Macbeth Pre-Reading

Ambition is the strong desire to do or achieve something and I believe that ambition can be both positive and negative. An example of how ambitions lead to negative results is found in the story of David Johnstone and John Hoare. David had an ambition to row across the Atlantic Ocean; it had only been done once before but for whatever reason he had to do it. His strong desire to row the ocean caused him to spend all of his money on a boat and find a partner. After a lot of hard work and generosity of the people, John and David were able to launch from America on their way to Great Britain. They rowed somewhat successfully for a while until a storm hit and the boat was lost in the unforgiving ocean. Sure this is an extreme case of a failure in ambition but nonetheless it proves my point. David had an ambition to row the ocean and this desire resulted in his death. Ambition for smaller things like fortune can also result negatively if it causes you to take risks or ignore other aspects of your life. Even if you succeed in your ambition to achieve something like wealth the outcome can be negative if you have lost friends and experiences along the way. On the other hand ambition can be positive when you work hard for your goal without losing sight of what’s really important. An example of positive ambition is in Terry Fox: he had a desire to run across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Terry had a desire to raise cancer awareness and even though he eventually died he succeeded in his goal. I think ambition will only result in a positive outcome if there is reason for your desire, maybe if David were rowing the ocean to raise awareness for Cancer research he would have achieved his goal. Knowing his desire was bigger than himself maybe he would have rowed fast enough to beat the storm instead of taking his time. Perhaps wanting something for a reason makes it more possible for you to succeed.

"The Lost World" Title

I am currently reading the classic novel "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The novel's title, "The Lost World", is appropriate to the themes of the book. Arthur Conan Doyle chose an appropriate title based on the main setting of the book. The majority of the book takes place in the remote amazon following the footsteps of Professor Challenger's expedition. When the characters are not on their journey in this uncharted land they are speaking of its existence and planning their own expedition to test the theories and findings of Professor Challenger. During his previous expedition Professor Challenger discovered the possible proof for his evolution theories, a hidden piece of land containing creatures once thought to be extinct. This remote area in the South American Amazon is a mysterious world to mankind. "The Lost World" suits the novel because Professor Challenger has found a strange plateau where antiquated creatures thrive. These creatures of massive size and prehistoric nature resemble nothing of the creatures found anywhere else in the world. Professor Challenger's expedition revealed an area of undiscovered and untouched landscape. This piece of land possesses secrets to evolution and extinction. Before having been discovered this area of land was lost and unknown to mankind. The creatures and organisms found on this rare and hidden plateau contain the lost links to many phenomenons previously unknown by science. Professor Challenger's dangerous Amazon is truly a lost world.

The Lost World- Chapter 4

I am currently reading “The Lost World” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have read the first 4 chapters and have made the decision to read the novel to the very last page. I plan on finishing the novel because it has themes in which interest me: biology and exceptionality. The novel expresses themes of biology through the accounts of an eccentric zoologist named Professor Challenger. Professor Challenger spent a year in a remote location in South America where he observed creatures in which other scientists deemed extinct. Professor Challenger also expresses his theories on evolution in the novel, which oppose those of Weissmann. Professor Challenger is a character that, as seen by his theories, opposes accepted behaviors and belief of both society and science. Owing to the fact that he is an unconventional character he is also a very intriguing one. Due to his lack of refinement, he is often unpredictable, making the story even more compelling. In the 3rd chapter his erratic behavior is evident when he tackles a journalist, Ed Malone, upon inquiring about his adventures in South America.  Ed Malone brings us to another theme in the novel, exceptionality. He embarks on a journey to find out about Professor Challenger’s accounts in South America, seeking a thrill well aware of the professor’s unconventional behavior. Malone is on a search for an adventure after his love interest Gladys rejects him on the grounds of not being an interesting enough man. Gladys seeks a man with great experiences on thrilling expeditions, a man who would produce envy from other woman. Ed Malone is on a search for exceptionality to prove himself worthy of Gladys. With appealing themes and unpredictable characters, “The Lost World” is proving itself to be a good read.