Blood Wedding Journal 7

Dear Diary,

I am to be wed tomorrow.  I am of mixed feelings.  It is too late to turn back now.  I know I'm beautiful, why do they keep telling me?  WHY!?  That Leonardo man came by again... he should not have been invited.  He's going to tell the bridegroom of our past I know it.  Why does he snoop around on his damned horse?  Already there is so much hate between them.  Its like I have no control.  With my consent for marriage, I was unaware I would have to just sit here and be bossed around by everyone.  But it's too late to turn back now.  Poor bridegroom isn't even that great.  Why did I say yes to him?  I feel so....contained.  I wish I was out.  Out of this marriage that puts me in the box with the walls.  And such a big wedding!  So many people, can't turn back now.  I will be wed, and I will be bossed around.  This is a big step. 

-Bride

Wild Duck Responses

Ivan Kallevig:

"Well I like this because it's kind of a cool read, but what does it do to connect to the play?  I feel like this brings up nationalist vibes when the play shows no focus on that.  Either way though, it looks pretty haha."

Tanner Bean:

"Good quotes and comparison, but I think you overlooked something that puts this whole "cut out" idea at a midpoint.  For the most part, Ibsen actually uses the dull parts to express important information to the audience in a format of which they are more accustomed, that they can relate to.  So I think that to an extent the playwright can manipulate "dull" moments to be key parts of the rising action or even the climax."

Montana Agnew:

"I agree with you here too.  I think it can really vary from play to play, and that each can serve different purposes.  Like Jordy though, I often see style as just the frosting on the plot, simply adding dimensions to what is actually happening but not laying the ground work for the book."

Wild Duck Journal 6

What  is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?

I wouldn't call myself a drama expert, but I think this statement is terrible.  I think, rather, that drama is the manipulation of regular life events, so taking the "dull" parts and making them into exciting or emotional things.  For instance, let's say I walk my dog down the street alot.  One day I'm walking down the street, I talk to a few people, then BLAM, my dog gets hit by a car.  I feel like because theatre generally includes this "talking" or interphase scene, the above statement is falsified.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE TIME

Oedipus.  Now, your probably thinking, "WHAT?  Nothing about this play is dull?!?!?!".  While that may be true, that also proves my point.  This play is simply making manipulations on normal human actions to create the drama.  The fact that Oedipus has to find the truth is played out in a very systematic manner, and throughout the story, generally no gaps are left out (with the exception of sleeping).

The Wild Duck.  Ahhhh muuuuuch better for my stance.  It doesn't take an English professor to see that ALL this book does is uses day by day scenarios to increase tensions and foreshadow future events.  This play's very life blood is the fact that it is centered around these day by day, no out of the ordinary events.  The "action" is simple conversation, and, once again, barely any time is skipped with exception to sleep.

So yeah, I think the opposite of this statement, that play's a re centered around manipulations on the "dull" parts.

Wild Duck Journal 5

Plot Versus Style (in reference to importance) 

First off, let me say that generally I view the plot as more important because it is directly explaining all the things that a style builds too.  In metaphorical sense, the plot is the bread part of the cake, while the style is the frosting. 

SO, let's start comparing the two plays, yayyyyyy.

OEDIPUS.  The style is almost unimportant.  Why?  With exception to metaphor, I don't think that Sophocles really used much stylistic input.  Instead, like most Greek plays, the crowd was only focused on what is happening and what they are seeing.  This brings me to a point, THE AUDIENCE LIKES PLOT.  Why do the playwrights here write their plays?  To entertain the audience.  Often it is hard for the audience to hear consonance or the like when it is being played to their ears in real-time.  However, deceit, betrayal, murder, arguing, relationship, and anything like that that build to the plot is visible.  I can SEE Iago betraying Othello. 

THE WILD DUCK.  Well, this play I would argue places more importance on the style simply because through act 2 the plot seems.....well...boring.  The audience would not be enthused with the simple conversations of the characters.  Gregers is renting a room out?  Big deal.  That is the most climatic point so far?  Lammmmme.  So clearly this ever important entertainment factor is placed on the playwright's clever use of style right?  WRONG.  Well, kinda.  I think the entertainment factor here is the set.  I'm not sure if that is what is being referred to as "style".  From what I've read in the stage directions however, Ibsen loves to use particular detail in his stage directions and what the background looks like.  I feel that it really is the highlighting factor of everything the characters are doing.  Not Ibsen's literary style.

In conclusion, plot is more important in my opinion.  But I will do a no-no and bring up a new point in my conclusion, I think the importance is perceptive.  What I find important may be different to someone else. 

Wild Duck Journal 4

Letter from Werle to Gregers-

Dear son,

I know you don't hold me in the highest regards, but I aim to change that.  You see, you are viewing me not through your mother's eyes alone, but from her universal perspective.  There is no need to be bitter towards me finding love, as you are just being selfish by trying to take the opportunity away from me.  When you speak to me, it is word for word like your mother and don't you (for your own good) want to grow up and form your own opinions?

STRIVE!  I plead of you, for independent views and thoughts of me.  The family you so notably lacked can be formed if you let it.  You have the power over having the American dream family.  I'm not a criminal, that was proven in the court of law.  Ekdal was a big boy and knew exactly what he was getting himself into with this lying in the timber business.

I'm am not the horrible person you make me out to be.  You have soiled my reputation among myself and others and that is not okay with me.  You will respect me, as the way you are acting is surely not the way I raised you

-Gregers

Oedipus Journal 3

Heightened Emotional Moments:

Sophocles used heightened emotional moments to create an emotional response from his audience in his plays.  For my comparison journal I am comparing Oedipus the King to 1984. 

Sophocles greatly heighten the emotion of Oedipus' situation when the former king of Thebes finds out that his mother has hung herself in response to finding the whole messy "killed his own dad, slept with his mom" situation.  Oedipus responds by ripping out his eyes.  Pretty nasty huh?  Well that is what Sophocles was going for.  He wanted the audience to be so shocked by this disgusting unthinkable response that they would pick up on the emotions of the situation purely because of how dire the actions are.  This is often a technique (shock and awe) used on modern television and movies, taking advantage of the fact that the audience watches what is happening and does not just read it. 

Conversely, in novels, because you cannot actually see what is happening, authors depend on the words used and the pace of the text to dictate emotion in the situation.  This is shown in 1984 where in the emotional moments George Orwell does not use shock and awe but rather a pre-established knowledge of what it completely unacceptable to the government.  He also heightens the emotion of the situation by speeding up the rhythm and pace of the text, so the reader not only feels like they are reading fast, but they are reading fast.

Oedipus Journal 2

Setting-

The geographical setting of Oedipus is different parts of Greece.  For the audience watching the plays, this makes the story relateable because they are from there and familiar with the culture being portrayed.  What is cool for the audience is that they get to see a representation of what their culture used to look like compared to what it looks like in the present.  The relateable setting also makes it easier for the Greek people to fully understand the lesson that is being taught (of what not to do).  The characters are allowed to be changed to fit the play and the play's central theme because no one in the audience would have been "there" back in time to prove the playwright's representation wrong.  The geographical setting also impacts the play because of the set up of the different parts of Greece being close in location and at war, making stories from the time about war very common.

Oedipus Journal #1

Point of View:

Oedipus is told as if the reader of the story was watching it play out on the stage because it is a play.  However, all of the information the audience obtains is from dialogue, as no character is telling the story.  Additionally, the only way the audience can learn character's emotions or opinions is from the dialogue and their actions.  This establishes a third person limited point of view.  Because of the fact that this is a play, it would not flow very well with the audience if the point of view changed, and it does not.  Because the narrative voice is simply telling the story and what is happening with the characters, we can accept it as very reliable.  The reader does not get to know the characters on a deep level.  Basically all of the knowledge we get on the characters is from the summary or from the dialogue.  This is probably because it lets the reader develop their own opinion, and get differing lessons from the story.  The characters are not very credible because there is alot of dramatic irony, so most of the time the reader them self is more trustworthy than the characters because the characters are sometimes so wrapped in mystery and confusion they don't know what is going on!  The characters, once again, are presented through the dialogue and their actions.  This creates the window for viewers to speculate motives for why the characters do what they do.  The writer does not really persuade us to like or dislike the characters.  Although, when a character does something immoral, it leads the audience to be frustrated.  Additionally, when characters (like Oedipus' proud, overconfident nature) show traits not liked by people in real life generally make people dislike the character in the play.  Often the way these characters are portrayed is to show what the playwright thinks about people with those qualities they have experienced in their life and culture.  

1984 Journal Topic C

Being that it is 3:00 am, excuse any blatant grammatical errors I may make, after all you have to chillax because this is my blog (haha).

In 1984, Orwell tries to horrify his reader by warping things in society into something you'd see at a haunted house.  Children beg to see men killed.  Bombs constantly explode, severing limbs which are tossed off to the side.  Babies are eaten by rats.  Fights over insignificant things are sparked around every corner.  Gin is the preferred beverage to water.  Pornography is a mass marketed item.  Sex is no longer sex.  The dictionary is slowly dumbing everyone down, taking away personal expression.  And worst of all, you can't even have individual thought!  If I was around in 1949 when this book was published, on one hand, I would in no way believe this "garbage" (in reference to my opinion at the time).  However (assuming I'm the average Joe Capitalist American), I would revel in the not-so-subtle anti-socialist theme that runs through it.  Some of Orwell's claims are outlandish, crazy, (and in a word the man loves to use) lunatic.  Even weirder thing about these proclamations: they are right.  Hitler's regime mirrors that of the party in a horrifying fashion (with exception to the fact that Hitler was physically real).   Acceptance of violence is getting younger and younger.  In many communist nations and nations with ultra-nationalist parties, bombs are in fact going off uncontrollably, sent from, yes, their own country!  In parts of India babies are tossed out on the streets.  Alcoholism is a growing problem in the U.S.  Pornography is one of the largest global markets.  And in many countries like North Korea, steps are being taken to erase individual thought, through use of community.   Offered alternative: clean cut democracy.  But, also Capitalism because of the lack of forced "share" of all goods.

1984 Journal Topic A

"Here we reach the central secret.  As we have seen, the mystique of the Party, and above all of the Inner Party, depends upon doublethink.  But deeper than this lies the original motive, the never-questioned instinct that first led to the seizure of power and brought doublethink, the Thought Police, continuous warfare , and all other necessary paraphernalia into existence afterwords." (216-217)

This passage is very important to the main purpose of every action this government does.  They simply convince everyone that things are different then they really are, because if every human mind perceives something differently from how it really happens, did it REALLY happen that way?  It's the whole if a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it, did it really happen thing.  This passage reveals that the "instinct" to seize power led to the application of doublethink, and all other strategies the Party uses for control.  So this passage tells of the origin and processes of why and how this government runs.  Right before this, the class system is being discussed (as it is an excerpt from Emmanuel Goldstein's book) and he talks about how classes are in a cyclic path of trying to improve their life, while holding off the other social class.  That also feeds into the doublethink because one way the higher class is able to subdue the proles and the middle class is simply by brainwashing them.  It's a method of social class control.  The thought police also help retain the class system because if anyone is having thoughts of rebellion they are stricken down before they can gain support.

1984 Journal Topic B

In 1984, Winston is fighting the government of Oceania.  George Orwell creates a horrific prediction of the future by manipulating what are thought of as basic human rights.  Not only can you not reproduce by your interest (whatever that may be), but you can't even think original thought!   And on top of that, if you do defy the government, you are either erased from existence, or tortured into conformity.  Winston rebels against this by having sexual relations for his own reasons, and setting up an alternate, self controlled life.  In order to escape the thought police, he works in secrecy.  Out of cameras views, using doublethink to his advantage.  In order to gain the truth about various records, Winston takes documents from his work and links them together.  This rebellion is very successful, until he is caught.  He had it all going for him, his own passionate relationship, individual knowledge, and an independent (to an extent) life.  But part of the horror of Orwell's created society is the inconsistency of day to day life.  There is no consistency, because the past is constantly changed.  Backbones of the society like language, politics, war, and jobs are constantly changed.  Worst of all, constant surveillance makes citizens uneasy.  The line of what you can and can't do is hazy.  And when Winston is inevitably caught, the punishment is severe.  With torture, they don't just hurt you physically, they mess with your mind.  They make you know that ONLY what they say is true.  And to Winston, this is the most horrible punishment of all.  He knows 2 and 2 make 4, but in the end, if they say it is 5, it's 5.

Journal 19

My Thesis:

Albert Camus uses motifs of Saturdays and Sundays, waking up, and the myth of Sisyphus to show the futility of the human cycle of emotional vulnerability and suppression.

Any changes???

Journal 18

Well, from the first moment I picked the book up, I thought The Stranger was an awesome book.  That being said let me clarify that I hate looking at this book with regard to the absurdist, existentialist view.  When looking at the book like that, it is dry and repetitive, and complicates a somewhat simple idea, and contradicts itself.  BUUUT if you ignore that part, I like this book.

The first reason I liked this book, is that my first impression after speeding through it was what is best described as "woah".   I realized that for the first time in a while, I had little idea what the heck I had just read.  I then questioned the effect of a book that does this.  Is it a beautiful thing?  I thought, technically someone could just write incoherent and unrelated babble and call it a story, and I should be amazed by this logic.  But then it hit me, what I liked about this book was not it's complicated nature, but rather, the way Camus linked his motifs (whether simple or complex), to relate to a theme.  While the motifs were up to personal perception, the themes they point to could come together smoothly. 

The second reason was that I like Camus' ability to say something by saying the opposite.  For example, I perceive Mersault as a deeply emotional person, although upon first read he is viewed as a horrifyingly unemotional one.  He is described as emotional in the sense that he puts so much effort into not NOT being emotional.  I thought that was cool.

I think simply because of the unique writing style and qualities alone, this book should be taught in schools.  I would just plead, for the student and teacher's sake, that it is not related to existentialism.

Journal 17

Thesis: Camus uses waking up to mirror the myth of Sisyphus and show the futility in running from emotions.

Quotes:

1. "And when I woke up, I was slumped against a soldier who smiled at me and asked if I'd been traveling long.  I said, "Yes," just so I wouldn't have to say anything else." (pg 4)
2. "It was a rustling sound that woke me up.  Because I had my eyes closed the whiteness of the room seemed brighter than before.  [...] that old women can have." (pg. 9-10) *SHORTEN*
3. "I remember opening my eyes at one point and seeing that all the old people were slumped over asleep, except for one old man, with his chin resting on the back of his hands wrapped around his cane, who was staring at me as if he were just waiting for me to wake up.  Then I dozed off again.  I woke up because my back was hurting more and more."  (pg.11)*Running from emotions.  old man represents (?)*
4. "And when the bus entered the nest of lights I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours." (pg 18)
5. "As I was waking up, it came to me why my boss had seemed annoyed when I asked him for two days off: today is Saturday" (pg.19)
6. "I had a hard time getting up, because I was tired from the day before." (pg.19)
7. "We lay on the float a long time, half asleep." (Pg. 20) EMOTION RUN
8. "When I woke up, Marie had gone. [...] I remembered it was Sunday, and that bothered me: I don't like Sundays." (pg.21)
9. NOTE: 24-25 and 33-34, does not talk about sleep before next day.  Work/ schedule is a form of escape, sundays and saturdays different because he is not busied and can face emotions?!?!?!?  Pull quotes from there for sure, need to refine it.
10. "I must have looked tired, because Raymond told me not to let things get to me.  At first I said I didn't understand.  Then he explained he'd heard  about Maman's death but that it was one of those things that was bound to happen sooner or later.  I thought so too." (pg. 33)
11. "She left at one o' clock and I slept awhile" (pg 37) When alone, sleeps more.  more emotions to reflect on.
12. After feeling bad for Salmano, pull that part in, "For some reason, I thought of Maman.  But I had to get up early the next morning.  I wasn't hungry, and I went to bed without any dinner." (pg 39) no physical need, so run from emotions.
13. "I had a hard time waking up on Sunday, and Marie had to call me [...] laughed with delight." (pg.47) SIMPLIFY
14. "The warmth from her body and the sun made me doze off.  Marie shook me and told me Masson had gone back up to the house, that it was time for lunch." (pg 51)
15. "the day i buried Maman, I was very tired and sleepy" (pg 65).

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND obviously I need more quotes from later in the book.  I will also pull stuff from the green packet to link Sisyphus.  But alas, it is 1:24 in the morning, and surely enough, if I do not go to sleep now, I will in English class.   So, I must bid my laptop adieu, and like Mersault, sleep to run away from my inevitable punishment of school.  hahaha.

Journal 16

1. Why does Camus use a motif of Sundays and Saturdays when describing events essential to the story?
2. Why does Camus use a repetition of the numbers 2 and 4 when describing quantity of physical objects?
3. Why does Camus use strong imagery when describing the beach, but nowhere else in the book?
4. What is the purpose of Camus using long sentences to describe physical aspects of the world around Mersault, and short sentences to describe people and conversations?
5. Is Camus using Salmano and his Dog to represent morality, or a lack of it?

Answers:

• (Q#1 Tate) Camus uses short, precise sentences to highlight Mersault's linear, but broken thought process in reference to traumatizing events (the death of Maman in the beginning).
• (Q#1 Hannah) Camus uses the sun to represent a pressured feeling, whereas, the more intense the qualities of the sun, the more pressure Mersault feels.
• (Q#4 Matt) I believe Camus uses the everyday routine in the book to simply highlight the parts (Saturdays and Sundays) that are not part of the everyday schedule.  I believe this is linked with the reason he describes the beach in such great detail.  Almost saying that the day-to-day is something that needs to be escaped.
• (Q#1 Tanner) Camus uses the environment to develop character's emotion to show that emotion is a unique concept. While it is a common thing in all humans, it is what one makes it. The environment around someone often can shape their emotions, especially if the person gives no effort to control it themselves.
• (Q#2 Shannon) Camus uses the dog to represent morality, and the development of the lack of it throughout the book, eventually leading to the end of morality (when the dog runs away).  The negative actions upon the dog mirror the negative (by societal standards) actions taken by Mersault.

Journal 15

I think Albert Camus had obvious purpose in dividing The Stranger into two parts.  I'm going start with the fact that he starts part 2 right after the shooting.  The immediate shift in not only the structure of the book but also Mersault's feelings and attitude is highlighted by the abrupt stop in writing.  This abrupt stop in the middle of the climax also places extreme intention and purpose in a small amount of space.  Another reason Camus did this was to divide Mersault's problems and reactions and thoughts towards those problems.  In part 2, he has to overcome being the judged.  He is the physical object in the "absurdist" courtroom.  whereas, in part 1, Mersault was a fairly unjudgemental person and was not usually the target of the absurdism.

Another big thing i noticed was the Mersault plans everything very heavily and thinks in a very linear fashion, with simple jumps back in the line of his thought process to more looming things.  In part 2, he has this freedom taken from him.  this may be related to the whole "active consciousness" part of absurdism.  He can't think the way he wants, and he cannot set his planned schedule.  In effect, this takes away his free thought which takes away his free action.

Journal 14

6 questions from chapter 6, with some notes pointing towards an answer.

1.   Why does Camus include Mersault's cigarette tasting bitter?  I believe there are 2 possible reasons Camus could be doing this.  He might be setting a tone for the "waking up" feel and the bad taste in one's mouth.  Or, he may be giving us an opinion about Mersault, that he is somewhat of a loser. 
2.   Why was Merault's statement not checked?  I think apart from the possibility of the ever-present sexist undertone, I think this was to highlight the obsession with justice applied to Mersault later in the story.   
3.   Why is Masson's tendency of "and I'd even say" repeated?  Because of the way Mersault describes this I think that this is supposed to show Mersault's opinion that some things don't matter.  And it creates a dichotomy of things that matter vs. things that do not.
4.   Why does Camus go into greater description of the beach tan anywhere else?  I think there are to possible reasons for this.  Firstly, he may be doing this in order to establish the beach as a place of significant importance, and almost foreshadowing the major event that will happen there.  Secondly, he may be creating a closeness for the reader with the relaxed way Mersault is describing and acting on the beach.  Because when Mersault has a distance from the emotional world, this creates an opposite effect.
5.   Why does Mersault refer to characters by nationality (Parisian, Arab)?  Well, I noticed the whenever Mersault does this, it is only to smaller, flat characters.  So I think he is almost describing them not necessarily in a racist manner, but rather that they are "one of the group".
6.   When describing days, Sundays and Saturdays are constantly referenced, why?  I'm not completely sure why Camus does this.  I've noticed that during the week Mersault is stuck in the day by day cycle, where nothing new happens.  So maybe it is supposed to represent freedom or something or a change in his schedule which he normally has planned out to the bone.

Journal 13

My philosophy is called religionist selfism, and is based off the belief that whether subconsciously or consciously, every action done is purely for the benefit of one's self.  That being said, people can still choose to pursue beneficial outcomes for themselves that can in turn also be for the betterment of those around them.

1. The advancement and development of human, animal, and nature is by process of evolution.  This also shows (because evolution takes place for efficiency of survival) that most actions and reactions are based off of survival instincts, tying back to the idea of selfism.  The reason I accept the theory of evolution is that there is simply too much reoccurring evidence throughout the entire universe to disregard it.  This is important because it explains how we can expect the universe to advance, and the vast possibilities it is capable of.
2. There is a God, who works through the "holy trinity", and is involved in the universe it created.  Woah!  Evolution and religion in the same philosophy?  Yes.  I accept (in a very generalized description) God to be the why, and evolution to be the how. I think this because while evolution is a pretty concrete theory, that needs to be viewed as valid, the chances that it would occur with no outside influence, are bluntly astronomical.  That being said, if the cells were not to change and mutate by only their own cause, obviously the chances would look much better.  This is important because it justifies my belief in evolution and further advancement.
3. The devotion in humans to a God, is caused by a selfism base.  The reason that humans are drawn to god, is that they are getting something out of the relationship in every way possible way.  The whole idea behind prayer is having an influence on something one would otherwise have none over.  The reason people attend church and give money, is in hopes of future salvation.  I believe this because after attending church regularly, I have noticed that not only withing myself, but also others, the motivation of all actions is future salvation (why religion is synonymous with faith).  This idea has also stuck true to every preacher's sermon I have ever seen.  This is important because it explains why humans actively pursue religion.              
4. Morality is caused by exposure.  I believe that morals are not just established by upbringing, but also how the brain interprets things in general.  If two people are given the same exact situations, they will still get different things out of each one.  People weigh importance on things in sometimes not just different but opposing ways.  I believe this because I've seen people raised in different and similar ways, all with extremely different views on what is "right".  But generally, morals will be derived from something that turned out well for the person.  This is important because it helps describe how societies think and why.
5. If not for society, and groups of people, the world would be in wreckage.  If not for the "teaming up for the general good of humanity", advancement would be very slow.  The interesting part of how my belief fits into this, is that while this is true, the only reason people "team up" is not for humanity, but for their own benefit. The benefit?  Recognition, heroism, heightened standard of living, etc.  The importance of this is that it shows that while people may team up, and find success for all, it is really only for the success of the self.
6. Everyone deserves equal opportunity, to an extent.  I believe that regardless of race, sex, or any sort of differing factor someone is born with,  everyone should have an equal starting point.  this means I think that in a perfect and just world, parents would not get to choose the route their kids take.  Everyone would have the same exposure to religion, education, and the same starting economic status.  That way, the only reason one would have of why they did not amount to as much as their fellow person would be that they misused their opportunity.  But, as America has unsuccessfully tried to simulate this, it only works in a world where selfism is not the base of all action.  I think this is important because it creates a fair life, with less blame being placed.
7. Nothing can be accepted as fully true, as there is always a theoretical case to disprove anything.  This is where my philosophy would probably come under the most speculation.  I think that being that the universe was created by some omniscient being (God), we can't ever say that something is the way it is, or that any predictions for the future are 100% true.  I also think it is kind of cool, living in a universe of uncertainty.  This concept is up to interpretation, as it is a generalized statement that could be taken many different ways.  For instance, if you drop a ball (without air resistance), it will fall down at a constant rate.  Think of all the scenarios and exceptions that would negate that statement.  Any example of a "law" of nature has at least one instance where it is not true.  This is important because it shows just where we are on the scale of things.  That we can never actually have any true knowledge, and we can't even have a complete concept of having that knowledge!

Woah! 

Journal 12

I think that while both Mathew Ward and Stuart Gilbert have made pretty reliable translations, my preference lies with Ward. 

Ward seems to adhere strongly to the general writing style of Albert Camus, especially his syntax.  Short, precise, sentences are used to emphasize and characterize character traits.  Were as, Gilbert has a tendency to mix clauses and some words up.  Additionally, Ward uses "Maman" where Gilbert uses "Mother", and keeps measurements in the metric system.  I like this because the story takes place outside of America, so it is only natural that the dialogue and mannerisms of the society would not be Americanized. 

As for the title, I would translate it to The Foreigner.  I think this would further emphasize the scene on the beach (where a foreigner Arab is shot) and also highlight the fact that Mersault is a foreigner in modern and their present society.  While The Stranger conveys almost that same idea, I think of a foreigner being more detached than a stranger.  Although stranger also works as an idea for this book, because it makes Mersault seem less open to change.

Journal 11

The following is how I am going to tab The Stranger.  I'm going to tab the mersault's expectations, spots where I think Camus is expressing existentialism, motif of sleep, motif of time and also I'm going to tab spots where Meursault's importance is placed mostly or totally on physical ideas or things.  Lastly, i'll also tab where emphasis is put on certain parts.

Yellow: Meusuralt's expectations of those around him (reactions)
Orange: Examples of how certain parts are given subtle emphasis.
Large Yellow with explanation: Existentialism with detail
Blue: Motif of sleep
Green: Motif of time

Journal 10

Theme: In any case of societal oppression the effects are elongated and caused in equal part by the oppressed as the oppressor. 
(I may clarify types of societal oppression (sexist, racist,)
I will not be referring completely to slavery because while touching on it in Their Eyes Were Watching God, I believe Hurston was talking about all types of oppression, whether it be between husband and wife or slave and slave owner. 

1.  ""Us colored folks is too envious of one 'nother.  Dat's how come us don't git no further than us do.  Us talks about de white man keepin' us down!  Shucks!  He don't have tuh.  Us keeps our own selves down."" [39]

2.  ""So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule ud de world so fur as Ah can see."" [14]

3.  "Six months back he had told her, "If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside. Mah fust wife never bothered me ‘bout choppin’ no wood nohow. She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man. You done been spoilt rotten."  So Janie had told him, "Ah’m just as stiff as you is stout. If you can stand not to chop and tote wood Ah reckon you can stand not to git no dinner. ‘Scuse mah freezolity, Mist’ Killicks, but Ah don’t mean to chop de first chip."" [26]

4.  ""You behind a plow! You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You ain’t got no business cuttin’ up no seed p’taters neither. A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you."" [29]

5.  "Janie got up with him the next morning and had the breakfast halfway done when he bellowed from the barn.  "Janie!" Logan called harshly. "Come help me move dis manure pile befo’ de sun gits hot. You don’t take a bit of interest in dis place. ‘Tain’t no use in foolin’ round in dat kitchen all day long…" "You don’t need mah help out dere, Logan. Youse in yo’ place and Ah’m in mine." "You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh. Git uh move on yuh, and dat quick." [31]   6.  "This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT going to show in the store. It didn’t seem sensible at all. That was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was. He never told her how often he had seen the other men figuratively wallowing in it as she went about things in the store. And one night he had caught Walter standing behind and brushing the back of his hand back and forth across the loose end of her braid ever so lightly so as to enjoy the feel of it without Janie knowing what he was doing. Joe was at the back of the store and Walter didn’t see him. He felt like rushing forth with the meat knife and chopping off the offending hand. That night he ordered Janie to tie up her hair around the store. That was all. She was there in the store for him to look at, not those others." [55] 7.  ""I god, Janie," Starks said impatiently, "why don’t you go on and see whut Mrs. Bogle want? Whut you waitin’ on?"  Janie wanted to hear the rest of the play-acting and how it ended, but she got up sullenly and went inside. She came back to the porch with her bristles sticking out all over her and with dissatisfaction written all over her face. Joe saw it and lifted his own hackles a bit. [70] 8.  ""Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves." "Ah knows uh few things, and womenfolks thinks sometimes too!" "Aw naw they don’t. They just think they’s thinkin’. When Ah see one thing Ah understands ten. You see ten things and don’t understand one."" [71] 9.  "He wanted her submission and he’d keep on fighting until he felt he had it.  So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush. The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again."  [71] 10.  "Janie did what she had never done before, that is, thrust herself into the conversation. "Sometimes God gits familiar wid us womenfolks too and talks His inside business. He told me how surprised He was ‘bout y’all turning out so smart after Him makin’ yuh different; and how surprised y’all is goin’ tuh be if you ever find out you don’t know half as much ‘bout us as you think you do. It’s so easy to make yo’self out God Almighty when you ain’t got nothin’ tuh strain against but women and chickens." "You getting’ too moufy, Janie," Starks told her. "Go fetch me de checker-board and de checkers.""  [75]

Journal 9

The dark ominous clouds drifted above.  Rain struck the roof of the nearby shack, as Walton and Sarah passed through the field.  Sarah squinted her grim eyes as rain drops splattered on her blue-green puddles. 
"Stay outside," Sarah told Walton, and he did just that, setting up a camp about 200 yard from the shack.  Smoke billowed out of the brick chimney which protruded out of the rain-soaked roof.  Sarah approached and a warm feeling of remembrance shot through her veins.  But as she knocked on the old wooden door, the impact reminded her of the present situation.  No answer, Thunder roared.  Sarah desperately tried again, she was in dire need of the listening ear of her old friend.  The door creaked and Sarah was welcomed by a smiling face. 
"My, it has been years!" Mae exclaimed, "In, in!"  Sarah stepped in the house.  The humid air blanketed her on all sides, and the elegant red and purple room was the same of her childhood. 
"What brings you all this way my dear Sarah?"
"It's about Walton."
"Oh what is it, marriage advise?  Oh my!"
"No Mae sadly I have made up my mind, I seek not suggestion simply reinforcement that I am not crazy."
"What troubles you?"
"Two years ago I was on track to graduate college in the big city, and I was happy as can be.  I was going to be the first in my family.  Then one day Walton came home talking these big words about providing for me and me not having to work a day in my life.  The sincerity in his eyes drew my naive self and I thought I had it made.  But come about five months ago, I asked for some money to go buy our big city friend Krista a birthday present, and he said he was tired of giving me money I didn't earn for things I don't need.  Ever since that day, he only supports me financially and emotionally in buying the weekly groceries.  I've lost my freedom, and I have no way of going back to school, because I have no money."
"So what is your plan?"
"I have to get rid of him Mae."
"Where is he at?"
"Right outside."
"Do do what you need to do."
As Sarah stood up to walk outside, she noticed the pitter patter of rain on the shack roof had stopped, and tension on the old shack seem to be released.  She opened the door and greeted the grey sky with an indifferent face.  She approached the newly set up tent.  Little rain drops grazed her shoulders anew.
"Walton?"
Walton stepped out of the tent.
"Yes?"
"We need to talk."
"Here? Now?"
"Yes.  I have nothing.  You've taken over my physical life, and my emotional life, and that's not ok."
"Your crazy"
"I'm leaving you Walton"
Walton pulled back, anger spread on his face.  As Sarah watched the closed fist and its source, she felt pity and sorrow.  Pity, for what the once great man had become, and sorrow for the loss of them.  The loss of what she viewed as love.  Impact was imminent.  The rain had picked up, Sarah squinted her eyes as the fist connected, bloodying her face.  She lay on the ground, not sobbing, not laughing, straight faced.  Thunder roared.

The theme I used was that if there is not an equal sharing of power in a relationship, time will break that relationship.  And the techniques I used are:

• Dialogue-  Hurston uses dialogue to show changes in the relationships between characters.  I did this by showing that at one point Walton was nice and conscious of the language he used with Sarah, and now he could care less.
• Tone-  I mostly set the tone with the ominous sky, elegant room, and the changing of the weather.  By using connotations of different elements of nature, Hurston often sets a tone simply by the scene the characters are in.  This can lead to other techniques like foreshadowing, as mine did. 
• Confidant-  Mae serves as a confidant for Sarah here.  Hurston uses Pheoby as a confidant so the antagonist can share a more detailed opinion on the relationship developments and plot line, while fitting smoothly into the plot line itself, and not causing an abrupt stop in the story.  Here Sarah tells Mae how she was naive and that lead to her misjudgement. 

Journal 8

""We got a rich man round here, then.  Buyin' passenger trains uh battleships this week?" 
"Which one do you want?  It all depends on you." 
"Oh, if you'se treatin' me to it, Ah b'lieve Ah'll take de passenger train.  If it blow up Ah'll still be on land."
"Choose de battleship if dat's whut you really want.  Ah know where one is right now.  Seen one round Key West de other day."
"How's you gointuh git it?"
"Ah shucks, dem Admirals is always ole folks.  Can't no ole man stop me from gittin' no ship for yuh if dat's whut you want.  Ah'd git dat ship out from under him so slick till he'd be walkin' de water lake ole Peter befo' he knowed it."
 [101]

This is a conversation between Tea Cake and Janie on Tea Cake's second visit to the store.  The conversation is a joke about how Tea Cake will spend all his money that he has earned from his job.  The first thing Hurston is doing here is using a dialogue between the antagonist and a main character.  This serves to provide a slight comedic relief to the story, but mostly to show character development.  Because Janie had intentions of being cold towards Tea Cake, this creates a more "true love" feel between the two, because of the fact that Janie simply couldn't help but have a friendly conversation as they hit it off.

Another thing this does is sets a tone for not only the scene that follows the conversation (where Janie and Tea Cake have a extended night and go midnight fishing) but sets a tone for their relationship in general.  As stated above, Janie had all intentions of being bitter towards Tea Cake because she believed she was being made a fool of, but that quickly changed once the chemistry between them set in.  In effect, Hurston used this to change the relationship (at least in the mind of the antagonist) from mean and unforgiving to joyful and passionate.

""Jody classed me off.  Ah didn't.  Naw, Pheoby, Tea Cake ain't draggin' me off nowhere Ah don't want to go.  Ah always did want tuh git round uh whole heap, but Jody wouldn't 'low me tuh.  When Ah wasn't in de store he wanted me tuh jes sit wid folded hands and sit dere.  And Ah'd sit der wid de walls creepin' up on me and squeezin' all de life outa me.  Pheoby, dese educated women got uh heap of things to sit down and consider.  Somebody done tole 'em what to set down for.  Nobody ain't told poor me, so sittin' still worries me.  Ah wants tuh utilize mahself all over"" [112]

Here Janie is describing to Pheoby the relationship between her and Joe, and why it did not work out, and also, defending Tea Cake.  By telling her deep emotions about how Joe oppressed her because she was a women and how she hated sitting tending the store, Janie is using Pheoby as a confidant.  Hurston uses the confidant to help reestablish the emotions and feelings of the antagonist on a more personal level than the third person omniscient narrator.  Another reason Hurston could have used a confidant is to show that Pheoby is really the only person Janie trusted completely, the only person with whom she knew she was safe from judgement.

Journal 7

Then Josiah began to evaluate pity.  Pity, that two sided creature with the tender, loving heart that abides in the moral.  The fantastic entity residing in the depths of our souls, in a barred cage.  Why does pity need a lock, and what chains can keep it down?  He lingers in his cage, contemplating the events around him.  Scratching at the bars anticipating constantly with his gracious heart outreached, remaining until the jail keep sets him free.  Breathing prior to the creation of the universe, before there where minutes or people to count them.  Josiah was likely to spot a track from his paws in his snowy trail very soon.  He was also dejected and aghast.   Ill-fated Lenny!  He shouldn't have to face this by himself.  He summoned Trisha to mention a donation, but Lenny declined.  The money bearing well wishers assisted on the surface, but knew not the pain below.  He'd survive once the surprising chaos of the situation had run its cruel course.  He wasn't forever separated from them after all.  Rather, that's what he thought.  But Trisha told Josiah otherwise, and he was informed.  Had he not been, in the following weeks he was destined to notice, for sorrow began to show upon Lenny's face.  The perpetually subdued sadness had trickled uncontested out in a gradual, agonizing stream.  Just puddled and lingered.  Sorrow, that cold hearted serpent had suffocated his soul.

I related this to a tragic loss a friend of mine had just endured, the loss of his two children in a car crash.  I used Hurston's style and structure to convey sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious emotion that was relevant to what I felt for my friend, pity.  And also about the inevitable sorrow that comes along with it.

Journal 6

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

1.  Hurston's use of the question "What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him?" shows that Janie recognizes the helplessness of the situation, that there is no thing humans can do about death.  She is expressing that by stating that death needs no cover to hide under, and nothing can stop it, that by living, you basically buy a ticket for death.

2.  Hurston uses wings, feathers, and birds throughout the book, and twice in this sections, although each is used separately. 

• "She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now."  This shows that Janie is expecting Joe to die.  What I find weird is that she is referencing Joe as a bird.  I think she is comparing him to an animal to show that rather than feeling angry that Joe treated her disrespectfully, Janie feels sad because she feels pity for Joe (like he is a lesser being).  The man she once saw with associated with great ambition and aggressive goals, was now lying sickly in a bed, fighting a useless fight.
• "Rumor, that wingless bird, has shadowed over the town." This is where my animal/pity comparison both strengthens, and weakens (based on two ways of looking at this).  It strengthens if you look at this as rumor being a pathetic thing, told by pathetic people.  Almost like Janie is frustrated with the rumors the she was responsible for killing Joe.  However, it weakens because the pity view would have to switch awkwardly from person to concept, and I'm not sure Hurston would want to do that.  Alternatively, Hurston could have referred to rumor as a wingless bird because as things lose their wings (at some points in the book) they are considered to have died.  So, by doing this, she could be saying that people who spread the rumors are "dead" on the inside.

3.  Hurston only uses one word in dialect "wuz".  This is because this passage is mostly just the narrator making an insightful statement about death in relation to the setting.  Although throughout the book the narrator is omniscient, it is still necessary to make the distinction that this is Janie's thoughts.

4.  Hurston says "The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and without a roof." in reference to death.  I think she does this to differentiate death from people even further, that it does not have a house, but rather, like god (referenced as the Watcher earlier) "overlooks" humanity from above.  This connects in my mind the standard idea of "god" and the standard idea of "death".  While god created life, with it he created death, and because it is his creation, it is on the same level as him, in the manner that it is above humanity an out of human control.

5.  Hurston repeatedly refers to death as a "he".  This could be because death has influence over the society, just as men do, so this further extends the role of gender in society.

6.  Capitalization of the word No in the sentence "She sent Sam in to suggest a visit, but Jody said No." is used to show Joe's emotion in the situation, believing that Janie has poisoned him.  But also this is used to even further the disrespect Joe is showing her, and I believe this is supposed to show the gender oppression in more of a wife vs. husband role.  She had to send a MAN in to see if she could go in, even though she was his wife.

Journal 5

Zora Neil Hurston uses the motif of "Time" to express an opinion that with unlimited exposure over time things and actions tend to lose their exciting or unusual qualities.  Additionally, the motif is used to highlight the pursuit of dreams, and the two possible outcomes, achievement and disappointment.

Journal 4

3 Patterns:

1.  Clothing- Zora Neale Hurston uses clothing as a symbol of judgement.  The first thing the people in each individual town described in chapters 1-6 do is look at Janie's (and in one case Jody's) clothes in order to form their first impression.  Two examples of this from the book are:

• The first dialogue in the book itself, "What she doing coming back here in dem overhalls? Can't she find no dress to put on?  Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in?" [2]  I see this as the author's method of showing characterization (development) in reference to judgement of Janie's change from dressing like a traditional women to becoming more independent and wearing clothes more commonly worn by men, in essence ignoring the gender barrier.
• The second was when Janie and Jody were exploring Maitland, "They stared at Joe's face, his clothes and his wife." [35]  Along with other things, Hurston uses clothes once again as one of society's indicators of general "status".

2.  Questioning- Hurston uses questioning to show Jody's perseverance and aggressive intent to obtain power.  Through the constant questioning (especially shown in chapter 5) Jody is showing that he has no fear of and will stop at nothing to talk to the mayor.

• ""Just like Ah thought," Joe said.  "A whole heap uh talk and nobody doin' nothing'.  I god, where's de Mayor?" he asked somebody.  "Ah want tuh speak wid de Mayor.""[34]
• ""Where is de Mayor?" Starks persisted.  Ah wants tuh talk wid him"" [35] Notice the italicized him, again touching on the gender bias.

3.  Time- Hurston is very obvious and peculiar with her use of this motif, as "Time" is always capitalized in the book.  Two examples:

• My personal favorite use of the motif is on the first page of the book, "his dreams mocked to death by time" [1].  I like this because it is saying that men either achieve their dreams, or are teased by it as time goes by.
• "Time makes everything old so the kissing, young darkness became a monstropolous old thing while Janie talked." [7]  I also like this one because I have noticed that time does make things old not just in the obvious physical sense, but in the sense that when one has unlimited supply and there is no will or push behind obtaining something, that thing gets old in the sense that it is no longer interesting, fun, or worth one's Time. 

Journal 3

Duke Ellington was an African American composer who not only lead big bands, but also played in them.  He wrote over 1,000 multi genre songs and played (mostly) trumpet and piano.  His popularity translated into writing movie scores and world tours.  He also didn't refer to his music as a certain genre but called it "American music". Before he died, Ellington won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award along with many other awards that displayed his contributions to music.  Some of his passion for writing songs was because he was fueled by competition from other musicians of the time.

Pronunciation:

1. "oo" sound changes to "ah".
2. "ee" sound changed to "eh".
3. "th" changed to "tuh'".

Grammar:

1. All words starting with s end in "ranop".
2. Possessive formed "Coffee of Ronald" instead of "Ronald's Coffee". 
3. When expressing opinion, all caps used to indicate yelling. 

Vocabulary:

1. "Fruit looping" means eating in a restaurant.
2. "Rough landing" is an expression of dislike towards something.
3. "Playing weatherman" means lying.

Beth (Ben's foreign date) walked through the door, while Ben held it open.
"SUREANOP IS A GAHD DAY FOR FRUIT LOOPING," Beth said.
 "Agreed buttercup, have you ever been to Olive Garden?" Ben replied. 
"No, but tuh' fahd of my mother is just like it according to my dad, but tuh'ere is a rough landing for meh wituh' him is the opinon of our counselor".  Ben looked confused,
"Oh I'm sorry, how is your father?".
 "LAST I HEARD HEH IS GAHD" she replied.  Ben looked even more confused,
"Your father is god?" he asked.
 "NO, HEH IS GAHD AND HAPPEH" she stated. 
"Oh yes, yes of course my love, my mistake," Ben said acting as if the culture barrier did not effect him.  "What are you going to order?" Ben asked.
 "I TUH'INK TUH' CHEHSBURGER LAHKS GAHD" Beth yelled.  As Beth yelled some of the surrounding people gave her some questioning looks. 
"Sugarplum there is no cheeseburger on the menu," Ben said quietly, embarrassed. 
"YAHR PLAYING TUH' WEATUH'MAN, THE BURGER OF OLIVE GARDEN IS RIGHT HEHR," Beth said drawing more stares.  Ben took the menu and glazed it over.
 "Right hehr," Beth pointed. 
"Gumdrop that is a picture of a wine bottle," Ben said with a tone of sharp annoyance.  Surrounding kids started snickering with laughter.
"What is tuh' humor of you?" Beth asked them.  The kids promptly looked away.
"TUH'IS LAHKS GAHD," Beth said, pointing to a fork on the table.  Ben's face reddened and he said,
"Why don't we just get some of those Fruit Loops you were wanting?".

Journal 2

"It was a spring afternoon in West Florida.  Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard.  She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days.  That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened.  It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery.  From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom.  It stirred her tremendously.  How?  Why?  It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again.  What?  How?  Why?  This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears.  The rose of the world was breathing out smell.  It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep.  It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh.  Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness."  [10-11]

• Repetition of question "How?", makes reader think how scene was affecting Janie.
• Repetition of question "Why?", makes reader wonder why scene is having this effect.
• Sentances are short and choppy in comparison to surrounding paragraphs.
• Use of verb "steal" implies that she is not supposed to be outside.
• Tranquil imagery developed.
• Blooming is repeated, possibly to signify character development.
• Pear tree is personified
• "Called her" implies she is being influenced.
• Words involving touch are repeated.
• B aliteration "barren brown stems" along with "buds".
• "Rose of the world", poetic language.
•  Wording having to do with nature: "snowy","blossoming".
• Use of virginity to relate to contrast in innocence from early character stage to late.
• Music theme repeated, "singing", "flute".
• "breathing out smell", nature and her senses combining.
• All throughout paragraph setting is still being devloped after describing Janie's actions.
• Idea of gentle sleep adds to relaxation tone.
• Has a good flow because of sentance structure.

Journal One

If I was to tell my life story to someone, I would tell it to someone I could help improve their own life by sharing my experiences.  So, naturally the first requirement would be someone who has not experienced some of the major events that I have, someone younger than me.  It would also have to be someone I could trust so that I could include as many things as possible in my story keeping it as accurate as possible, probably someone who I do not know well or meet in passing.  Ideally, this would be someone who is of the age of 12-15 so they could comprehend what I was saying more efficiently.  

There are a couple places where I could start my story, but I would probably start it from the event that most changed my life, the death of my father.  When my dad died, my life changed drastically (although a description of the change this made to my life is incomplete, as it continues to alter it to this day).  One immediate change it made was a early maturing, which for a 12 year old can be very uncommon.  I'd also say this had a large impact because it has lead to me becoming somewhat conscientiously emotionally hardened.  I also was forced to comprehend one of life's biggest mysteries and tragedies at the same time, and that is an unusual thing I could express personal views on through my story.