Snow in Midsummer 447-448 [12-12-2011]

Participation Grade = 100

I gave myself a 100 because I think that I tried really hard during acting training and I gave a bunch of feedback. I also volunteered for Meisner but you didn't pick me.

Today I read pages 447-448 of Snow in Midsummer. Mrs. Cai had just came home and she told Dou E that she was being forced to marry Old Zhang. She didn't however tell Dou E that she was being forced to marry Donkey, she said "Since it has come to this, I think you'd better take a husband too." But Dou E didn't take to the idea well. She told Mrs. Cai that should could take a husband if she must but she wont. When the men arrive Dou E didn't welcome them and made it clear she didn't want to marry donkey.

Snow in Midsummer 445-447 [12-9-2011]

Today I read pages 445-447 of Snow in Midsummer. Mrs. Cai re-introduces herself as 13 years older. She changed Dou's daughter Duanyun's name after Mrs. Cai's son and Duanyun got married. She was now Dou E. Three years ago however, Mrs. Cai's son died leaving Dou E a widow.

Mrs. Cai went to see Dr. Lu to collect money. He didn't have the money so he lured her out to the village and tried to strangle her when Old Zhang and his son Donkey saved her and then threatened to strangle her themselves if she and her daughter-in-law didn't marry them.

Dou E then introduced herself. She had a pretty sad life filled with death and loss starting at just the early age of three years old. "A three I lost my mother, at seven was torn from my father; then the life of the husband I married was cut short; so my mother-in-law and I are left as widows, with no one to care for us or see to our needs."

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Snow in Midsummer 443-445 [12-8-2011]

Today I read pages 443-445 of Snow in Midsummer. This play starts with Mrs. Cai as the narrator. She is a widow with a eight year old son. Today is the day that Mr. Dou, the man that Mrs. Cai leant five taels of silver to last year, brings his daughter to Mrs. Cai so he wont have to pay her back. Mrs. Cai wants to make his daughter her daughter-in-law.

Dou then enters and now he is the plays narrator. Dou is the master of all learning in the world. His wife died and all he has left is his only daughter, Duanyun. Much like Mrs. Cai. Dou is selling his daughter to Mrs. Cai to get rid of his debt and get some cash for his journey. At first I thought he didn't really care about his child but then he said, " Ah, child, your father does this against his will.!" Mrs. Cai bought Dou's daughter for two extra taels then what his debt had been.

Doctor enters stage and is now playing the narrator. Dr. Lu was his name and he wasn't a very good doctor. I cannot bring dead men back to life, and the live ones I treat often die." He borrowed 10 taels of silver from Mrs. Cai and with interest now owes her 20. She keeps coming to collect the money but Dr. Lu doesn't have it.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 533-534 [12-7-2011]

Today I read pages 533-534 of Everyman. Everyman finally sees who his true friends are. The two who have yet to leave him and continue to say they never will, Good Deeds and Knowledge. I finished reading Everyman today.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 531-533 [12-6-2011]

Today I read pages 531-533 of Everyman. Everyman's new friends assure him that they will always stand by him. " Everyman, we will not from you go till ye have done this voyage long." "I, Discretion, will bide by you also." "And though this pilgrimage be never so strong, I will never part you fro. " But then Everyman said something about not living anymore, "In this world live no more we shall, but in heaven before the highest lord of all." All of his new friends took back what they said and left Everyman. Strength even said, "Thou art but a fool to complain; you spend your speech and waste your brain." As they left Everyman said, "For when Death bloweth his blast they all run fro me full fast.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 529-531 [12-5-2011]

Today I read pages 529-531 of Everyman. Everyman calls for Discretion, Strength, his five-wits, and Beauty. The play is suddenly so different from the beginning when no one wanted to help everyman. Now everyman has a group of friends who are actually willing to go on this journey with him.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 526-529 [11/29/2011]

Today I read pages 526-529 of Everyman. Knowledge leads Everyman to the House of Salvation to find Confession. Everyman Kneels down and asks Confession for mercy and to heal Good Deeds. Confession told Everyman that he will be saved and Good Deeds also got better and was able to walk.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 524-526 [11/28/2011]

Today I read pages 524-526 of Everyman. Everyman begins by saying "Then of myself I was ashamed, and so I am worthy to be blamed: Thus may I well myself hate." He then turns to his good deeds for help. Good Deeds wanted to help Everyman and said that she would come along on the journey if only she were able. Good Deeds said, "Here I lie, cold in the ground: Thy sins hath me sore bound." Even though Good Deeds can't go she introduces Everyman to her sister, Knowledge, who is willing to go with Everyman on his journey.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 522-524 [11/25/2011]

Today I read pages 522-524 of Everyman. The play has started to take form and I'm beginning to understand everything. In what I read today, Everyman notices that the people who say they love and care for him and promise to help him with whatever he needs keep breaking their promises and aren't really there for him. "For fair promises men to me make, but when I have most need they me forsake." "Lo, fair words maketh fools fain: They promise and nothing will do, certain. My kinsmen promised me faithfully for to abide with me steadfastly, and now fast away do they flee. Even so fellowship promised me. What friend were best me of to provide?" Like God said earlier on, mankind has become extremely selfish. His friends are only willing to help him if what he's doing wont harm them or take anything away from them in any way.

Still, Everyman continues to look for help. He thinks of his goods and riches and thinks that they can possibly make him hopeful like they always had, so he calls upon them. The goods answer makes it sound like Everyman has more goods then necessary, more stuff then he was even aware of, and stuff that was never touched more then once and then thrown into a closet. "I lie here in corners, trussed and piled so high, And in chests I am locked so fast- Also sacked in bags-thou mayst see with thine eye I cannot stir, in packs low where I lie." Everyman then asks his goods to go on the journey with him but the good absolutely refuse.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 520-522 [11/24/2011]

Today I read pages 520-522 of Everyman. Everyman told Fellowship about his visit from Death and Fellowship said that if Death was the messenger there was no way in hell he was going with him! Everyman continued pushing Fellowship to come with him. Still Fellowship refused and Everyman said "Wither away, Fellowship? Will thou forsake me?" as Fellowship answered, "Yea, by my fay! To God I betake thee." After Fellowship exits, Everyman plans on asking his kinsmen and Cousin to help him. As Kindred and Cousin enter, Everyman tells them about the same journey he had explained to fellowship. However both Kindred and Cousin refused, saying, "Nay, Everyman, I had liefer fast bread and water all this five year and more!" "As for me, ye shall go alone."

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 518-520 [11/23/2011]

Today I read pages 518-520 of Everyman. Death exits leaving Everyman panicking about the journey and wishing he had never been born. Fellowship enters and shows concern for Everyman as he says, "Sir, why lookest thou so piteously? If anything be amiss, I pray thee me say, that I may help to remedy." At first Everyman was hesitant to tell Fellowship what was wrong, "If I my heart should to you break, and then you to turn your mind fro me, and would not me comfort when ye hear me speak, then should I ten times sorrier be." However, after Fellowship assures Everyman that he's willing to help with whatever it is that Everyman has to do, Everyman tell Fellowship about the journey. I finished reading when Fellowship was saying that he cares for Everyman, but such a long, hard, scary journey isn't something Fellowship is willing to do for Everyman.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 516-518 [11/22/2011]

Today I read pages 516-518 of Everyman. After God exits, Death is still going on about what he is going to do to mankind. "He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart, his sight to blind and from heaven to depart. Except that Almsdeeds be his good friend - In hell for to dwell, world without end." Everyman enters and after some conversation, Everyman asks "What messenger art thou?" Death introduces himself and then announces why he is there. "For everyman I 'rest, and no man spareth; for it is Gods commandment that all to me should be obedient." Everyman tries to bribe death, offering him a thousand pound to have mercy on him. Death responds by saying, "I would receive gifts great, all the world I might get. But my custom is clean contrary: I give thee no respite." This shows how devoted Death is to god. During this time no man would choose God over a thousand pounds, they were all to selfish and greedy. But death couldn't be given all the gifts in the world to turn his back on God. After more begging and Death denying Everyman mercy, Death exits after saying, "For thou mayst say this is the day that no man living may 'scape away." Meaning, no matter what they do, mankind will be punished for their sins.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]

Everyman 514-516 [11/21/2011]

Today I read pages 514-516 of Everyman. The play starts with on character on the stage. This character is The Messenger. The Messenger begins by explaining what Everyman is about. "You think sin in the beginning full sweet, Which in the end causeth the soul to weep,-" The Messenger continues with, "Here shall you see how fellowship and jollity, both strength, pleasure, and beauty, will fade from thee as flower in May." I feel like The Messenger made the story sound very interesting and makes the reader want to continue reading. The Messenger exits as God enters. God talks a lot about how he is really upset that after everything he did for mankind, mankind is being selfish and greedy. God said, "Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God." "My law that I showed when I for them died they forget clean, and shedding of my blood red." "To get them life I suffered to be dead." "Everyman liveth so after his own pleasure, and yet of their life they be nothing sure. I see the more that I them forbear, the worse they be from year to year." As god finishes the end of his long monologue, he begins to talk about showing mankind a lesson. God says, "I must do justice on every man living without fear. Where art thou, Death, though mighty messenger?" I finished off reading at the point where Death had just told god that he will go and teach mankind a lesson in God's name.

[No participation grade this is a make up blog]