Discussion on weeks-12-14-research-and-journal

[MG]

Mariz Girgis
Weeks 12-14 Research
Professor O'Connell
English 101
29 April 2010


Tamora's revenge on Titus reminds me of the Israeli's government
revenge on the founder of Hamas Mahmoud Mabhouh. For example, Titus
felt this religious duty to sacrifice Tamora’s eldest son Alarbus so
he can avenge his sons who died in the war. As a mother of course,
Tamora begged Titus not to kill her son, but Titus refused. Doing
that, Tamora took her son's revenge by killed the son of the late
emperor of Rome Bassianus and made both her sons rape Titus's daughter
Lavinia. She also framed both Titus's son in the killing of Bassianus.
This occurrence in the story is very similar to the avenging of
Israelis in 1972 when a Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli
athletes and coaches at the Munich Olympics in a barbaric and brutal
way. The Israeli government is known for getting back at their enemies
and so as revenge they killed Mabhouh. So in this story, Titus reminds
me of Mabhouh and the Israeli government reminds me of Tamora.

Works Cited

Articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, Winter 2009. Web. 18 Mar.
2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/21/opinion/la-oe-miller-
web21-2010feb21>.

[MG]

[Diana K]

I chose Titus and Tamora to represent a metaphor for some of today’s
events.
Titus represents the United States. Titus was fighting Rome’s
enemies; wars through which he gained respect and honor for his
country. Yet, at some point Titus got tired and couldn’t continue.
He felt that he is incapable of leading his country further. He is
just like the United States which considered for the last 50 years as
one of the world’s most powerful and progressive country. The United
States was so influential that it took part in many of the world’s
conflicts. Eventually, today the United States probably got exhausted
just like Titus. After many years of economic and political
prosperity, the country hit and escalation point. There are no more
heroic triumphs, and even the politicians are not as good and
effective as the ones who were before them.
Temora represent the enemies of the United States. She is the queen
of Goths. Temora holds a pro-war approach with brutality and
barbarism. Her ruthlessness reminds me the terrorists who kill
innocent people in revenge for political views. Temora is a great
metaphor for the genocide in the world today.

[Ryota F]

Ryota Fujii

English 101

Professor Ed O’Connell

Weeks 12-14 research & journal



The current conflict I have chosen as the topic for Essay 3 is
Political Islam, especially Iran.

By reading Worse than War, I believe that the correct course of
action, especially dealing with Political Islam is to implement the
anti-mass murder and elimination monetary prevention program that
Goldhagen (2009) outlines in his book. He states that “in working to
prevent the much more massive eliminationist assaults,” the program
must cover “a much wider range of people and not only seeking their
arrest but also authorizing their killing” (p. 579). He also states
that the program must “automatically apply to those perpetrating wars
against humanity so all those considering mass murder and elimination
know they will become target” (p. 578).

Titus from Titus Andronicus is miserable after his sons have been
sentenced to death, Lucius has been banished for trying to help his
brothers escape, and Lavinia has been raped, but he cannot just sit
down and cry. It would be great if he could forgive and forget, but he
must fight until the end especially if he is dealing with a character
like Aaron who says, “…nothing grieves me heartily indeed/But that I
cannot do ten thousand more” (p. 89).

Goldhagen is right. The Political Islamists are extremely dangerous
and want to destroy the West. Like Titus, the United States and its
allies in Europe must be ready to use force when practical. Seeking
revenge does not make us, but it is necessary when dealing with
enemies whose goal is to destroy us.

The incorrect course of action is to continue with the status quo and
not to implement the program proposed by Goldhagen. Fernholz (2010)
states that during his campaign Obama “pledged to discard discredited
notions about the causes of terrorism such as the belief that it was
primarily and ideological struggle based on religion and hate” (p.
21). “His administration would use so-called smart-power ideas about
development and engagement to reduce threats while deploying military
force responsibly and as a last resort. Development would alleviate
the poverty and despair that led people to violence; engagement would
remove the state support of extremist groups and build productive
alliances” (p. 21).

This approach is like that of Lavinia in Titus Andronicus. She tries
to reason with her enemies who are trying to rape her saying, “O, let
me teach thee for my father’s sake,/That gave thee life when well he
might have slain thee,/Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears” (p. 37).
She also begs, “O, keep me from their worse than killing lust,/ And
tumble me in to some loathsome pit,/Where never man’s eye may behold
my body,/ Do this, and be a charitable murderer” (p. 38). Despite her
desperate plea, she is raped and mutilated.







References



Fernholz, T. (2010, March). The ultimate test case. The American
Prospect, 21(2), 21-25.

Goldhagen, D. J. (2009). Worse than war: Genocide, eliminationism, and
the ongoing assault on

humanity. New York: Public Affairs.

Shakespeare, W. (2000). Titus Andronicus. New York: Penguin.

[Rosemarie J]

Research & Journal
Weeks 12, 13 & 14
Rosemarie Johnson
Professor Ed O’Connell / English 101, Class #3226
May 14, 2010


“Vengeance is in my heart, death is in my hands.
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.”
(Titus Andronicus, Act III.3, lines 38-39)

Although Aaron is a psychopath, whose evil is too unfocused to apply
to a leader in an ongoing conflict, his words are applicable to both
Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in a conflict which has escalated to
the point of each side accusing the other of committing genocide. The
conflict is one of disproportionate revenge that parallels the theme
of Titus Andronicus, and threatens to destroy both countries as
revenge destroyed the Andronici and Saturninus and his faction.

When a Turkish member of parliament told reporters in Washington, “…
no one can equate our fathers’ with Nazis,” he revealed the true
nature of Turkey’s fear of the barbarous accusation of genocide.
(Reuters, 2004). Turkey’s disavowal of responsibility is belied by
its funding of Azerbaijan, and presages the intent of Tamora’s words.

“I’ll find a way to massacre them all,
And race their faction and family.”
(Titus Andronicus, Act I.1, lines 433-434)


Meanwhile, the Saturnine Obama has left Armenia with no choice but to
wage war or seek international arbitration. Whatever Obama’s private
intentions, Armenia should remember the words of Quintus.

“My heart suspects more than my eye can see.”
(Titus Andronicus, Act II.3, line 23)


If hostilities cannot be avoided, the better course of action would
be to follow the advice of Marcus and hesitate before all-out war.

“That we will prosecute by good advice,
Mortal revenge upon the traitorous Goths.
And see their blood or die with his reproach.”
(Titus Andronicus, Act IV.1, lines 92-94)


References

Reuters, Bases, D., Colvin, R., Elci, Z., Quinn, A. (2004, March 3).
Muzi.com
Turkey pulls envoy after U.S. vote on “genocide” label
Retrieved April 9, 2010 from http://www.muzi.com/news/ll/english/10099208.shtml

Shakespeare, W. (2000) Titus Andronicus
In R. McDonald (Ed.)
United States: Penguin Group

[William W]

William Wang
English 101 Section 0143
Professor O’Connell
05.14.2010 weeks 12-14 research & journal

The Darfur Conflict in Sudan is the current conflict of interest to me
and my typing fingers. Titus Andronicus reminds me of General Dominic
Dim Deng, who is a national war hero to his people. Saturninus
reminds me of General Omar al-Bashir, who overthrew the Sudanese
goverment. Titus’ followers remind me of the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army/Movement. Rome’s religious duty to sacrifice others
reminds me of the Sudan government and their Janjaweed militia that is
guilty of genocide. The Goths remind me of the United States, who
like to get into everyone’s business.

References

Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. “Worse than War: Genocide, Eliminationism,
and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity.” New York: PublicAffairs, 2009

Shakespeare, William. “Titus Andronicus.” United States: Penguin
Classics, 2000

> Retrieved April 9, 2010 fromhttp://www.muzi.com/news/ll/english/10099208.shtml

[Meagan Judkins]

Meagan Judkins

Journal weeks 12-14

Professor O’Connell

May 14^th, 2010

 

The removal of Lavinia’s hands and tongue to ensure the silence against her attackers (Tamora's sons Chiron and Demetrius) correlates to the use of mutilation and amputation as an act of control, as seen in Sierra Leone.  Lavinia suggested the story of Philomela, in which a mute victim “wrote” the name of her attackers, to her Father Titus and her uncle Marcus.  Marcus then gives Lavinia a stick so that she may write out the name of her attackers.  In Sierra Leone people’s hands were amputated by rebels who (although all of the amputations could not be confirmed for this reason) told their victims “they were cutting off their hands as punishment for using their hands in the 1996 vote”.  Although not directly same, this correlation shows the use of violence to silence a person, because although Lavinia’s amputation was used to silence her after the fact and amputations in Africa were as punishment for making their voice heard, both are acts of violence to instill fear and silence. 

 

References:

Shakespeare, William. “Titus Andronicus.” (Pelican Shakespeare Series)

Retrieved May 12th, 2010: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sierraleone/1394199/Sierra-Leone-war-amputees-learn-to-vote-with-their-feet.html

--
Meagan Judkins

[Rosemarie J]

Ryota:

The use of bounties has only had limited success in dealing with
terrorists, and extra-judicial killings are both impractical and
foolhardy.

What if someone targeted the President of the US because he is still
supporting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Goldhagen’s position
supports Israel’s Mossad, a highly trained organization of
professional assassins, who may well trigger a war in the Middle
East.

I also disagree with your contention that poverty and despair lead
people to violence or that there is any evidence of state support for
extremist groups.