Author: Cassandra

This is not the first time I have been posed with the prompt, “If your house were on fire and you could only save three items, what would they be?” This is, however, the first time I have sincerely and thoroughly tried to formulate an accurate response.

I’m going to presume that if my home were on fire and I could only save three items, cats, like people, do not count. Even if this were not the original case, I am electing to now make it so because if the cats did count they would be my only selection, and also I could not possibly choose between the four of them. I am further going to presume that “backpack” is not a valid option, since in the case of a real fire I would probably sweep as many nearby objects as possible into a bag, but that would defeat the purpose of this exercise.

The underlying question, “What is most precious to you?” is a difficult one to answer. My family, my friends, knowledge, happiness, and the stories I write, but most of these aren’t tangible, and in the given scenario none of them need saving. Of my possessions, I value a great many things, from collections of plush and books and ceramic dragons to pins and favorite T-shirts and a hand-carved wooden quetzal that was given to me by a friend. In truth, however, painful though it is, most of these are replaceable.

My first instinct, and my first choice, is to save my laptop. While it is technically also replaceable, in that all of my files are backed up to be accessible from other devices, it also means a great deal to me. My computer is my school, my library, my most consistent and unwavering connection to the world, and where I transcribe the worlds of words and wonder in my mind. I suspect, in the ensuing chaos of losing a home and most possessions, I would desperately need all of those in arm’s reach.

It may sound childish, but the next most important thing I want in arm’s reach is a stuffed animal. Specifically, Cilantro, the alligator I bought at a Cracker Barrel when I was nine, and wrote a book about the following month. A fairly short book, only about ten thousand words, but a book nonetheless, and that experience (along with his virtues as a pillow) makes him the particular one of my many beloved plush that I would save.

My last choice I knew would be sentimental as well, but what exactly proved a greater challenge. I factored out the replaceable: favorite books and blankets, my clarinet, the necklace with my Mayan astrological sign. Of the remaining, there is a piece of jade I carved while I was in Guatemala that I seriously considered as my third, but decided against. Jade might survive fire; my eighth grade yearbook most assuredly wouldn’t. Not only does that carry the significance of fond memories, but it was also my last year in the public school system, lending extra weight to the well-wishes and farewells in the cover, as well as the reminders of friends I now less frequently get to see.

“If your house were on fire and you could only save three items, what would they be?” is a difficult question to answer, and it becomes even more so the longer you consider it and the possessions you usually take for granted. Despite this, if I could only save three things I do not believe I would regret choosing the items I did.

A while back, I did a sampler post with Writing Prompts I found on Pinterest. Now, I’d like to show off another type of post I love reading. Those of you who have seen my Rosetta Stone and Duolingo posts might already be aware that I’m kind of obsessed with languages; beyond studying them, I also enjoy picking up stray words and phrases. As such, I’ve compiled a few fun examples from Pinterest for you. Enjoy!

Again, I’m exhausted, so I’m focusing on little happy things. But, honestly, we could all use more of that right now, so I can’t say I feel bad about this.

First off, we have hibiscus flowers in the garden! Of multiple varieties!

Also, I got some really neat stuff from my amazing godmother last weekend! I’m especially looking forward to reading through the cookbook and the explanations for each recipe with how they tie into their related fandoms.

Julius Caesar is a work rooted in history. Like history, and like many of Shakespeare’s other powerful plays, there’s a great deal of debate centered around it. In this case, whether the tragic hero is Julius Caesar or Marcus Brutus. For my part, I believe Caesar could easily have been the tragic hero. However, as Shakespeare chose to make Brutus the protagonist by focusing on Brutus’s decisions, conflicts, and demise, the role of tragic hero is his.

Allow me to begin with some definitions. A tragic hero is a protagonist who is doomed to fail due to a tragic flaw, and a protagonist is the main character of a story, around whom the narration revolves. Therefore, to prove that Brutus is the tragic hero, I will endeavor to explain why he is the protagonist.

It can be seen throughout the play that the narration is focused on Brutus and his conflicts and decisions. For instance, in Act 1, Scene 2, when Caesar turns down the crown, we instead are focused on Brutus’s conversation. If Caesar were the tragic hero, and thereby the protagonist, we should have seen this from his perspective, just as all of Brutus’s pivotal moments are centered on him. Yet rather, the whole ordeal was recounted second-hand, through Casca.

Furthermore, while it is true that Caesar is faced with a decision in Act 2, Scene 2, on whether or not to go the Senate, conspicuously absent are the stirring soliloquies characteristic of Shakespeare’s work. There was a decision that was made, questioned, and revised, but there was no conflict in Caesar; at least, not that we are privy to. The same is true of the opinions he expressed in Act 1, Scene 2. In contrast, a significant portion of Act 2, Scene 1, is focused on Brutus’s internal conflict and thought process leading to his conclusion that Caesar must die, and further in the determination of how with his co-conspirators.

Another point that suggests Brutus is the protagonist is the focus on his demise. While tragic heroes are defeated by their fatal flaws, and Caesar’s pride certainly was one, the fact that his death was in Act 3, Scene 1 of a five act play suggests that his fatal flaw and his demise were not the center of Shakespeare’s tale, but rather a catalyst for Brutus’s downfall. It was Brutus’s nobility that spurred him to let Mark Antony give a speech in the wake of Caesar’s death, which led the people to turn against him. He only ever wanted what was best for them, and we see that at every step of the way, where Caesar’s intentions largely remain clouded. Again, this focus on the inner workings of Brutus’s mind, but not Caesar’s, suggest that Brutus is the tragic hero. Furthermore, if it had been Caesar’s story, it either would have ended with his assassination or, during the fourth and fifth acts, would have focused on Mark Antony’s and Octavius’s attempts to avenge him, rather than Brutus’s continued fight for the good of Rome. Even in his dying line, he highlights his fatal flaw, his nobility: “Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will.” (SparkNotes translation: “Caesar, you can rest now. I didn’t kill you half as willingly.”) Because Brutus is the tragic hero, the play ends soon after his death, with only a due acknowledgment of his nobility from his enemies between that and the final drawing of the curtains.

As I said before, Caesar could well have been the tragic hero. However, because Shakespeare instead centered the narrative around Brutus’s decisions, conflicts and demise, making him the protagonist, I believe it is clear that though the play is titled Julius Caesar, it is Marcus Brutus who is the tragic hero.

Inspired by Cheshire Moon‘s song “The Little Things,” this post really is just a couple recent pictures of things that make me happy, and I hope they’ll make you happy too.

First off, the cat photo I’m not counting as a cat photo, because first you have to actually find the cat.

Second, my visual example of that lovely feeling when something you’ve ordered finally arrives in the mail, even when it’s something small. (Shout out to Pridosaurs!)

And third, a whole bunch of goldfinches perched on the catnip just outside the garage side door. (There were six of them intermittently within photographing range.)

I posted a couple weeks ago with pictures of my non-cats, and mentioned they’d soon be my cousin’s. Well, that transfer has been completed, and while new names are still pending, I thought I’d share some favorite photos of them in their new home.

One of the most annoying things people can do is bash each other for messing up. Doing wrong, sure, yell away, but trying to do good and making an honest mistake? Come on, have some compassion. Honestly, this post is largely due to various fictional universes I’m involved in and my irritation towards how the characters are treating each other, but I think this is something we all need to hear.

“I think intent carries a lot of weight. I know some people dismiss it, but if you’re trying to do something good… We all make mistakes. I mean we all try to do something good, and something goes wrong and it turns out not being good… because we don’t have the foresight. We can’t necessarily see the future. Unexpected consequences come in, so we may end up doing harm when we were trying to do something good. But if we don’t try to do something good, nothing good will ever be accomplished, so I give a lot of credit to the people who are at least trying to make the world a better place, trying to improve things.” –A Talk with George R. R. Martin, presented by the College Historical Society, Trinity College August 2019.

It occurred to me that I’ve only been posting photos of the cats, and since I’m giving my other pets to my cousin, they needed at least one post first. So allow me to introduce Clove*, the rabbit (who we got during my fifth grade year), Sage*, the bearded dragon (who we got just after my fifth grade year), and Plum*, the nocturnal and therefore photographically elusive leopard gecko (who if I’m very, very lucky will make an appearance so I can add his picture to this post).

[Update] And, for the first time, I have pictures of Plum*!

*Names have been edited to match their new identities.