MYTH ENTRY #3

If I were a Greek goddess....

I would like to be the goddess of mentalness and feelings. I would like to have the qualities of knowing anyone's feelings, thoughts, imagines, and motive just by looking at or touching them. So then if I was talking with someone, I would know exactly what they are truly thinking; whether they are thinking in true agreeance, annoyance, or indifference.
As for power, I could make a person change their sentiments and motives and suddenly make them be on my side when they were the opponents. Also, I would like to have this psychic blast so that I could knock off anyone that I liked.
If I were the goddess of feelings and of the mental world, then I would truly be in whole charge of the world. I could make anything do what I wanted :). I could get all the wealth I wanted by making a rich person have feelings of want to sacrifice money instead of animals to me. Or I could just make them hand over anything. In addition, I could make all the ones who hate me to love me. I would just have too much power and control.

As for physical appearances, I would like to be in a ritzy, exquisite, comfortable clothing or I would also love to wear pretty, 'well-heeled' pajamas. More importantly, I MUST need white, gorgeous wings so that I could fly, enjoy the wind and weather. My uniqueness would be to look like a normal human with wings so that people will mistaken me when we get encountered. I do not want to look like a monster/beast. Also, I would carry around a little wand or a cute teddy bear.

MYTH ENTRY #2

Argus Panoptes :((

This monster had hundred eyes all over his body ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). He was a guard in the greek mythologies. One of the tales claim that he went to kill a bull that was destroying Arcadia ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). There is not much tales about him regarding terroizing humans or causing much trouble. However, the significant and symbol story of this monster is the story of Io:

One day, Zeus was having an affair with a woman named Io. Hera, however, found out about this enraging act and got burned up. Zeus knowing that Hera discovered it, turn Io into a heifer for her safety("Argus in Greek Mythology"). Hera, who was quite jealous and full of bitterness towards Io, handed her over to Argus to keep guard ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). Zeus, who was not at all pleased and felt pity for his mistress, ordered his cunning servant Hermes to go and kill Argus ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). Hermes was dressed as a shepard and went to do his duty ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). There are different versions of the death of Argus by Hermes. But the most well-known story is that Hermes put the monster Argus to sleep with charms then quickly killed him ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). In the end, Hera lost the perfect, ideal guard. So to tay tribute and to commemorate her guard, she put all of Argus's eyes on the tail of a peacock, her favorite bird ("Argus in Greek Mythology"). Thus, Argus earned immortality ("Argus in Greek Mythology").

"Argus in Greek Mythology." Mythography. 2008. Loggia.com. 11 Mar 2008 http://www.loggia.com/myth/argus.html.

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MYTH ENTRY #1

APOLLO ;)


This god was the god of SUN, light, truth, prophecy, archery, medicine, healing, medicine, music (especially the lyre), poetry, and the arts ("Apollo"). Apollo was a cute, hot god with curly golden hair and was considered one of the most powerful ("Apollo"). His dad was Zeus and his mom was a nymph called Leto; however, when Hera found out about Zeus's affair, she was outraged and persuaded the earth to forbid Leto into labor ("Apollo"). Fortunately, Leto found a new island called Delos and gave birth to twins: Apollo and Artemis (Regula). Since he was a son of Zeus, he is born a god.

One of the most significant similiarity between Hercules and Apollo is their strength and looks. Hercules was immensely powerful with bulky muscles and so is Apollo (one of the reasons why Apollo is considered in the range of important gods). They both are good looking too. Hercules was so popular to girls in the movie and Apollo was always considered the male beauty of the gods ("Apollo"). They have fit bodies and have their own kind of attractive atmosphere.
Apollo's personality is more of an arrogant, proud, and romantic type.
Hercules is more gullible, smily, articulate, funny, and kind. Apollo has a extremely strong will and self-respect. If things did not go the way he wanted them to be, he always fought back ("Apollo"). He would just kill everyone he didn't approve of. For example, he did not like the Greek so he shot arrows of plague at them to suffer. He also flayed a satyr called Marsyas because Marsyas challanged him for music. So his stories and life was quite different from Hercules.
Hercules was a hero who saved people, not killed them (like Apollo), and worked hard. On the other hand, Apollo was a god who could do whatever he wanted; he barely worked.
Another major difference these two characters is the love life. Hercules had only one lover, Meg, and stayed with her till the end. However, Apollo was like a serial dater. He had no marriages but many women in his life. He was with these following women: Cassandra, Daphne, Calliope, Leucothea, Castalia, Hecuba, Coronis, and Acantha ("Apollo"). A LOT of women. Surprisingly he was a by too. Some of his male lovers were Hyacinth and Cyparrissus ("Apollo"). However, they are both similar in the fact that they have very strong affections when in love with someone.

Lastly, they lives are different in their actions. Hercules went around, killed monsters, and saved a town from danger. In the movie, he became the ultimate hero of the city, town, and country. However, as for Apollo, he never killed a monster to save humans. He mostly killed humans since he did not like many people.


1. "Apollo." Wikipedia. 8 March 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 10 Mar 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo.

2. deTraci, Regula. "Fast Facts on Apollo." About.com. 2008. The New York Times Company. 10 Mar 2008 . http://gogreece.about.com/cs/mythology/a/mythapollo.htm

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the ENTRY of MY CHOICE :))

For my very last entry, I have decided to respond to my overall feelings of this book, Fahrenheit 451.

To be honest, I actually like this book ;). Even though the genre is science fiction, which I don't read because it's boring, and that the setting is like weird, it was much better than I thought. Normally, I hate futuristic and technological topics (because they sound so hard and without any affection) but this book was pretty okay. In the beginning of the first few pages, I have to admit it was pretty flat and made me go to sleep. However, as the story progressed, it made me more and more curious. For example, when Beatty came over to Montag's house, it was pretty chaotic. And when Montag arrived at his own house to burn, that was such a tense excitement. I kept thinking, what's going to happen? Why? Who called the alarm? Will he burn it? The tenseness and excitement was quite high and I loved how I began to understand step by step. In the beginning, I barely knew what was going on and I felt so stuffed. However, it all began to unfold a bit by bit, which brought the fun of this book.
Despite the fun stimulation, I don't truly like the characters. They are all kind of weird, except Granger and Clarisse. Even they don't satisfy my thoughts. I wish there was someone attractive and strong that has a fine, elegant mood. Someone that is a little bit quiet, not like Clarisse because she's too weak. And not like Granger because he's too hoboish (Someone like Jude law :) Maybe it's just because of the setting of the future days that the characters are all weird and not like the ideal person nowadays.
Anyhow, I still like this book a lot :). It shows and teaches a lot of things. I hope to read it again sometime.

the PASSAGE

Montag placed his hand on the woman's elbow. "You can come with me."

"No," she said. "Thank you, anyway."

"I'm counting to ten," said Beatty. "One. Two."

"Please," said Montag.

"Go on," said the woman.

"Three. Four."

"Here." Montag pulled at the woman.

The woman replied quietly, "I want to stay here."
"Five. Six."
"You can stop counting," she said. She opened the fingers of one hand slightly and in the palm of the hand was a single slender object.
An ordinary kitchen match.
The sight of it rushed the men out and down away from the house. Captain Beatty, keeping his dignity, backed slowly throught the front door, his pink face burnt and shiny from a thousand fires and night excitements......
"Go on," said the woman, and Montag felt himself back away and away out the door, after Beatty, down the steps, across the lawn......
On the front porch where she had come to weigh them quietly with her eyes, her quietness a condemnation, the woman stood motionless. Beatty flicked his fingers to spark the kerosene.
He was too late. Montag gasped. The woman on the porch reached out with contempt to them all and struck the kitchen match against the railing.

pg 39,40

Everytime I read this passage and part, I always feel moved, compassion, and also awed. The woman just brings me these burst of emotions. Her passion just fascinates me. How could she feel so passionate about the books, her life, and the world? How could she be so confident, strong, sure, and CALM? Most people would scream, yell, cry, and go hesterical. However, there is something about this woman. Just, what made her into that? This passage is so meaningful to me because this woman is my hero. So unafraid, so brave, so strong. It was probably the books and novels that changed her life and aspects. She seemed she knew it was going to happen and she was so ready for it. I did not know how one's belief can make one be so mentally and spiritually burly, courageous, and changed. I can understand when Montag felt so bad, ripped, and stressed over this woman.

This woman reminds me of the believers in the old European times when they were martyred and burned at steak. They were confident and did not give up on their beliefs for death. They stood strong and stiff till the very end; I wish I could become like them.

the THEME

The theme of this book is,

Censorship is an idea and factor leads to laziness, apathy, a meaningless world, and destruction of books.

Ray Bradbury has made book burning or the banning of books represent the censorship occuring in books in the real world. He was definitely against the blackout and restriction because he thought the world would end up like the world in Fahrenheit 451.

There were three main reasons for the result of censorship. It was the indifference in reading books, the want of full happiness, and how some people hated books.

In this whole story, the society, world, and people do not even care about books. This was mostly due to the strong, new interest towards technology, entertainment, and speed. Everyone loved the 'parlor' and the Seashell radios. Montag's wife, Mildred, especially loveddd them; people were just totally addicted! Since those new things were so interesting and fun, nobody spent time reading and caring for them. Also, everthing was done so fast, especially the cars. In that high speed, nobody would take slow time reading, concentrating and thinking.

Secondly, the world wanted full happiness. For that bliss, the world would not want to ponder and dig through the complications of books. It was just too stressful, worrying, and overwhelming to think about it. So to get rid of that, the government banned books, or in the real world, censored them.

Thirdly, before the banning of books, it was told once in the novel that some people were offended by books. They did not like the opinions and thoughts of novels.

In the book, these seemed like the factors that led to book banning. Similarly with the same reasons in the real world, Bradbury has seen that people were changing and did not want to think. So they started to censor, censor, and censor the precious books. This censoring hides, tears out, and totally takes parts out of the book. Therefore, this action will eventually lead to the loss of truth and meaning of books. Burning books represents this censoring because censoring is similar to destroying and getting rid of books.

So, like what happened in the story censoring will make the world lazy, apathy, meaningless, and unhappy. Everyone was just stuck onto the technology and thought that they were happy, but actually, in truth, none of them were.

This theme is important to teenagers in the present world. Nowadays, teens do not want to think deep but to just read quickly. Everyone wants to be happy and not spend time reading the long books. They just want to read condensed and censored books; it's so much easier! And teens especially, are getting more and more addicted to technology, not novels. So this theme is especially significant to teens because they (we) are gradually getting more and more like the people and society in Fahrenheit 451, that should be avoided.

the CLIMAX

The climax of this story is when Montag burns and kills Beatty, his boss. It was around when the firemen had to go a house to burn the books when Montag realized that it was his own house. Mildred had betrayed him and called the alarm; Montag had no choice but to burn everything. After Beatty places Montag under arrest, he gets hold of the radio Faber had given Montag and tells him that he will trace it and find whoever it is. At last, Beatty gives another small talk and a quote, but then... Montag fires from his flamethrower he held in his hands and burns Beatty to DEATH. Easily, he knocks down the other firemen and runs away with a shot of anesthetic in his leg from a Hound.

This part is so totally the climax because it is the massive turning point. Who would have imagined Montag murdering his captain?? Just running away could have been a possible thought for readers, but killing? I guess he had to make the most significant decision to either hand himself over or kill or try to escape. It was exceedingly tense to read this part. I read it over and over again to make sure if it was true. The description was just, gross.