Run Lola Run

Ok so Run Lola Run....interesting film. I guess we kind of see the fairy tale element since we essentially watch the same story take place three different times. I kind of wish my reality was like that- don't like the outcome just say stop and start all over again. The weird thing is every time she starts all over again so does everyone she meets, basically her reality/redo's in life also change everyone around her and their lives. Apparently only Lola has the power to do that. As far as myth blending with reality—well we don't get three redos in life just because we don't like the outcome (although that would be sweet). And as a random note on her third try she goes to the casino and play roulette, the only game in a casino where the odds are never EVER in your favor. (I'm pretty sure roulette has the worse winning odds—she should have played blackjack—the odds are in the players favor in that one) And she winds, twice, on the same number—I mean what are the chances of that? I can clearly see why the film is called a 90 minute techo video though. I can't say I'd ever watch it again though—maybe if I got more of the background story I would.

The Ogre Part 4

Ephraim was the son of Joseph (as in Joseph and the coat of many colors son of Jacob). I've included a whole bunch of references from the Bible about Ephraim.

“The second son of Joseph (Gen. 41: 52; Gen. 46: 20); but at the blessing by Jacob, Ephraim was set before Manasseh, the elder son (Gen. 48: 19-20). Joshua belonged to this tribe, and to him was due much of its subsequent greatness. After the settlement in Canaan, the district assigned to the two sons of Joseph included some of the richest land in the country, crossed by several important highways, and having within its limits historic sites like Shechem, Ebal, Gerizim, and Shiloh. Ephraim was notorious for its jealousy of any success gained by any other tribe (Judg. 8: 1; Judg. 12: 1; cf. 2 Sam. 19: 41-43). It was Ephraim’s jealousy of Judah that in great measure brought about the separation of the two kingdoms, and that Rehoboam in vain tried to satisfy by going to Shechem to be crowned.
Ephraim was given the birthright in Israel (1 Chr. 5: 1-2; Jer. 31: 9), and in the last days it has been the tribe of Ephraim’s privilege first to bear the message of the restoration of the gospel to the world and to gather scattered Israel (Deut. 33: 13-17; D&C 133: 26-34; D&C 64: 36). The time will come when, through the operation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the envy of Judah and Ephraim shall cease (Isa. 11: 12-13).(http://scriptures.lds.org/bd/e/61)”


Ephraim, Tribe of
Descended from Joseph's second son adopted by Jacob.
Genesis 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
Genesis 48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Predictions respecting.
Genesis 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Deuteronomy 33:13-17 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. ...
PERSONS SELECTED FROM,
To number the people.
Numbers 1:10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
To spy out the land.
Numbers 13:8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
To divide the land.
Numbers 34:24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
Strength of, on leaving Egypt.
Numbers 1:32-33 Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
Led the third division of Israel.
Numbers 10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Encamped west of the tabernacle.
Numbers 2:18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Offering of, at the dedication.
Numbers 7:48-53 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered: His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: One kid of the goats for a sin offering: ...
Families of.
Numbers 26:35-36 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
Strength of, on entering Canaan.
Numbers 26:37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
On Gerizim, said amen to blessings.
Deuteronomy 27:12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:
Bounds of its inheritance.
Joshua 16:5-9 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. ...
Could not drive out the Canaanites but made them tributary.
Joshua 16:10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.
Judges 1:29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
ASSISTED
Manasseh in taking Bethel.
Judges 1:22-25 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
Deborah and Barak against Sisera.
Judges 5:14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
Gideon against Midian.
Judges 7:24-25 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
Remonstrated with Gideon for not calling them sooner against Midian.
Judges 8:1-3 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
Quarrelled with Jephthah for not seeking their aid against Ammon.
Judges 12:1-4 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
Defeated and many slain.
Judges 12:5-6 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
Some of, at coronation of David.
1 Chronicles 12:30 And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.
Officers appointed over, by David.
1 Chronicles 27:10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
1 Chronicles 27:20 Of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah:
The leading tribe of the kingdom of Israel.
Isaiah 7:2-17 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: ...
Jeremiah 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
Many of, joined Judah under Asa.
2 Chronicles 15:9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
Many of, joined in Hezekiah's passover and reformation.
2 Chronicles 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
2 Chronicles 31:1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
The tabernacle continued a long time in Shiloh, a city of.
Joshua 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
Joshua 19:51 These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country.
One of Jeroboam's calves set up in Bethel, a city of.
1 Kings 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
Remarkable persons of.
Joshua,
Numbers 13:8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

Abdon,
Judges 12:13-15 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

Zichri,
2 Chronicles 28:7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

The Ogre II

So there is this whole theme of “photography” and capturing souls by photographs. I find that rather interesting and somewhat mythical. I can't remember where it came from...but I know there is an old myth that photographs would capture the souls of people (a little weird...but still kind of mythical). Maybe that's why he wants to take so many pictures of the little kids in Paris—since he can't actually eat them.

I was also struck by his little tangent about little girls and how they don't really exist. I find that extremely interesting, especially since he doesn't make the same distinction between little boys and men. That whole speech just struck me as odd.

The other part that struck me as odd is they way he gives this “half truth” to the start of World War Ii (kind of like the half truth he gave the origin of the word monster.) Yes, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, but the Austro-Hungarian Empire waited a month to retaliate. He forgets to mention Germany's violation of Belgium neutrality as a cause of World War II. (Or even France and Britain and their push for a war sooner rather than later.)

The Ogre

I kind of like the novel starts as a diary, it gives it a “personal feel” I think. I'm a fan of first person narratives, especially when it comes to historical accounts like Nazi Germany (who wants to read a test book with a whole bunch of dates after all). It makes the story much more believable to me. Not that I can actually relate to it, but it does give the reader this sense of “being a start of the story” because we are reading it in the eyes of the author. The author is the writer and we are the diary, so we live the story as it is written.The fact that he calls these writings sinister is kind of cool too, it gives you the sense of “evil” or “bad” that is going to come out of it. His writings may not be “sinister”, but the word certainly reflects the time period. (I mean really, how much more evil to you get than Nazi Germany)

100 Anos de Solidad V

Ok so after the massacres we get five years of rain. The rain is another way Márquez plays with time. The great rain/flood kind of reminds me of the Biblical flooding of the world with Noah. In the Bible this flood was ordered by God to kill all the wicked and restart life anew—or simply put forgetting the old people and moving on (sound like the massacres yet?) Not only does the rain serve as a symbol of forgetting the past, but it also serves to wash away all traces of the past. God flood the world and man had to start again with nothing, no traces or signs of the old world, much like Macondo is going to have to essentially start over (that is if they weren't all sinners, yep, they're all screwed and are going to drown in the flood.)

The other cool thing in the book is the manipulation of time. The decoding of Melquíades' book collapses the entire history of Macondo into a single instant (or at least so it seems) Although the novel pretty much appears to be written in chronological order, there are hints of playing with this notion of time. Ghosts appear, people disappear and reappear, and deaths and destruction seem to be foreshadowed almost always. The past in this book dictates the future, and often it seems that the past occurs in the future (take the whole pigs tail thing). This whole notion of time seems to be altered with the entire towns almost instant amnesia after every single event. The idea of time is both linear and cyclical in this novel and therefore very fluid. It can unravel in a single instant, like Melquíades depicted, the family is physically moving forward while at the same time spiraling in circles.

100 Anos de Solidad 3

Ok so I know the blog says two things but I have a ton of stuff to say about the Banana Massacres and the time in which Garcia Márquez was writing. I think that with this piece in particular we should lo the situation of Garcia Márquez in two parts. First the environment of its childhood and the times in which wrote and second, the life that lived and as grew. Six months later its birth there was a crisis that to it we have given the name the Banana Massacres in the town of Ciénaga near Santa Marta The workers in the plantations were on strike and the government, after a month sent military forces to end the strike. The ending of the strike in real life was horrific and gruesome. It was essentially a government ordered mass murder. Now the question becomes why does such a horrific event become so easily forgotten. Well I'm sure there are several reasons, but I would argue that it was the nature of the time in Latin America. Essentially, if the government could order such mass murders then imagine what it could do to the people if they rebelled or spoke out against them. It was a way of keeping everyone in line and masking their horrific acts by putting everyone else in fear of the consequences of speaking out or rebelling.

Another important time for Márquez are the years when wrote. It wrote above all in the 1960s and 1970s, during the time of the "Latin-American boom" the events that occurred had a great impact in the literature of the "boom" and at the same time to Garcia Márquez. We have to take into account that the 60s were times of revolution and political oppression. Consider the Cuban Revolution and its leader Fidel Castro, which affected all of Latin America. The world, in the first place the United States andU.S.S.R. are in the Cold War and the world was in a state of confusion and terror. Latin America in these years had many authoritarian governments. Therefore Latin America was more or less completely ruled by dictators. The best-known were in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. In the case of Chile, Latin America remained more or less angry with the United States because the U.S. they helped Pinochet. Pinochet is known for its violations of the human rights, like the torture. It is certain that the United States did not want to have Chile under a communist government, like that of Allende, but with all its efforts to eliminate Allende, Chile became a country under a dictator. Also there is the fall of another dictator, the General Perón and the liberation of Argentina.

The book is a combination of these two scenes. It speaks of both the massacres themselves and the political situation Garcia Márquez experienced his whole life. People really did fear the government and their power. They could kill thousands without any repercussions and would kill thousands more to silence any rebellion. (Take the Dirty War in Argentina as another example of this). It makes sense that the horror of the Banana Massacres was instantly “forgotten.”

100 Anos de Solidad 2

Ok so these aren't two separate themes but religion seems to play a large role in this novel, but in different ways. We see religion (or aspects of it) in many areas of the novel. We have the priest, Father Nicanor (who of course represents the church and the Catholic faith). We of course see Catholic traditions, like the entire house going into mourning when Remedios dies and the wedding is postponed. Interestingly enough the “belief” in religion inspires a “non-religious” act. Because of the wedding being postponed and the return José Arcadio, Rebecca begins this infatuation with her “brother” which results in them both being exiled from the family. It is as though religion first brings the family together to mourn and then turns around to tear them apart.

Then of course we have a war going on (contrary to all religious beliefs..violence is not the answer guys—God said so). The cool thing about this war is it basically happened—the Banana Massacres. This war took place right around the time Gabriel was born (which means he has no real recollection of it). Although his grandfather was much involved, the idea of him bringing up a past war and putting it into present context is just a great example of his mastery of playing with time. He has taken the past and made it present and one would no know that it was a distant memory/story.