Blood Wedding: Journal 7.5

Creative: Diary Entry of the Mother

How dare he!  Disrespect me like that, I'll show him!  How does he not realize how much I love him?  He is my last son; my last tie to this miserable planet.  Curse those knives!  For without them, war would not be here and my husband be alive and well along with my elder son.  But my living blood now rejects and distances himself from me.  I do not understand why he spends so much time in that vineyard of him.  It's almost as if the money is the only thing tethering him down.  And that girl, she is my greatest fear.  The fear that he will reside in his home with her for years to come.  Never will he come pay me a visit.  She and that vineyard shall both consume him to death, leaving me alone with myself.  Oh how I adore him so; to see him corrupted is just heartbreaking.  Her past is the venom that will do it too.  That Leonardo, he is the main threat to her.  And one infected the wife, the spouse falls too.  Oh my greif!  I do not foresee any possible route out of this.
If there is any way to prevent these harms from falling upon my son, come to me now!  He is the sun of my day, the sole love of my life.  I'd be consumed by greif if I were to ruin his newly found life, but then again, it is my duty as his maternal figure to protect him at all costs.  I would give every day of my life to greif if I could ensure that he is alive and well, unplagued by the knives.

Comments: Journal 7

Kyla Padbury:
Good evaluation! I like how you said that the reader knows what's going to happen from the very beginning.  In other tragedies, readers have to piece together the outcome, but this possibly adds to the suspense and tension that is created.

Tania Predovic:
AHH this is so good!  The language is perfect!  I love the poetic nature of the entry.  This is definitely something Oedipus would have confessed.  The part about being self destructive and "creating abominations" is wonderful!  Nice Job Tania

Eddie Tea:
Good concepts sir!  There are a lot of decent ideas for a paper if you can connect them with an image or symbol.  The snowball effect and splitting relationships are good descriptions.

Wild Duck: Journal 6

An entry in Gina's Diary:

Dear Diary,
I feel as if there is more to the child Hedvig than what people are letting on.  She acts in an entirely immature way and the girl is fourteen!  Fourteen years old!  This is simply outrageous.  I cannot imagine raising my own kid to be such a bratty, needy kid to the point of throwing a fit if she does not get candy.  But seeing as I hold the power in this family, I do not feel like it should bother me.
I control physical matters such as our money and finances.  Hjalmar does not know about his money, im pretty sure.  But, I also control other intangible matters.  I believe in living through the idea of "ignorance is bliss".  The reality of not knowing the truth is sometimes better for the soul rather than having that knowledge and becoming self destructive or depressed.  The reality of the truth of this family lies with me.  I do not want the others to find out the truth of Hedvig and her origins, including her father.  They may not understand or even realize that what I'm doing is protecting them.  Being of a high social class is decent and well respected, but isolating at times.  What really causes the unhappiness is falling down from such a high perch and then being criticized for it.  If the knowledge of Gina would get out, then the ramifications could be catastrophic.  I will do everything possible to keep this family together, protected, and respected among the high social classes.

Sincerely, Gina

Wild Duck: Journal 5

A dramatist often creates a gap between what the audience knows and what the characters know.  With reference to at least two plays, discuss how and to what effect dramatists have used this technique.


Like in many tragedies, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Ibsen all integrate foreshadowing, irony, and comedy into their plays.  For example, the image of blindness and absence of sight occur all throughout "Oedipus the King".  This is ironic because in the end of the play, Oedipus gouges out his own eyes as a last ditch effort to escape the mental and emotional anguish in his life.  Also, Shakespeare hints at the death of Romeo and Juliet through the constant brawls and war between their families.  The fighting would ultimately unravel the relationship until they entered the solace of death.  In Ibsen, the family almost takes on the mentality of ignorance is bliss.  The less they know about something, the happier they are and the less difficult their life is.  This mentality is also prevalent in Oedipus the King where he seeks to know about his prophecy, but eventually drives him to insanity.
These examples give a gap between what the audience and the characters know.  With enough foreshadowing, the reader can predict pretty accurately what happens in the plot before it occurs.  Yet, with this knowledge brings a tension that creates suspense in the reader.  The suspense drives the reader to continue reading, compelling them to inform the character of the knowledge that is being witheld.  But usually, the knowledge only presents itself to the character right before their death, or tragic fall from grace or power.

Wild Duck: Journal 4

A writer usually attempts to create a bond of trust between writer and reader.  How and to what extent have at least two writers you have studied been able to elicit your trust?

Sophocles:
The Greek author really takes a stride to evoke strong emotions through dramatic scenes in order for the reader to feel attached to the situation that is unfolding.  He immerses the reader into the story as if he is showing them a glimpse of the past.  The relationship between the author and the reader is not intimate, but still is very powerful.  The tragic feelings of anger, hate, confusion, and horror are all conveyed by Sophocles to the reader.  With these deep emotional connections, the reader gains trust in the author and therefore finds them reliable.  This is a good and bad situation.  If the reader trusts the author, then the story unfolds faster and the ending is more predictable.  Yet, if the author is unreliable, then the trust is tested and therefore creating either suspense or distaste towards the author.  Sophocles did a good job giving trust to the reader because he himself was not a part of the play, but still kept the reader connected through the emotions and conflicts, both internal and external.

Ibsen:
The Norwegian author takes a much different approach than the ancient Greek author, Sophocles.  Ibsen still tells the story in 3rd person like Sophocles, but does not evoke very strong emotions like those of Oedipus.  Instead, he convinces the reader that he is talking about their family.  He gains their trust because he feels it is not about the emotions, social and physical happiness.  This author takes a more personal approach to gaining the trust rather than beating the reader up with the intense emotions of a Greek tragedy.  He relates family issues to what the reader might have experienced or been involved with before

Oedipus: Journal 3

What effect does the setting have on story, character, theme?

The play "Oedipus the King" was written by Sophocles in ancient Greece during the festival of Dionysus.  With this context, the play was intentionally written for the Greek audience at that festival.  Going off of that, outside information regarding well-known figures such as the multitude of gods, cities, and notable figures (such as Tiresias) is limited to the modern day reader.  The interpretation of the play is very different for one who knows the background knowledge and one who doesn't.

For example, if a reader didn't understand the legend behind Tiresias and what curse he holds, then the story would project him as some crazy, absent-minded prophet.  Therefore, the setting of Greece and its culture influence how the story, characters, and the themes are interpreted.  Also, the ancient location gives a more barbaric tone towards the actions of characters and what emotions are evoked.  In these tragedies, the emotions are very amplified in order to clearly convey the theme the playwright is conveying.  Since there weren't many costumes, the masks used for facial expressions had to be complimented with great emotional portrayal.  

The setting also plays a part onto the story because of the importance of borders, cities, and wars.  City-states would fight all out wars for the small percentage of farmland available since most of Greece was mountainous and very steep.  This shines a light on how vital crops were to the survival of the people.  During the play, Oedipus is criticized for not attempting to help his people to recover from the plague and famine spreading.  He chose to carry on his personal mission rather than take on the daunting task of feeding his people, thus adding to the prophecy's accuracy of his self destruction.  

Oedipus: Journal 2

Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer’s work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the reader’s attention?


Sophocles creates a mystery with Oedipus and his complex prophecy.  He draws the reader in with high tension and suspense.  Oedipus' rage and self-destructive anger prove to be an interesting characteristic that attracts readers.  They want to keep solving the mystery and following the anger displaced by Oedipus' frustration.  Sophocles ultimately hooks and carries the reader through the story because of double meaning, foreshadowing, and tension.  Through inferring and close attention to detail, readers will understand the elevating situation and predict accurately the outcome.  It is this knowledge of what is going to happen when the character doesn't that creates the suspense.  Sophocles plays off of that suspense and directs it into the storyline.  The suspense of discovery ultimately leads to the unraveling of Oedipus.  His lack of fathom prevents him from comprehending the information that the prophecies predicted.  The pattern with effective writing is that in order to connect a reader to the story they are reading is to impact them emotionally.  When someone is depressed, we extend a sympathetic hand.  When someone is joyful, we celebrate with them.  When someone is angry, we watch in astonishment the destructive force they become.  Whether fiction or not, humans relate to characters just the same way they would with real people.  Intense emotion is the key to drawing in a reader and compelling them to continue reading.  Books like "The Stranger" lack this intense emotional connection, leading toward a dry, boring book that many people consider distasteful.  

Oedipus: Journal 1

Point of View
The story of Oedipus the King is told through a 3rd person limited point of view since this is a Greek play. The story is told through dialogue of the characters, but also stage directions.  The directions serve as behaviors that the characters carry out as well as description of the setting.  The actual narration is reliable since it is 3rd person.  However, since there are long monologues, the reader naturally feels that the story is being told through those main characters.  Through this point of view, the narrator is unreliable since the characters all have arguments and biased anger towards others.  The reader understands the desires, thoughts, and beliefs of characters because each one states, and almost declares what emotions are stirring within them.  Using this method, the author makes it quite clear which character readers or observers want to sympathize with and those who are hated.

Journal 22: Topic C

Margret Atwood creates a dystopian world where a totalitarian theocracy has been instilled. Her portrayal of this society is very different from other dystopian novels because the ruling power is still taking its position as the almighty commanding force. Many authors write as if the government and society have been set up for years and have been working perfectly until the protagonist comes along. Atwood writes with the society still in the transition phase, making the believability of the novel more real because change is all around us today. With technology constantly updating, the possibility of extreme regression is possible. She almost gives the reader a fear of the future because the characters remember what life was like before the change and free they were.
The author gives the reader a method of escape with May Day because they are the rebellious group trying to overthrow the society of Commanders and handmaids. The handmaids struggle for any little intelligence or knowledge not controlled by the government. This gives them hope that freedom is possible. Yet, with the society still in the transition phase and not yet complete, the reader questions the power of an omniscient, all controlling entity because there seems to be no way out. What little rebellion there is, it appears to be controlled and condoned by the government. This overlooking of uprisings allows the society to send a message by crushing any rebellion that gets started.

Journal 21: Topic B

Offred the best example of a character who is in a struggle with her dystopian environment in The Handmaid's Tale. She remembers her old life where she was married and had a daughter before there were such strict laws enforced upon the women. She takes every miniscule opportunity to silently revolt against the society. When she found the Gaelic writing on her dresser, she felt very empowered to know something the society didn't already. Her friend Moira knew what the old life was like and both desperately want to go back. Theses handmaids understand that there is something truly wrong with being so sheltered that writing is forbidden. Thoughts are a person's last sanctuary and if those get taken over or hindered, the natural laws of humanity have been broken. Each person is entitled to their own thoughts within their head, beyond the reach of any one else. These girls also question why they are there. The commander reads the bible, but nobody is quite sure why. His interpretation of it is very twisted and appeals to the welfare of the society. They ponder the reason of the house hierarchy and question why the handmaids are under the wives and why having babies is such a desired event. Also, writing and reading is banned, but creativity is still existent in the girls'.  

Journal 20: Topic A

“The lighter was ivory-colored. The cigarettes must have come from the black market, I thought, and this gave me hope. Even now that there is no real money anymore, there's still a black market. There's always a black market, there's always something that can be exchanged. She was a woman who might bend the rules. But what did I have, to trade? I looked at the cigarette with longing. For me, like liquor and coffee, they are forbidden.” (Atwood 14)

This passage is a window into the life of the handmaid. There is no freedom of speech or actions. The girls communicate in complete secret or visually. Certain words are forbidden and many items are contraband, like alcohol and cigarettes. There is also no money, as the passage states, leading to the conclusion that nothing is bought nor sold, but merely traded. The “black market” is depicted as hope in the handmaid's lives. I leads them to believe there is still a world outside of the walls they are kept in. The Commander's wife obtains the cigarettes, showing that power will get a person certain illegal privileges. In the community, information, independent thought, and freedom are all restricted. So far in the novel, freedom or individuality can only be obtained secretly and illegally. The main character explores her room for any anomalies or treasures of the past. She also attempts to steal some token from the Commander's wife's sitting room. These are symbols of false hope because they promote abstract thoughts of the past or future. The only other outlet for freedom of thought is dreaming, but it is a double-edged sword because horrific dreams may occur.   

Journal 19: The Final Thesis

The susceptibility to change and disruption at any moment is what gives life its fragility.  Albert Camus uses the motif of silence in The Stranger to foreshadow key events in the novel by illustrating calm tranquility before tense development.

Journal 18: The Stranger Opinion

The second time reading this book was definitely a much easier, more enjoyable, and more comprehendible reading than the first.  The Stranger is a great work by Camus who did a lot of writings on absurdity and existentialism.  I think this book was a great absurd text.  Now that I understand what the intention of this novel was, I appreciate what it has to offer because it teaches a person what absurdity is and gives a good story to manifest the idea in.   Usually when a book is analyzed through an English class, the novel is ruined for me because you can't enjoy it again without thinking about the analysis.  With The Stranger, I feel like the analysis helped me to understand what Camus is actually trying to accomplish, which made reading it over a second time much easier.

A piece of literature to me is some piece of writing that one doesn't necessarily have to enjoy but teaches them about an abstract idea or perspective.  This book definitely is a good piece of literature because of its absurd story and characters.  It taught me that there isn't just physical pleasure and problems in this world, but emotional as well.

Journal 17: Topic, Quotes, Thesis

Topic: Silence

Thesis: In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the author uses the motif of silence to foreshadow events of important development in the novel.  It represents the fragility of life and how easily it can be disrupted.
[This needs help with the rewording.  Any ideas?]

Quotes:

1. "The sound was like the muffled jabber of parakeets" (5).
2. "Now it was all these people not making a sound that was getting on my nerves" (10). 
3. "The cop knocked on the door and we couldn't hear anything anymore" (35).
4. "He looked at me in silence.  The he said, 'Good night.'" (38).
5. "I said, 'No.' She stopped talking for a minute and looked at me without saying anything" (40)
6. "They were staring at us in silence, but in that way of theirs, as if we were nothing but stones or dead trees" (46).
7. "At that point, Raymond said something to Masson which I didn't quite catch" (50)
8. "Raymond went right up to his man.  I couldn't hear what he said to him, but the other guy made a move as though he were going to butt him" (51).
9. "The whole time there was nothing but the sun and the silence, with the low gurgling from the spring and the three notes" (53).
10. "I felt the smooth underside of the butt; and there, in that noise, sharp and deafening at the same time, is where it all started" (56).
11. "I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I'd been happy" (57).
12. "They weren't fanning themselves, but they were still watching me without saying a word" (85).
13. "if he had noticed that I was ever withdrawn, and all he would admit was that I didn't speak unless I had something to say" (88).
14. "When the prosecutor returned to his seat, there was a rather long silence" (98).
15. "We waited a long time - almost three-quarters of an hour I think.  Then a bell rang" (102).

Journal 16: Questions & Answers

1. Why does Camus use the motif of silence right before a scene of major development?
2. Is the author being racist when he only refers to the Arabs by their ethnicity and not by their names? Why?
3. What is the reason why Camus describes the old women as grotesque, ugly creatures?
4. Why does Camus' character of Meursault continuously talk about is happiness/enjoyment?
5. What is the effect of the authors use of strictly simple colors within his description?

Comments:

From Ivan's:

"By changing the interpretation of Meursault's philosophy between the two parts, Camus introduces an almost entirely new character to illustrate the change that takes place within a person who has just uprooted every moral he has ever known from one who lives an absurd lifestyle. " 

From Omar's:

"Camus creates  parallels the waves in the ocean and the Arab interactions to show that disturbing the shores of peacefulness will always create repercussive waves, causing conflict."

From Hannah T.'s:

"Camus grants his character, Meursault, the one emotion of happiness because is the source of motivation, even though he has very little.  Happiness propels a person towards their goals and desires."

From Tania's:

"Camus writes that Meursault searches for Marie's face among the stones because he, for the first time in his life, has a goal of happiness that he is striving for.  Meursault is not an emotionless character because he feels happiness and the absence of it."

From Kyla's:

"Albert Camus' character of Marie is the lone symbol of happiness in Meursault's life because even in the existentialist way of life, an individual must find their own purpose for life and Marie is Meursault's purpose."

Journal 15: A Tale of Two Halfs

Albert Camus writes two parts within The Stranger to illustrate the difference in Meursault's belief's and realizations between being arrested.  But to show this difference, Camus must parallel these halves in order to take out any variables.  In my reading, I found two examples of these parallelisms and one example of a difference in Meursault.

1.) Similar description of the old ladies.  Camus describes them quite grotesquely, creating a horrendous image of what those women look like.

"Almost all the womean were wearing aprons, and the strings, which were tied tight around their waists, made their bulging stomachs stick out even more. [...] I couldn't see their eyes, just a faint glimmer in a nest of wrinkles" (9).

"A little thin-lipped old woman dressed in black and a fat, bareheaded woman" (70).

2.) The Arabs are only known as "The Arabs."  Camus only presents them based on their ethnic appearance.  He never gives names to any of the Arab characters.

"The Arabs were walking slowly, but they were already much closer" (51).

"The murmuring of the Arabs continued below us" (72).

3.) Meursault is shifting his happiness in unexpected patterns.  When he shoots the Arab, he knows that his happiness is gone, but in jail, his is oddly content.

"Apart from these annoyances, I wasn't too unhappy; Once again, the main problem was killing time" (75).

"And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness" (57).

Journal 14: Six Questions of Insightfulness

1. Why does Mersault  point out and describe Masson's mannerisms if he eventually says that he doesn't pay attention to it anymore?
2. What is the reason behind Mersault's criticism of other people when they drink too much while he drinks just as much?
3. Why is "silence" recurring throughout this book?  None of the characters ever have dialogue and the Arab's never speak.  Camus will use silence as a description of the surroundings quite often.
4. What goes through Mersault's mind when he thinks about the Arabs?  It seems that he is going to through multiple scenarios.
5. Why does Camus go into such great description of how neither party makes a move on the scalding beach?
6. Why is the only emotion that Mersault feels after shooting the Arab unhappiness?  

Journal 13: What I Think...

I formed my idea of Groundism because I believe that all humans are on the same level of physical existence, yet like the literal ground, there must be a sky above it, which in the metaphorical sense is where only our minds are capable of venturing.

Precepts to Groundism:

• There is no "higher power" nor any type or form of god(s).
• Every action is not necessarily justified by a determined cause.
• All matter and tangible transformations are physical occurrences.
• The only entity capable of leaving the physical plane is the human mind through ideas and thoughts.
• The goal of life is to seek pleasure and spread it to as many people (including future generations) as possible through rational and anti-infringing actions.
• Death is the detachment of the mind from the body in order for it to wander the "sky" and explore ideas and concepts for eternity.  
• Groundists do not see other humans on a higher or lower plane than themselves

This idea of a higher power is just a way out of explaining life.  God is a dumping ground for explanations by saying that "everything has a cause" and "life is planned out before you live."  I believe that everyone is equal and has the same freedoms in life as long you don't infringe upon someone else's  freedom.  There is a biological explanation for every single physical function except for the mind's abstract thinking.  That and that alone is the only entity able to escape from this physical plane.  Life is solely physical and the humans must make the most of it by seeking pleasure and spreading it to the human race.  This belief is important because there are countless religions picketing for your support, which almost makes it out to be like a popularity contest.  Because of this, Groundism is vastly rooted in Naturalism.  There is no physical proof that a higher power exists, inferring that the underlying theme of this belief is physicality.  

Journal 12: Gilbert vs Ward + Title

Part 1:

I personally prefer Matthew Ward's translation over Gilbert's.  I believe Ward's version has more literary value because it takes an unbiased approach to it, the language is more relatable, and the structure reflects more of the character's behaviors.  Gilbert tries to relate the reader more closely with the story by using American details such as miles instead of kilometers and mother instead of maman.  Part of reading a foreign novel is understand and learning about that culture and seeing it from their point of view.  Ward creates a contemporary and simplistic feel of the novel.  Gilbert uses more formal language like "two days' leave" and "well before nightfall" whereas Ward would keep the reader closer with simpler descriptions such as "two days off" and "afternoon".  Like the previous argument about the word choice, Ward uses simple sentences as opposed to colons and semicolons.  This reflects better with the thought process of Mersault and flows easier rather than pausing at the colons.

Part 2:

The Unconnected is a more appropriate title for this book because Mersault is definitely a part of the culture and within the social implications, but he lacks involvement and interaction.  He's distanced from his family, doesn't care for his occupation very much, and feebly attempts to converse with his neighbors.  An example of him being disconnected from his mother arises where Mersault talks with Monsieur Perez for the first time and discover so much about how she spent her days and what was on her mind.  The bond of a mother and child are not easily broken but can be tarnish over time.

Journal 11: Tabbing Takedown of The Stranger

My plan of attack for tabbing while reading The Stranger is basically the same concept that I followed for Eyes.  Each color of my tabs will represent each of the five categories of literary content.  I will then write down the technique used on the tab after putting it in the book.

Red- Character
Orange- Language
Yellow- Narrative
Green- Setting
Blue- Plot

I've noticed and intend to follow that Mersault has a habit of speaking before fully thinking about it.  Also he describes/thinks of older people more harshly and critically than younger people.

Journal 10: Theme + Quotes

Theme: To find confidence and recognize themselves as an individual liberated from coercion by male figures, women must take in the luxury of believing in herself to fulfill her rights.  


[I'm not quite sure this is clarified enough.  I'm not sure if there are words that are too vague even though I've reworded it three times now.]


"'Mah fust wife never bothered me 'bout choppin' no wood nohow.  She'd grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man.  You done been spoilt rotten.'" (26)

• The simile of "slinging chips like a man" is used in this quote.  It shows how women were just another slave to the men even in pure African-American settings.

"She wasn't even angry.  Logan was accusing her of her mamma, her grandmama and her feelings, and she couldn't do a thing about any of it." (32)

• Hurston throws in rising action and possible tension in this quote, adding fuel to the fire inside Janie's emotional threshold.  

"She got up without a word and went off for the shoes.  A little war of defense for helpless things was going on inside her.  People ought to have some regard for helpless things.  She wanted to fight about it.  'But Ah hates disagreement and confusion, so Ah better not talk.  It makes it hard tuh git along.'" (57)

• "A little war of defense" is a metaphor that is inserted into the statement to put emphasis on how much internal conflict is taking place within Janie.
• Internal conflict is illustrated through the above metaphor.  She is struggling with downplaying the "helpless things."

"No matter what Jody did, she said nothing.  She had learned how to talk some and leave some.  She was a rut in the road.  Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.  Sometimes she stuck out into the future, imagining her life different from what it was.  But mostly she lived between her hat and her heels, with her emotional disturbances like shade patterns in the woods--come and gone with the sun.  She got nothing from Jody except what money could buy, and she was gibing away what she didn't value." (76)

• Hurston uses a variety of literary techniques here.  She uses a simile and metaphor to drop a hint at how Janie feels like she is living her life
• There is diction where Hurston uses "beaten down by the wheels" as a reference to the oppression placed upon Janie.
• Alliteration with "rut in the road".

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

• External Conflict is used by Hurston between Jody and Janie to illustrate that she openly acknowledges Jody's oppression.

Journal 9: Mini Pastiche #2

Write a pastiche of Hurston by duplicating a theme that she uses and three stylistic elements. Use these elements with your own characters, setting, and conflict. After you finish your pastiche clarify what theme and techniques you used and how they were used in a way that mirrors Hurston's own use of them.


     "Welcome to Microsoft, Mr. Tybalt.  We look forward to having you on this accounting team and I wish you the best of luck," said Mr. Coleman.  
     "I look forward to being here," answered Frank Tybalt, a new hire at the Microsoft accounting department.  
     He traversed the maze of cubicles and found his newly assigned station next to a middle-aged, brunette woman named Nora.  Her heels were kicked off under her desk as she vigorously crunch numbers into a computer.  As the days turned into weeks, paychecks were due to be handed out.  Frank opened the envelope at his desk and glared at the $5800 check and gasped, "$5800 for my first month?!  Woo-hoo!"  Nora glanced at him and then back to her usual paycheck of $4600.  
     "This job does have it's ups," she said with slight sarcasm.  
     Later that night as she lay in her bed, thinking to herself, she spoke, "How can that hotshot just come in here, do the same amount of work at the same position as myself and get that much more money?!  I can't believe it!  I have been crunching numbers for six years and i haven't been offered one raise!  But, should i bring this up to Mr. Coleman?  I could ultimately lose my job, but I'm not sure I can take much more of this sexism.  I suppose I shall make up my mind tomorrow."
     The next day, Nora was going to confront Mr. Coleman about the paycheck discrepancies.  Each step walking to his office felt like someone had nailed Nora's shoes to the ground as she was trying to pick up her feet to get closer and closer to her future with Microsoft accounting.  As she opened the door, Frank walked out grinning and greeted her with a "Hello."  She slipped in.
     "Mr. Coleman, I must inquire as to why Frank has been making more than me when we are working the same position."
     "What about it?  You both rightfully earned the money you make and that should be all that matters."
     "We both do the same work!  How is our payout not the same?"
     "Can we save this for later?  I have an appointment."
     "No we can not," she barked at him, "As of today I am no longer putting up with your sexism and male dominance crap!  I am going to find a job that respects my gender and will treat me equally with men.  I quit."  


Theme: To find confidence and recognize themselves as an individual liberated from coercion by male figures, a woman must take in the luxury of empowering herself to fulfill her rights.  


1.) Apostrophe - Nora talks to herself and projects her thoughts to show the reader what is really going on inside herself with her feelings.  Hurston uses apostrophes with Janie to better project her internal conflicts and mixed emotions about the men in her life.


2.) Simile - The shoes being nailed to the ground represents how much reservation Nora had against confronting Mr. Coleman.  Hurston uses similes and metaphors all over her book to put emphasis on what the characters are feeling.  She even injects it into the dialogue when characters are describing details of important events.


3.) Diction - During the apostrophe, Nora described Mr. Coleman's actions as "sexist" which provokes a stronger reaction than if "biased" was used.  Hurston uses diction to strike a stronger vibe during important thoughts by characters to illustrate their more precise feelings.  

Journal 8: Stylistic Attributes

1.) The first stylistic attribute I recognized was started on page 100 but then completely developed over the next couple of pages.  For this scene, Janie asserts herself that Tea Cake is a young man who is just trying to take advantage of her.  She is set with the idea of being so cold to him that he never wants to talk to her again where it says, "Fact is , she decided to treat him so cold if he ever did foot the place that he'd be sure not to come hanging around there again." (100)  But later she realizes, "It was so crazy digging worms by lamp light and setting out for Lake Sabelia after midnight that she felt like a child breaking rules.  That's what made Janie like it." (102)  Janie begins to feel a change of heart and begins to let Tea Cake slowly into her life through the rest of the chapter.  Hurston applies dynamic character to Janie by beginning with Janie's distrust and skepticism toward Tea Cake.  The author then projects a more open and friendly tone when talking about her thoughts and actions with Tea Cake.  By using dynamic character, Hurston created drama within the story and a desire in the reader to discover what Janie would eventually choose.

2.) The next attribute that revealed itself began on page 104.  Tea Cake had been doing his best to stir up feelings within Janie by spending time with her.  In this part, the two of them are sitting on Janie's sofa when they start to argue.  Janie states that she is just some friend of Tea Cake's and his reaction is described in the line, "Janie walked towards the stair way slowly, and Tea Cake sat where he was, as if he had frozen to his seat, in fear that once he got up, he'd never get back in it again." (104-5)  Here, Hurston uses connotation to give a possibility that Tea Cake may never get this close with Janie ever again.  This technique instills a fear that their future together is nonexistent and propels the reader to investigate further, almost like the townspeople.

3.) After their fight, Janie lies in her bed, consoling and reassuring herself that Tea Cake was an absurd waste of time.  She said to herself, " Bet he's hangin' round some jook or 'nother.  Glad Ah treated him cold.  Whut do Ah want wid some trashy nigger out de streets?  Bet he's livin' wid some woman or 'nother and takin' me for uh fool.  Glad Ah caught mahself in time."  (106)  The author utilizes an apostrophe to peer into Janie's inter thoughts and grab ahold of her feelings and opinions on Tea Cake.  This gave me, the reader, a better insight to how all of these emotions are organized and laid out within the characters mind.

Journal 7: Mini Pastiche

Abstract Noun: Revenge
Vessel: Snake
2nd Noun: Hatred

And Lucius started to taste Revenge.  Revenge, a complex animation with a slick emerald figure that exists beyond existence.  A vile creature who thrives within a home without walls, and without bounds.  Hast Revenge a reason for intrusion, and whom can deny its fruitful temptations?  She stalks in the grass beneath our feet.  Stalks with reserve and an inviting glare, biding her time for an infectious opportunity.  Always in a slither from the time there was a hither until that hither starts to wither.  He knew the sign of the dead silver skin and knew he was apt to be poisoned.  He was consumed by fear and what he would become.  Dear Narcissa!  She deserves naught to deal with this by his side.  He proposed separation before the deed was done, but Narcissa disagreed.  They entered these circumstances as one, and shall depart as one with the responsibility of Her on their shoulders.  The temptation stirred within his mind, but did not arise.  He would find forgiveness within his heart.  Oh how he was mistaken.  He would pull out of this as soon as the dagger had sunk into his enemy's chest.  But if there was taken temptation, they would never understand but still hang their heads in remorse under the sycamore.  Strangers that couldn't comprehend the actions now hold a grasp and remain silent.  Basking in awe under the slithering sycamore.   Hatred, that scarlet serpent, had infected the bystanders.

I tried to incorporate a vessel with as many descriptions as a bird, so i chose a snake because of the many verbs and alternative names for it.  Like Hurston, I did my best to tell a story in the later half of the passage.  I didn't want to stick to the same story outline so I created a story of how the temptation to deal revenge is consuming and relentless.

Journal 6: Why "Death"? (Ch.8)

I commented on Anthony Quach, Andy Luu, and Sean Sakaguchi's theses.
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Hurston's Literary Choices in "Death Passage" (Ch. 8)


"Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West. The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and without a roof. What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him? He stands in his high house that overlooks the world. Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come. Been standing there before there was a where or a when or a then. She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now. She was sad and afraid too. Poor Jody! He ought not to have to wrassle in there by himself. She sent Sam in to suggest a visit, but Jody said No. These medical doctors wuz all right with the Godly sick, but they didn't know a thing about a case like his. He'd be all right just as soon as the two-headed man found what had been buried against him. He wasn't going to die at all. That was what he thought. But Sam told her different, so she knew. And then if he hadn't, the next morning she was bound to know, for people began to gather in the big yard under the palm and china-berry trees. People who would not have dared to foot the place before crept in and did not come to the house. Just squatted under the trees and waited. Rumor, the wingless bird, had shadowed over the town." (84)


Personification: Death

• Gives it/him a fearsome aura that creeps into the mind of the reader and helps the reader sympathize with Janie that death is a very real factor of life.  

Metaphor: Death & Living

• Hurston is describing Death's cruel and awesome power through the wind, the house, and the sword.
• The wind speaks about Death's tenacity and relentlessness
• The house speaks about the all-seeing, all-knowing presence of Death because he "stands high in his house."
• The sword speaks about how Death is always ready to strike and never rests

Consonance & Assonance: Orange & Green Highlights

• This emphasizes the power, immortality, and omnisciency of Death and possibly foreshadows to an inevitable death of a main character later in the novel.
• Also creates a mystery of how he/it was created or where it came from.   

Symbolism: Birds/Wings

• Hurston compares Jody to a bird.  She is saying that Janie is obligated to retain a memory from Jody before he is buried in her yard.  
• Hurston also infers that the story of Jody's death ("wingless bird") will spread and be distorted through the town.

Alliteration: F sound

• Helps the bird/wing symbols come to life by including "feather" in the alliteration.

Motif: Trees

• The author continues to use the tree motif in this passage to illustrate that life has down points and it is constantly under a state of development.  
• This also shows how someone can believe that things will get better because tree are dependably ever-changing beings.

Journal 5: Thesis

Tone:

Zora Neale Hurston creates and utilizes a harsh tone towards male characters in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God to emphasize the coercion women face with their husbands, and other male figures.  Hurston does this because empowerment within women unleashes freedom and individuality.

Journal 4: Three patterns

1.) Time or a time-related word used in the first sentence of a chapter.

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer." (21)
"Long before the year was up [...]" (26)
"On the train the next day, Joe didn't make many speeches with rhymes to her" (34)

2.) Porches

"It was the time for sitting on porches beside the road."(1)
"They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the nigh emerged" (33)

3.) Bloom/Parts of a flower (Metaphors for stages of maturity and emotional development)

"From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom." (10)
"She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her." (11)
"She wasn't petal-open anymore with him.  She was twenty-four and seven years married when she knew." (71)

Journal 3: Dialect and Harlem Renaissance

Part 1: Harlem Renaissance Figure

Duke Ellington is a 12-time Grammy-winning big band frontman, as well as a pianist and a composer.  He took control of a big band in 1924 and led them into their first gig at the Kentucky Club.  His career with his band survived through the 30's by touring on the the road and playing gigs wherever possible.  Soon the big band rose in popularity up to its peak in the 40's.  Ellington composed many jazz songs with influences from Harlem, New York.  Even through the 50's, Duke Ellington refused to conform to the changing culture and continued to produce variants of jazz music.  He appeared on the cover of Time Magazine on August 20, 1956.

Part 2: Dialogue Rules

My dialect is the generic "Boston/New England" language in the eastern United States.

Grammar:

1. Add "s" to end of certain nouns
2. Short, broken sentences
3. Argument statements are usually repeated for emphasis

Pronunciation:

1. Broad enunciation of the A sound
2. The dialect is non-rhotic (replace "r" with "ah")
3. Other vowels are kept the same

Vocabulary:

1. Use of doubled nouns (Burger-sandwich)
2. Are-->Ah
3. Park--> Paak

Part 3: Conversation

Duke Ellington is on his way through New England on a tour and heard about a spectacular hamburger joint that he had to try.  While ordering, Duke had a little trouble the the general manager, Donnie.

"I will take a cheese burger with a medium Pepsi, sir," ordered Duke.

"What?! In this town, you just ordered a burger-sandwich with a Pepsi-soda, pops," replied Donnie.

"What the heck is a burger-sandwich?" questioned Duke.

"A Burger-sandwich," said Donnie as he lifted one up, "is what you southernahs call a hamburger."

"Well what is the point of adding sandwich to the if we already know it's a burger?" asked Duke.

"Becahz the dahn thing is a burger and also a sandwich, old man!" quarreled Donnie.

"That is absolutely absurd!  And why would you need to inform your clients that Pepsi is a soda?" retorted Duke.

"Becahz," started Donnie, "the dahn thing is Pepsi as well as sodah!"

 "My my, you people are crazy!" shouted Duke.

Donnie quickly snapped back, "No sah, yous is a crazy one for weahin' dat Yankee hat in Bahston tahritory."

Duke bounced back, "It's certainly not my fault that we Yanks are a superb baseball team!"

"Yous peoples ah a disgrace to basebahll," said Donnie angrily.

"Well fine then! I refuse to dine in at your establishment, sir.  Have a nice day," said Duke slamming the door.

"Dahn outsidahs... They act like theys all gone to Haavahd and ah smahter than all of us," complained Donnie.

TEWWG Journal 2: Analytic

"'Come to yo' Grandma, honey.  Set in her lap lak you use tuh. Yo' Nanny wouldn't harm a hair uh yo' head.  She don't want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it.  Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out.  Maybe it's some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don't know nothin' but what we see.  So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up.  He pick it up because he have to, but he don't tote it.  He hand it to his womenfolks.  De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.  Ah been prayin' fuh it tuh be different wid you.  Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!'

For a long time she sat rocking with the girl held tightly to her sunken breast.  Janie's long legs dangled over one arm of the chair and the long braids of her hair swung low on the other side Nanny half sung, half sobbed a running chantprayer over the head of the weeping girl."  (14)

Elements are highlighted, colored, underlined, italicized, etc.

• More repetition of  "eyes" and "sight"
• Motif of how people believe things just by what they see and then pass judgement
• Contrasts the treatment of the nanny to the treatment of the white master
• The grandmother tells her hardships of being a slave through first person experiences
• Alliteration of "long legs"
• Illustrates the internal conflict within a slave to maintain integrity but not get punished
• Repetition of "long"
• The aqua highlights relate by sadness or greif.  
• "Ocean" is repeated from the first paragraph on the first page
• In the beginning of the novel, it says that men's wishes are always visible but too far away, but women chose to forget their dreams (ie: the black man in power is out of sight on the ocean)
• The grandmother repeatedly says that she is trying to create a better life for her granddaughter
• She degrades the black women and tells how they are more objects than people; possibly alluding to later in the novel.
• The author uses striking diction when the grandmother shouts "Lawd" because it illustrates her greif she has and the worry bottled up inside about her granddaughter.

TEWWG Journal 1: Reflective

If I were to tell my life story, I would begin with the event or decision that paved the way for the rest of my life.  Sure, life has its big moments such as marriage and children.  Yet, there is one pivotal point in your life that is the beginning of the rest of your life.  My story would begin with the discovery of the occupation, or even the way of life, that I love and want to sustain for the rest of my days. It is important to do something that you feel strongly about and to love what you do, otherwise you won't try your hardest.  Pushing your limits is how a person becomes stronger and allows you the self-confidence to be able to do anything.

When I make this discovery, I want to pass it on to the next generation.  It's vital that children understand what the possibilities in life are.  Reaching full potential is a major problem in today's society with school budget cuts as well as college growing ever more expensive.  Not everyone will reach their potential, which is a shame because the world is founded on the fulfillment of individuals' potential.  I want to give my children a better life than I ever had, but also teach them the morals and lessons to succeed as an individual.