Top Five Quotes From This Semester's Readings

Five quotes from this semester I can't stop thinking about...

1. The Seagull 

"I'm in mourning for my life"

In the play, this quote is said by Masha in response to why she is always wearing black. However, it can be applied to so much more in the play and in life. The characters are obsessed with wanting more, more, more. So much so that they fail to see any of the good in their lives. This attitude towards life extends past the characters of the play into society. People all the time ignore what they already have and instead focus their lives on all that they have not achieved. 

2. Antigone - 

"My nails are broken, my fingers are bleeding, my arms are covered with the welts left by the paws of your guards-but I am a queen!"

After reading Antigone I was in awe of the extreme bravery that Antigone carried. I could not see myself making the same sacrifices that she did in order to bring justice to her brother. The idea of what she might lose never deterred her. Antigone believed in herself and that was enough to carry her throughout her tragic journey of justice. 

3. Five Years Next Sunday -

"My hair is a small god"

This line from the short story stuck out to me. It perfectly sums up the immense pressure that Pili was under all due to her hair. All of her relationships in the story revolved around her hair. Her family was scared of her until her hair started making them money. Seth fetishsized her hair and Honey seethed with jealousy over it. No one cared about Pili. Her hair was much bigger than any person could ever be. 

4. Romeo and Juliet -

"Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. Then your love would also change"

This quote teaches the importance of not pinning all of yourself onto one person. The opposite of what occurred between Romeo and Juliet. They became each other's entire worlds and chose death instead of living without them. This is not a healthy way to act in relationships. Love does not always last forever, so it is important to get to know yourself and recognize your worth. Therefore, when a relationship ends you are able to move on and grow from in and not end with it. 

5. Four Poems from Greece -

"I don't know how they do it those who grieve the loss of ones they truly loved but nearly always they find a way to bear it even when it seems impossible or they couldn't survive"

I really enjoyed Phoebe Giannisi's exploration of grief through her work. This quote stuck out to me most due to the truth that it holds. Losing someone is hard, but the time period after which you must learn how to live again without them is even harder.