Comparison: To what extent have you found it possible, in your consideration of literary works, to separate the individual from his or her public role? In you answer you should refer to any two or three works you have studied.
Based on the actions of Oedipus in Oedipus The King and those of Werle in The Wild Duck, it seems that it is very difficult for characters to separate the individual from his or her public role. This is shown through Oedipus because part of what drives his search for the truth is his image in his kingdom. He spoke very strongly about how important it was to find out who killed Laius. Even though he was told that it would bring him personal harm, he continued on searching in order to look powerful in the eyes of his people, this was his downfall. In The Wild Duck, Werle chooses to help Hjalmar, or at least makes it seem like he is helping him, but does so in a way that nobody finds out about it. This is because he doesn't want others to see him in a certain way. This is an attempt to separate his actions from his public role, but his public role certainly influences the way that he deals with personal events. It is clear that he cannot be separated from his public role when his son, Gregers, says "it just might occur that we never are alone." This shows that there will always be someone watching, so they must always act in a way that will satisfy their public role.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Oedipus The King Journal #3
Creative: Diary entry from any of the characters (Creon)
Today a witnessed the most despicable series of events that has taken place in Thebes. Oedipus, by not accepting the advice to leave the situation alone, found out that he was the murderer of his father, and the husband of his mother. The thought of revenge was constantly in Oedipus' head. He was upset with Tiresias and I for telling him the prophecy that Apollo had decreed, and he wished to exact revenge on us by finding out what he believed to be true; that we were plotting against him, that he was no murderer of kings and fathers. This thought of revenge and curiosity became his downfall, when he lost his wife, mother, pride, and sight. I suppose in a way, he's been blind for quite a while anyway. Still, after this revenge-filled mindset had brought extreme pain in his life, he wished to try again. He wished death upon the shepherd that saved his life as an infant. Imagine this, wanting the man that saved your life to be cursed or killed. Oedipus did not learn that revenge leads to nothing but pain, and he kept on trying for more. He fails to realize that revenge is synonymous with unhappiness. This is perhaps the greatest shame of all, the fact that he failed to learn from all of this. I am king now, I hope that I can lead these people justly, the gods know that they have been wronged in the past.
Creon
Today a witnessed the most despicable series of events that has taken place in Thebes. Oedipus, by not accepting the advice to leave the situation alone, found out that he was the murderer of his father, and the husband of his mother. The thought of revenge was constantly in Oedipus' head. He was upset with Tiresias and I for telling him the prophecy that Apollo had decreed, and he wished to exact revenge on us by finding out what he believed to be true; that we were plotting against him, that he was no murderer of kings and fathers. This thought of revenge and curiosity became his downfall, when he lost his wife, mother, pride, and sight. I suppose in a way, he's been blind for quite a while anyway. Still, after this revenge-filled mindset had brought extreme pain in his life, he wished to try again. He wished death upon the shepherd that saved his life as an infant. Imagine this, wanting the man that saved your life to be cursed or killed. Oedipus did not learn that revenge leads to nothing but pain, and he kept on trying for more. He fails to realize that revenge is synonymous with unhappiness. This is perhaps the greatest shame of all, the fact that he failed to learn from all of this. I am king now, I hope that I can lead these people justly, the gods know that they have been wronged in the past.
Creon
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Oedipus The King Journal #2
Comparison: Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer's work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the reader's attention?
A very intense scene in Oedipus The King occurs when Oedipus is questioning the old shepherd about the day that he found a baby while he was herding his flocks. This scene is very important because it is when the readers/ audience find out that Apollo's prophecy had come true, and that Laius and Jocasta are indeed his parents. The Shepherd is reluctant to share his memories with Oedipus, causing him to become anxious and angry, calling for an intense scene. In order to amplify the intensity of the scene, the writer makes each character's dialogue very short to create a sense of back and forth between them, creating a sense of urgency. He also includes threats within this dialogue which creates a sense of fear within the Shepherd, adding to the intensity of the scene. This use of short dialogue between two characters creates a heightened emotional moment for the reader. audience.
A very intense scene in Oedipus The King occurs when Oedipus is questioning the old shepherd about the day that he found a baby while he was herding his flocks. This scene is very important because it is when the readers/ audience find out that Apollo's prophecy had come true, and that Laius and Jocasta are indeed his parents. The Shepherd is reluctant to share his memories with Oedipus, causing him to become anxious and angry, calling for an intense scene. In order to amplify the intensity of the scene, the writer makes each character's dialogue very short to create a sense of back and forth between them, creating a sense of urgency. He also includes threats within this dialogue which creates a sense of fear within the Shepherd, adding to the intensity of the scene. This use of short dialogue between two characters creates a heightened emotional moment for the reader. audience.
Oedipus The King Journal #1
Discussion on Literary Topics: Themes and Ideas
When Tiresias and Creon tell Oedipus the truth about what happened to Laius, Oedipus becomes extremely angry. This anger causes him to make wild accusations that have no reason behind them, and when Tiresias, Creon, and even the Chorus use reason to convince him to calm down, it is no use. This develops the idea of how anger can cause one to be irrational and impossible to reason with. When Creon is questioning whether or not Oedipus actually accused him of plotting against him, the Leader says "True, but a slur might have been forced out of him, by anger perhaps, not any firm conviction." (188) This shows how the words spoken by Oedipus were said out of an immediate angry response, before he knew what really happened. Once everyone else tried to convince him of how irrational he was being, reason had no place in the angry Oedipus, causing him to dig himself in an even deeper hole. When Creon asks Oedipus, "What if you're wholly wrong?" (195), Oedipus responds with, "No matter- I must rule." (195). This shows how reason will not convince Oedipus because he is blinded by his rage. He wants to kill Creon over something that clearly did not even happen. This theme is a timeless one that can be learned from forever. Because anger causes such irrational and borderline crazy actions from a person, one must step back from a situation that has upset them before making bad decisions that will come back to haunt them. In this story, this occurs when Oedipus is so sure that Tiresias and Creon are plotting against him, that when he concludes that it was in fact he who killed Laius, he must punish himself as harshly as he intended to punish Creon.
When Tiresias and Creon tell Oedipus the truth about what happened to Laius, Oedipus becomes extremely angry. This anger causes him to make wild accusations that have no reason behind them, and when Tiresias, Creon, and even the Chorus use reason to convince him to calm down, it is no use. This develops the idea of how anger can cause one to be irrational and impossible to reason with. When Creon is questioning whether or not Oedipus actually accused him of plotting against him, the Leader says "True, but a slur might have been forced out of him, by anger perhaps, not any firm conviction." (188) This shows how the words spoken by Oedipus were said out of an immediate angry response, before he knew what really happened. Once everyone else tried to convince him of how irrational he was being, reason had no place in the angry Oedipus, causing him to dig himself in an even deeper hole. When Creon asks Oedipus, "What if you're wholly wrong?" (195), Oedipus responds with, "No matter- I must rule." (195). This shows how reason will not convince Oedipus because he is blinded by his rage. He wants to kill Creon over something that clearly did not even happen. This theme is a timeless one that can be learned from forever. Because anger causes such irrational and borderline crazy actions from a person, one must step back from a situation that has upset them before making bad decisions that will come back to haunt them. In this story, this occurs when Oedipus is so sure that Tiresias and Creon are plotting against him, that when he concludes that it was in fact he who killed Laius, he must punish himself as harshly as he intended to punish Creon.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Brave New World Journal #3
Topic C
This book is a warning of society's focus on easy living and lack of struggle in life, the mindset we have of getting rid of anything unpleasant, as opposed to working through it. The mindset of happiness being linked with a lack of effort or critical thinking. The authors vision is very believable, of course it is an over-exaggeration of the idea, but still, it correctly demonstrates the dangers that lies with a lack of individuality and the neglect of the pleasures that lies in the struggles of life. The alternative that the author gives us is to rid ourselves of some modern day conveniences. He shows this through John; he can't handle the society because of it's lack of individuality and focus on stability rather than freedom, so he leaves to purify himself without any of their conveniences. This makes no sense to the citizens of the society because they are so stuck in their ways and have never considered another way of life; they are blinded. This is what the author is trying to tell us, that we are blinded, that we are caught up in the trend of easy life. This is why this book was written.
This book is a warning of society's focus on easy living and lack of struggle in life, the mindset we have of getting rid of anything unpleasant, as opposed to working through it. The mindset of happiness being linked with a lack of effort or critical thinking. The authors vision is very believable, of course it is an over-exaggeration of the idea, but still, it correctly demonstrates the dangers that lies with a lack of individuality and the neglect of the pleasures that lies in the struggles of life. The alternative that the author gives us is to rid ourselves of some modern day conveniences. He shows this through John; he can't handle the society because of it's lack of individuality and focus on stability rather than freedom, so he leaves to purify himself without any of their conveniences. This makes no sense to the citizens of the society because they are so stuck in their ways and have never considered another way of life; they are blinded. This is what the author is trying to tell us, that we are blinded, that we are caught up in the trend of easy life. This is why this book was written.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Brave New World Journal #2
Topic B
Bernard is the obvious character who is involved in a struggle against his society. Bernard is victimized by being treated the same as everyone else, but because he is "abnormal" by society's standards, this has a negative effect on him. Everyone else in the society is happy to be treated the same, but Bernard is not. He resists the lack of individuality in society by attempting to have a relationship in a different way than what it is supposed to. In this society, relationships are supposed to be strictly sexual, but Bernard wants a real relationship that includes emotions. This is not successful because he is the only one who wants this. He cannot break the conditioning of the rest of the citizens of this society. They are all trained so well that no matter what he says or does he cannot convince even one person (Lenina) to try his radical idea of a relationship. After behaving in a way that was socially abnormal, Bernard is reprimanded by a person of authority. Even though he is threatened to be excluded from the society, Bernard is happy because even thought it was negative, he was recognized as an individual for the first time in his life. "in the thought that he stood alone, embattled against the order of things; elated by the intoxicating consciousness of his individual significance and importance" (Huxley 66)
Bernard is the obvious character who is involved in a struggle against his society. Bernard is victimized by being treated the same as everyone else, but because he is "abnormal" by society's standards, this has a negative effect on him. Everyone else in the society is happy to be treated the same, but Bernard is not. He resists the lack of individuality in society by attempting to have a relationship in a different way than what it is supposed to. In this society, relationships are supposed to be strictly sexual, but Bernard wants a real relationship that includes emotions. This is not successful because he is the only one who wants this. He cannot break the conditioning of the rest of the citizens of this society. They are all trained so well that no matter what he says or does he cannot convince even one person (Lenina) to try his radical idea of a relationship. After behaving in a way that was socially abnormal, Bernard is reprimanded by a person of authority. Even though he is threatened to be excluded from the society, Bernard is happy because even thought it was negative, he was recognized as an individual for the first time in his life. "in the thought that he stood alone, embattled against the order of things; elated by the intoxicating consciousness of his individual significance and importance" (Huxley 66)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Brave New World Journal #1
Topic A
"'Think of water under pressure in a pipe.' They thought of it. 'I pierce it once,' said the Controller. 'What a jet!.'
He pierced it twenty times. There were twenty piddling little fountains. (...) Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge has but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder these poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn't allow them to take things easily, didn't allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorses, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the poverty- they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?" (Huxley 27)
This metaphor is a good representation of the mindset of this society. Emotion only leads to pain and misery. In the old society (similar to our current society), the single piercing in the pipe represents family life, how there was too much love and concern for each individual. In their eyes, this led to "mad and wicked and miserable" people. Strength in society lies with the lack of emotion. Towards the end of the passage, Huxley writes about how strong feelings leads to instability. In this society, instability is the worst possible thing on earth. Everything must be stable and efficient, and if anything is not, things go wrong. This is why all of the people in the society are conditioned exactly the way that the elite members want them to be, because this creates a stable society. Instability is feared more than anything else in this society, and instability is brought on by the presence of emotion. This is why all members of the society are taught to not become emotionally attached to other people, which is one of the reasons why Bernard is viewed as abnormal, because he feels emotions towards Lenina. This passage shows the society's main views on life.
"'Think of water under pressure in a pipe.' They thought of it. 'I pierce it once,' said the Controller. 'What a jet!.'
He pierced it twenty times. There were twenty piddling little fountains. (...) Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge has but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder these poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn't allow them to take things easily, didn't allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorses, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the poverty- they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?" (Huxley 27)
This metaphor is a good representation of the mindset of this society. Emotion only leads to pain and misery. In the old society (similar to our current society), the single piercing in the pipe represents family life, how there was too much love and concern for each individual. In their eyes, this led to "mad and wicked and miserable" people. Strength in society lies with the lack of emotion. Towards the end of the passage, Huxley writes about how strong feelings leads to instability. In this society, instability is the worst possible thing on earth. Everything must be stable and efficient, and if anything is not, things go wrong. This is why all of the people in the society are conditioned exactly the way that the elite members want them to be, because this creates a stable society. Instability is feared more than anything else in this society, and instability is brought on by the presence of emotion. This is why all members of the society are taught to not become emotionally attached to other people, which is one of the reasons why Bernard is viewed as abnormal, because he feels emotions towards Lenina. This passage shows the society's main views on life.
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