Jekyll and Hyde transformation Marshai M

The picture shows Jekyll’s and Hyde’s characterists.   Jekyll is  standing up straight and strong while Hyde is hunch over as if he is handicap.  In the movie one can see that Hyde is a hairy beast.  The darkfine hair is a sign of evil.  The hair  and his posture makes Hyde seem unhuman.     

Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde whenever he has extreme feeling.  Whenever something happens that makes himfeel sad, mad, or anxious, Jekyll’s evil side takes over.  Page 80 makes Jekyll’s transformation seem pleasant while the movie makes it seem like a bitter sweet moment ( like eating our candy). 

The picutre displays Jekyll and Hyde as one person.  Hyde is slightly fade- making it seem like he is either a imaginary person or a ghost.  The book makes it seem like Hyde and Tkyll are two different people.  The movie display the characters as one person with different personalities and desires. 

 

Jekyll and Hyde

Dr. Jekyll is a man  passionate about his work.  He is a chemist that made a combination that turns him into a beast called Mr. Hyde.  Dr. Jekyll made up the name Mr. Hyde up.  In the movie and the story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll islike a nice looking man with compassion for all but Hyde was his complete opposite.  The story was like the modern day Family Matters with Steve Urkel, a geek, and Stepfan Urqulle. Steven created a powerful potion that converted him into his complete opposite a good looking and smooth talking young man, Stefan Urqulle.  The book and the movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two completely different accounts on how Dr. Jekyll’s story can be told. 

After watching the movie and reading the book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I can see a clear difference between the characters and their relationship.   Many of the characters in the story were not in the movie.  The movie adds characters like Dr. Jekyll fiancée, Miriam or the Mr. Hyde’s prostitute.    The plot of the movie was much different from the story.  For example the book thoroughly explains in the letter at the end of the story how Jekyll sets up a trap to help his friends solve the mystery of Mr. Hyde.    The movie doesn’t explain how or why Lanyon receives a box with the potion.  The movie portrays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as the same person but the story displays the characters as two different individuals because he story is told from the narrative of Utter, a lawyer.  The main similarity I notice in the movie and the book was Dr. Jekyll addiction to the evil side.  Jekyll tries to fight the urge to think negatively, but strangely all strong emotions trigger his dark side.  For instance after Dr. Jekyll talked to his fiancé about breaking their engagement, Jekyll become emotional unstable causing Mr. Hyde to come out. 

There was a vast amount of difference in the book and the movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  The only similarities were the major parts of the plot.  The movie could have had another title with different character names and pass for a completely different story. 

 

 

 

 

World’s Fair

The part of the World Fair that I found interesting was the landscape.  The documentary stated how the people were more attracted to the landscape than they were by the expo.  That is shocking news because the contractor had to rush to get the World fair done. The other thing that I found interesting was Edison voice recorder.  Edison voice recorder is like the modern day telephone.  The documentary tells a tale of a couple in two different countries who speaks into a voice recorder and sends a short message to their lover.  I would have never imagined technology to be that advance in the 1920’s. 

Master and Commander

“Master and Commander” was a great movie about the war between England and France.   It explained many things about life on a ship.  I thought it was interesting to see how France kept finding England during stormy night.  England knew that the French had more weapons and more people, so if France had attack one more time England would have lost their crew and their ship.   When England realized they were becoming closer to French’s ship, they disguised their ship to through off the French, and when they were close enough they attacked.  French’s idea to pretend to be dead was great.  They pretend to be dead, then everyone pop up and attacked.I thought the Doctor was the most interesting character.  He was a doctor, a naturalist, and a psychologist (he was always aware on how the sailors were feeling).  What seem even more interesting was their knowledge of surgery.  The doctor conducted brain surgery, but he couldn’t heal the little boy’s broken arm.  I didn’t think the y was going to amputate his arm.  It was also strange how they sewed up the body bag and then sew the thread through the nose.   I enjoyed watching “Master and Commander,” because it wasn’t a documentary.  I wish we could watch more historical movies.

Newton was a craftsman of all trades.  He had done research in all the fields of science- including: space, gravity, space, velocity, and moving objects.   He studied at Cambridge University before and after the plague.  Later he also become a professor at Cambridge University. Newton join the Parliament of England a couples of years before his death.

Newton was a strange character.  He wasn’t like his fellow classmate.  Newton remained in his room mostly with his books.   He seemed to need counseling of some sort.  I’m thankful for Newton’s experiments and knowledge, but I wish he had got more life.

Newton studied a range of fields.  He spent most of his time studying gravity and the circular rotation on the plants and the moons.  Newton also discovered the laws of motion.  His interest in gravity (and it effect on the falling apple) led Newton to study the velocity of falling object. He later discovered that all objects fall at the same speed.  Newton also disproved that the prism that separated the white light into the different rays of colors.  He discovered that the white light contains all the colors of the rainbow, and it wasn’t.

Newton only published his material a few time. Not only couldn’t Newton handle criticism, but he was also extremely shy.  Many scientists would try to disclaim Newton’s discoveries or they would say how they had also discovered the same finding before Newton.  Hooke was a critic of Newton’s work.  Hooke did all he could to discredit Newton’s work.

No wonder Newton was seen as such a great scientist; he did nothing but live and breathe science and research.

Hound of the Baskerville

A deadly curse, a ghostly hound, and a monstrous killer- one can clearer see the struggle between supernatural and reality in The Hound of the Baskerville.  The story begins with Mortimer consulting Holmes about a local family curse that may have killed a noble man.  Of course, Holmes doesn’t buy any of Mortimer’s fictional stories, but he takes on the case in order to save Sir Henry’s life.  Holmes asks his trustee friend Watson to watch over Sir Henry (the client) to ensure his safety; instantly Watson is put in Holmes’ shoes.  He has to investigate and observe just like Holmes.   The local residents are well aware of the curse, and they are well to do whatever it takes to keep their local benefactor (Sir Henry) alive.  In the beginning of the story the supernatural era takes over, but will reality conquer in the end or well the paranormal curse be confirmed with the death of Sir Henry.

The story focuses on a conflict between science and the supernatural, or a clash between Sir Charles’ natural death and his supernatural death.  Everyone has the different opinion on how Sir Charles died.  By human eye one would say that Sir Charles died naturally.  He appeared not to have any scratches, bruises, or cuts on his body (28).  Although Sir Charles seem to have died from a natural death, the questions still remain how did he die, and what trigger his death. 

Holmes responds to the supernatural phenomenon in sarcastic tone. Holmes criticizes Mortimer for believing in such a tale. Afterward Holmes puts Mortimer’s story to the test; he questions why a supernatural force wouldn’t attack Sir Henry anywhere he went (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 22-30).  Holmes’s uses that same method of investigation no matter the case; he tries to keep all his possibilities open when solving a case, yet when he verifies that the evidence is wrong he disowns the element like trash.  It isn’t until the end of the story that Homes starts to believe in the hound, but he never clearly states whether he believes the hound is a natural or paranormal force. 

Mortimer is a naturalist and a doctor.  It is Mortimer’s idea to go to Sherlock Holmes to ask for his assistants.  Mortimer’s method of investing Sir Charles’ death is base on three facts – the claw prints by Sir Charles’ body, his relationship with Sir Charles, and the tale of the Baskerville’s curse. Mortimer half heartedly believes in the curse; thus, he is criticized by Holmes for his beliefs. Mortimer is also very observant becuase he notice Sir Charles had been standing in the same spot for ten minutes, because Sir Charles’ cigar ashes fall twice, which is equivalent to about ten minutes(30).   Mortimer’s presence is troubled and a bit shaken up, but he does not present a scene of danger; to the readers Mortimer’s presence brings a subtle vibe.    He seems to be the static character in the story. 

Stapleton is a dynamic character; he is also a collector, and a neighbor of Sir Charles.   At the beginning of the story one is led to believe Stapleton doesn’t believe in the hound story. Stapleton uses what he knows about Sir Charles to form a hypothesis to his death.  He believes Sir Charles’ death was natural.  (82) Stapleton’s theory was Charles’ imagination got the best of him and led to his death. “His nerves were so worked up that the appearance of any dog might have had fatal effect upon his diseased heart” (85).  In the latter part of the story the reader is inform that Stapleton is the mastermind behind Sir Charles’ death.  Stapleton is a very clever and persuasive man; he ingeniously plotted out each point of Sir Charles and Henry downfall.  For instance when he stole Sir Henry’s shoes in order to give his hound a scent to trace (46), or when Stapleton told the cab driver that his name was Sherlock Holmes (64).  Stapleton’s presence seems weird, especially after he is enrage by Sir Henry’s flirtatious behavior towards his sister (105-106).   Stapleton seem to be a professional at the game of trickery; thankfully he couldn’t trick the night fog, and in result his life come tragic halt. 

                   The Baskerville curse (that was started by Hugo Baskerville when he kidnap and rape a young girl) is well known in Devonshire, so it was no surprise that many of the residents believe Sir Charles’ death wasn’t an accident. With such a great amount of suspension and thrill in one story, one can’t help but to doubt the scientific era and wonder off into the unnatural (paranormal) world.  It’s hard to believe that someone like Stapleton can be a hard core killer, and that a beast as large and horrifying as describe by Holmes can exist in ordinary world.  The end of the book shows how the science world (reality) will always dominate over the supernatural being.  The science world requires hypothesizes, experiments, and research to verify a case, but the paranormal world requires no explanations.   The scientific world is necessary in order to demonstrate that the fictional world is incorrect.   Where would the world be without the sciences of life? 

The Hound of the Baskerville(53-109)

Watson and Holmes are no longer together.  Because Holmes wasn’t able to accompany Sir Henry, Holmes asked Watson to go with Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall.   Watson spends continuous telegram to Holmes about everything he observes- from relationships to the butler’s strange actions.  Watson is trying to develop many of Holmes’s methods of investigation .  Watson reports anything that may be useful to Holmes- the boring and the exciting information. The only interaction between Watson and Holmes is a piece of paper.  Although Holmes and Watson are not together I think their bond is growing stronger.  Watson continually though out the telegram asks Holmes to approve of the work that he has done.  Watson is looking for Holmes to tell him that he has done a great job. Holmes’ approval means a lot to Watson.    Holmes’ methods are much like the one he used in A Study in Scarlet.  Holmes reads about a case, and he solves the case base on the information given.  These methods are different from the one he used in The Sign of Four.  Holmes is not physically chasing an adventure; he is reading about it in a telegram.

The Hound of the Baskerville(3-52)

My initial thoughts on “The Hound of the Baskervilles” were that the story was going to be boring.  I thought the theory, Sir Charles being killed by a hound, was really silly. Sherlock Holmes does seem like the right detective for supernatural work.  It took me a while to become interested in the story.   I didn’t like the book until Mortimer and Sir Henry were being followed by a mystery man.  The story reminds me of a bad horror movie.

Sherlock Holmes – Science

The author concluded that Sherlock Holmes’ methods are scientific (to some extent).  The book describes many Victorian’s crimes, and how the forensic police go about investing the crime.  After reading the real life account, one can see how Holmes’s investigation methods are actually just like the forensic investigators.  For example forensic professionals study each isolated variable before making a conclusion.  Holmes gathers all information that is obvious to his naked eye, and then forms a conclusion.  For instance when he first met Watson, Holmes was able to see that Watson had returned from Afghanistan, because he had a natural tan and many wounds.  Holmes doesn’t have to see a crime scene to solve a case (A Study in Scarlet 17-18).  Holmes doesn’t need to gain finger prints or make any chemical combinations in order to solve a case.  Sherlock Holmes’ head is like a big forensic file cabinet.     Forensic.to/webhome describes Wagner’s book Science of Sherlock Homes and Sherlock’s Holmes’ method as   “Delving into the early use of fingerprints, photography and trace evidence, it demonstrates how fact followed fiction in developing techniques of crime scene investigation.”  There is no doubt that Holmes’ method is scientific; just because Holmes does not have the title (forensic scientist) doesn’t mean that his methods are inferior or inaccurate. 

Years of Rice and Salt (MM)

The Years of Rice and Salt Book 1 was an interesting story about a runaway hunter (Bold) who is trapped into slavery.  On his destination to another land he meets a young black boy who becomes really close to Bold.  I thought the later chapters were interesting because the chapters describe life in China, and how the government and businesses ran.  I thought it was interesting when Bold work in the restaurant because it should me the culture of the Chinese residence.  It explains what the Chinese like to trade, eat, and decorate.  The next thing I found interesting was when Bold worked at the horse stables.  I like how the Chinese seemed so powerful to many outsiders, but once Kyu entered the palace I notice how unstable their government was.   I don’t understand why the Chinese’s militia never attacked or joined power with the Mongols.  Bold had explain one reason why the Chinese never attacked the Mongols, but I wanted to know more.  I’m also confused about the reason the boatman chopped off Kyu’s manhood. Were the boatmen trying to prevent Kyu from producing offspring with the other slave women since China wass so over populated already ? 

Can anyone answer my questions?