Style Exercise

Precision

On 23 February 2008, in the Rákóczi street, downtown, Pécs, in the cold night (temperature: 3°C) at 23:12 pm in the middle of heavy drinking of various alcoholic liquors (beer, wine, whiskey) right after 2 hours 13 minutes and 56 seconds of skateboarding, 5 friends of mine (two at the age of 21, three at 18) and me (born at Pécs, 25. 07. 1986) got stopped by 3 bald persons (age: 16, 18, 19, weight: too heavy to mention, IQ: -20), governed by prejudice and racism. One of them (the biggest and most aggressive one) grabbed me by my coat, right above the last button, but below my neckerchief (Middle English nekkerchef, from nekke + kerchef kerchief. Date:14th century) and started to list my ancestors with non-pleasurable attributes (no example granted). After 43 minutes and 23 seconds of tutor-speech about why we shouldn’t get exterminated, we managed to be able to ”walk” away at 20 km/h speed, mostly on foot.

Surprises

Check this out! We’ve just started to drink after skating-hey! Just what a great spot we found! – when we –and you wouldn’t believe this! Bumped into 3 stupid skinheads! Three of them! Imagine how we felt then-and guess what: we didn’t even make up a fight! Hell no! Though we were 5! What we did was: we just walked away! Really we did! Crazy, isn’t it?

Hesitation

How it was? Well I’m trying to make up my mind here.. There were like .. 6 of us? No wait!.. Five! It was Five! And we were culling flowers I guess..or maybe.. getting drunk? But we were interrupted by some..some.. how do you call them..those Shaolin folks you know..but.. let me see. Oh they were no Shaolins but bald anyway.. I remember them having some problem with us..I dunno..I’m wondering if they did know?.. So one of them asked me the time..oh sorry, they actually insulted us..and..uuhhmm...we grabbed our skateboards and beat the living crap out of them?..No, I got it!.. we walked away...

Dream

I’ve had a nightmare.. Can’t really remember the whole of it.. It was dark.. pitch black it was. And freezing. First my friends were with me but after it felt like I’m all alone. Then they appeared! Those.. Monster-like creatures! They approached me! Wild and strong beasts. One of them even touched me! Man, I get the creeps just by thinking of it! Its hands - or whatever it had – were cold as ice, but its breath.. as it laid close to me for a few seconds.. breathing fiery and stifling in my face.. Then all of a sudden.. it was gone!

Notation

Saturday night. The time for our usual going out. Skateboards and booze in the hand. Five of us going down on Rákóczi Street. Three skins coming upwards. They pick at us. Of course they do. We’re not in for a fight. We tell them. They don’t care and grab me anyway. We’re telling them some hodgepodge about us all standing on the same side. It works. They are easily controlled. We move along.

Family Structures of the Lilliputians and Houyhnhnms

If we study the family structure of the Lilliputians and the Houyhnhnms in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, we find out soon enough that they have some key similarities. But what are these? And just what are the differences? In my essay I am meditating on the answer for such questions.

To begin with, let us gather the main characteristics of the family model in Lilliput. Obviously the Lilliputians (just as Gulliver’s character himself) are a great subject for irony and satire, representing human kind with its every-day ”battles” shrank (Just like the exercise of the army held on Gulliver’s Handkerchief). Likewise, their family values are also satiric in a way. By the great Law of Nature, men and women of Lilliput join together because of their sexual needs and in order to keep up the population. Presumably they are enormous in numbers this way. Because of this whole process they believe that the ”result” of their joining does not owe his/her parents a single thing. The same reasoning serves as base for even further convictions: their Opinion is, that Parents are the last of all others to be trusted with the Education of their own Children (part I. chapter VI.). - Instead they are obliged to send their children into public nurseries at the age of twenty moons: still as an infant. Exceptions are cottager and labourer parents, who can stay with their children, making the reader believe that these families are probably the most healthiest considered in a social way. After the separation of children and parents, the youngsters are taught the basic principles of the Lilliputian Society: They are bred up in the Principles of Honour, Justice, Courage, Modesty, Clemency, Religion, and Love of their Country (part I. chapter VI.). During this time, the parents are only allowed to see them twice a year - yet for one hour - and they are forbidden to bring the children presents. The next time the family can get together is at the marriageable age of twelve years, when the parents actually bring their children home.

Deep satiric meaning are also to be found if looking at the family structure of the holly good Houyhnhnms: in a society, where human kind is altered by the superiority of the noble values of these horse-like creatures who do not even have a concept for evil things or one’s own opinion. In their utopian way of thinking the deciding factor is always reason. This is what mainly defines their every act, so thus their family models. In contrast with the Lilliputian society, the Houyhnhnms made up law, which controls the maximum number of children a family may have and even the gender they need to be: one of each sex. As everything else in the country, this also has its own purpose: This Caution is necessary to prevent the Country from being overburthened with Numbers (part IV. Chapter VIII.). Purity gets a huge importance here: In their Marriages they are exactly careful to choose such Colours as will not make any disagreeable Mixture in the Breed (part IV. Chapter VIII.). In the meantime, males are expected to be strong and females to be pretty. After giving birth to the children, the male and female Houyhnhnms would not stay together. In case the couple would not succeed in ”producing” a boy and a girl, a special solution is ordered: ...if a Houyhnhnm hath two Males, he changeth one of them with another that hath two Females... (part IV. Chapter VIII.). When the children are old enough they get together (by decision of the parents and friends) to start a family but never get married: they do not know such thing.

In the end we can see that both societies are largely grotesque in a way. Although their basic ideas of breeding differ, they have a common idea of separation: both the Lilliputians and Houyhnhnms leave their children during the time of studies, moreover, the Houyhnhnms even ”exchange” them. This proves a sense of estrangement in the families,the lack of affection and love to each other. It might be a mitigating cause in this social sense for the Lilliputians that their primary reason for breeding is joy and that they have several social gatherings to entertain themselves, but these are totally missing from the Houyhnhnms’ lives. On the other hand, teaching, learning and good morals are equally essential for both societies. Normally I wouldn’t like to live in any of these societies, but maybe I would still prefer Lilliput for obvious reasons: more liberty. Here people still have a need for enjoyment, as well as social needs and a bit more contact with the family. In the Houyhnhnm society this opportunity for free entertainment is gone with the lack of concept for own opinion. Meanwhile, the utopian pureness of the Houyhnhnms actually provides a crime free life for all, which Lilliput surely lacks for they have certain laws against criminals. I believe that none of the two societies are proper for a full life, but both offer good values and examples from which we humans could truly learn to make our own environment a better place to live.

Used sources:

"Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels - Houyhnhnms as Ideal ?." 123HelpMe.com. 05 May 2008
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"Essay on Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Orwell's 1984." 123HelpMe.com. 05 May 2008
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Analysis of Caliban

Caliban’s character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is definitely dependent: he is obeying a current master of him through the whole play, which master is in total control of his slave. However, his attitude to his different masters vary vastly.

As we first meet Caliban we see him as a slave of Prospero, in a situation where he is treated cruelly and strictly: “Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!”. In spite of the slandering it is interesting how Prospero explains his daughter, Miranda how largely Caliban’s “services” are needed: “But, as 'tis, We cannot miss him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood and serves in offices That profit us.” The basis of the relationship between Caliban and Prospero seems to be fear; Caliban fears his master’s huge power, his knowledge in magic: “I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam's god, Setebos, and make a vassal of him.”. It also gets clear soon enough that the “animal-like” and mostly instinctly acting Caliban hates Prospero, he does not respect him. He speaks with an ignorant and raw voice, curses his master with dirty words. He can not even stand getting orders from him. At the same time, Caliban’s hatred is not baseless for he was the one, who was already on the island when the cast out Prospero and his daughter Miranda have arrived. The island belonged to Caliban’s mother, the witch Sycorax who was defeated by Prospero and now should belong to him. Instead he is a slave on his own island. This makes him outraged and as he blames Prospero his speech seems quite disappointed and hopeless: “This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in't, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile”. Even so he obeys Prospero but only because of his fear from the cruel punishment which he knows very well.

A whole other attitude can be observed if looking at the scene where Caliban meets the two drunkards Stephano and Trinculo rambling around the island. First he thinks they are spirits of Prospero and that they are only here to whack him: “Lo, now, lo! Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat; Perchance he will not mind me.” He starts begging at the two oddballs, not to hurt him. Then he realizes that they are not slaves of Prospero but still can not figure out what they are and how they got there so he is still afraid of them. This fear is flawlessly gone after having some of Stephano’s narcotic wine. Caliban gets drunk of the wine he has never tasted before and starts to think that Stephano is some godlike creature: “That's a brave god and bears celestial liquor. I will kneel to him.”. Unlike he did to Prospero, Caliban starts to worship Stephano, as his new “master”, in his bemusement he swears loyalty to him, admires him and kisses his feet: “I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries; I'll fish for thee and get thee wood enough. A plague upon the tyrant that I serve! I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee, Thou wondrous man.” Although Caliban’s “new master” contemns and snubs him just as Prospero did, in a way Stephano seems to enjoy the sudden situation and likes the idea that he has a slave now. Caliban does not notice the rude comments on him because of the wine he has drunk. He is desperately seeking for the aid of a greater force which can help him defeat his ’tyrant’ master Prospero. This time he even seems to be happy that he found such an aid and a slight ray of hope for his freedom and the wine of course makes him sing: “No more dams I'll make for fish Nor fetch in firing At requiring; Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish 'Ban, 'Ban, Cacaliban Has a new master: get a new man. Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom, hey-day, freedom!”.

From Prospero’s and Stephano’s aspect their relationship with Caliban is largely similar. They both treat him just like a slave (Stephano even calls him a monster), but perhaps Caliban needs the aid and guidance of someone smarter than him anyhow because he possibly could not stand on his own. He needs to be shaped to act more like a human being, to have morals. For this reason maybe Prospero would be his right master, he could teach him to become more civilized, just as he did back in the time when Caliban was younger. Most obviously he still cares much more about Caliban and about his teaching then the drunken Stephano does.

Balla Balla Balla

Peaks reaching for the sky, nice little brooks gurgling down into the valley and the fine air fills out all your lungs. Hell yeah, this is Switzerland! The home for a beautiful landscape, for the snow caps glaring in white and for the Europeada in 2008 of course.

We arrived at our quarters in Segnas late in the night on the 31st of May and the most natural common activity for the whole team was to fall into the bed like sacks of salt. Only thing tricky was getting used to falling asleep to the ding-dong of the cowbells instead of the sound of the crickets, but we managed to catch the Z-s anyway. We didn’t even have the time this way to look at our surroundings, thus the amazement was even sweeter in the morning: looking out our window, we were stunned by the view provided by the nice little groups of houses quilted here and there into the endless green and the brook curlicuing all its way into to the horizon. Gorgeous. All the participating teams were housed in the regions around Segnas, where the canteen and a huge Sport centre was, a good place for training. We, the Germans living in Hungary dined at the canteen. The meal was fine for me, if we do not consider that the repertoire stood of pasta almost every day. The level and quality of football was actually higher then I expected meaning that I personally couldn’t fit into the picture but my more talented mates held the ground gallantly. There was a cultural program in the middle of the week we spent in the Alps, and it took place high in the mountains of Sedrun. Funny part was that one had to take the ski-lift to approach the hall-like building where the event was held. The whole room was filled with the teams of Europe and you could feel the various cultures mixing and merging as the different nationalities represented a part of their own. The common dancing and singing, plus the not slight amount of beer brought an obvious result: the mood was splendid.

After such an exciting, though quite exhausting week, no wonder that we felt our hearts a bit heavy to leave this lovely place, but we didn’t let our selves quail over it for too long, for we’re already looking forward for the next Europeada!

Catcher in the University #3

Boy, was I happy to see her old Dóra! I figured she was the only one I wanted to bump into that night. I almost wanted to kiss her and all but instead I just said „Hey! Nice to see you! Watcha doin’?” „We were having some fun with the girls together you know. Now I’m just about to get home. How ’bout you Mr. Caulfield?” – and that lovely smile upon her face. I didn’t mind though. I was smiling too I remember „Yeah just hanging out I guess.. Home already? It’s not that late yet! C’mon let’s have a drink somewhere!” „Well okay, I don’t mind drinking with the head of the English Literature Department..” – she said, still in that funny voice. „Oh cut it out!” – I was laughing.

We went into this fine bar called Dante, not too far away from the square. This place was much better than the other was, maybe just a bit too swanky but I liked it anyway. We both had enough booze for the day so we decided to order two coffees. There weren’t too many customers that late, only the regulars I guess.

We had a helluva good time, we really did! I mean we could have gone on talking for the whole night or something, we had such a nice conversation and all, her English is pretty good you know, I truly liked that. She was telling me how they got too damn loud with her friends at a place so the waiter practically threw them out, I was telling her how I ended up with the two girls that night and all, it was really fun, we kind of laughed our heads off or something. Funny thing is, she truly liked my stories! She was laughing like a madman sometimes! That just made me feel so overjoyed that I already forgot how depressed I was.

After we drank our coffee, we went for a taxi because no more busses were running that late and she told me that she lives quite close to the hostel. She did too. I sort of went with her to the door. „Well, that was one helluva good time we had. Thanks!” „Thank you for the Coffee” – she said smiling, but her smile was a bit different now. She had this sort of an embarrased smile. I was also a bit nervous I have to admit. „So.. Good night then!.. Will see you at the university, right?” „Sure! Good night you too!” – she answered and slowly went inside. I sort of stood there for a while, just couldn’t start my legs which were still shaking if you want to know. God, I like that girl! Now I like her even more!

On my way down to the hostel I still couldn’t get old Dóra out of my mind. She’s so smart if you know what I mean and you don’t just meet smart girls every day or something. I actually started to blame myself for not asking her to meet me again sometimes. Just why didn’t I?

Anyway, I suddenly stopped thinking about her, for I was already at our room. There I felt sorry for good old Ezio and what I said to him came to my mind there. I was a moron to say someting like that. And now I know. I decided to say sorry to him and discuss the whole thing but when I went inside, I saw that he’s already sleeping. So I went to my bed as well, leaving this for tomorrow and thinking again about old Dóra. Maybe I’ll call her. Maybe tomorrow. I certainly will!

Catcher in the University #2

I haven’t met her since last time, old Dóra, but I figured I wouldn’t even have much to say to her anyway. Boy, was I a phony! I screwd up right at the beginning. Worst thing is, I don’t even know why I did that stuff. Hell! I thought I’ve at least gave up this crumby habit of mine, lieing my stupid head off. I don’t know, I sort of felt like I had to be some hot shot to get her attention, for you always have to be a hot shot to get the girls and all. Well, one thing I surely did: I had her attention now.

While having such thoughts I suddenly started to feel very depressed in a way. We were in the hostel room with good old Ezio and it was already about to get damn dark outside. He was lieing on his stomach. You could see he was working hard on some corny masterpiece. „You drawing?” – I asked him anyway. I just felt like talking to him. Or anyone. He’s a good guy and all it’s just that he’s not a man of words you know. „Yup..” – answered Ezio without even looking up, just chewing on his pencil for a tick. He always chews on his pencils. He kills me with that. „You feel like going out tonight?” – I asked in a childish voice. I felt terribly lonesome, I really did. „Nope..” – said Ezio still with that stupid pencil in his mouth and got down to sketching again. That made me really mad. „You’re wasting your time on those snotty drawings instead of making something useful! You think you can make a living out of this anyway?” – I sort of shouted at him. Old Ezio looked up at me for a while. He didn’t sware or anything, but you could tell he was pretty sore about it. These artist guys are touchy as hell when it comes to their work or something. „What are YOU doing?” – was all he said in a calm voice and went back to drawing. He was right. He was goddam right and I already felt sorry about what I’ve said but I just didn’t feel like saying sorry. So what I did, I just grabbed my jacket and headed out of the room. I sort of slammed the door actually. I decided to get out of the hostel and find some good spot in town just to clear my thoughts. On my way down the stairs I was thinkin about old Ezio and that crumby thing I said to him. I couldn’t figure out why I did it, I didn’t even mean it! I truly like his drawings, they are the smartest I’ve ever seen.

As I got out of the building I gave a buzz to Attila, asking him if he cared for a drink or two. He told me that he’s going to write an exam the next day and that he had to prepare for it. But he told me to have a fun time anyway. Fun time my ass. I knew some of the other Erasmus students at the hostel but I didn’t feel like hanging out with them. What would I do with them anyway? Drink some vodka with the Russian girl Natasha who’s neck is twice as thick as mine? Or hang out with the Spanish guys who are hugging and kissing each other in every minute?

Anyway, I got on the bus and headed downtown. I dropped myself on a seat and wanted to get back to my thoughts and all when I noticed these two girls in the back of the bus. They were sort of gossiping I guess and sometimes looking at me. They seemed pretty young and one of them had those helluva lumpy legs, but the other seemd pretty allright though, so I gave ’em the old eye. Then they started giggling like a madman. I stood up and went over, asking in this really corny voice: „Do the ladies speak English?” After some more giggling they told me that they do but believe me they spoke the lousiest English you’ve ever heard in your life. I’m not kidding! After a few lines of speaking we got off the bus and made our way up to the Széchenyi square, which is the main square of town. As it turned out, they planned to go to a party and dance and all but I just didn’t feel like dancing so I asked if they would have a drink with me before the party and they were in.

We went into this lousy bar they suggested. It was kind of small, dumpy and goddam dark. I didn’t like it at all but if the girls want to drink here, let them drink here. We sat down at one of those small tables in the corner and the waiter showed up. At least they had a waiter. I let the girls order what they wished then I ordered a Scotch and soda like I always do. Luckily I don’t have the problem with them waiters anymore, I’m old enough to get my drinks you know. I tried to make up a meaningful conversation with them girls but it just couldn’t work out. Every time I asked some boring question like where they study and all, they could hardly understand me. They always had to ask „what?” two or three times and that made me damn nervous. Not to mantion that giggling they made after each sentence. Hell, I hate that! So I decided not to put questions anymore. If they want to communicate, they will ask. But they didn’t. All they did was, they stood up and explained that they had to go to the ladies’ room. I nodded and orderd another drink. Then I was sitting around, waiting for them about an hour or so. If you think they ever came back, you are crazy. They never came back the giggling bastards! I guess they’ve already left a long time ago, maybe right after standing up from the table. Now I really felt upset and the waiter even sort of laughed at me as I paid the check, he really did! On my way out I got this feeling that the waiter knew the gigglers very well and maybe even saw them going out of the dumpy bar.

Anyway I walked back to the square just to calm down and all, ’cuz I was still kind of mad about what happened. I didn’t mind the girls though, they were stupid anyway, but that laughing waiter! That was what killed me!

I stopped in the middle of the square just to take a look around. The downtown lights looked pretty nice and all, just there were no people on the streets for it was already about to get damn late in the night. Then all of a sudden I felt this horrible deja vou feeling. I felt just like some yers ago, when I was walking the streets alone in the long, bitter night back at home. I’ve already told you about that, haven’t I. The case was all the same now, as I was desperately running around for someone or something that would make me feel allright. God, what a lousy night I had back then! I tried to get my mind of the track so that I won’t get damn depressed about it. I was running through my address book to give someone a buzz as this hand tapped my shoulder from behind saying „Hey!”. I turned around. It was old Dóra’s.

Catcher in the University #1

I’m staying at Pécs for a half year now. A nice little town in southern Hungary. I applied for this abroad scholarship and all and I got it! Pretty big deal huh?

I’ve already been here for a couple of weeks now and I sort of start to like it you know. I mean the town and the university are pretty allright and there are some helluva nice folks to horse around with. Like good old Ezio! He’s my roommate now, a Greek scolarship student. Boy, is he a crazy one! He’s at the art department. He can draw like a bastard! He really can! I mean not just like any of those phony artist morons, creating something pretty good then getting stuck-up with themselves. Those guys just give me the pain in the ass. But Ezio is different. We make a lot of fun together, like always kidding each other and all. He has his funny little artist habbit of his though: he sort of lifts his little finger whenever he’drinks something. God I hate that! I mean why do you have to do that? It’s like needlessly making fun of yourself or something. Actually a lot of people do that kind of stuff.

Anyway, our dorm is not too far away from the university, which is a good thing for I don’t feel like walking down my goddam feet just to get to those dumpy German classes! I started to learn German here. It’s not that I like German or anything, in fact I kind of hate it, but we – scholarship students – had to choose what we will study while being here and still, I figured this would be the best among the other lousy subjects. Truly, there was no other thing on that damn list that I would have prefered. No kidding! Now I can run around at the German department with all the Hans, Rudolf, and Eric type of guys. Great.

Anyways, when it comes to lunch time, or I just get hungry and all, I can easily satisfy my needs at the shop in front of the university. Told you it’s a good place. Only problem is: the lack of knowledge in language: the dopey shop assistants just cannot understand a word from me, no matter how hard I try! That drives me crazy! Moreover they are so touchy that they start to freking shout at you, just because they don’t understand you! People always shout at you if they don’t understand something. Luckily, there are some English department guys hanging around everywhere near the university and they are happy to help in such lousy situations. One of them was this Attila guy I’ve met the other day. He's a pretty good fellow! - a bit muckle-mouthed though, which sometimes knocks me out, but otherwise he’s okay. We have some nice conversations every now and then. He once even told me about this one teacher of him, called Joe, which was funny, because for good old Joe's lesson, you have to write a blog and all, he said. Boy! It would kill me if I had such a task!

Old Attila was the one that introduced me this girl lately called Dóra. They were classmates in secondary school. We just kind of bumped into her in a corridor of the university. I have to tell you about this girl! Boy, I wish you could see her! She has this blond hair and all, with shiny blue eyes looking at you and she’s smiling like a phony! I mean she’s not a phony or something, you just get the feeling that she’s one, because of that steady smile on her face. God I love that! I decided to give her a good impression, so what I did, I introduced myself as the senior lecturer of the English Literature Department. She gave me a funny look and said: „Really? Well that’s nice, I’ve just been at your lecture then. Strange.. You looked a bit shorter in the classroom, not to mention the pony tale you were wearing..” God! I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t say a goddam word! I sort of strated to stammer: „Well.. I.. I..” Then she really started to laugh, old Dóra. „Well, I’m sorry guys, but I have to rush now for my next lecture, was nice meeting you anyway Mr. Caulfield, I hope we will meet again sometimes, maybe at your next lecture?” –she said in a funny way and left with that lovely wide smile on her face. I was still standing there, you know, shocked and all when I said to Attila: „Why on earth didn’t you tell me that she is also studying English for Chrissake?” „Probably ’cuz you never asked?..” –was his answer and I realized that I can’t get sore at him just because of that. How could he know that I’m a hopeless liar and all. So we just went on our way out of the building. Meanwhile I couldn’t get her out of my mind old Dóra for I really wanted to meet her again.

What if...

Have U read The Catcher in the Rye? Have U imagined how it would be if Holden was real, if he was the same age today as you are and if he was here in town? I did. The following 3 posts are the result of this wondering. They were written from Holden's aspect and I tried to copy this Holden-way of speaking too. Enjoy!