Blood Wedding Journal #3: Letters characters might have written

Dearest Leonardo,

I could not deny this burning, passionate love I felt when I was with you. Every minute of the day I longed to be with you. I left this other man's and my wedding, his family and his house for you, but I was afraid that you were the one they would punish. I kept asking you to escape, but you refused. I know you told me that you wanted to find a corner of darkness where you could escape the poison that others spread, and if that had happened, I would have always been there for you, carefully watching and guarding your dreams. These hands of mine, they longed to dig into your flesh and open your veins and listen to your murmuring blood. I was burning for your love. You told me that the only reason we would be apart would be because one of us had died. But now, my fears are a reality. We can never be together for, you lie under the fields of wheat.

Love always,

Bride

Blood Wedding Journal #2: The effect of the setting

The play Blood Wedding is set in Andalusia, which is an autonomous community of Spain. The stories that were set in Andalusia were often uncompromising in their exposure of terrible truths and powerful passions. This aspect and influence of the setting is seen when the bride is discussing her wedding with the maid.

MAID: Child, you're asking for trouble, throwing your crown on the floor! Lift up that head. Don't you want to get married? Say so. You can still change your mind.

(The BRIDE stands up)

BRIDE: They are dark clouds-an ill wind inside me. (41)

This shows how the culture that takes place in Andalusia can influence Lorca's play because the Bride is definitely having second thoughts in regards to her wedding. This idea of dark clouds being inside her gives off an ominous tone that what she is expected to do is interfering with what she actually wants. Another aspect of the setting that influences the story is the fact that the characters' celebrations include music and dance. This also helps to emphasize the BRIDE's hesitance to marry BRIDEGROOM because she says "I want to lie down awhile" (72) instead of joining the dancing going on. By not wanting to be a part of the culture's form of celebration, it again shows how the BRIDE is challenging what is expected of her because she is not only not participating in the festivities, she is also forced to reassess what she wants, even though it may contrast with the society's. There is also a sense of sacrifice that is influenced from the setting seen in the story. This sense of sacrifice is seen when the MOTHER says, "Can anyone bring me back your father? Or your brother? And then there is prison. What is a prison? People eat there, they smoke there, they play their music there. My dead ones, covered with weeds, silent, turned to dust. Two men who were like two geraniums! The killers, in prison, alive and well, gazing at the mountains" (7). The MOTHER is very passionate in expressing the sacrifice of losing her husband and son she had to make. The setting helps to influence the MOTHER's story because it highlights the hardships not only in the play, but also in life in general. She is very angry about the fact that even though the murderers may be in prison, they are still living and breathing and can still appreciate the beautiful parts of life, when her family members are dead, and are never coming back. By using this aspect of the setting, Lorca can reveal how this is something that could happen to anyone as well. It is evident how the setting of Andalusia has greatly influenced the plot of Blood Wedding, because it can also highlight how the emotions the characters feel are emotions that humans also often face.

Blood Wedding Journal #1: Stylistic techniques

There is a definite nature motif seen within the first act of Blood Wedding. The author uses this nature motif to reveal how nature is a representation of the pleasant aspects of life, like people coming together and not being separated. When the father says, "I'm only sorry that our lands-you understand?-are separated. I like everything to be together. There's one thorn in my heart, and it's that little orchard stuck right in the middle of my property. They won't sell it to me for all the gold in the world" (30), it shows the importance of not neglecting the things most important to a person in life. Gold is something that is extremely valuable and he refers to it in regards to the land, which shows that he not only takes pride in his orchards, but also in his family and the affection he has for them. This also explains why it is so important that his daughter get married and have children. He places emphasis on the positives of being together in a relationships through the motif of nature and connecting two people's lands together and he does not want that to be any different for his daughter. Although there are positives to life, such as relationships, that are highlighted through nature, there are also negatives brought up as well. When Leonardo's mother-in-law is rocking the child, she says, "Go to sleep, my rose- The horse begins to cry. His wounded hooves, His frozen mane, And in his eyes A silver dagger. They went to the river, Down to the river! The blood was flowing Stronger than the water" (17-18). This reveals the sometimes negative aspects of life that a person must face. Because water is such an essential part of life, and blood often can represent decay and hardships, what the mother says here really reveals how they both are incorporated in one's life. The horse in this quote is drawn away from the vital parts of life and has been physically and emotionally harmed. By expressing that the blood was stronger than the water, it reveals that the difficulties in life often overpower the precious aspects of life because something that is used as a symbol of pain has more force than the replenishing factors of one's existence. It is clear that the motif of nature can be used to represent both the positive and negative features in a person's life.

Wild Duck Journal #5: Ending in relation to the whole

In both Oedipus and Wild Duck, Sophocles and Ibsen create characters that cannot handle what has happened to them throughout the play and then take drastic measures in the end to escape from their troubles. Specifically, in Oedipus, Oedipus can not cope with the fact that he has murdered his father and married his mother and he also has a difficult time when Jocasta dies. In response to all this, Oedipus jabs his eyes out because he feels that it is better to live being blind than have to confront his parents when he dies. "I, with my eyes, how could I look my father in the eyes when I go down to death? Or mother, so abused..." (1500-1502). This reveals the difficulty that Oedipus has in coping with the hardships that occur throughout the play because he feels that it is necessary to inflict pain and suffering on himself and he allows his extreme, upset emotions to take over and his actions are a direct result of that. With the build up of these upsetting occurrences, Oedipus can no longer stand himself and feels that if he stays in Thebes any longer, his daughters especially will be affected because he feels he would have left a bad image and prevented them from ever having an auspicious future and someday getting married. "Such disgrace, and you must bear it all! Who will marry you then? Not a man on earth" (1642-1643). Sophocles decided to create a character whose primary way of coping with things is escaping what is painful to show how the story can build up throughout it and a character's emotions can eventually get the best of them in the end and force them to make drastic decisions in response. In Wild Duck, Hedvig takes similar action in order to escape the pain that has been forced upon her. When Hjalmar finds out that Hedvig is most likely Werle's child instead of his, he becomes extremely angered and storms out of the house. Seeing Hedvig and her poor eyesight just reminds him of Werle, the man the fathered the child he thought was his and he prefers not to be around Hedvig at all. Hedvig had always referred to Hjalmar as "Daddy," which shows her childlike attachment to her father and reveals how much he really meant to her. However, he is reminded of Gina's affair every time he sees Hedvig and does not want anything to do with her.

HEDVIG: Mother, should I - (Seeing Hjalmar, giving a squeal of delight, and running toward him.) Oh, Daddy, Daddy!

HJALMAR: (turning from her and waving her off). Get away! Get away! (To Gina) Make her get away from me, will you!

In response to Hjalmar's reaction to Hedvig, Hedvig grabs the pistol, goes up to the attic, and kills herself. This severe response to her Dad's lack of compassion reveals how much damage one could do if there are extremely heightened emotions that take over when one is faced with a challenging situation. Isben is also able to create a character that has a build up of emotions throughout the story because Hedvig has so much love for her dad, but is then forced to give that up. When this father-daughter relationship comes across an obstacle like the one that Hedvig and Hjalmar do in the end, Hedvig's emotions take over and she must escape her troubles through death.

Wild Duck Journal #4: Letters that characters might have written

Dear Gina,

Why must you be so selfish? Don't you realize what you've been doing to not only me, but also this family? You've tied us up in this web of deception and I don't really know how you can stand yourself. It's very difficult for me to grasp how you aren't completely torn up with feelings of remorse. You claim you know and have done what's best for me, but really I see this as a bitter situation that I wish you had told me about earlier. Bringing my invention dreams to reality, that all seems so unrealistic now. I wanted you to be the inventor's prosperous widow, but it doesn't matter now because it's all over. I'd like to say I'm sorry for leaving you and Hedvig, but I just can't be around the family I thought I knew. I just can't stay around the house when Hedvig could not really be my child. I don't want to stay around with a child who reminds me of the man you had an affair with. Both with their increasing blindness- it just angers me so! I know you think I'll come back to you and Hedvig, but I can't guarantee anything. If you can't respect me enough to tell me the truth up front and reveal the truth about "our" child, how can I show you any respect in return?

-Hjalmar

Wild Duck Journal #3: Exploring themes of judgment and punishment

In both Oedipus and Wild Duck, characters experience some form of judgment and punishment at some point in the story. In Wild Duck, this idea of judging someone and then suffering because of it is shown. When Gregers is speaking to his father, Werle, he says, "You've spoiled my entire life. I'm not thinking of all that with Mother. But you're the one I can thank for my going around, whipped and driven by this guilt-ridden conscience" (175). Gregers is placing this judgment and blame on his father and is holding his father responsible for his guilty conscience when he did not have the courage to speak up against the trap that was laid for Lieutenant Ekdal. We can see how according to Gregers, Werle is the one who is responsible for Gregers' internal harm, but Gregers is the one who must suffer the punishment because of his father's actions. Gregers made it come across as Werle completely destroying his life when he says that Werle "spoiled" it, and the effect of this shifting of judgment and blame shows how the characters do not necessarily accept the responsibility for the punishments, like a guilty conscience, they receive- it is given to someone else. However, in Oedipus, when he says, "What love, what call of heart can touch my ears with joy? Nothing, friends. Take me away, far, far from Thebes, quickly, cast me away, my friends- this great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven, the man the deathless gods hate most of all!" (1475-1480), Oedipus places more of a judgment on himself. He reveals that he does not deserve joy ever again and feels that he does not even deserve to stay in Thebes because he has just realized he murdered his own father and married his mother. The punishment he faces because of this realization and judgment of himself is definitely an internal one. He loses any pride he had initially and therefore the punishment he faces is just the fact that it is unlikely that he will regain any sense of dignity because of the unknown actions he has taken. This contrasts with Wild Duck and has the effect of revealing how in Oedipus the characters' judgment and punishment are more internal and they are completely stripped of what was initially high self-regard. They do not pass the blame onto someone else for their suffering, they suffer the consequences as if they should be held responsible.

Wild Duck Journal #2: Gap between audience and characters

In the play Oedipus, the chorus acts as the connection between the audience and what is going on on the stage. There is dramatic irony created because the audience knows Oedipus' story, but the characters have no idea of what to expect in the future. The chorus permits the audience to be more connected and included in the play because there is more of an interaction between the chorus and Oedipus and the chorus and the audience. When the chorus says, "I pity you but I can't bear to look. I've much to ask, so much to learn, so much fascinates my eyes, but you...I shudder at the sight" (239), it shows how they sympathize with Oedipus when he is in such agony and the audience does the same thing because they can see how this once-mighty character has torn himself down and is now so miserable. In Wild Duck, there is no 'chorus' that the audience can connect to. Instead, it is as if the detailed stage directions make up for it and the setting and backdrops help inform the audience instead of the chorus doing so. However, because the audience is supposedly viewing into this private setting through a "fourth wall," the audience is more disconnected and there is no chorus to add input throughout the play. There is a wider gap between the characters and the audience in Wild Duck than there is in Oedipus because of this lack of dramatic irony.

Wild Duck Journal #1: "Visual action can be as important on the stage as speech."

In plays such as Wild Duck and Oedipus, visual action is just as, if not more important than speech. Without the visual action of the characters, there is much less of an effect of the lines given. The reader can analyze the text of the play to a certain extent, but without witnessing the mannerisms of the characters, the emotions that the writer initially wanted portrayed are not as strong. In Wild Duck, when Werle is accused by Gregers of being interested in a former housemaid, he says, "And you dare--! You have the insolence--! How could he, that ungrateful dog, that--photographer; how could he have the gall to make such insinuations?" (132). The reader can get the sense that Werle is angry through his harsh use of words, but by seeing the actions that would go along with how he is feeling at this point would make his emotions more convincing. By possibly hearing his raised voice or seeing the defensive look on his face would show that it is not just what he says, it is also what he does while he is saying it that would allow the audience to completely understand the meaning of his words. Similarly, in Oedipus, he says, "You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on the ones you never should have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to know! Blind from this hour on! Blind in the darkness-blind" and it is clear how much pain Oedipus is in because of how much pain is mentioned. However, by actually hearing the desperation in his voice and seeing his pain displayed on his face would make the audience believe the words that come out of his mouth. Overall, speech is important because it is what allows the plot and the story to get across to the audience. However, the visual actions are what make those words and emotions believable.

Oedipus Journal 4: Oedipus' Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

I am in a very difficult situation. I've murdered my father and married my mother, all of this initially without my knowledge. I wish that I hadn't been permitted this much life! I wish I had died earlier! That way my family and I could have been saved from all this grief. I wish it had never come to this extreme, because now I'm afraid I'm loathed by the Gods. I think my decision of jabbing my eyes was justified, though, since this way I can avoid having to look my father in the eye once I die. I don't even want to end there! I wish I could block out all the sound of life as well, because then I would rid myself of a world full of pain. I want to escape Thebes- I want to go so far away that I'll never hear another human voice! I know if I leave, my boys will be able to fend for themselves, because they're strong young men. But, I wish to see my daughters. I'm afraid that if I stay here, they will be burdened with this misery as long as they live. I want to let them know that they deserve and should pray for a better life than I had. So, for now I offer a farewell to my children, all the citizens of Thebes, and (I pray) the pain I feel.

Oedipus Journal 3: Stylistic Techniques

Throughout Oedipus, it has been apparent that there is a constant occurrence of this idea of light. This motif of light helps highlight how the characters don't have complete control over themselves. This is especially highlighted when the Chorus says, "But now for all your power Time, all seeing Time has dragged you to the light, judged your marriage monstrous from the start" (1340-1342). This quote reveals how once something is brought into the light, it's as if it is out of the person's control because judging is something that is always existent. When one judges another person or thing, the initial owner loses the ability to completely determine his/her own opinions or decisions regarding that and this fact is especially illuminated when it is brought into the light. Another example of this is shown when the messenger says, "what a heavy weight of sorrow you will shoulder...[...] I tell you neither the waters of the Danube nor the Nile can wash this palace clean. Such things it hides, it soon will bring to light-terrible things, and none done blindly now, all done with a will" (1353-1360). This idea of the hidden things coming into the light and being terrible shows how certain aspects of characters and their lives are uncontrollable. The reader connects the image of rivers, which are extremely powerful, with the light and it convinces him/her how much more forceful something can be over a human.

Oedipus Journal 2: A poem written by Oedipus

The Enemy

He can't escape the punishment.

He'll never get away with his

plots,

schemes,

or plans

to steal my crown.

He's a traitor and a burden.

He's the enemy.

"Calm" or "rational"

Don't make me laugh.

His crooked mind convinces him

that there's no conspiracy,

but I see a criminal

un

fold

ing

right before me.

He's the enemy.

Wait, could it be?

The three-road path

seems too familiar.

If the stories match up,

if he says only one man,

could it be possible that

I've become the enemy?

I decided to create a poem that Oedipus wrote about Laius' murderer. At first Oedipus is convinced that Creon is the murderer and that Creon has a plan behind this murder to interfere with Oedipus' power. He then recalls that he happened to be at the place of Laius' murder when Jocasta explains how Laius was killed by a group of theives where three roads meet and after hearing it he begins to second guess himself. I wanted to show how Oedipus initially shifts the blame to Creon in the beginning of the poem through the repetition of "He." By repeatedly saying "He," and "He's the enemy" it shows how Oedipus wants to bring the attention off of himself and really emphasize Creon's guilt. Through syntax, I was able to reveal with the constant use of punctuation how Oedipus didn't feel like there was much room for explanation and it was obvious who should be held responsible because the sentences/lines are short and to the point. However, there are question marks in the third stanza which illuminate how Oedipus is questioning his initial thoughts and beginning to wonder whether or not he should have been so quick to judge. There is alliteration in the line "His crooked mind convinces him that there's no conspiracy, but I see a criminal unfolding right before me," and the harsh sound of the C's really highlights Oedipus' sharp emotions because the reader can relate the hard emphasis to Oedipus' feelings.

Oedipus Journal 1: Point of View/Characters

Oedipus the King is primarily told from Oedipus's point of view and it has not changed so far in the story. Oedipus is somewhat reliable but at times he is not because his emotions take over. It is seen how emotional Oedipus can be when he says, "Now you have me to fight for you, you'll see: I am the land's avenger by all rights [...] Whoever killed the king may decide to kill me too, with the same violent hand--by avenging Laius I defend myself" (153-159). He gets very involved in Laius's death and is willing to make sacrifices to solve the current problem that he and the town are facing. He is not completely reliable at this point because of the feelings he is experiencing of needing to solve the unknown factors regarding Laius's death. The reader can really see Oedipus's take-charge and sometimes arrogant personality shine through when he says, "Oh dear gods, my curse on those who disobey these orders! Let no crops grow out of the earth for them--shrivel their women, kill their sons, burn them to nothing in this plague" (307-310). The reader gets to know Oedipus pretty well through this because it reveals his passionate personality and reveals that he does not want anyone to take advantage of him. The reader can get to know the character Tiresias and his provocative ways because of the fact that once he is angered by Oedipus, he hints at the knowledge of Laius's death that Oedipus wishes he had. The characters are more credible before they get angry with each other because after Oedipus and Tiresias start provoking each other, their upset emotions take over and it is difficult to say whether or not what they say is completely true. The characters are presented in a way that shows that their lifestyle and belief in the Gods affects their personalities and characteristics. When Creon says, "I will tell you what I heard from the God. Apollo commands us--he was quite clear--'Drive the corruption from the land, don't harbor it any longer, past all cure, don't nurse it in your soil--root it out!' " (107-111). This reveals the characters' dedication to the Gods and it shows that they are presented in a way where their actions are a direct result of what they think the Gods would want them to do. The writer can persuade us to like some characters and dislike others because he initially creates a character who has a mighty quality about him, like Oedipus, then brings in another character that provokes that mighty character, like Tiresias, and the reader doesn't want to see this character being taken advantage of. The reader reacts with the first impressions of the characters he/she is given.

Poetry Comparison

A passage from Charlotte's Web:

"But as he was being shoved into the crate, he looked up at Charlotte and gave her a wink. She knew he was saying goodbye in the only way he could. And she knew her children were safe. [...] Next day, as the Ferris Wheel was being taken apart and the race horses were being loaded into vans and the entertainers were packing up their belongings and driving away in their trailers, Charlotte died. The fair grounds were soon deserted. The sheds and buildings were empty and forlorn. The infield was littered with bottles and trash. Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all. [...] Every day, Wilbur would stand and look at the torn, empty web, and a lump would come to his throat. No one had ever had such a friend- so affectionate, so loyal, and so skillful. [...] As Wilbur watched, the [baby] spider let go of the fence and rose to the air. [...] Wilbur was frantic. Charlotte's babies were disappearing at a great rate" (White 171-179)

Although the relationship between Wilbur and Charlotte in Charlotte's Web is not as romantic as the relationship between the speaker and the woman in "Tonight", there is still the same amount of love prior to the separation of each couple, just in a different way. In the passage, Wilbur realizes the positive effect that Charlotte had on him and acknowledges the significance that their loving friendship possessed. Similarly, the speaker in the poem expresses that he did not have a way of controlling the feelings he had for this woman he is speaking of and it shows how important their relationship was to him. In the Charlotte's Web passage, Charlotte passes away at the fairgrounds, and there is a repeated image of the fairgrounds being deserted and forlorn. This helps to highlight the fact that E.B. White wants the reader to associate the idea of a deserted area with Wilbur's feelings regarding Charlotte's death, and it again emphasizes Charlotte's importance in Wilbur's life. In the poem, there is a repeated image of the night and its immensity which helps to show that the speaker feels their love is as endless and immense as the night sky.

However, in the passage, Wilbur agrees to take care of Charlotte's babies and seems devastated when he thinks that they are going to leave him. This shows that he wants to cling on to his relationship for as long as possible because he wants to continually renew his memories of her through her children. This contrasts with the poem because the speaker in "Tonight" wants to put the pain he feels in the past, which is expressed in the last stanza, because the separation between him and the woman negatively affected him because their initial love was so strong.

Poem XIII Journal 1

What is the poem about?

This poem expresses the emotions that a man feels about a woman he has a sexual connection with. There is great distance between the two of them and a sense of sadness is established because they cannot be together. The man has a difficult time of expressing to the woman what he wants to or what he is trying to say about the situation because they are so far from each other. Because of the fact that the man cannot express what he wants, there are consequences he must face.

Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking?

The speaker in this poem is a man that is very far away from the woman he wishes he could be with. The man speaks to this woman and expresses his discontent about the distance between them. He almost objectifies her, though, and he refers to her as if she is a doll or a toy, instead of a person. The poet makes it clear that the speaker is not as interested in the deeper meaning of their relationship as he is in the physical aspect of it. This establishes the negative side of their relationship. Without this woman around, his "heart closes like a nocturnal flower" and he is left to suffer the consequence of wasting away.

Why and how was it written?

This poem was written to express the heartache people feel when those that comfort them are not around. He makes this clear because the poem allows the reader to see how much this woman's absence has affected the man. The poet does this by contrasting the ideas that contribute to happiness and life, like a fruitful season or water and thirst, with things that contribute to the idea of death, like burning or a heart closing. He ties this in to the relationship between the man and the woman when he says, "In you, behind you, timid, driven by thirst". The poet mentions thirst because he wants to show that when the speaker is engaging in this physical experience with the woman, there is a sense of life within him. However, when the poet mentions "burn, flee, like a belfry at the hands of a madman", he is expressing that it is almost as if the relationship is wasting away because by saying 'burn', which contrasts with the idea of life because it is something that can kill if it gets out of hand, it shows he is not as alive as he is when he is with the woman that satisfies his sexual desires.

1984 Journal #3: Aspect of society (Topic A)

"Winston stopped reading, chiefly in order to appreciate the fact that he was reading, in comfort and safety. He was alone: no telescreen, no ear at the keyhole, no nervous impulse to glance over his shoulder or cover the page with his hand" (Orwell 152).

The society seen in 1984 has a very strict structure.To ensure that the citizens do not go against what the Party stands for, they are constantly being watched and listened to through the telescreens that surround them. The Party brainwashes the citizens and the Party claims inventions as their own. They alter history and force an endless present where the Party is always right. This passage reveals Winston's constricting feelings regarding the party. He acknowledges that when he does not experience the security that comes across in this quote, he must consistently take awareness of his actions in order to prevent the Party from stepping in and forcing him to suffer the consequences of making his own choices. Orwell expresses that Winston is in "comfort and safety" when he does not feel the need to look over his shoulder to show the Party's ability to be overbearing. Orwell also shows Winston's consciousness of the Party's effects to reveal that even though the citizens of the society are molded to the needs of the Party, they still have a way of manipulation that allows them to be benefitted.

1984 Journal #2: Wake Up Call (Topic C)

When Winston is trying to explain to Julia about how the past is being abolished, he says, "Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered" (Orwell 128). This shows the author's powerful vision of how the leaders of the future will allow the past to be completely altered. In the story, the author makes it quite believable because he explains how the Party wants the past knowledge to be dissolved so they can convince the citizens that they are right and the only evidence for the past is the memories that the citizens possess.

The author want us to realize that the only choice we have in preventing the leaders from erasing our past is completely understanding and taking interest in what is happening in the world around us. When Winston explains, "In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on the people incapable of understanding it" (Orwell 129), he makes it clear that if people become knowledgeable of the events arising, it is more likely that they will be able to prevent things from getting out of hand. Orwell makes this clear to show how dangerous being uninformed can be. This clearly connects to the party's slogan of WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH because by having ignorant citizens, the party can rise up and gain an immense amount of power.

1984 Journal #1: Character's Struggles against Society (Topic B)

Winston is majorly trapped in a struggle against society. He is constantly watched by the telescreen and by the posters of Big Brother that are positioned all over the buildings and city. The Party's slogan is WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH which shows that the more the state keeps from the people, the better they feel things will be, which forces the people to become victims of the state's preferences.

To resist these restrictions, Winston sits out of view of the telescreen. "By sitting in the alcove, and keeping well back, Winston was able to remain outside the range of the telescreen, so far out of sight" (Orwell 9). Winston wants to challenge the system. By sitting where he can be heard but not seen, it shows that he does not completely agree with the state that he is forced to live in and starts to resist through this action.

Another moment where Winston employs resistance is when he finds himself writing DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER repeatedly in his diary. "It was absurd, since the writing of those particular words was not more dangerous than the initial act of opening the diary; [...] he was tempted to tear out the spoiled pages [...] but he did not do so" (Orwell 19). He is, in a sense, not successful because he realizes that the thought police have him 'trapped' and no matter what he does he cannot escape Big Brother or the rest of the thought police.

The Stranger Journal #7: Thesis

Thesis

Through the motif of smoking, which helps transition the reader from a distant protagonist to a more emotional protagonist, Camus reveals that one is able to adapt in any unfamiliar situation.

The Stranger Journal #6: Meursault's conclusion

At the end of the novel, Meursault comes to the coclusion that it does not matter how long one lives or what one does throughout his or her life, everyone is privileged to at least have a life. The reader can see Meursault's appreciation of life when he says, "Maman used to say that you can always find something to be happy about. In my prison, when the sky turned red and a new day slipped into my cell, I found she was right" (Camus 113). He especially realizes how precious his life is when he is faced with death. Before he was this close to meeting his demise, he had not found any meaning in day to day activities. However, because he is now sentenced to death, it allows him to see how much his life actually meant to him.

Yes, Camus does want the reader to come to the same conclusion. Through Meursault's epiphany, the reader can also appreciate the things that make life important. It allows the reader to see that when it comes down to death, life as a whole can actually have meaning.

The Stranger Journal #5: Two Parts

Camus creates two parts to the novel to differentiate between Meursault's willingness to express his emotions. It allows us to see a different side of the protagonist and allows us to become less distant from a character that we once were quite detached from.

One parallel idea occurs when Meursault is listening to the director answer questions during the trial. "...with such a triumphant look in my direction that for the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" (Camus 90). This brings the reader back to Meursault's reluctance to showing emotion. We can see this reluctance when he refers to the urge to cry as "stupid". He is not willing to allow the people around him to see his true feelings. Through this, Camus accomplishes that even though he is not willing to display his emotions, he acknowledges that he cares about others' opinions of him. Because of this, the reader can better connect because we can emotionally attach ourselves to him and feel less distant from the protagonist.

Another parallel idea occurs when the judge asks Meursault to state his motives for the crime. "Fumbling a little with my words and realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I blurted out that it was because of the sun" (Camus 103). The motif of the sun is continued throughout both parts of the books. This shows the reader that Meursault has a hard time expressing his reaction to the crime. Camus is able to accomplish communicating Meursault's feelings through the motif of the sun because every time he is in an uncomfortable situation, he mentions how the sun affects him. In the first part, the sun communicates Meursault's feelings for him, but in the second part, he is able to come out and say it himself.

The Stranger Journal #4: Meursault's changes

A lawyer comes to the prison to begin asking Meursault questions about his case. When Meursault says, "What I can say for certain is that I would rather Maman hadn't died" (Camus 65), it shows a change in Meursault's personality. In part one, Meursault was not as in touch with his feelings and did not express them the way he does in part two. He acknowledges that he does have feelings regarding his mother's death in part two, where in part he kept to himself and made the reader wonder whether or not he really cared.

The lawyer continues to ask Meursault questions to help develop his case and Meursault mentions that he "started to breathe more freely" (Camus 70). This takes his personality from routine and contained to more relaxed. This shows the reader that Meursault changes the way he feels about the situations in his life and is going about them in a less detached way.

Meursault is not allowed to have his tie, shoelaces, belt or cigarettes while in prison and it was initially quite difficult for him to become acclimated to. However, when he says, "Later on I realized that that too was part of the punishment. But by then I had gotten used to not smoking and it wasn't a punishment anymore" (Camus 78), it shows his completely altered mind-set. In part one, he is stuck on his routine including always smoking his cigarettes. Because he is now in the prison, he is forced to come out of his comfort zone and break his routine. This shows the reader that Meursault is able to become something he was not originally in part one.

The Stranger Journal #3: Motifs

"I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn't dissatisfied with mine here at all" (Camus 41).

This quote contributes to the motif of sticking to a routine. Camus creates this motif to show that the protagonist does not feel any need to expand his horizons in life. It will continue to create this distance between the reader and the character because it prevents the reader from having new experiences with Meursault.

"Waiting for the next course, she again took out of her bag a blue pencil and a magazine that listed the radio programs for the week" (Camus 43).

"But at the same time I noticed, at the far end of the beach and a long way from us, two Arabs in blue overalls coming in our direction" (Camus 53).

"It was covered with yellowish rocks and the whitest asphodels set against the already hard blue of the sky" (Camus 49).

The motif of the colors blue, white, red and yellow appears every time Meursault experiences something he is not completely familiar with. This may lead to the author using colors whenever Meursault is forced out of his comfort zone. The descriptions of the colors next to the ordinary protagonist is a major contrast.

"You could still hear the sound of the water and the flute deep within the silence and the heat" (Camus 56).

"And every time I felt a blast of its hot breath strike my face, I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists in my trouser pockets, and strained every nerve in order to overcome the sun and the thick drunkenness it was spilling over me" (Camus 57).

"...the rest of his body in the sun" (Camus 58).

There is a major motif of sunlight and heat so far in this story. This might lead to the reader realizing the differences between the author and the narrator. The narrator is in charge of everything he does and it is his doing that allowed him to become the person he currently is. The author might be trying to show that there is a higher power that people cannot control with this motif of sunlight and heat.

The Stranger Journal #2: Personal Philosophy

Hollyism:

· Optimism- There are positives that can be found in every situation. There is no point in wasting time concentrating on the negatives because life becomes easier when one realizes what makes him or her so lucky in an unfortunate situation.

· God is not responsible for all the events in one’s life- If something bad happens, it is not because one has done anything wrong. God does not put anyone in a bad situation, He helps guide him or her through it.

· People’s personalities are subject to change- Just because someone is a certain way at one point, does not mean that he/she will always be like that.

· Things in life are meant to be- Everything in life happens for a reason. People are always in the right place at the right time.

· Meaning to existence will eventually be found- Although there may not be a current reason for why people are living, eventually someone will come across the “meaning of life.”

· People work hard for rewards- If people know that there will be some kind of repayment for their actions, they are more likely to work hard to achieve those goals and receive that reward.

· Living in the moment is important- If people spend to much time thinking about the future, they miss out on the good things that are current and happening around them. They are too busy thinking about what will happen instead of what is happening.

The Stranger Journal #1

Summary

After Meursault receives news of his mother's death, he catches a bus to head to his mother's old people home in Morengo. He spends the evening in the mortuary below the home with his mother's casket, the caretaker and some of his Maman's friends. The caretaker then has Meursault sign some documents and he informs Meursault of the small, intimate funeral. Things quickly move from the funeral to the hearse, which took his Maman to the burial.

The next day, Meursault goes swimming with a former crush named Marie. They then decide to go see a movie that evening. The following morning after Marie leaves, Meursault finds himself to be bored and he wanders around his apartment. He finds himself people-watching from his apartment window. At the end of the day, he gets ready for the routine week ahead.

Personal Reaction

I find his apathetic behavior to be quite interesting. I do not understand how he could be so unaffected by his mother's death. He is not terribly thrown out of his usual routine after he hears new of his mother dying and I find that surprising. He finds other things more important than the bad news, which is quite out of the ordinary for normal human behavior. Most people have to spend time mourning and getting over a death in the family, but not Meursault. He just goes about his normal activities as if nothing had happened which is a bit hard for me to grasp.

Analysis

Camus is trying to distance the reader from the protagonist so the reader can better understand why Meursault is such an apathetic person. Meursault feels the nothing is really important in life and Camus wants to communicate to the world that things really are not that big of a deal through Meursault's characterization. When Meursault says, "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed," (Camus 24) it shows the reader that the death of his mother did not have that much of an impact on him. It does not really affect his usual routine which shows that it does not reveal much importance in one's life. Death is bound to happen and with it not affecting the protagonist, it makes it easier for the reader to accept.

Research

Algiers, Algeria was a site where American troops invaded Northern Africa in something called Operation Torch. In 1942, Algiers also remained under the Vichy Government, which was a term used to describe the French government.

Journal #9: Two content elements and Plot diagram

A theme that gets developed throughout the story that is supported by chapters 19 and 20 is that one who impacts another person's life will ultimately change and leave a lasting effect on that person.

After Tea Cake is killed, Janie attends Joes funeral wearing her overalls. Janie was, "too busy feeling grief to dress like grief" (Hurston, 189). This shows us that Janie was clearly impacted by Tea Cake's death. In comparison to when Joe dies, Janie actually is upset about Tea Cake dying. The contrast of Janie's two husbands' deaths illuminates the fact that with Tea Cake, she does not feel like she has to put on a false appearance to show others her true feelings about him. He has changed Janie and with her expression of "grief" it is obvious how much he impacted her and how upset she was when he was no longer in her life.

Janie is chatting with Phoeby at Janie's house and she mentions to Phoeby that, "Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (Hurston, 191). Janie is referring to all of her previous relationships. She expresses that with every man she has been with, a change has been made to her. She is never quite the same person and can grow with each marriage. Although love is a powerful thing, like the sea, it can still change and form to any element it encounters. Janie is a strong person, but the men she has married definitely have left a lasting effect on her.

Plot diagram:

Anne has never known what it is like to live with her parents. She has grown up under her Grandmother's roof. Her Grandmother has taught her many lessons- anywhere from "Don't cry over spilled milk" to "Just be yourself." Listening to those sayings as a young child, Anne did not think anything of them. However, after Anne's Grandmother passes away a few years later, she finds herself recalling all the times she could listen to a word of advice from her wise Grandma. She finally realizes how much she cherished those times and how much of an impact her Grandmother's sayings had on her.

Journal #8: Setting that develops a theme

After the dramatic hurricane struck, Janie expresses her gratitude to Tea Cake for helping her establish who she is as an individual. "Once upon uh time, Ah never 'spected nothin', Tea Cake, but bein' dead from the standin' still and tryin' tuh laugh. But you come 'long and made somethin' outa me" (Hurston, 167). Hurston uses setting to help establish the theme of how going through tough times helps Janie realize how much she appreciates the people that helped her become the person she is today. Tea Cake allowed Janie to have more freedom than she did with Joe. This has helped Janie realize that she should not have to hold her thoughts and opinions to herself. When the hurricane that strikes threatens both of their lives, she realizes how devastated she would be if she lost Tea Cake. Hurston uses the setting in this sense to emphasize the potential danger the characters could face and how if something happened to Tea Cake, Janie would have lost a part of her that helped shaped the person she is currently. Because this situation is happening in this setting, it forces the reader to emotionally attach him or herself and realize how difficult it would be to lose someone that moulded the personality and independence that makes up one's identity. Through this occurrence in the setting, Janie grasps how quickly the people she appreciates most can be taken from her and makes it clear that she is who she is because of Tea Cake.

Journal #7: Character decisions and Pastiche

Near the beginning of the story, Janie makes the decision to leave Logan for Joe after he convinces her that she, "ain't never knowed what it was like to be treated like a lady" (p. 29). However, Joe does quite the opposite. He is disrespectful and forbids her to contribute to conversations he is having with other townsmen. Janie's motivation for moving on from Logan to Joe is the fact that she longs for equality. Joe has a heroic quality about him when he is first introduced in the novel and it comes across that he is going to treat her very well. She is tired of Logan rushing her and giving her orders of things to do around the farm so she feels that moving on to Joe is the best decision she could make.

Pastiche:

Janie pivoted from the door instead of acknowledging it, and positioned herself in the center of the room instead of moving on. She felt uneasy just stalling to recognize her emotions. She had given what Logan said much thought and had kept it in a place that could easily be recalled. As soon as she was done she flung the mixture into the pan and flattened it over. She did not feel upset. Logan was blaming her of her mamma, her grandmamma and her feelings, but she knew what she must do. The dough in the skillet needed to be flipped. Twirled the cornbread with a plate then took a deep breath. Why would she even consider leaving Logan? The thoughts of her Nanny's wishes flooded across her. Janie quickly moved to the back door and picked up her work where she had left off. Although Joe was probably anticipating Janie's appearance that morning, she could not risk letting her Nanny down.

The aroma of the farm was like a worn-in pair of shoes. It showed her how tightly the shoelaces were knotted. She decided to keep them on and continue her life with Logan, the shoes ensuring her a place that is hard to detach from. After a while Logan came out to finish up on one of his jobs. A small smile crept across his face and he informed her of a few more jobs that needed to be completed. With him standing there, he seemed to have this massive shadow that greatly surpassed her independence. From now until she meets her demise she would have stones tossed at any thoughts she once had of equality.

Journal #6: Five Quotations analysis

Tea Cake and Janie have been spending more time together and one night, he shows up at Janie's house and the two of them spend the evening in eachother's company. "Then Tea Cake went to the piano without so much as asking and began playing blues and singing, and throwing grins over his shoulder." (p.103) We can see the certain aspects of how Janie is feeling at this point in time through Hurston's use of tone. From the way that Tea Cake is "throwing grins over his shoulder," it gives this sense of being in high spirits and pleasant. We get the feeling that Janie feels content because of the use of the simple, yet comforting, words like playing and singing. Tea Cake has this confidence and assurance about him, which we can see through the fact that he plays the piano without getting permission first, and because of this he shows Janie that she can speak up and deserves to get what she wants, too. The tone helps transition us from a gloomy Janie to a Janie that is truly enjoying herself.

Although Tea Cake and Janie have become closer, Tea Cake does not consistently keep up on their relationship. It upsets Janie when, "He did not return that night nor the next so she plunged into the abyss and descended into the the ninth darkness where light had never been." (p.108) This imagery impacts the text because the use of the harsh words really reveals how heartbroken Janie is. We can see the negative effect of Tea Cake's inconsistency on Janie because we are able to vividly picture the darkness that Janie feels has consumed her. This uncertainty, or abyss of darkness, has no positive light in it and we can literally see Janie's desperate emotions to find true commitment and love through the imagery in this passage.

"After a long time of passive happiness, she got up and opened the window and let Tea Cake leap forth and mount to the sky of a wind. That was the beginning of things." (p. 107) The reader notices Hurston's repetition of a short sentence summarizing the previous paragraph in this passage. One can recall that on the first page Hurston says, "That is the life of men" to summarize the first paragraph. She has repeated this short sentence summarization to bring us back to the beginning of the story and show us how far Janie had come. By referring us back to even the first page, it reminds the reader of all the obstacles Janie has overcome and it brings us on this journey of growth with our protagonist.

"Doubt. All fears that circumstance could provide and the heart feel, attacked her on every side." (p.108) Syntax

"Nobody else on earth kin old uh candle tuh you, baby. You got the keys to the kingdom." (p.109) Idiom

Journal #5: Hurston's language manipulation

Hurston definitely shows her awareness of language in her writing. Janie had the opportunity to befriend a man named Tea Cake earlier that day while working at the store in town and later that night, "she sat on the porch and watched the moon rise. Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day." (p.99) Her manipulation of language is apparent through her word choice. By using the words 'quenching' and 'drenching' both in the passage, Hurston is saying the day and the night are connected and one can run smoothly into the other because they rhyme. The use of the words 'fluid' and 'thirst' emphasizes how much the day longed for the night and how content it was once the night arrived. By saying 'amber fluid', Hurston paints a picture of the color of the night sky and allows us to admire it along with Janie.

Through Hurston's use of syntax, she shows us how she wants us to read the passage. By placing a comma in between 'earth' and 'and', she forces the reader to stop and take the transition from day to night all in while Janie is doing the same thing. The comma also helps the reader differentiate between the night and day because it breaks the sentence into two separate parts, in a similar way that 24 hours are broken up. Because there is not a lot of other punctuation, it allows us to see how certain things, like the moon rising in the night sky, run smoothly into others.

The use of tone lets us have a better insight to the characters and the way they are feeling at that point in time. The tone that Hurston uses in this passage shows that Janie is content. With the relaxed word choice, we see that Janie does not have a lot of stressful things on her mind. She is watching one of nature's gifts happening and enjoying it. It is apparent that Janie is comfortable not only on her porch that evening, but also where she is in her life at that moment.

The sound device in this passage is quite interesting. There is an alliteration with the sound 'ch' throughout these two sentences. The ch sound has a wholeness about it and makes the words sound complete, just like how the day is complete. There is a satisfaction that ties in with the ch sound and this brings to light that Janie has had a fulfilling day. The sound has a replenishing feel about it which illuminates the fact that Janie is doing the same thing in preparation for a new day.

Journal #4: Pastiche

Then Abby started to ponder about Courage. Courage, that unpredictable presence with the strong will that is often times hard to grasp. The uncertain one that lived deep within the unfamiliar parts of us, often unsure. Why does Courage sometimes shy away, especially when it is needed most? He sits insecurely deep within, unclear of where he belongs. Sits anxiously and patiently while slowly twirling his thumbs, questioning his validity. Was sitting there wondering and waiting and expecting. She was sure she'd find his footprints in the mud one of these days. She needed some encouragement and assistance also. Unfortunate Willie! It's quite diff'cult to help someone stand up for they self if they ain't got the determination for it. Offered Albert's company to mend this diminished confidence but Willie didn't feel it was necessary. Yuh can't always help those that have weakened strength, 'cause they need tuh find that inner fortitude on they own. He'd rise above this if he could just finish his chess game with the words "check mate." He would find the courage. At least that's what he thought. However, Albert suggested otherwise, so she was informed. But, if it had been contrarily, the following afternoon she was destined to figure it out, because he faced the bad-mannered bully in the colorless, spaced-out courtyard behind the school. Students that usually braved the bully's harsh words removed themselves from their usual straightforwardness. Just kneeled on the concrete, questioning. Fear, the overpowering elephant, had trampled over the student body.

Journal #3: Quote Analysis

Quote Analysis #1

Nanny is definitely caught by surprise when she peers out her window after awakening from a nap to find Janie kissing Johnny Taylor. "Nanny's head and face looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by storm." (p.12) Here, Hurston uses a simile. Hurston uses this because she wants to emphasize the helpless feeling Nanny got when she saw Janie and Johnny kissing. This simile helps us picture Nanny's desperate expression when she realizes that Janie is coming into her womanhood because it shows us that her face was lifeless, in a similar way the standing tree roots are. From the simile, we see how Nanny feels that she won't be able to protect Janie forever so she tries to convince Janie that she needs the protection in a secure marriage.

Quote Analysis #2

Janie and Phoeby cannot help but hear the unvalidated comments about Janie's personal life coming from the people on the road while they're trying to enjoy eachother's company. Janie tells Phoeby that, "If God don't think no mo' 'bout 'em then Ah do, they's a lost ball in de high grass." (p.5 ) Hurston uses a metaphor in this quote. She uses this to show how Janie is able to disregard the comments and not let them affect her. She wants to remove the people and their comments in a similar way that a lost ball is so removed from the baseball game going on. This metaphor works so well because it is easy to relate to the way Janie is feeling about being able to resist letting comments make her feel inferior.

"Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made." (p.11) Parallel Structure

"The varicolored cloud dust that the sun had stirred up in the sky was settling by slow degrees." (p.5) Alliteration

"It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep." (p.10) Personification

Journal #2: Sermon using Hurston's dialect

Ah do believe dat yuh can pick yo'self up if you's taken a fall. Ah don't believe dat anything should hold ya back from makin' yo' dreams come true. Wid some strong will an' some help from de Good Lawd, yuh can make all yo' wishes happen. Ah thank God fo' bringin' me tah where Ah am tuhday, standin' heah, speakin' fo' y'all. He didn't give up on meh, but most of all, Ah didn't give up on mahself. Ah been fightin' and strugglin' and workin' my way to where Ah wanna be and Ah know all y'all have de strength tah do it too. Keep on dreamin', 'cause one uh dese days, dose dreams is gonna come true. No mattah how hard it may be, don't give up. De Lawd will be makin' sho' yah stay strong. Don't let go of yo' heart, 'cause soon y'all are gonna be somedin' 'cause of it.

Journal # 1

I perceive Janie as someone that is confident in her own skin. When Janie says, "If God don't think no mo' 'bout them then Ah do, they're a lost ball in de high grass" (p. 5), it shows that she doesn't let what those people say get to her. There's also this innocent side of her that appears mostly in 'young Janie.' When she says, "Ah thought Ah wuz just like de rest" (p. 9), it reveals that she doesn't realize there could be a difference between her and the white children she grew up with. Also, when it says that 'she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her" (p. 11), it gives off the impression that Janie lives in the moment and there's nothing in her life to be troubled by. Although the innocent side is apparent in 'young Janie', 'adult Janie' experiences reality where people judge her and try to get under her skin. However, she does her best to avoid the comments and just be content with who she is.

The narrator uses imagery, similes and metaphors to really set the scene for the reader. These also allow the reader to get to know the characters and their personalities. The use of adjectives by the narrator sets the tone and gives some insight into the characterization.