MY CHARACTER THURSDAY [ 13 ] : Samuel Parris

MY CHARACTER THURSDAY HOP ( 13 ) 

This week I’m still focusing on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. At first, I reveal Abigail Williams as the main character who created this tragedy as the main themes on this story. But now I reveal another person that also taking big-part on how this things even began to happens.  If you wishes to know a lot more on this story, check on my review in HERE, as for today character, I will talk a little-bit about REVEREND SAMUEL PARRIS

• Are they protagonist or antagonist?

Well he cannot be the protagonist since from the very start he already one and the only adult who knows the real ‘event’ that makes those girls starting act very strange and mysterious. I don’t believe he don’t unnderstand the meaning behid those epidemic illness and accusation, who lead into killing innocent people. I will held him as the person who taking responsibility on this tragedy. He might not knowing the motives behind Abigail action, but he should open-up with commoners on the main event that happens before this crazy things explode in the society. After all, he is an adult-grown man, who should know better on what’s right and what’s wrong.

Books "MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA"

Books “Memoar Seorang Geisha”

Judul Asli : MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

Copyright © 1997 by Arthur Golden

Penerbit Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Alih Bahasa : Listiana Srisanti

Cetakan XI : Desember 2007 ; 496 hlm

[ Review in Indonesia & English ]

[ Period : 1930 ] ~ [ Setting : Yoroido – Kyoto ; Japan ] ~ [ Facts : History about the living of geisha community in Gion District, Kyoto ]

Awal pembukaan kisah cukup menarik, dimulai dengan kata pengantar berjudul ‘Catatan Penerjemah’ yang anehnya berbeda dengan nama alih bahasa di edisi terjemahan ini, namun sambil melanjutkan halaman demi halaman, dan melalui hasil wawancara dengan sang penulis, ternyata memang kondisi ini disengaja, untuk mendekatkan pembaca dengan penuturan lewat sudut pandang orang pertama : sosok Sayuri – tokoh utama kisah ini, dengan perantaraan orang kedua, yaitu ‘sang penerjemah’, yang dituturkan bagaikan sebuah memoar. Ini adalah sebuah kisah fiksi yang memperoleh banyak masukan dari gambaran kehidupan nyata para geisha di era tahun 1930-an. Meski sebuah fiksi belaka, namun banyak kebenaran di dalamnya, fakta-fakta yang selama ini tersembunyi dalam suatu komunitas kehidupan yang penuh dengan kontroversi serta skandal. 

~ Ohgo Suzuka as Chiyo ~

Tokoh utama dalam kisah ini adalah gadis cilik bernama Chiyo – putri kedua pasangan nelayan miskin Minoru Sakamoto dari pernikahannya yang kedua. Ia memiliki kakak perempuan bernama Satsu yang berbeda usia 7 tahun. Jika Satsu sangat mirip dengan ayah mereka, maka Chiyo mirip sekali dengan ibunya, terutama sepasang mata besar berwarna kelabu transparan, sesuatu yang langsung menarik perhatian dimana sebagian besar warna mata di Jepang adalah gelap atau kecokelatan. Kehidupan Satsu dan Chiyo mengalami perubahan besar, ketika salah satu pengusaha besar di wilayah tersebut, Tuan Ichiro Tanaka bertemu dengan Chiyo secara tak sengaja. Chiyo yang sangat terkesan dengan keramahan serta penampilan Tuan Tanaka, memiliki harapan dan impian, bahwa ia serta keluarganya ‘diadopsi’ oleh Tuan Tanaka. Dan suatu hari, impian tersebut terjadi, Satsu serta Chiyo dipanggil untuk segera menghadap Tuan Tanaka di kota. Tanpa sempat berpamitan dengan sang ibu yang tergolek sakit, hanya mengucapkan sepatah-dua patah kata kepada sang ayah yang tampak semakin sedih dan layu pada hari-hari terakhir, kedua gadis itu segera menemui Tuan Tanaka, yang langsung membawa mereka ke stasiun kereta api, menyerahkan keduanya kepada sosok asing bernama Tuan Bekku yang tampak menyeramkan.

2013 European Reading Challenge

I'm tempted by another RC, and since there's several books in this category are in my TBR Pile, well why not just joining as participant in 2013 European Reading Challenge host by Rose City Reader. As you already quest, the main goal is read as many books (or just one) in a year with the European themes. For further details and Sign-Up, you can check in here. And after finished reads and review it, there's a link for update reviews, so each participants can do blogwalking too.

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books.

Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books.

Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books.

One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book

My TBRR (To-Be-Read-Review) Pile : 

• Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander [ Russia ]
• The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare [ Egypt ]
• The Godfather by Mario Puzo [ Italy ]
• Death In Vienna by Frank Tallis [ Vienna ]
• The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke [ Venice ]
• A Tale in Two Cities by Charles Dickens [ England & French ]

Note : I will updating my list or changing it as long as my progress through the year, hopelly it will finished by the end of this year.  

Best Regards,

Books "THE CRUCIBLE" [ Final Conclusion ]

"THE CRUCIBLE [ FINAL CONCLUSION ]" 

I finished reading this book over than a week ago, but still so many things keep coming-up in my mind, what is the main reason of this tragedy – that not only  a crime by adult but also involving childrens as the source to punished and taking live of others human being. So simply to clear my mind off it, I’m trying to get some common sense, at least a few part to digest the story behind the history of Salem’s Witchtrials.  

Miller wrote an excellent plays, with so dreadful character, you cannot tell which one to blame when this story ended. It begins with an episode ‘cause by little girl named Betty Parris (age 10) who got sick after being caught by his father, doing something forbidden like dancing on ritual in the middle of wild forrest. There’s also several girls involve in this accident, some of them are Abigail Williams (age 17), Parrish’s niece, and his black slave name Tituba. Those silly act doing by numbers of careless girls, just to have some fun and rather childish things, doing spelling cast on somebody else. But the situation change rapidly. Afraid of further punishment and anger from the society, Betty Parris act as she got illnes from witchcraft – a Devil’s work among villagers. This act responds and got wider topic ‘cause by Reverend Parris him self and his niece Abigail Williams.

MY WISHFUL WEDNESDAY [ 16 ] : "AMERICAN WIFE"

MY WISHFUL WEDNESDAY ( 16 ) 

This week, first I really craving for another book listed on Newbery Medal and Honor, but then I realized somethings, I have several books on my pile, and they listed on this categories ...and the bad part is, I haven’t read it yet *close my eyes* -- arrggh, so out of shame (actually I have not had shame if involving my books piles), I change my wishlist this week for more reasonable one : it’s on my list ‘cause it’s so expensive (that’s means it will not onmy tbrr pile very soon enough, unless there’s good santa giving me this as a present haha)

Ok, my wihlist this week is : AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld, it’s already translate into Bahasa Indonesia, but my oh my it’s so expensive, nearly IDR 100 ....

Preview :

Alice Lindgren, seorang kutubuku yang lahir pada tahun 1940-an, tidak pernah menyangka suatu hari akan menduduki Gedung Putih, dan menikah dengan seorang presiden. Sebuah kecelakaan tragis di kota asalnya, Wisconsin, ketika usianya tujuh belas tahun, mengubah arah hidupnya. Lebih dari satu decade kemudian, ketika seorang putra keluarga Republikan yang berkuasa menarik hatinya, ia tiba-tiba masuk ke dalam dunia yang sama sekali berbeda. Dan tak disangka-sangka, ketika suaminya menjadi gubernur, dan kemudian presiden, ia menemukan fakta bahwa pria yang dicintainya memiliki pandangan yang sangat berbeda dengannya dan pandangan pribadinya melawan pesonanya di hadapan publik. Ketika jabatan suaminya memasuki periode kedua, Alice harus melawan kontradiksi yang telah ada bertahun-tahun dan menghadapi pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang hampir tak mungkin dijawab.

- Merupakan salah satu novel yang masuk daftar top ten of the year Time, People, dan Entertainment Weekly
- Di inspirasi oleh biografi Laura Bush, menceritakan rahasia-rahasia seorang ibu Negara dan pandangannya tentang jabatan dan keputusan-keputusan suaminya, yang tidak selalu sesuai dengan prinsip pribadinya

Published by Esensi ( Erlangga Division ) - source by BukaBuku.com

As alwalys, if you want to join this Wishful Wednesday Blog Hop, just follow this instructions below : 

MY WISHFUL WEDNESDAY HOP

• Silakan follow blog Book to Share – atau tambahkan di blogroll/link blogmu =)
• Buat posting mengenai buku-buku (boleh lebih dari 1) yang jadi inceran kalian minggu ini, mulai dari yang bakal segera dibeli, sampai yang paling mustahil dan hanya sebatas mimpi. Oya, sertakan juga alasan kenapa buku itu masuk dalam wishlist kalian ya!
• Tinggalkan link postingan Wishful Wednesday kalian di Mr. Linky (klik saja tombol Mr. Linky di bagian bawah post). Kalau mau, silakan tambahkan button Wishful Wednesday di posting kalian.
• Mari saling berkunjung ke sesama blogger yang sudah ikut share wishlistnya di hari Rabu =)

Best Regards,

MY CHARCTER THURSDAY [ 12 ] : Abigail Williams

~ Wynona Ryder as Abigail Williams ~ [ source ]

MY CHARACTER THURSDAY HOP ( 12 )

This month I pick “THE CRUCIBLE” by Arthur Miller as the part of Reading Challenge on Plays. My interest on this book are come while I reading ‘The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane’ by Katherine Howe – who through her family history are related with Elizabeth Howe, one of the suspect on Salem’s Witchtrials and hang by the court, and she also had close relationship with Elizabeth Proctor, who survive from the allegations. Arthur Miller write this plays from the main histories that give a black-hole on the good name the laws and government in American History. There’s several interesting characters on this plays, ‘cause Miller give such intense stories and horror on the scene. He also give description on each character, so the reader can ‘sees’ the setting nor the player through their imagination. For the first character, I want you to know the source of this stories : ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, and my opinion based on this book, not the real Abigail Williams from the Salem’s Witchtrials, even there’s similarity on the few facts on history.

Are they protagonist or antagonist?

She definetely antagonist character, act as a victims, but behind that she had really bad-motive to pursue her crazy dreams to become the lover of a married man.  

Who are they? What was their role in the book?

[ source ]

Abigail Williams is a 17 years old girl, a very pretty and attractive one, niece of Reverend Samuel Parris who lead the ministry in Salem’s. This story begin with when Reverend Parris found that several girls are doing a forbidden rituals at the forbidden place, with his daugther, Betty Parris (age 9), Abigail and his black slave Tituba, all taking part on this horrible event. Shock, scare, and probably a little bit shame, little Betty Parris collapse and not waking-up for days. Because of this, rumour are spread that it’s a works of the Devil, ‘cause no doctor can’t cure Betty, then there’s others girl had the strange syptoms too. Knowing that Abigail are the only one stay awake and seems healthy, many ‘hush-questions’ point at here. I think she just start to find another escape-rute from further allegation on what really they are doing in the forest on the occasion, when Reverend Parrish found them. But then one lies goes to another lies, so she do ‘pretense’ on the stories that’s all of that is a Devil’s work, cast on these girls (Abigail had follower, girls who afraid of her and willing to do what ever she told them to do). But this things are carry-away due the works of authority, all adult persons who also had different agenda on their mind, and innocent victims are choose one by one, to by punished and hang.

What was your strongest impression on the character(s)? You can quote the dialogue or narration you got the impression from.

She is a crazy, manipulated, selfis, unhearted girl, even in very young age she already knew that she had the ability to influence people but use that to gets follower to do what she want, no matter how bad that is. I think she also had no counsence, simply the thinks that all the act she leads are sacrifice many life of innocent people, told me maybe she a little-bit ‘pscycopath’ too.  

"It were a fire, John, we lay in fire. And from that night no woman dare call me wicked any more but I knew my answer. I used to weep for sins when the wind lifted up my skirts; and blushed for shame because some old Rebecca called me loose. And then you burned my ignorance away. As bare as some December tree I saw them all - walking like saints to church, running to feed the sick, and hypocriters in their hearts! And God gave me strength to call them liars, and God made men to listen to me, and by God I will scrub the world clean for the love of Him! Oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again!"

What are the strengths or weaknesses of your character(s)?

Well she had strengths to influence people, otherwise no follower will willing to do everything she told them to do, unfortunally she used it on the ugly-bad-devilish works. If I can say about the weakness, maybe it’s her falling to John Proctor, makes her excuse to all her act. But still I think that could be stop if she had good moral issue or clear mind and counsence.

How do they develop throughout the book?

She become more-more most hatred character on this story, ‘cause after several death on innocent people, she still continue all the parade by her follower, pointing every singla man or woman to be accused as Devil’s servant and will goes to hang for sure. But also through times, I found that the adult and powerful authority, also tooks part on this wrong allegation, so I think with this combination, most likely for all the victims to survive and staying a live on those time, a very little.

What makes you love/hate them?

I already describe how dislike I’m on Abigail’s character. But even sees how horrible she is, still I will blame it on the adult, his uncle specially who knowing (or suspected something) the episode that makes her daugther had ‘strange’ condition, but refuse to see the truth and search for another ‘escape-goat’, and the authority, who suppose to stand-clear on truth and justice, are also doing the opposite choice, it’s a political issue surrounding ‘religion’ and ‘power’.

What lessons or influences you got from them?

[ source ]

Living in a little town sometimes ‘cause a several ‘friction’ from each others, and living in a small and close community also sometimes ‘invite’ crime between them. The way Puritan’s people living are  different than Protestan Church’s people, makes them point at each others. One claimed that if someone does not do the same things like common people do, he/she will be judge as ‘innocent’ souls that should be burn-in Hell. Well, thanks God I don’t live on those time. But small-minded, prejudice, envy, greedy, are still the same topics on this days, only on the different format. It’s hard to be different than others, people often choose to blend or pretend as the common community, rather than be our-self, but out-cast ‘cause your are different. Through this stories, the basic questions are many times appears on the dialogue, are you believe in God’s when not every Sabbath you goes in church, or even known your Ten Commantments. Are you works in God’s side when it’s a day forbidden to works, you choose works in your land rather than staying home and do prays all days ? Are you curse by the Devil’s simply because you had misscarried, having several unborn child, or simply just you body are not healthy ? This story based on true events, and yet all the innocent victims are still not many of them had their recognise as ‘the saint’ for stand-still on their believe in God’s...if wonder what keeps those government to admitted that they are doing the wrong things after many-many years.

As always, if you want to join this blog hop, just sign-in and follow theses intructions below :

Syarat Mengikuti : 

• Follow blog Fanda Classiclit sebagai host, bisa lewat Google Friend Connect (GFC) atau sign up via e-mail (ada di sidebar paling kanan). Dengan follow blog ini, kalian akan selalu tahu setiap kali blog ini mengadakan Character Thursday Blog Hop.
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Best Regards,