#JamesJoyce#ShortStory
Good evening everyone!
Today I would like to post an essay about James Joyce's story "Eveline".

Eveline

I would like to start my analysis of this short story with some facts about its author.

James Joyce is the Irish author born in Dublin in 1882. He is famous all around the world for his magnificent novel “Ulysses” and for inventing such style of narration known as “stream of consciences”.

The short story, which I would like to discuss is included in James Joyce’s collection named “Dubliners”.

So, as I have already described some information about the author, I would like to discuss the story itself.

Let’s start with summary. This is a story of a nineteen year old girl, who lives in Dublin an has a very hard life. Her old father is some kind of a despot, which threatens her all the time, drinks and keeps her wages. She also has other siblings she must take care of. Eveline is some kind of a housekeeper as she watches over the house and her family. She promised her mother to look after her siblings, but, unfortunately it is to hard for her. She is suffering. She wants to live a better life. When she meets a sailor named Frank, she realizes that this is her chance for freedom. She decides to run away with him. But, when it comes to make a decision, she is full of doubts, and finally she refuses to leave.

Now, let’s talk about the images described in the story.

The first one is the image of dust. It personifies the past. When looking at dust, Eveline remembers all the good moments of her life, all her friends, her beloved brother Earnest, who died several years ago etc. Also, this symbol is important as Eveline spent her entire life dusting all the time.

Also, Ireland itself personifies the symbol of some kind of a prison. In the early twentieth century lots of Irish people wanted to leave Ireland, especially women, who craved for marrying an alien. Eveline's hard family life becomes a metaphor for the trap that is Ireland

We can also observe the image of death. Eveline remembers her friends, her brother Earnest and her mother, who passed away long time ago. Eveline also fears her own death.

One of the most interesting images in the story is the image of the sea. It is the image of great fear. The fear of unknown.

Now, I would like to describe the main characters of the story.

Eveline. She is a nineteen year old girl (the first “adolescent” of “Dubliners” and the first female character). She is constantly trying to hold her family together, but it is pretty hard. She believes she has the right for happiness. That is why, at first, she decides to leave Ireland with Frank. But, later she starts to create a list of pros and corns of this runaway. On the one hand, this is her last chance to be free, to get married and to become a respected woman. But, on the other hand, she has certain responsibilities and duties. Eveline understands that she cannot leave her father and other siblings. It is she, who must take care of them. She also places a great importance on keeping promises, perhaps a result of her Catholic values.  Speaking of corns, Eveline fears to repeat her mother’s fate: “life of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness." Finally, she refuses to leave Dublin as she thinks that this runaway won’t allow her to live a full life. Also, her decision is influenced by nostalgia, fear and emotions. She realizes that she will remain a lifeless being, whether she goes or stays.

Frank is an Irish sailor, who moved to Argentina and came to Dublin on vacation. Eveline describes him as a good and well-hearted man, but, to tell the truth she knows nothing about him. At first, his relationship with Evelin were very romantic: they went to the theater, he sang her songs, made up nicknames for her, and boasted of all his sailor adventures. But, as it usually happens Evelin’s father was against their relationship and they had to meet in secret. After some time he asks Eveline to come with him to Argentina and become his wife. But, at the final scenes we can see that Eeveline is worried, she is afraid and she ignores him and everything he says. She thinks that “he will drown” her. So, in the end she refuses him. We don't really know how Frank feels about this because the story ends here, but it hardly matters: the real focus is just how completely and how suddenly Eveline has been convinced that going with Frank is a bad idea.

And finally, let’s discuss the themes of the story. The main theme, which goes throughout the story is the theme of escape. The main character wants to escape the hardships of her life. But, when making a decision, she constantly goes back to her past and is reigned by her fears and emotions. All this is an obstacle to her future.

And the last, but not the least is the theme of paralysis. Paralysis makes Eveline a “helpless animal” stripped of human will and emotion. She starts to speak with God and asks him to guide her. She fears to leave all the familiar places and people she loves. She is afraid of sea(she thinks that she will die during the voyage) and she also fears the life with Frank, because she barely knows him. All these things stopped her from running away.

#Великая#сериал2015#история

Всем привет!
Сегодня я бы хотела поговорить о российском сериале "Великая". Это история становления одной из величайших правительниц России, Екатерины II.

 Пожалуй, я начну с краткого обзора сюжета. Фильм начинается с прибытия будущей императрицы России в Петербург. Она готовится к свадьбе с будущим императором Петром III.К сожалению, этот брак был несчастливым. Вы можете это наблюдать в течение всего сериала. Однако, это не помешало Екатерина добиться успеха. В целом, сериал отражает становление Екатерины, как личности.

А сейчас, я бы хотела остановиться на главных героях.

Екатерина Великая. Роль этой великой женщины исполняет известная российская актриса Юлия Снигирь. На мой взгляд, роль удалась. Она создала образ сильной, целеустремленной женщины, стремящейся добиться успеха и сделать Россию - великой мировой державой!


Петр III. Если говорить об этом персонаже, то можно с уверенностью сказать, что Павел Деревянко справился с этой ролью на ура! Петр III - это довольно противоречивая личность. В этом сериале он показан не совсем таким, каким его описывают историки. Конечно, практически все в образе, воссозданном на экране, совпадает с реальной исторической личностью, но все же, в данном фильме показан человек с непростой судьбой. Согласно истории, будущий император рано потерял родителей, его воспитанием занимались абсолютно чужие люди, порой жестокие, и это определенно отразилось на его характере и личности в целом.  Конечно, в фильме он показан не с самой лучшей стороны, но все же, он вызывает сочувствие у зрителя.

Пожалуй, одной из самых ярких личностей, отображенной в этом фильме, является Елизавета I. Настоящая русская императрица.

Одним из плюсов этого сериала, являются интерьеры, костюмы и натурные съемки. Зрители полностью погружаются в атмосферу XVIII века.

Я советую посмотреть этот сериал всем любителям истории, качественного кино и хороших актеров.

#театрэтовечно# #настоящееискусство#

Недавно посмотрела спектакль Андрея Кончаловского "Дядя Ваня". 

Я всегда любила пьесы. Именно театр помогает нам осмыслить все, что происходит в нашей жизни, отражает сущность людей, их мысли, желания, недостатки.

 Пьесы Антона Павловича Чехова хороши тем, что с годами они не стареют и не выходят из моды. Их можно интерпретировать по разному. 

Если говорить о самом спектакле, то постановка прекрасна. Сам текст сложно прочувствовать. Актеры помогают зрителям это сделать. Они вкладывают особый смысл в каждую реплику, произносят текст с определенными интонациями и мимикой. Они делают пьесу яркой и незабываемой. 

Павел Деревянко - гений перевоплощений! По моему личному мнению, именно театр помогает актеру раскрыть свой истинный талант. Спектакль - это процесс взаимодействия актеров со зрительным залом, обмен энергией. По реакции зрителей всегда можно определить качество спектакля.

Актеры вкладывают все свои силы, чувства и душу в своего персонажа. Огромное спасибо всем актерам и конечно же, режиссеру!

P.S. Цените настоящее искусство!

 

Вчера сходила на египетскую выставку в Национальном художественном музее. Это было незабываемо! Экспозиция выставлена в четырех залах. Там есть все, начиная от предметов быта и заканчивая саркофагами( однако, от этого зала у меня мурашки по коже!). Больше всего меня впечатлил зал, где были выставлены статуи древнегипетских богов. Они огромные! Сразу понимаешь, почему жители Древнего Египта так боялись и почитали своих богов. 
Советую всем, кто еще не посетил данную выставку, обязательно сделать это) Вы получите бурю незабываемых впечатлений!

Вы никогда не задумывались о том, в чем же заключается суть профессии космонавтов? Эти отважные люди проводят различные испытания на космических станциях, в открытом космосе, на благо человечества. Но как же проходит этот процесс? Какими качествами должен обладать каждый космонавт? И что же важнее: собственная жизнь, или долг перед родиной? Вы сможете найти ответы на эти вопросы, посмотрев замечательный фильм «Салют 7».

По правде говоря, я никогда не была поклонницей фильмов о космосе, но эта картина поразила меня до глубины души. Я считаю, что не стоит пересказывать содержание, так как по моему личному мнению, каждый должен посмотреть данный фильм сам. Скажу только, что речь пойдет об аварии на советской орбитальной станции «Салют 7», произошедшей в 1985 году.

А сейчас я бы хотела затронуть некоторые, особенно впечатлившие меня, аспекты фильма. Во-первых, образы главных героев, роли которых исполняют Владимир Вдовиченков и Павел Деревянко. Я впервые увидела этих замечательных актеров. Мне сложно оценить творчество Владимира Вдовиченкова в целом, так как я не смотрела до этого фильмы с его участием, однако, с уверенностью могу сказать, что с ролью командира корабля он справился на отлично. Он создал образ настоящего мужчины, и показал те качества, которые должны быть у каждого человека: мужество, самопожертвование, умение ценить семью и дружбу. Если говорить о Павле Деревянко, то можно сказать, что он универсальный актер. Я думаю многие знают его как комика, однако, в этом фильме, он доказал, что может сыграть абсолютно любую роль, даже драматическую.

Если говорить о качестве фильма, то он превзошел все мои ожидания! Виды космоса поражают своей красотой! Все настолько реалистично, что кажется, еще чуть-чуть, и ты сам окажешься в космосе. Огромное спасибо создателям фильма за незабываемые эмоции!

Если говорить об идее фильма, то за нее можно сказать отдельное спасибо сценаристам. Сейчас выпускается множество фильмов, связанных с космосом, фантастическими явлениями и т. д, но, к сожалению, немногие из них могут пробудить в людях чувство сострадания, вызвать слезы или заставить задуматься о таких понятиях, как любовь к родине, честь, настоящая дружба и отвага. Создатели данной картины сумели тонко и глубоко передать все это на экране.

В итоге хотелось бы сказать, я настоятельно рекомендую всем, кто еще не видел «Салют 7», сходить в кино и насладиться этой картиной (я была настолько впечатлена, что посмотрела этот фильм дважды). Желаю всем приятного просмотра и надеюсь, что вы получите истинное удовольствие!

Интересные факты: Фильм "Салют-7" преодолел на старте кассовое достижение американского космического блокбастера "Гравитация", взявшего некогда 7 "Оскаров". 

В специальном ангаре были выстроены декорации, повторяющие космический корабль "Союз Т-13". Непосредственно для съемок сцен в космосе была придумана специальная система тросов, с помощью которых визуально создавался эффект невесомости. Это также потребовало от актеров физической подготовки и большой сноровки.

Российский блокбастер «Салют-7» с Владимиром Вдовиченковым и Павлом Деревянко в главных ролях был показан на кинофестивале Fantastic Fest в Остине, штат Техас.

Его сравнили с американскими картинами со схожим сюжетом, такими как «Гравитация», «Аполлон 13» и «Парни что надо». По мнению кинокритика Таши Робинсон, российские актеры вытаскивают даже «слишком мудреные» сюжетные повороты: «Персонажи Вдовиченкова и Деревянко симпатичны, потому что аккуратно балансируют между тем, чтобы вызывать сочувствие и уважение».

#Books#Shakespeare

“Worlds Elsewhere. Journeys Around Shakespeare’s Globe” – a must read for every Shakespeare admirer

Kate Shchurouskaja

Photo by Sarah Lee

In this article I would like to speak about the book of a British writer, researcher and a talented journalist Andrew Dickson. His book is called “Worlds Elsewhere. Journeys Around Shakespeare’s Globe”. I started reading it in spring. To tell the truth, receiving this book was an unexpected surprise, and I will explain why. Last February I attended Andrew Dickson’s lecture that was held at our university. And frankly speaking, I was really impressed. It is always great to see a person so passionate about what he is doing. After this event I decided to buy this book and find out some more information about Shakespeare. So, you can imagine my reaction when I received it from London as a gift. I was very happy.

But let’s return to the book. It is about Shakespeare’s impact on people and cultures all around the world. It consists of five parts.

The first one tells us about Shakespeare’s influence in Poland and Germany. It appears that if you come to Poland, Gdańsk, in particular, you would find an exact copy of the “The Globe” there. Why? In Shakespeare’s times his troupe went on tour to Europe, during which they also visited Gdańsk where they built a copy of “The Globe” for them to perform. So, the explanation is quite simple isn’t it? Nowadays this theatre is rebuilt, and it’s a must-see in Poland for every true Shakespeare fan.

Germany has a special relationship with the bard. This nation considers him German. People here usually say that the British are not paying adequate attention to Shakespeare. Another example of how important Shakespeare is to the German people is the oldest Shakespeare’s society in the world that was established in Germany. An interesting thing is that there are more performances of Shakespeare’s plays in Germany than in Britain. Besides, the world’s famous German speaking authors and musicians (for example, Mozart and Goethe) were obsessed with the playwright. Some scholars say that Mozart used the plot of “The Tempest” for his “Magical Flute”. This is incredible because no other writer in the world had such an influence on other nations, famous people and their masterpieces. And I think it is because Shakespeare described human nature which hasn’t changed throughout the years. That is why any nation can use his plays. And I think the last and the darkest thing connected with Shakespeare’s influence in Germany is the Nazis period. His plays were the ones not to be burnt, as the Minister of Propaganda was fond of them. The Nazis thought that they would be able to resurrect Shakespeare and make him the member of their party. Nonsense! It appears that the most popular play was “Hamlet”, and the main character was not the one that we all know. He was firm and confident.

So, let’s finish up with Germany and move to the USA, to which the second part of the book is dedicated. The first thing to mention is that the world’s Shakespeare archive is situated not in Britain but in the USA. It is The Folger Shakespeare Library. It was founded in 1930s by an oil baron Henry Folger and his wife Emily. On the outside it looks like an ordinary modern building, but when you get inside it seems that you’ve travelled across time and space and found yourself in an Oxford college. This library contains 83 copies of Shakespeare’s first folio. So this place is a must-see for every Shakespeare admirer.

Also, Shakespeare’s plays were very popular during the times of Gold Rush, “Richard III” in particular. And there are some mining companies named after the bard. What is more, there are maps with different American cities named after Shakespeare and his characters. Amazing!

Right now, let’s move on to India. I knew that Shakespeare was popular in this country, because it is a former British colony, so every well-educated person is familiar with his name, but I couldn’t imagine that his plays could be used for shooting films. Almost every Bollywood movie is based on Shakespeare’s plays. For example such films as “Omkara” (“Othello”) and “Angoor” (“The Comedy of Errors”). “Hamlet” is also very popular. The most famous movie was shot in 1954. Indian film and theatre directors are fond of staging Shakespeare because he was definitely a man of all time.

But for me, the most interesting part of the book was the one connected with South Africa. I did not know that people there were familiar with Shakespeare, that his plays had a great impact on their political life and that there was a person named Solomon Plaatje, who translated lots of Shakespeare’s plays. During the Apartheid, when people were put in prison, the only hope for them was Shakespeare because his plays helped them to relief pain, to keep sane and to change something in their state structure. I also read that there is one special school founded by a Russian woman who went to South Africa in order to work there. She is trying to cultivate love to Shakespeare in her pupils. They have their own theatre and they usually participate in a theatre festival held in South Africa. Despite the fact that most of them are very young, they all have their own opinions about Shakespeare and his plays. They think that Shakespeare’s ideas coincide with their own. It is great when children are interested in art.

And last but not least is the part connected with China. The Chinese are very concerned about Shakespeare. He is some kind of a brand there. His picture is placed on notebooks and other things. They are learning to read Shakespeare’s plays in original, but of course they also have translations. One of the most famous plays staged in China is “The Taming of the Shrew”. A huge amount of people attend it. But of course, as it usually happens, there were some problems connected with the bard’s plays. During the Cultural Revolution that took place from 1966 to 1976, directors were banned from staging and the actors were banned from performing Shakespeare’s plays. But nowadays the situation has changed. There are conferences and festivals held in the honor of the bard.

And now I would like to write a few words about the author of this incredible book. To my mind, Andrew Dickson is a very talented author and a good narrator. He has his own style, and he puts a deep sense in each word and each sentence. He is also good at describing people. He makes an exact portrait of a man or woman with every tiny detail, which helps understand the character of a person.

I have also enjoyed the sceneries described in the book. Those beautiful German streets, exotic Indian and South African landscapes and, of course, incredible Chinese cities. I haven’t been to all these countries, but this book allowed me to imagine that I was travelling together with the narrator, and in my personal opinion, when a reader goes deeply into the book and forgets about what is going on, it is a sign of a good work. 

Movies

Hello everyone!

Today, I would like to talk about the film called “Transcendence”. I am sure that there are people for whom this title will sound familiar. What is more, this film was broadly criticized, but I totally disagree with the people who did it. It was the breath of fresh air, and when you read my review you will understand why!

To begin with, I watched it during my summer session. One might think that it is not a film for relaxation, but it makes you think, it helps you to concentrate on what you have to do and it is some kind of a brainstorm, so, if you are used to light comedies and actions you may skip this post) Anyway, the film. Why was I so impressed by it?

Firstly, the plot is very unusual. It is a story about a scientist called Will Caster and his wife Evelyn. They are both scientists and their idea of creating artificial intelligence which will have all the accumulated knowledge of people and will use it for treating incurable diseases, purifying air and water, disposing of dirty industries seems like something from science fiction. I will not spoil the plot of the film (I think it would be better for you to watch it yourself).

Secondly, it reveals the true nature of our humanity. We are mostly afraid of everything new and unknown and that, I think, impedes progress in the field of science.

Thirdly, science is great, if it is used in a right way and for good purposes. It also shows that our modern devices are still vulnerable and need upgrading.

And the last, but not the least is the genius of Hollywood, Johnny Depp, with whom no one can be compared! I was surprised to see him in such a role. You know, we are all used to him playing some strange guys, not scientists. And what is more, this film is a debut of Wally Pfister, who is actually a camera operator known for such works as “Prestige”, “Inception”, “Dark Knight”. So, Johnny took a risk. But, in my personal opinion, Wally Pfister did a very good job! So many thanks to him and Johnny Depp, for accepting this role!

In the end I would like to add that, if you are a huge fan of science fiction and you are tired of tropes or sitcoms, I strongly recommend you to watch it.

Opera

Good morning everyone!
My today's post will be dedicated to the opera of the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi
which is called "Traviata". 
To begin with, last November, I saw the previous classical performance, which had been staged at The Opera and Ballet theatre for a very long time, that is why I have the unique opportunity to compare these two shows. So, let's start with the advantages. It is pretty modernized: from costumes to set design. And in my point of view this adaptation is created for the new generation. The main ADVANTAGE is the music(it is eternal!). And now let's concentrate on the disadvantages. I am not a huge fan of modernized performances, that is why I prefer the previous version of "Traviata". During the first two acts of the performance it felt as if I was sitting at home, watching some soap opera. I was impressed not by the tragic story itself, but by the marvellous voices of the performers( they touched me to the core) and I nearly burst out crying! But, let's come back to the disadvantages, in my opinion, because of the modernization, the story has lost its romance and beauty, which was the highlight of the opera, and as it is related to a certain epoch, it is very difficult to stage it in a contemporary way. But, frankly speaking I was pretty surprised by the two final acts, which I think were made in a classical way and reminded me of the previous version)
So, in the end I would like to add, that it is a must-see for people who are fond of everything new)

Good evening everyone! My name is Kate. I am a constant theatre-goer, movie enthusiast and booklover) That's why this blog will be dedicated to these particular things. I hope you'll like it) See you soon!