Literary Analysis #4

Heart of Darkness

1.) A sailor named Marlow travels the Congo River in order to meet a man named Kurtz. While traveling through Africa he witnesses the unlawful behaviors and treatments in Central Station. His journey became more difficult as his ship shrunk and had to wait til it was repaired. They came across a caution note near a hut shack with firewood. After all they have seen they expected to find Kurtz dead. Instead they found a nearly insane Russian man who continuously told them not to worry everything was alright. Kurtz had the villagers believing he was  a GOD and raiding everything and anyone while searching for ivory. There was skulls placed around his section that showed what may happen if you crossed his path. His immoral actions had everyone on their toes. Marlow met with Kurtz and heard him out. After Kurtz gave Marlow important and official documents Marlow became sick and can barely function. He then travels to Europe to see Kurtz Intended(fiancee). Even though it has been over a year since Kurtz’s death, she is in melancholy. When she asked Marlow what his last words were, he lied to spare her feelings and said her name.
2.) A theme of this novel may be madness in comparison with power hungry people. Being removed from your normal surroundings and adapting to your new one.
3.) The tone of this novel is doubtful and suspicious. Marlow always refers back to the darkness and fear. 
"A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth."

"I came upon a boiler wallowing in the grass, then found a path leading up the hill. It turned aside for the boulders, and also for an undersized railway-truck lying there on its back with its wheels in the air. One was off. The thing looked as dead as the carcass of some animal. I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, a stack of rusty rails. To the left a clump of trees made a shady spot, where dark things seemed to stir feebly."

"The great wall of vegetation, an exuberant and entangled mass of trunks, branches, leaves, boughs, festoons, motionless in the moonlight, was like a rioting invasion of soundless life, a rolling wave of plants, piled up, crested, ready to topple over the creek, to sweep every little man of us out of his little existence. And it moved not." 

4.)Symbolism: Light is being transformed into darkness which represents the mysteries and complications of everyday life. The ivory may also be a symbol of lust and greed
Metaphor:(see text below)
Imagery:(see text below for an idea of imagery)
Foreshadow:The doctor warns Marlow of the dangers and madness he would face
Allusion:By referring to the devil brings back the idea of the stories tone being dark and gloomy.

"But his soul was mad.  Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad."

"Then I noticed a small sketch in oils, on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blind-folded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was somber – almost black. The movement of the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister." 


"Two women, one fat and the other slim, sat on straw-bottomed chairs, knitting black wool. The slim one got up and walked straight at me – still knitting with downcast eyes – and only just as I began to think of getting out of her way, as you would for a somnambulist, stood still, and looked up. Her dress was as plain as an umbrella-cover, and she turned round without a word and preceded me into a waiting-room." 

“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz’s life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time. . . . I saw the time approaching when I would be left alone of the party of ‘unsound method.’”

Characterization
1. Marlow is the most rational character. This could be due to the fact that he has not been around the Congo as long as the others. He is able to see that the natives have more sense then the white Europeans trying to run everything. By mentioning both of their regular names and not tribal, Conrad is showing the importance of Kurtz and Marlow. There's also the cannibals that join Marlow on his voyage. Although they are called cannibals they are able to control their urges very well throughout their journey.
2. The author refers to Marlow and Kurtz by their names which indicates their importance to the novel.
3. Marlow is the protagonist because he is only looking for steamboat yet finds/learns much more than he intended. 
4. I feel as if i met a character. Once again, the author gives the characters a lasting impression. Marlow takes on traits of a Regulus day-to-today human being. He is looking for one thing, finds another, and is curious to learn more. It's human nature.

Sonnet: The Allegory of the Cave

Hiding from the light
Though the horizon was wide
It was hard to sight
they needed a guide


Their reality became clear
As their lives were held still
Because of the shadows in the rear
They had to fight for the will


Though ignorant by tradition
The men went  insane
and aroused a suspicion
which freed them from the chain

In all actuality
This is simply reality

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
The Allegory of the Cave represents a mad house and of imprisonment. Fire came to them as light that they've never been able to see before.
2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
The key elements in the imagery used in the allegory are the shadows.  The prisoners are only able to see those burning people insides the flames through their shadows. What the shadows represent are, in reality, the prisoners.
3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
We are on a "need to know" bases. As always,some things are just meant to be kept a secret, thus we know what They want us to know.  This state of mind is what leads people to branch out of things such as our government. 
4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
They were only limited to the area around them and nothing beyond.  The cave dwellers became known as Gods to those inside.  Through the shadows, anything was possible. Because they have no image of the real world, the prisoners made the shadows their reality.
5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
Shackles have/will always be a factor in our everyday lives.  There is always something there that eventually keeps us from seeing reality or getting to were we want to be. For example, the internet, parents, teachers, doubters, anyone and anything can prevent us as long as we let them.
6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
Freed prisoners have a sense of reality; they do not dwell of the shadows as the cave prisoners do.  The freed prisoners know how the shadows are created and the reason behind it. They have more perspective of the outside world
7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
Confusion is when the freed prisoner comes up and tries to explain the reality that is real to the still tied up prisoners.  This puts doubt in their mind of what to believe, the new guy or the reality they had faced their whole life.
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
To escape, the prisoners van listen in on the freed prisoners about the world around them or help each other out and having good conscience by helping each other remove the chains. Simply imagine what the world around them may be. Intellectual freedom comes from you yourself and your ability to think for yourself.
9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
The  is a major gap between what it appears to be and what it actually is. For example, in a dream it appears that you may die cause a green monster is chasing you but in reality its only a dream, nothing more nothing less. This can also come into place with the difference of opinions. What one believes may not be what the other does. Also, two can come away with different perspectives and ideas.1
0. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
I'd have to agree with Socrates assumptions 

Play Sonnet

This was extremely uncomfortable & embarrassing but I don't care I finally did it! not to mention it took me about an hour to figure out how to upload the dang thing.

Dr. Preston's Article: Notes

The Role of Interdependence in Strategic Collaboration 

Literary Analysis #3

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

1. George and Lennie(friends) tried to find work as they traveled farm to farm. Unfortunately Lennie has a type of mental disorder and so George has to care for her. Finally they discovered a farm in California. Once hired they met Candy,  an old-time employee with an even older dog. Then there was Curley, the boss's mean son, who is also  married to a girl who just happens to be scandalous and often upsets her husband. George warns Lennie to stay away from the woman and if he gets into any mishap to run off to their secret hideaway. George and Lennie eventually meet Slim, a respected mule-driver, and Carlson, a ranch hand. It is later mentioned how  George and Lennie got chased away from their last job. It just so happens that Lennie was accused of rape after constantly stroking a woman's dress. Moreover, Carlson keeps pressuring Candy to put her dog down, sadly she eventually gave in and let Carson shoot him. Although they tried very hard to keep their "secret land" a secret, Candy soon found out and wanted it for himself. They didn't decided right away, however they did decided to let Candy in on their dream. Lennie gets caught in the middle of Curley's relationship which leads Curley to take his frustration out on him rather than his wife. George demands Lennie to fend for himself and so he did. Lennie crushed Curley's hand. Lennie then meets Crooks, an African American employee. the two immediately became friends. Curley's wife then stirred up more trouble for Lennie as she went to him to complain about her married life. She gave Lennie the OK to touch her hair and show sympathy for her until he panicked and broke her neck which killed her. Before anyone found out about the murder of Curley's wife, Lennie flew to the secret hideaway. When George finds Lennie he becomes distraught because their dreams may be going down the drain. Expectantly he shoots Lennie in the back of the head. George is speechless; the other men don't understand why he feels so horrible and leave him lonely and confused
2. The main theme of the novel is the  bond of two men(life friends) and how essential a friendship
is in one's life. This relates to the men growing up with a dream. A dream to own a farm together. A dream that their entire friendship was based upon. Eventually, George realized their dream wasn't a reality, together anyways. The fact that Lennie had a mental disorder would continue to hold George back from living his life long dream. Though Lennie was dead, George still felt the connection of their brotherhood and wished to proceed for him.
3. The tone of the novel is  sentimental and  tragic. The mood it portrayed gives a feeling of compassion for these two essentially different dreamers who lack a sense of reality. 
-"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place....With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us."
-"'I don't know why. Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.'"
-"Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land." 
4.

Diction

-"We could live offa the fatta the lan'."

Simile

-"At about ten o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars."

Foreshadowing

-"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog." 

Imagery

"Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. on the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones."

Symbolism

-"'Well,' said George, 'we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof...'" 

Characterization:

1. An example of direct characterization "Curly was quick and mean." We cannot infer anything about Curly because the author has already stated his traits. Indirect characterization is when Curly shows us how insecure he is when he is threatened by Lennie and his size. We are indirectly "shown" by the author through the characters thoughts, feelings, and actions and left to make our own conclusions.

2. Diction is informal because characters lack an educated background. 

diction:

"We could live offa the fatta the lan'."

The tone is set by what the characters say and how they day it syntax: 

"Lennie almost shouted, " 'bout the rabbits.'

"You're nuts," said Crooks. "You're crazy as a wedge. What rabbit are you talking about?"

"The rabbits we're gonna get, and I get to tend 'em, cut grass an' give 'em water, an' like that."

"Jus' nuts," said Crooks. "I dont blame the guy you travel with for keepin' you outa sight."

3. Lennie is a dynamic character. He appears to be a huge man however is not mentally there, therefore he lacks that maturity. Though he is often troubled with women, we can see how sympathetic he is by the way he reacts to animals and cares for them.4. I feel as if I met an actual person. Lennie was not like much characters. He had a defect. A defect that most people don't have to live with. Though it did not stop him mentally from going for his dreams it eventually caught up to him and costed him his life.

Sonnet Analysis Part I

I decided to change my Sonnet so here is the new one...
Sonnet to Homework by ~blackmage607,
Oh dearest homework, I do loathe you so,
Some days I just throw you against the wall,
And your work deeply affects my brain flow,
Nothing on your pages can I recall.

Your small numbers in math put me on edge,
So confusing they are hurting my head,
You make me want to jump off a high ledge,
Knowing that you're here makes me full of dread.

You are so mean and just plain tortuous,
And your weekly vocab drives me insane,
You always make me use a thesaurus,
It seems you just like to enjoy my pain.

Making sure you're done in time is a chore,
Can't you see you're not welcome anymore?!


A sonnet first of all is not long. They only contain 14 lines. This sonnet relates to each and everyone of us Seniors which is why I chose it. It is also very humorous and definitely related to our AP English class because of course we all dread those weekly vocabulary quizzes. I believe this sonnet was meant to relate and provide a fundamental way of learning sonnets to us younger learners.   

Big Question

My big question is...What is the true meaning of life? Is it being happy by doing something you love? Having a family? Both? See i personally don't think I want a family I feel as if I want to become very involved in my work(detective) and won't have time for that fairy tale ending. Is that the wrong way of going about life?

Sonnet

Sonnet 73

That time of year thou mayst in me behold	In me you can see that time of year
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang	When a few yellow leaves or none at all hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,	On the branches, shaking against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.	Bare ruins of church choirs where lately the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day	In me you can see only the dim light that remains
As after sunset fadeth in the west,	After the sun sets in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,	Which is soon extinguished by black night,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.	The image of death that envelops all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire	I am like a glowing ember
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,	Lying on the dying flame of my youth,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,	As on the death bed where it must finally expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.	Consumed by that which once fed it.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,	This you sense, and it makes your love more determined
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.	Causing you to love that which you must give up before long.

AP HAMLET PLN

The reason I chose the links below is because a. Courses on Hamlet are difficult to find (maybe because of my search engine or the way that my computer has me monitored?) and b. I was interested in how people study Hamlet in different ways. It is common to act out Hamlet, like we did in zero period today, but I always noticed many colleges have festivals based off the play alone. These websites are mainly from dramatic arts in college however, I was able to find a study guide from an AP course which may be helpful when studying for the test or when writing an essay and in need of a topic/ideas. I've also included a class discussion that Feli had posted which I found very helpful but the audio is low so pay close attention. Hope this was useful!

• Here is an AP course study guide for Hamlet
• Hamlet in comparison with heroism 
• Discussion from 3rd Period 
• Shakespeare and other great writers being acted out
• Festival for Hamlet @ UH