lives due to the history of the piano and her family. When Boy Willie has Maretha play her a song on the piano, Berniece orders her to stop. “Maretha! You get up here and get ready to go so you be on time. Ain’t no need you trying to take advantage of company”(21). Berniece has becomed so paranoid by the piano she won’t let Maretha play it around Boy Willie because she is worried he might say something about where it came from or what it represents. Because Maretha knows nothing about the piano she has no say in what is done with it, causing her to have a small role due to her lack of knowledge about the situation.