Summary - Part 3 brings us back to Briony's point of view as she undergoes rigorous training as a nurse. She and her peers go through long hours of tedious chores and classes under the watch of the tough Sister Drummond. The hosipital is preparing for a large group of wounded of soldiers to come in from the battlefield. The soldiers finally come, shocking all of the women forever. The extent of some of their wounds was inconceivable. The amount of fatalities and horrific wounds was astronomical. Briony's perspective on nursing changes forever on that day. She doesn't mind giving up writing for helping save others. In critical moments, she learned how to separate herself from normal emotions to help the wounded. She finds a letter from a publishing company rejecting her novel, which is clearly a retelling of the events of that fateful day at the fountain, but encourages her potential with constructive criticism.
On her day off, Briony walks through London to go to a church where Lola and Paul Marshall are getting married. She arrives and wants to stop the wedding and confront everyone with the truth. However, she lets her cowardice get the best of her, and she did nothing. She walks to Cecilia's house where she sees her for the first time in several years. Cecilia confronts her with the issues of the past and says she will never forgive Briony what she did. Robbie enters the room and the confrontation only becomes more heated. Cecilia calms him down and they come to an agreement. Briony will redeem herself by telling the family the truth and get an official statement of the new evidence. The part ends with her leaving to get the statement while Cecilia and Robbie enjoy their last moments together before he leaves for drill.
The story takes us to London in 1999. It is Briony's 77th birthday, and she has been diagnosed with dementia. She is trying to write a book about the events of WWII. She runs into Lola and Paul Marshall outside of the library, where Marshall looks frail, but Lola is strong as ever. The couple has obviously contributed greatly to the community and are admired in the city. Briony goes back to her childhood home, which is now a hotel, for a birthday dinner with the extended family. The children perform her play, The Trials of Arabella, before dinner. The family shows Briony lots of love and respect for her and what she has accomplished. In her room that night, she contemplates over her book that contains the truth about the situation that has never gotten published. It can't be until Lola and Paul Marshall are dead, but truth wouldn't make a good story. Robbie died at Bray Dunes on June 1, 1940. Cecilia dies the following September from the bomb in Balham Station. Briony wanted them to be at the dinner table, still in love and happy, but that was out of reach.
Response - WORST ENDING EVER. The last two pages broke my heart, but I shouldn't be surprised. Life isn't a fairy tale. There isn't always justice. Heroes lose and villains prevail. It just seems that Robbie and Cecilia deserved their fairy tale more than anyone else.
The injuries described in the beginning of Part 3 made me realize that this actually happened. The soldiers just didn't get small scabs or break their arms, it was beyond anything I could possibly imagine. I could never be able to treat them without being emotionally and physically affected. This just put the hell of war into perspective even more than Part 2 did.
Briony is certainly morally ambiguous. I start to like her again, until I realize it was all a lie. Her cowardly ways cost Cecilia and Robbie the chance to live a life of love together, while Lola and Paul live a long life and prosper. I realize she was scared of confrontation. I would have been too if I were in her situation, but she knew she had to facing the truth was the right thing to do. She just couldn't get past her selfish fears.
I almost refuse to believe that Robbie and Cecilia end so tragically. It hurts my heart. I hate how Briony lives on. It seems to not affect her as greatly as it should. Her actions are just like a bad taste in her mouth that she just covers up and moves on. It should have consumed her enough to do something about it! As bad as she may be, I believe Lola and Paul are worse. They knew exactly what they were doing, but it didn't matter. They lived on while the innocent die. It's mind blowing how one night can change so many people's lives forever.
Ian McEwan is an amazing writer. I love how his style of varying view points and his sophist philosphies. However, it really hurt me to read the last two pages. Even the last line, "But now I must sleep," makes me dislike Briony even more. It's like she's pushed that so far out of her mind that it doesn't even matter, when really, their tragic love story was completely her fault. I'm interested in seeing the rest of the movie and possibly reading more Ian McEwan in the future.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Atonement Part 2
Summary - The book takes a total shift and focuses on Robbie as he is a soldier fighting in WWII after his time was served in prison. He is with two men who are with him through the war, Nettle and Mace. They see so much morbid violence and death that they become more numb. Robbie pushes himself to survive because of his lasting love for Cecilia and his longing to spend the rest of his life with her.
While Robbie was in jail, Cecilia cut off all communication with her family. She blamed them for Robbie's false arrest and ultimately, ruining his life and their love. She leaves her family and becomes a nurse. Cecilia and Robbie's love was re-established when he was released from prison. They were hoping to spend some time together after his basic training, but he was immediately sent to the war, leaving them with no time at all and no promise of return. She wrote him often always ending with the quote, "I'll wait for you. Come back." This was Robbie's only motivation for surviving.
Robbie faced many physical and mental obstacles in his time of service. He had gotten a terrible wound in his side but continued to press on despite his pain. That's what all the soldiers had to do. Robbie, Nettle, and Mace were allies that stuck together through all of their missions. They would find shelter and food together. They spent the night in a barn where Robbie relived his short memories of her over and over again in his mind. He also contemplated his hatred for Briony and why she blamed him so adamently. He remembers a moment several summers ago when he was teaching Briony a swimming lesson. She jumped into the water and almost drowned, just so he would save her. Robbie was angry at her and demanded an explantion. She only wanted to see if he would save her because she loved him. He wondered if she still held on to this childish love and became jealous of his love for her sister. Cecilia debates on reuniting with Briony since she wants to become a nurse also, but he doesn't know if his hatred for her will allow it.
Robbie leads Nettle and Mace through some highly dangerous situations. Although, he was sometimes delusional from fever and malnutrition. Numerous planes attacked a village killing many soldiers and civilians, but they somehow survived. They kept pressing on toward the beach, but they saw so much death along the way. I do believe they even saw a march to a concentration camp, if I read that correctly.
The three men make it to a bridge where trucks were handing out luxury items for the soldiers. They realize that they were taking the healthy men to fight in the infantry, so Robbie fake an injury to avoid this fate. They make it to the beach where several soldiers were taking refuge. They all try to take advantage of the food, drink, and lodging to where it led to violence. Mace single handedly saved a RAF representative, (the company that failed to help during the bombing attack). During this rescue Mace was separated from the others. Nettle and Robbie saved a pig in exchange for food and wine. They find shelter to sleep in an abandoned cellar. A boat arrives the next morning and they are on their way back to their normal lives.
Response - So, you were right. Part 2 did make me love Robbie even more. The love between Cecilia and Robbie is precious. She had to be in deep, serious love in order to permanently exclude her family from her life. But in a way, I don't blame her. They did ruin his life, which was so promising, and they did ruin their happines, which was so beautiful.
Robbie's hatred for Briony is completely justified. I do admire him for wanting Cecilia to reunite with her family, though. This proves his love for her is true and he truly wants what's best for her, and he doesn't let his selfish wishes come inbetween that. I wouldn't know how to handle having a relationship with her either.
The stories of all the death and gore of war puts a lot of things into perspective for me. We hear about soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan all the time, but we never really stop and think of the hell they are going through daily. They see so much that people should never have to see in a life time. They also endure so much physical hardship that I know I could never handle. This just gave me a much needed reminder that we all must be more supportive of our armed forces fighting for us right now, whether we agree with the cause or not.
My heart aches for Cecilia. She's made a life of her own while waiting for her true love that may not even return. She's invested so much into an uncertainty, but that's what love does to people. I only hope that Robbie and Cecilia are reunited soon and live the typical story book happily ever after. No characters deserve it more than they do.
While Robbie was in jail, Cecilia cut off all communication with her family. She blamed them for Robbie's false arrest and ultimately, ruining his life and their love. She leaves her family and becomes a nurse. Cecilia and Robbie's love was re-established when he was released from prison. They were hoping to spend some time together after his basic training, but he was immediately sent to the war, leaving them with no time at all and no promise of return. She wrote him often always ending with the quote, "I'll wait for you. Come back." This was Robbie's only motivation for surviving.
Robbie faced many physical and mental obstacles in his time of service. He had gotten a terrible wound in his side but continued to press on despite his pain. That's what all the soldiers had to do. Robbie, Nettle, and Mace were allies that stuck together through all of their missions. They would find shelter and food together. They spent the night in a barn where Robbie relived his short memories of her over and over again in his mind. He also contemplated his hatred for Briony and why she blamed him so adamently. He remembers a moment several summers ago when he was teaching Briony a swimming lesson. She jumped into the water and almost drowned, just so he would save her. Robbie was angry at her and demanded an explantion. She only wanted to see if he would save her because she loved him. He wondered if she still held on to this childish love and became jealous of his love for her sister. Cecilia debates on reuniting with Briony since she wants to become a nurse also, but he doesn't know if his hatred for her will allow it.
Robbie leads Nettle and Mace through some highly dangerous situations. Although, he was sometimes delusional from fever and malnutrition. Numerous planes attacked a village killing many soldiers and civilians, but they somehow survived. They kept pressing on toward the beach, but they saw so much death along the way. I do believe they even saw a march to a concentration camp, if I read that correctly.
The three men make it to a bridge where trucks were handing out luxury items for the soldiers. They realize that they were taking the healthy men to fight in the infantry, so Robbie fake an injury to avoid this fate. They make it to the beach where several soldiers were taking refuge. They all try to take advantage of the food, drink, and lodging to where it led to violence. Mace single handedly saved a RAF representative, (the company that failed to help during the bombing attack). During this rescue Mace was separated from the others. Nettle and Robbie saved a pig in exchange for food and wine. They find shelter to sleep in an abandoned cellar. A boat arrives the next morning and they are on their way back to their normal lives.
Response - So, you were right. Part 2 did make me love Robbie even more. The love between Cecilia and Robbie is precious. She had to be in deep, serious love in order to permanently exclude her family from her life. But in a way, I don't blame her. They did ruin his life, which was so promising, and they did ruin their happines, which was so beautiful.
Robbie's hatred for Briony is completely justified. I do admire him for wanting Cecilia to reunite with her family, though. This proves his love for her is true and he truly wants what's best for her, and he doesn't let his selfish wishes come inbetween that. I wouldn't know how to handle having a relationship with her either.
The stories of all the death and gore of war puts a lot of things into perspective for me. We hear about soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan all the time, but we never really stop and think of the hell they are going through daily. They see so much that people should never have to see in a life time. They also endure so much physical hardship that I know I could never handle. This just gave me a much needed reminder that we all must be more supportive of our armed forces fighting for us right now, whether we agree with the cause or not.
My heart aches for Cecilia. She's made a life of her own while waiting for her true love that may not even return. She's invested so much into an uncertainty, but that's what love does to people. I only hope that Robbie and Cecilia are reunited soon and live the typical story book happily ever after. No characters deserve it more than they do.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Atonement Part 1
Summary - The novel begins with the innocent scenario of a young girl, Briony, and her creative writing. She writes a play, "The Trials of Arabella", for her cousins to be cast as a surprise for her brother, Leon, returning home. However, her dreams of the perfect play are shattered when her ten year old cousins, Jackson and Pierrot, do not fit their parts appropriately. She is also disappointed because she unwillingly gives the role of Arabella to her 15 year old cousin, Lola, and feels like her play has lost all of its meaning and eventually cancels it.
Briony's sister, Cecilia, is home from college and is not sure what to do with the rest of her life. She ponders her identity and the possibilities of leaving home. Cecilia and the servant's son, Robbie, have grown up together around the house with an ongoing attraction to one another, even though Cecilia refuses to recognize it at first. Cecilia carries a vase of sentimental value out to the fountain where she and Robbie are fighting over it. The vase ends up broken into pieces in the fountain. Cecilia boldly strips down to her undergarments and retrieves the rest of the pieces from the fountain.
Briony witnesses this scene from her bedroom window and wonders what it could possibly mean. This thought leads to many mature psychological theories that enter her mind. She explores the possibilities of creativity and tries to reflect that in her writing.
Leon comes home with his creepy friend, Paul Marshall, who is in the chocolate business. Cecilia, Leon, and Paul all relax by the pool and talk of how their lives have been. Leon tells Cecilia that he has invited Robbie to dinner. This frustrates her because she is so annoyed with him about the scene from earlier that day at the fountain.
As Robbie is getting ready for dinner at the Tallis' house, he realizes his strong romantic feelings for Cecilia. He wants to express his feelings in a letter, but he can't find the words. He looks at his medical textbooks and discovers a picture of the vagina. He types, "I want to kiss your cunt. Your sweet wet cunt," with no intentions of this being seen. He writes another letter but picks up the explicit one instead. He gives the letter to Briony to deliver to Cecilia. Briony reads it out of curiosity and is mortified at the use of the word "cunt." She confides in Lola and they are both equally shocked. They both agree that he is a maniac and they must protect Cecilia from him.
Robbie confronts Cecilia about the mix-up in the letters in the Tallis' library. One thing leads to another, and they let out their sexual tension towards each other and make love. Briony walks in on the scene and her suspicions about Robbie.
The dinner was quite awkward to say the least. The twins ask to be excused from the table. After their dismisal, a letter is discovered in their seats. Lola reads that the twins are miserable in their new home and they have decided to run away. This sets everyone into a frantic search on the grounds late at night.
Briony searches the grounds with the intentions of finding the twins and protecting Cecilia from Robbie. She goes to the lake island on their property because she had a hunch Jackson and Pierrot might be there. Instead she finds Lola on the ground and her sexual assaulter running away. Briony is convinced it is Robbie, even though Lola didn't clearly see the attacker. Briony is almost positive it was Robbie because of the events from earlier, but something in her is doubtful. She ignores these doubts by steadily convincing herself.
Briony tells her family of the attack and the authorities arrive at their house. All of the family is questioned, but Cecilia is obviously disturbed by Robbie being accused of the crime. Briony shows the "cunt" letter to the police and everyone else, which frustrates Cecilia even more. Robbie finally returns with the twins, but he is arrested. Briony watches his arrest from her bedroom window and sees him and Cecilia have one last conversation. Briony admires her sister at what she believes is her forgiving heart. She still struggles with doubt into the coming years of her life.
Response - This is definitely the best book that I have ever had to read for an English class. After the slow moving 79 pages, I was intruiged. I love how McEwan shows the all of the deep layers of the main characters, especially Briony. She is a girl at her awkward stage between being a girl and a woman, and she really doesn't know how to handle her new maturity. Her creative mind is phenomenal, but I feel like she thinks she knows more than she actually does.
Paul Marshall creeped me out since he was introduced. I'm pretty sure he is the one who raped Lola instead of Robbie because of the awkward nursery scene where he is admiring her. Cecilia and Robbie remind me of Romeo and Juliet in a way. They are separated by class, but there is that undeniable chemistry between them. Robbie's arrest is tragic for Cecilia. I loved reading the scene where he is about to go off in the cop car, but they have their final loving words.
I pity Lola, Jackson, and Pierrot. They feel abandoned in a house where they don't belong because of a wreckless mother and divorce. This is something that we take lightly now because of the astronomical divorce rate, but the effect on the children is still the same throughout the ages. I'm glad McEwan reminds us of this.
I'm anxious to see how the rest of the story plays out. I am almost 100% sure that Robbie is innocent and Paul Marshall is to blame. The whole time I just want to save Robbie from his awful fate. I also want Briony to stop being so stubborn and actually investigate her self-doubt. But that's just where her naivety (sp?) is destructive and not innocent like in her writing. She doesn't understand the concepts of romance, love, and sensuality. This isn't necessarily her fault because she's only a child. However, I hope that this misunderstanding clears up and justice is served.
But then again, what if I'm wrong? What if Robbie really did do it?
I guess I'll find out later.
Briony's sister, Cecilia, is home from college and is not sure what to do with the rest of her life. She ponders her identity and the possibilities of leaving home. Cecilia and the servant's son, Robbie, have grown up together around the house with an ongoing attraction to one another, even though Cecilia refuses to recognize it at first. Cecilia carries a vase of sentimental value out to the fountain where she and Robbie are fighting over it. The vase ends up broken into pieces in the fountain. Cecilia boldly strips down to her undergarments and retrieves the rest of the pieces from the fountain.
Briony witnesses this scene from her bedroom window and wonders what it could possibly mean. This thought leads to many mature psychological theories that enter her mind. She explores the possibilities of creativity and tries to reflect that in her writing.
Leon comes home with his creepy friend, Paul Marshall, who is in the chocolate business. Cecilia, Leon, and Paul all relax by the pool and talk of how their lives have been. Leon tells Cecilia that he has invited Robbie to dinner. This frustrates her because she is so annoyed with him about the scene from earlier that day at the fountain.
As Robbie is getting ready for dinner at the Tallis' house, he realizes his strong romantic feelings for Cecilia. He wants to express his feelings in a letter, but he can't find the words. He looks at his medical textbooks and discovers a picture of the vagina. He types, "I want to kiss your cunt. Your sweet wet cunt," with no intentions of this being seen. He writes another letter but picks up the explicit one instead. He gives the letter to Briony to deliver to Cecilia. Briony reads it out of curiosity and is mortified at the use of the word "cunt." She confides in Lola and they are both equally shocked. They both agree that he is a maniac and they must protect Cecilia from him.
Robbie confronts Cecilia about the mix-up in the letters in the Tallis' library. One thing leads to another, and they let out their sexual tension towards each other and make love. Briony walks in on the scene and her suspicions about Robbie.
The dinner was quite awkward to say the least. The twins ask to be excused from the table. After their dismisal, a letter is discovered in their seats. Lola reads that the twins are miserable in their new home and they have decided to run away. This sets everyone into a frantic search on the grounds late at night.
Briony searches the grounds with the intentions of finding the twins and protecting Cecilia from Robbie. She goes to the lake island on their property because she had a hunch Jackson and Pierrot might be there. Instead she finds Lola on the ground and her sexual assaulter running away. Briony is convinced it is Robbie, even though Lola didn't clearly see the attacker. Briony is almost positive it was Robbie because of the events from earlier, but something in her is doubtful. She ignores these doubts by steadily convincing herself.
Briony tells her family of the attack and the authorities arrive at their house. All of the family is questioned, but Cecilia is obviously disturbed by Robbie being accused of the crime. Briony shows the "cunt" letter to the police and everyone else, which frustrates Cecilia even more. Robbie finally returns with the twins, but he is arrested. Briony watches his arrest from her bedroom window and sees him and Cecilia have one last conversation. Briony admires her sister at what she believes is her forgiving heart. She still struggles with doubt into the coming years of her life.
Response - This is definitely the best book that I have ever had to read for an English class. After the slow moving 79 pages, I was intruiged. I love how McEwan shows the all of the deep layers of the main characters, especially Briony. She is a girl at her awkward stage between being a girl and a woman, and she really doesn't know how to handle her new maturity. Her creative mind is phenomenal, but I feel like she thinks she knows more than she actually does.
Paul Marshall creeped me out since he was introduced. I'm pretty sure he is the one who raped Lola instead of Robbie because of the awkward nursery scene where he is admiring her. Cecilia and Robbie remind me of Romeo and Juliet in a way. They are separated by class, but there is that undeniable chemistry between them. Robbie's arrest is tragic for Cecilia. I loved reading the scene where he is about to go off in the cop car, but they have their final loving words.
I pity Lola, Jackson, and Pierrot. They feel abandoned in a house where they don't belong because of a wreckless mother and divorce. This is something that we take lightly now because of the astronomical divorce rate, but the effect on the children is still the same throughout the ages. I'm glad McEwan reminds us of this.
I'm anxious to see how the rest of the story plays out. I am almost 100% sure that Robbie is innocent and Paul Marshall is to blame. The whole time I just want to save Robbie from his awful fate. I also want Briony to stop being so stubborn and actually investigate her self-doubt. But that's just where her naivety (sp?) is destructive and not innocent like in her writing. She doesn't understand the concepts of romance, love, and sensuality. This isn't necessarily her fault because she's only a child. However, I hope that this misunderstanding clears up and justice is served.
But then again, what if I'm wrong? What if Robbie really did do it?
I guess I'll find out later.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Heart of Darkness Parts 2 and 3
Summary - Marlow overhears a conversation between the manager and the clerk complaining about Kurtz's methods of getting ivory. He hears that Kurtz is ill and isn't fully recovered. Marlow sets out on a trip on his newly repaired steamer to see Kurtz with the manager, clerk, and several pilgrims. The river and climate are sometimes difficult. They all occasionally hear the sounds of the natives on the riverbanks. During their journey, the steamer finds a hut with a stack of firewood and a note that says, "Wood for you. Hurry up. Approach cautiosly," with what seems to be a code on the side. The manager infers that it is from the troublesome Russian trader. The steamer stops close to Kurtz's location despite Marlow's will to avoid dangerous waters. However, the next morning, a heavy fog falls upon them, but they continue to travel anyway. A group of natives attacks their ship with arrows, killing one of the pilgrims. Marlow displeases lots of his hungry pilgrims by throwing the potential meal into the water. Marlow doubts that Kurtz is still alive, and this disappoints him. The men finally arrive at the Inner Station where they run into the Russian trader. The man seems to be brain washed by Kurtz with his constant praise and his never ending defense of Kurtz's honor, even though Kurtz threatened his life at times. Marlow discovers that he was the author of the code, which were only notes written in Russian. The pilgrims arrive with Kurtz's sick body on a stretcher. He is obviously extremely ill, but the natives still respect him with great honor. The manager criticizes Kurtz's methods, but Marlow defends him, making him an outcast to the men of his ship. That night, Marlow is woken up by the sound of drums and native songs. He goes to find the noise and discovers Kurtz is missing from his cabin. Marlow finds Kurtz, and Kurtz threatens him. Marlow convinces him to leave and helps him back to the ship. The steamer left the next day with Kurtz on board. While on his death bed, Kurtz fascinates Marlow with his philosophies on life, death, and success. He gives Marlow the remainder of his papers for safekeeping. Kurtz soon dies with his last words being "The horror! The horror!" Marlow becomes ill and almost dies too, but returns to Brussels after he recovers. Journalists beg, plead, and threaten Marlow for Kurtz's last papers, but he refuses to give them away until he finds one of Kurtz's colleagues that he trusts with them. To receive full closure of Kurtz's death, Marlow decides to go visit his Intended. She is still in deep mourning over a year after his death, and Marlow gives her the sympathetic ear that she needs. She begged to hear his lasts words. Marlow couldn't dare tell the poor woman the truth, so he tells her his last words were her name, only to find that nothing bad resulted from the lie.
Response - I have to say, I hated this book until about the last 10 pages. Yes, section 2 was more interesting than the first, but it felt like the story didn't even reach it's climax towards the end.
I was fascinated at how much of an effect Kurtz had on people. He obviously was an amazingly gifted leader because he seemed to brainwash the ones he was closest too, especially the Russian trader.
I loved how in the end Marlow hated ordinary people because of the experiences he had gone through because I can relate to that in a sense. I've walked down the hallways and wanted to curse at people for their ignorance before. It is frustrating to see people care about the most insignificant things, when you know that there are so many more important things in the reality. So when I read this, I couldn't help but laugh at how alike we are even though Marlow's circumstances were much more severe than my own.
The Intended was who really broke my heart. She was truly in love with Kurtz and she saw no flaw in him. Part of me wanted Marlow to tell her the truth about his last words, so she could get the proper closure she needed, no matter how long it would take her to come to terms with it. However, I completely understand why he lied. In a way, it didn't really hurt anything. In fact, it helped the hurting woman, even though she would heal based on lies.
Even though Heart of Darkness wasn't my favorite by any means, I can appreciate why it's such a literary classic. Though some of the descriptions were dense and seemingly pointless, others were so beautifully written that it made me think about things in an entirely new light.
Response - I have to say, I hated this book until about the last 10 pages. Yes, section 2 was more interesting than the first, but it felt like the story didn't even reach it's climax towards the end.
I was fascinated at how much of an effect Kurtz had on people. He obviously was an amazingly gifted leader because he seemed to brainwash the ones he was closest too, especially the Russian trader.
I loved how in the end Marlow hated ordinary people because of the experiences he had gone through because I can relate to that in a sense. I've walked down the hallways and wanted to curse at people for their ignorance before. It is frustrating to see people care about the most insignificant things, when you know that there are so many more important things in the reality. So when I read this, I couldn't help but laugh at how alike we are even though Marlow's circumstances were much more severe than my own.
The Intended was who really broke my heart. She was truly in love with Kurtz and she saw no flaw in him. Part of me wanted Marlow to tell her the truth about his last words, so she could get the proper closure she needed, no matter how long it would take her to come to terms with it. However, I completely understand why he lied. In a way, it didn't really hurt anything. In fact, it helped the hurting woman, even though she would heal based on lies.
Even though Heart of Darkness wasn't my favorite by any means, I can appreciate why it's such a literary classic. Though some of the descriptions were dense and seemingly pointless, others were so beautifully written that it made me think about things in an entirely new light.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Heart of Darkness Part 1
Summary - Four men are on a ship, The Nellie, sitting around and taking in the environment around them. They are all quiet and in a meditative state of mind until Marlow makes the observation that the Thames was a river where so many men have fought, died, and explored. He talks of his fascination of land and exploration even as a child. He reminisces about his experience as a younger man when he got a job as a fresh water sailor at a Belgian company with help from his aunt. He was taking the place of a captain who was killed in a fight with some African natives. Marlow goes through all the formalities with the Company and sets sail on a French steamer to Africa, which he feels like is the center of the earth. He sees lots of death and other inhumane circumstances along the way. When Marlow finally reaches Central Station, he realizes his boat has sunk, which may or may not be an accident. He hears many great think about the manager, Mr. Kurtz, but he is very suspicious about him. Marlow wants rivets to repair his ship, only to be disappointed by the Eldorado Exporing Expedition's arrival.
Response - I found this book very hard to get into in the beginning. It's density and descriptions just didn't grab my attention at first. However, there were some quotes that stuck out to me and were even facebook status worthy. Marlow's reflection of death and conquering land was beautiful to me. "They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force - nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others," practically jumped out at me. Just something about Marlow's reflections gave me an immediate appreciation for the book's excessive descriptions. Marlow recollections of the Africans broke my heart. It just made me hurt for them, since they were human beings. But I know back then, people didn't see things that way, and it's a shame. I would like to know the purpose of Marlow's life story and why it's significant, but I know I will find out soon enough. There are lots of subtleties in this book also that make me have to go back and read a certain passage again. It's challenging, but I appreciate the complexity and the beautifully written words.
Response - I found this book very hard to get into in the beginning. It's density and descriptions just didn't grab my attention at first. However, there were some quotes that stuck out to me and were even facebook status worthy. Marlow's reflection of death and conquering land was beautiful to me. "They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force - nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others," practically jumped out at me. Just something about Marlow's reflections gave me an immediate appreciation for the book's excessive descriptions. Marlow recollections of the Africans broke my heart. It just made me hurt for them, since they were human beings. But I know back then, people didn't see things that way, and it's a shame. I would like to know the purpose of Marlow's life story and why it's significant, but I know I will find out soon enough. There are lots of subtleties in this book also that make me have to go back and read a certain passage again. It's challenging, but I appreciate the complexity and the beautifully written words.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Poetry Analysis Blog #5
"In a Farmhouse"
Luis Omar Salinas
"In a Farmhouse" makes me think the poem will be about a significant moment happening in a farmhouse. The poem tells of a young Spanish American boy who is in his bedroom thinking of all the work he did and the the money he made that day. He thinks of all of his brothers in his race who may be dying of hunger. The whole poem is straight-forward. Salinas uses imagery so the audience can understand the boy's concern for himself and his people. The author wants the audience to have sympathy for the young, overworked boy, and the many others like him. The audience does feel sympathetic towards him and the Mestizos who may be dying of starvation. The shift occurs in line 12 when the boy stops talking about his work and wonders about the well being of other young boys like him. "In a Farmhouse" is significant because it is where the little boy realized that starvation is indeed "an odd way to leave for heaven." The theme is that no child should ever die from poverty or starvation.
Response
I liked how the poem was told from the young boy's point of view. I particularly liked the line, "what an odd way to go to heaven," because it made me think of all the children out there who really are starving while I'm snacking as I'm typing this. I realize just how blessed we are.
"The Beauty of the Trees"
Chief Dan George
The title and the name of the author make me think the poem is going to be about nature and the primitive way of life. The poet is describing things in nature that speak to him and how all their beauty makes his heart soar. Chief Dan George wants the audience to feel the same passion for nature that he has. The audience is imagining the beauty of his description and feeling his passion in his words. The shift occurs in the last line, "And my heart soars," because it's how his heart reacts to how nature speaks to him. "The Beauty of the Trees" is significant because it along with other things of nature, makes his heart soar. The theme is to appreciate the beauty of the simple things of nature.
Response
I like the parallelism that Chief Dan George used to describe the land. You can just see how passionate he is about it in his writing. He pours his love of the land into his words.
Luis Omar Salinas
"In a Farmhouse" makes me think the poem will be about a significant moment happening in a farmhouse. The poem tells of a young Spanish American boy who is in his bedroom thinking of all the work he did and the the money he made that day. He thinks of all of his brothers in his race who may be dying of hunger. The whole poem is straight-forward. Salinas uses imagery so the audience can understand the boy's concern for himself and his people. The author wants the audience to have sympathy for the young, overworked boy, and the many others like him. The audience does feel sympathetic towards him and the Mestizos who may be dying of starvation. The shift occurs in line 12 when the boy stops talking about his work and wonders about the well being of other young boys like him. "In a Farmhouse" is significant because it is where the little boy realized that starvation is indeed "an odd way to leave for heaven." The theme is that no child should ever die from poverty or starvation.
Response
I liked how the poem was told from the young boy's point of view. I particularly liked the line, "what an odd way to go to heaven," because it made me think of all the children out there who really are starving while I'm snacking as I'm typing this. I realize just how blessed we are.
"The Beauty of the Trees"
Chief Dan George
The title and the name of the author make me think the poem is going to be about nature and the primitive way of life. The poet is describing things in nature that speak to him and how all their beauty makes his heart soar. Chief Dan George wants the audience to feel the same passion for nature that he has. The audience is imagining the beauty of his description and feeling his passion in his words. The shift occurs in the last line, "And my heart soars," because it's how his heart reacts to how nature speaks to him. "The Beauty of the Trees" is significant because it along with other things of nature, makes his heart soar. The theme is to appreciate the beauty of the simple things of nature.
Response
I like the parallelism that Chief Dan George used to describe the land. You can just see how passionate he is about it in his writing. He pours his love of the land into his words.
Poetry Analysis Blog #4
"The Secretary Chant"
Marge Piercy
The title makes me think of some cheesy chant a group of secretaries made up when they were bored in the coffee room. The poem describes all of the stressful things a secretary must deal with it and how it takes total control over her. Connotative language is all over this poem. It's a giant metaphor saying different body parts are pieces of office equipment like, "My hips are a desk." Onomatopoeia is also used in lines 7 and 14. Piercy wants the audience to feel how overwhelmed the secretary feels in the poem. The audience does feel the stress and anxiety while reading it. The shift occurs in line 21 when she says, "File me under W because I wonce was a woman," because the poem saying she is no longer a human, but apart of the office. The title shows the significance of the secretary's voice that is lost in the jumble of work that must be done. The theme is that sometimes work can be so overwhelming, that you lose yourself in the process.
Response
This poem reminded me of myself now. I feel so stressed with all of my senior project and indoor percussion things that time for myself just doesn't exist anymore. It's a little ironic that I found this poem while in the midst of all the work I have to do...
"Assailant"
John Raven
"Assailant" makes me think that the poet is going to describe a serious attack. The poem describes a man reporting an attack to the police, but it was only a rat. Raven uses a Southern dialect to promote comedy and to show that the man in the poem wasn't educated. Raven wants the audience to think something serious is about to happen, only to laugh when it doesn't. The audience laughs in relief of the outcome. The shift occurs in line 9 when the man says he is talking about a rat and not a man. The title mocks the seriousness of the word assailant. I believe Raven is saying that we shouldn't take life so seriously, and we should all have a good laugh every once in a while.
Response
I laughed at this poem as well because it was nothing like any of the other ones I've read in the chapter. The others have deep themes of love, death, life, etc. while this seems to have no theme at all. However, that's just what Raven wants. He doesn't want us to think so hard, but to merely laugh at how ridiculous life can be.
Marge Piercy
The title makes me think of some cheesy chant a group of secretaries made up when they were bored in the coffee room. The poem describes all of the stressful things a secretary must deal with it and how it takes total control over her. Connotative language is all over this poem. It's a giant metaphor saying different body parts are pieces of office equipment like, "My hips are a desk." Onomatopoeia is also used in lines 7 and 14. Piercy wants the audience to feel how overwhelmed the secretary feels in the poem. The audience does feel the stress and anxiety while reading it. The shift occurs in line 21 when she says, "File me under W because I wonce was a woman," because the poem saying she is no longer a human, but apart of the office. The title shows the significance of the secretary's voice that is lost in the jumble of work that must be done. The theme is that sometimes work can be so overwhelming, that you lose yourself in the process.
Response
This poem reminded me of myself now. I feel so stressed with all of my senior project and indoor percussion things that time for myself just doesn't exist anymore. It's a little ironic that I found this poem while in the midst of all the work I have to do...
"Assailant"
John Raven
"Assailant" makes me think that the poet is going to describe a serious attack. The poem describes a man reporting an attack to the police, but it was only a rat. Raven uses a Southern dialect to promote comedy and to show that the man in the poem wasn't educated. Raven wants the audience to think something serious is about to happen, only to laugh when it doesn't. The audience laughs in relief of the outcome. The shift occurs in line 9 when the man says he is talking about a rat and not a man. The title mocks the seriousness of the word assailant. I believe Raven is saying that we shouldn't take life so seriously, and we should all have a good laugh every once in a while.
Response
I laughed at this poem as well because it was nothing like any of the other ones I've read in the chapter. The others have deep themes of love, death, life, etc. while this seems to have no theme at all. However, that's just what Raven wants. He doesn't want us to think so hard, but to merely laugh at how ridiculous life can be.
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