Reading Diary A: Dante's Inferno

Dante’s Inferno

Dante's Inferno

Limbo

As Dante and Virgil go through the First Circle, Limbo, Virgil is guiding Dante quite well through this first part of hell. In this first circle, there are many people who are trapped here due to the fact that they we not baptized and because they lived before Christianity. I could feel the sadness from the people that were in Limbo just because they came to the world at the wrong time.

Poets and Philosophers

There are many famous spirits that dwell among the others in Limbo. Famous people such as Homer, Caesar, Socrates, and Plato were there. These great poets, heroes, and philosophers were stuck in Limbo as Dante and Virgil continue on deeper into hell.

The Second Circle

Paolo and Francesca

In the Second Circle of hell, my understanding of this place is that this is the place where people who have physically sinned come to. The story about Paolo and Francesca really caught the attention of Dante. I wonder what made him so interested in the two lovers. What was more interesting was how Dante blacked out after feeling pity and from talking with Francesca.

The Fallen Angels

Dante and Virgil get deeper and deeper into hell and approach the City of Dis. Here at the walls they encountered Fallen Angels who guard the entrance. They allowed Dante to enter in but they refused Virgil’s entry. However, Virgil’s denial was short lived since he made some sort of deal with the Fallen Angels. It makes me wonder what kind of deal he made with them and how it will affect their journey. As far as the two have gone, Virgil is still guiding Dante very well through hell.

Reading Diary A: Through the Looking-Glass

Through the Looking-Glass

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

Looking-Glass House:

This portion of the “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” starts off where Alice is beginning to investigate the mirror. When Alice begins to go through the mirror, I feel like she might be on some sort of medication. Being able to see chess pieces move by themselves and being self-aware would be a scary thing for me to witness. I don’t know how Alice didn’t freak out after seeing them unless it was all in her head.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee from Telltale Games: The Wolf Among Us

Tweedledum and Tweedledee:

Alice approaches two fat men who are standing very still. Once again, I don’t know why Alice would consider going up and looking at the two. After a weird introduction and greeting by the twins, they begin dancing around about four times. This part is funny because Tweedledum and Tweedledee are fat and cannot dance any more. The twins are still a bit confusing and don’t even bother answering Alice’s question and instead they decide to tell her a poem.

The Walrus and the Carpenter:

The Walrus and the Carpenter is the longest poem that the twins decide to tell Alice. The two characters are walking across a seashore and ask an odd question about how long it would take maids to clear the beach. Then the Walrus asks some oysters to come and walk with them. After a decent walk, all the oysters are out of breath. The young oysters fell for the Walrus and the Carpenter’s trick and were all eaten by the two. It was weird how the oysters had feet and followed them to be eaten. The old oyster was wise enough to not follow the two and stay in the oyster-bed. In the end of the poem, the Walrus is sad that they tricked the oysters but reveals that he ate most of them.

Extra Reading Diary: Celtic Fairy Tale

Celtic Fairy Tales

Connla and the Fairy Maiden

Connla and the Fairy Maiden

This story had an interesting love aspect to it. A Fairy Maiden who wants Connla to become her lover made me wonder why she chose him. It does not really explain much aside from her wanting him. The Fairy Maiden just seems to come out of nowhere and persuades Connla to come be with her in the Plains of the Ever Living. She also says that he will be crowned as royalty and will never age or die. This place of never dying seems a little too good for me, but I guess she was really serious about it since she came back again to get Connla. The situation that Connla was in is quite problematic because he had to choose between staying with his family and people or go with the Fairy Maiden and live forever. I honestly would not know what to do because having a life of my own with a beautiful Fairy Maiden and live forever or to stay and live a normal life and grow old with my future wife are both very hard decisions to make.

Two Horned Woman

The Horned Women

This story basically retaught me to never let strangers in the house. The horned women who were witches just barged in as soon as the lady opened the door. I felt that the story could have been more interesting if the witches had a purpose to go to this specific house to spin wool. Instead these witches just seemed like pests that came in to take space and order the lady to make some cake. The way that the lady repelled the witches was quite interesting in particular since she used the water that she washed her children’s feet as a barrier to keep them out from entering in. Then the cake that the witches made was placed in the mouths of the sleeping children could not help the witches come into the house since it was broken into pieces. This story was interesting but it just needed some sort of purpose. Unless the purpose of the story was to repel witches or something like that.