Oedipus the King: Journal #1

In the Oedipus plays, there exists a sort of obscurity between the past, present and future. The past (at least in Oedipus the King), is relatively unknown to the reader, and the future, which is revealed through a series of cryptic prophecies made by Tiresias, the blind Prophet. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is unsure of the identity of the man he struck down at the crossroads. Furthermore, the time that has passed since he became king is not clearly defined.

This idea of time and the obscurity its passing brings appears to be a major motif within Oedipus the King. In the Oedipus at Colonus Introduction, it summarizes an event in which Theseus, king of Athens, tells the blind and broken Oedipus that time can destroy all alliances and that nothing short of a god can truly be sure of the future. This is likely a continuation of the theme started in Oedipus the King. In any case, “the obscurity of time” is a prevalent and often occurring motif that most likely communicates a larger, more overbearing theme that is worth taking note of as we continue to read.

1984: Topic A

Topic A:

          "  “How many fingers, Winston?”

             “Four. I suppose there are four. I would see five if I could. I am trying to see five.”

“Which do you wish: to persuade me that you see five, or really to see them?

“Really to see them.”

“Again,” said O’Brien.

Perhaps the needle was at eighty - ninety. Winston could only intermittently remember why the pain was happening. Behind his screwed-up eyellids a forest of fingers seemed to be moving in sort of a dance..."

              This passage reveals the type of control Oceania has established over its people. O’Brian forces Winston to accept the rule of the Party without question by inflicting pain when he challenges that they sent forth. To the reader, the part in which Winston sees  three fingers as five helps clarify the nature of doublethink. The totalitarian government is made out to be all controlling and all powerful. This helps establish the fear and disgust at their actions that Orwell wanted to generate in his readers.

                Overall, Orwell uses painful images to accentuate the horrors of a totalitarian government. By letting ourselves be manipulated and losing control over our own actions, Orwell attempts to stress the loss of humanity that society would suffer under such a regime. Winston, who represents society, is constantly beaten in and before the scene. This demonstrated the absolute control a totalitarian government would establish over its people. Orwell attempts to make us fear a totalitarian government and those who would regulate information in an attempt to warn us from heading in that political direction. He does this because of his dreadful experiences in the Soviet Union under Stalin, and the flat out lies that the government told their people.

1984: Journal #2

Topic C

After Orwell witnessed the control that the soviet government was placing upon its people, he felt compelled to write 1984. In the novel, the government attempts to control the people’s perception of reality itself by enforcing the use of doublethink, which is the automatic self-convincing by someone to make something untrue become true. By ignoring the negative aspects of the people’s lives and replacing it with good thoughts, and through the slow implementation of newspeak, the government in the novel hopes to gain complete control over a people that have ultimately become more machine than human. It is possible that Orwell is attempting to warn us of the danger of the media; about the lies that they put forth that are quickly gobbled up by the populace. If we allow ourselves to be stripped of out independent thought then we will ultimately lose our humanity in the process, just like the people in 1984.

Orwell, at the same time, presents a measure of hope to his readers. While O’Brian dismisses the ability of the Proletarian population to overthrow the Party, at the same time Orwell brings a sense of separation to these people while emphasizing the size of their group and the potential that they hold. It is possible that by comparing these lower-class people’s lifestyles to the lifestyles that the majority of his readers live, he was attempting to communicate the potential of the lower classes and the ability for them to sage a revolt against the increasing injustices of their government.

1984: Journal #1

Topic B

    In "1984", one of the main goals of the Party is to reduce the complex nature of human consciousness in order to curb and eventually eliminate any possibility that the people of Oceania will revolt. They do this by slowly changing the vocabulary and grammar of the English language, inventing things like newspeak and doublethink. Over the course of the novel, Winston attempts to defy the control of the Party by committing the act of thoughtcrime, mainly through the act of secret sex with his lover Julia, in a hope that the Party’s influence is not as absolute as it seems. In the back of his mind, however, he expresses his belief that his treasonous thoughts have doomed him from the moment they entered his head.

    While this belief in itself shows the incredible influence that the Party has over even Winston, it is later shown to be correct as he finds out that the Party has known of his relationship for nearly the entire time. The consequences for his actions lead to a fate worse than death for Winston – a trip to the ministry of love to be reeducated and reformed to match the Party’s vision of a perfect Oceanian citizen. After a series of intense tortures over a long period of time, Winston finds himself subscribed to the concept of doublethink and states his firm admiration for Big Brother. This, even though he might not truly believe it himself, shows the effectiveness of the concept and the absolute control the Party is gaining over society.

The Stranger: Thesis Statement

In The Stranger, Camus uses the motif of misunderstanding to contrast the rational views of Meursault and the irrational views possessed by figures of authority or power. By  alerting the reader about the absurdity of imposing laws that hold no inherent value, Camus affirms the validity of wants or values  labeled as unacceptable by society.

The Stranger: Journal #8

The Stranger was an entertaining and interesting book to read, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it by the time we finished re-reading it. A good work of literature in my opinion is one that communicates a larger message about the human condition through a combined usage of symbols and other literary techniques. Camus definitely achieved that with this book, using a large variety of different techniques to create a novel that has the potential to be interpreted in a wide variety of ways. I feel that this novel is useful in learning how to properly analyze a text for original ideas because of that.

The Stranger: Journal #7

In his novel The Stranger,  through the side characters' misinterpretation of Meursault's words and actions, Camus develops a theme regarding the validity of wants and desires labeled as socially unacceptable by a society that ultimately sets its own interpretation of right and wrong.

Misunderstanding quotes:

"Just then the caretaker came in behind me. He must have been running. He stuttered a little. "We put the cover on, but I'm supposed to unscrew the casket so you can see her." I answered, "No." He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that. He looked at me and then asked "Why not?" ... "I don't know." ... "I understand."" (6)

"Fumbling a little with my words and realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I blurted out it was because of the sun. People laughed." (103)

 "As always, whenever... "You see, you see!" ... Obviously, I again said no. He fell back in his chair." (69)

"He said that he had peered into it and that he had found nothing, gentlemen of the jury. He said the truth was that I didn't have a soul and that nothing was within my reach." (101)

"Then we went for a walk through the main streets through the other end of town. The women were beautiful and I asked Marie if she'd noticed. She said yes and that she understood what I meant." (42)

Disconnection with Marie, his want without true feelings for her:

"That morning Marie came by to see me and ask on me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to. Then she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had last time." (41)

"We swam a few strokes and she reached out and held on to me. I felt her legs wrapped around mine and I wanted her." (51)

"She shouted again, "You'll get out and we'll get married!" I answered, "You think so?" but it was mainly just to say something." (75)

"For example, I was tormented by my desire for a woman. It was only natural; I was young. I never thought specifically of Marie. But I thought so much about a woman, about women, about all the ones I had known, about all the circumstances in which I had enjoyed them..." (77)

"Marie entered. She had put on a hat and she was still beautiful. But I liked her better with her hair loose." (93)

Societies Standards (vs Meursault):

"He tried to change the subject by asking me why... on my side. (120)

""Indeed," he loudly exclaimed, "I accuse this man of burying his mother with crime in his heart!" (96)

"Hardly anyone listened after that when Masson testified that I was an honest man "and I'd even say a descent one." (94)

"It was clear she was cheating on me. So I left her. (30)

"I asked my boss for two days off and there was no way he was going to refuse me with an excuse like that. But he wasn't too happy about it. I even said, "It's not my fault." He didn't say anything.

The misunderstanding of Meursault's words and actions bring about an overlying sense of a universal domination of societal rules. When Meursault goes against these rules following wants that seem strange to everyone else, he violates these man-made laws. Meursault's disconnection with these rules is further expanded upon through his relationship with Marie, and through the above quotes demonstrates his lust for her physical features and disregard for deeper emotional involvement. While Meursault sees nothing wrong with this, it comes in conflict with societies' laws and rules, bring about the larger conflict that dominates the book's second half.

I also posted a comment about this thesis:
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the use of sparse intellectual language demonstrates Mersault's clear intentions and emotions.