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.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
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.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Stranger Journal #9 (Thesis Statement)
My thesis statement:
In The Stranger, Albert Camus creates a parallel between Mersault's emotions and his environment in order to show that one's world view is formed by inner thoughts and beliefs, that reality is created within one's self. This is done through the personification of natural elements and the diction used to describe his surroundings in a way that matches his emotions of tranquility, happiness, and anxiety.
In The Stranger, Albert Camus creates a parallel between Mersault's emotions and his environment in order to show that one's world view is formed by inner thoughts and beliefs, that reality is created within one's self. This is done through the personification of natural elements and the diction used to describe his surroundings in a way that matches his emotions of tranquility, happiness, and anxiety.
The Stranger Journal #8
After reading The Stranger for the first time last summer, I did not enjoy it at all. I felt that there was only one simple message of indifference. But after re-reading the book and taking the time to analyze it, I actually really like some of the messages in it and I like Albert Camus' writing style.
This is one of the qualities in a novel like this that I think is important. The necessity to look deeper and take time to analyze a book before the messages become clear. This only makes the themes even more powerful for the reader because it feels as though he or she has thought of it themselves. The struggle to understand a book makes it worth reading. With that said, understanding a book should not be a painful struggle, but enough of one to stretch one's mind and force it to think in a new way; this is how authors change their readers. Not by telling them what life is or isn't, but making them figure it out on their own.
This is one of the qualities in a novel like this that I think is important. The necessity to look deeper and take time to analyze a book before the messages become clear. This only makes the themes even more powerful for the reader because it feels as though he or she has thought of it themselves. The struggle to understand a book makes it worth reading. With that said, understanding a book should not be a painful struggle, but enough of one to stretch one's mind and force it to think in a new way; this is how authors change their readers. Not by telling them what life is or isn't, but making them figure it out on their own.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Stranger Journal #7
Camus mirrors Mersault's emotions with a matching positive or negative environment to show that views of the world are formed by inner feelings, that reality exists within one's self.
"I went in. It was a very bright, whitewashed room with a skylight for a roof." (Camus 6) The brightness shows how overwhelmed with emotions he is. shows his confusion.
"The room was filled with beautiful late-afternoon sunlight. Two hornets were buzzing against the glass roof. I could feel myself getting sleepy." (Camus 7) As he is feeling sleepy and calm, the light is beautiful.
"It was pleasant; the coffee had warmed me up, and the smell of flowers on the night air was coming through the open door. I think I dozed off for a while." (Camus 9)
"She said, 'If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and catch a chill inside the church.' She was right. There was no way out." (Camus 17) Shows the feeling of helplessness.
(first talking about how he doesn't like Sundays, relevant?) "It was a beautiful afternoon. Yet the pavement was wet and slippery, and what few people there were were in a hurry." (Camus 21) Shows his negative outlook on life. Even though its a nice day, he brings up the negative parts.
"The sky changed again. Above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow, and with evening coming on the streets came to life." (Camus 23)
"The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted up from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there. motionless. And in old Salamano's room, the dog whimpered softly." (Camus 33)
"The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves." (Camus 34) The waves are gentle because he is happy when he is with Marie, but later, the waves are violent because he is so anxious.
"There was the same dazzling red glare. The sea gasped for air with each shallow, stifled little wave that broke on the sand." (Camus 57)
"The blazing sand looked red to me now. We moved steadily toward the Arabs." (Camus 53) As the situation becomes more intense, the sand gets even hotter. Shows his anxiety.
"But most of the time, he was just a form shimmering before my eyes in the fiery air. The sound of the waves was even lazier, more drawn out than at noon. It was the same sun, the same light still shining on the same sand as before." (Camus 58)
"He was looking all over the place, turning around, peering into the darkness of the entryway, muttering incoherently, and then he started searching the street again with his little red eyes." (Camus 38) The entryway is so dark to represent Salamano's loneliness without his dog after he loses him.
"Referring to Marie, he said, 'She's stunning, and I'd even say charming.' After that I didn't pay any more attention to this mannerism of his, because I was absorbed by the feeling that the sun was doing me a lot of good." (Camus 50) Because he is happy because of Marie, the sun is a positive thing.
"The whole time there was nothing but the sun and the silence, with the low gurgling from the spring and the three notes." (Camus 55)
"The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buried Maman, and like then, my forehead especially was hurting me, all the veins in it throbbing under the skin. It was this burning, which I couldn't stand anymore, that made me move forward." (Camus 59) Matches the emotional strain of that day, explains why he does this violent act.
"And yet something had changed, since it was back to my cell that I went to wait for the next day... as if familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent." (Camus 97)
"I went in. It was a very bright, whitewashed room with a skylight for a roof." (Camus 6) The brightness shows how overwhelmed with emotions he is. shows his confusion.
"The room was filled with beautiful late-afternoon sunlight. Two hornets were buzzing against the glass roof. I could feel myself getting sleepy." (Camus 7) As he is feeling sleepy and calm, the light is beautiful.
"It was pleasant; the coffee had warmed me up, and the smell of flowers on the night air was coming through the open door. I think I dozed off for a while." (Camus 9)
"She said, 'If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and catch a chill inside the church.' She was right. There was no way out." (Camus 17) Shows the feeling of helplessness.
(first talking about how he doesn't like Sundays, relevant?) "It was a beautiful afternoon. Yet the pavement was wet and slippery, and what few people there were were in a hurry." (Camus 21) Shows his negative outlook on life. Even though its a nice day, he brings up the negative parts.
"The sky changed again. Above the rooftops the sky had taken on a reddish glow, and with evening coming on the streets came to life." (Camus 23)
"The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted up from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there. motionless. And in old Salamano's room, the dog whimpered softly." (Camus 33)
"The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves." (Camus 34) The waves are gentle because he is happy when he is with Marie, but later, the waves are violent because he is so anxious.
"There was the same dazzling red glare. The sea gasped for air with each shallow, stifled little wave that broke on the sand." (Camus 57)
"The blazing sand looked red to me now. We moved steadily toward the Arabs." (Camus 53) As the situation becomes more intense, the sand gets even hotter. Shows his anxiety.
"But most of the time, he was just a form shimmering before my eyes in the fiery air. The sound of the waves was even lazier, more drawn out than at noon. It was the same sun, the same light still shining on the same sand as before." (Camus 58)
"He was looking all over the place, turning around, peering into the darkness of the entryway, muttering incoherently, and then he started searching the street again with his little red eyes." (Camus 38) The entryway is so dark to represent Salamano's loneliness without his dog after he loses him.
"Referring to Marie, he said, 'She's stunning, and I'd even say charming.' After that I didn't pay any more attention to this mannerism of his, because I was absorbed by the feeling that the sun was doing me a lot of good." (Camus 50) Because he is happy because of Marie, the sun is a positive thing.
"The whole time there was nothing but the sun and the silence, with the low gurgling from the spring and the three notes." (Camus 55)
"The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buried Maman, and like then, my forehead especially was hurting me, all the veins in it throbbing under the skin. It was this burning, which I couldn't stand anymore, that made me move forward." (Camus 59) Matches the emotional strain of that day, explains why he does this violent act.
"And yet something had changed, since it was back to my cell that I went to wait for the next day... as if familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent." (Camus 97)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Stranger Journal #6
1. How is the sun related to Mersault's mood or state of mind?
2. Why does Albert Camus use such short and choppy sentences? What effect does this have on the story?
3. In what ways does Albert Camus relate the life of Mersault to that of Sisyphus in his essay? Does this have significance for a theme?
4. Why does Albert Camus use words that suggest a routine when describing the events in the book?
5. Why does Albert Camus keep Mersault from showing emotion? Is it because he doesn't care, or can he not deal with the stress of emotional situations?
2. Why does Albert Camus use such short and choppy sentences? What effect does this have on the story?
3. In what ways does Albert Camus relate the life of Mersault to that of Sisyphus in his essay? Does this have significance for a theme?
4. Why does Albert Camus use words that suggest a routine when describing the events in the book?
5. Why does Albert Camus keep Mersault from showing emotion? Is it because he doesn't care, or can he not deal with the stress of emotional situations?
Tanner B.
4. Camus creates a character that does not react to changes in life in order to reflect his world view of absurdism, specifically that looking for answers to life will leave one unhappy.
Megan D.
2. Camus creates a character that is irritated when others show emotion in order to show his own inability to show emotion himself
Isabel H.
5. Camus makes Mersault accept the legal system because it reflects his own belief about life; the idea that searching for answers in a complex world will leave one unhappy, rather than just accepting life for what it is and not stress about understanding it, which will provide happiness.
Tate B.
1. Camus only describes weekends because he believes that during the week, everything is the same, the routine of one weekday is identical to another, while during weekends, one is not bound to a strict routine.
Shannon G.
2. Camus uses the strong relationship between Salamano and his dog to show Mersault's inability to have a relationship that requires him to show emotion.
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