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.

The Stranger: Journal #6

Five Literary Questions:

1. Why does Meursault feel that his killing of the Arab was achieving happiness?

2. What does the story about the rich man contribute to the story?

3. Could the motif of companionship possibly contribute to a larger theme?

4. Could the motif of misunderstanding (by the caretaker, judge, etc.) also contribute to a larger theme?

5. Why does Camus emphasize on the color of clothing?

My answers:

1. Is the author being racist when he only refers to the Arabs by their ethnicity and not by their names? Why? (Schulte, Jarrad)
-It is possible that Camus has Meursault only refer to the Arabs by their ethnicity to help highlight the character's racist views and develop a theme regarding the irrationality that surrounds the actions of people that possess such views.


2. Does the sun have a symbolic value? If so, what? (Possibility for illumination of meaning?) (Sakaguchi, Sean)
-Yes, the sun symbolizes the illumination of meaning but it also, through it's intense heat, represents the overbearing implications that such knowledge brings.


3. Why does Camus only vaguely describe Maman was like when she seems to be such a key part in the novel? (Rosette, Kylee)
-Through Meursault, Camus only minimally describes Maman to highlight the unimportance of the dead, which goes along with his emphasis on the physical aspect of things to create a theme around the importance of living life to its fullest


4. Why does Camus set the story on the beach so often and why does he make it a place that Meursault desires to go to? (Graham, Shannon)
-Maybe Camus sets the story on the beach so often to show how the intrusion of a stranger into a familiar place can lead one to violate their own moral code.


5. What is the effect of having dialogue interspersed within the paragraphs rather than begin new paragraphs? (Kallevig, Ivan)
-The interspersion of dialog within the paragraphs helps show us that what Meursault is telling us might be unreliable.

The Stranger: Journal #5

Camus most likely split the novel to emphasize the seperation of the two parts and provide the reader with a clue that something had changed with Meursault's arrest. By splitting the novel in half, he helps the reader understand the immense change of setting and pace that happens in the story. It is possible that he does this to further demonstrate the strong consequences to Meursault's actions.

The Stranger: Journal #4

Six Questions:

1. How exactly does Camus incorporate the Absurd into his work, specifically the Stranger?

2. How did Camus experience in Paris during World War I affect his work?

3. So the Absurd isn't just another word for existentialism? Or could the concept possibly incorporate a certain part of the philosophy?

4. Why exactly does Meursault kill the Arab? What was his reasoning behind his decision, or better yet, was their any reasoning at all?

5. Why is Meursault so passive during his trial? Does it have something to do with his personal philosophy or perhaps his mental state?

6. How does The Stranger tie into religion?

The Stranger: Journal #3

reserved  - doing the make up work so I can attempt to complete this journal

The Stranger: Journal #2

reserved - doing the make up work so I can attempt to complete this journal

The Stranger: Journal #1

I have three different tabs available for use with The Stranger:

1.Yellow tabs will be used to mark any important plot points, such as the murder or the trial. In addition, they will be written on with information regarding the outcome of any conflicts.

2. Blue tabs will be used to make a note of any motifs. I will be specifically looking for things related to sleep or rest.
    3. Purple tabs will be used to mark the introduction of characters, or important developments regarding them. One of the characters I want to look further into is the old man with the dog.

If I find another tab color, I will use it to mark non-motif symbols that I think contribute to the theme.

Journal #10

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses heavily symbolic language and invokes images of slavery to put forward the idea that mankind possesses the natural tendency to assert themselves over those they perceive as inferior.

Quotes:

“Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her. He had ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it. Six months back he had told her, “If ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh toke it inside…” (pg 26)

1.      1. Metaphor
            2. Dialect

        

“If dat wuz mah wife,” said Walter Thomas “Ah’d kill her cemetery dead.”

“More special l after Ah done bought her everything mah wages kin stand, lak Tony do,” Coer said. “In de fust place Ah never would spend on no woman whut Tony spend on her.” (pg. 74-75)

1.       Dialect

“Sometimes God gets familiar with us womenfolks too and talks His inside business. He told me how surprised He was ‘bout y’all turning out so smart after Him makin’ yuh different; and how half as much ‘bout us as you think you do. It’s so easy to make yo’-self out God Almighty when you ain’t got nothin’ tuh strain against but women and chickens.”

“You getting’ too moufy, Janie,” Starks told her. “Go fetch me a checker-board and de checkers. Sam Watson, you’se mah fish.” (pg. 75)

1. Dialect

“Uh woman by herself is uh pitiful thing,” she was told over and over again. “Dey needs aid and assistance. God never mean’t ‘em tuh try tuh stand by theirselves. You ain’t used tuh knockin’ round and doin’ fuh yo’self, Mis’ Starks. You been well taken keer of, you needs a man.” (pg. 90)

1. Dialect

“Naw, Jody, it wasn’t because Ah didn’t have no sympathy. Ah had uh lavish uh dat. Ah just didn’t never git no chance tuh use none of it. You wouldn’t let me!” (pg. 85)

1.       Dialect

Journal #9

                An intense fear suddenly passed through Billy’s mind. It twisted and grew, quickly becoming something that even he could not ignore. Suddenly the boat became like a teetering toothpick, and the water around him like two black jaws ready to swallow him up at a moment’s notice. The coldness that Billy had felt before began to creep up on him once more. Billy tried not to look at the freezing water, colder than ice, but could not pull his gaze away from the specter of death. Now, death had been following his boat for quite a while now. It had skimmed along the surface, never out of sight but always ready to peek its head when Billy was at his weakest. He did not fear death, he realized, but the troubles it brought were more than he could bear.

I used Hurston’s views on death to create my pastiche, as well as a protagonist, antagonist and an intense atmosphere, which Hurston does well in creating.

Journal #8: In before 4:00!

There is an example of an hyperbole on page 79, near the bottom. Lige Moss says "Ah rather be shot with tacks than tuh hear dat 'bout mahslef,". Hurston uses this to highlight the situation and how others feel about it.

While heavily styalized dialogue appears throughout the whole book, a great sample of it appears on page 111. Hurston uses this to emphasize location and its impact on how the story plays out.

On page 112, we see Janie's confidant, Pheoby, once more. Hurston uses a confidant in this story to provide the reader with events through a relatively flat character who serves as a medium between them and the character.

Journal #7: Pastiche

Finally Billy began to wonder about Fear.  Fear, that terrifying deity with bony, claw-like fingers and a terrifying beaked face that lived somewhere in the dark recesses of man’s mind. The scary and yet fascinating one who was always about, gnawing at any pre-established notions of security. What need had Fear to hide itself, when no man could stand against its chilling power? It floats above the world, bringing worry and guilt to all that walk under it. It was there all the time, in its might, waiting for more to fall once again under its influence. It had been waiting for them for a while, even before they had known that it was completely there. Billy and his friends were likely to find themselves lost to its icy grip one of these days. He was worried about it too. Pity them all! They shouldn’t have wandered off by themselves. He had contacted them, pleaded with them to reconsider, but they had denied his offer to meet up again and again. Their maps were fairly accurate, even if they weren’t perfect. They would find the way back home as long their instructions pointed them in the general direction of civilization. They definitely weren’t going to die. That was what they thought. But Billy’s gut told him differently, and he knew that they had no chance at all. He would know if he was correct soon enough, he figured, for the signs had already started to appear above him. The buzzards, now circling hungrily overhead, had dared to approach him. Circling over him, again and again, waiting. Hopelessness, that vanquishing sword, had finally overshadowed Billy.

I tried to mimic Hurston's style and format while changing the content of the passage.

Symbolism

Power – The power death has can be related to the kind of power man has over woman. The way death has his sword drawn back, waiting to strike, could be symbolic of how Janie perceives marriage – as ticking time bombs that will eventually go off and turn abusive. This image also brings the reader back to the previous chapter, when Joe Starks hits Janie for the first time.

Feathers (and birds) – While the feathers in this passage are hinting at the swift arrival of Joe Stark’s death, they also shed some light on the fears possessed by Janie. Relating the arrival of death to the worsening condition of her marriage, this line could be referencing Janie’s inevitable destruction should their relationship continue on.

The Wind – This is probably referencing Janie, and her inability to act out what she really thinks.

Motifs

-The motif of trees is shown again, most likely symbolic of Janie’s life. In other words, the people are gathering around here life to pick it apart when Joe Starks dies. Furthermore, Hurston’s previous mention of birds and feathers helps the reader stir up thoughts of vultures later in the passage.

-The motif of watching is seen once again in this passage, which brings the reader’s thoughts back to the title.

edit: I commented on three blogs, but I can't quite remember whos they were.

Journal #5 - Thesis Statement

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses heavily symbolic language to highlight the imbalance of power that exists between men and women. In doing this, she reminds the reader of the similarities between Janie’s story and the historic plight of the African American people, as well as their suppression by whites and the inequality and injustice that followed them well into the 20^th century.

A Motif

Zora Neale Hurston brings up the motif of love several times in her writing. Specifically, the reader is made to think about the complications that Janie’s attempts at love bring. The reader quickly realizes that she never truly loved her husbands. At this point of the novel, we can clearly see that Janie has had a loveless marriage with the two she has been with thus far. The motif has been seen several times up to this point, and will be used a few more by the end of the book.

Exchange: Extreme Harlem and Wallace Thurman

Wallace Thurman: Hello sir, I was wondering if I could get any work here as a ghost writer.

Person #2: Hehlluh, weh just mihght beh ahbleh tuh hehlp yuh uht. Hahveh yuh wuhked ahs ah ghuhst wrihtehr behfu?

Thurman: Yeah, I’ve actually done several jobs as one before. I’ve written a novel under my own name, as well.

Person #2: Greht! Yuh areh juhst theh typeh uhf pehrson weh’reh luhkihn fuh!

Thurman: That’s great news. When can I start working?

Person #2: Ihn tihm, ihn tihm. Fuhrst weh hahveh tuh geht duhwn yuhu pehrsuhnahl infuhrmahtiuhn.

Thurman: Okay, simple enough.

Person #2: Heh, Ih thihnk knuhw yuhu! Arehn’t yuh the guy whuh wruhte that “Blahckehr Behrriehs” buhk?

Thurman: It’s actually called The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life, and yes I am.

Person #2:  Ahw, snahp! Thah ihs mah muhthehs fahvuhrite buhk!

Thurman: Well, I’m glad she liked it. Sign here?

Person #2: Yehs, yehs. Ih lihked yuh buhk, ahs wehll. Tahnks, wehll cuhntahct yuh ahs suhn ahs weh cehn geht yuh ahn ahsihnmehnt.

Thurman: Thanks, I look forward to it.

Person #2: Guhd dahy tuh yuh, sih.

Imaginary Dialect: Extreme Harlem

“Extreme Harlem”

Example: “Moh nahehm ehs Jahmehs, seh? Hahnd meh dat Bahsebull baht.”

Rules:

1.         "A” to “AH”

2.       “E” to “EH”

3.       “I” to “IH”

4.       “O” to “UH”

5.       Spoken in a deep tone

6.       Spoken slowly

7.       Slurs complicated words together

8.       Drop the letter “R” when it comes at the end of a word.

9.       If a “U” is at the end of a word, it is silent.

Harlem Renaissance Figure: Wallace Thurman

Wallace Thurman was born on August 16^th, 1902 and lived through the influential cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. After moving to Harlem, he found work as a writer and became well known for his novel The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life. His novel, which dealt with themes of discrimination against African Americans, added to the massive literary movement that was taking place at the time. Wallace Thurman later died in New York at the age of 32 from complications with tuberculosis.

Post #2: (Page 2)

The second page of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, provides some strong insight into future events in the story. Connecting details from later in the book to the beginning, Hurston once again brings a feeling of circularity to her writing. The method she used to accomplish this, through the comments and observations made bt the Watchers, proves to be brilliant, succeeding in hiding much of its meaning until the reader has completed reading that part of the book themselves.

The intense gossip about the passing woman that the Watchers exchange between each other reveals much about the direction of the plot. Using a heavily stylized representation of the African American dialect in the earlier part of the 20^th century, Hurston foreshadows a great deal of things that happen in the novel.  The technique could have proved invaluable when hooking the first-time readers, as the comments made by the Watchers keep just enough information away to keep them interested.

The imagery used to describe the passing women also give us a clue about her state among the community. Comparing certain parts of her body to fruit, Hurston creates a sense of desire from the Watchers. Not necessarily in a sexual manner, but in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, the once dignified lady have finally sunken down to the level of the common person.

The fact the they pass judgment on her as she walks through town continues the motif og watching and judging first started on the first page. Once again, this clues the reader in and helps point them in the right direction when the same motif pops up again later in the story. 

Post #1

                If I had to share my life story with someone, I would definitely share it with someone I know. Sharing personal details with a complete stranger can sometimes be hard, strained even. With close friends, however, your recounting of past events is likely to come to you at a faster pace. And so, I would share it with a close friend or family, perhaps.

                As for deciding where to start in describing my story, I would have to start it from the end before pulling it back to the beginning. Zora Neale Hurston did a great job with this in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. By stating where the character was and describing briefly how she had gotten there, she gave the readers a definite sense of direction in the plot and even gave a few hints on how the story would play out. In setting up my story, I would seek to do the same.