Hills Like White Elephants

"And we could have all this.. And we could have everything, and every day we make it more possible.." ~ Jig from Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"

Ernest Hemingway really has a way of telling people about his message. This kind of story is very new to me. If I hadn't known what it was about before I read it, I probably wouldn't understand what the characters were talking about.

SO, lots of symbolism were used in the story. These are just two of those. 

1. 'hills like white elephants' - This expression means something of worth but is insignificant. In the story, I think Jig was referring to her baby as a hill. Jig and her partner was under a situation called 'unwanted pregnancy'. Jill wanted to keep the baby but her partner didn't. For Jig, the baby was of great worth, but for the guy, it was something insignificant.
2. 'beer/Anis del Toro' - The beer sort of symbolizes the thing that slowly killed the baby. 

As for the question "What do you think of men forcing a woman to do what she doesn't want?"

I think men who do this are inconsiderate, harsh and cruel. They're inconsiderate because they don't care for their partner's opinions and wants. The girl would be really stupid if she'd just let her partner take over or let him decide for her all the time. 

THE ART OF LETTING GO

"We both know, it's better if we just let it go.." ~Just let it go by:4Tune

People have different ideas about letting go. For some, it would be for the good, but for others, letting go is something painful and may scar you forever. Letting go for me is an opportunity to explore other options. Though at the process of letting go, I know it would hurt so much. First, I would have to ask myself, 'is it still worth it? Is it still worth the fight?' If it is, then I'd continue holding on  to fight for it. What's worth having is worth fighting  for. Consequences are always a part of letting go. Letting go is like giving something up or setting it free, for you and it/he/she to be happy. Sometimes it is better to let go for you to learn or realize how you've really been with that something or someone. You'll sooner learn how to live without it, be happy without it. But that's for the positive side of letting go. Now for the negative side, letting go might mean that you'd have to set each other free because you know that you're no good for each other. You will only harm each other. The sad part here is, you'd have to face the fact that that something or someone is better off WITHOUT YOU. This is the time when you get scarred. But anyhow, you'd still learn how to move on.  Moving on is the best part. Here, you'd realize that there are other possibilities, you shouldn't drown yourself with your sadness, you could always start anew.

FLYING CHICKENS

I was sitting on the couch, wondering what I could possibly do for today. I can see one chicken outside. Flapping its wings. Suspended in the air, but immediately landing back to the ground, and then it hit me. WHAT IF I train our CHIKENS to FLY, and call them the PHILIPPINE CHICKENS?

I called my cousins and told them about my idea. "Haha!", Tricia laughed. "Brilliant!", said Miggy. The others also agreed with my plan, and so we headed to the chicken houses. All the tiny chicks were gathered at the corner, pecking on small grains of feed. We decided to pick the adolescent chicks so that they would be easier to train. Alvin brought with him a roll of abaka tie. What we did was tie one of the chicks' feet to a thin, long stick, pierced deep in the ground. Each of us held one chick and at the same time let go of them. It was very funny that some of the chicks just fell down. I saw potential from the other chicks and so I decided to continue with the training.

A couple of hours have passed. All of us were tired so we went back home with the hope that SOMEDAY, these chicks would be able to fly, and be the FIRST FLYING CHICKENS.

IT'S LIKE RAAAIIIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY..

IRONY
~ it is the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning

There are 3 types of Irony. These are the:

1. Verbal Irony - it's saying something that means the other, or conveying something that is opposite of what it really means. It can be also called "sarcasm".
2. Situational Irony - according to an online Dictionary, it is an irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
3. Dramatic Irony- it is when the words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters

Irony is only one of the many literary devices used in the narratives we have discussed which were "The Cask of Amontillado" and "A Long Walk to Forever". Here are some examples of ironies I found in the two narratives.

In The Cask of Amontillado...

• Verbal Irony ~ (1) "Drink," Montressor said, presenting Fortunato the wine... "I drink," Fortunato said, "to the buried that reppose around us." "And I to your long life," Montressor said. This is a perfect example of a verbal irony. We all know that Montressor is planning to murder Fortunato, and here he says he drinks for Fortunato's long life. (2) "In pace requiescat!" It means "rest in peace" Montressor said this when Fortunato died. Why would he wish peace to his enemy? 
• Situational Irony ~ (1) Fortunato's name was a situational irony. It's pretty clear that his name means "Fortunate", but what happened to him wasn't fortunate at all. (2) "..and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation." Montressor was the one smiling at Fortunato in this part of the story. I think it's ironic [and at the same time VERY creepy] how a person still smiles at the person he's planning to kill.
• Dramatic Irony ~ (1) One instance where dramatic irony was shown in the narrative was when Montressor used the Amontillado to lure Fortunato. Fortunato was a connoisseur in wine and the Amontillado was one special kind of wine. (2) Montressor used a somewhat type of reverse psychology with Fortunato. At first Montressor consulted him with the Amontillado, but then he suddenly said he's just gonna go consult Luchesi, this insulted Fortunato.

In A Long Walk to Forever...

• Verbal Irony ~ (1)  "Did you think I would throw myself into your arms?" Catharine said. It's pretty ironic how Catharine said this to Newt in the earlier part of the story and as the story ended, Catharine ran back to Newt and put her arms around him. (2) "A very nice walk" Newt said this after their long walk. For me, it is an irony because their walk wasn't really 'very nice' at all because of the quarrels and arguments they had during the walk.
• Situational Irony ~ (1) Newt's character was a situational irony. He is known by Catharine as her shy best friend. Then suddenly Newt becomes very confident and proud telling Catharine that he loves her. (2) It is also a situational irony when Newt smiled, stared at Catharine for a moment, then walked away quickly. It's like, after he confessed all his feelings for Catharine, he's just gonna walk away, not even fighting for what he feels for her.
• Dramatic Irony ~ (1) It is ironic and at the same time, very annoying, when Catharine adored Newt with all her heart WHILE HE WAS ASLEEP. While they were awake, she just keep rejecting Newt's love for her. Why couldn't she just tell him full frontal?  (2) It was a dramatic irony when the bells from the school of the blind rang. It's like waking them both up, so they could see that they are really in love with each other.

THE HARD THING WITH CHOICES

If I were to choose between the man who loves me and the man I love, I would choose the man who loves me. I would rather be with someone who ACCEPTS me and WANTS me, than someone who doesn't love me at all. It would hurt me if I'd have let go of the man I love, but it would hurt me more if I'd have to force that man to love me. I know it would take time for me to learn how to love a man, but, I know, as time passes by, it would all be worth it.