If We Were Villains- Post 1

“If We Were Villains” is a murder mystery story portrayed as a Shakespearean drama. The story is constructed like a play with scenes and acts. Oliver, the narrator is in a tight friend group of acting students.

The prologue is set in the present with Oliver after his ten-year prison sentence of a murder he may or may not have committed. Then the rest of the scenes are what leads up to the murder and the present.

The first scene sets up the group’s relationships and foreshadows future conflicts. Richard later loses his temper due to the unscripted rehearsal not going the way he was hoping. He showcased his aggressive personality, as well as highlighting the tension between the group of friends. Later at a party Richard attacks James which demonstrates his aggression.

A big idea in the story was power and rivalry. Richard is perceived to have some power compared to others. At the same time, he has different rivalries among the group. With his aggressive personality, he is isolated from the group.

The story also demonstrates the high-pressure learning environments in their school. The book focuses on the competitive aspects of having to audition and compete against friends in order to get a preferred part.

Another big idea is loyalty and betrayal. In the group of friends, there is expected to be loyalty among everyone. However, at the lake party, Richard shows betrayal when he tries to drown James. This shows a break in trust and solid relationships within the group. 

M.L Rio’s diction often includes poetic and dramatic phrases which align with the student’s connection to Shakespeare. This diction shows the difference between Shakespearean art and reality. I’m not a big fan of her diction and language because there are some Shakespearean references and I don’t know much about Shakespeare so it can be confusing at times.

Starter Post

I am reading If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. I picked this book because my partner is Ruby and she has wanted to read this book for a long time. I think this book will be challenging for me because it is like a play, so it might be confusing to read and there are different perspectives throughout the book. I am looking forward to working with a partner because she can hold me accountable if I am not reading as much as I should. I am nervous I am going to fall behind in my reading like I did for our last independent book and leave over one hundred pages for the last couple of days. I am a little nervous because there are a lot more pages than my last book, and I barely finished my other book. I am going to have Ruby keep me accountable and actually read in my free time.

Motivating emotions

Jealousy- On page 61, Elizabeth beleives that Abigail wants to take her place. She beleives Abigail is jealous of her and Abigail wants proctor for herself. Love- On page 113, Elizabeth lied for Proctor in court because she loves him and wanted to protect him. Fear- Mary beleives that Abigail will kill her if she says anything against Abigail. Anger- on pages 119-120, Proctor started yelling in court sometimes directly to Danforth.

How Red Coud Changed the minds of his audience.

Red Cloud did not change his audience’s mind while delivering his speech. His speech did not overpower his audience’s thoughts enough for them to change their minds. The white americans were determined to gain as much land, gold, and power that they could. In the process of taking over the Native American’s lives, they had no remorse for what they were doing to them. When Red Cloud delivered his speech he said, “We are driven into a very little island, and we want you, our dear friends, to help us with the Government of the United States. The Great Spirit made us poor and ignorant. He made you rich and wise and skillful in things which we know nothing about” (2). This demonstrates that the white american’s took over the Native American’s valuables before the speech. Today, we know that the american’s did not stop taking over therefore Red Cloud’s speech made no difference to the americans.

Cultural encounters in De Las Casas’s story

De Las Casas’s story, “A Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies” demonstrates the encounters that the Indian’s went through while the new world was being developed. As he illustrates what heppened to the Indians after Culumbus showed up, De Las Casas says, “all of them were publicly sold for one hundred and fifty castellanos, these Indians who had lived happily on their islands until the Spaniards came” (92). De Las Casas portrays the idea that the Indians encountered a whole new life without the presence of loved ones or their beloved island. Instead, they started with unfamiliar faces and tragic stories to tell. Their culture was abandoned and forgotten.