Tragedy Journal #12

Yes vs. No


In the recent section of the play, Anouilh implements many combinations of ideas that are conflicting. For example, the distinction between yes and no is shown to be important. The culmination of the conflict and tension is mounted in the following quote by Creon.


"It is easy to say no. To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death. All you have to do is to sit still and wait. Wait to go on living; wait to be killed. that is the coward's part. No is one of your man-made words. Can you imagine a world in which trees say no to the sap? Animals are good, simple, tough. They move in droves, nudging one another onwards, all traveling the same road" (Anouilh 37).


Creon sides more with saying yes than saying no. This improves his side that he has a duty to fulfill. He only became king because he felt obligated. There is a metaphor that he uses, as if a ship is in chaos due to a storm. The ship is representative of the city of Thebes, and Creon grabbed the wheel in order to save the ship. He would have felt cowardly had he said no. Since Creon is connected with yes, therefore Antigone must be connected with no. Indeed, Antigone is against yes. Because Creon said yes to the offer of becoming king, she feels Creon is trapped into killing her. The effect of having the conflicting ideas of yes in the play is twofold. Firstly, it characterizes both Antigone and Creon. Creon's motivation is first and foremost the progress of the city. He wants to provide order if at all possible. Antigone's motivation is unclear, but it could possibly be to challenge authority or to act on her own desires. Secondly, the tension caused by the conflict contributes to the plot. Due to their argument, Antigone is taken off by Creon's guards, supposedly to be killed. This is followed by Haemon entering, providing a rising action as there is another argument, this time between father and son.

Tragedy Journal #11

At the start of the play, the chorus' main objective is to inform the readers. As was discussed in class, there is a great amount of background that is needed to understand the story. All of the characters have something that needs to be known. The story has to start somewhere, and 'the beginning' is not that place due to the background knowledge necessary. The Chorus also provided a level playing field on which the story was built upon. One of the elements of a tragedy that we have learned so far through the Interactive Oral and other discussions is that there should be reasons to side with both sides of the play. This is one of the reason's Anouilh's Antigone was able to be shown in theaters in Nazi occupied France. The Germans were able to see what they wanted to see and could connect with that side. Starting at page 23, there is a noticeable change in Chorus. It starts using more metaphorical language instead of giving relevant and necessary information. "The spring is wound up tight. It will uncoil of itself. ... The machine is in perfect order; it has been oiled ever since time began, and it runs without friction" (Anouilh 23). Through this shift in the language, the role of the chorus begins to tell of tragedies in general. There is a focus on the differences between a tragedy and a melodrama. Perhaps Anouilh was fed up with people thinking the two were one and the same. I feel through the Chorus, the author is able to put in his own opinions. The tone seems to stay somewhat the same despite this shift in language however. The atmosphere of the piece remains consistent. "No gravestone is to be set up in his memory. And above all, any person who attempts to give him a religious burial will himself be put to death" (23). The quote from the first section is dark and depressing in nature, just as later on. "Death, treason, and sorrow are on the march; and they move in the wake of storm, of tears, of stillness" (23). 

Tragedy Journal #10

List of events:

Antigone is sitting alone, while Haemon and Ismene are dancing

Haemon proposes to Antigone

Eurydice is seen knitting

Etocles and Polynices kill each other (? it is told that this happened, but the timing is unclear)

Creon orders that Polynices will not be given a burial, the body is shown, and anyone who buries him will be a traitor.

(Unclear amount of time in between events)

Antigone goes to see Haemon in the nighttime, they have an argument

Antigone buries her brother

Reflection:

Jean Anoulih does not tell the events of the play in the chronological order. For instance, the audience is only informed that Antigone buries Polynices after learning that she has been out for the night and has been with Haemon, and even after there is a dialogue between Antigone and her sister about whether or not the body should be buried. The effect of using this technique muddles the perception of the events, and to a lesser extent the motivations of the characters. It resembles taking a photograph. At first, some of the images are in the picture, but it is all fuzzy and unfocused. I am guessing that throughout the story, the lenses will be shifted so to speak, and the picture will become sharper and more focused. Most of the images, or in this case characters, are somewhat present, but it is hard to discern what is actually being seen.  

Topic Sentence

In Blood Wedding by Frederico Lorca, the character Maid exhibits a longing for worldly possessions such as wedding gifts, and by commanding others she also has a certain level of power.

Tragedy Journal #9

• Wealth isn't everything
• The two wealthiest families in the play end up the most hurt

• People can have power without being from money
• Maid in the scene where the wedding reception is being set up has great power. She orders others around and she appears very controlling, but in a way that is not malignant but proper and justified

• Societal standards should not be blindly followed
• The youth in the play highlight how bad of an example Bride is. She is supposed to be looked upon as a role model, but her actions go against what society has deemed proper. 

• Violence among humans serves no purpose and only leads to unhappiness
• Killing is the biggest conflict of Blood Wedding. There is no positives to it, and it rips families apart, creates sentiment against others, and has lasting effects.

• Family feuds should not continue
• Mother holds grudges against the Felix family. She keeps on bringing this up throughout the play and it irritates her son and possibly others. Bride could have picked up on these feelings and been a contributing factor in her decision to run away.

• Control in a certain amount is a good thing (?)
• Mother tells Bridegroom to have control over Bride and that will lead to a lasting marriage. But Leonardo has too much control over his wife, and that is shown to be a bad marriage. If there is some perfect balance, it is unclear what it would be.
• Honestly, I am not entirely confident that Lorca was trying to get this message across in Blood Wedding. 

Tragedy Journal #8

Journal #8: How does the set change between acts and what effect does the set have on the atmosphere? 


The stage starts off being yellow. Lorca chose to pick a solid color, and not include a pattern. This does two things. Firstly, it lets the audience or the readers use their imagination more. You could say it is more whimsical. Also, having a yellow backdrop highlights the characters more. The bright yellow color may lead the audience to think that the first scene is in daytime, which is in stark contrast to the second scene. At the start of act two, the play is at Bride's house, the door is visible and it is nighttime. Not only is the time of day different, but the background is different too. The scene is filled with common objects that are recognizable. The atmosphere is more like reality than before. This may add to thematic elements that Lorca creates throughout the play indicating the difference between misconceptions and what is actually true. Act three opens to a forest at night with great moist tree trunks visible. This creates a murky atmosphere. The description of the set reminds me of a swamp in movies where there is an alligator under the mud waiting to attack an innocent creature baby or something of that nature. Lorca may have the set like this to highlight the conflict that has been rising. The atmosphere also seems to be foggy and unclear. This uncertainty may lead Bride to second guess her rushed action of running away. 

Tragedy Journal #7

There are a variety of youth in the second act. Why? How does Lorca use the youth to affect the themes of the play?


Lorca may have used the youth in such a great manner for multiple reasons. Firstly, Lorca's character Mother throughout Blood Wedding has made references about past events where her family and the Felix family have had a quarrel. By having youth appear in the novel, although they are not from one particular family, continues the generational elements that Lorca has established. Seeing as the feud went on in the current generation and continued to worsen, Lorca is saying that family feuds are not good. For society as a whole, he could be expressing that people need to move on and forgive others if they harm another person in some way. Holding grudges won't solve any of the problems.


Also, the youth appear in scenes that surround the wedding. Bride and Bridegroom are looked upon as good examples, and the youth are there to learn from them. However, Bride in reality is not a good example as the society dictates, because her actions to run off were looked down upon by the others, and it resulted in great amounts of unhappiness. Lorca demonstrates that just because a society deems something or someone a good example, that it is not always wise to follow it. This reveals that questioning society can lead prove to be beneficial.

Tragedy Journal #6

Which characters appear to be miserable int he play and why?  When and how do the characters express their misery? What do the characters desire and what stops them from going after what each desires? 


In Frederico Lorca's Blood Wedding, the most miserable character is Mother. There are a couple reasons as to why she is so unhappy. Firstly, past events in her life have made her gloomy. It was referenced that both her father, and at least one of her sons, but most likely more, were murdered by a member of the Felix family. Mother recalls this, holds grudges and seems to not let it go. The first scene is evident of this, as she rants on about the knife, and does not want her only son left alive to go out. Although the past events were tragic, the real reason for Mother's hopelessness is because of her inability to move on with her life. Something that is missing from all family feuds, including this one, is forgiveness. Moreover, Mother becomes increasingly depressed because of the loss of Bridegroom, her last relative. She expresses her misery at the beginning of the book in her outburst, again with Father when she sees Leonardo, but mostly at the end of the novel. Her misery is shown in the scene with Bride. The misery is expressed in almost a way of hatred, aimed toward Bride. This may be because Bride partially stopped Mother from obtaining what she truly wanted. Mother wanted Bridegroom to stay and home, and just sleep. She wanted to keep him safe so that he too would not die. One could say that the love between Bride and Bridegroom caused Bridegroom to venture out. This venturing out actually was harmful. The following events lead Bridegroom and Leonardo to kill each other.

Tragedy Journal #5

Journal #5 Examine how Lorca characterize the archetypes of the play.  Does Lorca embrace or reject the archetype?  What is the effect of the characterization? 


The primary archetype that I found in Blood Wedding was one that deals with gender roles. Lorca establishes the set standards of how women are supposed to act: to be in the house primarily, not doing physical labor, among other things. Furthermore, it is established that the women is supposed to be faithful and be there for her husband. Honestly, this is not unheard of. It was very common in Lorca's time and many other eras for women to have those responsibilities. Answering the next question is difficult, because there is evidence that could support both embracing and rejecting the established archetype. Firstly, by analyzing the information present about why Lorca rejects the archetype. Through the interactive oral, it was learned that Lorca was homosexual, something that was against the normal archetypes of the time. This was something that struggled inside of him, and one would think it would be hard to write about something that goes against many fibers of a person's being. However, there are strong points that might lead someone to believe that he embraces the archetype. The main woman character in the story goes against the societal norms by running off with another man soon after she gets married. This major plot point indicates that the societal norms are broken and rejected. Alas, in the end, it does not seem to be worth it. The repercussions for these actions show pain and sorrow. But a character who embraces the societal norms, the mother, is also unhappy. Who is more unhappy in the end? And does that indicate something as to what Lorca is trying to say?

Tragedy Journal #4

Journal #4: Choose any two symbols that emerged in this scene and discuss their significance.  While you are certainly welcome to connect that significance to the entire text, I want you to focus on the details of how they are used in these first 12 pages.  Look at the stylistic choices surrounding their use and build up to a discussion on the role they play or will play in developing theme/character/setting/tension...


Knives:
In the first scene, Lorca uses the symbol of the knife frequently. The knife is almost entirely used by the mother, who has a fear of them. The knife and the Mother are connected in my mind. The way she sees the knife is similar to how she sees other things. She only focuses on the bad aspects of the knife. When the Bridegroom has to use a knife in farming, his mother gets upset. This shows that she focuses on the painful memories associated with the knife instead of being rational. To clarify, The painful memories are because someone of the Felix family killed her husband and children. By having the knife appear so early in the story, Lorca establishes tension. This tension is between the two families, as well as emotions about the mother's son getting married. It also establishes a possible theme that violence and the knife itself cuts the community. 


Textiles:
Linens and lace and other little lovely things are associated with women. In the first scene, Mother talks about how she wants a girl, so they could embroider linens together (Lorca 7). Lorca implements this symbol as a way to highlight gender roles. Right before Mother talks about that, her son talks about how he needs to go to the field and do his work. This juxtaposition reveals what obligations were prevalent during the time period. Lorca establishes these guidelines early, so that later they can be broken. Not only does the Bride not seem to make linens, but she breaks other societal norms and runs off with another man. In the text, Lorca surrounds embroidery with being at peace. By doing this, he connects when one follows the societal norms, then a person will be happy. Again, the inverse is shown again later in the novel when the Bride does not do such and makes herself and others significantly unhappy. A thematic element has formed, but for some reason I do not know yet, I feel that Lorca disagrees with societal norms.

Tragedy Journal #3

There are three primary characters who take blame for what happened to Hedvig: Gregers, Hjalmar and Gina. Each of their actions contributed in some way to the tragic loss of Hedvig. To start at the root of the problems would be to analyze Gina. One could argue that if she had not kept secrets than this never would have happend. People can go into what if's all day, but that doesn't really help with anything. I believe that she had very good reasons not to tell Hjalmar about the interactions that occurred between herself and old Werle. If she was up front with Hjalmar, they may never have gotten married, and he could have left her. However, by doing this, their relationship was established on falsehood. That is why although she had good reasons for her actions of holding things in, I personally would not have, and told the truth early on. It would have been the harder thing to do, but I believe the correct one. The second person at fault for Hedvig's act of suicide is her father, Hjalmar. Hjalmar's actions, specifically saying that he would leave his family, and treating Hedvig like a mangy dog, hurt Hedvig more than any other character. The harm that Hjalmar caused Hedvig was emotional. She loved her father more than anything, and only wanted to see him happy. The falsehood that Gina established the relationship in association with Gregers' need to let the truth be told caused Hjalmar to do those actions. Gregers is the catalyst that caused this inevitable reaction to take place at that time. Gregers intention of revealing the truth was to help the family, not hurt it. This obviously did not happen, as the family was broken. Just because someone has good intentions, does not justify their action. Gregers deserves more blame than the other two because his actions were unnecessary and it was not his place to have the truth be revealed. Hedvig is the victim obviously, but it would be incorrect to say that she does not carry any blame. Ultimately, she did not have to kill herself. Therefore, she is the one responsible for her own death. In the end, Gregers, who is the one responsible for Hedvig's death, does not take responsibility.

Tragedy Journal #2

Death/Decay/Illness Motif & effect

Although not one of the words stated above, Ibsen implements an injury to the Wild Duck in the play with the same name. Injuries are still akin, because all of those words show an impairment of some sort, just like an injury is. In the discussion that happened in class today, it was made clear the connection that Hedvig has with the Duck. Old Werle "shot for her [the wild duck], but ... he only winged her... so she couldn't fly" (Ibsen 153). At first, It was not apparent at first that this connection was seen in Hedvig too. But with a close reading there was more evidence that both entities were being held back and incapable of doing normal activities. One could say that Hedvig has a sickness, although this is not completely accurate. In reality, Hedvig has a disability due to her poor eyesight. This disability is never proven, but her parents seem to take it very seriously. When asked if she goes to school, Hedvig responds with, "No, not anymore. Daddy's afraid I'll hurt my eyes" ( Ibsen 162). Ibsen uses the motif of impairment to further the connection between the Wild Duck and Hedvig, as well as show the downsides of being over-protective. It seems that Hjalmar Ekdal will not let his daughter do many things that she wants to do. The main reason he has for doing this, is apparently the concern for her eyesight. Hedvig wants to help her father do some retouching work, but Hjalmar is concerned. "But don't ruin your eyes! Hear me? I won't take the blame; you can take the blame yourself—you hear me?"(Ibsen 161). The play goes on to show that Hedvig does a fairly good job of retouching. If only Hjalmar would be less controlling, maybe she could develop her art into a talent or sorts. The over-protection that Hjalmar shows seems to be unnecessary and without warrant. In general, one could say over-protection is a bad thing and limits growth.

Tragedy Journal #1

Option 2: Character Perceptions

Who has false conceptions about themselves?
First off, Gregers has a misconception about himself. One thing he prides himself on is his ideals. Throughout the story, it comes to be known that he has held on to these ideals for many years. Relling exhumed this old information and is the character that opposes these ideals the most. Although Gregers refers to them as truthful, Relling sees ideals and lies as one and the same (Ibsen 203). Gregers feels like the truth will be a good thing to reveal to the Ekdal family. However it is the reverse; the family explodes into conflict, and one of the family members commits suicide.


Who has misconceptions about others?
Nearly all of the characters besides herself have misconceptions about Gina. Even the readers do not give her as much credit as she deserves. Gina is introduced as a stereotypical housewife, and when Hjalmar returns home at the beginning of scene two, the first glimpse of her greater importance is seen. She inquires if the photography business has improved, and that the newspaper advertisements seem to not be effective. Furthermore, she convinces her husband to stay in the living room for a couple days after he had firm intentions of leaving his family. In act three of the play, Hjalmar claims that Hedvig does not and has never loved him.


Who recognizes the facades created by other characters? Embrace, ignore or confront facade?
Hedvig recognizes the facade that Hjalmar sees and embraces and defies it. In fact, there is great irony because Hedvig craves her father's attention and wants nothing more than to see him be happy. Gregers convinces her to sacrifice herself in order to achieve her father's love again. Therefore, one could presume that this facade is the reason that she commits suicide. All of the characters basically embrace the facade about Gina.

We #2

Note: I had originally posted the journal when it was due, but after typing the third one, I saw there was an error and people could not see it. So, I had to resubmit it. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused. 

Motifs:
The Green Wall: At first, D-503 is nervous and anxious about what lays behind the Green Wall. As he is on a walk, he notices "a wild wave of roots, flowers, branches, [and] leaves. It reared, and in a moment it would roll and break... but fortunately between" D-503 "and the wild green ocean was the glass of the Wall" (Zamyatin 93). At that point, "the irrational, hideous world of trees, birds, animals" is subsidiary to the ordered life he knows (Zamyatin 93). This shows that D-503 has a hold on his life, and is content. He is grateful for the wall. However, near the end of the second third of We, it is apparent that he has changed internally. Outside of the Green Wall, he comes to a clearing where there are people who were "covered with short, glossy fur, like the fur that can be seen by anyone on the stuffed horse in the Prehistoric Museum" (Zamyatin 156). By finding all of this "so incredible, so unexpected," D-503 changes his views on nature. By showing this change of heart in the main character, Zamyatin wants the reader to enjoy nature. Also, he could be showing that the unordered and simple things should be savored.

Setting:
The Greatest Catastrophe in History: At the event for "voting" for the Benefactor, havoc arrises. The normal circumstance for that ceremony is for all of the citizens of the One State to vote unanimously in favor of the Benefactor, however, "thousands of hands swung up—'against'" him (Zamyatin 143). What ensued that occurrence was chaos. Even the Guardians who keep order were "rushing about helplessly" (Zamyatin 144). I think Zamyatin uses this event to show in theory, socialism is a fairly decent idea. However, it can be broken easily and eventually will crumble. If one event can have a large impact on the stability of the society, then its flaws are big.

Language:
During the second third of the novel, Zamyatin uses figurative language to illustrate D-503's conflicts. D-503 is supposed to meet 1-330 at the apartment when she is not there. D-503 has an out of body experience. "But all I heard was the beating of my heart—not within, but somewhere near me" (Zamyatin 94). The utilization of a metaphor highlights the conflict that D-503 is having with I-330. He wants to spend time with her, but she obviously has other priorities. There is also the conflict within himself, seeing that he feels his being is separate from his body. Zamyatin also shows conflicts when he implements alliteration.  As he is climbing up a ladder at the dock where the Integral is being built, D-503 notices that "the glittering glass stairs flashed under my feet, and every step increased my hopelessness: I had no place here—I, the criminal, the poisoned one" (Zamyatin 83). This quote provides insight into the relationship that he has with the society. Even in an area that is usually comfortable for him, his place of work, D-503 feels out of place. He doesn't feel like he is contributing, and feels that he should not be there.

We #3

Last third of the novel


Motifs:
Birds:
Due to the Green Wall being broken, the birds are able to enter the city. Consequently, people become paranoid, and stray from the usual order of things. "It looked like an enormous swarm of black aeros: barely visible quick dots at an incredible height. Nearer and nearer; hoarse, guttural sounds from above—and finally, over our heads—birds. Their sharp, black, piercing  falling triangles filled the sky. The storm flung them down, they settled on cupolas, on roofs, on poles, on balconies" (Zamyatin 218).When D-503 "returned home... the roofs were covered with black, charred pieces—birds" because of the men who were" swinging seemingly innocuous electrocutors (Zamyatin 219, 221).

This relates to the society today. The birds behind the Green Wall and animals in zoos are similar. They are both restricted in their movements in some way. When a dangerous animal gets loose from a zoo, people start to panic. To control the animal, often they will kill it if other options are not effective. By this action, there is an assumed superiority over animals. In We, The One State does not accept those lesser to them or those less civilized.


Setting:
Space:
I am intrigued as to why Zamyatin make the One State favor space so much over nature. They have many similarities like having unknown elements, and to reach them, one has to venture outside the set and standard society. There is even danger associated with space. While aboard the Integral, D-503 takes into account the danger. "The Integral plunged like a stone—down, faster, faster... and the stone was compelled to fall, to crash against the earth, to smash itself to bits" (Zamyatin 201). The One State must realize those hazards, but still takes the risk. After all, the one stated goal of the One State was to reach space and take with it the poems and other works of the people. Nature and space are so connected that Zamyatin juxtaposes the two. Once they are in space, the members of the Integral look back to the nature. "Everyone rushed out on deck and, bending over the glass railing, hurriedly gulped the unknown world below, beyond the Wall. Amber, green, blue: the autumn woods, meadows, a lake. At the edge of a tiny blue saucer, some yellow, bonelike ruins" (Zamyatin 202). Maybe the One State favors space because it is a new thing to take control of. They could have already taken what interested them from earth, and wanted more.


This connects to the culture of the era when Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote the novel. He was living in Russia when there were communist and socialist ideas going around. Many people wanted to spread the communist ideals outward from Russia into other countries. There is a connection between Russian communism and the space that is described in We. Earlier in the book, the One State tells that the Integral will carry items from that time period, and spread the knowledge and way of life to the other beings in space.

Language:

How cranes are viewed by D-503 and the One State are different. Zamyatin implements a metaphor to show this distinction, and its importance. In the article that the One State publishes, they show the necessity and the advantages of the Great Operation. "The beauty of a mechanism is in its rhythm" and "machines have no imagination. Have you ever heard of cranes restlessly turning from side to side and sighing at night, during the hours designated for rest?" (Zamyatin 179). With this quote, the One State is proving that cranes are inanimate objects, and that is a good quality. By having no imagination, it is almost like not living. This is what the One State wants the people to believe, so they will be more inclined to get the Great Operation. However, D-503 sees just the opposite. At the dock of the Integral, he focuses on the cranes. "I see the living cranes bend their long, birdlike necks, stretch their beaks, and tenderly, solicitously feed the Integral with the terrible explosive food for its motors" (Zamyatin 188). This widens the separation between D-503 and the society that he lives in. It makes the Great Operation all the more useful, since he strays very far from what the One State wants.

We #1

Motifs:
Glass is a recurring item which represents technology, new age ideas. Also, it is seen by D-503 in a positive light. Many things that would be made of cement, steel or bricks are replaced by glass. "The glittering glass of the pavements" represent strength (Zamyatin 4). I feel like the glass in We is stronger than glass in our time.  This influences my understanding of the book because it makes me more aware of the dystopia. In this particular dystopia, they focus on the good aspects of the things that they are being oppressed by, not the negatives. D-503 does not seem to be bothered by having his life be apparent and able to be watched at almost all times. Furthermore, the sun is replaced by something made of glass, a "bluish, crystal," that glows "even through glass bricks" (Zamyatin 17). Their sun is artificial and is probably very efficient at making light, but there is so much more associated with with the sun that just light. Zamyatin refers to the present sun as "a wild, rushing, scorching sun" that had capabilities to "tear everything to shreds" (18). One today would have positive connotations about the sun and the warmth and life it provides. Using such negativity when referring to the past sun gives me the impression that the society is content with being devoid warmth, happiness and life in general.

Setting:
The setting of We is sometime in the future, although it has not stated a specific year. The civilization as a whole is called The One State, where everything is ordered. The group lives near a building called the Green Wall, which is made of "impregnable, eternal glass" (Zamyatin 3). This barrier separates them from 'savages.'  These attributes of the setting improve my understanding of the population. At the point in the book that I am, there is no indication that they keep any record of the months or years. This makes me believe that they have no desire to think about the past, only the present and the future. The civilization is ordered in many aspects, and D-503, and presumably the rest of the population is content with that. They do not feel like it is a bad thing that many aspects of their life is controlled. The Green Wall shows that the society feels like they are far superior to the other forms of life of their time, and of the life before their time. As a whole, the setting increases my understanding of the society by showing that they are obviously being controlled, but they are unaware of the negative consequences that come from being controlled.


Language:
There are two main parts of the language that I found intriguing: the complicated and intricate vocabulary, and the journal-style writing. Firstly, the elaborate words used by D-503 show how advanced the civilization is at the time. This makes me believe that they are indeed in the future, and have experienced somewhat of an intelectual growth as a whole. As in a totalitarian rule such as in Russia, there was some good that came out of the oppression. Russia became a world power due to the type of rule, and maybe the One State has gained some technological and social prowess through a similar ruling. I connected Russia with We at the beginning of the book when Zamyatin tells that "the first Integral will soar into cosmic space" (1). I initially made the connection because of the totalitarian rule of Russia, and the space race that pitted the United States and Russia against each other. The journal entries that D-503 makes show his thought pattern. It shows how he is unsure at times about his part in the society. If one person is shaky, then maybe others are too, and a breakdown in the society as a whole is imminent. The language shows a facade that everything is well, advanced and stable. However, after a little digging, one could find that it is actually fragile.

Stranger #5

Personal philosophy - Pride and Prejudice.

1. Do your best. Being a Boy Scout, that motto has been repeated over the years and ingrained into my brain. I strive to give my full effort to everything I do. When I don't give something my best, I feel uneasy. I think many problems could be solved if people stopped giving up when times are hard and giving a solid effort.
2. Utilize opportunities. Living in America, we have it much better than some other countries. One opportunity that many people take for granted is school. In a way, not trying in school is like denying a gift. Sure, it takes effort but people who do well in school usually have an easier time paying bills. Opportunities when taken seriously can lead to success and fun
3. Curiosity rarely kills cats. I feel that being curious is good. Although when asking questions, you may not get the answer you are looking for. Having intrigue is healthy, and most people appreciate that. This is important because programs and groups that may be beneficial have a hard time getting anywhere if no one is interested. 
4. It's not what you say but how you say it. Tone of voice and attitude do in fact matter. As a sarcastic person, I have been misunderstood many times through text messages and other forms of communication where words are only seen. Match how you feel with how you show what you feel. If this is done, there is less confusion.
5. People should not be blamed for things they cannot control. This may sound obvious, but many times people do get blamed for things out of their control, and when this does happen conflicts arrise. These conflicts often grow into discrimination and violence. These occurrences need to be reduced.
6. You don't have to like everyone. This being said, there is little if any benefit to being rude mean or harsh to a person that you don't care for. Ignoring or avoiding a person that you don't want to be around is better than confrontation. Preventing a problem is better than fixing one.
7. Evaluate and evolve. It is human nature to make mistakes. However, when a person makes the same mistake multiple times, that is when they run in to trouble. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, and making mistakes in turn causes me to make an effort to not make more. Adjustments are necessary for growth and improvement. 

Stranger #4

At the end of the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, there is a change in Mersault's thoughts. "So close to death Maman must have felt free then and ready to live it all again. Nobody, nobody had the right to cry over her. And I felt ready to live it all again too. As if that blind rage had washed me clean" (Camus 122). Mersault comes to the conclusion that since everyone dies, people should live life to the fullest. Mersault concludes that they way that a person dies does not matter either; he does not say that there is any difference between his situation and his mother's. Furthermore, he wants to celebrate all the time that he has left. I also feel that he feels a little regret for not realizing it either. As a whole, maybe this shows that people don't realize how good things are until they are gone or almost gone.

I believe Camus does want people to make these conclusions too. He wrote the book with his own opinions, and he wants to get his points across to people. I don't see any downside of making these conclusions to be honest.

Stranger #3

Camus intentionally divided The Stranger into two parts:

In the first section of The Stranger, Albert Camus presents Mersault's view on people. By giving a short and plain description to the people he encounters, an indifferent atmosphere is created. Mersault encounters the caretaker at the home at Marengo. "He was sixty-four and came from Paris" (Camus 7). In general, Mersault has short and to the point thoughts and perceptions in the first half of the novel. One might deduce that Mersault is a person that cares about himself over others. This deduction might be disproven in the second half of the book. After he arrives in prison, Mersault describes people and his thoughts in a more elaborate detail. Mersault goes in depth when illustrating his view on his lawyer. "The next day a lawyer came to see me at the prison. He was short and chubby, quite young, his hair carefully slicked back. Despite the heat (I was in my shirt sleeves), he had on a dark suit, a wing collar, and an odd-looking tie with broad black and white stripes" (Camus 64). I think that Camus' intentions here to change Mersault's thought pattern was to change the reader's view of Mersault. I feel more sympathy towards him as a whole in the second part of the book. This may be important, because there is less sympathy for him in general as the jury eventually finds him guilty.

Stranger #2

The image of the sun has many components. For example. throughout the novel, many parts are used. The light the sun omits, the heat, and the glare also are factors. "The sun glinted off Raymond's gun as he handed it to me" (Camus 56). Although used less frequently and in a less obvious way, I think the glare caused by the sun is significant. Seen at the start of the book with the glare of the light off the walls at the vigil, and also when he shoots The Arab, glinting is used to connect to being distracted and loss of focus. This contributes to a mood of the first section, which is cloudy and dazed. When Mersault is at the trial, and he refers to the glare of the sun as a motive for killing, the audience laughs. I think the use of glare relates to a theme of the book that uncomfortableness is an individual experience, and people need to be more open to other's feelings.

Stranger #1

Raymond's ex-girlfriend
One of the women he supposedly lives off of. Raymond refers to her as his mistress (Camus 29). Her rent and food costs were paid by Raymond. She also did not work. The only evidence that Raymond had on her to prove that she was cheating was a lottery ticket, and proof that she pawned bracelets. It seems that those items aren't conclusive enough. Therefore, I think that she was really the victim in the situation, although it did not come across that initially. This connects to the title of the novel, because she too was misunderstood. Also, it could relate to how women were treated in that time period?

Raymond
Receives a lot of description. Physically, described as short, but with broad shoulders and referred to as a boxer. Also, he dresses sharply. I think it's critical that he is short. Some short people have a chip on their shoulder, and have an attitude inclined towards picking fights. This is what I see Raymond as. Mersault is invited over to Raymond's place for blood sausage and wine. They are both red, and more so, the blood sausage shows that Camus' tone towards Raymond to be violent. In his room, Raymond has an angel, which shows another religious connection, pictures of famous athletes which show a physicality to his character, and pictures of naked women, illustrating a gender tension. I see Raymond being a character that highlights all the violence that took place around the time this book was written. Raymond seems like he would be the one killing someone, not Mersault.

"Robot Lady"
Overall, this character is described as quick, feverish and meticulous. Although never given a name, she is referred to as the "little robot lady." In many ways, this character is different that Mersault.   This character could represent how a society sees others. Looking through Mersault's eyes, this lady is seen as different, but with a sense of curiosity. Mersault does not completely understand her. Furthermore, at the end of the novel, she stares at Mersault in the courtroom. This parallels in existentialism how one person can change the societal beliefs.

Journal #8

1. Zora Neale Hurston was deliberate in choosing the title of her novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God is important for two major reasons. Firstly, the word 'watching' is significant. Over the course of the novel, she has used motifs of watching, eyes and porches. These all convey a theme that the African-Americans were achieving power when they were not working by judging others. Secondly, the word God is important. The relationship between people and God has been repeated many times over the course of the novel. By putting that in the title, it shows that it was intentional and important. She comes out and says it, not alluding to it in any way, which further shows the obvious importance.

2. An optional title for Zora Neale Hurston's novel could be Noah's Cruise. This would alter the reading and focus of the story, but it would keep some similarities. There would still be a biblical reference with Noah's ark. Animals and anthropomorphism are used in the book extensively. This would amplify the significane of those techniques more than the other title. Also, it could take a cynical approach to God, that has been included in the text.

3. The title of my pastiche is "Under Foot." I used this because it has multiple connotations. In my pastiche, I use a motif of running, and also tell of how the rug was pulled out from under Tea Cake. There is an American idiom of being under someone's feet. This means that you are annoying to that person. I manipulate this a little by seeing it as an adversity. Adversities, connect to the theme of my story which is that the way people react to events define them.

Post #7

1. "So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead"(Hurston 1).

Hurston messes with the chronology. The first page of this book did not start when Janie was born. It was not in the same order as time passed. This technique is an effective hook. However, that is not the only reason Hurston uses it. By having an event come first in a story, and then going back and explaining in more depth the details of it, the event becomes less important. The details carry more significance. In Eyes this helps connect with the townspeople and all the talking and spreading of rumors that they do.

2. "When the people sat around the porch and passed around the pictures of their thoughts"(Hurston 51).

Alliteration is used in this passage. In specific, the ‘puh’ sound is repeated. This is more of a hard sound than a soft sound. Alliteration affects the mood or atmosphere of a passage significantly. With this application, it mimics the sound of chatting and gossiping. It is done in a way that is low and quiet enough as to not draw attention. This further characterizes the people on the porch.

3. “Louder and higher and lower and wider the sound and motion spread, mounting, sinking, darking”(Hurston 158).

The use of parallel structure in Hurston's novel is very important. This is a common literary technique for her. She uses ideas that are similar, but they add depth. If this technique were not to be used, it would describe the situation, character, or scene in a bland manner. The repetitions add emphasis, so when Hurston uses parallel structure, the reader knows that whatever she is describing is important and the reader should focus more on that. 

#6- Revisions

The primary focus of my revisions was to improve my theme. I did this by changing the first and last parts of the pastiche in which there is narration. My editing these two areas, the theme became clearer. I chose to make these revisions because of the comments that were given by my peer, and by re-reading what I had written. I received good constructive criticism from the reviewal process, that told me to improve and develop the theme. This was backed up by reading through my pastiche and seeing that the theme was not apparent. Also, I deleted and added sections. The deletions helped improve the flow and effectiveness of the work, while the additions developed and supported. These revisions helped improve the pastiche, but it is not yet to a place where I am comfortable with it. I think that revising more will be necessary.

Journal #5- Pastiche

Based off of page 84
And Tea Cake started to think of Regret. Regret, the constant figure with slick skin and slept near your best thoughts. The cunning character inhabits the immense plain like a plateau without grass, and without trees. What does a shroud do for Regret; what can see her? She sits in her field that the world is built on. Sits silent and attentive ready to strike at any moment ready for the signal to be called. Had been sitting there as a who, a why and a how were created. He was bound to find a bite mark before long. Also he became lost and stunned. Innocent Janie! She shan't be given what she has worked to earn. He sent Phoeby in to figure out how she felt, but Janie  wudn't talk. Them gamblin' games were fine with the quick and inconsiderate, but they wuzn' meant for the ones with a knack. She'd be well when the charade wuz over, and her man would stop teasin her. Those were her thoughts. Phoeby, however, told her different, so it became known. Even if she hadn't, the following afternoon, a gathering was happening at the stairs to the store. Those who had not thought to buy a cigar or a deck of cards before were there. Just stood around below the steps and looked watchfully. Change, the apparent and noticeable dog found a step to lie on.


Hurston on page 84 gives imagery to Death. Specifically, the way she describes where death lives uses visual images. In the third line when talking about where Death resides, as she establishes the image, she also breaks it down by removing the key parts one would associate with the image. Similarly, I used visual elements that showed the core and primary element of where Regret lived. Also, Hurston choses Rumor to contrast with Death. These two aren't polar opposites like light and dark, but they do have a connection. This connection may be understated. I also chose to contrast two ideas that may not have obviously been seen as opposite.

Eyes #4

Examples of Hurston's awareness and manipulation of language:

Syntax: "'Nobody in heah ain't lookin' for no wife outa yuh. Old as you is'"(79).

Word Choice: "He had always been scornful of root-doctors and all their kind, but now she saw a faker from over around Altamonte Springs, hanging around the place almost daily"(82).


Contemptible tone towards Joe: "His prosperous-looking belly that used to thrust out so pugnaciously and intimidate folks, sagged like a load suspended from his loins. [...] There was nothing to do in life anymore. [...] So he struck Janie with all his might and drove her from the store"(76,80).

Sound Devices: (Alliteration)"He gave a deep-growling sound like a hog dying down in the swamp and trying to drive off disturbance"(85).

Eyes #3

Stylistic devices that Zora Neale Hurston uses:

1. "So when speakers stood up when the occasion demanded and said 'Our beloved Mayor,' it was one of those statements that everybody says but nobody actually believes like 'God is everywhere.' It was just a handle to wind up the tongue with."(48). Metaphor
2. "New lies sprung up about his free-mule doings. How he pushed open Lindsay's kitchen door and slept in the place on night and fought until the made coffee for his breakfast; how he stuck his head in the Pearson's window while the family was at the table and Mrs. Pearson mistook him for the Rev. Pearson and handed him a plate; he ran Mrs. Tully off of the croquet ground for having such an ugly shape he ran and caught up with Becky Anderson one the way to Maitland so as to keep his head out of the sun under her umbrella; he got tired of listening to Redmond's long-winded prayer, and went inside the Baptist church and broke up the meeting. He did everything but let himself be bridled and visit Matt Bonner"(59). Anthropomorphism.
3. "'What killed this man?' The chorus answered, 'Bare, bare fat.' 'What killed this man?' 'Bare, bare fat.' 'What killed this man?' 'Bare, bare fat'"(62). Repetition and Parallelism. 
4. "Here he was just pouring honor all over her' building a high chair for her to sit in and overlook the world...Maybe Sam would be sitting on the porch..."(62,63).  Motif
5. "They have got that fresh, new taste about them like young mustard greens in the spring, and the young men on the porch are just bound to tell them about it and buy them some treats"(67). Imagery, specifically gustatory. 

1) Anthropomorphism as highlighted in this passage is a key device used my Hurston. By giving the mule human characteristics, it in a way becomes a character. Furthermore, the character is used by Hurston to prove a point. In previous discussions, we have seen that the mule can represent a worker. When this worker was free, much like the slaves being freed, many people wondered what he would do. This new chance connects to the issue of slavery and provides a good comparison for the reader.

2) This imagery connects to a motif of the novel: food. In this specific case, mustard greens are part of a Southern cooking known as soul food. This comforting food is made of simple ingredients, but many times with recipes that have been passed down through the generations. This is a big part of the Southern culture. Hurston's knowledge of the culture makes the book seem more realistic. Food connects in this novel by contributing to the mood. 

Eyes #2

Rules of the dialect (my own creation):
First character:

1. Any words that are emphasized will be typed in all capital letters.
2. All statements made will end in two exclamation points.
3. The last letter of the word that ends a sentence will be repeated. (Mom, that's not fairr)

Rules for the second character:

1. All people will be addressed as Trevor.
2. All longer statements will end with '...t.'
3. The first word in a sentence will not be capitalized.
4. No commas will be used.
5. Any time possible, a contraction will be used. (He'll do it always)
6. The words your, you're will be incorrectly used. Also there, their and they're will be incorrectly used.

Pastiche style writing (pg.14)

The vision of Jeremy Rodgers devouring the burger, but Marvin didn't know how to tell his friend that. He instead just gazed at his blank cell phone screen.

"trevor."

"That is not my namee!!"

"you looked at me when I'm talking. he will be you're friend forever. and besides you had you're chance...t."

He threw a pillow at his face violently, and stared at his friend until their eyes met. With his arm raised for another projectile to be launched, he saw the huge amount of saliva that was collecting in the corner of Marvin's mouth. He went over and gave his friend a bro-hug. 

"get over here man. hug me like you used to. the bigger brother is you're ruler and always will be. their will be a time when that could change. he saw it they're and took it for himself. i've been praying that you'd get the respect you've deserved. dang dang dang..t."

For a good twenty minutes, the friends embraced in an intense bro-hug. Marvin dangled one arm over the shoulder of his friend, and it fell asleep. His friend nearly fell asleep standing against the body of the young boy.

TEWWG #1

Interestingly, Janie is the focus of the gossip of the neighbors. This is done even before the author describes her. There is a definite choice that the author made by using one characterization before another. What the people on the porch said was pretty harsh, "'She's 'way too old for a boy like Tea Cake'"(3). When Janie explains the situation, she has an easy answer. "'Yeah Pheoby, Tea Cake is gone. And dat's de only reason you see me back here—cause Ah ain't got nothing to make me happy no more where Ah was at.'"(7). She seems to me as misunderstood. Also, with Phoeby, she seems to be in the right, explaining her situation. Also, she understands what is going on. "'If they wants to see and know, why the don't come kiss and be kissed? Ah could then sit down and tell 'em things. Ah been a delegate to de big 'ssociation of life. Yessuh!'"(6). In short, she is saying, 'if they asked me what was going on in my life, I would be happy to tell them.'

The narrator is harder to figure out. From the first two paragraphs, the narrator separates men from women. There is more sympathy or understanding for the women.  This separation comes up again on page 2 when the neighbors on the porches perceive Janie. The men basically look her up, while the women commit to memory that she wore overalls, as to use it as a weapon against her later on. The narrator also has intimate knowledge of the friendship between Phoeby and Janie. "...Phoeby Watson didn't go in by the front gate and down the palm walk to the front door. She walked around the fence corner and went in the intimate gate with her heaping plate of mulatto rice. Janie must be round that side"(4). It seems that the narrator is a common friend of the two. These pieces of evidence make me believe that the narrator is a female.

Post #4

1. "The sea gasped for air with each shallow, stifled little wave that broke on the sand"(Camus, The Stranger 57). 
2. "...The blood-red earth spilling over Maman's casket, the white flesh of the roots mixed in with it..."(Camus, 18). 
3. The Odyssey a(n) _________.
4. As a whole, 1984 has a foreboding _______. 
5. "I never knew him. Maybe the only thing I did know about the man was the story Maman would tell me back then: he'd gone to watch a murder be executed"(Camus, 110). Differences in ___________. 

Post #3- Assonance

Assonance is defined by Webster's dictionary as the repetition of vowels without repetition of as consonants. Assonance is very similar to alliteration, but with using vowels rather than consonant sounds. Note that the letters do not have to be the same, but it is the sound that they make that is important. For example, brawn and gone. Just like alliteration, assonance is used to signify importance, especially in poems and prose.

From Their Eyes Were Watching God when the buzzards are talking to each other, "'What killed this man?'
The chorus answered, 'Bare, bare fat.'"

"Dead in the middle of Italy, little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddily"- Big Pun, "Twinz"from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assonance

"on a proud round cloud in white high night" - E.E. Cummings from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assonance

Post #2 - Alliteration

An alliteration is a type of figurative language where the first sound of words near each other in a sentence. This is commonly used in poems. Alliterations can be used to signifying importance. Also, when alliterations are used, the section is more easily remembered.

An example of alliteration:
Barry the bee buzzed bodaciously!

Post #1

1) Of the three, the book that I enjoyed reading the most was Their Eyes Were Watching God. Although the dialect was difficult to comprehend initially, it was also the main reason why I enjoyed the novel. It was so unique and strange that it kept my interest. It also painted a good picture and showed, and didn't tell. The plot was not amazing, but was decent. Janie's progression went slowly from childhood to when she met the white man. However, after she met Jody and they started a new life, it was less cliche. With the introduction of Tea Cake, I was entertained. He was a relatable character, with a flaw shown early by stealing Janie's savings, but a second chance was granted.
2) 1984 was hard to get through for me. The setting was established well, but I still was not intrigued. The book had many detailed thoughts, but in my mind's eye, it was hard to connect to them. The totalitarian government was portrayed well, and might be what a modern day Soviet Union could look like. Although the author did a nice job intertwining some realistic elements with those that were absurd. Both Julia and O'Brien were mysterious, and initially they were very similar characters. When doublethink came up, I started using metacognition. I was disappointed that the novel ended in an anti-climactic fashion.
3) The Stranger was not my favorite, but also not terrible. It was rather dry, but in that sense it was also intriguing. Meursault's lack of emotions and general willingness to do things is appalling. He is such an individual, but in an way that is hard to relate to. I would focus on the characters. In what ways do the characters interact? What are the roles of the secondary characters (foil, mentor, etc.)? How do the characters change?