Frankenstein #10

This book in its entirety intrigued me. The capturing way thy Mary Shelley went about writing Frankenstein was similar to that of no book I has read before. The continual story within a story was similar to only that of a movie that I haw seen which I mentioned earlier in my blogs. I almost liked the book version better because for the first time I was forced to create my own scenarios in my head with only the details given on page. This really helped me to get the characters to a place I have never been before with the depth as equal to that of Victor and he creature. Grasping the true emotion of how intricate the thoughts as feelings of each o these characters was not easy to accomplish. Shelley created the depth through her various story within story effects that brought us up to speed with the ideas and developments of their own ideas of both love and responsibility. Grasping that if a creature going from an infant to a full grown in the span of two years is difficult enough without the creature having a more extensive vocabulary than that of myself, now add in such intense actions ad though process and events start to get confusing. Both the blogging and the continual note taking guides helped me keep track of the series of sequences that were going on throughout the span of the book. Keeping them continually in light of the fact that Walton was recording them helped greatly. The finale that Walton records comes to an exciting conclusion when he writes, "He was soon borne away b the waves, and lost in darkness and distance,"(166). This ending draws us wondering what emotions will overtake the creature in his last moments of living while he is out there in finally ending his life as he should as for the actions that he took while living. Surely this ending for the creature would have been seen fit by his creator who died recently beforehand. 

Frankenstein #9

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley the importance of characters a d relations is very important. Without understanding how all of the characters are connected by blood or other means helps the reader understand the gist of what is happening throughout the book. Knowing how close Victor continually becomes with those that help him in his various struggles helps the reader understand how dependent his sanity is upon the livelihood of those around him. Without Clereval, his father, and Elizabeth, it is hard to envision Frankenstein getting to the position thy he did to deal with the creature head on. Frankenstein's acquired a true depth I his sole that was left deathly empty hen his wife was finally taken from him. It was almost as if the creature had fully inflicted the pain that he had to endure upon Victor. The problem was that Victor now had nothing o lose but his own life. With nothing else left, Victor embraced a reckless abandon lifestyle that represented his emotions extremely well. He could now fully devote his actions to redo what he had done so wrong to start off this dreadful journey. He really reaches his goal when he finally becomes as close as possible to, and eventually into, death and his creation. The happiness is felt because he has given his best effort to te task at hand and can jnally join those that suffered because of him. Understanding this relief was only possible because of the intensity and love that he had with those characters in the story before they were dead. He had to use the strength they provided to reach the place that they ended up in themselves. The confidence in that strength was utilized near his death when Victor said, "...but surely the spirits who assist my vengeance will endow me with sufficient strength,"(161). 

Frankenstein #8

The author Mary Shelley utilizes her ability to create suspense and bewilderment through her various literary techniques in Frankenstein. These techniques result in both motifs and themes that only an intricate story as such can achieve. Her ability to warp time so that a reader must keep up with multiple story lines entails a story that the reader desires to keep up with and strives to figure out. The suspense allows the reader to wonder what all is happening outside the current story being described by a vital character within the story. This continual development aids in the readers ability to focus in and understand the themes of death, life, and acceptance of love on a whole level. These help to better understand the complexity and development of the characters. The continual knowledge that both the monster and Victor live long enough to venture far from their home allows the reader to puzzle at what will happen next many times. The context clues and careful choice of diction create in Victors life this seemingly fragile state of being alive. In order for Victor to feel pain and better realize how vital the lives of those around him are, the author uses the monster to kill off friends and family that Victor would gladly trade places for in order to keep them alive. This gradual understanding of responsibility for personal choices and actions helps Victor understand that he cannot make a female creature. "Had I a right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?"(121) revealed that Victor was finally grasping his personal duties and what they entailed towards his creations. 

Frankenstein #7

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a reoccurring event has a large impact on Victor. Every time that a court case is discussed as a judgement, Victor is brought into a scenario where he must face his ultimate consequences. The first judgement creates within Victor a sense of disbelief for what he had inevitably done. The second judgement created intense turmoil not only in Victors life, but also in his mind. The paranoia created by the author through the perspective of Victors thought process is extremely important to begin the understanding of Victors one-track mind. This paranoia is very adequately developed by the diction that the author provides. Because we have insight into what Victor is thinking and how his thought process is developed, we better understand how much Victor only think about the creature. This notion of the creature is mainly that the creature will be going after himself. The concentration of worrying about his own safety results in yet another death that Victor must claim responsibility for yet again. This time it's not just someone that he loves, but his wife. Finally we are able to connect the story line altogether and see how Victor ends up chasing the monster. This endless ordeal helps Victor find his end just as he rightfully deserves. "...but I feel myself justified in desiring the death of my adversary,"(161) was how Victor was able to die still knowing that the creature was alive and out in the wild. 

Frankenstein #6

In the book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, characterization occurs through the application and utilization of the stories provided by various characters. A large portion of the book is made up of the second portion of the book is made up of the dialogue provided by the creature. Within these stories the creature made many important illusions that changed who he was. The stories were so important because of the development that he needed to become the person he is near the time he talks to Victor. The Ruins of Empires helped the creature develop language and knowledge of history. Paradise Lost helped the creature understand deep emotions. Sorrows of Werter marked the beginning of the creatures knowledge that he might not understand everything including death. This inclusion of the lack of understanding death becomes important later on in the book. When the creature kills willy he doesn't seem to fully understand what he has done. His understanding of emotions but not of all concepts is very interesting. "Yet I inclined towards the opinions of the hero, whose extinction I wept, without precisely understanding it,"(91) gives an insight into the lack of understanding that the creature sometimes endures. 

Frankenstein #5

Frankenstein, a work by Mary Shelley, is more than just a story. It's a story within a story. Some sort of 1700 Inception theory that is hard to understand at points. How similar are the stories between this man, Frankenstein, and Walton going to get? I wih to understand the meaning behind the beginning when Frankenstein said that Walton wouldn't want to know hat the spark to life was. Why does Frankenstein have to endure the hardships of feelin the guilt and blame for the deaths at hand? It seems very u fair that he must partake in this affair. An then be approached by the creature monster himself? That just seems to be an even hard concept in itself. Te death of Justine and his younger brother William weigh heavily on his soul, and the mister that Frankenstein thinks killed them in a sense decides to approach and confront Frankenstein on so many levels. The dialogue of the creature is that of intelligence. He had the capacity to learn and comprehend which just adds to the mystery of why he would kill the youngest son. "My rage was withou bounds,"(68), only begins to describe the feelings that Frankenstein has for his creature. He feels such intangible sorrow at the interaction with the beast that he even charges it in an attempt to revenge. This then creates another story within the already story within a story that is going on by source of the creature! He tells of his beginnings and how he came to be as is nowadays.

Frankenstein #4

Mae Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, creates such a diversity of action in the book. Within that diversity, a reoccurring action is that of death. Ultimately, it seems that the debates presented might have been a factor in Frankenstein finding the truth behind the mystery of life itself. This was reflected on te creation of Victor through the discovery of the life spark needed to bring one to life. It's a bit humerus that once Frankenstein successfully creates a life, he comes incredibly close to losing his own. As after doing just that, he comes to find his you gets brother has passed by means of murder. This chain of death and life seems to be a reoccurring theme and a factor in the motivation of Frankenstein's actions. He is willing to do what is necessary to help those around him even though he really does not hold their fate in his hands. His journey back seemed to be similar tithe beginning of the story mostly because of his physical and emotional wear and tear, but also by indication of the monster present, but afar, in this new enviornment. I find it I retesting that he is not quite sure at first if it really is the monster just as the shipmates were not sure as to what the creature was when they saw it. Another parrellel seem was the condition of the weather, funny how it is raining just as when te creature was produced. He finally identifies the monster by a flash of lightening an confirms it as, "The wretch, the filthy daemon to whom I had given life,"(50). This brought forth so many questions to mind. Had the creature who was so close killed Frankenstein's brother? Why didn't Frankenstein react with fear and flee the scene? Only time will tell the answers to these deep subjects.

Frankenstein #3

In Frankenstein, the character Frankenstein begins his story in a similar manner to that as the way that Walton did this book. Mary Shelley created yet another parallel between the two. Frankenstein creates a mood through the telling of his childhood and all those people in his life that truly seemed to mean so much to him as have an incredible impact on who he was as a child and adult. As Walton did, he told stories and many informatory ideals that people in his life had. This theme seemed to carry on in his life up until the point that he seemed to be corrupted by some didactic literature that he managed to find. The theme of his life then seemed to point Nd aim towards being the one to find out things for himself rather than listen to his father who is much wiser a s older than e. he mentions reading this literature with high hopes. He builds up this concept that he is right because of the learning that he was willing to do in his own. Once he goes to secondary college, he finds himself willing to listen to those that agree, or even more, understand hy he has been thinking in a certain manner for so long. This alters his ultimate career path and pushes him to begin delving in what many cannot fathom. The spark of life. Upon this discovery, his ignorance shines through on many levels when he fools with more than he can handle and creates a monster on accident. In this moment, Frankenstein seems to begin the understanding that life is more than self. He thinks to himself, "the beauty of the dream vanished, and a breathless horror and disgust filled my heart,"(35). What was he thinking in delving so far into unknown matters? Perhaps we will find out.

Frankenstein #2

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly builds up wonderful moments and scenarios than involve an immense amount of intensity. At the start of one later letter, Walton wrote, "So strange an accident has happened to us that I cannot forbear recording it,"(8). This truly begins the introduction of the true main character who later on tells the story to change Walton's perception entirely. The accident is told with certain key words that later on reflect on circumstances told in the story. As a group, those on board the ship saw what appeared to be a man. Soon after, they encountered a man that ends up being a dear friend to our already introduced Walton. Interestingly enough, Walton had really been searching for a friend an this character seemed to fill the spot perfectly. Right ff the bat a sense of parallelism was apparent between the two. More than anything, they seemed to be the best of friends. While speaking of his own ambitions, Walton comes to find that this man known as Frankenstein is just as Walton is! He is crazy to try to change the poses of what is capable in the world but he tried anyways too. This is when the real story begins.

Frankenstein 1

In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the story begins with a series of letters. These letters are the main introduction of some important characters. The majority of the characterization by the author is conduced through the production of stories that reveal different aspects of the characters. To better understand the reasoning behind the journey that Walton is venturing on. The description of his childhood revealed a lot about his personality. The denial of the desire to be a seaman shaped Walton in a manner that pushed him to want to find other methods to pursue his dream. The acquiring of the money from a deceased relative allowed Walton I finally think about wht he wanted to accomplish in a large scale. The determination and dedication that he howed was portrayed through the details of the many jobs he underwent in order to become a knowledgeable and skillful seaman. The character showed a lot of his personality through the process of decidin on those specific men that he wanted to join him on his quest. The focal point of the quest hve the reader a better understanding of just why he is heading to this never before seen pole. Many of these traits are then mirrored in a character introduced later on. All of the accounts wonderfully build up to a description of Walton's attitude as. "What can stop te determined heart and resolved will of man?"(7).

APO 96225

APO 96225 written by Larry Rottmann is probably the most depressing poem/piece of literature that I have ever read in my life. Knowing that APO stands for Army Post Office gave me some insight that this poem was about an American. Knowing that America fought a war in Vietnam where it rains a lot gave me the insight that this poem dealt with the Vietnam War. Understanding the horrible things that occurred throughout that war is something that Americans, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and the world will never forget. Like the holocaust, the Vietnam actions that took place shocked the world and cause a reevaluation of everything that was happening to prevent the spread of communism. This particular poem seemed to be an allegory of the Vietnam War as a whole to a single soldier that deals with his mother. The line, "Upsetting your mother,"(18) queued me onto the denial that was at hand. The mother doesn't seem to acknowledge the horror that is going on in her son's life just as many American's seemed to be in denial of what their "Country" was doing to other human beings. The sad fact that many cannot seem to accept the truth of the situation that occurred overseas sickened thousands and resulted in the American troops leaving the country after the mission was deemed over.

Much Madness is divinest Sense

Much Madness is divinest Sense produced by Emily Dickinson truly creates an allegory worth contemplation. It pulls so many different aspects of life into the short eight line poem. It brought forth the notion that society is all but sane and only those that are insane have the right idea. It made me consider wether those that have finally gone insane have been those privileged enough to speak to the Gods. Do the Gods create all of the mayhem that is here on earth? Idea after question after idea continually popped into my head until I read it again and realized how wonderfully written this poem was done. It demands discussion, it declares abnormality, and it truly delves into topics that are without our knowledge in the here and now. The thoughts created by the line, "Assent-and you are sane-,"(6) builds the notion that those in the "right" state of mind do not know the correct way to live and think. Only those that oblige in dismantling society have the ability to see the world as it should be.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson seems to be representative of an act a little bit more important than someone's funeral. This poem opened with the line, "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,"(1) and right off the bat I thought that this must being about the author's sanity. The only two words capitalized in the line were "Funeral" and "Brain." So naturally I read the line out loud putting a tad bit of oomph on the words funeral and brain thinking to myself that there was no way this was simply a coincidence.  After reading through the rest of the poem, I noticed that the words, "Sense, Mind, Being, Silence and Reason," were all purposefully capitalized as to clue in to what the actual meaning was behind the poem. This interesting use of diction to create an allegory helped me to understand the greater meaning behind the "Funeral". She was going crazy. Her mind was slowly going through the long process of insanity and she was conscious aware of it. The funeral aspect was perfect for the allegory because of the event being that of a process and because it happened over time. The conclusion seemed to be one of sadness because the writer seemed to finally be at an end. She had finished was had been happening for a long time.

Bartleby the Scrivener

Bartleby the Scrivener written by Herman Melville is an odd story that brings forth some truth in the world of business today. It was written not only to describe a man in a scenario but almost as an allegory meant to represent the unnatural nonemotional decisions and people created by the Wall Street world that many people are so invested in. This very intriguing story about such a suspicious character creates turmoil through the use of both repetition and, at times, a lack of detail. The repetition of the word "Prefer" in various methods and lines really does build up the unemotional aspect of Bartleby that is revealed throughout the short story. Most disturbingly was the continual denial of providing any information about himself with the simple, "I would prefer not to,"(659). This does both use the repetition and create the lack of understanding for why a man would be so ridiculously secretive for seemingly no reason whatsoever.  The desire for detail created a large amount of confusion for the characters in the play and also for the reader that simply wanted to understand the motivation behind the nostalgia present in Bartleby's life. The suspense built up behind Bartleby's background all came together at the conclusion of the story when, once again, the reader figures out that there is a rumor that Bartleby could have previously worked as a Dead Letter burner. I do find the fact that it is only a possibility that this is true very significant. It always just leaves the possibility that there are other factors involved. This seems to correlate with life extremely well by having the option that there is something else wrong in business men's lives.

Miss Brill

Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield is a very odd, confusing story about a woman who has a very consistent routine that seems to define her in a certain way. Her consistency in her actions reveals a lot about her character and personality throughout the story. So regular are her actions that even those that associate themselves with the "play" that she is regularly a part of recognize not only her, but her continual presence in the same place as always. It goes so far as to bother the boy that is present when he says, "Because of that stupid old thing at the end there?"(186). This indicates the irksome feeling brought on by the presence that Miss Brill provides in the park. This really does seem to trouble Miss Brill and bring her down in spirits. They insult her presence and make remarks regarding the fur that she wears as something not appropriate and bothersome. She felt offended by their remarks and even went so far as to put the fur back in it's place when she returns home. The fur was then personified when it seemed to feel the emotional pain when the author included, "She put the lid on she thought she heard something crying,"(186). This brought forth the realization of just how sad and alone this lady must be in her "Room like a cupboard,"(186).

Crossing the Bar

Crossing the Bar, written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, relates the notion of death back to a bay harbor that has a sandbar. The author develops these two scenarios that are supposed to represent death. The first was the idea of the ship being forced to turn back homeward after the journey out to the depths of the sea. This seemed to present death as the final return after a long journey that was a little bit off course and not coming back because of the lack of visible signs provided by the sandbar such as the sounds and the foam created by the waves crashing against and over it. This helped set up the divide that the sandbar creates from the safety of the harbor in comparison to the sea for the second set that the author provided. The second set was the idea that once the author crosses the sandbar he will reach a different place. It seemed that the second place had a "Pilot,"(13) that represented God. Maybe once the sandbar has been crossed and the new place has been reached, a metaphorical ship will sweep up to take the person that has passed on to a new place. Some interesting and a little bit confusing parts of the poem where in spots with odd capitalization such as, "Bourne of Time and Place,"(13) that lead to believe he must be thinking of the material world that actually contains a hourly clock and locations, but it leaves room for the vice versa to be contemplated as the Heavenly realm and where we are really coming from. The poem could us some clarification in certain areas, but the death theme was definitely represented through the intertwined scenarios.

That time of year

That time of year written by William Shakespeare utilizes the English sonnet. It develops three beautifully written quatrains and ends the poem with a two line couplet that connects the three quatrains to a deeper meaning. The quatrains vary in their meaning, but truly seem to connect by what they all point towards. The first quatrain develops this time period Autumn by speaking of the changing weather combined with the events going on in nature. It personifies the branches that are present in this time period by saying, "Boughs which shake against the cold,"(3). This develops the theme of absence and longing for what once was in the scenario. The second quatrain develops the season further by describing an evening in the Autumn. It is characterized by the sunsets that are often leading to the darkest of nights. This connects to the theme by speaking of death taking in all that is the rest as does the darkness in the night. The third quatrain pertains to death in a sense that it requires a loss that results in some emotions similar to the growth stage. The leaves nourished by the ground are then made a part of it again. The poem wraps its conclusion up with the two line couplet that relates love to the entirety of the poem. It allows the reader to contemplate the appliance of love to the life cycle and how that relates to the quatrains that in a sense build the life cycle.

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

In Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas, the use of repetition of lines and many different word choice allowed the author to really convey the emotion toil that he was experiencing. The repetition of lines during the beginning, middle, and end of the play helped to show a deeper connection between all that was said about the various men. The men spoken of allow the author to express that he is not sure which man exactly his father is, but it does show that his father could be one of the various kinds of men and still fight the death up until the end. The use of many paradoxical phrases used throughout the poem reveal just how torn up the author is about the death of his father. He writes the confusion so wonderfully into not just the men that he describes representing those facing death, but also into the story of himself and his father. He mentions that his father is, "There on the sad height,"(16) and the he wishes his father would, "Curse, bless,"(17) him while he is reaching his passing time. These allow the author to reveal how he wants the best for his father while still wishing for him to push on and fight the death before him. He ends with the line about fighting the death before him. This relates back to when he characterized the different types of men. It allows his father to be one of the better men described but oddly leaves the chance that he be one that does give up the fight and accepts the good night gently.

A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner was written in first-person plural point of view and it had a large impact on the chronology and descriptions present throughout the story. Because of the presence outside of her home, the group that seems to be telling this story must be the community that was able to witness all that had happened to this woman. This allowed for a lot of jumping around from what could be recalled by various people in the community. They together portrayed the characters very well. They gave Emily this pitied woman description through various ways. One present was the repetition of the phrase, "Poor Emily,"(286) mentioned by many people in the community for the situations that she was continually found in. The addition of the multiple instances that Emily presented herself as one that was above the law gave the reader a real sense for how overbearing Emily's presence was to those around her. People pitied her to a degree, but they also feared and respected her to a level that not many others received. She demanded her respect when she wanted the poison, refused to pay taxes, and also when they attempted to give her a mailing address. This really showed the side of Emily that was not giving in to change. This played an important role in revealing how she really tried to love Homer Barron despite the refusal that he offered. The characterization of Emily over the course of the play was significantly altered by the point of view.

The Lottery

The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson contained an interesting plot that concluded very unexpectedly. This story had a very interesting "characterization" or a ritual that continues to last in a growing community. It began early with the description of the people going to and readying themselves for the event in a peculiar way. It seemed as though there was a slight tension in the air. This was portrayed through the men withholding back their laughter and the serious scorning of disobedient children on what one would assume was a good day. The inclusion of the tradition being performed, "As were the square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween program,"(264) then built up this lottery to be a positive action. Continuing on was the description of the box that the people chose their pieces of paper on to declare the "winner" with. This box also had a long description that helped to key on to just how long the tradition had been going on. The continual reference to how much was forgotten of the tradition really added a sense of mystery to the story as a whole and allowed for the reader to attempt to guess what was going to happen next. The clue that the Old Man Warner hinted during the story revealed that the tradition had to do with crop growth, but it was not easily picked up on the first time through. All of this leads to what might come off as situational irony if the clues were not picked up because of how this could have been seen as a positive event. The stoning of the "winner" of the lottery was definitely a surprise.

The Glass Menagerie #2

The Glass Menagerie has an interesting approach produced by Tennessee Williams that produces an interesting effect in the audience because of the combination with the narrator and the character Tom being the same person. This narrational fusion of this person allowed the play to flow nicely and also have a sense of connectedness with the audience. The Tom that narrates allows himself to talk about what he knows now compared to what he knew at the time the scene was happening. It helps the transitions between major changes between the scenes that occur. Having Tom as a narrator also made me think that he was more credible on the information provided before and in-between scenes. By the conclusion of the play, I was comfortable with the knowledge that Tom has exaggerated some details to a certain degree, but so has every other character in the play. The diction used by Tom when he was not in character proved to be a little bit informative at times but he wrapped the play up extremely well by almost concluding with a speech while the action continues. As his mother and sister discuss other business, Tom makes the larger decision and makes his way out of the home. Looking back in he reveals what actions he takes in the future and keys in the audience on how his family influenced the rest of his life. His dialogue calls out to his sister longing to maintain the relationship that he had at one point in time. He watches as his sister stays in her own little world, wishing her the best saying, "Blow out your candles, Laura-and so goodbye..."(1289).

The Glass Menagerie

In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams forms characters with a lot of variation. The complexity of the historical aspects of the family resulted in a huge difference in the personalities. that the children had. It resulted in Tom being a foil character to the personality that Laura develops. Tom's personality is that of reckless abandon. Instead of constantly remaining at home, Tom goes out to experience different things in life. Despite the fact that he is the youngest in the family, Tom must embrace the role of provider. He struggles and ends up finally escaping. This is the exact opposite of Laura. She has the smallest amount of confidence in the world. Her personality was that of complete fragility. When she finally musters up the courage to do something outside her comfort zone, she, "Couldn't go back. I-threw up-on the floor"(1242).

The Glass Menagerie #6

The Glass Menagerie written by Tennessee Williams contains a lot of symbolic representation through the glass pieces as I discussed in a previous blog. Now, getting into more specifics, I would like to discuss the importance and significance drawn from the event that altered a piece of glass dear to Laura's heart. Beginning with the glass piece, we are shown that it represents Laura. This extremely small piece of glass has very little importance to anyone in the outside world, almost like the state that Laura is currently in. Besides the fact that it is minuscule, the glass is also a fictional animal(A unicorn), "Aren't they extinct in the modern world?"(1281). This fact points to the unrealistic element that Laura brings on herself despite the fact that she actually does exist in the real world. Not many other people are anything like her, it's as if they've gone extinct. Her reaction to the unicorn breaking really shows that even she can be altered. She has the ability to gain confidence and change, but she doesn't often. This is the opposite of the reaction she has to Tom breaking the glass accidentally. She cries out in desperation because deep down she knows how unimportant the glass, and incidentally herself, really are to anything in the world. I do not see an extremely optimistic future for Laura. She to easily falls back into her own personal norm. She does not seem to have the outgoing attitude needed by most other individuals in the world. The symbolic revelation brought forth by her ending the play with the blowing out of the candles brings forth the understanding that even though Laura is surrounded by these unfortunate circumstances, she still has the ability and control to change them herself.

The Glass Menagerie #3

Tom, a character in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, finds himself living in conditions that he does not enjoy at all. He seems to have this dilemma between doing the right thing and maintaining the role of caretaker of the family or deciding that he really only cares for himself and taking off. He has these secret ambitions that are brought up throughout the play. One is to join up with the merchant marine and ends up actually pursuing his dream. He finally reveals to his friend Jim, "I'm a member"(1268). This actually helps in the fulfillment of his previous deceleration that he desires a life of action. When speaking with his mother he constantly said that he wanted something more. This brings up more confrontations because of the concern that his mother has with finding Laura a husband. He is looking for a way out while his mother really wants to secure her daughters future before she sends her son on sin way. Tom comes off as having a nostalgic attitude towards Laura. This results from the constant babying and belittling that the family puts on Laura. They never seem to make her stand up for herself. Tom finally leaves as a result of a quarrel with his mother. He needs to move on to bigger and better things. The dialogue that Tom leaves the audience with does not leave a resolution to the problem that he is constantly facing. It seemed as though the reminders in all of the places that he went to of Laura never really enabled him to live out his life without regrets of the past.

The Glass Menagerie

Throughout The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams creates the ultimate symbol that then applies to so many aspects of the play. First, Tennessee builds up the character Laura to be one that is extremely fragile and seems to have a history that reveals how babied she was growing up. This has resulted in her having a lot of trouble adjusting to anyone treating her differently than these immature ways that have become the norm. All the while that Williams creates characterizes Laura, there is a continual mention of Laura's obsession with a glass collection that she has. This glass collection comes into danger in several scenes and seems to be representing more than just the glass figurines. This symbol comes to represent Laura as a person. She is breakable and worrisome like the glass proves to be. It also represents the family, and how quickly the relationships built up have the ability to be altered and broken like a small piece of glass. These two representations become a reality when the family is affected by circumstances outside the family. Laura is greatly affected by Jim who Tom has brought around in an attempt to find Laura a wife. While with Laura, Jim accidentally knocks a piece of glass off of the table. Laura responds with, "Glass breaks so easily. No matter how careful you are"(1283), giving the notion that her family is easily jostled by what happens outside of their control. This event seems to snowball into events that cause Tom to angrily leave his family in an attempt to rid himself of that uneasy breakability that was associated with those present.

The Joy of Cooking 1, 2, 3

The Joy of Cooking by Elaine Magarrell came off to me in a very abrasive way. The author seemed to be attacking the problems that she faces in her life head on. She directly constructs a disturbing image of her sister's tongue as a dish that she is preparing. More than just giving a description, she adds comments that I do not understand very well. The inclusion of sauces to go along with her tongue really bothered me. The second half of the poem discussed a comparison to her brother's heart. The second reference to sauce did not really make sense once again. Maybe if i knew more cooking terminology I could recall the braising method and what a source sauce effect would have on the meat. I think that the tongue was an attempt to show more than just saying that she had a loud mouth. Instead, this visual allowed room to describe how the words were effective and used. The heart described a little bit more as someone that was supposed to be thriving and alive. The personality of the author was revealed in the comparisons because of the siblings. I found that personality can be established through the idea of being an influence of these lives and their descriptions. I liked the way that a cook can do so many things to these people. "Prepared, scrubbed, skinned, trimmed, carved, slow cooked, and served," are all actions taken on the two items by the cook. This shows the influential personality that the author must have on their lives.

Those Winter Sundays 1, 4

The poem Those Winter Sundays written by Robert Hayden contains a short insight into a life during wintertime. This poem builds up a household run by a father that cares for his son. The diction used throughout displayed the dedication and care that this father has for his son. The details included a lot about the poor conditions that the father was living under. His physical condition came off as worn out and his emotional condition seemed one that was enduring a lot. Line 14 included the words, "Austere and lonely offices"(14) to describe the reminiscing on the appreciation that the son now wishes he would have had for his fathers actions. It comes off that he is disappointed in the way that he treated his father in the past. His neglect towards the good deeds his father had done for him now is bringing forth emotions that contain dissatisfaction and remorse. A change in spirit has occurred in the span that has happened between the father doing these actions and the looking back on the actions. Because of the repetition in line 13, I have come to the conclusion that his father has passed away. It seems that it took some serious thought to come to the reality that he really did love and miss the actions that his father took. The description of love as austere and lonely seemed to be the knowledge of how tough life really is for one to endure.

The Drunkard

The Drunkard, written by Frank O'Connor, is by far my favorite short story read in class so far. This story entails the inner workings of a family's struggles and how sometimes the wrong decisions can lead to the best outcomes. I found it very interesting how accurately Frank was able to detail the way that a real alcoholic might fall back into struggle. This probably had to do with some sort of insight into his own life in one way or another, but nevertheless it remains impressive. The irony displayed throughout the story seems very out of place considering this should be a time of morning. It all began when Mr. Dooley, "Must reappear at our gate to give us the lowdown on the next world"(P3). This diction choice did not seem appropriate at all considering Mr. Dooley had just died! After this the actions and words spoken continued to reveal the author's intent to have parts of the story come across as humorous. He used the situational irony to bring the father to the understanding that his drinking was an issue. He also used dramatic irony when the father had not figured out that it was his son that drank the alcohol and not any thief. I knew that the son had drank, but the father had no idea!

A Worn Path

This short story written by Eudora Welty, A Worn Path, revealed how dedication can reveal a true, unconditional love at the end of the trek. The beginning of the story described a grandmother in full display. She began the story with movement that helped me figure out what state she was currently in. Understanding age and physical condition played an important role throughout this short story because of the revelation at the end. The use of simile and metaphor relay the message that this grandmother has difficulty making the seemingly pointless journey at the time. They accurately describe her features and movements as, "Pendulum in a grand father clock"(P1) and "Whole little tree"(P2). I thought that this was so important to the story as a whole because the journey ended up being entirely for medication for her sick son. This made her willingness to endure all the greater. Not only did she overcome the physical battle that ensued, but she had to display courage when she crossed path with complete strangers. Facing the barrel of a gun is not an easy thing to do. The fact that she had to go from a complete state of wilderness into an entirely new city environment very accurately displayed the love she had for her son. Going from one terrain to the next only allowed for a new pack of dangers to become alive. She went from from worrying about animals to being concerned of the complete strangers surrounding her, and she did it with utter confidence.

Once Upon a Time

In this story Once Upon a Time, written by Nadine Gordimer, the author builds starts off by writing of a time when she felt fear herself. She was in her house and she hears a sound, and this sounds invokes her to begin to attempt to figure out what is creating that sound. Eventually, in an attempt to get back to sleep, she decides to tell herself a story. That story is of a family attempting to keep themselves safe. I enjoyed the background intro including the author leading up to the actual story within the story(totally inception) because of the intense suspense build up. While reading it I thought for sure that someone was going to attack and demand she her to write a children's story. That would have been some situational irony. But instead, she builds up this story of a completely safe place for a wonderfully nice family, and creates the ultimate situational irony. In a complete accident the couples son attempts to cross the barrier of metal doom and diminishes within. This is situational irony because it is completely unexpected. The realization of the danger that the parents provided became evident when she wrote, "The little boy was hacked out of the security coil"(236). It most definitely is not what should happen in the story subsequently making it one of my favorite children's stories of all time.

A Raisin in the Sun

I found Walter, a character in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, to be an antihero. He was an antihero because of the qualities that he displayed to his family and then the actions that he took when they were not around him. He constantly made wrong decisions while seeming to have the right intentions.
Walter was a central character in the story because of his background and abilities. He was the oldest male left in the younger family so naturally he would take the head of the family. Surprisingly, his mother held this role while seeming held back from being able to submit it to her son. He struggled with maintaining his job as a chauffeur and consistently let down his wife and mother.
"I'm telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be"(107), was the moment that Mama relinquished the position as head of the family onto Walter. Even after his mother seemed to hand over the responsibility in the family to Walter, he still made bad decisions and did not look out for the rest in his family. He invested all of their money in shady characters that then lost it. This resulted in him being broken. Broken in the sense that his mother beat him, his family was disappointed in him, and he was torn up with internal conflicts inside. He lost his pride and fell to a place that made him want to take money in order to prevent his family from moving up in their social order.
These qualities put together led me to believe that Walter should have made better decisions in order to be the appropriate hero for his family, but instead he displayed all of the qualities to make an applicable antihero.

The Raisin in the Sun

In The Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, I found that many of her uses of various literary devices helped show how some characters struggle in many ways. She used the displaying of conflicts in her characters of Mama and Walter very effectively.
I thought that the way that Mama spoke of the money coming to her in the mail showed that she had an internal conflict going on. It appeared that she was not sure how to spend the money that she was about to receive. The dialogue that she had with Ruth revealed to me that she had indeed been thinking about ways to spend the money, but not the way that she wanted to spend it quite yet.
The incorporation of an external conflict between Mama and Walter deemed itself intriguing. I found it intriguing mostly because I do not know exactly what mother son relationships were like in this time. So when Mama came at Walter angry this revealed a new side of the relationship. Instead of caring and forgiving Mama showed this new angry and disappointed side of herself to her son. "Quite without thinking about it, starts to beat him senselessly in the face(129), describes the emotions that Mama feels coming into action after her son loses all the money that had come from his fathers death.

A Raisin in the Sun # 10

Walter, a character in A Raisin in the Sun written by Larraine Hansberry, changed significantly in the story. At one point, he embraced the role as head of the house and began to act and live like a man. He changed from a person that neglected the feelings of his wife and mother, and instead took his own wife on a date and had the courage to hold her hand. Despite his continual selfish behavior, he was attempting to better his family and their living conditions as a whole when he invested the money his mother gave him. The forces that seemed to bring about the change in Walter came from his mother. She had money left over that was rightfully hers and she made the conscious decision to relinquish it on Walter to now be in charge of for their family. He understood what she was trying to do. No longer could he continue to live as though his success was the only important thing to happen in this family's life. The handing over of the money seemed to represent the leash of the power being given to Walter. From then on he dealt with people with respect. It was expressed in the scene three of act two when Walter welcomed their guest and treated him as a man. He introduces himself as the son of Mrs. younger and then formally introduces the newcomer to his wife and sister. Then he shows the pride of the family by saying, "What can we do for you, Mr. Linder!"(Act II, Scene III). This was one prime example of the new Walter overcoming the new Walter by treating a guest like a guest in his own house.

A Raisin in the Sun #9

In A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter is a character that feels trapped by circumstances. He continually looks for a means to an end in desperation. Despite the fact that he is continually unhappy, Walter cannot stop himself from being unhappy with his family and forgetting about financial success. Only thinking about himself, he invests the only money that is left of his father in money that he wants to make. He neglects his mother's orders to put some of it aside for his sister. This is one example of how Walter tries to escape the place that he is in. Another instance was more in the center of the play when he skipped work several days in a row and just tried to leave the city to see other places. It comes off as though he has trouble expressing these feelings of being trapped. His actions come off as spontaneous and poorly thought out. The saddest example of how Walter feels as though he is trapped is his issue with drinking. He looks for an out, an escape. So he goes to a bar over and over to drink and listen to music. "You can just sit there and drink and listen to them three men play and you realize that don't nothing matter worth a damn(Act II, Scene II), is an example of Walter expressing his inability to escape the situation that he so desperately is trying to rid himself of completely. Tired and annoyed of life, Walter attempted to drink himself out of his bad moods only to realize that this was not the way out.

A Raisin In the Sun #2

During A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, the setting effects the characters in so many various ways. Two in particular seem to be effected so drastically. Walter is so influenced by the location of the play. It all occurs in Chicago which is and has been a huge business capital in America. This would influence the majority of the ways that he viewed his life in light of success and materialism. It seemed that his motivation was greatly effected in the sense that he was now consumed with the thoughts of materialism. Comparing himself with those that majorly built their lives on business associated dreams, Walter consistently felt as though his job as a chauffeur was not good enough for his family. He dreamed of doing something greater. Becoming an icon in the business world that everyone around him kept up with so intently. Walter thought less about the people in his family and more about the conditions that his family were in. He fell to materialism and constantly wanted more for those in his life. I wish that he would have more closely paid attention to his mother and wife. They both seemed to care so deeply for Walter and noticed that something within him had changed. During a conversation that Mama and Ruth are having discussing Walter, Ruth says, "I don't know what it is-but he needs something-something I can't give him anymore"(Act I, Scene I). The people closest to Walter saw that his mind had slowly been changed by the city surrounding them.

The setting also seemed to have a profound effect on a side character that did not seem to have as much importance in the immediate acts of the play, but conceptually he helped bring forth a lot of issues at hand. Asagai was from Nigeria and him coming to Chicago for a break from his educational studies in Canada brought him back to his friend. Beneatha is a good friend of Asagai and often has conversations that go into deeper more meaningful discussion. Asagai is effected so intensely by the city because he has lived in a place that everything is so different. He is able to compare the city life to that of a place where villages are common. He is profoundly effected in the sense that he knows how to prioritize in his life. He has come to understand more than just wanting worldly possessions. 

Everyday Use #1

This short story written by Alice Walker confused me greatly. I had trouble keeping up with what the author was trying to shape together by the miscellaneous details and I just couldn't really seem to grasp what it was throughout. Now when I looked up and saw that chapter three in this book is all about characterization it helped me out a little, so I reread it and looked for the real development behind the main character. I noticed little details the second time that showed how brilliantly the author snuck in little mentions here and there that helped create the mother's personality so well. The way that she snakes her way around not giving the quilts away really intrigued me as a reader and allowed some interesting dialect to occur. I like that way that she stops herself from judging others because this gives her a very welcoming persona to go nicely with the content she that she has from being stripped down to nothing but her home. The author adequately characterizes the remainder of the girls very nicely by including a lot of emotional clues. Such as when the quilt argument is taking place, "Dee looked at me with hatred"(Walker). The subtle hints that Walker includes about not telling Dee that the Mother is really holding off on the quilts because she wants to give them to Maggie shows her goodheartedness but also revealed some of her character at the same time. In the end, I wasn't sure if I thought that the lying was appropriate mostly because I think that lying is wrong. I think that the author might have done this on purpose just to have the reader prepare their own imaginative persona built up in their head one way or the other. I enjoyed the way that the author characterized all of the roles in Everday Use and thought it was a nice read.

Interpreter of Maladies #8

This story, Interpreter of Maladies, in it's entirety confused me at certain points because of the development of the character's in Jhumpa Lahiri's story. The slow build in the thinking habits of Mr. Kapasi, the taxi driver, allowed the focus in the beginning to stay on the family and this driver. I thought this was a smart move by Lahiri because I was able to really see the family as a whole and Mr. Kapasi as an individual before I intertwined their stories together. The background information given by Mrs. Das later on in the story helps in the understanding of her actions and thought process which became really evident in the rereading of this short story. The compiling thoughts from Mr. Kapasi really allowed me to believe that Mrs. Das was a woman that did the right thing and was going to show him simple kindness that one would expect in a story as this. Therefore the ending really surprised me when Mrs. Das revealed the startling news that one of her children was not her husbands. This fact will influence Mr. Kapasi and how he sees his wife and family. I would not be surprised at all if this actually changes his treatment of the people in his life into a relationship that he cared about more. I hope that this would have a permanent change in his life because of how significant the information is to a relationship as intimate as marriage. Appreciating what God has given us through marriage seems to be neglected so often by so many people that I hope an event as drastic as this occurring in any one's life would have a long-lasting impact. I feel as though this is an unhappy ending. Unhappy because Mr. Kapasi now has to know for the longest time what this woman has told him without letting her husband in on the secret. Knowing someone is enduring a long pain does not sound like something that I would want to stand by and have at all. The end seems to relate Mr. Kapasi's scenario to that of the monkey's when he writes, "Solemnly observing the scene below"(Lahiri).

Hazel Tells LaVerne #3

Hazel Tells LaVerne is a very straightforward poem written by Katharyn Machan that throws a twist on the classic princess and the frog scenario. The way that the poem is shaped, I naturally had to read the words exactly as are on the page in my head. This created a nice flow throughout the line variation and helped me to hear the voice that the author was trying to create so well. The use of mashing some of the words used together to really help emphasize how the authors mind was thinking at the time seemed very well done and thought out. I loved how the m was added to both "Flushm"(Line 9) and "Hitsm"(Line21). By using this humorous tone throughout her poem, Katharyn influenced the mood to fell casual and very inviting. These both helped add to the humble aspect of the ending where she spoke in seemingly bewilderment about herself being a princess. I enjoyed the spacing of the end of the poem because of the disbelief that I could really feel in her mind. It was almost as if we were not hearing how she would have narrated the scene to someone else, but actually as though we were a part of her mind that heard all of the thoughts and not just the one's that were expected. By writing her poem in such a casual and flowing manner, Katharyn aptly made the scene feel both real and natural. What an overall enjoyable, delectable poem.

Mr. Z

Mr. Z written by M. Carl Holman poured on diction that helped give very descriptive pictures. He went through an entire lifespan and adequately depicted a misunderstood person. He portrayed someone that was told right from wrong from the opening line with, "Sign of error"(Line 1). Question one does not really ask a question but states several words that are a part of the diction that stands out so much in the poem. The list begins with profane which is used in line ten to indicate a sort of reverence that this character might have for God and the religious life. I thought this was important in the span of the poem because of the reference to the Jewish religion and other dining points. The second vocabulary word pointed out was kosher. This word deemed itself important because of the connection that I saw in the fact that this person seemed to have to have their life approved by someone else. Control had to play an important role in this personas life. The use of exotic in this poem related to the remainder of the skin color points that occurred. Because of the color of this persons skin, they seemed to be treated differently their entire life. I would be extremely bothered by this if it occurred in my own life. I liked the use of exotic so much because it went directly with skin. Instead of cueing in directly on what exact tone it was, exotic leaves an air of mystery as to wether we are completely sure of what it is or not. Genius. The last word pointed out was obit. I had to look it up the first time I read through the poem so I only found it appropriate that it was including in the first question about diction that I came across. As vague about the writers that he is, I thought about why the author would use obit here a lot. Is it because of the vagueness of the diction that did not directly involve the person? Was it because of the recent death? I am not entirely sure, but I would like to think it was utilized because of how it gives the last line of the poem such a substantial sound. 

Dream Deferred

In Dream Deferred, a short poem written by Langston Hughes, the use of similes draws in the imagination behind the poem. At first glance, I thought the poem surely was only to describe what the author really truly thought about his personal dreams. But when I really contemplated the rhetorical questions posed about whether a dream turned into this or that, I found that I had to think of my own personal dreams and aspirations and what happened to them when I gave them up. This genius displayed through the use of like and such descriptive diction brought fourth such vivid memories that I could not help but really enjoy the poem.
The second aspect that I truly admired in the poem was his ability to call forward so many various memories. By beginning the poem with a reference to nature by writing, "Like a raisin in the sun"(Line 3), I immediately began to think of accomplishments that I had once aspired involving the outdoor life. He then proceeded to take on a new aspect of aiming towards the fact that putting off a dream is similar to failing by writing, "Fester like a sore"(Line 4), which also made me recall the feeling of reminiscing on a forgotten dream as something sad. I enjoyed the middle section that brought up the wonderful portrayal of dreams as a memory to enjoy by comparing it to a sweet that has only gotten better with time.
The conclusion made me wonder how might this authors dreams be holding up. Why end on such a sad note that speaks of dreams holding us back and exploding? I would imagine that this author had to have had a particular inspiration that would make the poem of such wonders end in such an abrupt manner. I still remain in the position that I thoroughly enjoy this poem because of the literary devices used in the similes throughout.

Interpretation

I agree with Perrine about this notion that not all insights into poetry are correct. Although the way that Perrine began his argument really aggravated me, I still came around to agree with the concept. I wonder if he wrote the intro in a manner to get people to not agree so that it would all come around in the end? It worked if that was his plan. His intro irked me to a degree because I have felt at certain times that a poem really could be about seemingly anything according to my previous experiences. I was bothered by the introduction because it seemed as though this article was going to tell me about how many various interpretations can be correct, but then the author so clearly stated that he was going to argue for the idea that there are incorrect readings of poetry. "In a court of law"(Page 1), really started turning the wheels in my head when I read it because I was forced to think of the proceedings in a court of law. At first I thought of a jury, and how they can truly interpret the evidence represented in any way that they think is correct. Then I circled back around to the evidence and started to understand the meaning that Perrine was inferring. It is not so much about what is thought about the article, but why it is being thought. The evidence is what can be clearly found. What is found in a poem is what an idea about the poem should be based upon. I had never even considered going about an interpretation in this way.
The article really did change my personal viewpoint on the interpretations of poems through the way that Perrine so clearly broke down the poems that we had previously looked at in our class. His logical thinking about the diction the poet had provided us really convicted me. It made me think about what I had thought the poems meant according to what I had read. I realized that I based my thoughts solely on accounts of my own that I recalled in the past. I did not even bother thinking of the obvious flaws in my own conclusion. Because I enjoy science so much, I found it very helpful when Perrine compared the findings in literature to those that are found in the science field. When I read a poem in the future, I will definitely use that idea of looking for my evidence in the poem provided to support my conclusion. I will definitely think about this article often when I am attempting to come up with a reasoning for the majority of my thoughts in this class from now on. They make an argument a lot stronger, and logically sensible.

Reading Photograph

Taken in Cambodia near the Angkor Wat temple.

The End (169-180)

Throughout The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I wondered to myself if I liked the book or not. I have come to the conclusion that I would like the book better if there might have been one theme that really stuck out to me instead of the ones that I became aware of while reading it. I found myself comparing this to The Perks of being a Wallflower because of the battle I felt that Nick was having throughout the book with himself. I felt as though Nick was experiencing nostalgia because of both his inability to commit to the relationship with Jordan and his sad attempts at being a part of life. He was used so often as a piece in this stupid puzzle that ended with the one good man I liked dead. I wish that either this theme would have been exemplified or modified in a way that revealed the theme of the wrongdoings of humanity being revealed by living in the past. It seemed that because Gatsby loved Daisy in the past he thought that he should rightfully have her now. I do not think that this is how our lives should be done. It bothers me that one would feel entitled like that in the future. I hope that I myself do not do this. I was also bothered by the lack of talking that Nick did. Why didn't he reveal the truth about the wreck? I definitely would have told everyone. It is what should have been done. The pride shown by Gatsby's father was another miscellaneous point that I could not relate to the rest of the story and that bothers me. What was the point of bringing his family back into the scene? Was it because I was told his family was dead and he inherited his money? Is this just supposed to be a revelation of the lying and absurdity of all that Gatsby was made up of? "Borne back ceaselessly into the past"(Page 180), is this a reference of the past being brought up through Gatsby's father? I would have liked an ending that connected more of the dots personally.

Death (Pages 157-168)

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, life and death occur. I was able to experience life through the descriptions of the events by Nick about the going-abouts of Daisy and Gatsby. I experienced death through the killing that Daisy inflicted upon Mrs. Wilson and the two deaths brought on by Mr. Wilson upon Gatsby and Mr. Wilson. I was so hoping that Mr. Wilson might be able to come around to the conclusion that it was actually Mr. Buchanan that his wife was cheating with and not the great Gatsby. I wonder what Daisy thought when she first heard the news. I hope that Mr. Buchanan and Daisy attend the funeral anyways. I am not sure if I see the purpose in including the selection of Mr. Gatsby's father coming into town for the funeral also. It appeared that he had not done much for his son anyways. Nick seems upset, but I am not sure if he has come to the full realization of what has actually occurred yet. I bet that dealing with such a death as this is not one that is easy to overcome. I like how the author has created the climax at such an unsuspecting point in the book. It usually comes about in the center with a lot of downward action not really pertaining to the book, but just when I thought that Gatsby had lost his love and the plot had come to a conclusion, the curve ball was thrown with the murder and suicide. I found that Nick was dealing poorly with the death when he thought he heard Gatsby say, "Look here, old sport, you've got to get somebody for me. You've got to try hard. I can't go through this alone"(Page 165). This is when I felt sad because Gatsby wasn't going through it alone, he had Nick.

Upset (145-156)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has developed this character called Gatsby in an interesting but also confusing way. I found it interesting because of the mysterious aroma that ensued the entrance of Gatsby into the plot. I found it confusing because of the many side stories that were contained in the revelation of the story line of Gatsby's life and all that he has done. This ending is looking to be one that I will not enjoy for the reason that I like it when despite what wrong might occur, the right people end up together. As of now, I do not see Gatsby ending up with Daisy. The saddest part of my thinking is that I figure Daisy might end up in jail leaving Gatsby heart broken in the world forever. I do not think that anyone is going to believe the story that Gatsby was driving the car that struck Mrs. Wilson. Mr. Wilson seems so torn that the possibility of him going after Mr. Buchanan seems very real and alive. I would not mind at all if Mr. Buchanan got what was coming to him. He has done so much wrong and ruined his own marital relationship and then prevented the relationship from occurring between Daisy and Gatsby. The continuous flashbacks that Gatsby describes do not draw me into believing that he belongs with Daisy. On the contrary, I believe that the way he forced her to feel secure and confident in him when he clearly had neither was the wrong thing to do. The fact that he admits, "He(Gatsby) had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security...he had no such facilities"(Page 149), really bothers me because I had hoped all along that he had done the right thing from the start ergo rightfully earning her unshakable love. I was entirely wrong.

Sad Story (Page 133-144)

Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby develops many characters through a quick paced plot that will brings me to the edge of my seat. I feel so bad for this group of people that have come together through what I would call misfortune. The fact that Daisy and Gatsby did not end up together in the first place is enough to bring forth tears. On top of that, when they are finally reunited, they are separated by minuscule detail in an argument that no party besides Mr. Buchanan can call the truth. Gatsby seems to have been ruined as a person in this last part. I am sad because I thought that he would rightfully triumph over Buchanan because of all the wrong that Buchanan made happen, but instead Buchanan revealed wrong that Gatsby had partaken in and this whole situation got messed up. Daisy hitting someone with the car just does not seem right at all. how could this ridiculous love story be coming to such a horrible ending? The power that Buchanan has over Daisy is very upsetting. The tones of voice and body language that he portrays make me feel bad for Daisy since she must endure them for what appears eternity at the conclusion of this passage. I hope that those deserving each other will end up with the right person. I wonder if Nick will be able to commit and actually get with jordan once and for all. The way that he dropped her hand saddened me. Why don't these people end up with the right people! The effort that Gatsby seems to be putting in is getting ridiculous. "If he tries any brutality she's going to turn the light on and off again"(Page 144), gives the reader a glimpse of how attached and really brainwashed that Gatsby is to the idea that he is going to end up with Daisy. Now I am not even sure if Daisy wants to end up with Gatsby anymore. She just goes along with the flow way to much.

Breaking Point (Pages 121-132)

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is now reaching a climactic point where the possibility of world's breaking is becoming a reality. It seems as though the relationships that Mr. Buchanan has in his life might be coming to an inevitable end. It is inevitable because of the actions that he has taken in order to set himself up to get the deserving punishment that is coming his way. He has cheated on his wife multiple times with different women in various place. How could he expect to maintain a healthy, loving relationship with his wife? I find this notion completely ridiculous. No one in their right mind would allow themselves to be on the end of a relationship were being cheated on is a regular. I hope that Daisy follows through with her word and leaves Mr. Buchanan for good. She deserves Gatsby because of the time that he has waited and the perseverance that was shown. In the argument that ensued between Gatsby, Daisy, and Mr. Buchanan, I found Daisy's cry for help when she said, "I love you now-isn't that enough? I can't help what's past"(Page 132). She understands that her current situation may not look the nest for Gatsby to intrude upon, but she knows deep down that her past feelings and current feelings combine to be stronger for those that are directed towards Mr. Buchanan. The detail in this selection was amazing. The spot about Daisy dropping the cigarette and light, the description of the pain inflicted on Gatsby, and the confidence displayed by Mr. Buchanan all came together so well to develop this high tension scenario that no one in their right mind would willingly desire to be apart of.

Confrontation (109-120)

The Great Gatsby scribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains characters that are full of love and laughter, and in this reading, they began to clash. Throughout this selection, I found that the tension between the characters was caused by the revelation to Mr. Buchanan that Gatsby and Daisy are in love. I realized this is what the tension was created by when I read, "She(Daisy) had told him(Gatsby) that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw"(Page 119). Infuriated it seemed that Mr. Buchanan was motivated to figure out if this was really what was happening between the two with every action that he took. His sudden desire to go into town seemed to be spurned on by the hopes that there would be another sign of love between Daisy and Gatsby. I think that Mr. Buchanan might actually come to like the idea that he has an out from the relationship that has been continually degrading. I know that Mr. Buchanan likes his mistress very much due to the fact that he wanted to show him off at one point to Nick. Now that he is aware of his wife's love for Gatsby, maybe he will be inspired to change his opinion of marriage and break it off. I think that this would be the best for the both of them. I just hope that they are able to pull it off smoothly! On a side note, I am curious as to how intense the relationship between Nick and Jordan is because of the quick reference to spending time together in New York including a visit with some of her family. Perhaps another relationship will develop also, I guess I will find out soon enough!

Variation and Complication (97-108)

In this reading of The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I came to understand Gatsby as a man better. It seems as though he is a round character because of both the way that he changes his emotions and because of the knowledge that I am constantly gaining from the side stories told. I found that the building up of the party scene and the tension created by the presence of Tom Buchanan was incredibly effective. Through the use of both superb diction and a variation in syntax, I found the writing style of Fitzgerald to be well done. On page 104, Fitzgerald describe the mood of the party as, "The same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same many-colored, many keyed commotion, but I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before"(Page 104). I found this particular portion of the passage to be so effective because of the development of the thought by the reader demanded by the structure of the sentence including the commas and the description through the diction. I found that this was important to the passage as a whole for the reason that we could relate to how Mr. Buchanan was acting and why he was acting that way. His curiosity began to reveal itself over the course of this chapter through his interest in both Gatsby and his wife. It appears that for the first time Mr. Buchanan is worried about how and who his wife is spending time with. How ironic. Mr. Buchanan himself can cheat on his wife, but his wife cannot do as she pleases? This seems very unfair and I, personally, am hoping that they might end their relationship happily in order to pursue their real lovers.

Bewilderment (Pages 85-96)

Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has continually built up the character Jay Gatsby. In this previous section, I was very impressed at Fitzgerald's ability to build the tension between Gatsby and Daisy. The way that he describes the various actions taken by Gatsby that were advances for conversation and interaction seemed very real. The dream like state that Gatsby walked through his house in was portrayed so wonderfully by this idea that the beauty of Daisy was overpowering all else in the house. I found the diction in this particular selection of the book to be picked wonderfully. The author developed a dark setting with the rain and the gloom that was about then altered the mood by changing the weather and brightening up the relationship of the reunited friends. I wonder if Fitzgerald did this on purpose. It created a nice emotional story by writing so much about the nature then having the human(Daisy) be more beautiful than any manmade object that Gatsby could show off in the hopes of impressing his guests. I also liked how they eventually had nothing to do so they fell back on another splendor in life by having a guest play the piano. When Fitzgerald was describing events taking place, he used words that I found both as wonderful diction, and funny to the current situation. "...Began to cry stormily"(Page 92), was my favorite because of the way that he had described the rain and weather earlier in the reading. I ma curious as to what is going to develop between Gatsby and Daisy. By the description of Nick, they are already becoming a couple as easily as they had before. While he is leaving they are so out of it that they barely notice his going. I would like to know if Gatsby has fallen so hard for Daisy so quickly because of infatuation or because of their history together.

Anxiety (Pages 73-84)

It seems as though F. Scott Fitzgerald has finally decided to release the caged Gatsby character in this passage of The Great Gatsby. I have been waiting to figure out this Gatsby guy for the majority of the book, and now it everything is coming together. I wonder if the fallout with Daisy is the even that Gatsby referred to as very sad in the previous chapters. The development of this plot has been very weird in my opinion. The way that some things are told from the retrospect throws me off. Plus the way that other people have commentary throughout telling stories has made me reread a couple of times. I do like the way that this leaves the future action of the book as a toss up though. I really have no idea whatsoever what is going to happen next. I really hope that some sort of scandal occurs and these characters that are secretly in love will end up together. Maybe Tom will be able to get with his girl that he truly appears to love. I like that idea because it frees up Daisy to relieve Gatsby of all anxiety and it means that Tom will be happy with his girl for once. I found the story about Daisy getting married depressing because of the fact that she really did not want to get married but just did it anyways. Was the letter she held to so dearly from Gatsby? I am making the assumption that it was from Gatsby. I hope this meeting of Daisy and Gatsby ends well. The description of Gatsby before the meeting just added to the excitement when they described him as, "Pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes"(Page 84). I hope Gatsby can catch Daisy off guard and make her fall for him all over again.

Wonder (Page 61-72)

So far in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I have felt a mood of mystery woven in the writings, but in this past reading a new sensation came to my mind. Wonder. I began to not just feel the mystery induced by the lack of knowledge of the characters, but now with glimpses of what their histories contain, only wonder fills my head. I wonder about what will the next excursion with this most intriguing Mr. Gatsby will bring about. It seems as though this book could go into any different direction at all and I would not be surprised at all. Hopefully I would be awed at how such an intricate introduction to the story could face about and turn into a well-thought-out story line. Even Nick seems to begin to feel this wonder in the air. I sensed he did through the way he included the descriptions of the outcomes of some peoples lives in the list of those that visited Mr. Gatsby's that summer. He even seems to declare his feelings of wonder when he thinks, "Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder"(Page 69). I was not sure wether Fitzgerald was trying to imply that the Jewish man in the story had a particular dialect because of the way that he spelled out the Jewish man's words. It seems nearly impossible to even attempt to guess what will happen next, but I cannot lie I am excited to figure out the relationship with Jordan and the possibility of figuring out the "sad event" in Gatsby's past.

Honesty is the Greatest Policy(Pages 49-60)

Throughout this selection of chapter three of The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I began to learn more of this Gatsby fellow. While Nick attended a party at Gatsby's house, I was able to learn facts about Gatsby through the conversation that they held. The author again drew me in with his insane ability to draw my attention to the mystery of this character. I'm not sure that I am entirely keeping up with the time that is passing by because of the random side stories throughout. How far apart have these events occurred? It seems as though they have entirely been in the summer he has been present but then how much is he actually working? He talks of frequently going to New York and working and stalking people but does not give solid time periods for how long events in his life are occurring. Towards the end of this selection, Nick gives out insight into his relationship with Jordan and I would like to better understand how relationships normally went about in this time period. It seems as though he genuinely cares for her, but his doubting of her morality is evident in the clips of her inability to tell the truth. Why does it seem that he is about to drastically change something in his life? I first began to wonder if a momentous change is about to occur when Nick thought, "Nevertheless there was a vague understanding that had to be tactfully broken off before I was free"(Page 58-59). Where might this story take us next?

Revelation (Pages 37-48)

In this passage of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I finally got to get to know Gatsby a little bit. He is a man thoroughly made of mystery. It seems as though no one really knows much about the fellow. I like Gatsby so much already. The less I know about him the more I just want to know. This also allows my imagination to really build him up as a complete mystery;therefore, he has endless possibilities! He can end up being absolutely anything and the only way that I am going to find out more about this marvelous Gatsby is by reading and finding out. He could end up being a foil character for various of the previously described characters. It would make sense to me that Fitzgerald would build up these side characters in order to better contrast the main character that is yet to be entirely revealed. The conclusion of the pages that I finished seemed so appropriate. Instead of Nicks friend giving him any kind of descriptive important response, "He's just a man named Gatsby"(Page 48). This novel is really turning out to be one that I enjoy more than the last mostly because of the mysterious aspect, but I think that I already am relating to the male characters better in this book than The House of Mirth.

Attraction (Pages 25-36)

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, discussion between friends in a New York apartment reveals a lot about their current marital relationships and how they came to be. It is funny to me how openly they talk about what their feelings are at the current time face to face because of the lack of face to face contact in today's world. I also find it humorous that they, just as we do today, get together and consume alcohol and then proceed to complain about how the relationships in our lives are not as we wish they were to be. The reminiscing floods the characters with remorse about ether how quickly they acted or how they wish they would have acted. I felt sad when reading that even back then people found themselves in situations to be unfaithful to their spouse and grasped the opportunity. On page 36 when Mrs. Wilson found herself thinking, "You can't live forever; you can't live forever"(Page 36), I felt horrible for the man that she married. She was so ready to move on from this man that she once loved that she later even exclaims that she never loved him at all! The characterization of both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson was interesting because of the descriptions of appearance and how attractive they appeared. Mr. Wilson seems a boring fellow while on the other hand Mrs. Wilson comes off as having a beauty that draws you in, instead of being blown away at first glance.

Introductions (Pages 13-24)

In this passage from The Great Gatsby, I found the way that F. Scott Fitzgerald continued to reveal more of the traits that Tom has very intriguing. It seems that everything included about Tom is to show his true motivation behind things. Motivation can be spoken and unspoken, so I get into attempting to figure out the unspoken motivations. In these past pages, I feel as though the revelation of the way that Tom has a girl on the side, he attempts to appear smart, and the comments about racism reveal that he is motivated by pride. He wants to not only be the best, but also control other people. Why does he want to introduce Nick to his girl? Simply to show off. He is only interested in making himself look better. I wonder if the author is building this character up to better contrast another to be introduce? After the brief section about who Nick thinks was Gatsby outside his home only stirred my curiosity. I just want to know about this Gatsby fellow more and more. When will Nick be introduced to his neighbor? What was the trembling about? "He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, as far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling"(Page 20-21), brought my attention to the fact that Nick still has not been properly introduced to his neighbor that I so badly want to know more about.

The Great Mystery(Pages 1-12)

As The Great Gatsby was titled by Scott Fitzgerald, I would like title this first section because I want to be introduced to this Gatsby fellow. I have reached twelve pages into the book so far and have yet been introduced to the namesake of this novel. I thoroughly enjoy the development of the time period through the consistent use of an immense amount of adjectives and adverbs. Fitzgerald's use of, "Hard mouth, supercilious manner, effeminate swank, enormous power, and glistening boots"(Page 7), in the same paragraph truly impressed me. More than just developing the setting, Fitzgerald developed the characters and their attitudes in such a mysterious way that I found myself struggling to stop after twelve pages. I want to know what is going to happen next. When will we be introduced to this Gatsby fellow? The use of similes throughout the pages read really gave me an effective visual. Probably my favorite in the section was when Fitzgerald described the curtains as, "Like pale flags twisting them up toward the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling, and then rippled over the wine-colored rug, making a shadow on it as wind does on the sea"(Page 8). This stood out because of the introduction of the simile with "like pale flags" and ending with "as wind does on the sea" tying the entire description together. I hope that very soon we are described this mysterious Gatsby fellow in detail also.

Wow (Pages 252-268)

The finale of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton was not at all how I expected or planned it to be. The only death being a "accidental overdose" by Lily really disappointed my expectations. I thought for sure that Lily was smarter than that. I expected something involving murder to occur but I was completely off. Instead of an epic rather dramatic ending, the book concluded beautifully with the scene between the corse of Miss Bart and Selden. I enjoyed the ending because of the resolution that Selden felt and the fact that I liked Selden more than I liked Miss Bart. The feeling that Selden had at the end of "The world which made all clear"(Page 268) made me feel happy because instead of mourning the loss that occurred, Selden decided to adore and appreciate what the relationship brought to him. He let his feelings emulate a peace between themselves and what greater way could he have paid his respects?. Another aspect of the ending that brought me to a better mood was how Selden was going to Miss Bart's anyways to admit that his love was to great for him to ignore any longer despite her previous denials. Upon arrival, he finds Gerty. This showed that through it all Gerty kept the friendship so strongly with Miss Bart and never lost faith despite the fact that Miss Bart did terrible things to people and lost her job. The friendship and love that Gerty and Selden exemplified towards the end of this book truly kept the book alive for me.

Burn Baby Burn (Pages 241-252)

Miss Bart in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth seems to be a character that goes the full circle. She begins as this stuck-up high class woman looking for a man with money to marry and turns into a humble girl that realizes the wrong that she has done and desires to make up for it. Or at least these are the changes she has progressed to so far into the book. She recently dropped the packet of letters into the fire and I am sorely disappointed. I wanted an extreme ending hopefully with deaths and ridiculous declarations of love and spread out with some murder involved. Instead, I am imagining a goody girly ending where Selden ends up with Gerty and Lily ends up without any debt as Rosedale's wife. Please God do not let Selden end up with Gerty. I think because I am not a girl that I have become more drawn to Selden as a person and do not really care for Miss Bart as much. I cannot respect her because of the awful things that she has done and the one's that bother me the most she did to Selden! "I'd put you where you could wipe your feet on em'"(Page 244) greatly bothered me because I finally thought that Lily had humiliated herself enough to realize that she doesn't need to be at this great height of popularity to actually have what she needs.

Work and Drugs (Pages 221-241)

In this new portion of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Miss Bart finally seems to be doing something right in my opinion. She is not just wasting her life spending money and growing old, but instead works two different jobs and begins to see how the real world is spent. By working I see a growth in Miss Bart. She now seems more open when she is actually with other people and seems to feels the pressures of everyday life. She is open with the people that she knows and I saw this when she spoke with Rosedale so open and honestly. Maybe now she will be able to stop herself from the occasional lying and instead be truthful with all of the people that she needs to be. Miss Bart begins to feel the real pressures of the world by taking this sleeping medication. Just like everyone today drinks or smokes, Miss Bart is taking her own drug of choice and realizes that the real living is not quite as easy as it would seem. I foresee an overdose because of the precaution that the doctor gave to her as this medicine was so strong a dose. Maybe she will be clever and kill someone with it instead, I guess I can only read on and find out. My hope was inspired when the clerk at the drug store said, "A drop or two more, and off you go-the doctors don't know why"(Page 234).

Marriage(Pages 201-221)

The fortunes of Miss Bart in Book 2 of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth have recently been cast downwards as she sinks to new lows in her social status battle. She loses the upper class living which seems to be no big deal to me, but will only live in a hotel type place for a short time period because of her determination to marry. She desires to marry Rosedale but gets denied. I wish she could have left it at that. Now trying to make amends of the relationship with Bertha might possibly bring her to a more mischief and probable scandal. How surprising. The theme of money and the relationship that it has with the social status are becoming sadder and sadder in my mind. Why can't these people just enjoy life with or without the money? Was it that hard to love the people around you and just enjoy them? I see glimpses in the book where it seems that characters do care about another, but I am not so convinced. Such as when Rosedale and Miss Bart are discussing marriage and Rosedale feels, "The touch other hand, the moving softness of her look..."(Page206), give me the impression that he actually desires Miss Bart as a person, not just a status piece.

Mo Problems(Pages 187-201)

The majority of this past reading by Edith Wharton in The House of Mirth began to disgust me for really two reasons. First, I was disgusted by the clear development in the social class. There are these elites in the society, but then there are these second class elites that get over looked and almost pushed around in my opinion. The second reason that I felt angered was because of the way that each of these elite groups spend their time. They vacation, buy clothes, buy houses, and spend parties. What kind of a life is that to live? Each group spends their summer vacationing in these absurd places simply because they do have enough money to do it and also because of the "Heat" in New York during the summer. Miss Bart's position between these two social classes at the moment can end with the marriage proposals that she has basically been handed, and that bothers me. This idea of who you marry defining who you are and who is going to like you bothers me a lot. I hope that this is not how the world functions in today's society as I grow older. I hope she chooses Rosedale for the right reasons and not just the benefits of money issues like debts. "They swallowed her past as easily as they did Miss Anstell's..."(Page 189), clearly points towards the issues that I have with the absurdity of the events that occur in this book. They are unrealistic, and I understand that this is a book, but the fact that this book reflects the society that was around Wharton deeply troubles me.

Mo Money(Pages 168-187)

Wow! In the past writings in The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Miss Bart gets herself into quite the  situation! Not only do her scandalous problems with men grow, but the common money theme gets thrown out of line by the death of Mrs. Peniston and her will left behind. I would like to know if it was common of the time to have lawyers take so long, such as a year, to deal with something like a will. That seems like a very long time to me. This seems like an exaggeration used on purpose to put Lily in a spot where she must confront Mr. Trenor. Why does this Grace girl seem so loyal to Mrs. Peniston all of the sudden and gladly accept what she also knows is rightfully Miss Bart's? Does Selden know what is going on throughout this whole event playing out? He may not love Miss Bart as he once did but he seems to truly care about her and the bad situations that always encompass her. "Lily stood apart from the general movement, feeling herself for the first time utterly alone"(Page 180), this statement finally might have been the realization that her loving relation had actually passed. Maybe now Miss Bart wishes that she would have treated Mrs. Peniston with more respect and care.

Still Guessing (Pages 147-168)

Book 2 of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth already is full of so much drama. We come into scene again starting with Selden which also confuses me. Why does Wharton start each book from Selden's point of view and then continue to switch to the viewpoint being majorly by Miss Bart instead of Selden? I hope that this means that eventually they will get together. I am not sure how those coincide at all but I hope that is what it means. Some of the history we learn about Miss Bart falling into an engagement the first time she came to Europe kind of blew my mind since I just cannot come to believe that she actually said yes to a marriage proposal. She comes off to me as a person that will not even marry because of her continual folly. She ruined the engagement because she was flirting with another man. How interesting, it seems that Miss Bart ruins the majority of her chances of finally getting with a man for marriage because of her flirtatious ways towards men. "Now he suddenly felt the latent ache, and realized that after all he had not come off unhurt"(Page 150), made me realize that maybe Selden wants to be done with the relationship, but it also sparked a home that maybe his pain would lead to a healing of the relationship with Miss Bart

Stormy (Pages 121-146)

Edith Wharton has me completely entailed in The House of Mirth mostly because of the development of the characters, but another part of me truly wonders how this book is going to end. Throughout this section I was amazed at how some of the people in this book are seemingly polar opposites. Miss Bart and Gerty come off to me as opposites because of their attitudes. Miss Bart is hard in her ways and refuses to be kind unless something is in it for her. When she donated that money, she looked good. Gerty at one point in the same day was in a rage about to kill Miss Bart then completely turned around and showed kindness in taking her into her home. This characteristic of being so malleable in motivation and attitude shown through Gerty really reassures my thinking of Wharton purposefully putting motivation as a factor into this book. Wharton must have seen a large variety of motivations around her in order to so strongly influence her book. I am coming to like this development of the relationship between Selden and Miss Bart a large amount. I like it because Selden seems to be this all around nice guy who is looking for the right girl to be his wife for reasons that his past family reflects a little bit. I chose a sentence for this section also as my quote because of it's relation with the past chosen sentence. The previous one spoke of a raging sea and waves and this now speaks of the opposite in a sand storm. "Sobs shook her, and she bowed to them like a tree in a dry storm"(Page 134). Whartons use of similes really give me vivid visuals.

Dread (Pages 103-121)

In the past section of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Miss Bart seems to jump forward and then fall back again. She jumps forward at the party by being present and not drawing attention to herself and Mr. Trenor at the same time, but then falls back again by going to the Trenor house with only Mr. Trenor in it. Yes she did not know that it was only going to be Mr. Trenor, but the discussion about leaving lasted a bit to long for my taste. Upon hearing these words, I think that Miss Bart should have taken advantage of the wrong doing that Mr. Trenor had done by leading her there, and left the house immediately. I would like to know if Mr. Trenor really wants to have sex with her as hard as he seems to be playing it. The way that he speaks about the help that he gave her with the stalk market seems to be to much for me. It is just some money and not like he saved her life or anything. Miss Bart does not seem to have gotten around that much that she comes off as a whore so I am not quiet sure why he intends to have sexual relations with her. I am very curious to find out what Selden wants and how Miss Bart plans on going about the telling off of him also. I hope that Gerty is in a good comforting mood also so that she can help Miss Bart sort out her problems and hopefully decide to like Selden more. My favorite quote from this section of reading was an entire sentence from the discussion that Mr. Trenor and Miss Bart had concerning the money. The sentence described Miss Bart's feelings when she realized what Mr.Trenor desired from her, "Over and Over her the sea of humiliation broke-wave crashing on wave so close that the moral shame was one with the physical dread"(Page 119). Beautifully written.