"Popular Mechanics"

#1 Discuss the story's final lines. What is the "issue" that is "decided"?

"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."

"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver was definately strange. I did not expect the story to end the way it did. In the last few lines of the story, the husband and wife basically tear their baby apart. The "issue" that is "decided" is who will get the baby. The last few lines reveal that neither of them get the baby because the parents killed the baby by fighting over it. The issue was decided when the father "pulled back very hard." the last line implies that the baby was killed by the parents tugging back and forth on it like they were playing tug-of- war. I think it was a sad story of how divorce can destroy a family, and divorce is a sad reality that many people face in today's society.

"You're Ugly, Too"

"'Maybe I sound whiny to you,' said the girl, 'but. Simply want my history major to mean something.' 'Well, there's your problem,' said Zoe, and with a smile, she showed the student to the door. 'I like your bow,' she added."

"You're Ugly Too" by Lorrie Moore was strange. I did not really know what the purpose of this story was. However, I did find some irony in the story. I though it was kind of ironic that Zoe had characteristics of a man and Earl was dressed as a woman. It was also ironic that when Zoe was trying to be funny, no one else though she was funny. Everyone else just though she was being rude. The quote above is an example of how Zoe interacted with others. Zoe is very sarcasitic and her students take it as her bein rude. I think Zoe was just a little socially awkard and did not know how to act appropriately around other people.

"The Drunkard" - irony

"'My brave little man!' she said with her eyes shining. 'It was God did it that you were there. You were his gaurdian angle.'"

"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor contains a lot of irony. The main irony of the story is that the boy gets drunk instead of the dad. As the father is talking and ignoring his son, the boy drinks his father's beer. This is ironic because the reader does not expect the little boy to be drunk. It is also ironic because in the end the mother calls the boy a gaurdian angle instead of punishing him. That is not what I expected at all. The boy acts as a gaurdian angle because he stopped his father from drinking and makes a scene embarassing his father. This makes the father think twice about drinking and he gets up and goes to work the next day.

"The Lottery"

#1 What is a "lottery"? How does the title lead you to expect something very different from what the story presents?

"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in the same towns there were so many proplr that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner."

By definition, a lottery is any happening or process determined by chance. Usually, most people associate a lottery with something good. Most people are happy to win the lottery. The most common prize for a lottery is money. However, the lottery in this story is not a usual lottery. The title suggests that someone would want to win the lottery. But, this story is the opposite; no one wants to win the lottery. The "winner" of the lottery gets stoned to death. In the story, there were hints that no one wanted to win this lottery, but I did not expect someone to be killed.

"Miss Brill"

"Oh, how fascinating it was!  How she enjoyed it!  How she loved sitting here, watching it all!  It was like a play.  It was exactly like a play."

"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield was a very strange story.  I did not really understand what the theme of the story was.  I just thought the story was about a crazy old lady that liked to people watch.  She would dress up and spend every Sunday eavesdropping on conversations of strangers in the park.  Then she got it in her head that it was some kind of play and everyone showed up each week to act out their parts. As usual, she made sure she showed up each week for her part.  However, towards the end, Mrs. Brill heard a boy and a girl talking about her and it really upset her and she broke her routine. I guess after reading it a second time I thought the theme might  be about confidence because Miss Brill's level of confidence changed from beginning to end.

"Once Upon a Time" - irony

"Then the man and his wife burst wildly into the garden and for some reason (the cat, probably) the alarm set up wailing against the screams while the bleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out of the security coil with saws, wire-cutters, shoppers, and they carried it - the man, the wife, the hysterical trusted housemaid and the weeping gardener - into the house."

"Once Upon a Time" was a depressing story.  It kind of added a new meaning to the phase "once upon a time."  Whenever I hear that phrase, I usually think it will be followed by a story with a happy ending.  However, this was not; it was the opposite.  The ending was very sad, but it was also ironic.  The family was so afraid of the outside world that they kept adding barriors between them and the world.  Their fear of the world crippled them more than it helped them.  Every time they add a new security measure to their home they became more vulnerable to intruders because they had gotten so used to false alarms.  Then the parents end up killing their little boy because of their over-the-top security system.  The irony here is that the wall was meant to protect the family, however the wall killed the little boy instead.

"A Worn Path"

#5 Discuss the elements of plot and structure that dramatize Phoenix's journey.  What are the obstacles to her quest and how does she overcome them?"
"Her eyes were blue with age.  Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead..."

In "A Worn Path," Welty uses a lot of imagery to describe Phoenix's journey into town.  The imagery in the story is of the obstacles she encounters.  She has to persevere and overcome many obstacles to get to town.  Some of the obstacles were her age, the thorny bushes, the scarecrow, the dog, and man with the gun.  Phoenix faced these obstacles with courage and overcame them because she was determined to make it to town.  She overcame her age and her poor eyesight because she knew the way without being able to see because she had walked the path so many times.  Phoenix had courage and persevered in order to get the medicine for her grandson because it gave her some satisfaction to know that she was helping her grandson.

"Eveline"

#3  At just about the middle of the story (end of paragraph 9), Eveline sums up her life in Dublin:  "It was hard work-a hard life-but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life."  What about it makes it attractive to her?

"In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her."

In the story "Eveline" by James Joyce, Eveline is preparing to leave her life behind for a new life.  As she reminisced about her past, Eveline began to wonder why she was leaving.  She realized that her life was not that bad after all.  She had a home and a family.  Eveline was attracted to her lifestyle because it was comfortable.  She had a daily routine that she followed and she was okay with that.  Even though there was a possibility of a better life, Eveline was not sure that is what she wanted anymore.  By the end of the story, the reader realizes that Eveline is afraid of change and a life in a strange new country because she chose not to go with Frank.

"Bartleby the Scrivener"

"I would prefer not to."

I thought "Bartleby the Scrivener" was a very strange short story. At first, it did not seem like there was a point and it was very slow. I was really bored reading this story because it seemed like it to along tome for the plot to develop. Once Bartleby entered the story, the plot started to develop more. I thought Bartleby was a very interesting character. When he started working, he was a very dilgent copyist, but he would not review anything. His only response was "I would prefer not to." While I reading, I started to wonder if the werethe only words he knew how to say. Eventually, it got to be annoying. I do not know what his situation was but I want to know more about him and I am confused as to why he died.

"Bartleby the Scrivener"

#2 Why do you think Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut are introduced to the reader before Bartleby?

"At the period just proceeding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as copyist in my employment and a promising lad as an office boy. First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut."

In "Bartleby the Scrivener," the minor characters are introducted before the main character. At the beginning of the story, the narrator begins by describing himself. Then he goes on to describes his employees (the minor characters) in great detail. Before the narrator could describe Bartleby, he had to describe the office setting. It was very important for the narrator to describe Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut first because it showed the narrator's acceptance of eccentric people. By describing the other characters first, the narrator establishes a feel for the office before Bartleby arrived. I think it was necessary to describe these other characters because it showed that the boss accepted the weird people because they also had good qualities as did Bartleby.

"Hunters in the Snow"

#1 Which of the three principal characters do you find most sympathetic? the least sympathetic? Discuss your answers.

"You fat moron," Frank said. "You aren't good for diddly."
"What do you know about fat," Tub said. "What do you know about glands." As he spoke he kept shaking Frank. "What do you know about me."

In "Hunters in the Snow," I thought Tub was the most sympathetic and Kenny was the least sympathetic. I feltthe most sympathy forTub because Kenny and Frank did not really treat him well at all. To start, Kenny almost ran Tub over with his truck after he was an hour late to pick him up. Thenwhen they were hunting, Kenny and Frank left Tub behind. They were also always joking about how fat Tub was. The quote above shows how mean and insensitive they were to Tub and he finally stood up for himself. Then, I thought Kenny was the least sympathetic because it got what he deserved. Kenny took things way too far. Tub and Frank had no idea the farmer asked Kenny kill the dog. So when Kenny said he was going to shoot Tub, they did not think he was joking. I would have felt more sympathy for Kenny after he was shot if he had not been so rude and insensitive in the beginning.

"Everyday Use" - indirect characterization

"In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man."

In "Everyday Use," Mama indirectly characterizes herself in the above quote. By describing her physcial characteristics and her actions, Mama shows the reader that she is not an ordinary housewife. From her physcial description, the reader can picture a large rough, maybe even manly, woman. Mama is a hard-working woman, who has never had an easy life. She describes how she works hard all day and never complains about having to work. This shows Mama's good nature. She also never mentions having any help which led me to believe she is a single mother.

"Interpreter of Maladies"

"When they found him, a little farther down the path under a tree, he was surrounded by a group of monkeys, over a dozen of them, pulling at his T-shirt with their long black fingers. The puffed rice Mrs. Das had spilled was scattered at his feet, raked over by the mnkeys' hands."

In this story, the monkeys were always present. I feel like they were foreshadowing what was coming. I also think they were a remindered of the parents' faults and lack of attention towards their children. The monkeys are an example of how things result from people's actions. The monkeys attacked Bobby because Mrs. Das carelessly ate rice puffs and Mr. Das was constantly taking pictures. The attack was a result of their careless actions. The monkeys would have ignored the family if they had not given them so much attention or fed them. But they did and as a result Bobby had to pay for it. However, I think it brought the family together a little because Mrs. Das finally showed some compassion and emotion towards her family.

"A Rose for Emily"

"She was sick for a long time. When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl, with a vague resemblance to those angles in the colored church windows-sort of tragic and serene."

"A Rose for Emily" was a very weird story. It was also kind of confusing because the story is not in chronological order and the reader is never told dates. Time was always referred to by how many years had passed since her father's death or some other past event. Eventually a pattern arose in the story and it was easy to tell that time had passed because there was a new physcial description of Emily. The qoute above is example of this. So even though the story is not on chronological order, the reader can figure outthe order of the story by the physcial description of Emily and by how she is doing.

"Interpreter of Maladies" - indirect characterization

"At the tea stall Mr. And Mrs. Das bickered about who should take Tina to the toilet. Eventually Mrs. Das relented when Mr. Das pointed out that he had give the girl her bath the night before. In the rearview mirror Mr. Kapasi watched as Mrs. Das emerged slowly from his bulky white Ambassador, dragging her shaved, largely bare legs across the back seat. She did not hold the little girl's hand as they walked to the rest room."

In "Interpreter of Maladies," it does not directly say that Mrs. Das is a bad mother, inconsiderate, or rude. However, the reader can come to this conclusion by how others desribe her and how she acts. In the quote above, you can tell that she really doesn't want much to do with her children. She doesn't even want to take her daugther to the bathroom and she won't hold her hand. Mrs. Das seemed to only be concerned with herself, so it was shocking when she took in interest in Mr. Kapasi. However, her motives for her iterest in him are later revealed that she wantedhim to help her. Again it's all about Mrs. Das. She was never really interested in Mr. Kapasi, she just wanted him to fix her problems. Even though it is not expressly stated in the story, the reader can conclude that Mrs. Das is self-absorbed and inconsiderate from the indirect characterization.

"How I Met My Husband" -suspense

"As for me, I put it all out of my mind like a bad dream and concentrated on waiting for my letter. The mail came every day except Sunday, between one-thirty and two in the afternoon, a good time for me because Mrs. Peebles was always having her nap."

This short story really surprised me. The whole time I thought Edie was going to marry Chris. I was kind of disappointed when she married the mailman. Edie spent the most of the story describing how she met Chris, but only a paragraph about her husband. I guess it was just good use of suspense to keep the reader interested. When Edie first met Chris, I kept wondering how long it would be before they got together. Then they finally kissed before Chris left but he said he would write to her. Edie waited by the mailbox each day for the letter, but it never came. I though the waiting was just a build up of suspense because I thought a letter was actually going to come. So I was shocked when no letter came and she married the mailman. However, I think Edie's story about Chris was necessary to tell the reader how she met her husband.

"Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead"

"He's ready. I am not. I can't
just say good-bye as cheerfully"

I kind of liked this poem.  I felt like it was pretty easy to understand.  I think there is a conflict of beliefs between the father and the son as shown in the quote above.  The father believes in the after life and is okay with dying.  The son, on the other hand, does not believe in the after life and wants to spend time with his father now.  The father is at ease with dying because he believes he will have more time with his son in the after life.

"Edward"

"The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
            Mother, Mother,
The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
    Such counsels you gave to me, O."

This was a interesting poem.  It had a lot of repetition. It was also kind of disturbing because it talked about killing a few different things.  I was a bit confused as to why it said "Mother, Mother" over and over again because it did not really seem relevant.  But towards the end I realized that the speaker was saying that he did these things for his mother.  He killed his father because his mother wanted him to.  At the end, the speaker curses his mother because of what she made him do.

"Lonely Hearts"

"Can someone make my simple wish come true?
Do you live in North London? Is it you?"

This poem is an example of a villanelle.  It has five tercets and a concluding quatrain. The two lines above are repeated throughout the poem. Each tercet represents a different personal ad, in which people solicit companionship from others.  This form of villanelle is appropriate for the subject matter because it breaks each person's ad up into different sections.

I thought this poem was a little weird.  Do people really put ads in the paper looking for a companion?  That is a strange way to meet people.  Why would anyone ever want to publish an ad saying they are single and looking for a companion? I just don't understand it.

"Death, be not proud"

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;"

I an not sure if I understood this poem correctly.  I understood that the speaker was addressing death through apostrophe.  The speaker was telling death not to be proud.  The speaker gives different reasons why death should not be proud.  The above quote is an example of the speaker's reasons.  I think the speaker is a man of assured faith with a firm conviction that death is not to be feared.  In the end of the poem, it says "we wake eternally, / And death shall be no more."  This is a reference to the Christian belief that we will all rise from the dead and live in eternity with God and defeat death.

"That time of year"

"This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long."

William Shakespeare's poem is an example of a sonnet.  The poem has a rhyming pattern of abab cdcd efef gg.  The quote above is the couple at the end of the poem.  Each of the quatrains introduce different images.  The first image is of fall because it describes "yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang."  When I read this line, I pictured different colored leaves and little to no leaves on a tree because it is fall.  Then the second image is of the fading sunset. And the last image is a deathbed.  All these images seem to be about death and hope fading away.

"Getting Out"

"... Taking hands
we walked apart, until our arms stretched
between us.  We held on tight, and let go."

This poem was a bit depressing.  It was about a couple whose marriage fell apart and they got a divorce.  But even though they separated, it seems as though they still love each other.  The tone seems to be regretful because the speaker looks back on the failed relationship with different feelings than when the couple split up.  The people still love each other, but neither of them felt like they could stay in the relationship.  Each of them still think about the other and they write each other letters every year.  The speaker will never fully get over her ex-lover because they had a really strong connection even though their relationship did not work out.

"Dover Beach"

"The sea is calm tonight,
The tide is  full, the moon lies fair"

This poem as a whole describes how life is always changing and how sad it can be.   I thought the tone of the poem was sadness and melancholy.  The poem contains some gloomy diction like "sadness," "misery," and "distant" that adds to the tone of the poem.  Then at the end of the first stanza, it talks about the eternal sadness in the world. It also contains a lot of nature imagery to symbolize human emotions. Our emotions are always changing like the tide and we must learn to adapt to our surroundings.  The speaker also discusses the decline of faith in his time which he compares to the retreating tide.

"The Apparition"

"When by thy scorn, O murderess, I am dead,
                  And that thou thinkst thee free
From all solicitation from me,
Then shall my ghost come to thy bed..."

John Donne's poem is about a ghost.  The ghost of a man is haunting the woman that killed him.  The imagery creates a vindictive tone of the poem.  I feel like the ghost is trying to get back at the women that killed him by haunting her. In the quote above, the speaker is saying that his ex thinks she is free of him, but she is not.  He will haunt her in the night and make her feel guilty for hurting him.

"My mistress' eyes"

"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare."

This poem by William Shakespeare is quite different from other love poems because it does not exaggerate the qualities of the woman.  Instead, the speaker shares the reality of his mistress' physical attributes. The tone of the first twelve lines seem a bit patronizing towards the mistress.  Instead of lying to his mistress about how she looks, the speaker is very straightfoward and does not make unrealistic comparisons.  Then in the last two lines, the tone shifts to respect of thier love.  The speaker's love for his mistress is greater than the love of any woman who had been lied to with false comparisons of their beauty.

"Hazel Tells LaVerne"

"but sohelpmegod he starts talkin
bout a golden ball
an how i can be a princess
me a princess"

I really enjoyed this poem by Andrew Marvell.  This is probably the first poem that I have truely felt like I understand it.  I think this is a very creative take on the classic fairytale "Princess and the Frog."  The speaker is lower class and works at some kind of restaurant.  The poet even uses uneducated language to show that the speaker is lower class.  She gets asked to kiss the frog and turn into a princess, but she turns down the offer.  She cannot imagine herself as a princess, which probably had a lot to do with her upbringing as lower class.  The tone of this poem is a little sarcastic.  The speaker makes sarcastic remarks about being a princess as shown in the above quote.

"Sorting Laundry"

"Folding clothes,
I think of folding you
into my life."

The quote above from "Sorting Laundry" by Elisacietta Ritchie is a metaphor comparing a lover to sorting laundry.  This sets a theme about love that is present in the poem.  The speaker reminisces about love as she folds the laundry. Certain object remind her of particular memories.  She describes the ups and downs of relationships with imagery of laundry such as "intact despite agitation" and "all those wrinkles to be smoothed."  In a relationship, there are always arguements and disagreements, but they can be "smoothed over" and love remains intact. At the end of the poem, the poet includes in overstatement that says a mountain of laundry could not fill the bed to describe how all their memories cannot replace their love.

"APO 96225"

"But his mother-reading between the lines as mothers
always do-wrote back,
'We're quite concerned. Tell us what it's really like.'"

I felt like this poem was easy to understand. It definitly pegged the idea about mothers always reading into things way too much.  My mom does the exact same thing.  She always thinks there is more to what I am saying when there is not.  It also shows that people can't always handle the truth.  The speaker was trying to "sugar coat" what was happening for his mother, but she kept asking for him to tell her the truth. So, at his mother's request, he told her what he really did and she got really upset.  This relates to how Americans viewed the war in Vietnam.  They did not really care what was happing in Vietnam as long as they did not know or hear about it. 

"Ozymandias"

"Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:"

Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" contains situational irony because it is simple.  It is about a once great king and who has been forgotten.  Ozymandias had a statue of himself built and on it is said "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair."  This statement on the statue is ironic because the king boasted about himself and had his statue built, but his statue is now broken and forgotten just as he was.  The king was an oppressive tyrant and his statue was a constant reminder, but after he died and his statue broke he was soon forgotten.

"Much Madness is divinest Sense"

"Much Madness is divinest Sense-
To a discerning Eye-"

What is Emily Dickinson saying? I really don't understand any of her poems.  Why are they so hard to understand?  This particular poem just seems like a bunch of random words put together.  I read the poem a few times and the only thing I got was that it contained a paradox (with some help from the questions).  The paradox is in the above quote and it is saying that insanity is good sense. I am not really sure what the point of the paradox is, but it also has another side to it that says good sense is insane.

"Barbie Doll"

"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a greaat big nose and fat legs."

This poem is a bit depressing.  "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy  describes a normal little girl, who is constantly teased as puberty hits.  Eventually, she cannot take the teasing anymore and commits suicide.
In today's society, a lot of emphasizes is placed on appearences. Girls can be cruel to those who do not fit in.  The girl tried to change to fit in with others but she was still unsatisfied with how people viewed her which eventually led to her death.  I  noticed the verbal irony in the phrase "the magic of puberty" because puberty is when the teasing began. There was nothing magic about puberty for the little girl because it led to teasing for her appearences.

"The Joy of Cooking"

"I have prepared my sister's tongue....
I will have my brother's heart..."

"The Joy of Cooking" by Elaine Magarrell is a very strange poem.  If read literally, it is very disgusting-it talks about eating tongues and brains. However, it is not meant to be read literally but figuratively.  The speaker uses the tongue and the heart to characterize her sister and brother. The small bones and gristle of the tongue indicated sharpness and toughness.  Then it says, "it will probably grow back." These characteristics of the tongue make one think that the sister is sarcastic and does not let someone tell her what to do for very long. To describe the heart, the speaker says it is "firm and rather dry." The description of the heart indicates that the brother does not care for anybody.  It makes the brother seem cold-hearted and dull. The metaphor of this poem creates a vivid image of the brother's and sister's personalities.

"Pink Dog"

"Tonight you simply can't afford to be a-
n eyesore. But no one will ever see a
dog in mascara this time of year.
Ash Wednesday'll come but Carnival is here.
What sambas can you dance? What will you wear?"

"Pink Dog" by Elizabeth Bishop was a very interesting poem.  I not quite sure if I interpreted it correctly and I interpreted in two ways.  At first, I thought the dog might represent an outcast in society.  I thought it represented a person who would not wear a costume or mask for the festival  of Rio de Janerio.  Then I read it again and just thought the dog was a dog.  I felt like the speaker felt sorry for the dog because the poem said the dog look intelligent even though it was sick and people looked down on it. I also thought that the speaker feared that people would throw the dog in the river like they do with beggars.  His solution to helping the dog was the dress up and no one would notice it was sick. I am not sure if either of my interpretations is right, but that is what I got out of this poem.

Extended Metaphor

"Inebriate of Air-am I-
And Debauchee of Dew-
Reeling-thro endless summer days-
From inns of Molten Blue-"

Emily Dickinson's poem "I taste a liquor never brewed" is an extended metaphor in which alcoholic intoxication is compared to being drunk on life or nature.  At first, I did not understand what the metaphor was, but when I reread the poem I notices connections to nature. "Air," "Dew," "Bee," and "Butterflies" all represent nature. The "inns of Molten Blue" represent the sky and the "snowy hats" are the clouds. The speaker is drunk on nature.  The metaphor expresses how nature enraptures the speaker. The speaker just enjoys all the different aspects of nature as they are and takes life for what it is. Even the seraphs and the saints seem to be pleased with the speaker's joy of nature.

Apostrophe

"Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art-"

In his poem "Bright Star," John Keats uses apostrophe to directly address the star. Keats uses apostrophe instead of a description of the star to symbolize the everlasting nature of a heavenly body.  The speaker in the poem longs to be like the star.  So, the use of apostrophe also emphasizes the qualities of the star that the speaker wishes emulate and those he does not want to emulate.  The speaker wants to be steadfast like the star.  But on the other hand, he does not want to be alone.  He longs to be "pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast;" he longs for love.  His two desires are to be eternal like the stars, but also experience love. However, these two desires do not go together, which he shows awareness of in the last line:  "And so live ever-or else swoon to death."

Similes and Metaphors

"Or does it explode?"

Langston Hughes's poem "Dream Deferred" contains retorical questions, similes, and a metaphor.  These figures of speech are used to describe what happens to a dream if it is not achieved. The retorical questions serve a purpose of creating images of decaying objects. The first five questions are similes that compare dreams to things that decay with time. For example, it compares a dream to rotten meat or a raisin dried up from the sun. Then, these similes are followed by the metaphor in the above quote.  The metaphor compares a dream to a bomb using metonomy.  Instead of using bomb, Hughes uses exploding to represent a bomb.  This comparison to a bomb emphasizes how quickly a dream can be taken away.  All the retorical questions create images that relate to the question what happens to a dream deferred.

Allusions

"A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. -Have, get, before it cloy,
Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning..."

First off, I am not sure I really understood this poem.  However, I did notice the allusions in the poem "Spring" by Gerard Manley Hopkins .  First, he alluded to the Garden of Eden. He refers to Eden to show what earth was like before humans affected it.  It was sweet in the beginning before humans tainted it with sin.  Then, Hopkins also alludes to Jesus.  He refers to how Jesus came to save humans from sin.  The purpose of these allusions is to show how humans have corrupted to beauty of the earth and spring, but also show how we were redeemed when Jesus saved us.

The Panther

"Only at times, the curtain of the pupils
lifts, quietly-. An image enters in,
rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles,
plunges into the heart and is gone."

I enjoyed "The Panther" by Rainer Maria Rilke.  I felt like I understood it for the most part.  I thought it was about a panther in a cage at a zoo.  Panthers are usually respected for their stealth and power, but this panther is not. People are always staring at the panther.   In line 8, it says, "...a mighty will stands paralyzed."  This line is about being trapped and not having the will to escape.  The only way for the panther to escape imprisonment is through his dreams.  I think the quote above is talking about the panther's dreams and how they are very brief.  For brief periods of time, the panther feels like he has escaped through his dreams.

London

"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls..."

I think William Blake's poem is about how the people of London are unhappy with their surroundings.  The "marks of woe" on their faces is a sign that they are being oppressed. The people of London have a feeling of imprisonment without physically being in prison.  "The mind-forged manacles..." creates an image of the people feeling imprisoned.  The line "Every black'ning Church appalls' makes me think that the people feel imprisoned by the Church of England.  The people were forced to be a part of the Church of England so they felt oppressed by the church. There is also a bad connotation on marriage.  The Church of England was created so King Henry could annul his marriage, so marriage is seen as a bad thing because it brought about the Church of England, causing the people's imprisonment.

Diction

"...Gaze at the gilded gear
And query: 'What does this vaingloriousness down here?'..."

Thomas Hardy uses some strong diction in "The Convergence of the Twain." There were some words I did not understand and also some really good adjectives.  "Vaingloriousness" was a word I was confused by. After looking it up and using the context of the poem, I think it is referring to the attitude of the rich that they are better than others.  "Salamandrine fires" is another phrase I did not understand, but I learned that it refers to the old belief that salamanders can survive in fire.  After learning what it means, it is effective describes the engine room of the ship.  "Opulent," "grotesque," "ravish," "sensuous," and "solitude" were also some other well choosen words used in the poem. This words each gave a better image of what was happening in the poem.

Auditory Imagery

"A Service, like a Drum-
Kept beating-beating-till I thought
My Mind was going numb-"

Emily Dickinson's poem "I Felt a Funeral, in my brain" has great use of auditory imagery.  The language of the poem evokes the sense of sound.  Dickinson uses the words "Drum," "beating," "creak," and "Silence" to create an image that represents these sounds.  These particular sounds also creates the atmosphere of a funeral.  As I read this poem, I thought the speaker was thinking about what her funeral would be like when she died.  I felt like the speaker was dying mentally while her body lived.  Then in the end, it said "...And Finished knowing-then-," which made me think the speaker died.  I am not sure if that is correct, but that is what I got out of the poem.

Perrine Poetry

"That all interpretations of a poem are equally valid is a critical heresy..."(The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry pg.1)

At first, I did not agree with Perrine. I have always thought there could be multiple interpretations of poems. I did not understand how there could be correct and incorrect interpretations of poetry because I thought the meaning of a poem was different for each reader. However, as I continued reading his paper, I realized there was some truth to his reasoning. Perrine was saying that some interpretations of poems are more correct than others. Take the Emily Dickinson poem for example: there are multiple ways to interpret it but some are better than others. I am one of those people who thought it was about a garden and I though it was a valid interpretation. However, after reading Perrine's reasoning, I would agree that the sunset reading of the poem fits much better.

I thought Perrine also made a good arguement on symbolism. Symbols can have multiple meanings within certain bounds. He proved this with The Sick Rose. The rose represented something pure and good, while the worm represented somthing dark and evil. There are many different things that the rose and worm could represent as long as they were with in the bounds set by the poem. Perrine makes a sound arguement and I agree with him for the purpose of literature class. However, I believe that for the purpose of enjoyment there can be many different interpretations of poetry. I think that in order to actually enjoy poetry, the reader must find a personal connection and interpretation of the poem, even if it is "incorrect."

NLMG: memories that last a lifetime

"I was talking to one of my donors a few days ago who was complaining about how memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don't go along with that. The memories I value most, I don't see them ever fading. I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy, but I won't lose my memories of them." pg.286

It is sad to think that most donors don't remember their most precious memories. I think the loss of memory probably had to do with donations. As the donors' bodies grew weaker after each donation, I imagine their memories grew weaker as well. Kathy does not think her memories will ever fade. But I think they will when she starts donating. She seems to have a great memory, but she has not had any donations yet. I hope none of her memories fade but I think they will because even Tommy and Ruth forgot things about their pasts. Kathy seems to have a very strong memory so maybe she will retain everything until the very end. I, however, will not retain everything; I already forgot what the other book I read was about.

NLMG: the truth is revealed

"You see, we were able to give you something, something which even now no one will ever take from you, and we were able to do that principally by shetering you....sometimes that meant we kept things from you, lied to you....But...we gave you your childhoods."

In some ways, I think Miss Lucy was right. The guardians should not have kept so many secrets from the students and they should have explained things better while the children were still at Hailsham. However, I also think there is some truth to the statement above. In the context of the whole story it is a pretty valid arguement. Although I think the guardians should have been more open with the students, I also believe they did the students a favor by keeping some secrets. As Miss Emily said to Kathy and Tommy, the guardians gave the students their childhoods. By not knowing what lay ahead in their futures, the students were able to live carefree and fun lives as children.

NLMG: Litotes

"I wasn't not wanting to go..." pg. 221

The quote above (spoken by Tommy) is a litote. It is an understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negation of a negative form. Tommy is telling Kathy and Ruth that he wanted to go see the ship but he was unable. He is saying that he hasn't gone yet because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. What he is talking about going to see is a beached ship. Kathy came to his center and pocked him up and took him, along with Ruth, to see the ship that everyone was talking about. As they were driving, Tommy was asked if he had already seen it and his response was no because he was unable.

NLMG: Metonymy

"They don't know what to say to the whitecoats, they can't make themselves speak up on behalf of their donor." pg. 208

This quote shows how out of place the students are. It shows they don't fit into the outside world. The carers do not even know how the interact with normal humans. They don't know how to address the doctors so they call them whitecoats because that is what doctors wear. Identifying the doctors by something associated with them is called metonymy. This use of metonymy shows the students lack of interaction with the world outside their schools. I feel like the guardians did not prepare the students well enough for the outside world because they do not feel comfortable around doctors. The carers should be able to speak up on behalf of their donors, but they can't because they were not taught how to interact with normal people.

NLMG: Foreshadowing

"After that I think we went back to talking in a more or less friendly way...But the atmosphere never quite righted itself, and when we said our goodnights...we parted without our usual little touches on the arms and shoulders." pg. 202

Ishiguro uses foreshadowing a few times in the novel. One example in particular is the quote above. Kathy and Ruth got into another arguement and it did not end well. Usually at the end of the day they will make up and forget about their arguments. However, this time was different and it foreshadows more tension in their friendship. This event made me feel like something bad was about to happen in their friendship. Then, sure enough something happened. Later in the chapter, Kathy applied to start training as a carer and they never really made up. Soon Kathy was gone and things didn't really end well forthe two friends.

NLMG: Turning Point

"But I didn't say or do anything. It was partly, I suppose, that I was so floored by the fact that Ruth would come out with such a trick....I decided just to turn and go." pg. 195

This scene in the book is the turning point. The point where Ruth has pushed things too far. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were having a conversation when Ruth went too far and things couldn't be fixed. Ruth just doesn't know when to stop. She doesn't really care how other people feel and she just speaks her mind as she pleases. She made Tommy feel bad about himself and made Kathy sound like a bad friend. That's what pushed Kathy over the edge, and swayed her decision to apply she applied to be a carer and set out on her own.

NLMG: Imagery

"...a lovely old church about half a mile from the Cottages, which had behind it rambling grounds with very old gravestones leaning in the grass. Everything was overgrown, but it was really peaceful and Ruth had taken to doing a lot of her reading there, near the back railings, on a bench under a big willow." pg. 192

Imagery is a great literary device to help the reader develop a mental picture of the scene taking place in a story. Ishiguro uses imagery to describe Ruth's favorite reading spot. I can picture Ruth sitting on a bench under the willow tree reading one of her books for her essay. The imagery created a great mental pictue of a quite little churchyard that would be greatfor reading. I am not much of a reader, but when I do read I like to be by myself so I can concentrate. So the bench in churchyard seems like the perfect place for me to read. I could almost see myself reading in the churchyard becasue the imagery is so effective.

NLMG: Art reveals the soul

"she told Roy that things like pictures, poetry, all that kind of stuff, she said they revealed what you were like inside. She said they revealed your soul." pg. 175

I was right; the art is a symbol. It is symbol of one's inner self. Art reveals the soul. That is why art was so important at Hailsham. The guardians believed that art revealed the soul, so each students' work was a reflection of their inner self. Once Tommy realized that art reveals the soul, he began to try harder to be creative. He also came up with a theory about Madame's Gallery. I think Tommy's theory is pretty good, but I do not think there is any substance to the rumored deferrals.

NLMG: Tone

"When I got outside, it was obvious the excitement from when we'd first arrived had evaporated completely. We walked in silence...through little backstreets...It was a relief to come out onto the High street where the noise made our rotten mood less obvious." pg. 156

The tone shifts a lot in this novel, particularly in this scene that the above quote was taken from. To start out, the tone is lighthearted as the group takes a trip to Norfolk. However, the tone becomes tense as the characters' moods sour. In this section, there is a lot of tension between Kathy and Ruth. The tone directs the story towards the tension and frustration growing between the two friends. It even foreshadows future tension between the friends and in their relationship.

NLMG: Anecdote

"She'd been talking about offices right from the start of the winter, but when it really took on life, when it became her "dream future," was after that morning she and I walked into the village." pg. 143

This story is full of anecdotes. Kathy is constantly telling the reader little stories about her past. The anecdotes do a great job of helping the reader get to know Kathy and her friends. It also makes it intimate between Kathy and the reader. Kathy shares her thoughts and feelings in her anecdotes. Kathy also comments on how she acted in some of her stories and how she realizes different things now that she is looking back. The quote above is part of an anecdote about Ruth. Kathy is describing a time when Ruth talked a lot about her "dream future." Not only do Kathy's anecdotes reveal things about herself, but they also reveal things about her friends.

NLMG: Clones and Possibles

"Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life." pg. 139

Copied from normal people...what? Wow,I didn't expect the students to be clones. However, it explains a lot of my unanswered questions. Now I understand why no one objected to the donations. The students do not have parents to object for them. This also might explain why Madame was afraid of the students. The students being clones also explains what Miss Lucy meant when she it's what they were "created" for. She meant that they were literally created by man for the sole purpose of donations. Well, I'm glad that some of my questions have been answered and I look forward to reading more.

NLMG: A love-hate relationship

"Those early months at the Cottages had been a strange time in our friendship. We were quarrelling over all kinds if little things, but at the same time we were confiding in each other more than ever." pg. 126

Kathy and Ruth have been best friends since they were little. However, I don't really understand how they are such great friends. Ruth is not always the nicest peson to be around, while Kathy almost always seems to be a great friend. Ruth is definately two-faced and Kathy began to notice it when they moved to the Cottages. Ruth seeks attention and popularity and she doesn't seem to care who she hurts along the way. So far, Kathy has stood by her and even defended her, but during their time at the Cottages they seem to be growing apart more and more. I think Kathy and Ruth will reach a breaking point where they will become quite distant.

NLMG: Predestined

"Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do." pg. 81

What kind of place is Hailsham? How are the students lives already set for them? I know the guardians keep saying that the students are special, but I don't understand why. I also don't understand donations. Why do the students have to donate their vital organs? And why do their parents allow this to take place? What does Miss Lucy mean when she said that's what the students were created to do? I do not like that the students cannot choose to do what they will with their lives. If someone told me my life was already set for me, I would do everything I could to live the life I want. I don't care if I was told I was special and I have a purpose to fulfill; I would live my life as I pleased. People are born with free will and I don't think that should be taken away by choosng someone's life for them.

NLMG: Norfolk-something to believe in

"...That day Tommy and I found another copy of that lost tape of mine in a town on the Norfolk coast, we didn't just think it pretty funny; we both felt deep down some tug, some old wish to believe again in something that was once close to our hearts." pg. 67

Every child finds something to believe in as they grow up. It's natural. I believed in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny when I was younger. It was all part of the fun of being a little kid. I think believing in Santa is kind of like the concept of Norfolk. As students at Hailsham, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy learned about Norfolk in geography class. Norfolk was described as the "lost cornor of Europe." Hailsham also had a "lost cornor" for lost and found items, so the students liked to think all the things they ever lost went to Norfolk. It's not unusal for kids to believe in irrational things such as this. Sometimes I wish I still believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny because it made the holidays more fun and exciting. That's why when Kathy and Tommy found the lost tape in Norfolk it gave them something to hold onto and believe in from their past.

NLMG: Why so many secrets?

"All I can tell you today is that it's for a good reason. A very important reason. But if I tried to explain it to you now, I don't think you'd understand. One day, it'll be explained to you." pg. 40

Secrets! They seem to be a big part of Kathy's life. And not just Kathy, but all the students at Hailsham are surround by secrets. Everything about Hailsham seems to be one big secret. So far I haven't really learned the purpose of the school or why the students are there. What can't Miss Lucy tell the students? Miss Lucy appears to care for the students a lot but something is holding her back from telling them the truth. Miss Lucy is different from the oulther gaurdians; she wants to tell the students the truth, but she is not allowed. Hopefully the truth will come out soon enough because I don't really understand everything that is happening and the secrets don't make it any easier to understand.

NLMG: Why is Madame afraid of the students?

"And I can still see it now, the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread that one of us would accidentally brush against her....Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders." pg. 35

Thus far, I have found this book to be quite interesting. It is very different from what I usually read. It is rather strange, but it is also interesting enought to hold my attention. I feel like everytime I read part of the book something weird happens. For example, when the children surprise Madame as she leaves the school, the children can tell she is genuinely scared of them. But why is she afraid of the students? Does Madame have a good reason for being afaid of the students? I want to know why she is afaid of them. After all they are just children, what's there to be scared of? I think it has something to do with what "they were created for" that was mentioned earlier in the story and the fact that they are "special." As I continue reading I will be looking for a reason to explain why Madame was afaid of the students because this particular incident really caught my attention.

NLMG: Flashbacks

"It must have been a Friday or a weekend, because I remember we had on our own clothes. I don't remember exactly what Tommy was wearing-probably one of the raggy football shirts he wore even when the weather was chilly-but I definitely had on the maroon track suit top that zipped up the front, which I'd got at a Sale in Senior 1." pg.25-26

So far, this novel has been full of flashbacks. The story is told by a young woman remembering her life growing up. Most of the novel consists of Kathy talking about her past through a series of flashbacks. The way this novel is written kind of reminds me of a novel we had to read last summer for AP Lang. The novel was called A Separate Peice. It was written in the same format as Never Let Me Go, where an adult tells the story of his or her childhood through a series of flashbacks. I think it is a very effective style if writing and that is why authors use it.

NLMG: Creating

"A lot of the time, how you were regarded at Hailsham, how much you were liked and respected, had to do with how good you were at 'creating.'" pg. 16

Why is art so important at Hailsham? I don't understand why everyone makes such a fuss over Tommy not being creative. Why does it matter that he is not very good at drawing and painting?Is there some deeper meaning to the students' art? The only reason I can think of for art being so important is that it is a symbol. The students' arts tands for something else. I am not sure what it is a symbol for, but I hope to find out. There must be a deeper meaning to being creative, otherwise it would not hold such high importance at Hailsham.

NLMG: First Person Point of View

"This was all a long time ago so I might have some of it wrong; but my memory of it is that my approaching Tommy that afternoon was part of a phase I was going through around that time-something to do with compulsively setting myself challenges-and I'd more or less forgotten about it when Tommy stopped me a few days later." pg. 13

First person narration gives the reader insight into the narrators mind and feelings. Kathy's first person narration of the novel establishes a kind of intimacy between the narrator and the reader. As the reader, I have direct access to Kathy's thoughts and emotions. This is effective because the reader gets to know the narrator throughout the story. However, there is a downside to first person narration. Some of the details that another charater noticed may be left out because the character telling the story did not notice the details. I wonder how the story would have turned out if Ruth or Tommy had been the narrator. I think it would almost seem like an completely different story if told from another perspective because the characters are so different.

NLMG: already confused

"My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a cared now for over eleven years." pg. 3

In the beginning of the novel, there is a feeling that the reader is not being told everything. There were certain things that led me to the conclusion that some information was withheld. For example, the narrator Kathy talks about being a carer and donations. What is a carer? What are donations? From what I understand, a carer is sort of like a doctor or a nurse and donations have to do with humans donating organs. However, I am not sure because Kathy does not explain what these things are. Kathy also mentions Hailsham, the school she grew up at and how Hailsham students are special. I want to know more about Hailsham and donations. I did not understand the first chapter right away because somethings were left unsaid, but I am curious to find out more as I read.

Brave New World: The End with Imagery

"Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and , after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left.  South-south-west, south, south-east, east...."  pg. 259

Disturbing.  That's my description of the ending.  John is so conflicted by the World State that he must purge himself of everything.  He whipped himself to the point of puking and even threw himself in thorn bushes.  The ways of the World State drove him insane.  He was mad to the point of attacking people if they approached him.  Then, last by not least he killed himself.  Huxley made his death quite disturbing.  He did not simply say that John hung himself; he used very descriptive words to describe exactly how he died, creating a gruesome image in my head.  Imagery is great and all, but I think I could have done without so much detail.  I get it; I don't need to know every direction his feet turn before he finally stopped moving.  It kind of creeped me out.

Brave New World: Choosing Unhappiness

"'But I don't want comfort.  I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness.  I want sin.'
'In fact,' said Mustapha Mond, 'you're claiming the right to be unhappy.'
'All right then,' said the Savage defiantly, 'I'm claiming the right to be unhappy.'"  pg. 240

The Savage wants to live like we live today.  He does not want to be controlled.  The Controller thinks that he is choosing to be unhappy be choosing to live this way.  I say good for him.  He is standing up for what he believes in.  He wants to be free.  He wants to be able to make his own choices.  People should experience pain and suffering, good and bad times, and believe in God if they want to.  John stands for living like a real human.  He has had enough of the World State and wants to return to his style of living, which the Controller believes is unhappiness.  But that it what he chooses to do.

Brave New World: An Attempt for Freedom

""Poison to soul as well as body.' ...'Throw it all away, that horrible poison.' ...'I come to bring you freedom,' said the Savage."  pg. 211

Soma is poison.  People need to stop taking soma.  This is what John believes because the soma is what killed his mother.  He wants to help free people and bring change.  He begs people of the World State to stop taking soma.  He even goes to the trouble of throwing it all out the window.  John wants people to be free to know the truth and have real relationships.   Citizens of the the World State take soma to escape all pain and responsibility.  John wants people to feel pain and suffering and to take responsibility.

Brave New World: Death...it's no big deal

"The Savage's voice was trembling with indignation.  'What are these filthy little brats doing here at all?  It's disgraceful!'
'Disgraceful?  But what do you mean?  They're being death-conditioned.  And I tell you,' she warned him truculently, ' if I have any more of your interference with their conditioning, I'll send for the porters and have you thrown out.'"  pg. 202-203

Death is no big deal.  That is what citizens of the World State believe because that is how they are conditioned.  Since they can create more people with the slightest ease, death is not a big deal.  If someone dies, it is alright because people are replaceable.  Also, no one in the World State has any family to grieve for.  However, John does not view death the same way.  To him, death is a sad thing, a time for grief and remorse.  So when his mother died, he was very upset.  The nurses did not seem to understand what was wrong with him because no one ever came to visit people Hospital for the Dying.  John was yelled at for his outburst when his mother died because he was interfering with the children's conditioning.  Young children were brought to the Hospital for the Dying to get used to death.  They played games and got treats in the hospital and John found it very disrespectful to the dying.  This shows even more of a contrast between John and the World State.  I hope that John can help bring about change, but I get a grim feeling that nothing is going to change.

Brave New World: Whao John!

"And as though awakened by her cry he caught her by the shoulders and shook her.  'Whore!' he shouted.  'Whore!  Impudent strumpet!' ...The Savage pusher her away with such force that she staggered and fell.  'Go,' he shouted, standing over her menacingly, ' get out of my sight or I'll kill you.'  He clenched his fists."  pg. 194

Well John, is that how your really feel?  What an outburst!  I did not see that one coming.  I was hoping that John would stay true to his morals, but I did not expect him to explode on Lenina.  I am glad that John did not sleep with Lenina, but I was shocked by his reaction.  It is not at all what I expected.  I was also surprised that he told her loved her, especially because she did not have the same feelings.  I know Lenina said she liked John a lot, but I do not believe she loved him.  It just simply not in her to fall in love; it's against her conditioning.  She believes that "everyone belongs to everyone."  John, however, believes in love and marriage.  He deserves to be with someone who feels the same way about him as he feels about her.  Therefore, I am glad John turned Lenina down.  He could have been a little nicer, but he did what he had to do.

Brave New World: Pop! His Bubble Burst!

"Punctured, utterly deflated, he dropped into a chair and, covering his face with his hands, began to weep.  A few minutes later, however, he though better of it ant took four tablets of soma."  pg. 176

Finally!  Bernard's fame and success came to an end.  His inconsideration towards John came back to bite him in the butt.  Bernard never asked John what he wanted to do or who he wanted to meet.  He just spoke for John and expected him to go along with it.  Well Bernard you can't always get what you want, can you?  Sometimes things just aren't going to go your way.  And when you depend on another person to do what you want, you have to give a little in return.  Bernard did nothing for John.  He basically put John on display for everyone to see.  So when John was finally tired of being used and he refused to be put on display, Bernard's success went down the drain.  His bubble of success was popped.  I say good for John.  Way to go!  He deserves better than how Bernard was treating him and Bernard got what he deserved.

Brave New World: Dramatic Irony

"'But doesn't he like you?' asked Fanny.
'Sometimes I think he does and sometimes I think he doesn't.  He always does his best to avoid me; goes out of the room when I come in; won't touch me; won't even look at me.'"  pg. 166

In this passage, Huxley made great use of dramatic irony.  Lenina has a conversation with Fanny discussing John.  As the reader, I am well aware that John likes Lenina.  But Lenina is not sure if John likes her or not.  The problem is that Lenina likes John alot, but he will not give her the time of day.  So Lenina is very confused and wants to find out if he really likes her or not because it is driving her crazy.  Meanwhile, I am reading this thinking, "Well, duh he likes you.  Isn't it obvious.   He avoids her but then she catches him staring at her.  How is she unsure?"  But at the same time, I do not really want them to get together because John really likes her and Lenina only wants him for sex.  So, I think it would be best if John tried to stay away from her.  But I don't know what's going to happen, so I guess i will have to wait and see if John comes around or if he keeps his distance.

Brave New World: Fame...but how long will it last

"The days passed.  Success went fizzily to Bernard's head and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory.  In so far as it recognized him as important, the order of things was good."  pg. 157

After news of Bernard's encounter with the Director and news of the savages spread, people wanted to see the savages.  Bernard was becoming very popular.  All the sudden the society he hated was not so bad because he was accepted.  He was considered important and people wanted to meet him.  His fame completely change him (and not for the better).  As expressed in the quote above, Bernard's fame and success went to his head.  He was insensitive and used John to get attention and "scientific purposes" (whatever that means).  For some reason I get the feeling that Bernard's fame will not last for long.  So, I'll be waiting to see it his luck runs out and he returns to his old life as an outsider.  I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Brave New World: A Bit of Confidence

"'Marx,' he said, 'can you show any reason why I should not now execute the judgement passed upon you?'
'Yes, I can,' Bernard answered in a very loud voice.
Somewhat taken aback, but still majestically, ' then show it,' said the Director."  pg. 149

After Bernard returned from holiday, the Director tried to make an example of him.  He called out Bernard on his strange habits in front of the workers and declared that he was being transferred to Iceland.  However, Bernard had other ideas.  Bernard returned from holiday with a surprise for the Director.  He brought out Linda and John and completely humiliated the Director.  Bernard had returned for the Savage Reservation with a new-found confidence.  He stood up to the Director and proved he had a reason to stay.  I think knowing something about the Director that no one else knew is what gave Bernard the confidence to stand up for himself.  I do not think that he needed to embarrass the Director in front of the whole staff, but it was good that he finally stood up for himself.

Brave New World: Lyric Poem

"'On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand, may seize
  And steal immortal blessing from her lips,
  Who, even in pure and vestal modesty,
  Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin.'"  pg.144

While she is on the reservation, John takes a liking to Lenina.  John looks upon her while she sleeps and Shakespeare comes to mind.  He wants to touch her hand so badly, but he does not feel worthy of her.  The use of this lyric poem, excerpted from Romeo and Juliet, sheds light on his feelings for Lenina.  It also shows the difference between John and people of the World State.  Someone from the World State would go for instant gratification.  However, John did not his morals and views on sex are different from those of the World State.  The lyric poem from Shakespeare also shows how different John is.   In the World State, nobody even knows what Shakespeare is, but John practically lives by what he learned from reading Shakespeare.  I think it is nice that Shakespeare comes to mind when John thinks of Lenina, that he does not just think about having sex with her.  It is kind of refreshing to have a character who has strong morals and lives by them.  I hope that John will continue to hold strong to his morals throughout the book and not give into the ways of the World State.

Brave New World: John's Flashback

"'But I can read,' he said to himself, 'and they can't.  They don't even know what reading is.'  It was fairly easy, if he thought hard enough about the reading, to pretend that he didn't mind when they made fun of him."  pg 130

On the reservation, Bernard mets a young man named John.  He is different from the other savages.  Bernard learns that John's mother is not from the reservation; she is from the "Other Place."  When Bernard met John's mother, Linda, he put two and two together and realized Linda came to the reservation with the Director.  Bernard wanted to learn more about John and hear his story.  So John told Bernard about himself through a series of flashbacks.  As Bernard listened to John, he came to notice that they were very similar.  They were both alone.  Bernard was not accepted because he was short and spent time by himself.  John was alone because he was different:  his mother was for the "Other Place," he didn't have a father, and his mom was useless on the reservation.  Unlike Bernard, John found a way around being alone; he learned to read.  Somehow, this comforted John to know that he could read and the other boys could not and it helped him to ignore their teasing.   Huxley's use of flashbacks were a success in letting the reader get to know John.

Brave New World: Linda's shame and Lenina's disgust

"'And I was so ashamed.  Just think of it:  me, a Beta-having a baby:  put yourself in my place.' (The mere suggestion made Lenina shudder.)"  pg. 120

Disgust!  That was Lenina reaction to Linda.  She could not believe a Beta gave birth to a child.  However, Linda was also disgusted and ashamed with herself for having a son.  They was also disgusted by the savages.  After all, Lenina and Linda were both conditioned to be repulsed by the savages.  I think the way they feel about the savages is probably the same as I feel about they way they live.  I do not understand it and I find it confusing.  Just as the women do not understand the savages, I do not understand this Brave New World.  They live in a society with progress and do not understand how people can live as savages do when there is something better.  But why must everything be their way?  Why can't they just accept that some people are different?  Well, they are conditioned to think that way for the sake of peace and stability.  But I don't understand why no one has an real independent thinking.  I mean, the savages do not all think the same things and they seem to have peace and stability on the reservation.  I just don't understand it, but I might eventually because I am not conditioned to hate things I do not understand.

Brave New World: The Savage Reservation

"'But cleanliness is next of fordliness,' she (Lenina) insisted.
'Yes, and civilization is sterilization,' Bernard went on..."  pg. 110

Bernard took Lenina on holiday with him to the Savage Reservation.  Before they went, he asked her is she was sure that she wanted to go because things were very different on the reservation.  Lenina was sure she could handle anything she saw on the reservation, but she was wrong.  She was shocked and disgusted by how the "savages" lived.  She asked, "how can they live like this?"  Lenina could not imagine anyone living where in a place without progress.  Bernard, however, had a much different response.  He was fascinated by their lifestyle.  While Lenina tried to ignore what she saw, Bernard made open comments about his surroundings.  Their different reactions to the reservation give the reader more insight on each character.  I will continue to watch for their different reactions and learn more about each character.

Brave New World: Anecdote on the Director

"'Twenty years, I suppose.  Nearer twenty-five.  I must have been your age...'  He sighed and shook his head."
"'I had the same idea as you, ' the Director was saying.  'Wanted to have a look at the savages.  Got a permit for New Mexico and went there for my summer holiday.'"  pg. 96

In chapter six, the Director gave the reader a little glimpse into his past.  When Bernard went to the Director to sign a permit, it brought back old memories for the Director.  Then the he started talking about his past almost forgetting that Bernard was in the room.  Through this short anecdote, we learn that the director went to the Savage Reservation when he was younger and something happened to him while he was there.  But what happened and why was the girl missing?  And why did he get so defensive when he remembered Bernard was listening?  It was rather strange for the Director to talk with Bernard for so long and then even weirder when he got angry with Bernard for listening.  So, I will be paying attention to see if something more is revealed about the Director's past father along in the book.

Brave New World: Ford = God?

"'Oh, for Ford's sake, be quiet!' he shouted."  pg. 90
"'Thank Ford,' she said to herself, 'he's all right again.'"  pg. 92

Ford is a common reaccuring theme in the novel.  The allusion is to Henry Ford, who designed the Ford Model T automobile and is credited with establishing the assembly line.  The World State is based on Ford and his assembly line.  It seems to me that Ford takes the place of  a higher power.  The time period is even A.F. (After Ford), establishing that he was really important.  The whole society of "community, identity, stability" is based on consumerism, which would not have been possible without the assembley line and Ford himself.  Therefore, society holds Ford in high regard, possibly even in place of God.  People in Brave New World use Ford in places where people today would use God or Lord.  For a society with no religion, it certainly follows Fordism very religiously. 

Brave New World: Indirect Characterization

"For whatever the cause (and the current gossip about the alcohol in his blood-surrogate may very likely  for accidents will happen  have been true) Bernard's physique was hardly better than that of the average Gamma.  He stood eight centimetres short of the standard Alpha height and was slender in proportion.  Contact with members of the lower castes always reminded him painfully of this physical inadequacy."  pg.64

In chapter three, the reader is introduced to Bernard Marx, a very interesting character.  Huxley uses indirect characterization quite often to help the reader get to know Bernard.  He is a very strange character compared to the others.  He is described as "ugly" and "small" by the other characters.  He also developed a bad reputation for spending most of his time alone.  Not only does the author show what the other characters think of Bernard, Huxley reveals Bernard's inner thoughts and feelings to the reader.  Bernard is different and as a result he feels alone.  He feels like an outsider because he is physically small for his caste.  he is humiliated around people of lower castes because he has to look level instead of downward on them.  As an Alpha, Bernard is superior, but due to his physical inadequacy he feels like he has to give orders in a sharp, arrogant, and offensive tone when dealing with members of a lower caste.  Huxley does a great job of providing the reader with a better understanding of Bernard through indirect characterization.  Throughout chapters three and four, the reader begins to see who Bernard is through his own thoughts and feelings and through the other characters reactions to him.

Brave New World: Style

"'I simply must get one like it,' said Fanny
 'There were some things called the pyramids, for example.'
 'My old black-patent bandolier...'"  pg. 51

My reaction to the style of this novel is confused.  I feel like half the stuff I am reading I do not understand.  I have also had to look a few words up, especially the scientific mumbo-jumbo in the first few chapters.  Reading the first chapter was a nightmare; I did not want to continue reading.  I even considered reading the other book first, but I decided I better get this book out of the way.  I also do not like how it jumps back and forth from three different conversations simultaneously.  The quote, for example, is more than one conversation and it continues to skip back and forth between conversations for about ten pages.  Sometimes when I was reading, I did not know which conversation I was in because it skipped around so much.  I had to go back and reread so I knew what was happening.  It is frustrating to reread things multiple times before I understand what is happening.  I feel like the last few chapters may have made a bit more sense if things were arranged a little differently.  However, I adjusted to the style and am I am trying my best to understand it.

Brave New World: Situational Irony

"'What's the matter?' asked the Director.  The nurse shrugged her shoulders.  'Nothing much,' she answered.  'It's just that this little boy seems rather reluctant to join in the ordinary erotic play.'"  pg. 31-32

If I were to describe this novel in one word so far, it would be strange.  Many things in this novel are very different from our modern world.  One thing in particular that I find so strange is that young children are expected to join in erotic play and if they don't the nurses think something is wrong with the child.  This provides a bit of situational irony for the reader.  Today in our society it is considered wrong and immoral for young children to be sexual active.  However, in Brave New World, things are the exact opposite.  The Ford society is completely different from what is expected.  The use of situational irony helps establish the differences between this utopian society and our modern society.  It is also quite effective because there are many things about this novel that stray from the norm and the irony makes it more interesting because it is not what the reader expects.

Brave New World: Allusion

"INFANT NURSERIES.  NEO-PAVLOVIAN CONDITIONING ROOMS, announced the notice board." pg. 19

At the beginning of chapter two, Huxley makes a reference to Pavlov.  Ivan Pavlov was a famous scientist who conditioned dogs to drool at the sound of a dinner bell.  In the same sense, humans are conditioned to passively serve the Ford community in Brave New World.  Each person is born into a caste with a respective job.  As humans grow up, they are conditioned to do their jobs and live by the rules of society.  For example, a group of Delta babies were conditioned to hate books and flowers.  The babies were taken into a room with books and flowers and when they got excited an alarm sounded, frightening them and then they were shocked to reinforce the lesson. Just as Pavlov conditioned the response of his dogs, humans were conditioned for certain things according to their castes.

Brave New World: Onomatopoeia

"Whiz and then, click! the lift-hatches flew open...whiz, click!" pg. 9

In the first chapter of Brave New World, the Director shows a group of boys around the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre.  As they walked through different sections of the centre, the director explains what certain machines are and what they do.  One of the rooms they entered was the Bottling Room.  When describing the bottling room, the author used an onomatopoeia.  It allows the reader not only to see the words but also hear the sounds.  I felt as though I was in the factory watching the bottles pass by on a conveyor belt and hearing the clicking sounds they made.  The use of the onomatopoeia effectively helps the reader imagine the workings of the factory.  It provides the reader with an image of how the system works and how it is constantly moving.