Translations

My initial thoughts when I began to read translations is to compare it to the most recent play I've read. Translations and Othello are worlds apart, almost literally.

Anyway, my first reaction was that this play had detailed directions, whereas Othello (as a Shakespeare play) has none. Translations tells the age, the setting, and personality of people before a scene even begins. Part of me finds this helpful and part of me finds it frustrating. I like being able to interpret and use my imagination as I go.

A part that is similar for me in comparing Othello and and Translations is that both seem to contain a certain amount of language I don't understand. Granted that at least the parts of Translations I don't understand is in another language, but reading these parts makes just as much sense to me as Shakespeare does.

Beliefs and Knowledge

I found our in class discussion about the differences and similarities between belief and knowledge very interesting. This is something I've been asked to think about before and I've know how fine the line is between the two, but I still think there is a definite distinction. I think of them in a Venn diagram, as two circles that overlap on certain subjects. I don't think they can totally be pulled apart or pushed together.
To me knowledge is something that can be proved. Beliefs are something you want to prove but can't. When I say prove I mean back up with some sort of hard evidence. Have a photograph, historical evidence, scientific evidence, etc. These are things I consider to be proof and the more evidence a belief has to back it up, the closer it comes to becoming knowledge.
There are some beliefs that will never be considered knowledge. I know this and accept it. I know that there are some things people refuse to believe are true even with the evidence sitting in front of them. This is where beliefs and knowledge get fuzzy.
Both knowledge and beliefs have to be believed to exist. If people can't accept that other individuals have different beliefs that they think are just as valid as there own, they won't ever be able to accept it what they believe ends up being proven wrong. If people can;t believe in the possibility of beliefs besides there own, how will they accept it when it becomes knowledge? I guess some people never do.

Lucy

The cover of the book Lucy is interesting because i see the woman as Lucy. She looks confused and sad to me. I think this picture depicts her before she realizes that her mother is her greatest love. The hand she holds up seems like she's pushing someone away. To me, it seems symbolic of her inability to get emotionally close to anyone, especially her lovers. She holds back even though she is unhappy. I think if this image had been meant to give an image of Lucy after she realized her great love for her mother there would be less confusion on her face. She just seems so unhappy, and unsure of why she feels that way.
I also find it interesting that she looks naked. Maybe this too symbolizes her physical connections with people and lack of emotional dependence on any of them. It could also be a demonstration of her search and discoveries about her sexuality. Between the ages of 14 and 19 in the novel we are able to see her experiment and figure out what her sexuality means to her.

The above picture is another version of the cover for the novel Lucy. In this depiction Lucy looks younger and happier. This image is more confusing for me because I don't picture her as young and happy. Maybe this is before she felt lonely, before she began to push people away emotionally. The dress she's wearing is white which convinces me even more of her innocence in this picture. She's still not wearing much, maybe this is foreshadowing her promiscuity and experimentation. She is also holding a feathery headdress which is indicative of her heritage and a reminder of where she came from.