"Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. 'It isn't fair,' she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head." (Page 271)
ARE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY??!?!?!?!?! Why the heck are they so willing to kill someone? At the beginning of this story, I had no idea for what they were holding the lottery, but it didn't seem to be positive. I knew that some people didn't want the lottery because they mentioned other areas getting rid of the lottery and being perfectly fine. They seem to think they are sacrificing to some go of theirs. How they can kill a friend of theirs who they were talking to so cordially just ten minutes before is beyond me. It's a bit ironic that Tessie arrived late to the ceremony, and she was the one stoned to death.
This story reminded me of the Hunger Games a lot. (As I'm sure it did many other bloggers.) The situation is basically the same. The town gathers once a year to choose someone to, in essence, kill. In this story, they actually kill the unfortunate winner of the lottery. In the Hunger Games, the two winners of the lottery are forced to fight against 22 other young people until only one remains. Considering statistics, most names drawn from that lottery are condemned to death. Here's a trailer to get you excited for the upcoming movie:
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
"Popular Mechanics" - Raymond Carver
"No but I want the baby. I'll get someone to come by for his things. You're not touching this baby, she said." (Lines 14-15)
This story reminds me of some baby-daddy fight on Maury or Jerry Springer. Except it's ironic because usually the father is not willing to fight for his baby. Commonly, he will cheer and dance around if the child isn't his. It's also ironic that the Mom says that the Dad won't touch the baby, but he ends up trying to take it from her, and they kill the baby. This story is an exaggerated example of how a custody battle usually goes when dealing with two parents who both want their child. The parents fight like immature people, and the unfortunate child is completely stuck in the middle without the ability to walk away from the situation.
It's also extremely ironic that both parents are attempting to protect their child from the other one, but they work together to destroy the baby. Their arguing leads to the child's death. Their issue was not resolved in a manner that was anything close to civil, and they have to face the sad truth that neither will get what they want.
This story reminds me of some baby-daddy fight on Maury or Jerry Springer. Except it's ironic because usually the father is not willing to fight for his baby. Commonly, he will cheer and dance around if the child isn't his. It's also ironic that the Mom says that the Dad won't touch the baby, but he ends up trying to take it from her, and they kill the baby. This story is an exaggerated example of how a custody battle usually goes when dealing with two parents who both want their child. The parents fight like immature people, and the unfortunate child is completely stuck in the middle without the ability to walk away from the situation.
It's also extremely ironic that both parents are attempting to protect their child from the other one, but they work together to destroy the baby. Their arguing leads to the child's death. Their issue was not resolved in a manner that was anything close to civil, and they have to face the sad truth that neither will get what they want.
"The Drunkard" - Frank O'Connor
Responding to Question #6: What is the principal irony in the story?"
' "My brave little man!" she said with her eyes shining. "It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel." ' (Page 351)
Throughout the beginning of this story, Larry worries about and anticipates the drunken behavior of his father. He describes for the reader what will happen because it always happens that way. His father will have one drink because of the funeral and then get totally plastered. After that, he won't want to go to work because he feels sick and then he'll turn into the biggest drunk ever for a few weeks and spend all of the family's money until he gets his life back in order until the next bender. All of his previous drinking is rooted in shame. Shame of his life, shame of the first drink. He just wants to get rid of his memories of drinking by more drinking. The mother and son do not want the father to get drunk after Mr. Dooley's funeral, so the son accompanies him as a buffer. However, the son takes it upon himself to save his father by drinking until he is exactly like his father.
All of the ironies in this story contribute to the main irony that the father and son's roles are completely reversed. The son ends up acting exactly as he had feared his father would. The father is forced to play the role his wife and son usually play by caring for his drunken child. The mother thanks and praises her son for coming home completely drunk even though, in a normal situation, a mother would be irate that her 12-year-old son got drunk. It was a blessing in disguise for the family's well-being.
' "My brave little man!" she said with her eyes shining. "It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel." ' (Page 351)
Throughout the beginning of this story, Larry worries about and anticipates the drunken behavior of his father. He describes for the reader what will happen because it always happens that way. His father will have one drink because of the funeral and then get totally plastered. After that, he won't want to go to work because he feels sick and then he'll turn into the biggest drunk ever for a few weeks and spend all of the family's money until he gets his life back in order until the next bender. All of his previous drinking is rooted in shame. Shame of his life, shame of the first drink. He just wants to get rid of his memories of drinking by more drinking. The mother and son do not want the father to get drunk after Mr. Dooley's funeral, so the son accompanies him as a buffer. However, the son takes it upon himself to save his father by drinking until he is exactly like his father.
All of the ironies in this story contribute to the main irony that the father and son's roles are completely reversed. The son ends up acting exactly as he had feared his father would. The father is forced to play the role his wife and son usually play by caring for his drunken child. The mother thanks and praises her son for coming home completely drunk even though, in a normal situation, a mother would be irate that her 12-year-old son got drunk. It was a blessing in disguise for the family's well-being.
"You're Ugly, Too" - Lorrie Moore
Responding to Question #3: This story makes extensive use of jokes. Discuss the importance of jokes to the characterization of Zoe and to the story as a whole.
' "You want a second opinion? OK," says the doctor. "You're ugly, too." She liked that joke. She thought it was terribly, terribly funny." ' (Page 360)
Humor is a an extremely present factor in this story, but it does not do much for Zoe's prospects as a life partner. Sarcastic comments are funny...until they aren't. After a while, they got a little boring and annoying. Zoe's jokes are mostly funny, but they are so overused that she comes off as a bitter old lady who is more suited to own 9 cats than to settle down and get married. These jokes characterize her as the comedian with whom everyone laughs but no one wants to get to know on a deeper level. The jokes only detract from her appeal as a regular person. Zoe's humor changes from something to which she can turn in awkward situations to something she resorts to in every single conversation. From the presence of a 2-year relationship in her past, she is slightly likable, but her jokes and history (no pun intended) mark her as a person with zero substance. Poor thing...
' "You want a second opinion? OK," says the doctor. "You're ugly, too." She liked that joke. She thought it was terribly, terribly funny." ' (Page 360)
Humor is a an extremely present factor in this story, but it does not do much for Zoe's prospects as a life partner. Sarcastic comments are funny...until they aren't. After a while, they got a little boring and annoying. Zoe's jokes are mostly funny, but they are so overused that she comes off as a bitter old lady who is more suited to own 9 cats than to settle down and get married. These jokes characterize her as the comedian with whom everyone laughs but no one wants to get to know on a deeper level. The jokes only detract from her appeal as a regular person. Zoe's humor changes from something to which she can turn in awkward situations to something she resorts to in every single conversation. From the presence of a 2-year relationship in her past, she is slightly likable, but her jokes and history (no pun intended) mark her as a person with zero substance. Poor thing...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
"Miss Brill" - Katherine Mansfield
"Just at that moment a boy and a girl came and sat down where the old couple had been. They were beautifully dressed; they were in love." (Page 185)
Miss Brill is definitely an odd character. At first, she seems to be a stereotypical old lady. She gets dressed up, goes to a park on a Sunday, and sits and watches people as a band plays. All she needs is a bag of crumbs with which to feed the birds and she could be the woman in Mary Poppins who feeds the birds. la la la music. However, she isn't a typical old lady. The reader gets to understand her emotions through her actions. She loves her fur fox that presides on her neck, but she is hurt when the young couple make fun of it as they sit and talk to each other beside her at the park. That is the moment when the reader truly sees that she is a woman with feelings just like an young person.
Not only is she an emotional being, but she is also an excellent and extremely consistent people-watcher. Hence the above photo that proclaims a newscast that stated the Top 10 Best People Watching Spots. The news site that boasted the knowledge of these 10 spots is a local news station of no consequence to me, so their top 10 spots are irrelevant to me, or I would have included the list in this blog.
Not only is she an emotional being, but she is also an excellent and extremely consistent people-watcher. Hence the above photo that proclaims a newscast that stated the Top 10 Best People Watching Spots. The news site that boasted the knowledge of these 10 spots is a local news station of no consequence to me, so their top 10 spots are irrelevant to me, or I would have included the list in this blog.
"Eveline" - James Joyce
"She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal." (p. 222)
This is the image I get in my head when I think of Eveline. She knows that danger awaits her if she remains in her old life just as the deer knows that it will be hit by a car if it stays in the middle of the road. Eveline's imminent danger in her life is the abuse with which her father has previously threatened her. She has never been physically abused like her brothers, but she may very well have it in her future if she stays where she is (which she does). Like the deer, she realizes that if she leaves her current position as a clerk in a store, she will be safe. However, she does not have the courage to leave. She can't summon the will to abandon her younger siblings for whom she promised to care and protect. Before her mother passed away, Eveline agreed to be their advocate and guardian. She cannot force herself to abandon this responsibility despite her longing to start a new life with Frank in Buenos Aires.
"A Worn Path" - Eudora Welty
Responding to Question #3: Discuss the way the characterization of Phoenix contributes to the theme.
" 'I bound to go to town, mister,' said Phoenix. 'The time come around.' " (Page 227)
A central theme is Welty's story is one of consistency and the inability to move on from the events of one's life. Phoenix is characterized as an old woman who is still capable of walking a long distance every so often even though she is nearing the end of this ability. She is also extremely stubborn as well as respected. The other characters in the story all call her Grandma even though she is not their grandmother. This is a sign of respect to her in her advanced age. Another theme in the story is that we never know exactly what is going on in someone's life, and Phoenix embodies that. She is a consistent woman who the doctor knows but can never fully understand. All the people in the story wish to help her despite their lack of knowledge about her, and that contributes to the theme of helpfulness in this story.
" 'I bound to go to town, mister,' said Phoenix. 'The time come around.' " (Page 227)
A central theme is Welty's story is one of consistency and the inability to move on from the events of one's life. Phoenix is characterized as an old woman who is still capable of walking a long distance every so often even though she is nearing the end of this ability. She is also extremely stubborn as well as respected. The other characters in the story all call her Grandma even though she is not their grandmother. This is a sign of respect to her in her advanced age. Another theme in the story is that we never know exactly what is going on in someone's life, and Phoenix embodies that. She is a consistent woman who the doctor knows but can never fully understand. All the people in the story wish to help her despite their lack of knowledge about her, and that contributes to the theme of helpfulness in this story.
"Once Upon a Time" - Nadine Gordimer
Responding to Question #6: Analyze the story's final paragraph in detail. How does it help to elucidate the theme?
"Next day he pretended to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life..." (P. 236)
The title of this short story implies that the reader is going to be treated to a lovely fairytale filled with princes, princesses, magic spells, and the like. However, the story is practically the opposite. The author tells a story of droll reality in which fear of possibilities that are not quite ideal is the central theme, and that theme is still present in the last paragraph despite the presence of the title of an actual fairytale: Sleeping Beauty. Finally, the reader gets to experience a proximity to a story that actually begins with "once upon a time..." but that reference does not last. The boy's demise via the coils at the top of his parent's security fence is tragic and ironic. They worked to build a fortress around their private little residence, but the fortress actually did the opposite of what was expected of it. It did not protect their family.
The gardener and housemaid were present throughout the whole story, so their place among the last few sentences was practically mandatory. They were the ones to find the little boy first, and they proved their loyalty to the family, which had been questioned the whole story, by trying to save him.
"Next day he pretended to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life..." (P. 236)
The title of this short story implies that the reader is going to be treated to a lovely fairytale filled with princes, princesses, magic spells, and the like. However, the story is practically the opposite. The author tells a story of droll reality in which fear of possibilities that are not quite ideal is the central theme, and that theme is still present in the last paragraph despite the presence of the title of an actual fairytale: Sleeping Beauty. Finally, the reader gets to experience a proximity to a story that actually begins with "once upon a time..." but that reference does not last. The boy's demise via the coils at the top of his parent's security fence is tragic and ironic. They worked to build a fortress around their private little residence, but the fortress actually did the opposite of what was expected of it. It did not protect their family.
The gardener and housemaid were present throughout the whole story, so their place among the last few sentences was practically mandatory. They were the ones to find the little boy first, and they proved their loyalty to the family, which had been questioned the whole story, by trying to save him.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Hunters in the Snow" - Tobias Wolff What's up with that?
' "I hate that dog." Kenny was behind them....Kenny fired. The bullet went in between the dog's eyes.'
This whole scene that involves Kenny shooting a tree and then the dog was a little insane. First, why would anyone shoot a tree? My brain couldn't comprehend why someone would shoot a tree. Instantly, I thought of one of my favorite SNL skits: the What's up With That? musical skits. Here's a clip for your entertainment. The song was just running through my head the whole entire time.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/102975/saturday-night-live-what-up-with-that-james-franco
(It's on hulu, so I can't post it as a video, just a link.)
Kenny obviously was not right in the head, but like I said, that is obvious. It's Tub that needs to be worried about. Frank and Kenny seem to be his best friends, but he can't trust them. He immediately assumed that Kenny was going to shoot him. (And he probably would have, but still.) I pity Tub because he doesn't seem to have good enough friends that he can trust not to shoot him.
This whole scene that involves Kenny shooting a tree and then the dog was a little insane. First, why would anyone shoot a tree? My brain couldn't comprehend why someone would shoot a tree. Instantly, I thought of one of my favorite SNL skits: the What's up With That? musical skits. Here's a clip for your entertainment. The song was just running through my head the whole entire time.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/102975/saturday-night-live-what-up-with-that-james-franco
(It's on hulu, so I can't post it as a video, just a link.)
Kenny obviously was not right in the head, but like I said, that is obvious. It's Tub that needs to be worried about. Frank and Kenny seem to be his best friends, but he can't trust them. He immediately assumed that Kenny was going to shoot him. (And he probably would have, but still.) I pity Tub because he doesn't seem to have good enough friends that he can trust not to shoot him.
"Everyday Use" - Alice Walker
"When she finished wrapping the dasher the handle stuck out. I took it for a moment in my hands. You didn't even have to look close to see where hands pushing the dasher up and down to make butter had left a kind of sink in the wood."
Up until Dee (Wangero) decided to take her mothers things, I could tolerate her. But when she started walking around the house claiming things, I could no longer like her. Her photographing had been understandable as she was returning home because it could be dismissed as nostalgia for her old life. She wanted to preserve memories now that she had a camera, but claiming the butter churn for decorating purposes was just ridiculous especially since Mama still used it. Not only was that intolerable, but it reminded me of going through someone's belongings and claiming them for oneself after a loved one has passed away. To Dee, Mama and Maggie were practically dead because her life was so different than the life her sister and mother led. This whole story is representative of a last visit to her old life before she leaves it behind for good and never returns.
Up until Dee (Wangero) decided to take her mothers things, I could tolerate her. But when she started walking around the house claiming things, I could no longer like her. Her photographing had been understandable as she was returning home because it could be dismissed as nostalgia for her old life. She wanted to preserve memories now that she had a camera, but claiming the butter churn for decorating purposes was just ridiculous especially since Mama still used it. Not only was that intolerable, but it reminded me of going through someone's belongings and claiming them for oneself after a loved one has passed away. To Dee, Mama and Maggie were practically dead because her life was so different than the life her sister and mother led. This whole story is representative of a last visit to her old life before she leaves it behind for good and never returns.
"Bartleby the Scrivener" - Herman Melville
2. Why do you think Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut are introduced to the reader before Bartleby?
"I did this very gently, however, because though the civilest, nay, the blandest and most reverential of men in the morning, yet in the afternoon he was disposed upon provocation to be slightly rash with his tongue, in fact insolent."
Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut all have redeeming qualities, but the reader automatically sees their shortcomings as more important than any endearing traits they might possess. These three workers initially seem to be the epitome of unprofessional and worthless workers. They aren't consistent, and two of them are insufficient for half the work day. The author's purpose in introducing them before Bartleby is to negate the indiscretions of Bartleby and establish a scale by which he can be measured. Bartleby appears to be a qualified and diligent worker until he "prefers not to" do something. From that point forward, he is just as worthless as the other three workers. The knowledge of Bartleby's character is more clear to the reader because he has three other examples against whom he can be measured.
"I did this very gently, however, because though the civilest, nay, the blandest and most reverential of men in the morning, yet in the afternoon he was disposed upon provocation to be slightly rash with his tongue, in fact insolent."
Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut all have redeeming qualities, but the reader automatically sees their shortcomings as more important than any endearing traits they might possess. These three workers initially seem to be the epitome of unprofessional and worthless workers. They aren't consistent, and two of them are insufficient for half the work day. The author's purpose in introducing them before Bartleby is to negate the indiscretions of Bartleby and establish a scale by which he can be measured. Bartleby appears to be a qualified and diligent worker until he "prefers not to" do something. From that point forward, he is just as worthless as the other three workers. The knowledge of Bartleby's character is more clear to the reader because he has three other examples against whom he can be measured.
"Hunters in the Snow" - Tobias Wolff
5. It could be argued that Tub, on the surface, is a stock character: a cartoon-like obese man who is the butt of other people's jokes. What characterizing details help to make Tub into a fully realized individual?
"Nobody knows. That's the worst of it, Frank. Not the being fat, I never got any kick out of being thin, but the lying. Having to lead a double life like a spy or hit man."
When the story began, Tub (what an unfortunate name even if it is indicative of his physical characteristics) was just the man who stood on the side of the road and was picked up by his rowdy friends. Then he was the one that had to walk by himself along the river and was too distracted by his exhaustion to notice the deer tracks he walked right past. All this time, his weight defined him. He was just the fat man in the story, and Kenny was the fun, outgoing character who tormented him. However, when Tub fought back against Kenny and shot him before Kenny could aim his gun in Tub's direction, the reader gets an idea of who Tub actually is. He's incredibly sensitive and he has a real problem - and it has nothing to do with his glands. He has low self-esteem and an eating disorder. When Tub tells Frank about his shortcomings when it comes to self-restraint, he demonstrates his vulnerability along with his ability to trust. Tub is an unfortunate little man who has a loyal friend that is just as flawed as he is.
"Nobody knows. That's the worst of it, Frank. Not the being fat, I never got any kick out of being thin, but the lying. Having to lead a double life like a spy or hit man."
When the story began, Tub (what an unfortunate name even if it is indicative of his physical characteristics) was just the man who stood on the side of the road and was picked up by his rowdy friends. Then he was the one that had to walk by himself along the river and was too distracted by his exhaustion to notice the deer tracks he walked right past. All this time, his weight defined him. He was just the fat man in the story, and Kenny was the fun, outgoing character who tormented him. However, when Tub fought back against Kenny and shot him before Kenny could aim his gun in Tub's direction, the reader gets an idea of who Tub actually is. He's incredibly sensitive and he has a real problem - and it has nothing to do with his glands. He has low self-esteem and an eating disorder. When Tub tells Frank about his shortcomings when it comes to self-restraint, he demonstrates his vulnerability along with his ability to trust. Tub is an unfortunate little man who has a loyal friend that is just as flawed as he is.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
"How I Met My Husband" and Gone With the Wind
"I lost control, just like a six-year-old, I started howling." (Page 144)
This particular sentence reminded me of the servant girl in Gone With the Wind who travels with Scarlett O'Hara to Atlanta. The girl was about the same age as Edie, and she was just as naive and a bit annoying as well. When it came time for Melanie Hamilton to have her baby, the servant girl claimed to know "all about birthing babies," but she really didn't which forced Scarlett to deliver the baby. (Successfully, I might add. Go Scarlett!) The servant girl was sent before the delivery happened to find the doctor amid all of the chaos that was Atlanta burning down. She did not find the doctor, and she returned in an almost daze-like manner. Her actions paralleled Edie when confessing to kissing Chris: nonchalant, easy-going, without a care in the world.
Edie wasn't a character I particularly liked, but I must pick her as my favorite among the main characters provided to me in each of the three short stories we read. She was a bit ditsy, but she ended her life happily which is a tribute to her character as a person if nothing else.
This particular sentence reminded me of the servant girl in Gone With the Wind who travels with Scarlett O'Hara to Atlanta. The girl was about the same age as Edie, and she was just as naive and a bit annoying as well. When it came time for Melanie Hamilton to have her baby, the servant girl claimed to know "all about birthing babies," but she really didn't which forced Scarlett to deliver the baby. (Successfully, I might add. Go Scarlett!) The servant girl was sent before the delivery happened to find the doctor amid all of the chaos that was Atlanta burning down. She did not find the doctor, and she returned in an almost daze-like manner. Her actions paralleled Edie when confessing to kissing Chris: nonchalant, easy-going, without a care in the world.
Edie wasn't a character I particularly liked, but I must pick her as my favorite among the main characters provided to me in each of the three short stories we read. She was a bit ditsy, but she ended her life happily which is a tribute to her character as a person if nothing else.
"A Rose for Emily" - William Faulkner
"What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust."
The first time I read this story, I was reminded of a book I read in the past year (I can't remember the title) that had a similar, yet completely different story. The essentials were all there to resemble this short story: old woman who dies in a small town, curious townspeople who wonder about her life, and a house with more questions than a curious 3-year-old. However, the similarities basically stopped there. The woman in the book I read left all of her money to the town she lived in. The woman in Faulkner's story only left a mystery, a dead body, and some of her "iron-gray hair."
Miss Emily initially struck me as a small sort of woman who needed pity for her pathetic life. After having read the story, though, I realized she is just a psychotic lady who was too selfish to admit that theman she loved was gay. She couldn't have him, so no one could. Poor thing.
The first time I read this story, I was reminded of a book I read in the past year (I can't remember the title) that had a similar, yet completely different story. The essentials were all there to resemble this short story: old woman who dies in a small town, curious townspeople who wonder about her life, and a house with more questions than a curious 3-year-old. However, the similarities basically stopped there. The woman in the book I read left all of her money to the town she lived in. The woman in Faulkner's story only left a mystery, a dead body, and some of her "iron-gray hair."
Miss Emily initially struck me as a small sort of woman who needed pity for her pathetic life. After having read the story, though, I realized she is just a psychotic lady who was too selfish to admit that theman she loved was gay. She couldn't have him, so no one could. Poor thing.
"Interpreter of Maladies" - Jhumpa Lahiri
"When she whipped out the hairbrush, the slip of paper with Mr. Kapasi's address on it fluttered away in the wind. No one but Mr. Kapasi noticed." (Page 166)
Responding to Question 4: Discuss the significance of Mrs. Das's requesting, and then losing, Mr. Kapasi's address. Apart from its function in the plot, how does this suggest a resolution to the story?
At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Das was portrayed as a women who could not be bothered with the trivial problems of her husband and her family. The speaker wanted the reader to understand that Mrs. Das was a woman whose life was far from perfect. When Mr. Kapasi wrote out his address for her, he made sure to write neatly, but even then he worried that he had misspelled something or inverted the numbers of his address. This exchange of the address is significant because at that point in the story, Mrs. Das still needed help from a source not directly connected to her life. Mr. Kapasi was that outlet, and she had a physical connection to him in her purse. After she questioned him for advice on her life, she realized that he could not solve her problems. She no longer needed Mr. Kapasi. Therefore, the loss of his address to the wind is significant of his lack of necessity in her life. She didn't need a connection to him anymore.
Responding to Question 4: Discuss the significance of Mrs. Das's requesting, and then losing, Mr. Kapasi's address. Apart from its function in the plot, how does this suggest a resolution to the story?
At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Das was portrayed as a women who could not be bothered with the trivial problems of her husband and her family. The speaker wanted the reader to understand that Mrs. Das was a woman whose life was far from perfect. When Mr. Kapasi wrote out his address for her, he made sure to write neatly, but even then he worried that he had misspelled something or inverted the numbers of his address. This exchange of the address is significant because at that point in the story, Mrs. Das still needed help from a source not directly connected to her life. Mr. Kapasi was that outlet, and she had a physical connection to him in her purse. After she questioned him for advice on her life, she realized that he could not solve her problems. She no longer needed Mr. Kapasi. Therefore, the loss of his address to the wind is significant of his lack of necessity in her life. She didn't need a connection to him anymore.
"How I Met My Husband" - Alice Munro
"...I went out with him for two years and he asked me to marry him, and we were engaged a year more while I got my things together, and then we did marry." (Page 146)
Responding to Question 8: Discuss the effectiveness of the surprise ending. How does Carmichael differ from Chris Watters? Can it be argued that the surprise ending is also inevitable and appropriate?
Throughout the entire story, I assumed that the man she married was Chris Watters. The whole story up until the last paragraph is all about how Edie is infatuated with Chris, so it is natural to think she is going to marry him. However, the story is not an ode to their love. They never even had love. Unlike Chris, Carmichael is a gentleman. He didn't kiss her a few days after meeting her because he respects her. Chris took advantage of the ignorance and vulnerability of a young girl who was in love with the idea of love. She knew what she was doing, but she was not smart enough to understand that he was using her. Carmichael and Chris are polar opposites in the way they treat women. Chris was busy kissing a young girl he met in a small town he was visiting while simultaneously running from a woman who may or may not have been his actual fiance. (She was a bit of a stalker, anyway.) Carmichael met a girl, courted her properly, then finally married her respectably.
The story was written from Edie's perspective as an older, more mature woman, so the ending was quite appropriate. Despite the fact that it satisfied the title of the story, it also gave the reader satisfaction. If Edie had ended up with Chris, I would have thrown my book across the room out of sheer rage! (Maybe not literally because I don't want to have to pay to repair the book.) Munro did an excellent job of telling an interesting story that had a refreshingly surprising ending.
Responding to Question 8: Discuss the effectiveness of the surprise ending. How does Carmichael differ from Chris Watters? Can it be argued that the surprise ending is also inevitable and appropriate?
Throughout the entire story, I assumed that the man she married was Chris Watters. The whole story up until the last paragraph is all about how Edie is infatuated with Chris, so it is natural to think she is going to marry him. However, the story is not an ode to their love. They never even had love. Unlike Chris, Carmichael is a gentleman. He didn't kiss her a few days after meeting her because he respects her. Chris took advantage of the ignorance and vulnerability of a young girl who was in love with the idea of love. She knew what she was doing, but she was not smart enough to understand that he was using her. Carmichael and Chris are polar opposites in the way they treat women. Chris was busy kissing a young girl he met in a small town he was visiting while simultaneously running from a woman who may or may not have been his actual fiance. (She was a bit of a stalker, anyway.) Carmichael met a girl, courted her properly, then finally married her respectably.
The story was written from Edie's perspective as an older, more mature woman, so the ending was quite appropriate. Despite the fact that it satisfied the title of the story, it also gave the reader satisfaction. If Edie had ended up with Chris, I would have thrown my book across the room out of sheer rage! (Maybe not literally because I don't want to have to pay to repair the book.) Munro did an excellent job of telling an interesting story that had a refreshingly surprising ending.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
"Edward"
"O I have killed my father dear, / Mother, Mother, " (Lines 21-22)
Is it bad that whenever I hear the name Edward, I immediately think of Twilight? What has Hollywood done to me?!?! It's ironic that the Edward in this poem turned out to be a masochistic freak when the Edward in the popular teen book and movie series is a vampire. However, the comparisons end there. Thank God.
Before I read the poems that are assigned, I check the length of them so I can mentally prepare myself for the difficult analysis to come, and this one did not look favorable at all. However, it turned out to be a fairly easy read. Most of the lines were repeated one or two times before moving on to a new phrase, and the diction was not particularly difficult. The subject matter, on the other hand, was disturbing. Edward lied about killing his father by saying he killed a hawk and then he said he killed his horse. On top of that, he is planning on just leaving his wife and kids to fend for themselves while he is in exile from his life. Thank goodness he realizes he needs to be punished for his actions, but he doesn't seem terribly sorry for his mistakes. I don't like Edward. I can't respect someone who couldn't care less for the people dependent upon him.
Is it bad that whenever I hear the name Edward, I immediately think of Twilight? What has Hollywood done to me?!?! It's ironic that the Edward in this poem turned out to be a masochistic freak when the Edward in the popular teen book and movie series is a vampire. However, the comparisons end there. Thank God.
Before I read the poems that are assigned, I check the length of them so I can mentally prepare myself for the difficult analysis to come, and this one did not look favorable at all. However, it turned out to be a fairly easy read. Most of the lines were repeated one or two times before moving on to a new phrase, and the diction was not particularly difficult. The subject matter, on the other hand, was disturbing. Edward lied about killing his father by saying he killed a hawk and then he said he killed his horse. On top of that, he is planning on just leaving his wife and kids to fend for themselves while he is in exile from his life. Thank goodness he realizes he needs to be punished for his actions, but he doesn't seem terribly sorry for his mistakes. I don't like Edward. I can't respect someone who couldn't care less for the people dependent upon him.
"Lonely Hearts"
"Executive in search of something new - / Perhaps bisexual woman, arty, young." (Lines 7-8)
Well, the author certainly didn't hold back when constructing this poem. The various speakers represented are very particular with their requests, and they proclaim it to the world. The speakers all have varied and quite different requests. One desires athleticism in a partner, someone to bike with for "touring fun." Another asks for a "bisexual woman," while another requests an "attractive Jewish lady with a son." Despite their varying petitions for love, they all revolve around two phrases: "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" and "Do you live in North London? Is it you?"
I was not expecting this poem after reading the others in this unit that mostly describe death. This poem doesn't explicitly discuss death, but it shares a common, underlying theme with "Death, be not proud" and Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." All three poems endorse a life that is lived to the fullest. The latter two more clearly define this life, but "Lonely Hearts" is still right alongside them. "Lonely Hearts" promotes seeking what one desires before it is too late. The speakers are doing exactly that. They know what they want, and they are extremely clear in proclaiming those desires to the world via a personal ad.
Well, the author certainly didn't hold back when constructing this poem. The various speakers represented are very particular with their requests, and they proclaim it to the world. The speakers all have varied and quite different requests. One desires athleticism in a partner, someone to bike with for "touring fun." Another asks for a "bisexual woman," while another requests an "attractive Jewish lady with a son." Despite their varying petitions for love, they all revolve around two phrases: "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" and "Do you live in North London? Is it you?"
I was not expecting this poem after reading the others in this unit that mostly describe death. This poem doesn't explicitly discuss death, but it shares a common, underlying theme with "Death, be not proud" and Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." All three poems endorse a life that is lived to the fullest. The latter two more clearly define this life, but "Lonely Hearts" is still right alongside them. "Lonely Hearts" promotes seeking what one desires before it is too late. The speakers are doing exactly that. They know what they want, and they are extremely clear in proclaiming those desires to the world via a personal ad.
"Death, be not proud" Anthropomorphism
"For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow / Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me." (Lines 3-4)
Death is personified throughout this poem as a pathetic warrior who thinks he can defeat everyone, but in reality, he is actually quite pathetic. He can't kill anyone for eternity, he is equated to "poppy or charms," and he dwells with "poison, war, and sickness." Death is often described with human characteristics, especially in poetry. Speakers enjoy speaking directly to death because it makes them feel like they have some power on the one element of life that every single person can expect at the end of life. However, this poem presents death as perpetually weak sauce. He only puts his victims to sleep before they "wake eternally." Because of this reference to resurrection and the apocalypse, I can assume that the speaker is religious. In the last line, death is condemned to his own fate. Ironically, he will be the last to be destroyed. This obliteration of death was also presented in the fantastic book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The phrase "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" was engraved on the tomb of Harry's parents' tombstone. Here's a clip for your entertainment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGH9OlTVoQA
The tombstone I'm talking about is at 1:47, but unfortunately you cannot see the actual phrase engraved on it. But it's there. Trust me.
Death is personified throughout this poem as a pathetic warrior who thinks he can defeat everyone, but in reality, he is actually quite pathetic. He can't kill anyone for eternity, he is equated to "poppy or charms," and he dwells with "poison, war, and sickness." Death is often described with human characteristics, especially in poetry. Speakers enjoy speaking directly to death because it makes them feel like they have some power on the one element of life that every single person can expect at the end of life. However, this poem presents death as perpetually weak sauce. He only puts his victims to sleep before they "wake eternally." Because of this reference to resurrection and the apocalypse, I can assume that the speaker is religious. In the last line, death is condemned to his own fate. Ironically, he will be the last to be destroyed. This obliteration of death was also presented in the fantastic book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The phrase "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" was engraved on the tomb of Harry's parents' tombstone. Here's a clip for your entertainment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGH9OlTVoQA
The tombstone I'm talking about is at 1:47, but unfortunately you cannot see the actual phrase engraved on it. But it's there. Trust me.
"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" Central Purpose (#6)
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." (Line 3)
My initial reaction to this poem was an image of some kids sitting in a circle daring each other to do stupid stuff. The speaker is practically egging the "wise men," "good men," "wild men," and "grave men" on and trying to get them to defy the toils of old age and live it up. It feels like he is just yelling at them to live life to the fullest. In a sense, he wants them to "go crazy, paint your bodies" while they're still living in this beautiful life. The purpose of this poem is to motivate men and, more specifically, the speaker's own father to forget that they are old, forget that they are nearing the end of their time on earth, and "burn and rave at the close of day." The "close of day" in this instance is a symbol for death. The poem progresses from the first five stanzas that are generic and directed at all of human race to the main subject of the poem: the speaker's father. The speaker deliberately preceded his plea to his father with support for his theory and by implying that the entirety of humanity will also be shedding the bonds of old age and living life until they die. It is a simple task for his father to honor his son's wishes and join the rest of society in a perpetual party until death.
My initial reaction to this poem was an image of some kids sitting in a circle daring each other to do stupid stuff. The speaker is practically egging the "wise men," "good men," "wild men," and "grave men" on and trying to get them to defy the toils of old age and live it up. It feels like he is just yelling at them to live life to the fullest. In a sense, he wants them to "go crazy, paint your bodies" while they're still living in this beautiful life. The purpose of this poem is to motivate men and, more specifically, the speaker's own father to forget that they are old, forget that they are nearing the end of their time on earth, and "burn and rave at the close of day." The "close of day" in this instance is a symbol for death. The poem progresses from the first five stanzas that are generic and directed at all of human race to the main subject of the poem: the speaker's father. The speaker deliberately preceded his plea to his father with support for his theory and by implying that the entirety of humanity will also be shedding the bonds of old age and living life until they die. It is a simple task for his father to honor his son's wishes and join the rest of society in a perpetual party until death.
"Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead" Situational Irony
"I think he wants to go, / a little bit - a new desire / to travel building up, an itch / to see fresh worlds." (Lines 6-9)
There is a discrepancy between the literary term stated in the title: elegy, and the actual content of the poem. "Elegy" implies that the poem will be about a person who has passed away, which is what I expected. However, the second half of the title and the poem show that the speaker is not lamenting a death, but he is preparing to be upset for the impending passing of his father. The whole poem is ironic simply because - had it not been for the title - I would have assumed the father was dead already based on the presence of the word elegy. The speaker makes it extremely clear that his father is still alive, though, but he also makes it clear that he and his father do not agree on a certain topic. His father is excited for the new life awaiting him, (which is also ironic because people normally fear the end of their life), but the speaker is terrified of a time when his father will not be available. Their traditional roles are reversed in the poem.
There is a discrepancy between the literary term stated in the title: elegy, and the actual content of the poem. "Elegy" implies that the poem will be about a person who has passed away, which is what I expected. However, the second half of the title and the poem show that the speaker is not lamenting a death, but he is preparing to be upset for the impending passing of his father. The whole poem is ironic simply because - had it not been for the title - I would have assumed the father was dead already based on the presence of the word elegy. The speaker makes it extremely clear that his father is still alive, though, but he also makes it clear that he and his father do not agree on a certain topic. His father is excited for the new life awaiting him, (which is also ironic because people normally fear the end of their life), but the speaker is terrified of a time when his father will not be available. Their traditional roles are reversed in the poem.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
"The Apparition" John Donne
"And that thou thinkst thee free / From all solicitation from me, / Then shall my ghost come to thy bed" (Lines 2-4)
Creeper alert. This guy is super weird, and he is way too attached to this woman he is threatening. I read this poem as a warning to his wife/girlfriend/woman he met once and is stalking (I can't decide which she is, so we'll call her Woman X from now on.) The speaker is about the die, and he is warning Woman X to never sleep with another man again. This guy has some serious attachment issues, and he just doesn't know when to stop being so clingy. My guess is that Woman X met him a few times, and now he is a bit of a stalker. The image of a ghost following her around during any relationship she will ever have reminds me of the movie Over Her Dead Body starring Eva Longoria, the fantastic Paul Rudd, and Lake Bell. Eva Longoria is crushed by an ice sculpture on her wedding day when she is supposed to marry Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd moves on to meet Lake Bell, but Eva Longoria does not want them to be together. Lake Bell can see Eva Longoria after she is dead for some reason, and that is very unfortunate for Lake Bell. Eventually, the story works itself out because it is a Hollywood product, but the poem doesn't seem to have such a lovely ending in store for the characters. Pity.
Creeper alert. This guy is super weird, and he is way too attached to this woman he is threatening. I read this poem as a warning to his wife/girlfriend/woman he met once and is stalking (I can't decide which she is, so we'll call her Woman X from now on.) The speaker is about the die, and he is warning Woman X to never sleep with another man again. This guy has some serious attachment issues, and he just doesn't know when to stop being so clingy. My guess is that Woman X met him a few times, and now he is a bit of a stalker. The image of a ghost following her around during any relationship she will ever have reminds me of the movie Over Her Dead Body starring Eva Longoria, the fantastic Paul Rudd, and Lake Bell. Eva Longoria is crushed by an ice sculpture on her wedding day when she is supposed to marry Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd moves on to meet Lake Bell, but Eva Longoria does not want them to be together. Lake Bell can see Eva Longoria after she is dead for some reason, and that is very unfortunate for Lake Bell. Eventually, the story works itself out because it is a Hollywood product, but the poem doesn't seem to have such a lovely ending in store for the characters. Pity.
"Getting Out" Cleopatra Mathis
"And in the yearly letter, you're sure to say, / you're happy now. Yet I think of the lawyer's bewilderment / when we cried, the last day." (Lines 19-21)
This poem is like a left-handed love story. It is devastating to think of the destructive marriage that is described, but it is beautfiul to picture a love so drastic that it cannot be. It lasts through a divorce, and it knows when to end. It is not a pure, true love that can withstand anything, but it is still a love all the same. The speaker and her ex-husband are too similar to survive together, yet they realize their respect for each other once their marriage is ended. Personally, this is not something that I ever want to experience. I'm holding out for the best possible love there is: something that can survive situations where even after "heaving words like furniture," I can still say I am in love and the marriage moves forward. Fighting is not desired by anyone, but arguments are inevitable, and moving forward from them is the stuff of a good relationship. I like this poem despite the sad emotions attached to it.
This poem is like a left-handed love story. It is devastating to think of the destructive marriage that is described, but it is beautfiul to picture a love so drastic that it cannot be. It lasts through a divorce, and it knows when to end. It is not a pure, true love that can withstand anything, but it is still a love all the same. The speaker and her ex-husband are too similar to survive together, yet they realize their respect for each other once their marriage is ended. Personally, this is not something that I ever want to experience. I'm holding out for the best possible love there is: something that can survive situations where even after "heaving words like furniture," I can still say I am in love and the marriage moves forward. Fighting is not desired by anyone, but arguments are inevitable, and moving forward from them is the stuff of a good relationship. I like this poem despite the sad emotions attached to it.
"Hazel Tells LaVerne" Katharyn Howd Machan
"well i screams / ya little green pervert / an i hitsm with my mop / an has ta flush / the toilet down three time" (Lines 19 - 23)
The diction in Machan's poem is quite colloquial and informal. The speaker chooses words like "flushm" instead of "flush him" and "sida" instead of "side of." This use of words that would not normally be accepted in a formal writing assignment makes the poem easier to read and more fun too. When I initially read this poem, I thought of the movie, Princess and the Frog that came out a few years ago. The main female character, Tiana, speaks somewhat like the speaker of this poem, and she too was skeptical when the frog asked to kiss her. Here's a clip that accurately porttrays the reaction the speaker in the poem has to the frog from one of the best Disney movies to grace theater screens in a while. (Aside from, of course, Lion King 3D that was absolutely incredible!!)
I find it ironic that this poem was written in 1976, and The Princess and the Frog came out in the last two years. They have such similar storylines: an African American girl with an accent meets a talking frog and is skeptical. The most important difference; however, is that the movie was written by Disney and has a happy ending whereas the poem was written by Machan and did not end beautifully.
The diction in Machan's poem is quite colloquial and informal. The speaker chooses words like "flushm" instead of "flush him" and "sida" instead of "side of." This use of words that would not normally be accepted in a formal writing assignment makes the poem easier to read and more fun too. When I initially read this poem, I thought of the movie, Princess and the Frog that came out a few years ago. The main female character, Tiana, speaks somewhat like the speaker of this poem, and she too was skeptical when the frog asked to kiss her. Here's a clip that accurately porttrays the reaction the speaker in the poem has to the frog from one of the best Disney movies to grace theater screens in a while. (Aside from, of course, Lion King 3D that was absolutely incredible!!)
I find it ironic that this poem was written in 1976, and The Princess and the Frog came out in the last two years. They have such similar storylines: an African American girl with an accent meets a talking frog and is skeptical. The most important difference; however, is that the movie was written by Disney and has a happy ending whereas the poem was written by Machan and did not end beautifully.
"Dover Beach" Matthew Arnold
"...the cliffs of England stand, / Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay." (Lines 4 - 5)
The imagery in this poem is very clear and concise. The speaker sees beauty and describes it. I can practically see the water washing onto the shore. The speaker has a precise image of what he wants to reveal to the reader, and he wants the reader to share in his love of the beauty that is this earth. However, there is a twist! Gasp! This earth is lovely, and it has been adored by Sophocles in the past. However, it is devoid of the feeling of love. It does not know the emotions that the speaker feels, and he is sorry for it. He wants his love to feel the same way he does for the sea and its extravagance, but he also wants her to realize that they are lucky in their love. They get to experience this great thing that has been provided for their enjoyment. I have this image in my head of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I have seen them ateast twice, and there is nothing on earth to compare there unique beauty to. They simply drop off into the depths of the luscious sea, and they are breathtaking! Here they are:
The imagery in this poem is very clear and concise. The speaker sees beauty and describes it. I can practically see the water washing onto the shore. The speaker has a precise image of what he wants to reveal to the reader, and he wants the reader to share in his love of the beauty that is this earth. However, there is a twist! Gasp! This earth is lovely, and it has been adored by Sophocles in the past. However, it is devoid of the feeling of love. It does not know the emotions that the speaker feels, and he is sorry for it. He wants his love to feel the same way he does for the sea and its extravagance, but he also wants her to realize that they are lucky in their love. They get to experience this great thing that has been provided for their enjoyment. I have this image in my head of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I have seen them ateast twice, and there is nothing on earth to compare there unique beauty to. They simply drop off into the depths of the luscious sea, and they are breathtaking! Here they are:
"My Mistress' eyes" William Shakespeare
"I have seen roses damasked, red and white, / But no such roses see I in her cheeks" (Lines 5-6)
William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known men on earth, so this poem is preceded by an air of respectability. "My Mistress' eyes" has a tone of imperfect beauty and true love. The speaker negates his love's physical attributes by saying that she is not as perfect as the goddesses described in most love poems. Nor is she as beautiful as the women most poems spend their time documenting. However, the tone is not negative. It is so raw and true that it completely embodies the imperfections that make a person beautiful to his or her partner. The speaker admits that she is not the most ravishing woman in all the earth, "coral is far more red than her lips' red," and "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice. However, all of this is irrelevant in the speaker's opinion. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this poem only solidifies that. The tone of true love is impossible to ignore.
William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known men on earth, so this poem is preceded by an air of respectability. "My Mistress' eyes" has a tone of imperfect beauty and true love. The speaker negates his love's physical attributes by saying that she is not as perfect as the goddesses described in most love poems. Nor is she as beautiful as the women most poems spend their time documenting. However, the tone is not negative. It is so raw and true that it completely embodies the imperfections that make a person beautiful to his or her partner. The speaker admits that she is not the most ravishing woman in all the earth, "coral is far more red than her lips' red," and "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice. However, all of this is irrelevant in the speaker's opinion. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this poem only solidifies that. The tone of true love is impossible to ignore.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Mr. Z
"Won scholarships, attended the best schools," (Line 3)
Scholarships! Success! A wife! Climbing the social ladder! Flourishing! This man is exceptionally driven, but I fear for his mental stability more than his credit score. The poor guy has obviously been motivated his entire life, and he has attained great success. But did he ever enjoy life? I found it interesting that his life was so clean-cut: no indiscretions, no screw ups. However, I was appalled for him by the last line, "One of the most distinguished members of his race." This incredible human being works hard for his entire life only to be defined as a successful man of a particular race. This poem is a prime example of the caps that racism and stereotyping puts on society. Even after all of his success, the community as a whole only sees him for the color of his skin, and that disgusts me.
Scholarships! Success! A wife! Climbing the social ladder! Flourishing! This man is exceptionally driven, but I fear for his mental stability more than his credit score. The poor guy has obviously been motivated his entire life, and he has attained great success. But did he ever enjoy life? I found it interesting that his life was so clean-cut: no indiscretions, no screw ups. However, I was appalled for him by the last line, "One of the most distinguished members of his race." This incredible human being works hard for his entire life only to be defined as a successful man of a particular race. This poem is a prime example of the caps that racism and stereotyping puts on society. Even after all of his success, the community as a whole only sees him for the color of his skin, and that disgusts me.
APO 96225
"And the father wrote back, / Please don't write such depressing letters. You're / upsetting your mother." (Lines 16-18)
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem simply because it clearly demonstrates the the phrase, "Be careful what you wish because you just might get it." It almost makes that phrase as easy to understand as the Pussycat Dolls made it! This poem also shows the interesting relationship between a mother and her son. The son in the poem obviously loves his mother, and he does not want to frighten her more than necessary. Odds are, she is already constantly worried because her son is at war. However, the speaker also shows the concern a mother feels for her child. She wants to know every detail of his experiences because she wants to be able to understand and relate to him. She offers sympathy most easily when she can grasp what is going on in her son's life.
I also noticed the repetition of the phrase, "Dear Mom, sure rains here a lot." This is a syntactical method of defining the roundabout flow of the dialogue between the son and his mother.
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem simply because it clearly demonstrates the the phrase, "Be careful what you wish because you just might get it." It almost makes that phrase as easy to understand as the Pussycat Dolls made it! This poem also shows the interesting relationship between a mother and her son. The son in the poem obviously loves his mother, and he does not want to frighten her more than necessary. Odds are, she is already constantly worried because her son is at war. However, the speaker also shows the concern a mother feels for her child. She wants to know every detail of his experiences because she wants to be able to understand and relate to him. She offers sympathy most easily when she can grasp what is going on in her son's life.
I also noticed the repetition of the phrase, "Dear Mom, sure rains here a lot." This is a syntactical method of defining the roundabout flow of the dialogue between the son and his mother.
Symbolism at its dirtiest...."Sorting Laundry"
"Folding clothes, / I think of folding you / into my life." (Lines 1-3)
The speaker of this poem has some odd obsession with laundry that I can only justify in my mind by saying that it is a symbol of something else. She believes that clean laundry will result in a good relationship with her significant other (let's assume it's her husband). Boom! Symbolism! Clean laundry symbolizes good relationship. Check. The most obvious symbol to follow this first one is that dirty laundry or unwashed laundry that is piling up would symbolize the demise of her relationship. The more personal analysis of this poem is that the laundry represents old memories for the speaker that she enjoys recalling: "Towels...for the beach," "forgotten matches," and a "broken necklace of good gold / you brought from Kuwait." They all stand for a scene of her life with her husband. They are the greatest and most important symbols to her because they are little bits of emotion. The speaker happens to be remembering these particular scenes because she fears she must documenting them for a time when she can no longer make new memories with her love.
The speaker of this poem has some odd obsession with laundry that I can only justify in my mind by saying that it is a symbol of something else. She believes that clean laundry will result in a good relationship with her significant other (let's assume it's her husband). Boom! Symbolism! Clean laundry symbolizes good relationship. Check. The most obvious symbol to follow this first one is that dirty laundry or unwashed laundry that is piling up would symbolize the demise of her relationship. The more personal analysis of this poem is that the laundry represents old memories for the speaker that she enjoys recalling: "Towels...for the beach," "forgotten matches," and a "broken necklace of good gold / you brought from Kuwait." They all stand for a scene of her life with her husband. They are the greatest and most important symbols to her because they are little bits of emotion. The speaker happens to be remembering these particular scenes because she fears she must documenting them for a time when she can no longer make new memories with her love.
"Barbie Doll" - In a Barbie Wo-o-orl!
"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You have a great big nose and fat legs." (Lines 5-6)
First of all, this is the first time that I have ever heard puberty being called "magic," so I am going to pinpoint the obvious and call that statement out right now for its irony.
The quoted line above that features the girl's nose and legs is a recurring phrase throughout the poem because it is what the mean girls decided to pick on about the subject of the poem, and it is what she eventually altered about herself. The biggest irony; however, that I noticed in the poem was the imagery related to a Barbie Doll. In the eyes of a child, she is perfect. Barbie has multiple careers, and a fantastic body that you can dress up in any outfit imaginable. But, what a little girl who has just received a Barbie for Christmas doesn't realize is that Barbie is actually a perfect representation of imperfection. She is not physically possible. The upper half of her body would cause her to fall over because she has such skinny ankles! Most Barbies have hair that is completely disproportionate to their body, and they are completely ridiculous when viewed from a realistic point of view. As it is, little girls don't see all of this. They see a flawless toy that is almost ridiculously fun to play with. (I would know.)
The irony in all of this is that the subject of Piercy's poem is trying to be perfect, but she will never be if her model is practically the definition of imperfection. As the last stanza demonstrates, this irrational goal finally gets the best of the girl.
First of all, this is the first time that I have ever heard puberty being called "magic," so I am going to pinpoint the obvious and call that statement out right now for its irony.
The quoted line above that features the girl's nose and legs is a recurring phrase throughout the poem because it is what the mean girls decided to pick on about the subject of the poem, and it is what she eventually altered about herself. The biggest irony; however, that I noticed in the poem was the imagery related to a Barbie Doll. In the eyes of a child, she is perfect. Barbie has multiple careers, and a fantastic body that you can dress up in any outfit imaginable. But, what a little girl who has just received a Barbie for Christmas doesn't realize is that Barbie is actually a perfect representation of imperfection. She is not physically possible. The upper half of her body would cause her to fall over because she has such skinny ankles! Most Barbies have hair that is completely disproportionate to their body, and they are completely ridiculous when viewed from a realistic point of view. As it is, little girls don't see all of this. They see a flawless toy that is almost ridiculously fun to play with. (I would know.)
The irony in all of this is that the subject of Piercy's poem is trying to be perfect, but she will never be if her model is practically the definition of imperfection. As the last stanza demonstrates, this irrational goal finally gets the best of the girl.
"Much Madness is divinest Sense" - Tone
"To a discerning Eye - / Much Sense - the starkest Madness - " (Lines 2-3)
There is a fine line between madness and genius. Some of the greatest minds of our history were considered to be relatively mad. However, their genius won out because they are famous for their brains rather than notorious for their evil madman-like qualities simply because they were smart enough not to be evil madmen.
This poem focuses on the differentiation between sanity and insanity, and the tone is one of resigned understanding of the views society has on insanity. The speaker also addresses the pressures associated with conforming to society as opposed to having radical views. She is resigned to the fact that no one can win when it comes to fitting into society. When she says, "Assent - and you are sane - / Demur - you're straightaway dangerous," the speaker is trying to demonstrate how judgmental society is, how black and white decisions are when viewed by a whole community. Madness produces sense, and great sense is only madness.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Finally, something normal-ish. - Bright Star
"And watching, with eternal lids apart," (Line 3)
The speaker seems to be addressing a star that he envies. That star is allowed to ponder the apple of his eye: the beautiful earth every evening, but the speaker can't seem to get enough of the love of his life. He isn't as "steadfast" as the star is. Basically, he isn't consistent in his time with his love, and he wishes to be more like the star in that respect. This seems to be the only poem in the bunch with any sense of normalcy or atleast a lack of weird diction or imagery. So, thank you, John Keats. Your poem is greatly appreciated by me (and probably a fair few of my peers). Although I can't entirely grasp your magically-spun words, I needed them all the same. This poem follows the approval of the star by the speaker, but it also emphasizes the endearing qualities of a star. Stars guard the earth while also beautifying it, and the speaker feels his love embellishes the earth as much as the brightest star.
The speaker seems to be addressing a star that he envies. That star is allowed to ponder the apple of his eye: the beautiful earth every evening, but the speaker can't seem to get enough of the love of his life. He isn't as "steadfast" as the star is. Basically, he isn't consistent in his time with his love, and he wishes to be more like the star in that respect. This seems to be the only poem in the bunch with any sense of normalcy or atleast a lack of weird diction or imagery. So, thank you, John Keats. Your poem is greatly appreciated by me (and probably a fair few of my peers). Although I can't entirely grasp your magically-spun words, I needed them all the same. This poem follows the approval of the star by the speaker, but it also emphasizes the endearing qualities of a star. Stars guard the earth while also beautifying it, and the speaker feels his love embellishes the earth as much as the brightest star.
What the what?!? - The Joy of Cooking
"I have prepared my sister's tongue, / scrubbed and skinned it..." (Lines 1 and 2)
I'm sensing a rather odd theme with these poems: insanity. Total and utter insanity. This speaker is talking about eating her (let's assume it's a her for the time being) sister and brother's body parts! And it isn't with a sense of revenge or destruction. (But the images do tend to lean in the masochistic direction.) The speaker is practically reciting her plans for the evening meal. She even goes so far as to contemplate what she will do with the next tongue she cultivates from her sister. I am, to say the least, appalled and speechless. However, I have to finish this blog, so I must summon a few more words.
I found the images of her brother's heart rather interesting because they seem to symbolize his inability to love more than two people (and he struggles with two!) at the same time. I wonder if the sister who's tongue is being cut out is the one out of the two who gets the most affection while the speaker gets what is left of her brother's devotion. Hmm. I shall ponder this.
I'm sensing a rather odd theme with these poems: insanity. Total and utter insanity. This speaker is talking about eating her (let's assume it's a her for the time being) sister and brother's body parts! And it isn't with a sense of revenge or destruction. (But the images do tend to lean in the masochistic direction.) The speaker is practically reciting her plans for the evening meal. She even goes so far as to contemplate what she will do with the next tongue she cultivates from her sister. I am, to say the least, appalled and speechless. However, I have to finish this blog, so I must summon a few more words.
I found the images of her brother's heart rather interesting because they seem to symbolize his inability to love more than two people (and he struggles with two!) at the same time. I wonder if the sister who's tongue is being cut out is the one out of the two who gets the most affection while the speaker gets what is left of her brother's devotion. Hmm. I shall ponder this.
February - Is there a literary term for completely disgusting and unnecessary?
"Some other tomcat, / not yet a capon, has been spraying our front door, / declaring war." (Lines 11-13)
Okay, ew. This is gross. I've decided to respond to question #8: discuss the tone, but all I can think about is how absolutely vile this poem is. The tone is, first and foremost, negative. The speaker does not like February one bit. This is apparently the month when all the cats pee on his door, and spring could not be more desirable. This must be one cooped up cat with serious dietary issues. The speaker colors his words with a tone of disgust and desire for a different season. However, I can't help but wonder if the cat's name is February. He just hates the cat, not the month. I doubt this is true. I found irony in the speaker's words about February because that is the month that represents love and Valentine's Day, and all the speaker can do is hate on these blasted cats. The only reference anywhere close to Valentine's Day is the word pink, and that is not associated with anything beautiful or loving. Rather, it is the description for a cat's "pink bumhole." Yuck.
Okay, ew. This is gross. I've decided to respond to question #8: discuss the tone, but all I can think about is how absolutely vile this poem is. The tone is, first and foremost, negative. The speaker does not like February one bit. This is apparently the month when all the cats pee on his door, and spring could not be more desirable. This must be one cooped up cat with serious dietary issues. The speaker colors his words with a tone of disgust and desire for a different season. However, I can't help but wonder if the cat's name is February. He just hates the cat, not the month. I doubt this is true. I found irony in the speaker's words about February because that is the month that represents love and Valentine's Day, and all the speaker can do is hate on these blasted cats. The only reference anywhere close to Valentine's Day is the word pink, and that is not associated with anything beautiful or loving. Rather, it is the description for a cat's "pink bumhole." Yuck.
Simile to the Max...Dream Deferred - Langston Hughes
"Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?" (Lines 2 and 3)
This poem is fairly easy to understand simply because it is so short. It is only 11 lines, but each of those lines packs a punch. There are a total of 5 similes beginning with the word "like" in this poem, and they all address a "dream deferred." The word deferred is accompanied by a negative connotation in my mind, but atleast I understand the general meaning of it. The most difficult interpretation that is to be made in this poem is to decide to which type of dream this poem is referring. Is it an actual dream that one has zero control of, the kind that is directed by one's subconscious in the glorious moments of slumber? Or is it a conscious dream? A dream that one desires and strives for all the time? It really doesn't matter. According to this poem, they will both die the same descriptive (thanks to the similes) way. The similes are all negative and - frankly - disgusting. Apparently, a deferred dream will never result in anything good. Thank you, Hughes, for this warning never to defer a dream.
This poem is fairly easy to understand simply because it is so short. It is only 11 lines, but each of those lines packs a punch. There are a total of 5 similes beginning with the word "like" in this poem, and they all address a "dream deferred." The word deferred is accompanied by a negative connotation in my mind, but atleast I understand the general meaning of it. The most difficult interpretation that is to be made in this poem is to decide to which type of dream this poem is referring. Is it an actual dream that one has zero control of, the kind that is directed by one's subconscious in the glorious moments of slumber? Or is it a conscious dream? A dream that one desires and strives for all the time? It really doesn't matter. According to this poem, they will both die the same descriptive (thanks to the similes) way. The similes are all negative and - frankly - disgusting. Apparently, a deferred dream will never result in anything good. Thank you, Hughes, for this warning never to defer a dream.
Pink Dog - Elizabeth Bishop: Question #12
"Didn't you know? It's been in all the papers, / to solve this problem, how they deal with beggars? / They take and throw them in the tidal rivers." (Lines 13 - 15)
Initially, I viewed this poem as completely literal. Bishop is merely describing the wanderings of a stray dog. She is also warning that dog about what could happen to her while she runs throughout the streets. Although this seems the most logical interpretation, and it will probably end up being the true interpretation, I cannot shake the thought that the dog is only a symbol for a hobo or bum who walks the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The lines I quoted above are what turned my thoughts away from the image of a dog and to the image of a human. This was mostly caused by the word "beggar." Of course, dogs can be beggars, but I envision humans as beggars first. After that initial thought that the dog was a symbol for a battered human, I began to see other words that could be symbols. The "rabies" may just be a symbol for how we react to a homeless person; we immediately assume they are dirty. The "nursing mother" is just that: a nursing mother. There is also a possibility that this "dog" has minimal clothing, which put literal meaning to the word "naked." Or, she could be naked of the necessities in life: a home, food, and safety.
Initially, I viewed this poem as completely literal. Bishop is merely describing the wanderings of a stray dog. She is also warning that dog about what could happen to her while she runs throughout the streets. Although this seems the most logical interpretation, and it will probably end up being the true interpretation, I cannot shake the thought that the dog is only a symbol for a hobo or bum who walks the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The lines I quoted above are what turned my thoughts away from the image of a dog and to the image of a human. This was mostly caused by the word "beggar." Of course, dogs can be beggars, but I envision humans as beggars first. After that initial thought that the dog was a symbol for a battered human, I began to see other words that could be symbols. The "rabies" may just be a symbol for how we react to a homeless person; we immediately assume they are dirty. The "nursing mother" is just that: a nursing mother. There is also a possibility that this "dog" has minimal clothing, which put literal meaning to the word "naked." Or, she could be naked of the necessities in life: a home, food, and safety.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Spring - Ah, the Innocence
"The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush / The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush" (lines 6-7)
This was my favorite poem to read because it was the simplest to understand. Spring is beautiful. The end. I just summarized the entire poem into three words. However, no poem deserves to be limited like that. I completely capped it's potential with those three words, and I blocked out the beauty that is poetry. Of course the author wanted to leave his reader with the message that spring is beautiful, but he wanted to use as many colorful words and scenes as possible because that is his passion and reason for writing: to embellish ordinary scenes such as this account of spring and make them magical.
My quoted lines are my favorite because they give an image of sheer and utter beauty. These pear trees are in full bloom, and they are practically touching the sky from the speaker's point of view. This image is the only definite way of embodying the beautiful mental image I have right now. Bravo Hopkins.
This was my favorite poem to read because it was the simplest to understand. Spring is beautiful. The end. I just summarized the entire poem into three words. However, no poem deserves to be limited like that. I completely capped it's potential with those three words, and I blocked out the beauty that is poetry. Of course the author wanted to leave his reader with the message that spring is beautiful, but he wanted to use as many colorful words and scenes as possible because that is his passion and reason for writing: to embellish ordinary scenes such as this account of spring and make them magical.
My quoted lines are my favorite because they give an image of sheer and utter beauty. These pear trees are in full bloom, and they are practically touching the sky from the speaker's point of view. This image is the only definite way of embodying the beautiful mental image I have right now. Bravo Hopkins.
Those Winter Sundays Upon Further Review
"What did I know, what did I know / of love's austere and lonely offices?" (lines 13-14)
My initial reaction to this poem was that it was an ode to the speaker's father that transitioned to a description of the speaker's disdain for his father. I thought it became disdainful because of phrases like "Speaking indifferently to him? (line 10). To me, this speaker was an ungrateful brat, and despite the fact that "No one ever thanked [his father]" (line 5), this selfish little snob was not going to even give formal credit to his hard-working father. However, after my second and third time reading this poem, I realized I was completely off-base. This kid isn't a brat after all! It is an ode to his father! What the author is trying to impress upon his reader is easy to relate to because we have all been ungrateful. We have all known the awful feeling of regretting our silence when we should have been thanking someone. The speaker had a father who did everything from "make banked fires blaze" to "polish[ing] [his] good shoes." He was, it seems, a wonder-Dad who never got enough recognition, so this is the speaker's heartfelt attempt at true thankfulness.
My initial reaction to this poem was that it was an ode to the speaker's father that transitioned to a description of the speaker's disdain for his father. I thought it became disdainful because of phrases like "Speaking indifferently to him? (line 10). To me, this speaker was an ungrateful brat, and despite the fact that "No one ever thanked [his father]" (line 5), this selfish little snob was not going to even give formal credit to his hard-working father. However, after my second and third time reading this poem, I realized I was completely off-base. This kid isn't a brat after all! It is an ode to his father! What the author is trying to impress upon his reader is easy to relate to because we have all been ungrateful. We have all known the awful feeling of regretting our silence when we should have been thanking someone. The speaker had a father who did everything from "make banked fires blaze" to "polish[ing] [his] good shoes." He was, it seems, a wonder-Dad who never got enough recognition, so this is the speaker's heartfelt attempt at true thankfulness.
I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain - Sound to Sense (Question 16)
"And then I heard them lift a box / And creak across my Soul" (lines 9-10)
The sounds in this poem are easily defined, and they add to the overall dreary effect that the author is striving for. Emily Dickinson cited consistent and one-dimensional sounds of "treading" and sounds "like a Drum" while also referencing sounds like a "creak" that add a a creepy, funeral-like sense to the poem. Although the sounds in this poem add dimension to the story Dickinson is trying to relate to her reader, the most powerful sounds are not sounds at all. The second line, "And Mourners to and fro," is not a clearly defined sound, but I can still hear it. Most of Dickinson's readers will be of a mature age, and they will have all most likely attended a funeral or showing at some point in their life. They all know that absence of sound that accompanies such a social situation. It is not polite to be loud, so instead of a steady beating of voices, there is a rumble of passing mourners. They do not cause much noise, but they are followed by that sound of restless movement. Dickinson's poem successfully embodies that sound that is, in fact, not a sound.
The sounds in this poem are easily defined, and they add to the overall dreary effect that the author is striving for. Emily Dickinson cited consistent and one-dimensional sounds of "treading" and sounds "like a Drum" while also referencing sounds like a "creak" that add a a creepy, funeral-like sense to the poem. Although the sounds in this poem add dimension to the story Dickinson is trying to relate to her reader, the most powerful sounds are not sounds at all. The second line, "And Mourners to and fro," is not a clearly defined sound, but I can still hear it. Most of Dickinson's readers will be of a mature age, and they will have all most likely attended a funeral or showing at some point in their life. They all know that absence of sound that accompanies such a social situation. It is not polite to be loud, so instead of a steady beating of voices, there is a rumble of passing mourners. They do not cause much noise, but they are followed by that sound of restless movement. Dickinson's poem successfully embodies that sound that is, in fact, not a sound.
The Panther - Diction (Question 9)
"As he paces in in cramped circles, over and over, / ...is like a ritual dance..." (lines 5 and 7)
Stephen Mitchell chose his words precisely, but a significant amount of them have a methodical connotation attached to them. In the first line, he uses the word "constantly" which almost directly transposes into the word methodical. The first stanza left me with a sense containment. The "thousand bars" practically hold me in too as they do this panther that could represent an actual panther or a prisoner on death row. Mitchell moves on to include even more words that exude an air of a roundabout life. This panther "paces," "circles," and "is like a ritual dance." Each one of these words or phrases refers to a constant movement. As everyone knows, pacing is a consistent walking motion that ends up being like a circle, which Mitchell references next. This circle embodies the never-ending track that this panther's life now travels "over and over." The author adds in the reference to a ritual dance as another successful attempt at forcing an image of continual movement into the reader's mind, and it leaves me with a picture of a wheel in my mind.
I can only envision this powerful water wheel like the one pictured below just churning along. Of course, the poem ends with what I suspect is the death of the prisoner that this panther represents, but that does not detract from the image of continuous movement. If anything, it adds to the movement because now the panther has moved on to a different state of being.
Stephen Mitchell chose his words precisely, but a significant amount of them have a methodical connotation attached to them. In the first line, he uses the word "constantly" which almost directly transposes into the word methodical. The first stanza left me with a sense containment. The "thousand bars" practically hold me in too as they do this panther that could represent an actual panther or a prisoner on death row. Mitchell moves on to include even more words that exude an air of a roundabout life. This panther "paces," "circles," and "is like a ritual dance." Each one of these words or phrases refers to a constant movement. As everyone knows, pacing is a consistent walking motion that ends up being like a circle, which Mitchell references next. This circle embodies the never-ending track that this panther's life now travels "over and over." The author adds in the reference to a ritual dance as another successful attempt at forcing an image of continual movement into the reader's mind, and it leaves me with a picture of a wheel in my mind.
I can only envision this powerful water wheel like the one pictured below just churning along. Of course, the poem ends with what I suspect is the death of the prisoner that this panther represents, but that does not detract from the image of continuous movement. If anything, it adds to the movement because now the panther has moved on to a different state of being.
The Convergence of the Twain - Tone (Question 8)
"And as the smart ship grew / In stature, grace, and hue, / In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too." (lines 22-24)
This line most effectively captures the tone of the poem because it embodies the sense of awe and wonder that saturates the the first two lines of most of the stanzas. It is also simultaneously addressing the premonition that is emanating from the line "The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything" through the end of the poem. "The Convergence of the Twain" is formatted so that each stanza includes a bit of awe and a bit of pretense about the future. In the line I quoted above, the ship is praised as being one of stellar quality and unmatched power with words such as "smart" and "stature, grace, and hue." However, these middle three words also address the iceberg. It is just as strong and stealthy, but it wins out in the end. The juxtaposition of these two brute forces is not only a literary triumph, but it is also the transitional point in the poem when Hardy moves away from a tone of awe into one of foreboding premonition.
This line most effectively captures the tone of the poem because it embodies the sense of awe and wonder that saturates the the first two lines of most of the stanzas. It is also simultaneously addressing the premonition that is emanating from the line "The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything" through the end of the poem. "The Convergence of the Twain" is formatted so that each stanza includes a bit of awe and a bit of pretense about the future. In the line I quoted above, the ship is praised as being one of stellar quality and unmatched power with words such as "smart" and "stature, grace, and hue." However, these middle three words also address the iceberg. It is just as strong and stealthy, but it wins out in the end. The juxtaposition of these two brute forces is not only a literary triumph, but it is also the transitional point in the poem when Hardy moves away from a tone of awe into one of foreboding premonition.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Perrine - The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry
"No poet, however, likes to be caught in the predicament of having to explain his own poems"
I must say, I agree 100% with the above sentence. The word "poetry" immediately evokes a sense of mystery in a reader and the thrill of being allowed to interpret to the ends of the earth. However, to me, a 17-year-old with limited poetic experience, poetry presents a challenge. Good poetry always seem to be ridiculously ambiguous, and as much as I enjoy figuring things out for myself, it gets tiring after a while. When Perrine said, "for any given poem there are correct and incorrect readings," my heart sank. I always previously viewed poetry as a chance to broaden the horizons of my imagination, but now it is almost a scientific process as Perrine also says. Science has never been my favorite subject, but english is, and reading that the two are paralleled in poetry is not the most inviting thing.
The presence of the word "proof" in the title of this article is an easy analogy for me to relate to. As much as I did not enjoy proofs in Geometry, I understood them. I loved that they spelled out math in x amount of steps, and I rejoiced in knowing beyond a doubt that I had reached the correct conclusion. With poetry, I can only hope for the same thing, and Perrine practically guarantees that for me when he proclaimed that the best interpretation of poetry is the most logical. Or, in other words, the most practical. I can handle practical. Perrine is obviously a scientific man as well as a literary analyst because an unscientific man could never develop a process so straightforward and easy to follow. Poets are notorious for their free-spirited witticisms, but Perrine is rather foolproof. As tedious as his approach to poetry is, I must admit that I a thankful for it because it has already helped me and I haven't even begun to fully understand these poems I am reading.
I must say, I agree 100% with the above sentence. The word "poetry" immediately evokes a sense of mystery in a reader and the thrill of being allowed to interpret to the ends of the earth. However, to me, a 17-year-old with limited poetic experience, poetry presents a challenge. Good poetry always seem to be ridiculously ambiguous, and as much as I enjoy figuring things out for myself, it gets tiring after a while. When Perrine said, "for any given poem there are correct and incorrect readings," my heart sank. I always previously viewed poetry as a chance to broaden the horizons of my imagination, but now it is almost a scientific process as Perrine also says. Science has never been my favorite subject, but english is, and reading that the two are paralleled in poetry is not the most inviting thing.
The presence of the word "proof" in the title of this article is an easy analogy for me to relate to. As much as I did not enjoy proofs in Geometry, I understood them. I loved that they spelled out math in x amount of steps, and I rejoiced in knowing beyond a doubt that I had reached the correct conclusion. With poetry, I can only hope for the same thing, and Perrine practically guarantees that for me when he proclaimed that the best interpretation of poetry is the most logical. Or, in other words, the most practical. I can handle practical. Perrine is obviously a scientific man as well as a literary analyst because an unscientific man could never develop a process so straightforward and easy to follow. Poets are notorious for their free-spirited witticisms, but Perrine is rather foolproof. As tedious as his approach to poetry is, I must admit that I a thankful for it because it has already helped me and I haven't even begun to fully understand these poems I am reading.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Ah, the end.
"You can carry at least half your mortality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears - that's what soma is." (Page 238)
Well, the end is here, and I can't say I am sad. However, I admit that I enjoyed this book in a way. It was definitely challenging to understand, and I had to work to analyze it. Despite my constant judgment that the book was disgusting and morally wrong, I did learn some things about literature and myself. I am extremely capable of keeping a firm grasp on my beliefs, even when reading fiction. Near the end of the book when John admitted to wanting Christianity over the community Mond works so hard to uphold, I had flashes of Christ in my head. he was a rebel as well, and he stuck to what he knew was right even when no one was in his corner. Both men ended their lives in premature, unnatural deaths. Unfortunately, Christ's death was extremely real while John's was a work of fiction. Also, Christ selflessly gave his life for those He loved while John selfishly took his life as a means of escape. Both died sad deaths, but that was the end of their similarities. I must say that I like John. He was a good, solid character, and I enjoyed reading about him. Over and out!
Well, the end is here, and I can't say I am sad. However, I admit that I enjoyed this book in a way. It was definitely challenging to understand, and I had to work to analyze it. Despite my constant judgment that the book was disgusting and morally wrong, I did learn some things about literature and myself. I am extremely capable of keeping a firm grasp on my beliefs, even when reading fiction. Near the end of the book when John admitted to wanting Christianity over the community Mond works so hard to uphold, I had flashes of Christ in my head. he was a rebel as well, and he stuck to what he knew was right even when no one was in his corner. Both men ended their lives in premature, unnatural deaths. Unfortunately, Christ's death was extremely real while John's was a work of fiction. Also, Christ selflessly gave his life for those He loved while John selfishly took his life as a means of escape. Both died sad deaths, but that was the end of their similarities. I must say that I like John. He was a good, solid character, and I enjoyed reading about him. Over and out!
Potential Uprising?
"All the people who, for one reason or another, have got too self-consciously individual to fit into community life." (Page 227)
The Controller, Mustapha Mond, is lecturing Bernard, Helmholtz, and John the Savage about why they must be content with the way their world works. If they don't comply with his demands they will be banished to an island with other citizens who tested the boundaries of the society that lived in. I can't help but wonder though why Mond and the rest of the Controllers think it wise to put all of the rebels together on various islands. Is this not the makings of a potential uprising? I used my simple deductive reasoning skills to answer my own question. There will not be an uprising simply because there are not enough pages left in the book to hold the amount of time I know Huxley would want to dedicate to an uprising. It would be exciting, but it is not practical at this point. The story is coming to a close, and I am excited to be finished with this world that goes against everything I believe in.
The Controller, Mustapha Mond, is lecturing Bernard, Helmholtz, and John the Savage about why they must be content with the way their world works. If they don't comply with his demands they will be banished to an island with other citizens who tested the boundaries of the society that lived in. I can't help but wonder though why Mond and the rest of the Controllers think it wise to put all of the rebels together on various islands. Is this not the makings of a potential uprising? I used my simple deductive reasoning skills to answer my own question. There will not be an uprising simply because there are not enough pages left in the book to hold the amount of time I know Huxley would want to dedicate to an uprising. It would be exciting, but it is not practical at this point. The story is coming to a close, and I am excited to be finished with this world that goes against everything I believe in.
Analogy - My Heart Will Most Definfitely Go On
' "The optimum population," said Mustapha Mond, "is modeled on the iceberg - eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above." ' (Page 223)
I really enjoyed this analogy. It was well placed, and quite effective. I had the stereotypical reaction to any mention of iceberg's: I immediately thought of the Titanic. That, in turn, made me think of the movie made about the horrific sinking ship. All of the passengers on that ship were much like the citizens in the brave new world Huxley created. They were all categorized into a specific cast of society, and they were not allowed to venture out of the lines of their social status. Of course, two people break free of their bonds, and they were the central characters of the movie. Jack and Rose each left their social bonds behind and challenged society. The former climbed the social ladder while the latter stooped to a lower level for the man she loved. However, she still maintained her ties to her original ranking in the pyramid of society. Much like all of that, the people in Huxley's story are bound to a specific walk of life, and they rarely challenge the system.
Huxley's analogy served its purpose in that it gave me a clear image of how the civilization he created works. I can only be grateful that the world I live in is not as strict. A hard-working lower class person can climb up in the world and make a better life for himself. That whole mentality of hope and potential is what drives our culture.
I really enjoyed this analogy. It was well placed, and quite effective. I had the stereotypical reaction to any mention of iceberg's: I immediately thought of the Titanic. That, in turn, made me think of the movie made about the horrific sinking ship. All of the passengers on that ship were much like the citizens in the brave new world Huxley created. They were all categorized into a specific cast of society, and they were not allowed to venture out of the lines of their social status. Of course, two people break free of their bonds, and they were the central characters of the movie. Jack and Rose each left their social bonds behind and challenged society. The former climbed the social ladder while the latter stooped to a lower level for the man she loved. However, she still maintained her ties to her original ranking in the pyramid of society. Much like all of that, the people in Huxley's story are bound to a specific walk of life, and they rarely challenge the system.
Huxley's analogy served its purpose in that it gave me a clear image of how the civilization he created works. I can only be grateful that the world I live in is not as strict. A hard-working lower class person can climb up in the world and make a better life for himself. That whole mentality of hope and potential is what drives our culture.
Hello, new Bernard
"Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory." (Page 157)
May I just begin by saying how much I love the use of the word "fizzily" in this sentence. It makes me think of that scene in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie and his Grandpa fly to the ceiling because they drank the fizzy drinks when they were not supposed to.
Now on to the actual blog for this quote. Bernard is practically a celebrity now. He has a circus act of John the Savage, and he is loving the attention. I didn't think about this until I was typing the quote out, but the instant popularity is his own soma. He never did like the drug, but when I typed the word "intoxicating," I realized Bernard finally found his happy pills: attention. In the past he was cast aside by society despite his intellectual abilities and professional success. Now, he can get any woman he wants, and he keeps company with the upper-tier of society. But, like all lucky streaks, at on point, the world throws a curveball. His is in the form of Bernard getting tired of the attention. Once again, Bernard is regarded as less than his status among the people of his civilization.
May I just begin by saying how much I love the use of the word "fizzily" in this sentence. It makes me think of that scene in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie and his Grandpa fly to the ceiling because they drank the fizzy drinks when they were not supposed to.
Now on to the actual blog for this quote. Bernard is practically a celebrity now. He has a circus act of John the Savage, and he is loving the attention. I didn't think about this until I was typing the quote out, but the instant popularity is his own soma. He never did like the drug, but when I typed the word "intoxicating," I realized Bernard finally found his happy pills: attention. In the past he was cast aside by society despite his intellectual abilities and professional success. Now, he can get any woman he wants, and he keeps company with the upper-tier of society. But, like all lucky streaks, at on point, the world throws a curveball. His is in the form of Bernard getting tired of the attention. Once again, Bernard is regarded as less than his status among the people of his civilization.
Shallow new world... RIP Linda
"Fat; having lost her youth; with bad teeth, and a blotched complexion, and that figure (Ford!) - you simply couldn't look at her without feeling sick, yes, positively sick. So the best people were quite determined not to see Linda." (Page 153)
Imagine the sadness Linda felt when she was finally able to return to the world she loved, and she was not received with open arms. Her son was, for he was a scientific adventure, but she was shunned for her appearance and status as a mother. I can only feel distraught for poor Linda because she spent most of her adult life pining to escape her life with the savages only to finally break free into a world of exile. She came from the reservation where she was actually whipped for doing what she thought was right: being with more than one man. And to make matters worse, she was basically an exile in her community on the reservation. The poor thing lost her life in the brave new world, found a half-life among the savages, and died in a familiar setting with only her son by her side. I can only hope that she was happy to be back near hot water and constant nurse's aid. I definitely do not envy how her life turned out. RIP Linda.
Imagine the sadness Linda felt when she was finally able to return to the world she loved, and she was not received with open arms. Her son was, for he was a scientific adventure, but she was shunned for her appearance and status as a mother. I can only feel distraught for poor Linda because she spent most of her adult life pining to escape her life with the savages only to finally break free into a world of exile. She came from the reservation where she was actually whipped for doing what she thought was right: being with more than one man. And to make matters worse, she was basically an exile in her community on the reservation. The poor thing lost her life in the brave new world, found a half-life among the savages, and died in a familiar setting with only her son by her side. I can only hope that she was happy to be back near hot water and constant nurse's aid. I definitely do not envy how her life turned out. RIP Linda.
O Brave New World....
' "O brave new world," he repeated. "O brave new world that has such people in it. Let's start at once." ' (Page 139)
I have been thinking all along that the title of Brave New World was just a name Huxley gave the world he created. I always assumed it was simply his way of describing the odd future he envisioned for the world he lived in while he was an author. In a way, it is still his description of his world, but now I see the true meaning behind it. It is John's view of the world he enters after hearing a first-hand account of it his entire life. He says this quote directly after hearing that Lenina is single, and he can pursue her if he so desires (which he does). He is eager to get started in this "brave new world," and he has nothing but good things to say about the world he will be living in. However, the happiness can only last so long. His mother, Linda, will be traveling back to her former home with him, and her life is near an end. John will experience true pain in the chapters to come, and he goes a little crazy at one point.
I have been thinking all along that the title of Brave New World was just a name Huxley gave the world he created. I always assumed it was simply his way of describing the odd future he envisioned for the world he lived in while he was an author. In a way, it is still his description of his world, but now I see the true meaning behind it. It is John's view of the world he enters after hearing a first-hand account of it his entire life. He says this quote directly after hearing that Lenina is single, and he can pursue her if he so desires (which he does). He is eager to get started in this "brave new world," and he has nothing but good things to say about the world he will be living in. However, the happiness can only last so long. His mother, Linda, will be traveling back to her former home with him, and her life is near an end. John will experience true pain in the chapters to come, and he goes a little crazy at one point.
Finally, something she likes!
"Lenina liked the drums. Shutting her eyes she abandoned herself to their soft repeated thunder, allowed it to invade her consciousness more and more completely, till at last there was nothing left in the world but that one deep pulse of sound." (Page 113)
Let's face it, to this point, Lenina has not enjoyed her trip with Bernard. She has been thrust into a situation that she is completely uncomfortable with, and she even asked to go home a few times. She doesn't like the Savages and their customs, and she is scared of their varying looks. When it seemed that all hope was lost for her vacation and she was destined to be miserable, the drums started. She had to admit that she liked them, but only because they reminded her of home and the Solidarity Services and Ford's Day celebrations they have. Despite the minimal reminder, she allowed herself a slightly renewed store of energy, and she needed it. In a few short pages, she was thrust into the lives of Linda and John: none other than the Director's lover and illegitimate child. It's so ironic that they would meet. I do realize that it is a story though, and nothing is coincidence.
Let's face it, to this point, Lenina has not enjoyed her trip with Bernard. She has been thrust into a situation that she is completely uncomfortable with, and she even asked to go home a few times. She doesn't like the Savages and their customs, and she is scared of their varying looks. When it seemed that all hope was lost for her vacation and she was destined to be miserable, the drums started. She had to admit that she liked them, but only because they reminded her of home and the Solidarity Services and Ford's Day celebrations they have. Despite the minimal reminder, she allowed herself a slightly renewed store of energy, and she needed it. In a few short pages, she was thrust into the lives of Linda and John: none other than the Director's lover and illegitimate child. It's so ironic that they would meet. I do realize that it is a story though, and nothing is coincidence.
Imagery - Can't you just see it?
"Cloaks of turkey feathers fluttered from their shoulders; huge feather diadems exploded gaudily round their heads." (Page 109)
What a scene! For the entire lives of Lenina and Bernard, order has been the only thing they knew. It ran their lives, and they were comfortable with that. And then, BAM! All of a sudden, they are thrust out of their world and into one with color and disorder. One with spontaneity and true emotion. It is only fitting that I chose this scene to highlight Huxley's knack for imagery. He couldn't have fully written the scene without pulling out all of the stops and plowing full-speed ahead with his power verbs and eccentric adjectives. This sentence is only one of many that he hand-crafted to adorn this scene. From "the clink and rattle of their silver bracelets" to the old man's skin that was "wrinkled and black, like a mask of obsidian," Huxley gave his reader's imagination a literary treat.
What a scene! For the entire lives of Lenina and Bernard, order has been the only thing they knew. It ran their lives, and they were comfortable with that. And then, BAM! All of a sudden, they are thrust out of their world and into one with color and disorder. One with spontaneity and true emotion. It is only fitting that I chose this scene to highlight Huxley's knack for imagery. He couldn't have fully written the scene without pulling out all of the stops and plowing full-speed ahead with his power verbs and eccentric adjectives. This sentence is only one of many that he hand-crafted to adorn this scene. From "the clink and rattle of their silver bracelets" to the old man's skin that was "wrinkled and black, like a mask of obsidian," Huxley gave his reader's imagination a literary treat.
Vernacular - You don't say!
"She must have fallen into a gully somewhere; or been eaten by a mountain lion. Ford knows." (Page 97)
This quote falls very shortly after my previous blog's quote, but I found it a particularly good example of the vernacular used in this book. The name of Ford is used throughout the book, but it is most consistently and significantly used by the Director himself. I've been searching the book for the best way to blog about this incessant word, and I wanted the accompanying quote to be from the mouth of an important character. As it is, the Director won my little contest for best quote. The whole idea behind this word, "Ford," is that it is used much in the same way someone might use the word: Lord. For example: "Lord knows," "Oh, Lord, that's ridiculous." I also find it ironic that Ford and Lord rhyme. I can only assume that Huxley purposefully chose this name. If he didn't, that would be too much of a coincidence for well-crafted literature.
This quote falls very shortly after my previous blog's quote, but I found it a particularly good example of the vernacular used in this book. The name of Ford is used throughout the book, but it is most consistently and significantly used by the Director himself. I've been searching the book for the best way to blog about this incessant word, and I wanted the accompanying quote to be from the mouth of an important character. As it is, the Director won my little contest for best quote. The whole idea behind this word, "Ford," is that it is used much in the same way someone might use the word: Lord. For example: "Lord knows," "Oh, Lord, that's ridiculous." I also find it ironic that Ford and Lord rhyme. I can only assume that Huxley purposefully chose this name. If he didn't, that would be too much of a coincidence for well-crafted literature.
Anecdote - An author's parable.
"And then - it was almost the last day of my leave - then...well, she got lost." (Page 96)
Bernard is about to embark on his week-long trip to New Mexico with Lenina when the Director hits him with this anecdote of his trip to New Mexico quite a while back with a woman he was seeing at the time. The short story surprises Bernard in that he didn't realize the Director possessed the capacity to have the feelings he insinuated in his story. The Director had lost the woman in the hills while horseback riding near the reservation of savages, and he never found her. The anecdote added to the story simply because it showed that the Director has feelings. However, it also provides necessary information for the scenes to come when Bernard discovers this long-lost lover on his voyage to the reservations. Without this particular anecdote, the reader would be completely lost as to why the woman Bernard finds is important or special. I'm sure Huxley could have explained it, but an explanation as part of the narrative of the story is never quite as good as one straight from the character affected. These upcoming scenes have the potential to be a soap-opera drama.
Bernard is about to embark on his week-long trip to New Mexico with Lenina when the Director hits him with this anecdote of his trip to New Mexico quite a while back with a woman he was seeing at the time. The short story surprises Bernard in that he didn't realize the Director possessed the capacity to have the feelings he insinuated in his story. The Director had lost the woman in the hills while horseback riding near the reservation of savages, and he never found her. The anecdote added to the story simply because it showed that the Director has feelings. However, it also provides necessary information for the scenes to come when Bernard discovers this long-lost lover on his voyage to the reservations. Without this particular anecdote, the reader would be completely lost as to why the woman Bernard finds is important or special. I'm sure Huxley could have explained it, but an explanation as part of the narrative of the story is never quite as good as one straight from the character affected. These upcoming scenes have the potential to be a soap-opera drama.
Anthropomorphism - Words so real, they're practically crawling off the page!
"Northwards, beyond and above the trees, the Internal and External Secretions factory glared with a fierce electric brilliance from every window of its twenty stories." (Page 73)
Just reading this sentence gives me the chills. Huxley makes the factory seem like a bull ready to charge the matador with its glaring eyes. I just have this image in my head of the scene from Cars when Mater and Lightning McQueen go tractor-tipping and meet Frank, the evil bull-like machine. The image I get is at 2:25 of the following clip.
What a great movie. But I digress. This quote appears during Lenina's date with Henry Foster for an afternoon of Obstacle Golf. Huxley particularly enjoys personifying things in his book because it aids his imagery - the most obvious of his artistic traits as an author, and I thank him for it. Anthropomorphism is never undesirable when reading a story. It can only help.
I don't quite understand the idea of Lenina and Henry's game, but I know the general idea behind it. It seems to be an almost universally enjoyed sport by the characters because of what they get to do afterwards. When, later in the book, Bernard mentions that Obstacle Golf is not his activity of choice, Lenina is taken aback simply because it is almost second nature for the people in her world to enjoy the game. It was unsurprising for me though because Bernard strikes me as a character who enjoys his solitude and deep conversations in a private setting. He sure is a dynamic character.
Just reading this sentence gives me the chills. Huxley makes the factory seem like a bull ready to charge the matador with its glaring eyes. I just have this image in my head of the scene from Cars when Mater and Lightning McQueen go tractor-tipping and meet Frank, the evil bull-like machine. The image I get is at 2:25 of the following clip.
What a great movie. But I digress. This quote appears during Lenina's date with Henry Foster for an afternoon of Obstacle Golf. Huxley particularly enjoys personifying things in his book because it aids his imagery - the most obvious of his artistic traits as an author, and I thank him for it. Anthropomorphism is never undesirable when reading a story. It can only help.
I don't quite understand the idea of Lenina and Henry's game, but I know the general idea behind it. It seems to be an almost universally enjoyed sport by the characters because of what they get to do afterwards. When, later in the book, Bernard mentions that Obstacle Golf is not his activity of choice, Lenina is taken aback simply because it is almost second nature for the people in her world to enjoy the game. It was unsurprising for me though because Bernard strikes me as a character who enjoys his solitude and deep conversations in a private setting. He sure is a dynamic character.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Time for Recess, Kids! - Mood
"Helmholtz Watson listened with a certain sense of discomfort....He wished Bernard would show a little more pride." (Page 71)
The mood in this scene is bogged down by the lives these men live. Neither is happy, and the mood resembles that of stressed students who take a brief ten-minute break or power nap. Helmholtz Watson is a new character, and he is like Bernard in that he is slightly different than those of his caste. However, whereas Bernard suffers from that difference, Helmholtz is treated like a special specimen. Helmholtz doesn't feel elated by this special treatment, though. He simply feels like he can never reach his full potential. Bernard experiences the same feelings, but in a different way; he feels his true potential is never quite up to par. He is ecstatic that Lenina agreed to have him in New Mexico, but he can barely react well to his good luck. He feels disconnected from her because she is normal for her caste; she acts as she should in social situations. All of these details are minimal when separate, but when added together, they make for a rather depressing mood. Needless to say, this chapter was not a joy to read.
The mood in this scene is bogged down by the lives these men live. Neither is happy, and the mood resembles that of stressed students who take a brief ten-minute break or power nap. Helmholtz Watson is a new character, and he is like Bernard in that he is slightly different than those of his caste. However, whereas Bernard suffers from that difference, Helmholtz is treated like a special specimen. Helmholtz doesn't feel elated by this special treatment, though. He simply feels like he can never reach his full potential. Bernard experiences the same feelings, but in a different way; he feels his true potential is never quite up to par. He is ecstatic that Lenina agreed to have him in New Mexico, but he can barely react well to his good luck. He feels disconnected from her because she is normal for her caste; she acts as she should in social situations. All of these details are minimal when separate, but when added together, they make for a rather depressing mood. Needless to say, this chapter was not a joy to read.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Welcome to the circus, ladies and gentlemen! Feast your eyes!
" 'I've had it nearly three months.'
'Chosen as the opening date of the new era.'
'Ending is better than mending; ending is better...'
'There was a thing, as I've said before, called Christianity.' " (Page 52)
I am exhausted! This chapter drained me. For the entire last half of the chapter my brain was playing the classic circus theme song that musically presents chaos. Here's an example for you:
Take this classic song and speed it up until it is so fast you feel like your head is spinning. That is the background music my dear brain played for me while reading this chapter. I could practically see the three-ring circus. How appropriate too, in a stretch of dialogue that includes three separate scenes: the conversation between Lenina Crowne and Fanny Crowne, Mustapha Mond's monologue, and the dialogue between Henry Foster, the assistant Predestinator, and Bernard Marx. Like a three-ring circus, the events in each ring of the story correlated with one another. Mond spoke of the importance he saw in a civilization that values an extremely social community in which "every one belongs to every one else." Lenina and Fanny simultaneously spoke of the dangers in Lenina's presently monogamous relationship with Henry Foster, and the three men spoke of Lenina in a way that does not promote monogamy in any way. And when the adages that all children learn in their sleep started mixing themselves into the dialogue, the simple sayings corresponded to what the women were discussing, namely buying new clothing often. The conversations wove themselves around each other in a way that was barely possible to follow, but I persisted.
In this chapter, I was also presented with various relationships. Lenina and Henry are currently friends with benefits (for lack of an easier explanation), Bernard Marx has some sort of feelings Lenina who, until recently, completely disregarded him. Fanny and Lenina are friends ( just remember they are friends in Huxley's new world, not ours), and Lenina is comfortable with Henry to a point of danger. Bernard Marx hates the two men he is forced to listen to in the equivalent of a men's locker room. Finally, the story has reached a point I can take a serious interest in.
'Chosen as the opening date of the new era.'
'Ending is better than mending; ending is better...'
'There was a thing, as I've said before, called Christianity.' " (Page 52)
I am exhausted! This chapter drained me. For the entire last half of the chapter my brain was playing the classic circus theme song that musically presents chaos. Here's an example for you:
Take this classic song and speed it up until it is so fast you feel like your head is spinning. That is the background music my dear brain played for me while reading this chapter. I could practically see the three-ring circus. How appropriate too, in a stretch of dialogue that includes three separate scenes: the conversation between Lenina Crowne and Fanny Crowne, Mustapha Mond's monologue, and the dialogue between Henry Foster, the assistant Predestinator, and Bernard Marx. Like a three-ring circus, the events in each ring of the story correlated with one another. Mond spoke of the importance he saw in a civilization that values an extremely social community in which "every one belongs to every one else." Lenina and Fanny simultaneously spoke of the dangers in Lenina's presently monogamous relationship with Henry Foster, and the three men spoke of Lenina in a way that does not promote monogamy in any way. And when the adages that all children learn in their sleep started mixing themselves into the dialogue, the simple sayings corresponded to what the women were discussing, namely buying new clothing often. The conversations wove themselves around each other in a way that was barely possible to follow, but I persisted.
In this chapter, I was also presented with various relationships. Lenina and Henry are currently friends with benefits (for lack of an easier explanation), Bernard Marx has some sort of feelings Lenina who, until recently, completely disregarded him. Fanny and Lenina are friends ( just remember they are friends in Huxley's new world, not ours), and Lenina is comfortable with Henry to a point of danger. Bernard Marx hates the two men he is forced to listen to in the equivalent of a men's locker room. Finally, the story has reached a point I can take a serious interest in.
Simile and ANOTHER animal reference. Picking out the animal references in this book is like taking candy from a baby.
"Maniacally, the mother brooded over her children (her children)...brooded over them like a cat over its kittens, but a cat that could talk, a cat that could say, "My baby, my baby," over and over again." (Pages 37-38)
Mustapha Mond is enlightening his avid listeners on the tour about the old days when children came into the world the traditional way: to parents. They are simply dumbfounded to hear about the "maniacal" mothers who protected their children out of love. These mothers are described as practically rabid. Huxley has once again proven his abilities to weave words into something easily imaginable. However, this is on image that I do not welcome into my brain. To me, a mother is loving, sweet, and supportive, not freakishly protective, brooding, and animalistic. I would be disgusted by the mothers that Mond is describing to these boys too if I was in their position.
This simile serves its purpose, but its an unwelcome one. My current diagnosis of Mond is that he is as weird and foreign to me as the rest of this story. I sincerely hope this is completely wrong, and I could possibly like this character at some point.
This simile serves its purpose, but its an unwelcome one. My current diagnosis of Mond is that he is as weird and foreign to me as the rest of this story. I sincerely hope this is completely wrong, and I could possibly like this character at some point.
Characterization of the Direct and Indirect Sort
"...a man of middle height, black-haired, with a hooked nose, full red lips, eyes very piercing and dark."
"...but at the sight of the stranger, he sprang to his feet and darted forward, his hand outstretched, smiling with all his teeth, effusive." (both page 33)
Huxley begins by characterizing the new character directly. He tells the reader what this new man looks like and how his eyes hit the receiver of their gaze. However, he continues on to indirectly characterize this man. I can infer from the way The D.H.C. reacts to him that this man is his superior, possibly many people's superior. The Director pulls himself out if his momentary relaxation and immediately approaches the new man. Moments after, the reader is informed that this man is, in fact, the Controller ("his fordship") Mustapha Mond. He is a top dog in the social pyramid that is this society. To add to the aura of this man, Huxley decided to make his name an alliteration. He's basically a powerhouse of a character, but I'll wait to see if I like him or not.
"...but at the sight of the stranger, he sprang to his feet and darted forward, his hand outstretched, smiling with all his teeth, effusive." (both page 33)
Huxley begins by characterizing the new character directly. He tells the reader what this new man looks like and how his eyes hit the receiver of their gaze. However, he continues on to indirectly characterize this man. I can infer from the way The D.H.C. reacts to him that this man is his superior, possibly many people's superior. The Director pulls himself out if his momentary relaxation and immediately approaches the new man. Moments after, the reader is informed that this man is, in fact, the Controller ("his fordship") Mustapha Mond. He is a top dog in the social pyramid that is this society. To add to the aura of this man, Huxley decided to make his name an alliteration. He's basically a powerhouse of a character, but I'll wait to see if I like him or not.
It Seems the Times Have Changed.(Sarcasm alert) Poor us!
"Poor little kids not allowed to muse themselves? They could not believe it." (Page 32)
And so the disgusting sexual activity between the 7- and 8-year-olds continues. Not only that, but I learned that I am pitied by these fictional characters because I was not allowed to explore my sexuality at a young age. Poor little Juliana. I had to read my way through the Berenstein Bears books until I graduated to the Magic Tree House series when I was allowed to travel with siblings Jack and Annie through history and some magic books. For me, that was literary bliss. I didn't realize my A.F. 632 counterparts were so much further embedded in the adult world than myself. But oh well. I think I grew up well. Thankfully, I was never a victim of a pedophile or involved in a case of child pornography. In this day and age, children exposed to anything sexual are pitied, but in Huxley's "brave new world" the children not allowed to experience anything sexual are pitied. The boys on the tour are aghast at the thought of someone having to wait until their twenty's for any sexual activity. They learn that this was the case before the time of their "Old Ford."
There is one thing I can say with complete honesty that I learned from this chapter: I am extremely grateful to be growing up in the time that I am.
And so the disgusting sexual activity between the 7- and 8-year-olds continues. Not only that, but I learned that I am pitied by these fictional characters because I was not allowed to explore my sexuality at a young age. Poor little Juliana. I had to read my way through the Berenstein Bears books until I graduated to the Magic Tree House series when I was allowed to travel with siblings Jack and Annie through history and some magic books. For me, that was literary bliss. I didn't realize my A.F. 632 counterparts were so much further embedded in the adult world than myself. But oh well. I think I grew up well. Thankfully, I was never a victim of a pedophile or involved in a case of child pornography. In this day and age, children exposed to anything sexual are pitied, but in Huxley's "brave new world" the children not allowed to experience anything sexual are pitied. The boys on the tour are aghast at the thought of someone having to wait until their twenty's for any sexual activity. They learn that this was the case before the time of their "Old Ford."
There is one thing I can say with complete honesty that I learned from this chapter: I am extremely grateful to be growing up in the time that I am.
Onomatopoeia - It's just so fun to say!
"The air was drowsy with the murmur of bees and helicopters." (Page 30)
Chapter 3 opens with the tour continuing. BAM! Next stop on the list: reviewing the sexual games the children play at around ages 7 or 8 in the garden. This is disturbing to read about on so many levels. I understand that I have to be mature and open-minded when reading something as controversial as this, but I am simply disgusted. As I've blogged previously, Huxley can paint a scene (OOH! AWW!) in a way that seems almost effortless, and he utilizes every literary device available to him. In that repertoire of literary genius is onomatopoeia which, ironically, is just as fun to say as the words it describes. FIZZLE! In this particular excerpt, the word "murmur" is the focus, but the intriguing bit of the sentence is the use of the word "drowsy." It's not often a word associated with the air on a nice day, but I fully understand what it entails. This air is almost plagued by the noises breaking the silence that must have inhabited it at one point in history. BUZZ!
Chapter 3 opens with the tour continuing. BAM! Next stop on the list: reviewing the sexual games the children play at around ages 7 or 8 in the garden. This is disturbing to read about on so many levels. I understand that I have to be mature and open-minded when reading something as controversial as this, but I am simply disgusted. As I've blogged previously, Huxley can paint a scene (OOH! AWW!) in a way that seems almost effortless, and he utilizes every literary device available to him. In that repertoire of literary genius is onomatopoeia which, ironically, is just as fun to say as the words it describes. FIZZLE! In this particular excerpt, the word "murmur" is the focus, but the intriguing bit of the sentence is the use of the word "drowsy." It's not often a word associated with the air on a nice day, but I fully understand what it entails. This air is almost plagued by the noises breaking the silence that must have inhabited it at one point in history. BUZZ!
Assonance - It's so exciting!!
"The mind that judges and desires and decides - made up of these suggestions." (Page 29)
I must be completely honest: I didn't think I would get to use the literary term assonance in these blogs simply because I rarely notice it in use. But alas, I have discovered it! And I am ecstatic!!
"...desires and decides..." are the words in question here, and they are kind of fun to read. It spices up the sentence! The Director is telling the visiting students about the uses of hypnopaedia, and he is saying that the children's minds absorb the information fed to them in their sleep and that information helps to shape their minds. Personally, I wouldn't mind being able to learn in my sleep. This idea is the only one so far in this story that doesn't disgust me. To this point, I have wanted to cast the book aside dramatically to display how uncomfortable I am in reading about this disgraceful civilization. It sounds positively barbaric to be raised by electric floors and horrific loud noises after being "decanted" - not born - in a factory of children. Yuck.
I must be completely honest: I didn't think I would get to use the literary term assonance in these blogs simply because I rarely notice it in use. But alas, I have discovered it! And I am ecstatic!!
"...desires and decides..." are the words in question here, and they are kind of fun to read. It spices up the sentence! The Director is telling the visiting students about the uses of hypnopaedia, and he is saying that the children's minds absorb the information fed to them in their sleep and that information helps to shape their minds. Personally, I wouldn't mind being able to learn in my sleep. This idea is the only one so far in this story that doesn't disgust me. To this point, I have wanted to cast the book aside dramatically to display how uncomfortable I am in reading about this disgraceful civilization. It sounds positively barbaric to be raised by electric floors and horrific loud noises after being "decanted" - not born - in a factory of children. Yuck.
Straight From the Horse's Mouth
"Straight from the horse's mouth." (Page 4)
"Straight from the horse's mouth." (Page 28)
This repetition of the same phrase in the first 3 chapters caught my attention. Not only was it the same exact wording, but it was also in regards to the same character: the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning or the D.C.H. This man is obviously passionate about his work, and he is quite a character. He seems to be a bit annoying though, to be frank. He is also the director of this disgusting program that raises children like animals, so I don't like him on principle.
This phrase used twice thus far simply grinds in the realization that this book seems to reference animals as much as it reminds me of animals. I keep having images of factories that mass produce animals for slaughter, and that unnerves me. I would prefer not to think of those things while reading, but it appears to be inevitable for me while reading this book, so I must carry on.
"Straight from the horse's mouth." (Page 28)
This repetition of the same phrase in the first 3 chapters caught my attention. Not only was it the same exact wording, but it was also in regards to the same character: the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning or the D.C.H. This man is obviously passionate about his work, and he is quite a character. He seems to be a bit annoying though, to be frank. He is also the director of this disgusting program that raises children like animals, so I don't like him on principle.
This phrase used twice thus far simply grinds in the realization that this book seems to reference animals as much as it reminds me of animals. I keep having images of factories that mass produce animals for slaughter, and that unnerves me. I would prefer not to think of those things while reading, but it appears to be inevitable for me while reading this book, so I must carry on.
Brave New World - I Must Admit I'm Spooked
"The light was frozen, dead, a ghost." (Page 3)
Almost instantly I realized the apparent similarities between Brave New World and Never Let Me Go: they both tell tales of cloning and tweaking humans. However, I'm afraid the congruence of the books will most likely stop there. For starters, Brave New World appears to be about the process of forming the so-called humans whereas Never Let Me Go never truly explained the nature in which the students were made simply because that wasn't the focus of the story.
Take this quote, for instance. It alone illustrates a difference between the two authors. Huxley possesses a talent for decorative wording. He will paint this book rather than write it. Ishiguro is a quite fluid author, but he was not as generous with the adjectives in Never Let Me Go as Huxley is. Which is all well and good. I'm ecstatic that I won't be reading the exact same writing style in this second book. That would be rather boring.
I have now neglected to explain this metaphor in two paragraphs, so I must plunge forward. Basically, the warehouse these "humans" (I dare call them that) are being grown in has bad lighting. But Huxley took the opportunity to paste an image of death in the reader's head. Not only to describe the light, but to emphasize the fact that this setting is not one to celebrate life in a traditional way. I daresay this story is going to push the limits, especially for a reader who lives by morals that are not reflected in this book so far.
Almost instantly I realized the apparent similarities between Brave New World and Never Let Me Go: they both tell tales of cloning and tweaking humans. However, I'm afraid the congruence of the books will most likely stop there. For starters, Brave New World appears to be about the process of forming the so-called humans whereas Never Let Me Go never truly explained the nature in which the students were made simply because that wasn't the focus of the story.
Take this quote, for instance. It alone illustrates a difference between the two authors. Huxley possesses a talent for decorative wording. He will paint this book rather than write it. Ishiguro is a quite fluid author, but he was not as generous with the adjectives in Never Let Me Go as Huxley is. Which is all well and good. I'm ecstatic that I won't be reading the exact same writing style in this second book. That would be rather boring.
I have now neglected to explain this metaphor in two paragraphs, so I must plunge forward. Basically, the warehouse these "humans" (I dare call them that) are being grown in has bad lighting. But Huxley took the opportunity to paste an image of death in the reader's head. Not only to describe the light, but to emphasize the fact that this setting is not one to celebrate life in a traditional way. I daresay this story is going to push the limits, especially for a reader who lives by morals that are not reflected in this book so far.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Explication
"I was talking to one of my donors a few days ago who was complaining about how memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly." (Page 286)
While wondering which literary term to squeeze in at the end, I decided on explication. I have been using it this entire time to interpret this book! It's so obvious. I don't know if I will finish this on time, but please forgive me. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I was so confused throughout. What the heck was going on with the clones. I really didn't know anything coming into the story, and I had to utilize my skills of explication to decipher this lifestyle that was so contrary to my own. I was happy for those three characters who plagued my thoughts throughout the book, but I am glad to be rid of them. Amen! Allelujah!!!
While wondering which literary term to squeeze in at the end, I decided on explication. I have been using it this entire time to interpret this book! It's so obvious. I don't know if I will finish this on time, but please forgive me. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I was so confused throughout. What the heck was going on with the clones. I really didn't know anything coming into the story, and I had to utilize my skills of explication to decipher this lifestyle that was so contrary to my own. I was happy for those three characters who plagued my thoughts throughout the book, but I am glad to be rid of them. Amen! Allelujah!!!
What I did for Love...
"The figure in the wheelchair was frail and contorted, and it was the voice more than anything that helped me recognise her." (Page 255)
Tommy and Kathy finally decided to get their deferral. However, their theory was a bit off-base. This sudden emergence of Miss Emily makes me pause and wonder how she came back into their lives. But it doesn't really matter, does it? She is there, and her presence will be explained shortly. I can only assume she is going to reveal all of the secrets from Hailsham. Appropriately, the word "sham" resides in the name of their school. Was it all a sham? No. They had to live their lives a certain way because of that school, and they didn't get to experience some of the things I take for granted in my life because of that school and their cloning process. These poor people. I am not in any way jealous of their circumstances.
Tommy and Kathy finally decided to get their deferral. However, their theory was a bit off-base. This sudden emergence of Miss Emily makes me pause and wonder how she came back into their lives. But it doesn't really matter, does it? She is there, and her presence will be explained shortly. I can only assume she is going to reveal all of the secrets from Hailsham. Appropriately, the word "sham" resides in the name of their school. Was it all a sham? No. They had to live their lives a certain way because of that school, and they didn't get to experience some of the things I take for granted in my life because of that school and their cloning process. These poor people. I am not in any way jealous of their circumstances.
Life goes on...
"I first turned up at Ruth's recovery centre in Dover - the modern one with the white tiled walls - just a few weeks after that talk with Laura." (Page 214)
So Ruth become overbearing. Sarcasm alert. Who would have guessed? Laura apparently didn't remain fond of her after Kathy became a carer. I had been anxious to see how Kathy would embrace her new life as a carer, and I was not disappointed. She eased into it because of her sudden distance from Ruth and Tommy. Her conversation with Laura intrigued me because they discussed Ruth, and I was wary of how that would play out. However, their old foibles basically died away with the years, and Kathy finally got a bit of closure. I still don't like Ruth much, but I'm beginning to understand how things don't matter as much at the end of your life.
So Ruth become overbearing. Sarcasm alert. Who would have guessed? Laura apparently didn't remain fond of her after Kathy became a carer. I had been anxious to see how Kathy would embrace her new life as a carer, and I was not disappointed. She eased into it because of her sudden distance from Ruth and Tommy. Her conversation with Laura intrigued me because they discussed Ruth, and I was wary of how that would play out. However, their old foibles basically died away with the years, and Kathy finally got a bit of closure. I still don't like Ruth much, but I'm beginning to understand how things don't matter as much at the end of your life.
Thank you, Jesus!
"But the fact was, I suppose, there were powerful tides tugging us apart by then, and it only needed something like that to finish the task." (Page 197)
YES! Finally, the truth comes out! I was getting very annoyed by the dysfunctional relationship between these three. They were always pretending to be little besties, but I knew it wouldn't last. I only wonder right now: how will these three get back together? Through Kathy and her carer career, I assume. But will they repair this rift between them? Only time will tell. Unfortunately, I am running out of time, so I must continue reading. This book is actually good.
YES! Finally, the truth comes out! I was getting very annoyed by the dysfunctional relationship between these three. They were always pretending to be little besties, but I knew it wouldn't last. I only wonder right now: how will these three get back together? Through Kathy and her carer career, I assume. But will they repair this rift between them? Only time will tell. Unfortunately, I am running out of time, so I must continue reading. This book is actually good.
She's a Psycho!
"It's not just me, sweety. Kathy here finds your animals a complete hoot." (Page 194)
I am so fed up with Ruth! She is so crazy! She has gotten to the point where she just manipulates people to get what she wants. I practically want to wring her neck every time she talks to Kathy or Tommy. She's one of those people that doesn't say when they are upset but makes everyone else's life horrible to compensate for their bad mood. She is currently discussing Tommy's animals with Kathy while Tommy listens, and she is making them a huge joke even though they are his lifeline to the life he secretly wants to spend with Kathy.
Tommy's theory about the significance of the Gallery and Madame's role in allowing them to have three extra years of joy is a big deal to him, and I think there is some substance to it. Of course, it could be a total load of manure, but Ishiguro wouldn't spend so much time on it if it wasn't going to be important later. Once again, my theories are running rampant in my brain. What is going to happen?
I am so fed up with Ruth! She is so crazy! She has gotten to the point where she just manipulates people to get what she wants. I practically want to wring her neck every time she talks to Kathy or Tommy. She's one of those people that doesn't say when they are upset but makes everyone else's life horrible to compensate for their bad mood. She is currently discussing Tommy's animals with Kathy while Tommy listens, and she is making them a huge joke even though they are his lifeline to the life he secretly wants to spend with Kathy.
Tommy's theory about the significance of the Gallery and Madame's role in allowing them to have three extra years of joy is a big deal to him, and I think there is some substance to it. Of course, it could be a total load of manure, but Ishiguro wouldn't spend so much time on it if it wasn't going to be important later. Once again, my theories are running rampant in my brain. What is going to happen?
Hopelessly Devoted to You
"Back then, when you lost it, I used to think about it, in my head, what it would be like, if I found it and brought it to you." (Page 173)
I've decided. Tommy loves Kathy. He just won't admit it to her because he knows they could never have a future together. Immediately, this song popped into my head. Enjoy!
Of course, I realize that Tommy's case is not as extreme as Olivia Newton John's, but I still think the sentiment is there. I think Tommy has loved her for a while, but he never said anything because he thought she would not return the affection. Ruth is just a placeholder in his life to fill the void he harbors for Kathy. Ruth is a little Miss Meanie Pants anyway, but she must end up a good person, because Kathy tolerates her later in life. Come to think of it, Kathy is a bit of a push-over, so she might not care when Ruth re-enters her life after her donations. She might just enjoy the company of an old friend. I hope Tommy says something about his love to Kathy soon. But this could all be my romantic's heart playing tricks on my brain.
I've decided. Tommy loves Kathy. He just won't admit it to her because he knows they could never have a future together. Immediately, this song popped into my head. Enjoy!
Of course, I realize that Tommy's case is not as extreme as Olivia Newton John's, but I still think the sentiment is there. I think Tommy has loved her for a while, but he never said anything because he thought she would not return the affection. Ruth is just a placeholder in his life to fill the void he harbors for Kathy. Ruth is a little Miss Meanie Pants anyway, but she must end up a good person, because Kathy tolerates her later in life. Come to think of it, Kathy is a bit of a push-over, so she might not care when Ruth re-enters her life after her donations. She might just enjoy the company of an old friend. I hope Tommy says something about his love to Kathy soon. But this could all be my romantic's heart playing tricks on my brain.
Take Me To Your Leader
"They reckon this person's a possible. For me." (Page 139)
Wait, what?!?! These people are clones?! Is this some fictitious, alien movie that you watch when you are ridiculously bored? I pretty much figured that these kids came into the world in an odd fashion, but I was not expecting the clone curve ball. Not at all. I guess I can admit it's a cool idea, cloning, but I was still clinging to the idea that this book was a little bit normal in some ways. Nope. That ship has sailed. These kids are destined to a dead-end life. I'm reminded of a Meg Cabot book I read once called Runaway. A company called Stark Industries (yes, I realize this is also the name of the main character's company in Iron Man) uses the bodies of mysteriously missing young adults to be the houses of old, wealthy people's brains so that said old people can live another lifetime. It's disgusting, and it isn't exactly the same as the case in this book, but I was reminded of it all the same.
Basically, at this point I am a little skeptical of the future of this book, but I am intrigued to say the least. Read on...
Wait, what?!?! These people are clones?! Is this some fictitious, alien movie that you watch when you are ridiculously bored? I pretty much figured that these kids came into the world in an odd fashion, but I was not expecting the clone curve ball. Not at all. I guess I can admit it's a cool idea, cloning, but I was still clinging to the idea that this book was a little bit normal in some ways. Nope. That ship has sailed. These kids are destined to a dead-end life. I'm reminded of a Meg Cabot book I read once called Runaway. A company called Stark Industries (yes, I realize this is also the name of the main character's company in Iron Man) uses the bodies of mysteriously missing young adults to be the houses of old, wealthy people's brains so that said old people can live another lifetime. It's disgusting, and it isn't exactly the same as the case in this book, but I was reminded of it all the same.
Basically, at this point I am a little skeptical of the future of this book, but I am intrigued to say the least. Read on...
Motivation - It's what drives us all.
"Sometimes, as I said, she did things to impress the veterans at our expense." (Page 130)
I've been faithfully watching the course of events in this story to find the best possible example for motivation. With full coincidence in my decision, I present the scene in which Kathy explains about Ruth's behavior during their time at the Cottages. Ruth pretty much turned into a typical teenager trying to get into the popular crowd. She ditched her real friends, changed her personality a bit, and made jokes at her friends' expense. She cared so much about what the veterans thought about her that she reminded me of the quote from Dr. Seuss: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." Personally, I try to live by this quote. Ask any of my friends, I can go psycho at times. (But in a good way, not a clinically-unbalanced way.) Ruth's only motivation to change was to become popular when she should have been worrying about staying true to herself.
This particular scene just jumped out to me because I have witnessed this so much in my own life. People in my class who change significantly upon reaching high school simply to make friends. Change is a good thing, but not when it forces you to abandon your principles.
I've been faithfully watching the course of events in this story to find the best possible example for motivation. With full coincidence in my decision, I present the scene in which Kathy explains about Ruth's behavior during their time at the Cottages. Ruth pretty much turned into a typical teenager trying to get into the popular crowd. She ditched her real friends, changed her personality a bit, and made jokes at her friends' expense. She cared so much about what the veterans thought about her that she reminded me of the quote from Dr. Seuss: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." Personally, I try to live by this quote. Ask any of my friends, I can go psycho at times. (But in a good way, not a clinically-unbalanced way.) Ruth's only motivation to change was to become popular when she should have been worrying about staying true to herself.
This particular scene just jumped out to me because I have witnessed this so much in my own life. People in my class who change significantly upon reaching high school simply to make friends. Change is a good thing, but not when it forces you to abandon your principles.
OHHHHHH! We're halfway there!!!!!!
"And that was more or less the way things stayed throughout our last days at Hailsham" (Page 111)
Success! I am halfway there and halfway finished with my blogs! Is that some seriously even planning, or what?!? Let's take a moment and commemorate this momentous occasion.
I wish I could rock the hair and leather the way they do. But I digress. So where am I in the story? Well, I will tell you. Kathy has exhausted most of her Hailsham stories and she is 16. She will soon be saying farewell to good ole Hailsham in pursuit of the real world. Miss Lucy has left Hailsham for reasons unbeknownst to the students. Kathy and Tommy can only assume it has something to do with how upset she was about the sorry situation that awaits them at the end of their lives. I agree with them, but I think she also can't stand working in that institution anymore. She is probably sick of the way these children are brought up. Maybe she will start a revolution to end this part of their culture! That would be exciting.
Success! I am halfway there and halfway finished with my blogs! Is that some seriously even planning, or what?!? Let's take a moment and commemorate this momentous occasion.
I wish I could rock the hair and leather the way they do. But I digress. So where am I in the story? Well, I will tell you. Kathy has exhausted most of her Hailsham stories and she is 16. She will soon be saying farewell to good ole Hailsham in pursuit of the real world. Miss Lucy has left Hailsham for reasons unbeknownst to the students. Kathy and Tommy can only assume it has something to do with how upset she was about the sorry situation that awaits them at the end of their lives. I agree with them, but I think she also can't stand working in that institution anymore. She is probably sick of the way these children are brought up. Maybe she will start a revolution to end this part of their culture! That would be exciting.
Imagery - Spare me the details
"You could see bits of skin starting to bond, and soft red bits peeping up from underneath." (Page 85)
Yuck. Why on earth would I want to picture this? Thank God I have a strong stomach because Ishiguro busted out the imagery when describing Tommy's gash on his elbow. Imagery is supposed to enhance the images we picture while reading whether they be lovely or gruesome. Well, Ishiguro did well. I imagined that healing gash on poor Tommy's elbow. (Which is exactly what the author wanted by the way.) Without this accurately sick description, I wouldn't fully grasp the story. Nor would I remember this specific scene.
In addition to its enduring qualities, imagery simply makes the story better, more real. There is a big difference between "the cut" and "the blood-oozing gash." Sorry to upset your stomach with my flawless spinning of the macabre words, but it had to be done.
Yuck. Why on earth would I want to picture this? Thank God I have a strong stomach because Ishiguro busted out the imagery when describing Tommy's gash on his elbow. Imagery is supposed to enhance the images we picture while reading whether they be lovely or gruesome. Well, Ishiguro did well. I imagined that healing gash on poor Tommy's elbow. (Which is exactly what the author wanted by the way.) Without this accurately sick description, I wouldn't fully grasp the story. Nor would I remember this specific scene.
In addition to its enduring qualities, imagery simply makes the story better, more real. There is a big difference between "the cut" and "the blood-oozing gash." Sorry to upset your stomach with my flawless spinning of the macabre words, but it had to be done.
Simile - I'm taking to this blogging thing like a duck to water!
"I remember wondering if there wasn't something a bit odd about her posture, the way her head was bent down just a little too far so she looked like a crouching animal waiting to pounce." (Page 79)
This too comes from the moments before the children learned that they were made simply to be donors later in life. It's sad, really. They couldn't grow up to be actors in America or anything special like that. They lived to give of their bodies. Of course, the full weight of this reality doesn't hit them until they are older, and even then they choose not to worry about it in lieu of other qualms in their daily lives at Hailsham.
I have to be quite obvious in diagnosing the purpose of the simile in the aforementioned quote. Ishiguro simply wanted to demonstrate in plainer terms ho Miss Lucy was standing. However, the idea of the "crouching animal waiting to pounce" continues as she gears up to inform the children that their wildest dreams will, in fact, not come true. Her thought process like her body posture reflects that of an animal ready to pounce. She must have been weighing in her mind how best to approach the situation with words as an animal does when assessing their prey. Similarly, like with an animal pouncing on its soon to be eaten prey, the children's lives would never be the same as they heard the end of their life portrayed.
I have to admit that it was quite refreshing to finally understand the purpose of these children and their upbringing. I was not quite right in my prediction that all people in their community donated their organs at the end of their lives. Therefore, I have changed my prediction to thinking that there are other boarding schools or institutions like Hailsham that produce children for the singular purpose of their pristine organs. I can't even imagine if this were nonfiction. Would that be considered a form of euthanasia? Or just long-winded homicide? Who knows? I am actually enjoying this book. Huh.
This too comes from the moments before the children learned that they were made simply to be donors later in life. It's sad, really. They couldn't grow up to be actors in America or anything special like that. They lived to give of their bodies. Of course, the full weight of this reality doesn't hit them until they are older, and even then they choose not to worry about it in lieu of other qualms in their daily lives at Hailsham.
I have to be quite obvious in diagnosing the purpose of the simile in the aforementioned quote. Ishiguro simply wanted to demonstrate in plainer terms ho Miss Lucy was standing. However, the idea of the "crouching animal waiting to pounce" continues as she gears up to inform the children that their wildest dreams will, in fact, not come true. Her thought process like her body posture reflects that of an animal ready to pounce. She must have been weighing in her mind how best to approach the situation with words as an animal does when assessing their prey. Similarly, like with an animal pouncing on its soon to be eaten prey, the children's lives would never be the same as they heard the end of their life portrayed.
I have to admit that it was quite refreshing to finally understand the purpose of these children and their upbringing. I was not quite right in my prediction that all people in their community donated their organs at the end of their lives. Therefore, I have changed my prediction to thinking that there are other boarding schools or institutions like Hailsham that produce children for the singular purpose of their pristine organs. I can't even imagine if this were nonfiction. Would that be considered a form of euthanasia? Or just long-winded homicide? Who knows? I am actually enjoying this book. Huh.
Suspense - It's Killing Me!
"I'm looking at them in the light of what came later - particularly what happened that day at the pavilion while we were sheltering from the downpour." (Page 79)
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!?!?! I can't take the suspense! Ishiguro loves holding his reader on the edge of their seat. He doesn't quite use cliff hangers, but he definitely makes it clear when another story is about the present itself. And frankly, it works! I read on just like the rest of the poor suckers who get trapped in the excitement of more artfully spun words from the author himself. This particular instance of suspense comes right before Miss Lucy tells the children about how they will grow up to be donors, but it's not the only time Ishiguro keeps his reader wanting more.
He basically uses suspense before every account Kathy gives of her years at Hailsham. The suspense comes in varying degrees of excitement ranging from a simple lead-in to warnings of crucial information. It's quite plain to see why he uses such tactics. He wants me to keep reading. And it works. Boom. Roll credits.
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!?!?! I can't take the suspense! Ishiguro loves holding his reader on the edge of their seat. He doesn't quite use cliff hangers, but he definitely makes it clear when another story is about the present itself. And frankly, it works! I read on just like the rest of the poor suckers who get trapped in the excitement of more artfully spun words from the author himself. This particular instance of suspense comes right before Miss Lucy tells the children about how they will grow up to be donors, but it's not the only time Ishiguro keeps his reader wanting more.
He basically uses suspense before every account Kathy gives of her years at Hailsham. The suspense comes in varying degrees of excitement ranging from a simple lead-in to warnings of crucial information. It's quite plain to see why he uses such tactics. He wants me to keep reading. And it works. Boom. Roll credits.
"Snow! Little bits of lace! I don't believe it!"
"I suppose she wanted us to have a grasp of what was out there surrounding us, and it's amazing...the extent to which my idea of the various counties is still set by these pictures Miss Emily put up on her easel." (Page 65)
It doesn't take a genius to realize that these kids are sheltered beyond belief. They're growing up in this controlled boarding school, and they have literally never been outside the fence. Their only knowledge of the world outside comes from their teachers (They're called Guardians - I mean, come on. How much more protected could they get?) and the little bits of culture they can obtain through their Sales and Madame's fickle presence. And she's scared of the little boogers!
As I was reading this description that Kathy gave of their geography class, I was reminded of that scene from the King and I when the King of Siam's children and wives refuse to believe that snow exists simply because they have never seen it. Granted, the children of Siam were even more culturally sheltered than the Hailsham students, but the Hailsham students responded better to new things. I don't mean to say by this comparison that the students in the book didn't believe about the rest of England, but the idea that they can only learn of something from a teacher and not actual experience is similar. The biggest difference, of course, is that these kids are going to be thrust into society at age 16. Good luck!
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