HOD-PART 2

Kurtz is getting pretty creepy now, and corrupt with power. I mean ivory isn't gold, but I suppose once you have grown an obsession than you can be out of control. This gives me a great fear for Marlow seeing as he is continuously following in Kurtz's footsteps. Honestly, why did Marlow not turn away from following Kurtz? but then again there wouldn't be a story if he wasn't. Marlow continuously gives these dark descriptions and these sarcastic light descriptions and still follows the path onto corruption. Everything is telling him to turn back and he digs deeper. Is Marlow going to fall into the same fate as Kurtz? Let's find out!

Memo

I've decided to research the parralel of insanity between the patients and society (also the staff of the inane ward), in the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.  "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein. I've grabbed this quote and made it my basis as link between the text and my research I will undergo. The theme of insanity occurs often in many, in at least one point in the novel.

I will then continue, by researching upon the historical values that are reflected during the time period and how it relates to the novel. The time period, in which Ken Kesey wrote the novel was the 1970's. with my knowledge of the 70's, I can reflect it was a time of war, and a protest for piece. Although at the same time, drugs were being distributed among civilians, a drug also known as LSD. LSD is known to make people do crazy, or insane things.

The symbolysm and imagery used by Ken Kesey to depict his overall summary of society is that of a machine, AKA- the combine. Not only the combine, but other images for societal reformation, such as Mrs. Ratched are examplified as a machine, but also depicted as rather- insane.

Chimamanda Adichie video response

I agree with Adichie and the power in a simple story; if it be from a novel, a movie, or something you overhear, stories can and are influencing to people. I believe most Americans (U.S. citizens, don't want to offend any south Americans) believe Africa has one certain way of being. When a Texan hears the word border, their thought process automatically gives them an image of Mexico. In fact, when they see or think of any latino, they automatically think- Mexican. Now I'm not just saying it's the U.S. that puts a bias on people, I'm sure that people outside of the U.S. think that Americans are all wealthy or have a certain better way of life.

Heart of Darkness: Part 3

In the image provided on the left, we see a humongous pile of ivory - the main treasure in the novel Heart of Darkness. This man in the picture has been imprisoned for the slaughter of a large number of elephants- the origin of Ivory. Much alike Kurtz, this man has encouraged even the native people to killing elephants for Ivory. Although it is not directly mentioned, how else would Kurtz obtain his Ivory? To understand this picture more look at the link provided - http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2011/08/one-small-step-for-elephants/#more-7701. On the right we see an image of Gollum, for those who have seen or read "The Lord of The Rings" you may know that he is obsessed with the ring, and in turn he is morphed into a thinned ugly creature- alike Kurtz. This man on the left and Gollum, can symbolize Kurtz and his obsession with it.

Ivory becomes an obsession as it means the increase of money- meaning power. This mans lust for power in turn kills many elephants also endangering the species. As this article claims "one arrest isn't enough to stop it, but it's a start" implies that there are many more like this man- and many more like Kurtz. To add on, this man is a white man wearing a suit, (this usually means that he has power- power meaning money) alike Kurtz who had power over the native Africans, this man uses them to obtain ivory.

Gollum on the other hand, is a simple presentation of obsession itself. he doesn't want to obtain power, (although the key to power is through the ring) he simply wants the ring. Gollums obsession for the ring morphs him into, an ugly, skinny, and sick creature; conlcuding to his death. The ring is much alike ivory, in that throughout the story "The Lord of The Rings" he is constantly attempting to regain the ring; and Kurtz is given a similar description as we read part three of the novel. Kurtz obsession leads to this description and ultimately his death.

Heart of Darkness Blog 1- Narrative Point of View

Heart of Darkness begins with a narrator which introduces several characters, but only gives one a name- Marlow. This is important because after the narrator speaks, the narration changes and Marlow becomes the narrator. This is rather strange, having two narrators, one whom is unnamed and the other who is. Who is this nameless author and why does Conrad introduce he/she?

The nameless narrator begins the story by introducing the setting, and other nameless characters. after a few pages, Marlow is the narrator and the nameless narrator begins to just listen to Marlow's story, along with the other unnamed characters. Given the importance that only one character on the boat is named and the others aren't; perhaps the nameless ones are simply an audience.

Because of Marlow's raw story telling, Conrad is limited in what he is to describe, and it happens to all be past tense, seeing as it's a story. Therefore Conrad may have simply introduced the nameless narrator as a way to be more flexible in his writings. The nameless narrator gives him outside coverage of Marlow's feelings, and the depiction of the Thames river, and not only Marlow's story. seeing as this narrator is nameless, perhaps we can infer that the nameless narrator is Conrad himself. Conrad could have introduced himself as a character/ narrator to give himself a more flexible way of writing and also to have the personal connection of being present on the boat.

Machinery Imagery- OFOTCN

The image provided above is that of a combine harvester, not so friendly looking- I know. This machine does several different operations at once; it cuts, threshes, cleans, and finally discharges grain into bulk. It seems to have a very routine system, that if messed up would defeat the purpose of the machine. The farmer wouldn't be happy if this occurred, much like Mrs. Ratched if her system in the ward was broken. The Combine harvester above, can very much depict the Combine in the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

The combine harvester gives much of the feeling that Chief describes as the combine in the novel, it's cold, hard, and you can hear it's gears cranking. The combine, depicted in the novel runs the ward, and it's basically a machine-run world. We can relate the ward to this farm; the farm is harvested by the combine harvester, which in-turn depicts the combine in the novel. While the combine harvester obviously resembles the combine, each grain that is being harvested can resemble each person, some come out 'bad' and others just the way they like. each person, or grain, is part of the system that Chief describes.

The farmer, who is running this machine, we can relate to Mrs. Ratched. The farmer moves with the machine, in order to control it. usually gears and nobs move in a certain way that is uniform to the machine; therefore the farmer would most likely be moving like the machine itself. This is much like Mrs. Ratched in the way that she moves, machine-like, with the combine. As she is in control of it, she moves along with it in a robotic manner. Therefore the farmer moves as the combine harvester does, and Mrs. Ratched moves as the combine does. To conclude, the combine harvester can describe the combine in the novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

 

"Great Nations of Europe" irony

"he met some friendly Indians whom the Church told him were gay"
This line is Ironic because it involves the Church, of all institutions, basically lying. Indians weren't gay and the Church never knew that. 

"the great nations of Europe in the 16th century"
This line is not ironic, because it introduces the idea that the great nations of Europe in the 16th century, are great. This was true because as we know they were all superior to the U.S. before the U.S. was it's own country.

Chief Bromden, change in character?

Chief Bromden, is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and begins as mostly an observer. Chief then begins to change as the story developes and begins to release his potential power he gained through being an observer. Cheif begins a transformation from "deaf and dumb", "small", quiet, and coward like to courageous and big. How did Chief release this potential energy?

Chief begins the story as a scared observer, who plays out to be "deaf and dumb". As the staff members, including Miss Ratched and the black boys, know this they allow him to clean during there meetings. This then gives Chief the potential advantage as he learns all the secrets, but he is still too belittled to use his power.

Chiefs advantage is not soley informational, but also physical as he is described by McMurphy. McMurphy tries his best to make friends with Chief and talks to him. One day Chief replys and begins to warn McMurphy, because he cares for him. Chief grows as a more dynamic and active part of the acute community, going so far as to defend one. As Chief and McMurphy are sent to disturbed Chief becomes stronger, and more courageous as McMurphy trains him. McMurphy helps Chief change into a more outgoing character, who transforms his potential energy to kinetic.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - the "Fog"

The fog that occurs frequently in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is considered to be blinding, but also random. The fog according to Chief  occurs after shock therapy, but the reader never really observes anyone else having the same effect. To add on, the setting of the story is an insane asylum, so who is to say Chief isn't the one actually making it up. Perhaps it isn't only Chief though, what if it were just side effects to the daily medicine (drugs) they have to take?

Now let's analyze Chief Bromden, and why he's in the asylum. Cheif Bromden shows certain signs including hostility, paranoia and delusions, social isolation, and lack of interest in personal hygiene. These are all signs of a well known mental disorder called schizophrenia. Alike most patients in the hospital Chief Bromden would need his daily amount of medicine to take care of most problems that schizophrenia contain.

When patients in a mental hospital are misbehaving and hurting others, they must be dosed with something to keep them calm. Perhaps what they treat them with is a drug that blinds them, or "fogs" them from seeing much. This stategy is somewhat like that of an alligator hunter, the hunter throws a towel or a bag over the head of the alligator to keep it from hurting anyone.
Alike the alligator Chief was reacting violently to the black boys shaving him. Though little did he know, that during the adrenaline rush he accessed from fighting back, he had been drugged with what he claimed was a "fog machine". So the only inference that would most likely uncover what the fog is, would be the drugs.

WFG- Film/book comparison

My entry is a comparison of the second scene shown in class, this scene is lucky's speech. In the book understanding his speech becomes difficult as you don't understand the full grasp of the meaning. Reading the book lacks the emotion and the increasing speed of the speech. In the book the speech seems as though it's a constant speed, in which it finally draws out the excessive boredome that was growing in us. Though watching the film, you can get a full grasp on the speech and it actually catches your attention as he gets more intense and lowder toward the end.

The small phrase "quaquaquaqua" used by lucky was a mystery to me while I read the novel. He used it twice, "quaquaquaqua", and the mystery grew inside me. Why is this suddenly genious character using this small phrase? It made no sense, "quaquaqauqau" it was just completely random and just put lucky back on the level he was before. level dumb. Although watching the film made it much clearer. He was using the phrase to keep Vlademere and Estragon away from him. You could never tell this from simply reading it, but when you watch the film and notice what Vlademer and Estragon are doing you gain the full grasp of "quaquaquaqua". An example of the motion would be as follows. (Estragon and Vlademere approach Lucky) Lucky: quaquaquaqua (Estragon and Vlademere back up in fear and curiosity).

essay relfection

I felt fairly good about my essay score, but agree that it needs improvement. The thesis I wrote was thought out well, but written poorly according to words. I stated that what was occuring in the quote was foreshadowing the novel, but I should have written what occurs in the scene that it is actually foreshadowing. I should have used more quotes and maybe weeved them into my essay.  I also could have gone onto the point of view of the people, then Meursault, and then how it foreshadows and describes the novel as a whole. I feel strong about my writing but would love to improve to gain the highest possible score that I can.

Waiting For Godot - critic interpretation

Beckett introduces the two act play with two men, one who seems to forget alot and the other who gets rather anoyed from it. The forgetful one, Estragon, becomes agitated with his friend Vlademire and his boot.

Are these men old? Why are they waiting for Godot? The play Waiting For Godot leaves it's viewers with many unanswered questions, although you may be able to make an inference based upon factual information.

To infer wether or not these men are old or just forget full, one can look back on the way they react to situations and such. Estragon complains every other second and then claims he is going to leave, forgetting that he is waiting for Godot. These are signs of Alzeihmers which is a disease involving deacreasing brain cells and memory loss.

Why are they waiting for Godot, we're not exactly sure as to why they are waiting for Godot, but if they weren't their wouldn't be a story. For Beckett's point of view, Waiting For Godot is a symbol for life. As I read the story I found the point of waiting for Godot pointless. So as I mix both my views and the authors I can infer that the book is an Existential view on life.

The story of Waiting For Godot, emphasizes the pointless repetition of life, like a mother is to the routine of her day, and a child is to the continuation of school.

The Stranger- Response #3

Everyone is here; everybody exist, but there is no reason as to why. this existential view is brought up in the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus. Throughout the novel Camus is explaining his view through the existential character M.M.. Toward the end of the novel M.M. begins to show his feelings toward this thought. He feels as though we have no purpose in life and no meaning in general, just to live and die. I believe he feels this way because he loses his old life and begins to miss it, driving him to be a more extreme existentialist. As the end comes near for M.M. he only realizes that life will just end short for him, and that he is finally leaving a world where his views were frowned upon. This goes back to the quote by the nurse as followed.  "She said, "If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church." She was right. There was no way out." Instead of going slow and getting a sunstroke, M.M. is ending life quickly, he will soon be chilled. In this case, a "chilling" is a relief for M.M. because through the whole novel he experiences hot weather which in turn distorts his judgement. But all the same the end of then novel brings both stress and relief to M.M. as while he realizes and accepts his death.

The Stranger part 2 - vague scenes

In the chapters 5 and 6 of part one and 1 and 2 of part two M.M. meets Reymond and we learn that they become "pals". M.M. helps Reymond write a letter to his "mistress" which inturn ends unsettling. Reymond wins his mistress back, but instantly beats her again. What becomes vague is exaclty what happened in Reymond's appartment, and then later when he was being "investigated". every thing occured in such a small amount of time that we hardly remember it.
 I suppose the point that Camus is trying to get across is live in the moment of now. Camus implies that Reymond and his mistress engage in sexual affairs, then he beats her. What we don't notice is that Reymond is acting upon his immediate feelings. First the sexual temptation, and later his anger of his cheating mistress.

The Stranger- overview of Existentialism

"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: "Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours." That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday"
In this quote, Meursualt (M.M.) explains that his mother has recently died, but doesn't go into depth about this. Rather he explains how absurd it is that he doesn't have the time of his mothers death. perhaps he is too preocupied, too much in the "now" to think about the fact that his mother has deceased.

  She said, "If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church." She was right. There was no way out.
This quote vaguely foreshadows the death of M.M. but more importantly emphasizes the fact that death is inevitable and no human can escape it. The word "sunstroke" presented in the quote above helps morph the readers idea of the consequences there are for going "slowly". Although going fast now sounds reasonable, going to fast will give you a "chill". Humans usually get a "chill" either through cold air or unexpectedness. In this case unexpectedness occurs and gives one a chill because one day they're on earth, the next they are dead. To infer going slowly through life is painful, but to go through life to fast, you will catch a "chill" because you unexpectedly ended up dead.

The color green and it's symbolism in the great gatsby

• The color green symbolizes hope
• Gatsby was hoping to restore his ancient relationship with Daisy that has long been impossible, though Gatsby failed to realize it because he was blinded by the hope generated by the green light. It insinuates that hope is not always a reality. 
• Nick encounters Gatsby standing in Gatsby’s lawn in the dead of night, and describes what he sees “…he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguishing nothing except a single green light, minute and faraway, that might have been the end of a dock.