PLOT
I chose "A Rose For Emily" as the short story I would want to see adapted to film. I think the plot for this story would be perfect because it only allows the reader to learn small pieces of Emily's life and they are not in order. This would allow for small details to be added that could only be done in a movie. My favorite kind of movies are the one that have a twist on the end or that make the viewer rethink the actions they have seen and what they mean in light of the new information. IN the plot of this short story, we are told various details of Emily's life but it is not till the end that we learn of Emily's habits that we piece together the significance of he past actions.
POINT OF VIEW
this story is narrated by the towns people as a whole. Because of this the movie version of this story could be taken in many directions. One idea that has become popular in the last few years is where the movie is filmed like an amature is filming for a documentary. This may be an interesting way to hear from all the towns people and keep the same perspective. It may also be interesting to work backwards like a murder mystery. It may begin where the characters have just found the dead bodies in Emily's house and they need to uncover the story of her past to figure out what happened. These different perspectives would change the story a lot but there are very few ways the short story told with the entire towns people as the narrator could be worked into a film.
CHARACTERIZATION
In the short story we only learn about other characters through gossip. This would be workable if the movie was filmed in a documentary way or with a murder mystery. I think i would also want to include a little about who the townspeople are in general because as a reader we learn very little about them. This is inescapeable in a way because in film we can see the way the towns people act in stead of just simple reading about them. I also think it would be interesting to show what Emily looks like. She is described in the story very spicificaly to ensure that the reader notices the gray hair. however, it also includes and intersestin describtion of her.
SETTING
A central theme of the short story is that Emily is stuck in the past. With in the story this is seen with Emily's actions and words. For example, she won't pay taxes because her father never had to since he helped the town out, but it is now yeas later. She also doesn't leave her house so she no longer knows who is living and who isn't. Because of this theme, the setting of Emily's house in the film would include many out dated things to show her obsession with the past. She may lack new technology, access to current events ect. Further more, I would want this to show in her clothing and the way she speaks also. The town would need to be shown as close knit. this is because they all share gossip and they all know of Emily. This means it would probably have to be a small town run by local businesses in the movie.
THEME
I would want to keep the theme of not letting go of the past to remain the same in both the short story and the movie. The theme of the story is shown by the towns people's reactions to Emily and when they enter Emily's house. I would want to keep this is similar as possible. This creates a dramatic and creepy atmosphere in the story. The movie would show how even the nicest and closest knot towns have their secrets. I would want the movie to add to the story rather than deminish its theme. This is contrary to how many modern hollywood movies replace the theme with something that the audience "wants" to see. I would want to avoid this by sticking to the theme.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
film blog The Bicenenial Man
PLOT
The plot in the film, The Bicentennial Man, while based off of the short story, had many differences. yes, there is a Robot named Andrew who is seeking to become human and fight for his rights; however, there is different characters, events, and a love story thrown in that make it different from the short story. These are events and characters that tend to be more attractive to people in the film making career and they attract film-watchers. In the movie, Little Miss falls in love with Andew but decides she needs to marry a human. Andrew makes a house on the beach which he does not have in the short story. He also does not get along with George, Little miss' son. George has a daughter in the movie that Andrew falls in love with. It is more so that he can be with Little Miss' granddaughter tan so he can fight for his rights, that he becomes human physically. Andrew also spends alot of time in the movie traveling the world looking for robots like himself. This is how he meets a scientist that is creating human skin and organs for robots. In the story, Andrew creates all this himself. Proving that he is in dependant and a contributor to society. The plot still asks who deserves rights and freedom but it directs the question more at who deserves to be loved rather than a political stance of right and wrong.
POINT OF VIEW
The movie is still told from Andrew's point of view. Movies are always different from stories because we can not hear what the characters are thinking but we can tell from their actions. In the movies point of view Andrew makes himself become mortal so that he can die along with his wife. In the book Andrew wants to become mortal so that he can be a human being and referd to as a living man. The intentions are different so as to create a dramatic love scene for movie-goers. Andrew, in the movie, feels he is a lone due to his uniqueness. He does not fit in with robots because he can think like a human but he does not fit in with humans because he is a robot. Becaue of this point of view Andrew is determined to travel the world until he finds a robot who is like him. He also seeks companionship in a lover that is human. He finds this in the end and it is the cause of his immortality. In the book Andre's quest is more political and scientific. He wants to help society so he creates medical treatments and he wants to help robots so he writes a book and he fights for their rights. Andrew most of all wants to be considered a man and be equal with all of society and that is why he causes his own mortallity.
CHARACTERIZATION
The most important characters in this story are Andrew, Little Miss, and Sir. In both the short story and the movie this is consistant. However, in the movie, there are many different characters. Andrew moves from being closest to Little Miss then to falling in love with Little Miss' granddaughter. Paul and George are not characters in the movie. This is because Andrew has a political relationship with these two men and in the movie he is not interested inpolitics but in love. Another important character in the movie is the scientist. He is discovered by andrew when he is traveling the world looking for a robot like himself. This scientist is able to make Andrew look like a human being by providing him with fake human-like skin. Andrew helps him engeneer the human organs for himself. Andrew does this so he can be more human and have a human wife. The characters are different in the movie mainly because Andrew has a different set of intrests. this is all intertwined with the plot and the theme of love versus the theme of human dignity.
SETTING
The time setting in this story is what is most noticable. The story takes place over a two hundred year span (hence the title) which shows more about the story plot than a physical place does. An important detail left out of the movie is a succsess story of Andrew's. A honnorary dinnner was held for andrew in which a toast was given for the "Sesquicentennial Robot". This was left out of the movie because it was a matter of politics in the short story while andrew's age and purpose in the movie is to becme a man who can be with his wife. The setting in the movie is geared more towards Andrew's quest to included in humanity through exceptance of others. this is seen in his travels around the world and his relations with people. The setting is altered to show Andrew's priotities with love relationships instead of relationships with politics andscience.
THEME
Often times when a literary work is converted into a film, the theme is lost amoung the Hollywood adaptions. This was certainly the case with this short story. In the story the reader is compelled to look at how human dignity is dispersed and waht qualifies an individual for rights and equality. the movie displays a "cute" love story and a robotic man's search to be loved as a human. The fact that love is the central theme in the film permits some of the narrations most crucial issues to be neglected. this is apparent in in the plot, point of view, characterization, and the setting. The short story is presented as a creative satire in which major flaws of society are pointed out. the theme of the short story (struggle in searching for freedom and equality) can beapplied to past historical events and future events. Unfortunately this message is over shadowed in the movie with Andrew's pursuit to be loved as a human being.
The plot in the film, The Bicentennial Man, while based off of the short story, had many differences. yes, there is a Robot named Andrew who is seeking to become human and fight for his rights; however, there is different characters, events, and a love story thrown in that make it different from the short story. These are events and characters that tend to be more attractive to people in the film making career and they attract film-watchers. In the movie, Little Miss falls in love with Andew but decides she needs to marry a human. Andrew makes a house on the beach which he does not have in the short story. He also does not get along with George, Little miss' son. George has a daughter in the movie that Andrew falls in love with. It is more so that he can be with Little Miss' granddaughter tan so he can fight for his rights, that he becomes human physically. Andrew also spends alot of time in the movie traveling the world looking for robots like himself. This is how he meets a scientist that is creating human skin and organs for robots. In the story, Andrew creates all this himself. Proving that he is in dependant and a contributor to society. The plot still asks who deserves rights and freedom but it directs the question more at who deserves to be loved rather than a political stance of right and wrong.
POINT OF VIEW
The movie is still told from Andrew's point of view. Movies are always different from stories because we can not hear what the characters are thinking but we can tell from their actions. In the movies point of view Andrew makes himself become mortal so that he can die along with his wife. In the book Andrew wants to become mortal so that he can be a human being and referd to as a living man. The intentions are different so as to create a dramatic love scene for movie-goers. Andrew, in the movie, feels he is a lone due to his uniqueness. He does not fit in with robots because he can think like a human but he does not fit in with humans because he is a robot. Becaue of this point of view Andrew is determined to travel the world until he finds a robot who is like him. He also seeks companionship in a lover that is human. He finds this in the end and it is the cause of his immortality. In the book Andre's quest is more political and scientific. He wants to help society so he creates medical treatments and he wants to help robots so he writes a book and he fights for their rights. Andrew most of all wants to be considered a man and be equal with all of society and that is why he causes his own mortallity.
CHARACTERIZATION
The most important characters in this story are Andrew, Little Miss, and Sir. In both the short story and the movie this is consistant. However, in the movie, there are many different characters. Andrew moves from being closest to Little Miss then to falling in love with Little Miss' granddaughter. Paul and George are not characters in the movie. This is because Andrew has a political relationship with these two men and in the movie he is not interested inpolitics but in love. Another important character in the movie is the scientist. He is discovered by andrew when he is traveling the world looking for a robot like himself. This scientist is able to make Andrew look like a human being by providing him with fake human-like skin. Andrew helps him engeneer the human organs for himself. Andrew does this so he can be more human and have a human wife. The characters are different in the movie mainly because Andrew has a different set of intrests. this is all intertwined with the plot and the theme of love versus the theme of human dignity.
SETTING
The time setting in this story is what is most noticable. The story takes place over a two hundred year span (hence the title) which shows more about the story plot than a physical place does. An important detail left out of the movie is a succsess story of Andrew's. A honnorary dinnner was held for andrew in which a toast was given for the "Sesquicentennial Robot". This was left out of the movie because it was a matter of politics in the short story while andrew's age and purpose in the movie is to becme a man who can be with his wife. The setting in the movie is geared more towards Andrew's quest to included in humanity through exceptance of others. this is seen in his travels around the world and his relations with people. The setting is altered to show Andrew's priotities with love relationships instead of relationships with politics andscience.
THEME
Often times when a literary work is converted into a film, the theme is lost amoung the Hollywood adaptions. This was certainly the case with this short story. In the story the reader is compelled to look at how human dignity is dispersed and waht qualifies an individual for rights and equality. the movie displays a "cute" love story and a robotic man's search to be loved as a human. The fact that love is the central theme in the film permits some of the narrations most crucial issues to be neglected. this is apparent in in the plot, point of view, characterization, and the setting. The short story is presented as a creative satire in which major flaws of society are pointed out. the theme of the short story (struggle in searching for freedom and equality) can beapplied to past historical events and future events. Unfortunately this message is over shadowed in the movie with Andrew's pursuit to be loved as a human being.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Bicentennial Man
PLOT
The plot of a story interconnects symbols, characters, and themes to convey the message of the author. The plot of "The Bicentennial Man" tells the story of a robetic man with a human soul and his quest to become human. This robot is named Andrew and he is immortal (machine can not die). Andrew has contributed vastly to society. He has written books, created art, and invented biological organs that can help the human race live much longer. Even with these contributions Andrew is constanly fighting so simply be an eaqual.Andrew asks for "As simple a thing as my right to life." (page 2830 The plot allows the reader to sympathize with Andrew. Everyone in the world can relate to the desire for freedom and the desire to be included. The plot asks the reader how they define what is human and what deserves equal rights as humans. "The truth is, I want to be a man. I have wanted it through six generations of human beings." (page 283) The plot is unique in that is represents something from the future (robotic men); however, there is still other debates on this subject of right to life and equality that have been fought for hundreds of years.
POINT OF VIEW
The story is told in third person from Andrew's persepctive. Because of this, the reader automaticly sides with Andrew in his quest for humanity." This is somewhat unnatural because most people would not side with a robot. On the other hand, since the reader knows of Andrew's entire life and desires they learn of all his depth they can see his need to be human. From this point of view the reader can see Andrew's soul. It is impossible to deni something with a soul equal treatment yet society does it all the time. In fact, many people who have read this story and inwardly cheered Andrew allong in his quest for his righ to life have also supported abortion, euthenasia, and have judged other races or those who are disabled. The author has created a saterical message in this way. Andrew said, "If I decide to fight for humanity will you be on my side?" (page 284). It is because the robot is presented with a soul that readers can sympathize with him but I feel that the author is indirectly pleding with readers to see the soul in everyone.
CHARACTERIZATION
There is a vast range of characters in this story. Because Andrew is imortal, he has dealt with "six generations of human beings." (page 283) the author doesn't go into too much depth describing the characters other than andrew. The reader knows that Andrew starts out his life with Sir, Little Miss, Miss, and Ma'ma. It is with this family that Andrew learns that he is unique and Sir guides him on his way to becomeing more than just a robot. Andrew is also very close to Little Miss and it is her liniage that he remains in contact with. When andrew dies his last words are, "Little Miss" (page 290). This is because This was andrew's true family and the ones who "raised" him and taught him how to succeed and be loved. After Sir dies Andrew is most close to George (Little Miss's son) then paul (George's son). He calls these characters by their first name showing how he is on more equal terms with them. Andrew also interacts with quite a few other characters such as politicians and scientists. With his relations to these characters Andrew is able to impact the world and the reader learns of Andrew's personality.
SETTING
This story takes place in a futuristic setting over a two hundred year time period; hence the title "The BICENTENNIAL Man". The story indirectly takes us throgh the future-history of the world. We learn that the government is world wide and also governs the moon where people live and vist often. The story also takes us through the different forms of fashion. It begins with the modern clothes we were now (trousers and shirts) then "Paul had taken to weraing the heavy makeup that fashion was dictating for both sexes." (page 267) Alvin Magdescu wore "nothing above the wast but the breastband that fashion dictated." (page 277)and Chee Li-Hsing wore "transparent harments (obscuring wheat she wanted obscured only by their dazzle)"(page282). However, "Andrew clung as closely as he could within the limits of reasonable taste, to the style of clothing that had prevailed when he had first adopted clothing." (page 286. This shows how andrew remains closest to the way life was when he was first created. He also sticks to what is "out-dated" in clothes and in his values. He values freedom and dignity for all while the rest of the world has moved on to bigger things. The setting helps us to understand Andrew's values and the values of society as it progresses.
THEME
the theme of this story challenges the reader to ask where they believe the line is drawn in equality. Through out history, humans have struggles with freedom. We nasturally want to be the best and we separate ourselves from those who are different; the poor, the disabled, different cultures, or even different appearances. This is such an issue that wars have been fought over and lives taken. The story presents this aspect in a different light because Andrew is not quite Human.It takes two hundred years for Andrew to single-handedly convince the world that he had a soul and was an equal. The more technologically advanced we get the more we seem to be playing god. THis is seen through genetic engenering, abortion,cloning, and it may very well be used for human-like robots. It is seen in this story that the humans were not happy that Andrew was unique. They changed their robots so they would not be able to think like andrew. I think this goes to show that Humans feel they still need to be the dominate race and that we are the creators and can chose what goes and what stays. I think this is a theme that has been an issue for all ages and will continue to be.
The plot of a story interconnects symbols, characters, and themes to convey the message of the author. The plot of "The Bicentennial Man" tells the story of a robetic man with a human soul and his quest to become human. This robot is named Andrew and he is immortal (machine can not die). Andrew has contributed vastly to society. He has written books, created art, and invented biological organs that can help the human race live much longer. Even with these contributions Andrew is constanly fighting so simply be an eaqual.Andrew asks for "As simple a thing as my right to life." (page 2830 The plot allows the reader to sympathize with Andrew. Everyone in the world can relate to the desire for freedom and the desire to be included. The plot asks the reader how they define what is human and what deserves equal rights as humans. "The truth is, I want to be a man. I have wanted it through six generations of human beings." (page 283) The plot is unique in that is represents something from the future (robotic men); however, there is still other debates on this subject of right to life and equality that have been fought for hundreds of years.
POINT OF VIEW
The story is told in third person from Andrew's persepctive. Because of this, the reader automaticly sides with Andrew in his quest for humanity." This is somewhat unnatural because most people would not side with a robot. On the other hand, since the reader knows of Andrew's entire life and desires they learn of all his depth they can see his need to be human. From this point of view the reader can see Andrew's soul. It is impossible to deni something with a soul equal treatment yet society does it all the time. In fact, many people who have read this story and inwardly cheered Andrew allong in his quest for his righ to life have also supported abortion, euthenasia, and have judged other races or those who are disabled. The author has created a saterical message in this way. Andrew said, "If I decide to fight for humanity will you be on my side?" (page 284). It is because the robot is presented with a soul that readers can sympathize with him but I feel that the author is indirectly pleding with readers to see the soul in everyone.
CHARACTERIZATION
There is a vast range of characters in this story. Because Andrew is imortal, he has dealt with "six generations of human beings." (page 283) the author doesn't go into too much depth describing the characters other than andrew. The reader knows that Andrew starts out his life with Sir, Little Miss, Miss, and Ma'ma. It is with this family that Andrew learns that he is unique and Sir guides him on his way to becomeing more than just a robot. Andrew is also very close to Little Miss and it is her liniage that he remains in contact with. When andrew dies his last words are, "Little Miss" (page 290). This is because This was andrew's true family and the ones who "raised" him and taught him how to succeed and be loved. After Sir dies Andrew is most close to George (Little Miss's son) then paul (George's son). He calls these characters by their first name showing how he is on more equal terms with them. Andrew also interacts with quite a few other characters such as politicians and scientists. With his relations to these characters Andrew is able to impact the world and the reader learns of Andrew's personality.
SETTING
This story takes place in a futuristic setting over a two hundred year time period; hence the title "The BICENTENNIAL Man". The story indirectly takes us throgh the future-history of the world. We learn that the government is world wide and also governs the moon where people live and vist often. The story also takes us through the different forms of fashion. It begins with the modern clothes we were now (trousers and shirts) then "Paul had taken to weraing the heavy makeup that fashion was dictating for both sexes." (page 267) Alvin Magdescu wore "nothing above the wast but the breastband that fashion dictated." (page 277)and Chee Li-Hsing wore "transparent harments (obscuring wheat she wanted obscured only by their dazzle)"(page282). However, "Andrew clung as closely as he could within the limits of reasonable taste, to the style of clothing that had prevailed when he had first adopted clothing." (page 286. This shows how andrew remains closest to the way life was when he was first created. He also sticks to what is "out-dated" in clothes and in his values. He values freedom and dignity for all while the rest of the world has moved on to bigger things. The setting helps us to understand Andrew's values and the values of society as it progresses.
THEME
the theme of this story challenges the reader to ask where they believe the line is drawn in equality. Through out history, humans have struggles with freedom. We nasturally want to be the best and we separate ourselves from those who are different; the poor, the disabled, different cultures, or even different appearances. This is such an issue that wars have been fought over and lives taken. The story presents this aspect in a different light because Andrew is not quite Human.It takes two hundred years for Andrew to single-handedly convince the world that he had a soul and was an equal. The more technologically advanced we get the more we seem to be playing god. THis is seen through genetic engenering, abortion,cloning, and it may very well be used for human-like robots. It is seen in this story that the humans were not happy that Andrew was unique. They changed their robots so they would not be able to think like andrew. I think this goes to show that Humans feel they still need to be the dominate race and that we are the creators and can chose what goes and what stays. I think this is a theme that has been an issue for all ages and will continue to be.
Divorce Sucks
More than half of Americans' marriges end in divorce. Often when children are involved there is a battle for custody that to me can seem to be more spiteful than really wanting what is best for the child. This story shows a very dramatic way of how divorce hurts children and splits up families. The title "Popular Mechanics" uses the word popular because this truly is a popular event in our modern society.We do not know why the parents are fighting and this makes us unable to determine who should really get the baby. However this is insignificant in the end because the story is conveying the harnm the parents conflict on the child. Neither parent really seems to care about the child they just want to win the battle and make the other suffer. There is a story in the bible where two women are fighting over a child and king solomon says they should cut the baby in half and each revieve half. This also shows how little they actually care about the child just getting what they want.
Do you like Zoe?
I found Zoe to be hysterical. She has a sarcastic and ironic tone through out the story and is very blunt. Zoe is a school teacher and we first learn about her through her relationship with her students. They often describe her as being crazy and singing in class. They are very judgemental of her and she often has to take vacations. Zoe travels to see her sister who informs her that she is getting married. Zoe says that this is nice and then goes on to tell her sister of a story of a girl who liked to play the violin and when she got married her husband made her stop and she learned to like softball instead. Zoe later tells this story to Earl but it has a different ending in which the violinist kills herself. This shows how Zoe views love and marriage but how she also respects her sister and doesn't want to hurt her. There is Irony in the way Earl is dressed like a women and he wants to talk about love and how Zoe plays more of the a males role by getting earl a drink and she has toilet paper on her chin as if she shaved. I enjoyed the humor and irony in this story.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
He ruined my night and he didn't save me any porter!
The irony in this story was immense. The story begins with the description of a character that seems to annoy most people yet his funeral has many attendants. I think this is most likely due to the free liquor after the funeral. This is certainly the case for "Father". However Father doesn't even get to drink. The young boy wants to do anything possible to keep his father from drinking because he has seen the consequences. It is ironic that he succeeds in this mission only by drinking the alcohol himself. The father then has to deal with the consequences. I wasn't quite sure how old the boy was but he seemed young to me because he calls his father Dadda and he wasn't allowed to be left alone. Yet when this boy is drunk he has the diction of a much older man. This was also ironic in a way because now that the father was actually taking care of his son, his son was sounding like an adult man. The last line of the story is the mother praising the boy for being a guardian angel. This too is ironic. How is it that God would send a boy to go get drunk and in the end injured and embarrasses. But I guess in a way the boy did keep his father from drinking and his family from suffering the consequences.
Is it odd that people said they thought of me when they read this story?
Ok so its true I always like the more grotesque, weird stories. They're so much more interesting! The title "The Lottery" makes the reader think that this is something you can win or something you want. However this is definately not something I would want to "win". Also the town all gathers and is almost seems like a town party or another social event. The tension doens't really begin until the papers are drawn from the box. Mrs. Hurchinson claims that the lottery wasn't fair and she has some how been unfairly chosen. I think it is obvious that Mrs. Hurchinson has a background story unknown to the reader. This is apparent when she shows up late to the lottery and everyone says things as she walks through the crowd. These comments seem to be good though so I don't understand why the town would be plotting against her. The town and the families show very little emotion or the kind of emotion that would generally be associated with stoning somebody. They hardly seem nervous. I found it cruel when it is narrowed down to the Hutchinson family and when the other family members find out it is not them they rejoice instead of mourning that one of their family is going to be killed.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas?
This story was my favorite of the week. It reminded me of a movie called The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. In this movie a nazi soldier is in charge of a concentration camp and he moves his family to a very luxerous house close by so they can be with him. The families house is surrounded by a huge brick wall and the soldier's son is forbidden to go outside the walls. However the innocent boy wants to play fairlytales and he sneaks out and sees another boy in the concentration camp wearing striped clothes. They become friends and the soldiers son sneaks into the camp and is utimately killed by his father's own accidental orders. In the story Once Apon A Time, a family is so determined to remain safe from the "others" (the poor and colored who live in a different area) that their house is enclosed by barbed wire. A reoccuring theme is the stories and fairytales this family tells their young son. He is given a story book for christmas for example. The author was also asked to write a childrens' story. This child is ultimately the victum of his parents protections when he is caught in the barbed wire.
A Worn Path aka the bad story this week
I guess this really isn't a bad story i just decide any story i can't interpret right away as " bad". However this story did have an interesting twist on the end. Our main character, Phoenix Jackson, is traveling from her home into town which is far away. She travels by foot and we learn toward the end of the story that she does this to get medicine for her grandson. There are a few instances in the end of the story that make the reader question her real reason for going into town. In fact it may be that her grandson is no longer alive. The impression I got was that either her grandson was no longer alive or that she was using the medicine for herself. I think of this when the nurse asks; "He isn't dead is he?" and Phoenix responds, "at last there came a flicker and them a flame of comprehension across her face" Her response to this question of her grandson's death is odd. There were other minor characters that Phoenix encounters that may play a symbolic role such as the man with the dog she meets and the woman who ties her shoes. I am not quite sure of these charcters' purpose but it is evident that they impact Phoenix.
Miserable at Best - Eveline
Question two asks why Eveline's current circumstance with her father and her employer and life in general make it desirable for her to leave with frank. The story's main conflict is Eveline's decision to stay or leave home. She weighs the pros and cons and this is what she says; if Eveline stays she will be stuck with her violent and demanding father who will demand for her to take care of the house and children. Also Eveline will have to continue working at the story with her boss Miss Gavan who she does not care for. Yet, before her mother's death Eveline promised her to that she would keep the family together as long as possible. If Eveline leaves, she will have to break her promise to her mother and leave her family behind. Also she will be going with a man she "hopes" to find love in but she is truely just using him to get away from her life. Both options have their pros and cons and the choice is difficult. In the end Eveline choses to stay home. I think this shows Eveline's unselfishness to her family and her devotion to her mother.
Miss Brill and Weezer!
Somebody said all the worlds is stage,
And each of us is a player.
That’s what I’ve been tryin to tell you.
In Act 1 I was struggling to survive.
Nobody wanted my action dead or alive.
Act 2, I hit the big time.
And bodies be all up on my behind.
And I can’t help myself because I was born to shine.
And if you don’t like it, you can shove it.
But you don’t like it, you love it.
So I’ll be up here in a rage,
’Til they bring the curtain down on the stage --Weezer "The Greatest Man That Ever LIved"
This story reminded me of this song because Miss Brill says"They were all on stage. They weren't only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting." (Page 185)Miss Brill is a lonely old woman. She travels into town on sundays to see the band play and people-watch. She feels moved to tears when she sees the routine that she and the people around her have created. I think she is mostly emotional because she says that if she did not show she would be missed because she is one of the actors. Miss brill feels like she belongs. However, this allusion is shattered when a young couple make fun of her and her fur scarf/coat that she is so proud of. She was acting so that she would feel included and so that she felt beautiful and needed. Miss Brill's "fourth wall" is shattered by the young couple and she returns home and puts her scarf back in the box. This story was very sad. Everyone wants to feel like they belong and those who do belong often are oblivious to how much of an impact they can have on those in need.
And each of us is a player.
That’s what I’ve been tryin to tell you.
In Act 1 I was struggling to survive.
Nobody wanted my action dead or alive.
Act 2, I hit the big time.
And bodies be all up on my behind.
And I can’t help myself because I was born to shine.
And if you don’t like it, you can shove it.
But you don’t like it, you love it.
So I’ll be up here in a rage,
’Til they bring the curtain down on the stage --Weezer "The Greatest Man That Ever LIved"
This story reminded me of this song because Miss Brill says"They were all on stage. They weren't only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting." (Page 185)Miss Brill is a lonely old woman. She travels into town on sundays to see the band play and people-watch. She feels moved to tears when she sees the routine that she and the people around her have created. I think she is mostly emotional because she says that if she did not show she would be missed because she is one of the actors. Miss brill feels like she belongs. However, this allusion is shattered when a young couple make fun of her and her fur scarf/coat that she is so proud of. She was acting so that she would feel included and so that she felt beautiful and needed. Miss Brill's "fourth wall" is shattered by the young couple and she returns home and puts her scarf back in the box. This story was very sad. Everyone wants to feel like they belong and those who do belong often are oblivious to how much of an impact they can have on those in need.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
characterization
Thes stories were made unique in the way that the point was made symbolicly through the characters. Dee in the story, "everyday Use" shows the actions of a large group of people by the way she behaves her self. She shows through Irony how she is infact rejecting her culture instead of embracing it. The three men in "Hunters in the snow" are shown as animalistic and cruel. Their actions describe their personality and sybolize society as a whole. Bartlebys strang actions can be interpretted in many ways. In my opnion his actions are sybolic to the uniqueness each individual starts with and the way society sucks the energy from each of us. The characterization is key to each theme of these stories. The Irony and symbolic meanings behind their actions leads the reader towards the authors goal in their writting.
Bartleby the Scrivener
This is a story that has been debated over by many well educated scholars and the theme is still uncertain. In my attempt to analyse this story I found that the lawyer, the narrator of the story, was using his workers. He starts out tell of his workers and the ones that work well at different times in the day. These workers do not have real names, for example, turkey. He treats his workers as less then men. They are described by how they work almost like animals on a farm. Then the Lawyer hires a new employee, Bartleby, who works well all through out the day. Bartleby is the only one with a realistic name. He is the lawyers most prize possesion because he did everything with out being asked. When the layer did ask him to do something he would respond, "I'd prefer not to" and he would refuse to do the work. So much so that in the end all he would do was sit by the window and they had to move the office. Bartleby is eventually taken to jail where he dies. I think this shows how workers lose their enthusiasm and their personalities die. They become more of a nusance and they are imprisioned by their work.
Hunters in the snow
This story makes its point through the actions of the characters. The characters are described indirectly through their actions and not by telling us directly who they are, so the author left us wondering as to their true nature. The main protagonist in the story is Tub, a well-rounded character who appeared in the entire story from the begging till the end. His name Tub gives an impression of him of being overweight which was also clear when the author said “He ate both the sandwiches and half the cookies, taking his own sweet time.”(191). Also, as the story goes along, Tub appeared to be the antagonist who Frank and Kenny teamed up against making him out to be a follower and a victim for both Frank and Kenny. Kenny also has an odd sense of humor. He shoots a tree and a dog simple because it was barking at him. Before her shoots these things he says he hates them then he precedes to tell Tub he hates him. This leads the author to believe that either Kenny is joking or he is going to shoot Tub next. Tub responds by shooting Kenny. The author presents these characters as animistic. They respond to things in an unthought-out way. This makes a statement about society in general.
Everyday Use
This short story presents a perspective on cultural struggles in America. A major culture is the African American culture. This culture has struggles to maintain through out American history. However, Africans living in America have created their own African-American Culture. In this short story, Dee is trying desperately to hold on to the "African" part of her past. She does this by what she wears, by changing her name, and by leaving her family and their American-farmhouse ways. Unfortunately, in partaking in these actions Dee has separated herself from her family and the heritage that they give her. Her name for example is something that has been passed down by the women in her family for generations yet she chooses to change her name to a traditional African name. In doing so she denies her true family heritage. Dee does not embrace her African-American culture but instead tries to force her African culture on herself and her family.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
"Interpreter of Maladies"
This story is kind of comical due to its use of irony. Mrs. Das is a tourist in India with her family. They are being drivenn by Mr. Kapasi, who is an interpretter. Mr. Kapasi interpretts english to the native language and vise versa. Unfortuately Mrs. das thinks that he is an interpretter that deals with people's troubles and tells them what to do to solve them. Because of this misunderstanding Mrs. Das tell Mr. Kapasi her life troubles. If this was not ironic enough, Mr. kapasi also miss interprets Mrs. Das' confession as her flirting with him. Even though Mr. Kapasi can interpret words he can not intpret actions. this shows also how cultural differences are aften miscontrued through actions. There are other ironic events that also happen through out the story such as the child that is not Mr. Das' is attacked by a monkey ect. This irony creates humor and intrigue in the story. It also allows us to learn the underlying story of the characters.
"How I Met My Husband"
This story by Alice Munro, was told by a narrator telling of her memory of how she met her husband. The title makes the reader believe that the man she is talking about in most of the story is going to be her future husband. However, the reader later learns that it was because of this man's bad promise that she actually met her real husband. Question Number three asks how minor characters such as Loretta Bird and Mrs. Peebles help advance the plot. These characters each have there own story that is revealed slightly through Edie's narration. Because of these character's actions we see that Edie is from the country and the people she works for are not; "the Peebleses thought she was a country-woman, they didn't know the difference." (page 131) The minor character, Alice Kelling, also contributes to the story because she shows the reader would Edie could turn out to be like had she not realized the mistake it was to trust Chris. These minor characters add to the main character by contributing small details and facts that allow the reader to know more about what is going on.
"A Rose for Emily"
This story by William Faulkner, is told in an interesting way with a twist on the end. A few of the questions at the end of the story ask what is contributed by the use of first-person plural point of view and what is the point of the non-chronological order of the story. The narrator(s) of this story is the towns people. They discuss what they know of Emily, who has passed away, and the way they have judged her through out her life. Because the towns people are telling the story the reader can only know what they have assumed about her and what they have seen her do. The towns people believe that she is snobby and avoids people for that purpose."she carried her head high" (page 286) The towns people also know of her family history; "People in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were." (page 284)However, since the reader only knows what the towns people know, the reader doesn't know of Emily's true insanity until the very end of the story. This is why the fist-person plural is an effective narrative. This narration also creates a non-chronological way of telling of Emily's life. It is as if the towns people are reminiscing sporadically and not in a distinct order. This gives the story a sense of realism like what towns people may truly remember and report about a person. These techniques greatly contribute to the story as a whole.
Plot and Structure
Each of the short stories we read this week approached plot and structure in a unique fashion. "How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro was told in a nostalgic tone with an older woman reflecting on her past experiences. The story addresses social issues and points out a few hypocritical activities that the characters partake in. The second short story "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri, is told in the present by a character. This story uses irony to prove a point and to show striking contrast between characters. The final story, "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner is told by the townspeople or an outside narrator. This makes it so the reader can only learn bits and pieces about the character and has to put the puzzle together in the end. This type of structure increases suspense and keeps the reader interested until the twist at the end of the story. Each of these stories had a different approach to plot and structure but they were each successful in conveying the purpose.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Death, be not proud
This poem is patterned in three groups of four ines followed by two couplets. The first group of four lines states that many see death as nightly and powerful but the speaker says this is not true. The nest two groups provide example of this. The speaker says death looks like sleep and sleep brings us pleasure. The speaker also says that death is ruled by chance, kings, war, and sickness and because of this these things are more mighty than death. The last two couplets say how the speaker knows that death will be short and then he will move on to eternal life where he will no longer have to worry about death. This poem ends with the paradox, "death, thou shalt die." Meaning that when we are in eternal life and no longer concerned with death, death will be dead.
Lonely Hearts
This poem is set up in the form of a villanelle. It repeats the questions Can someone make my simple wish come true? and Do you live in North London is it you? From this you can infer that the tone is desperate. This poem refers to the Personals portion of the newspaper in which people solicit companionship from others. The poem's title "Lonely Hearts" is an explanatory title because it is saying that all of these people are lonely and looking for companionship. the types of people in these poems are often stereotyped and avoided. these include Gays, bisexuals, Jewish, inexperienced, etc. While these people are often judged differently and set apart they are still seeking the same thing as every other person in the world.
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
The Pattern in this poem is very distinct. Two lines are used at the beginning of the poem then repeated as the last line of each stanza, repeated back and forth with another one. then in the last stanza both lines are combined to make a coherent sentence. This poem is a son speaking to his dying father. He talks of different people who are dying and encourages his father to be as strong as them and not die. The poem also uses many paradoxical expressions such as "dark is Right" line 4, "blinding sight" line 13, and curse, bless me now" line 17. These contribute to the poems meaning. The wise man knows that the dark is right. Grave men see the blinding sight, or heaven. These techniques and patterns contribute to the poem's purpose and the story behind its characters.
Edward
This poem is set with a man speaking with his mother. He tells her of the bad things he has done such as killing his hawk, his steed, and his father. the first two stanzas the man is lying. in the third stanza he admits to killing his father. it might be assumed thats the mother wanted him to kill his father or she told him to kill his father. the mother wanted the wealth and now the man feels guilty, the poem gets less innocent as it goes on. The poem uses a specific pattern. There is a repetition of Edward, Edward and Mother Mother which allows the reader to know who is speaking. Also The last line of each speach has an "O" letting the reader know that that person is done speaking and a new topic is coming up. The pattern through out this poem allows the reader to avoid confusion and lets them learn more about the characters.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Batter My Heart Three-personed God
This is a poem taht any religious person can relate to. All humans are sinners. We are constantly confronted with temptation. However, the author or speaker of this poem seem to have hit rock bottom. He claims to be married to the devil and wants God to save him. He says," Divorce me, unite or break that knot agian" The speaker obviouse feels that he must be punished inorder for him to repent. He uses paradox to describe his need for God. For example, he says he can not be free unless God imprisions him. This poem/prayer seems very desperate to me and heart-felt. The Speaker prays for God to save him and bring him closer to him.
Next to of course God America I
The format, or syntax, of the poem is especially important to the meaning. This poem has very little to no punctuation. This leads to the belief that this is being sad very quickly with no concern toward the reader's comprehension. The man being quoted begins his speech with phrases from patriotic songs followed my paradoxical word that point out how Americans should not really be so patriotic. For example he says, "why talk of beauty what could be more beautiful than these heroic dead" This line points out that we are at home talking about the war and being patriotic there are men who are dead because of it and there is no beauty in that.
Much Madness is Divinest Sense
This poem, Like Barbie Doll, also is critisizing society's view on uniquness. Society is the opinion of the majority of people. The poem claims that if you agree with society's beliefs then society will say you are sane. However, the author says that in reality, the person who forms their own opinion is actually the sane one who thinks on their own. This poem uses the paradox, madness equals sense while sense equals madness, to prove a point. IF people always alow others to make decisions for them then they have given up their own thinking process and are there for mad. This was an interesting idea that can easily be realated back to The Barbie Doll peom. If the girl were never told by society athat she was ugly she may have been able to make the decision to be happy with herself and would not have given up her uniqueness.
Barbie Doll
This poem uses irony to satiracly express society's veiw on beauty. Young girls are often given dolls and toys that sterotype women. These dolls will be perfectlly thin and have a voulumtuouse figure; yet, these dolls are not real people they do not have thoughts and emotions like a real person. Young girls often feel as if they must look like these dolls in order to be beautiful. The girl in this poem is lead to believe that she is not good enough because she has thick legs and a large nose. The only time this girl is recognized as beautiful is when she has changed her appearances. The poem says she cuts off her thick legs and large nose and offers them up in a coffin. The coffin analogy gives the feeling that she has removed some part of herself that makes her unique. She replaced her own beauty with what society told her was beautiful and now her beauty is dead.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by: John Donne
This poem was one of the more confusing ones for me. When I break it down it seems to be talking about a lover and announcing their love to others. At the beginning of the poem however, it seems like a man is about to die and they are saying good bye. This is more fitting for the title because a valediction is a farewell. Perhaps the man who is dying is saying good bye to his love. The man may not literally be dying, his death is simply a symbol for his emotion. Unfortunately This symbolic meaning is one I can not make sense of. This poem along with a few of the others seems like a puzzle and it is hard to put all the pieces together so that they fit. In the article we read about the correct way to interpret a poem, it said all details must fit the interpretation. I find this to be the greatest challenge because often ideas of what the author is speaking of pop into my mind and then a new fact is revealed that ruins the original thought. I think this is a poem we should discuss in class because it is hard to make sense of.
I taste a liquor never brewed by: Emily Dickinson
I feel like Emily Dickinson wrote her poems like there were meant to be a puzzle or a riddle to be figured out. First of all, a liquor that was never brewed would not contain alcohol. So if whatever Emily is getting drunk off of it is not alcohol. The author describes nature and its beauty. However she does this using words related to drinking and being drunk. She says the drunken bee, the butterflies renounce their drams, and inebriate of air. These descriptions all are related to drinking yet they are describing things in nature that can not be drunk. I think she is trying to make the point that nature and beauty make her feel as happy as if she were drunk how ever she does this in a very artistic and creative way.
Febuary by: Margaret Atwood
The diction used in this poem sets a very distinct tone. The author is not happy. It is February, the month of despair, as well as the month in which Valentines day takes place. The author makes a few references to how Valentines day and the male gender are a waste of time. They are as shallow as cats (specifically her cat). February is cold and dreary and she wants to stay in her warm bed and avoid the world. The diction she uses such as; "Winter. Time to eat fat." "It's all about sex and territory" and "love has done us in", allow the reader to get a sense of the author's feelings and sympathize with her. Such graphic word choice such as your small pink bumhole, snip a few testicles, and we should eat our young like sharks; shocks the reader and grabs their attention. The diction really makes this poem memorable.
Dream Deferred by: Langston Hughes
This poem can be applied to any person's life. Everyone has dreams and hopes for the future that do not actually happen. The author uses descriptive imagery to compare these deferred dreams to unpleasant things. He compares the dream first to a dried up raison, meaning it has lost its appeal and is worthless. Then he says it could fester like a sore, meaning it will always bother the dreamer that they never completed this dream/goal. Finally he compares the dream to something that is crusted over with sugar as in it has been sugar coated so much that it now sounds better than it actually is. He makes these comparisons with similies yet his last line; "Or does it explode?" is a metaphor as well as a retorical question. Making this line a metaphor seemed to poss the other comparisions as possibilites but this last one as the one the author thinks is most likely to happen. The retorical question allows the reader to ponder what the author could mean by this and formulate their own opinion.
Bright Star by: John Keats
I found this poem to be mediocar. I'll begin with the positive. I found this poem easy to relate to. If you have ever been in love it is easy to get carried away in the happiness of it all. You want it to be steadfast and to never end. This is the qualities the author wants to have in his love. However, the heartbreak is almost unbearable. If it were possible to just disapear at the moment love is the very best and never have to deal with the falling out, love would be perfect. I have never thought of this idea before but it really sounds appealing. On a more negative note, I was not really relating to the star comparison. The author begins saying how he wants to be like the star because it is steadfast and patient but he doesn't want to be like it because the star is always alone. I can see how this works but there are so many better comparisions that could have been used to symbolize the love this author has and the anxiety that goes along with it.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The convergence of the Twain by: Thomas Hardy
This poem was discussing the sinking of the Titanic and description of it at the bottom of the ocean. The organization of this poem was very interesting. each stanza consists of two short line followed by a long like. The two short lines are description of the boat while the long line is description of the ocean. Although this may be a bit of a stretch the lines also seem to look like a boat floating on water. Poetry is different than other forms of writing because the poet can be creative with the format of the writing, the capitalization,dashes, and other ways grammar can be used in artistic forms. This poem was very descriptive but it really caught my attention because of the format.
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by: Emily Dickinson
This was by far my most favorite poem to read. First of all this poem told a story from an interesting point of view; inside a cofin at a funeral. But what makes this poem the most interesting is that while is does literally discuss the events of a funeral, it also has a symbolic or allegory type meaning. In class we discussed a few theories on what this poem could truely be describing. some of these included the idea that she was describing going mentally insane while others spoke of drug addiction, loss of faith, and a mental break down. I found reason to support all of these ideas but i personally thought the mentally insane and loss of faith we the best suggestions. In the poem she says "the plank of reason broke" suggesting that her sense of reason or mental state has been lost. Also, this may imply that she has lost the reasoning she once had in her faith, or the explanation of religion has lost its meaning. This was a very ambiguouse poem and i found it to be the most creative.
London by: Willian Blake
This poem reminded me of the movie/musical Sweeny Todd. Both poem and movie took place in London and the setting is dreary and sad. London and england in general, was one of the first locations of modernized government. However, the government was much harsher and unfair during the time period of this poem (1757-1827). Through out the poem the word chartered is repeated, meaning law, and is used in a negative connotation. The poem also points out how the working class is not satisfied. "how the chimney sweepers cry....the hapless soldier's sigh." Such imagery creates a feeling of poverty and unhapiness with the society these people live in. A poets imagery can invoke a setting and feeling along with it if used properly.
Those Winter Sundays by:Robert Hayden
The tone of this poem was a central to the feeling it is meant to imply. The storyline seemed simple enough; a man looks back on memories of his father and regrets not realizing how much his father loved him. The author uses details in his diction to describe the father's hard work. Some of this diction includes; he got up early, cracked hands, labor, and ache. Other diction states that the boy was scared of the anger in the house, suggesting that his father may have been the source of this anger. In the end the author seems to realize how much his father must of loved him and how ungrateful he had been as a child. The diction in this poem and the tone it creates allows the reader to understand the way the man felt both as a child and looking back. The reader can also see the strain and hard work this father put forth for his family.
Spring by: Bernard Manley Hopkins
This was the first poem I read and there were a few things I noticed right of the bat. First of all, this poem is describing spring and the new life that goes along with it. However, with the second reading I found that this poem had some sort of religious aspect. This is apparent through the reference to the garden of Eden, Christ, and lambs. This may be a reference of how all humans started out as innocent but were corrupted by sin. yet, I don't think this poem was in fact very religious. I believe the point of this poem is to explain how as children we are innocent and pure as it was in the garden of Eden and we must appreciate it before it is over run with sin and impurity. This poem appears to be mostly symbolic and meant to point out the importance of remaining innocent.
Monday, September 6, 2010
"The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry"
Poetry has always been a frustrating subject for me. A large part of this is due to the ambiguity poetry leaves for the reader. However, with Perrine's guidelines it appears there a very few ways one poem can be interpreted. According to Perrine, the criteria for interpretation of a poem is this; (1) the interpretation must account for every detail of the poem and (2) if there is still more then one interpretation then the one that has the fewest assumptions is correct. I can see good points and bad points to this theory. Later in the article, Perrine demonstrates his theory by interpreting a poem by Emily Dickinson. When I first read the poem I interpreted it in the way Perrine said most of his students had; however, he goes on to use his theory to show how this interpretation is in fact false. Using his method did work out in this case and his interpretation was much more interesting and possibly more accurate.
While Perrine's method did work fairly well, I still found a few debatable flaws. I've always felt that English teachers and readers in general often over analyze a reading. Yes, there are some very symbolic and deep works of literature but maybe the author was just trying to say something simple. Maybe Emily Dickinson wanted her poems to be ambiguous so that everyone would have a different interpretation or maybe she was describing flowers, or maybe Perrine is right and she was describing a sunset. this is where poetry becomes confusing for me. In my opinion, poetry is meant to be left to interpretation. The author wants you to imagine your own interpretation and feel your own feelings.
While Perrine's method did work fairly well, I still found a few debatable flaws. I've always felt that English teachers and readers in general often over analyze a reading. Yes, there are some very symbolic and deep works of literature but maybe the author was just trying to say something simple. Maybe Emily Dickinson wanted her poems to be ambiguous so that everyone would have a different interpretation or maybe she was describing flowers, or maybe Perrine is right and she was describing a sunset. this is where poetry becomes confusing for me. In my opinion, poetry is meant to be left to interpretation. The author wants you to imagine your own interpretation and feel your own feelings.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Conflict
-the struggle between two opposing forces or characters in a story.
as you may have noticed this story takes place during the Vietnam war. This war was was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations between the years 1955-1975. Although most of the war was a"cold war" meaning there was no declared war untill later on mostly during the 60's. The purpose of this war was to restrain communism from infecting other countries. Many people questioned this war feeling it was unneccesary and many lives were being lost with no purpose. People became even more inferiated when young American men were being drafted to go over seas and fight this "unneccassary war". This historical conflict is the basis of the story. Tim O'Brien was one of the unfortunate men who were drafted to go over to Vietnam and fight. He made the decsion to except this draft and not flee to Canada and because of this we are able to hear his stories. Because of Tim those soldiers' stories that we read will live on forever "like an old Library book on a shelf"
as you may have noticed this story takes place during the Vietnam war. This war was was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations between the years 1955-1975. Although most of the war was a"cold war" meaning there was no declared war untill later on mostly during the 60's. The purpose of this war was to restrain communism from infecting other countries. Many people questioned this war feeling it was unneccesary and many lives were being lost with no purpose. People became even more inferiated when young American men were being drafted to go over seas and fight this "unneccassary war". This historical conflict is the basis of the story. Tim O'Brien was one of the unfortunate men who were drafted to go over to Vietnam and fight. He made the decsion to except this draft and not flee to Canada and because of this we are able to hear his stories. Because of Tim those soldiers' stories that we read will live on forever "like an old Library book on a shelf"
Are they true stories or not?
when discussing this book with other students, I've found that almost everybody wants to know if these stories are true and they are confused about why they wouldn't be. However, I think the author did this for a very specific reason. He describes that a true war story can hardly ever be true because the person telling the story wants you to feel as they did at the time. Just as a the classic fisher man's story. the fish he caught was never as big as he described yet that may be true to him because he was so excited at the time, to him the fish was that big. This is explained most clearly in the chapter Good Form where Tim explains that although he did not ever kill a man he still felt responsible for his death. "I watched a man die on a trail near the village of MY Khe. I did not kill him. But I was present, you see, and my presence was guilt enough. I remember his face, which was not a pretty face because his jaw was in his throat and I remember feeling the burden of responsibility and grief. I blamed myself. and rightly so because I was present." "Kathleen can say," did you ever kill anybody?" and I can honestly say "OF course not." or I can say honestly, "yes"
Situational Irony
-Takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and waht really does happen.
In the chapter Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker discusses how his friend died in the Vietnam war. HE says they were camping in a filed and they had not realized that this field was the towns local sewer. They were attacked and his friend died and Norman could not save him. There are two Ironies that take place in this chapter the first is stated by Norman when he says his friend that died would have found it funny that he died in a "shit field" when they felt that Vietnam was a "shit field" to begin with, now it was just literal. The second Irony is that although Norman Bowker has seven medals he still does not feel good enough or brave enough. Although people may look at him and think that since he has seven medals so he must be brave; Norman believes he let his friend die and is thus a failure.
In the chapter Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker discusses how his friend died in the Vietnam war. HE says they were camping in a filed and they had not realized that this field was the towns local sewer. They were attacked and his friend died and Norman could not save him. There are two Ironies that take place in this chapter the first is stated by Norman when he says his friend that died would have found it funny that he died in a "shit field" when they felt that Vietnam was a "shit field" to begin with, now it was just literal. The second Irony is that although Norman Bowker has seven medals he still does not feel good enough or brave enough. Although people may look at him and think that since he has seven medals so he must be brave; Norman believes he let his friend die and is thus a failure.
My opinion of the book
This book was by far my favorite of the two we read. Mostly I think it was because it was written in a way that we can relate. This is especially the case with the war that is being fought right now and how it is effecting our families and the youngmen and women who go off and fight and suffer for us now. THis book had quite a few timeless and universal themes in it that we can also relate to. Some of these themes include guilt, suffering, recovering from loss and hard memories, and learning to except the past and move on. I also found these stories to be interest especially since it is often unclear what really goes on when a war is being fought. The other book, The Sun Also Rises, also had many timeless and universal themes; however, relating personally to that book was a far stretch for most of us. The time era was drasticly different and the themes were harder to understand and apply to our own lives. This is why I liked the Things They Carried better.
Linda
This story definitely ties the rest together. Tim explains that telling his stories about the war is meant to help him coup with his memories and it keeps his friends and loved ones alive. "stories keep the dead alive" (page226 second paragraph) Linda was Tim's first experience with death or that is what he claims in the book. In fact I think Linda's story may not be a "true" one. Linda may be a symbol of what Tim does to remember those people he lost and how he keeps them alive. Linda is there to explain it to the reader. One conversation that takes place between Linda and Tim that I found especially moving was this; "Well right now I'm not dead. but when I am it's like...I don't know, I guess it's like being inside a book that no body's reading" " An old one. It's up on a library shelf so you're safe and everything but the book hasn't been checked out for a long long time. All you can do is wait. Just hope somebody'll pick it up and start reading."
Speaking of Courage
This was one of the more moving chapters in this book for me. The main character is Norman Bowker. He is traveling around a lake in his home town thinking about how everyone is going on with their lives yet he can't get over the fact that he wasn't couragouse enough to save his friends life in Vietnam. No one is there to listen to Norman and his troubles torment him. I think this kind of relates to the book The Sun Also Rises. Jake and his friends fought a war and are scard from it. It effects their choices in life and the way they view the world yet they hardly speak of it to those around them they avoid the problem as much as possible. the same goes for Norman he has suffered and is scard yet everyone moves on around him and avoids the problem. The sun also rises and life moves on even if you are tormented by what happened in the past.
Dialect
-a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of inhabitants of a geographical area.
The characters in " The Things They Carried" are American soldiers. Many of them are young and naive. They often cuss profusely and because this is the Vietnam war they use terms related to that time era. This allows the reader to see how society was during this time and how the men behaved over seas in Vietnam. This adds more to details and scenery to the story and allows the reader to be more involve in the characters time era and thought process.I also thought it was interesting to see what was different from back then to how it is now. We definitely say things differently now, often more crude. Also I think the men were more respectful in a few cases like when Anne came and stayed in the camp with the men and when they camped out in a church and they felt it was sinful. I don't know if things like that would happen now a days.
The characters in " The Things They Carried" are American soldiers. Many of them are young and naive. They often cuss profusely and because this is the Vietnam war they use terms related to that time era. This allows the reader to see how society was during this time and how the men behaved over seas in Vietnam. This adds more to details and scenery to the story and allows the reader to be more involve in the characters time era and thought process.I also thought it was interesting to see what was different from back then to how it is now. We definitely say things differently now, often more crude. Also I think the men were more respectful in a few cases like when Anne came and stayed in the camp with the men and when they camped out in a church and they felt it was sinful. I don't know if things like that would happen now a days.
Inception!!
In the chapter The Lives of The Dead, Tim O'Brien reflects on a childhood friend of his who passed away. He tells us how when his Friend, Linda, died he would dream about her and it would be like she was still alive. I just recently saw the movie Inception and it reminded me of this book. In the movie Leodardo di Caprio's wife commits suicide and he always wants to go to sleep so he can live with her in his dreams. It always amazes me the way people react to dramatic situations. As a child Tim couldn't deal with loosing his friend so he imagined she was still alive in his dreams and that is how he kept her alive. Later in life Tim has many more experiences with loosing friends and loved ones and he learns that he can keep them alive through stories. Their memories are preserved forever in print. "we keep the dead alive through stories." (page 226 second paragraph)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Dynamic Character
- A character who changes in some important way as a resolt of the story's action.
In the begining of the book Tim O'bien is a young and niaieve. He has little sense of what loss and suffering is. This is especially clear in the chapter, On The Rainy River, because he discribes how simple his plan for life had been up to the point of recieving the draft notice. He has trouble making this huge decsion because he is scared of what might happen. Tim changes drasticly through out the war though. This is especially clear in the chapters Feild Trip and The Ghost Soldiers. In these chapters we see how the war has made O'brien hard and mean. He Seeks revenge on Bobby Jergans for not helping him with his shot womb properly. In the chapter Feild Trip O'brien goes back to Vietnam to the feild where his friend died. He is still effected by his loss years later and he comes back to find some closer. The choices we make early in life effect the entirety of our lives.
In the begining of the book Tim O'bien is a young and niaieve. He has little sense of what loss and suffering is. This is especially clear in the chapter, On The Rainy River, because he discribes how simple his plan for life had been up to the point of recieving the draft notice. He has trouble making this huge decsion because he is scared of what might happen. Tim changes drasticly through out the war though. This is especially clear in the chapters Feild Trip and The Ghost Soldiers. In these chapters we see how the war has made O'brien hard and mean. He Seeks revenge on Bobby Jergans for not helping him with his shot womb properly. In the chapter Feild Trip O'brien goes back to Vietnam to the feild where his friend died. He is still effected by his loss years later and he comes back to find some closer. The choices we make early in life effect the entirety of our lives.
Antihero
-Central character who lacks the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. My lack courage, grace, intelligence or moral scruples.
In the chapter titles Speaking Of Courage, a veteran named Norman Bowker travels around a lake in his home town reflecting on the death of his close friend in Vietnam. He talks about how he almost one a metal for bravery but he says he wasn't quite brave enough. This type of hero is different from we normally except as heroes because he is not successful in his attempt to save his friend. However I still think this man would be considered a hero simple because of all the suffering he endured to defend his country. The story goes on to talk about the common beliefs of what courage is and how Norman does not feel that he qualifies as a hero because he let his friend die. Even though he has many metals he does not feel good enough. I think this goes to show how society views heroes and courage is not always correct. There's something deeper to every story.
In the chapter titles Speaking Of Courage, a veteran named Norman Bowker travels around a lake in his home town reflecting on the death of his close friend in Vietnam. He talks about how he almost one a metal for bravery but he says he wasn't quite brave enough. This type of hero is different from we normally except as heroes because he is not successful in his attempt to save his friend. However I still think this man would be considered a hero simple because of all the suffering he endured to defend his country. The story goes on to talk about the common beliefs of what courage is and how Norman does not feel that he qualifies as a hero because he let his friend die. Even though he has many metals he does not feel good enough. I think this goes to show how society views heroes and courage is not always correct. There's something deeper to every story.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Symbolisim
- A person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself.
This book is full of symbolic images and actions. A few that I found especially predominate were The people O'Brien sees on the side of the river in the chapter, Th Rainy River, the tongue necklace Anne wears in the chapter, Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, and the man O'Brien claims to kill. Each of these people or objects had symbolic meanings. For example, the people on the side of the river symbolized the turn out of O'Brien's life. This decision would change the entire way his life played out and effect the people he would or would not meet in the future. The necklace of tongues that Anne wears shows that she is now more tribal and part of Vietnam more than she is a fellow American. It's never quite clear if O'Brien did ever kill a man but from what I understood he did not but his guilt made him feel as responsible for the man's life as if he had killed him. The dead man is a symbol of the guilt O'Brien feels as well as the guilt all soldiers feel after killing another human being.
This book is full of symbolic images and actions. A few that I found especially predominate were The people O'Brien sees on the side of the river in the chapter, Th Rainy River, the tongue necklace Anne wears in the chapter, Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, and the man O'Brien claims to kill. Each of these people or objects had symbolic meanings. For example, the people on the side of the river symbolized the turn out of O'Brien's life. This decision would change the entire way his life played out and effect the people he would or would not meet in the future. The necklace of tongues that Anne wears shows that she is now more tribal and part of Vietnam more than she is a fellow American. It's never quite clear if O'Brien did ever kill a man but from what I understood he did not but his guilt made him feel as responsible for the man's life as if he had killed him. The dead man is a symbol of the guilt O'Brien feels as well as the guilt all soldiers feel after killing another human being.
Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong
"It was as if she had come up on the edge of something, as if she were caught in that no-man"s-land between Cleveland Heights and deep jungle. Seventeen years old. Just a child, blond and innocent, but then weren't they all?" (page 100second paragraph)This was one of my favorite chapters. I really wonder if this story has any truth to it, like if a girl really did fly over and stay in the army camp for a period of time and what truly happened. I also thought it was interesting that this girl was about the same age as me. She must have had alot of guts to travel over seas to a country were people were being killed brutally. and the same goes for all the Young men that were forced to go over seas. as the quote above says weren't they all Young and innocent and they have that innocents brutally taken when they kill and make war etc. I'm not sure if I could do something like that. This book is about the closest I ever want to get to war.
A True War Story
The chapter entitled, How to tell a true war story, really explains alot in this book. As I wrote in a previous post I've found it challenging to understand what is true, symbolic, or simply exaggeration. However after reading this chapter I think the author explains that those types of questions are beside the point. The details make the story come to life, they add emotion and scenery for the reader. that's what the author wants. He wants the reader to understand how these men felt and what the real motivation for certain actions were and how the soldiers felt after doing these things. "a true war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way the dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do the things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. Its about sorrow" (page81 last paragraph) This paragraph really puts what he is saying into perspective. these stories are memories, not just facts, so they have the emotions and exaggerations that the men felt at that time.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Motivation
-The reason for a character's behavior.
O'Brien's reason for choosing to go to war and not run away to Canada surprised me. He says on page 57,"I couldn't make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarrassment, that's all it was...I would for to the war-I would kill and maybe die- because I was embarrassed not to." I thought this was interesting. Even though O'Brien thinks this is a wrong war and maybe his family agrees we don't know he still feels they would be disappointed in him if he avoided the draft. I personally think my family would be relieved if I would have been drafted and ran away. He wouldn't have been killed in Canada however, he would have been running away from his problems. Its a difficult decision either way but i found his motivation for deciding to go to war interesting.
O'Brien's reason for choosing to go to war and not run away to Canada surprised me. He says on page 57,"I couldn't make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarrassment, that's all it was...I would for to the war-I would kill and maybe die- because I was embarrassed not to." I thought this was interesting. Even though O'Brien thinks this is a wrong war and maybe his family agrees we don't know he still feels they would be disappointed in him if he avoided the draft. I personally think my family would be relieved if I would have been drafted and ran away. He wouldn't have been killed in Canada however, he would have been running away from his problems. Its a difficult decision either way but i found his motivation for deciding to go to war interesting.
Internal Conflict
- a Conflict invloving opposing forces with in a person's mind.
In the chapter "ON The Rainy River" O'Brien presents us with a visual aspect of internal conflict. On page 55, O'Brien is on a fishing boating debating weather or not to run away to canada while a huge group of people stand on the shore and encourage him to choose one way or the other. These people are the ones that mean something to him. They represent both lives he could have lead and the life he chose to lead. This is his internal conflict; Will he run away and leave his family and dreams behind and disapoint the ones he loves or will he go to war and put his plans on hold but he might be killed? Its a tough decision and the internal conflict is very obviouse.
In the chapter "ON The Rainy River" O'Brien presents us with a visual aspect of internal conflict. On page 55, O'Brien is on a fishing boating debating weather or not to run away to canada while a huge group of people stand on the shore and encourage him to choose one way or the other. These people are the ones that mean something to him. They represent both lives he could have lead and the life he chose to lead. This is his internal conflict; Will he run away and leave his family and dreams behind and disapoint the ones he loves or will he go to war and put his plans on hold but he might be killed? Its a tough decision and the internal conflict is very obviouse.
On the rainy river
I personally found this chapter easy to relate to. O'Brien is at a point in his life where he has just graduated from high school and has made plans for college and a successful career. I am also making plans for college and major decisions about what i will do with the rest of my life. It would be so difficult to put those plans on hold, leave everyone you knew behind, and travel across the world where you may die at any moment. We also learn that while they are away at war the people at home continue on with their lives. Jimmy Cross tells us in the chapter "Love" that when he meets up with Martha again she is no longer interested and has moved on with different plans. Also Norman Bowker tells us In "Speaking of Courage" that Sally Kramer, a girl he used to date, has moved on as well and married. It would be so difficult at the age of eighteen to put your life on hold while everyone around you progressed.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
mood
-The atmosphere created by a writer's diction and the details selected.
This is an important aspect of O'Brien's book because the mood he sets for the reader allows them to get involved with the characters. O'Brien mentions more than once how these soldiers were little more than children because they were so Young. He describes the land and climate they endured and their everyday struggles. When this is done the reader can more fully emphasize with the characters. For example in the chapter On the rainy River, O'Brien tells how he had had so many plans for his future and how being drafted would change his entire life. This is something most Americans can relate to in one way or another. The atmosphere and mood O'Brien creates in this book allows the reader to emphasize and become more involved with the characters.
This is an important aspect of O'Brien's book because the mood he sets for the reader allows them to get involved with the characters. O'Brien mentions more than once how these soldiers were little more than children because they were so Young. He describes the land and climate they endured and their everyday struggles. When this is done the reader can more fully emphasize with the characters. For example in the chapter On the rainy River, O'Brien tells how he had had so many plans for his future and how being drafted would change his entire life. This is something most Americans can relate to in one way or another. The atmosphere and mood O'Brien creates in this book allows the reader to emphasize and become more involved with the characters.
The things they carried
In the first chapter O'Brien tells us the material things the men carried during the war as well as the emotional bagage they had. among the material things were weapons, food, bug spray, and other essentials to war life. Yet the men also carry things that have significance to themselves such as pictures, pantie-hoes, a pebble, letters, ect. each of these items have a story behind them and connect the soldiers to the lives they once led at home and the men they actually are. They also carry the responsibility of protecting each other. They carry the constant fear of death and the fear of cowardice. They carry dreams and hope for their lives when the war is over. I thought the first chapter was a good introduction of all of the things these men had to deal with. This chapter allows the author to flow into the meaning of the things they carried and the story behind it all.
First person Point of view and Omniscient View
First Person- One of the characters tells the story
Omniscient- An omniscient or all knowing narrator tells the sotory, also using the third person pronouns. This narrator instead of focusing on one chacater only, often tells us everything about many characters.
The Things they Carried" is a recolection of stories told by tim O'brian about his time spent fighting in the Vietnam War. He makes himself one of the characters and he tells most of the stories from him own view point. However, in chapters such as Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, Speaking of courage and some of the other chapters, different characters tell a story that they expereinced or an all knowing narrator will tell their stoy. these characters include, Jimmy cross, Norman Bowker, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Henry Dobbins, and Kiowa.
Omniscient- An omniscient or all knowing narrator tells the sotory, also using the third person pronouns. This narrator instead of focusing on one chacater only, often tells us everything about many characters.
The Things they Carried" is a recolection of stories told by tim O'brian about his time spent fighting in the Vietnam War. He makes himself one of the characters and he tells most of the stories from him own view point. However, in chapters such as Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, Speaking of courage and some of the other chapters, different characters tell a story that they expereinced or an all knowing narrator will tell their stoy. these characters include, Jimmy cross, Norman Bowker, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Henry Dobbins, and Kiowa.
Begining " The Things They Carried"
I have to say I enjoyed reading this book much more than The Sun Also Rises. I think this is because it was more easily understood and more modern. The themes in this book were universal and these events took place less than fifty years ago. I found two things challenging about this book. One, trying to figure out which stories were true and which one's were symbolic or exaggerated. The author tells us how true war stories are never really true and this is demonstrated through out the book. Two, figuring out what the symbols and metaphors actually meant. This was a challenge since so much of the book was symbolic. never the less I enjoyed this book and learned alot about the Vietnam War.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
forshadowing
ok I thought i had twenty posts but i jsut looked and i only have 19 isn't athat great. -the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story- in the chapter before brett rns off with Romero, she talks about how much she likes his clothing and how handsome he is. Also at the begining of one chapter jake says he ends up with the bull's ear in his handkercheif and then it tells the story up to that point. this provides a variety in the story telling and keeps the audience intersted. and now i think i'm done fo rizel!!
My reaction to the book
If i look at this story as it is making fun of the mundane lives that people lead and the fact that we create problems for ourselves and make the same mistakes over and over again; then i kind of like it. the author demonstrated this perspective very clearly and he also presents social problems of this era and how people simply ignore these issues. This is the time less and universal theme. o the other hand the story itself in which jake and brett are in love and the crazy story behind that i think is amusing at first but then it was just frustrating. why couldn't brett stop being a tramp and hurting people!? But the truth is brett and jake may not have even seen that they were making these mistakes repeatedly. it seems obvious to the spectator but not when one is really living it. this is how the real world is we are stupid and we keep doing the same things and to the spectator it must be extremely frustrating.
thend
the end of the book i found to be slightly disapointing. I was hoping that some how either jake would end up with brett or find a new girls who would except him. unfortunately nothing seemed to really change. brett remained sleeping around with other men and all of the characters seem to still be confused and unhappy even more so then they were at the begining of the book. The characters have tried to work problems out but everything failed and turned out even worse than original. this is different from most stories because a problem is presented and in the end it is resolved but in this case the problem is on-going and can not really be resolved easily so the people keep making the same mistakes.
Flat character
-has only one or twso personality traits. They are one dimensional like a piece of cardboard. they can be summed up in one phrase- There are a plethora of characters in this strory. many of these characters were background characters tht we only hear of once and were never brought up again. However, the man in spain who likes bull fighting seems to come up again and again. he only has one personality trait and that is that he is obsessed with bull fighting. on the other hand i think he symbolizes something. he feels that jake is a true bull fighter spirtit and he is disapointed of jakes friend choice even though he never says it. i think he represents jake's subconscience that tells him he is better than this and can do better.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Static character
-Is one who does not change much in the course of a story- In many stories the main character under goes a dramatic life lesson where their entire outlook is turned around. However this is often not how real life works. people may under go a life changing experience but they may not learn from it and it is nearly impossible to change your life right of the bat. I think this book was more realistic in that aspect. It shows how the characters have nothing really interesting going on for the majority of their time and important things happen with long periods of time in between. So even though Jake our main character has some dramatic experiences he changes very little. In my opinion Jake is a static character. At the beginning of the book he is madly in love with Brett and will do anything for her and at the end of the book he is the exact same way even after all she has put him through.
Silly Billy
Ok of every character in the book Bill is my favorite. WE know he has some problems because he drinks so much in Vienna that he can't remember what he did for four days but he still has a good sense of humor and doesn't react badly to some things that the other characters do. Bill is different from Jake because he does not avoid problems but has a humorous way to deal with them. on page 116 Bill says my favorite line of the whole book; "Listen. You're a hell of a good guy and I'm fonder of you than anybody on earth. I couldn't tell you that in New York. It'd mean I was a faggot. That was what the civil war was about. Abraham Lincoln was a faggot. He was in love with General Gant. So was Jefferson Davis. Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet. The Dred Scott case was framed by the Anti-Saloon League. Sex explains it all. The Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady are lesbians under their skin." Not only is this quote funny but it really is what this book is about. The first part is Bills indirect way of making it known he is not gay because many veterans had masculinity issues after the war. then he goes on to discuss who loves who as the book does with Brett, and ends with saying sex explains everything. And yeah sex explains this whole book about why Brett can't be with Jake.
Allusion
-reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something- Through out the story it is made known that Bill, Jake, and mike fought in WWI. They struggle with the common struggles of veterans of WWI. for example they find their lives to be mundane and have little purpose. they have become alcholics and drink away their problems and memories of the war. All of these characters make brief references to the war and it is because of the war that Jake was injured and Brett will not be with him. The war is a huge under-lying factor on the characteristics of these people and how the story unfold.
Drinking
Drinking is a common aspect of the characters every day lives. They are almost always drunk. they may be sitting at a bar and they discuss where they are going to go to drink next. The type of drink and the level of drunkenness of each character is often described. Furthermore, each characters drinking level influences the things that they can get away with. For instance, at one point mike is insulting Robert for following Brett around like a puppy and the others make ex cusses for him saying he is "tight" or drunk and can not control what he says. Later we find out that Mike says he really wasn't as drunk as it seemed. Mike is not the only one who makes excuses because he is drunk all the other characters do also. each character has issues and tries to drink away the pain. This is amajor theme through out the book.
Oxymoron
In the last few chapters of the book Hemingway uses oxymorons. I think this may be done to demon straight how after all that has happened the characters are still confused. This confusion is present in speech mind and action. Brett is still tormenting Jake and all of Jake's friends have gone away. These Oxymorons are on pages 226 When bill says the fiesta has been a wonderful nightmare and on page 221 when it is said that Romero has "only Perfect" bull fighting skills. This last oxymoron could also be used as an understatement because it is obvious that Romero has excellent bull fighting skills.
Situational Irony
-Takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen when what really does happen.- Through out the book it is made clear that Jake loves Brett and she "supposedly" loves him in return. However Jake and Brett are not together as a couple. Brett has intentions to marry some one else and she has flings with many other men. Something that I also find to be extremely Ironic is that Brett has Jake set her up with other men. For example Brett asks Jake to set her up with the Bull Fighter Romero. This shows the extent of how Jake is being used.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
I HATE BRETT
You know a book is pretty good if you can be angry at the characters. But I don't see how some one couldn't be angry at Brett. Not only does she know that Jake loves her and she sleeps with his friends but she also asks him to set her up with the bull-fighter boy. She is emotionally dependant on Jake telling him how upset she is and turning to him for help, yet she knows that he is also emotionally troubled because he loves her and she says she loves him. Brett can't give up sex to be with the man she loves and she teases him constantly making his life miserable. there is just something wrong with that.
The Healing of Nature
The author makes a point of making the characters have mundane and ordinary lives. However, when Bill arrives he and Jake decide to go to Spain for a fishing trip. In these chapters the scenery is described in detail as being peace full and beautiful. This literary device allows the reader to see the healing power nature has on the character. While doing some research I discovered that Hemingway was an avid hunter and outdoors-man. HE truly believed that nature was the way to peace and healing. For example both bill and Jake are stressed with their mundane lives and in the their search for a purpose. they are also dealing with the after-effects of WWI yet when they are fishing in Spain they feel at ease and can discuss life with each other more easily.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The Women Characters
At the beginning of the summer I had alot of trouble finding a copy of this book so i had to resort to borrowing the last copy from the library. (there were 14 Roncalli students on the waiting list for The Things They Carried). However this has added a few good things to my reading because the book i checked out was written in by some one who had read it previously. I personally found this person to be very critical of the book but they did make notes on a few interesting parts. for example the person underlined every time a women was referred to as weak or and object. They also pointed out the relationships these women had with men and how society and men viewed them. I may not have noticed this with out the anonymous reader so thank you who ever you are. Among Jake and his friends, there are almost no healthy, loving relationships between men and women. Although Jake and Brett seem to truly love one another, Brett is unwilling to commit to Jake. Moreover, she frequently exploits Jake’s love for her. She often goes to him for emotional support and then abandons him to pursue affairs with other men, as when, directly after unloading her emotional troubles on Jake, she breaks her appointment with him to spend more time carousing with the count. Although her ill treatment causes Jake pain, he never mentions it to her and only rarely acknowledges it to himself. He essentially allows himself to be abused, unable to stand up to Brett. Ironically, in this respect Jake resembles Cohn, who stoically endures Frances’s verbal assaults.Frances and Cohn’s messy breakup reveals how little true affection ever existed between them. Cohn abandons Frances as soon as he gains the confidence to do so and finds a woman who interests him more, namely Brett. Frances’s main complaint is that she is now too old to find a husband and has wasted her time pursuing Cohn. She is not so much concerned with losing Cohn as with losing the chance to marry.
Foil
-a character who acts as contrast to another character.- Bill Gorton provides an important contrast to Jake. While Jake is generally tight-lipped and hesitates to express what is on his mind, Bill takes a different approach to communicating his feelings: he jokes constantly, using humor as a coping mechanism. Bill, like all of Jake’s friends, wrestles with the demons of the postwar world. Thus, he feels compelled to drink himself blind for four days in Vienna. But humor allows him to talk about the issues that haunt him in the wake of the Great War. For instance, he addresses the issue of weakened masculinity in the postwar world through his motto of “Never be daunted.” He presents this phrase in the context of drinking, telling Jake not to be daunted by how much he needs to drink in order to “catch up.” The phrase implicitly touches upon notions of valor and bravery. Bill subtly suggests that in the postwar world, such notions have meaning only in the realm of alcohol. jake seems to be able to express himself more truthfully to jake than any of his other friends and bill seems to feel the same way. His claim that he could not express his fondness for Jake in New York City because he would mark himself as a “faggot” seems to be an attempt to relieve an unconscious anxiety about his close relationship with Jake. Jake feels comfortable enough to discuss his wound with Bill. The wound does not provoke the silence or uneasiness in Jake that it usually does. Bill does not react as though Jake’s wound has made him any less a man. Earlier in the novel, Jake explains that when he was recovering in the hospital, one man remarked that Jake had given more than his life in the war—implying that Jake might as well be dead. Bill, on the other hand, does not regard Jake in this way. This acceptance helps Jake come to terms with his wound without having to give up his masculinity in the process.Bill’s anxiety about close male relationships could very well stem from World War I: during the war, soldiers experienced intense intimacy in their relationships with one another. Moreover, these relationships were quite domestic in character. The men constantly worried about obtaining adequate food and clothing for one another and relied on one another for emotional support. with this relationship the reader learns more about jake and society's symptoms of the war.
Conflict
-THE struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story- When the book opened with the life of Robert Cohn I assumed that he would be a well liked character if not the main character. However, the story has taken a completely opposite stance. Jake finds Cohn some what annoying in the first few chapters but after Robert expresses intrest in Brett Jake seems to have little friendliness towards Cohn. This is something that most of the other characters do not truly know the extent to because no one knows of jake's love for Brett. Later in the story jake discovers that Robert had a short fling with Brett and his jealousy increases. Jake talks poorly of Robert to other people but he hides this hatred to the point that Cohn considers him his best friend. They have a strange relationship and are always in conflict.
Stream of Consciousness
-a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind- At the end of chapter four Jake is lying in bed thinking to himself and it is revealed to the audience that Jake fought in World War I and suffered a battle wound that has made it impossible for him to have sex. It is for this reason that Brett will not marry him. This literary technique is very useful. the reader learned about Jake's past and his relationship with Brett. Also we learn a little about Brett's personality and where her priorities lie. I find it very odd that although Brett is hurting Jake over and over (emotionally) with her flings with other men, Jake is always with her and seeking her out. Brett says she loves Jake but she obviously does not or she wouldn't have the strength to hurt Jake repeatedly and she would be able to give up her immoral lifestyle to be with him.
mood chapters 2-4
Ok so these people are extremely boring. their lives are extremely mundane. They wake up, work for a few hours, have lunch, drink, meet a friend, drink, go to a café, drink, go to a club, drink, go home, drink, go to sleep. They are constantly moving from one place to another in an endless procession of social appointments, always drinking tons amounts of alcohol, seemingly never having conversations of any substance. I think this may be a point the author is trying to convey. These people, who seem to just be leading the life of most people of their time, are BORING just like everyone is. Its kind of funny to think about how boring our lives really are and how sometimes we created unnecessary problems and drama just so we can have something new to focus on. I've been thinking about this alot because this summer i started a new job working in my Dad's office and helping the secretary. and I'm not gunna lie it is soooo boring and the real secretary has worked there for over ten years. same stuff over and over for ten years just getting older and spending her life sitting in the same office. Further more I've noticed that this woman has an immense amount of "drama" to talk about. probably because she has nothing better to do! She reminds me of the main characters in this book.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Characterization and indirect Characterization
I'm so excited I just found the perfect literary term for the first chapter of this book! As I explained in my previos post the author desplays Jake barnes (the main character) in an intersting way. Not only does he use characterization by gradualy describing how Jake responds to specific situations, he also reveals Jake's character by having Jake describe Robert Cohn thus indirect charaterization!! This was a pretty creative way to show Jake Barne's personna in a more realistic way. People have different sides to their personality such as how they respond physically, what they say and how they view others. I really think the author was able to touch on each of these personality traits right away by presenting the story in this mannor.
Begining The Sun Also Rises
Ok so I finally was able to track down a copy of The Sun Also rises. It was difficult but I found one at the Greenwood Library, which in fact I believe is a better copy because it was printed just a few years after the actual book was published! (this thing is ancient) Anyway, I began the book just a few days ago and I thought the way it began was very intersting. I thought that the main character was going to be Robert Cohn and the book would be told from the perspective of an all-knowing narrator. However, the narration switches over to Jake Barnes later on in the chapter. I was unsure of what significance this played but if i were to draw conclusions I would say that this technique was necessary to demonstrate the closeness of the narrator(Jake Barnes) to his friend Robert. I'm assuming Robert will have a huge impact on the story. Further more, by hearing from Jake what has happened through out Robert's life we learn how jake views certain topics and how robert's life relates to his own. Hopefully this is close to what the author was trying to get accross.
Friday, June 4, 2010
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