The Wild Duck Journal 3

Page 169 Hjalmar- "In that critical moment I won a victory over myself.  I stayed alive.  But you can bet it takes courage to choose life in those situations."

                Gregers- "Well, that depends on your point of view."

In this case, Hjalmar is talking to Gregers about how he almost committed suicide.  This quote shows how Hjalmar chose to be strong and overcome his impulsive feelings.  Gregers believes that it would have taken more courage to kill himself than to spare his life.

Page 171 Relling- "You see, Mr. Molvik is demonic."

In the beginning of the act, we are introduced to Relling and Molvik.  I thought this was interesting because when one describes a priest, they would not usually use the word "demonic".  When I think ot the word demonic, I think of evil, devilish, and impure.  Molvik is a priest, but through other quotes we discover that Molvik is a drunkard and alcoholic.  Relling describes him as demonic because priests are supposed to be pure and free from sin, while Molvik gets drunk.

Page 173 Hjalmar- "Yes Gina– you're a good companion for life's journey, you are"

When I read this, I thought it was interesting because even though husband and wives may describe themselves as companions to one another, it seems like the word companion might not be the right word.  When I think of companions, I think of friends, people that simply help one another or are well acquainted with one another.  Hjalmar does not appreciate her and suggests that his wife is merely a helper, or insubstantial other that he simply 'goes on' through life with.

Page 173 Hjalmar- "Hedvig, I've resolved to make your future secure.  You'll be well taken care of as long as you live.  I'll make sure you're provided with–something or other."

An interesting side of Hjalmar appears within this quote.  It suggests that Hjalmar is not dedicated to his daughter because he has not decided what he will do to give her future security.  This quote suggests that maybe Hjalmar is not as connected with Hedvig as he appears to be.

Page 174 Gregers- "I, for my part. don' thrive in marsh gas."

                Gina- "Lord knows there isn't any marsh gas here, Mr. Werle; every blessed day I air the place out"

                Gregers- "You can't air out the stench I mean"

This quote shows a tension building between Gregers and Gina.  With marsh gas being foggy, unclear, and impure, by connecting it with the Ekdal household, Gregers implies that the Ekdal household is full of lies and deceit.  When he says that you cant air out the stench of the marsh gas, he may mean that if damage is done, and things are attempted to be fixed, then there will still be some kind of remaining impurity that will linger among the relationship.  This impurity could be mistrust, or disloyalty to one another. 

The Wild Duck Journal 2

 In Act 2, Ibsen shows Hedvigs perception of Hjalmar.  Hedvig seems to look up to her father and show great respect for him.  She respects him so much that it gets to the point at which she starts to idolize her father.  When he arrives at his home she offers to take off his jacket for him, which, is not an uncommon act of kindness for family members to do for one another.  By looking at this, one may think that she is just an average loving daughter.  However, in other instances, Hedvig pictures him as being much more idealistic.  Before he had come home from the party, Hedvig is describing how her father will feel when he comes home.  "Just think, all the lovely food Daddy's eaten!  I'm sure he'll be happy and content when he comes." (139).  She automatically assumes that because he is going to an extremely fancy dinner party which he will have a good time at, and there will be nothing but good things that come from going to it.  Hedvig perceives him as a very trustworthy and respectable person.  "Out with it Daddy.  You know–all the treats you promised me." (143).  She expects him to bring her home "treats" after a long night of talking and conversing with people.  This shows she trusts him enough to know that he will keep her in mind throughout the night while he is busy talking with guests and being distracted by other matters.

The Wild Duck Journal 1

Ibsen creates many boundaries between characters and social groups/norms in The Wild Duck.  Of these,  there can be physical boundaries but the most prominent boundaries are portrayed as social, and mental boundaries.  The mental/social boundaries can be displayed as someone being uncomfortable or agitated by another person or social group.

An example of one of the boundaries Ibsen creates is the boundary between the different groups of servants.  On page 121, Ibsen uses punctuation and tone to convey this boundary.  Mrs. Sørby walks in to the  room and says "Petterson, will you have coffee served in the dining room."  She displays that she is not interested in formally addressing Petterson, and in a way gives him a command to go do something.  By taking a question– "Will you have coffee served in the dining room?" and warping it into a statement– "Will you have coffee served in the dining room." she forms her sentence in a way that makes it more likely she will get an answer that she wants.  By making the question into a statement, that Petterson will, in fact, go serve coffee, she commands him to do so and distances herself from him.  She does not allow him to espress his own answer, eliminating Petterson's individualism.  Mrs. Sørby creates a barrier between them by making Petterson inferior to herself.

Antigone Journal 4

Page 12

Ismene- His mob will come running, howling as it runs.
A thousand arms will seize our arms.  A thousand breaths
will breathe into our faces.  Like one single pair of eyes, a
thousand eyes will stare at is.  We'll be driven in a tumbrel
through their hatred, through the smell of them and their
cruel, roaring laughter.  We'll be dragged to the scaffold
for torture, surrounded by guards with their idiot faces all
bloated, their animal hands clean-washed for the sacrifice,
their beefy eyes squinting as they stare at us.

In the first sentence Anouilh uses imagery to describe how the city will react if they find out that Antigone buried Polynices.  He describes the "mob" by saying it will come "howling as it runs" suggesting that it will be sort of wild or dog-like, like a pack of wolves.  Anouilh gives the mob characteristics of a pack of wolves or animals in order to create a more barbaric tone.  In the next couple sentences, Anouilh juxtaposes a single pair of eyes to a thousand.  Using this juxtaposition, Anouilh displays the power of the law, and shows how people can tend to follow orders from a government without even questioning if they make sense or if they are just.  Anouilh uses sensory details in the next sentence, "the smell of them and their cruel, roaring laughter."  The sensory details of the sound of laughter being converted into a smell intensifies the mood and the reader gets a better sense of what the mob would look and sound like.  Anouilh repeats images of animals throughout this passage by using words like howling, beefy eyes, and animal hands.  This repetition, again, shows how people in the society can do things impulsively and create mayhem without thinking what they are actually doing.

Antigone Journal 3

In Antigone, I found it interesting how Anouilh contrasts life and death.  In Antigone's argument with Creon, Anouilh uses Antigone to represent death and uses Creon to represent life.  Even though Creon wanted to give Antigone a chance at keeping her life, Antigone persisted on Creon doing his duty to arrest her and have her put to death.  This conflict of interest creates tension not only between Antigone and Creon, but also between Antigone and Ismene at the beginning of the play.  Ismene tries to persuade Antigone to not bury Polynices, and Antigone refuses. Antigone is also faced with the conflict within herself, that if she buries Polynices, his death will be justified, but in turn, she would be killed if she followed her emotions and granted Polynices a peaceful eternal rest.  The conflicting between ideas of life and death correlate with the conflict of happiness vs. misery, or unhappiness.  Creon firmly believes that choosing life would result in happiness for Antigone, but she explains that choosing life, and not being able to bury Polynices would result in her life being pointless or unfulfilled.  Antigone didn't believe that happiness would ever be fully reached, whether she didn't bury Polynices and ended up living, or whether she died, in which case she would not be able to show emotion and be happy.

Antigone Journal 2

-Polynices dies
-Creon outlaws the burial of Polynices
-Antigone goes to Haemons house wearing Ismenes dress and makeup (I'm guessing thats what rogue is)
-Haemon and Antigone have a quarrel
-Antigone buries Polynices
-Antigone returns home
-Nurse questions Antigone
-Ismene pleads to Antigone to not disobey the law of their father and bury Polynices
-Antigone tells Haemon they would never be able to be married
-Haemon leaves
-Ismene pleads a second time to Antigone to not bury Polynices
-Antigone reveals to Ismene that she buried Polynices

Antigone Journal 1

I would stage the scene as having a main floor area with a large, wide set of steps leading up to a second floor.  On the main floor, there would be a semi-long dining table off to the left hand side of the stage and the following characters would be positioned as described.

Antigone would be sitting at the top of the stairs sitting perfectly still with her hands around her knees while blankly staring off into the distance (into the audience) so as to picture her as being helpless and morbid as the Chorus describes her fate.

The Guards would be playing cards on the stairs off to the side and down a ways from Antigone, with drunken and carefree looks on their faces to contrast with Antigones blank stares.

The Chorus would be multiple people standing on the top step next to Antigone.  The people composing the Chorus would have a variety of different sarcastic sounds to their voices so as to display a more mocking tone.

Eurydice would sit in a rocking chair, knitting, on the second floor isolated from the rest of the group to display her distance and detachment from the rest of the people.

The Nurse would be standing off to the right side of the main floor observing all of the activity (at the party or gathering, it doesn't really say)

Ismene would be on the right end of the table with Haemon nudging up close to her.  He is flirting with Ismene in a slightly withdrawn way because his lover Antigone is in the room.

Creon is sitting at the farthest left end of the table, slumped over in his chair with an irritated and disheartened look on his face.  He is not the kind of person who actually enjoys his position, but does it anyway just because he has to, and "he wonders whether this business of being a leader  of men is worth the trouble" (4).

We Journal #3

Structure of the society

The structure of society in We is based upon the governments control of peoples privacy, personal lives, and daily schedules.  There is a system of enforcement within the society that uses enforcers called "the Guardians."  The Guardians are basically the secret police of the One State, and carry out the laws of the government.  However, because of the nature of the citizens and their customs and beliefs (logic and reason), people generally see no reason to disobey the law and cause disorder and chaos within their seemingly perfect world.  Even with people in a general state of tranquility, the Guardians seek out the tiny imperfections within the One State, and the people who imbalance the perfect equation of happiness.  

In order to better enforce the rules and regulations put in place, the society is centered within a nation constructed almost entirely of glass.  The buildings in which people live, work, and do almost anything during their day are transparent and clear, leaving whatever takes place inside completely vulnerable to the observation of others.  This, obviously makes it much easier to enforce laws by being able to clearly see what people are doing at all times (except while their blinds are closed). 

The One State controls what everyone is doing at any given moment (except for the “personal hour”), by requiring ciphers to follow a distinct chart.  The “Table of Hours”, as it is called, is basically a schedule that tells people what they should be doing at a certain time in the day.  For example, it shows exactly what times they need to wake up, eat, go to work, have their “personal hour” and go to sleep.  The government also controls who people have sexual relations with, and how often.  By using genetic information from individuals, the state determines how often you should have sex, and whom you would be best suited to be sexual partners with.  By taking away the sanctity and sacredness of sex, the government takes away peoples individual rights, and makes sex seem more like a regular activity than a sacred experience.

We Journal #2

This passage is located on page 36 "It was long ago [...] was beyond ratio"  In the passage, D-503 describes the events which took place when he was introduced to the frustratingly difficult concept of irrational numbers.  D-503's demand for everything in the world around him to be rational and logical comes into conflict when he learns of the √-1. 


Moment of Conflict:  In this passage, D-503 explains that when he learned of √-1, he wept, and he "beat [his] fists upon the table and wailed: 'I don't want √-1!  Take √-1 out of me!'" This display of frustration towards this mind-boggling math concept shows his requirement for logical/rational theories and formulas in order to make sense of the world around him.  D-503's need for rational ideas appears throughout the book and it suggests that societies that are based purely upon logic and reason do not have the ability to expand and grow because of the restrictions it places upon individuals. 


Key Characterization:  In reading this passage, one can greatly understand D-503's discomfort with illogical and irrational concepts.  By showing D-503 as becoming so infuriated because of an – from the readers point of view– insignificant math term, he is portrayed as ill-tempered and easily angered.  Zamyatin suggests that D-503's need for logical answers is overpowered by his emotions.  By giving D-503's emotion precedence over his mental need for reason, he suggests that human nature requires that people express emotion.  Therefore, he shows that the society's system of logic before emotion is impossible.

We Journal Comments

Comment #1 on Jack's Post


I thought it was interesting how you described D-503's personality by using his mathematical terms quotes. It does seem like he has the characteristics portrayed by the sort of graph he puts in the readers head. I also like how you portrayed the mood as relating to the setting of the book. The idea of simply excluding cheerful words and not using serious words makes me wonder why he would do this. It seems like if he wanted to show a certain mood, then he would simply match the words to that of the mood he wants to show.


Comment #2 on Olivia's Post


I thought it was interesting how you mentioned what the term "going off on a tangent" meant. It does seem like D does this a lot throughout the book, mainly because it is a compilation of journals which he wrote. People in journals can tend to go off to different places rather than the main topic of why they chose to write in the first place. I also liked how you showed that by using the term "We" he implies that his writings are all the thoughts of the people in the society, and their beliefs as a whole.

We Journal #1

     The passage in the first chapter of "We" starts out by saying, "my cheeks are burning."  This passage comes after a news article written in the daily newspaper about the construction and progress of the Integral.  Yevgeny Zamyatin shows D-503's feelings towards the article, suggesting that the story made him very emotional.  The next couple sentences describes the purpose of the Integral, and his supportive impression of the One State.  His display of emotion creates an optimistic tone and hooks the reader in to keep reading on.
     In the quote "I am only one of the mathematicians of the One State", Zamyatin uses the term "of the One State" to show the connection between the two.  The use of "of" instead of something like "in" shows that the mathematicians and the One State are directly related, and that one may be dependent on the other. This is directly related to the title of the book, and another quote in the paragraph saying "I will just attempt to record what I see, what I think-or, more exactly, what we think."  It is also shown in the quote "So these records will be manufactured from the stuff of our life."  These relations show the interdependence of the people of the One State and the introduction of this particular dystopian society.
     D then describes his relationship with his writing of his records as being like that of a woman giving birth.  Of course, D should not know what giving birth feels like.  In writing this, Zamyatin shows D's obvious lack of knowledge in other areas, besides that of his own expertise (mathematics).  Zamyatin begins to show the inter-workings of the society and the knowledge barriers between groups of people.
     Repeating the image of burning cheeks in the passage, Zamyatin portrays a potential internal struggle within the protagonist.  The image of destruction and pain is further shown by vividly describing the struggles of a woman during labor.  At the end of the passage, D says that he is ready, "just as every one -  or almost every one of [them]." Zamyatin shows the dysfunctionality of the society through D-503's emotions and through his journals.

Stranger Journal 6

I cannot remember how it all happened,

What does it matter to me? 

I didn't intentionally do it.

It doesn't really matter,

Nothing does.

I can't change it anyways.

I was standing in the heat of the moment,

The sun made me commit this act of murder,

My mother did not have one bit to do with this.

Why are you mentioning her, she did not kill.

He wants me to say what he wanted to have happened,

But he wont let me say what did.

Stranger Journal 5

Comparing the two parts of the book, I noticed a change in the length of most of the sentences.  In part one,  Camus uses very short, nondescript, sentences.  Then, when Meursault is faced with this life or death situation of being in jail and being tried for murder, he starts to contemplate his life a bit more.  It is not a very substantial change in thought, because he still has his habits of sleeping most of the day, but he still shows more reflective thoughts and feelings.

I also noticed that the seemingly unimportant robotic woman from Celestes shows up at the trial in part two.  The reason this very minor character may show up to the trial (which seems like she has no reason to be at) is because Camus is juxtaposing her and Meursault, thus, showing their similarities.  When the woman is described in the points we see her in the book, her actions closely resemble those of Meursault.  She is very exacting in the way she acts when she counts out the bill at the restaurant, the same way Meursault keeps a schedule and tries to be places at the right time (the bus, etc.).

Another change within the two parts of the book is the use of eyes and mouths.  In part I, the first thing Meursault described about people was usually their eyes.  "...she had bright eyes, and a face like an apple"(43).  In part II, Meursault focuses more on peoples mouths, and what they are saying.  At the start of the book, Meursault did not really care what people said, because he didn't really have a reason to.  He just went on living his life thinking that it didn't really matter.  When the time came that what people said did matter, and that peoples words were the difference between life and death for him, did he really listen.

Stranger Journal 4

#3. How does Camus use parallel scenes or recurring events in the two parts of the novel?

“I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything”(64).  This quote connects to when Meursault is talking to Marie in chapter 5, but instead he says he probably didn’t love her; "it didn't mean anything but that I probably didn't love her"(41) . It shows how most things don’t really matter to Meursault and he is indifferent to a lot of things people asked him.  It brings out his character and portrays him as an particularly difficult person to have a relationship with.

“It was an idea I couldn’t get used to”(70).  When Meursault was talking to his boss on page 41, he tells his boss he "couldn't see any reason to change his life". This shows that Meursault is uncomfortable with change, and that change of lifestyle is something that he wouldn't be able to handle. Despite this depiction of Meursault earlier in the book, he completely changes his lifestyle by killing someone and going to prison.

“Only the words ‘yesterday' and ‘tomorrow’ still had any meaning to me”(80).  This connects to the first paragraph of the book when he didn’t really know whether his mother had died yesterday or today. Meursault is usually pretty good at keeping a schedule, or planning what he is going to do, but his memory of the past is not usually very good. He can plan for the future, but once he has done whatever he is planning on doing, it is like he doesn't really know what to do with the memories.

“I had actually found an old scrap of newspaper,” (79) This refers to when Meursault is in prison and finds the old newspaper scrap between his mattress and the bed platform. Earlier in the book Meursault finds an old newspaper and cuts an ad out of it for Kruschen salts (21). He is portrayed as being interested in the past, but not very recollective of the past. Perhaps the very fact that he has inadequate memory is the reason he is so interested in it. He cannot remember things himself, so he relies on other people or sources for information.

“For me it was one and the same unending day that was unfolding in my cell and the same thing I was trying to do”(80).  Before Meursault was put in prison, he had the same general schedule every day.  It seemed like all he did was sleep, eat, smoke, and people watch. This also links with the fact that he does not feel comfortable with a change of lifestyle. He does what he knows will not totally change his life, of course except for killing the Arab.

“I remembered what the nurse at Maman’s funeral said.  No, there was no way out,”(81). This, one of few of Meursaults' recollections, refers to page 17 when he was talking to the nurse. "There was no way out" connects to his predicament of being in prison, and never being able to get out. However, the time in prison for him is not even displayed as being harsh, or unpleasant, though. He describes himself as being one of the lucky ones, and the guards treat him well. It is almost like the nurses comment doesn't mean anything to Meursault anyways.

Stranger Journal 3

The Title "The Stranger" carries multiple connotations but there are a few that are very apparent to me.


One connotation of the word stranger is someone that you don't know, or are not familiar with.  This connects to the story because Meursault is a very confusing person and it is hard to know what he is thinking.  We don't know much more about him than what we can piece together by the ways he talks and the things he says in the book.  He is very different from the other characters in the book, in an emotional and spiritual sense.  To the reader, he seems stranger than the other characters.


Another connotation for the word stranger is someone who is not from a certain place, or in this case, a foreigner.  The title of the book in French is L'Étranger, or The Foreigner.  Meursault is a French man living in Algeria (a pied noir).  He is not of Algerian origin and, by definition, he is a foreigner to the country.  However the book suggests he has been living in Algeria his whole life, because of the way his mother lived there, and the opinion he has on living in another country (when his boss offered him a job in Paris).  He did not like the thought of going somewhere new to a place he was not familiar with.  This may mean that he is a foreigner in a metaphorical sense of the word.  Meursault is a foreigner to the people around him, connecting with the former connotation.

Stranger Journal 2

Old Salamano is a plays a minor role in the Stranger and appears first in Chapter 3.  He is an old man who takes his old dog on a walk every day, and on the same route every time.  Whenever his dog does something bad, he beats it.  When Meursault asks him what the dog did, he replies, "He's always there."  You'd think that if he really wanted to be rid of the dog then he would give it away.  This may imply that he doesn't really hate the dog after all, but he just takes his anger from somewhere else out on the dog, possibly to assert his authority.  Upon reading the book, we know that when his dog runs away, he is very sad and lost without it.  Camus describes them as looking like they could be a part of the same species, and this shows that they are not all that different from each other.

Raymond Sintés is Meursaults neighbor and also is a minor character introduced Chapter 3.  Camus describes the casualty of this specific setting by saying how he just walked into Meursaults apartment.  Describing Salamano and his dog, he asks Meursault if he thought that it was disgusting, and he replies no.  It makes it seem like Meursault acts as a foil to Raymond in this case, by saying that Raymond was more sympathetic than Meursault.  Raymond had just broken up with his girlfriend because he thought she was cheating on him for reasons that seem very subtle.  Raymond talks to him about his girlfriend, telling Meursault how he had done so much for her, and then she went and cheated on him.  He planned on taking revenge on her by sleeping with her and then spitting in her face afterwards.  Meursault, not giving much input into the matter, replied only positively to Raymonds questions, saying that it did seem like she was cheating on him, and that it was a good idea to get revenge. He asks Meursault if he thought it was a good plan and he says yes.  It shows Meursaults uncomfortableness with talking much with other people.

Stranger Journal 1

In the first couple chapters, Camus repeatedly uses very short sentences, and references things as being small.  He also portrays Meursault as being a very simple person, saying and doing very simple things.  Sometimes even doing simple things is hard for him to do; he ate his eggs without bread "because [he] didn't feel like going downstairs to buy some"(21).  This simplicity makes Meursault appear very lazy or uninterested in others.  For example, he describes every little thing that happens to him and it kind of seems like he may have some kind of attention deficit.  He does this during the vigil for his mother, yet he never even bothers to even think about her.  His mother had just died and he never even once thought about how she had impacted his life or anything.  The ironic thing is his reaction to his mothers old friends that were sitting there "sucking on the insides of their cheeks and making these weird smacking noises"(11).  He says "I even had the impression that the dead woman lying in front of them didn't mean anything to them" when he himself was sitting there emotionless the whole time.

Another thing that bothered me (going back to his laziness) is that he is always either sleeping, or feeling tired.  During the vigil, which is a period of staying awake during the time usually spent sleeping (usually to pray or keep watch), he falls asleep.  Meursault really does not seem to have any feelings of grief or sadness towards his mother, let alone any emotions at all.  On the first page, he says his boss "should have offered his condolences.  But he probably will when he sees I'm in mourning"(3).  But for those who have read the book, we know that he did not really ever mourn.  Eventually he is even tried for not mourning the death of his mother.

His character is developed further by repeatedly saying "it wasn't my fault"(3).  Telling his boss he needed days off from work because of his mother, he tries to back himself up by saying "it wasn't my fault".  He realizes that his boss was mad because he was getting four days off from work but then thought "it isn't my fault if they buried Maman yesterday instead of today"(19).  He doesn't acknowledge his bosses disappointment by basically saying that because it wasn't his fault, he had to go to his funeral.  It seems like Meursault doesn't even want to go to the funeral for emotional reasons, but just because it wasn't his fault.  When he was swimming with Marie, he also said "I felt like telling her it wasn't my fault" that his mother died (20).

What really throws me off and makes me mad is Meursaults lack of emotional feelings, towards other people and even himself.  It seems like the only things that matter to him is eating, sleeping, and just aimlessly walking around Algiers.  The reason why Camus would create a protagonist like Meursault is very hard to see.  Meursault makes the book very bland but at the same time it kind of makes the reader want to find out what he is going to do next.  He confuses the reader so much so that they just want to keep reading on.

Eyes Journal 7

Terrible
Desperate
Miserable
Angry
Demon
Lustily
Sickness
Disordered
Death
Suffering
Eternity
Grief
Killing
Dangerous
Misunderstanding
Malice
Unfortunate
Devoted
Waited
Eased
Remembrance
Silence
Pranced
Memory
Love
Soul

Suffering:
Hurston uses the repetitive words of suffering and death to better convey how Janie is feeling towards Tea Cakes illness and eventually his death.


Waited:
Throughout the whole book, Janie waited for things to come to her, but at the end she could not help herself but to go out and search for the solution to Tea Cake's illness because he is the one thing that she loved.

Eased:
At the end of the book, Hurston uses words of ease to convey Janie's recovery from her loss and grieving of Tea Cake and to show how she has grown throughout the course of the book.

Eyes Journal 6

Purpose:  Janie's hopelessness is displayed through her pleas to God that Tea Cake will return to her and Janie's longing for the ideal love.

Topic Sentence 1: In the first paragraph, Hurston uses Annie Tyler to represent Janie's fear of the future.
Topic Sentence 2: In the second paragraph, Janie debates what she will do if Tea Cake does not come back, and prays to God that he comes back, despite her mistakes.
Topic Sentence 3: In the third paragraph, Janie's desperation for Tea Cake is contrasted with the imagery of the sunrise to create a more uplifting mood.


Trevor comment:

Nice Trevor. I like how you thought that the sun was personified to seem like a character. The repetition of the sun throughout the whole book is a good thing to recognize.

Josh comment:

Nice Job Josh. I like how you recognized that Tea Cake was Janies' motivation. After Tea Cake left it really seemed like Janie was in a predicament, and she was very lost without him. Nice use of literary terms.


Karl comment:

Good job Karl. I like the fact that you noticed the contrast of them putting Annie to bed, and then Janie getting out of bed. I didn't notice that before and I think it is a good point.

Eyes journal 5

Passage:


They put her to bed and sent for her married daughter from up around Ocala to come see about her.  The daughter came as soon as she could and took Annie Tyler away to die in peace.  She had waited all her life for something, and it had killed her when it found her.
      The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long.  Anyhow, she wasn't going back to Eatonville to be laughed at and pitied.  She had ten dollars in her pocket and twelve hundred in the bank.  But oh God, don't let Tea Cake be off somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it.  And God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me.  Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say, but Lawd, Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin', Jesus.  Ah done waited uh long time.
      Janie dozed off to sleep but she woke up in time to see the sun sending up spies ahead of him to mark out the road through the dark.  He peeped up over the door sill of the world and made a little foolishness with red.  But pretty soon, he laid all that aside and went about his business dressed all in white.  But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn't soon come back.  She got out of the bed but a chair couldn't hold her.  She dwindled down on the floor her head in a rocking chair.

• Forshadowing for her dying
• Emphasizes married daughter as in she may be more busy, and therefore she would not be as likely to come see her mother, but does anyway.
• She took her away, but to where?  Where could be more peaceful than her own home with her daughter?  (Ambiguity)
• Personification to show that her life was not very fulfilling until the last minute.
• She uses "the thing" to show that Janie does not want to think about it, like it is some kind of monster.
• Contrast of laughing and pitying shows that she doesnt want to face the fact that they told her it would happen and admit the people of Eatonville were right.
• Shows her contemplating her options and her changing of thoughts from one thing to another.
• Shows that she is praying to God, and talking directly to Him.
• She is accepting of her mistakes and is willing to give credit to the townspeople.
• Saying that she had been waiting for a long time to be happy and now she doesnt want it to all go away.
• Represents the return of Tea Cake and how she skeptical of Tea Cake at first but then comes to forgive him.
• Imagery of the sun being very colorful at sunrise but then just becoming a bright light as it rises.
• Janie would be very depressed if Tea Cake had left her.
• Janie was too nervous to even sit down
• Shows Janies head was spinning with thoughts and worries

Eyes Journal 4

So Violet started to question Time.  Time, that unknown ghost with the long robes who roamed through the universe.  The omniscient being who slept in the tower like the sky without limits, and no ground.  When does Time require a boundary, and who can question him?  He sits in his floating throne which escorts history.  Sits vigilant and fierce throughout the years with his eyes on his hourglass, waiting for the sand to run the course.  Has sat there since there were things and places and affairs.  She may find a thread from his clothes sitting on her lap at any time.  She was alert and ready nonetheless.  Brave James!  He can't just suffer in silence.  She told Wallace stay with him , but James refused.  These spiritual healers were superb at helping the deathly ill, but they had never seen something like this before.  He'd turn out fine as long as the old, crooked tree determined why he was unwell.  He would not lay waste.  That was the verdict.  But Wallace suggested otherwise, and she was certain.  But if he didn't, later on she would find out, and stench would surround the body within the dark and erie room.  They would not have come unless he was not lying there, lifeless.  Sitting on the bed they loitered around the body.  A whisper, the robed ghost, had done the job.

Eyes Journal 3

This chapter was the beginning of most of the emphasis on the abusive and cold-hearted relationship between Joe and Janie.  Hurston starts to really highlight the disrespect that Joe shows toward her.  So much so that he makes the statement that others need to make decisions for women.  "Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chicken and cows" (71).  This display of sexism shows some of the first signs of Joe's weakening from his previously honored and respected self.

Hurston juxtaposes this suffering relationship to that of Daisy and the men from the porch.  She shows how Janie would have been if she hadn't married Joe, but had still left Logan.  She would be single and all of the single men would goggle at her.  After Janie sees all the men gathered around Daisy is when things begin to really heat up between Joe and Janie.  After the argument, Zora tells Joes thoughts, and he shows his complete disregard for Janies efforts to please him.  "They plan and they fix and they do, and then some kitchen dwelling fiend slips a scorchy, soggy, tasteless mess into their pots and pans" (71-72).  In these quotes, Joe equates Janie to chickens, cows, and a kitchen dwelling fiend.  Throughout the last chapters, Jody has himself become a fiend, much different than the caring, warmhearted man he was originally portrayed as.

Eyes Journal 2

Passage from page 39, first paragraph to the end of the fourth paragraph.

Hurston uses juxtaposition to display a different point of view to the typical stereotype that whites used to define African Americans.  She means to show a different approach to african american lifestyle that maybe most of the white population was not used to.  When reading the book they may just be persuaded to stand by their opinion even more, just by the way that the people talk and the way that they interact.  But when you look in between the lines a little bit more, you can see the contrast between the dialect and the narration.  Doing this allows you to see a bit into the mind of the characters and see that most of the book is being narrated by Janie, and she does not seem at all like the person that is talking like an uneducated, informal southerner.

Hurston uses the symbol of the post office and the newly purchased land to symbolize the progress of the town.  She does this to let the reader know that this little town is not just some run down place, and that it is in fact, capable of progress.  Although this is a great step for them, some of the citizens believe that the town was better as it was before, or are not ready for change.  "It troubled him to get used to the world one way and then suddenly have it turn different"(39).  

At the very end of the passage, Hurston uses the quote "Specks to keep on waitin' till hell freeze over"(39). The use of a hyperbole in this passage gives the reader a sense of closure.  This quote allows the reader to examine the two speakers, and it gives them a chance to see if one of them seems right or not.  The quote creates a sort of foreshadowing, because you can expect that because of all the towns recent success, that they will be able to do even more in the future.  Hurston does this to, again, recognize the progress of the town, and not only that, but to make the reader feel better about the events taking place.

The tone of this passage seems like it is a mix between optimistic and pessimistic.

The mood of the passage is contemplative, because it gets you to think what may happen.

Hurston uses these techniques to provide a different view point to the stereotype of african americans and to show that they are not all what they seem on the outside.

Eyes Journal 1

It is pretty simple to say, just by looking at the cover, that the book probably is mainly going to be about someone's religion.  However, upon reading the book, one would find that it does not have a main focus god.  In the first couple chapters of the book, there are only a couple references that would lead one to believe that the title has anything to do with the story.  Zora Neale Hurston describes the porch sitters as becoming "lords of sounds and lesser things.  They passed nations through their mouths.  They sat in judgment"(1).  When Janie is sneaking out of the house, it describes her "Waiting for the world to be made"(11).  These allusions highlight an underlying theme of the book, although it seems obvious, of a religious background of either the characters in the book, or the author.

Was Zora Neale Hurston a very religious person?  Why doesn't it seem like religion is a larger aspect of the book?  What did Hurston's view of religion look like?

A symbol that reoccurs throughout these first four chapters is the concept of the components of Janie's life being compared to nature, most commonly trees, bees, and pollen.  She uses the image of a tree and uses the branches to hold all the memories of her past.  "Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone.  Dawn and doom was in the branches" (8).  Looking at this quote more in depth, you can see that the "great tree" of life may not only hold past memories, but foreshadowing for things to come.  Another symbol that comes up a lot is the picture of bees pollinating flowers. "She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees (...) She saw the dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom" (11).  The bees carrying pollen represent a potential partner for Janie.  It shows that she had been waiting around for a man to come along and take her away, hoping that it would bring her true happiness.  Seeing so many references to nature, and it being juxtaposed to human life reminds me of our class discussion of Zora Neale Hurston and her doctorate in Anthropology.   When she met Jody, "Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees," (29).  Hurston uses this foreshadowing to show that this marriage will not be successful.

Why does the author choose to use natural figures to represent human behavior?  Does she have any personal connection to nature?  Are all of these symbols repeatedly used throughout the rest of the book?

Zora Neale Hurston uses hyperboles to convey peoples attitudes towards other characters' age, compared to their relationships with others.  When Janie explains to Jody that she is married he responds, "You married?  You ain't hardly old enough to be weaned.  Ah betcha you still craves sugar-tits, doncher?"(28).  One would think that if he was trying to get Janie to marry her, he would stay away from saying such things.  It makes me think about how peoples reactions to informality differ with the time and place in which Hurston lived compared to what we do in the present.  This same concept appears at the very beginning when the porch gossipers are talking about what may have happened to Janie and Tea Cake.  "Betcha he off wid some gal so young she ain't got no hairs," (2).  Seeing both of these uses of hyperboles makes me wonder if it is just Hurston's writing style, or if it is just customary for her to write in this certain way.

Does the time period have to do with the way the characters talk about others?  What is the difference between informality among different time periods?  How does the author relate to having relationships with men of different ages?