Thursday, December 5, 2013
Frankenstein #5
Throughout the course of the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the Monster is very observant. For example, through observations, the Monster learns about relationships. "I gained knowledge of brother, sister, and the various relationships which bind one human being to another in mutual bonds" (Shelley, 86). Through observations, the Monster learns a great deal about living in society. The monster reminded me that sometimes we can learn more from observing than participating. Through observations, we can see the bigger picture. The Monster was able to use his observations and apply them to his life. Just as the Monster, so can we apply our observations to our daily lives. Some things in life must be observed in order to be learned. Other things must be learned through our daily experiences. We can learn many things through looking at the life of the Monster in the novel Frankenstein.
Frankenstein #4
Throughout the course of the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the Monster learns how to be a human. The monster learns the simple ideas of the fact that there are different types of people in this world. "Other lessons were impressed upon me even more deeply. I heard of the difference of sexes and the birth and growth of children" (Shelley, 85). From the De Lacey family, the Monster learns most of what it is like to be a part of society. Through listening to their conversations and watching their daily movements, he learns to speak and become more a part of society. The Monster also learns how to love through observing the family. He learns of the love and acceptance that he deserves but does not receive. Ironically, everything that the Monster learns from the De Lacey family is learned through observations. The Monster does not even have the courage to approach the man until later into the novel. The Monster learns to be a part of society through the side characters that surround him throughout the course of the novel.
Frankenstein #3
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the idea of a female monster is brought up. The female monster means different things to different characters. To the monster, the female monster is going to be his companion. In the Monster's eyes, the female monster will be the only other person on the earth that is just like him. The female monster will break the isolation that the monster is living with. The female monster will also be someone that is inferior to the Monster in the Monster's eyes. The female monster will have to learn just as the Monster did and the Monster feels as though he will have a purpose in life. His purpose will be to help the female monster. Along with the monster, Victor also had a view for the female monster. Unfortunately, Victor had a more pessimistic view of creating a female monster. "I was now about to form another being, of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant; she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate" (Shelley, 120). Victor believes that a mate is necessary for the monster. Although he believes this, he is afraid of creating another monster that could be potentially more dangerous than the monster that he first created.
Frankenstein #2
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the creature finally gets the courage to approach De Lacy and the other people living in the cabin. During this scene, we get a good glance into the true personality of the monster. In this part of the novel, the reader learns that De Lacy is blind. Since De Lacy is blind, he looks at the monster with a perspective that is new to the monster. De Lacy is able to listen to the Monster without being terrified of his appearances. For the first time, the monster is able to express his true feelings and emotions. "I am a unfortunate and deserted creature; I look around, and I have no relation or friend on earth" (Shelley, 95). The Monster is quickly judged by a blind man. The Monster is judged for his personality versus his appearance. For the first time, the Monster has made a friend; a companion. Unfortunately, the first good thing that has happened to the Monster is taken away when he is faced with the family of De Lacy. Sometimes, as in the novel, it takes a new perspective to see past the appearance and see the personality of the person.
Frankenstein #1
In chapter 13 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the creature realizes his true identity. Thus far in the novel, the monster had known that he was unlike the other creatures. But, until this point in the novel, he had not truly admitted his differences to himself. At this point, the creature sees a reflection of himself and his reaction is how he believes others see him. "Was I then a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned" (Shelley, 85). The monster has finally come to the realization that not only is he different from everyone else, but he is alone. He finally understands that he has no one that he can rely on. The people that he is counting as they people that are there for him do not even know that he exists. His lack of speech and social skills also help in leading him to his isolation. The monster is now ready to overcome his differences with society in order to overcome his isolation.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Family
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, family plays in essential role in the characters. Throughout the course of the novel, we get a glimpse into the families of both Walter and Victor. It is obvious by reading the first few pages of the novel that Walter and his sister have some kind of relationship. The beginning of the novel is all letters from Walter to his sister. We also see a glimpse into Victor's family when it talks about leaving Geneva in chapter three. "When I had attained the age of seventeen, my parents resolved, that I should become a student at the university of Ingolstadt" (Shelley, 23). As we read the novel, we learn that family was present in the lives of both of the two main characters. Both of the characters grew up surrounded by people who truly cared about them and their wellbeing. The ironic thing that I noticed was that neither of them were isolated until they began exploring and studying. The exploration lead them to isolation and seperated them from their families and loved ones and broke the relationships that had been formed for years.
Acceptance
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, we learn that all the monster wants throughout the novel is to be accepted. We first see this at the beginning of the novel when he goes and finds Frankenstein in bed. Frankenstein thought that he was going to attack him, but really he was just looking for love and acceptance. He reached out his hands just like a child would to his or her parents. As we read on in the novel, we see many more circumstances where the monster just wants to be accepted. The monster goes on a trip trying to find the one who had created him. In this part of the novel, we especially see the monster going out of his way to get acceptance from the one person who was suppose to love his unconditionally. The search for acceptance is truly shown in chapter twelve when the creature describes a dream of his. "I imagined that they would be disgusted, until, by my gentle demeanor and conciliating words, I should first win their favor, and afterwords their love" (Shelley, 81). In this scene, we learn that the creature realizes that his appearance makes it difficult for others to love and accept him. At the end though, he realizes that if he truly tries with everything he has that will win their love and acceptance with time.
Justice and Justine
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the family seeks justice following the murder of William. I think that it is no coincidence between the word Justice and Justine. Justine is wanted to be seen as the innocent one by the family. The family does not want Justine to be seen as a murder or to end up being the murderer of William. Elizabeth especially does not want Justine to end up being the murderer of William. In fact, Elizabeth hopes that nothing ever happens to the murderer of William. In the novel, Elizabeth talks about how often times getting justice just makes the situation worse for all people. The novel talks about how Elizabeth's life was impacted by the murder of William. "Elizabeth was sad and desponding; she no longer took delight in her ordinary occupations; all pleasure seemed toward the dead" (Shelley 63). Elizabeth began to believe that if justice came about at a later time that it would just reopen the wounds of William's murder. There is no coincidence in the novel between Justice and Justine, the person no one wants to be guilty.
Irony
There is a great deal of irony in the creation of the monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Whenever someone thinks about Frankenstein, they think of a mad scientist who made a man, or monster, out of bolts and human parts that came to life with electricity. We get the image that the scientist rejoiced greatly in bringing to life of the monster. Ironically though, the novel tells a different story. Once the monster, or man, was created, the creator was terrified of what he had done. After creating the monster, the man does not have feeling of rejoice, but rather feelings of needing to escape his brilliant creation. "I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered and ever limb became convulsed: when by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created" (Shelley 35). Unlike in the story told around Halloween time, the creator never was joyed by his creation, only frightened by it. Ironically, the speaker became afraid of the thing that he had put all of his time and effort into creating. He continued to ask himself throughout the process if he could create the monster. But ironically, he never asked himself "Should I create the monster"?
Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton Character Similarities
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley had two main characters who had many similarities. At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to the characters of Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. As the reader continues the novel, they learn that there are many similar characteristics. One similarity between Frankenstein and Walton is that they are both very lonely. In the first letter to his sister, Walton expresses his need for companionship. "I bitterly feel the want of a friend" (Shelley 4). Later on in the novel, the reader learns that Frankenstein created this creature as a result of his boredom and lack of relationships with others. Another similarity I noticed while reading the novel is that both Frankenstein and Walton love mystery. Both of the characters left socialization and their homeland in order to go travel and discover unknown land. In doing this, both characters isolated themselves from everything that did not have to do with the mystery and the project ahead of them. As the reader continues to learn more and more about the characters, more and more character similarities appear between Victor and Robert.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Things They Carried
In the story The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, O'Brien talks about soldiers off in war. Throughout the story, the reader mentions all the things that the soldiers carried with them while they were at war. Some of the things that soldiers were physical items. "First lieutenant carried with him letters from a girl named Martha" (O'Brien, 1-2). Not only were the items that soldiers carried physical items, the soldiers also carried a great deal of internal conflicts. On page sixteen of the story, O'Brien mentions a great list of internal items that the soldiers are dealing with. Some of the internal items they carried with them were guilt, fear, memories, and reputations. At the end of the story, it talks about how the internal, not the physical items, were holding the soldiers back. Items such as memories were distracting the soldiers and not allowing them to truly focus on their works. At the end of the story, one of the characters takes a major step in taking away his distractions: he burns the letters. I think that the soldiers are going to succeed in overcoming their internal problems because taking the first step is the hardest. In burning the letters, he is taking the first step in putting the past behind him and moving on to better perform his job.
Death, Be Not Proud
In the poem "Death, Be Not Proud" by John Donne, the writer expresses death as a person. Death is personified throughout the course of the poem. In the first line of the poem, the writer gives death, as a person, advice. "Death, be not proud, though some though some have called thee mighty and dreadful" (Donne, 1-2). The author is warning death to not take pride in what they have done. Rather, the poem is telling death not to take pride in anything that they do. Another example of where death is personified is in line four where the poem talks about not dying. "Die not, poor death, nor yet canst though kill me" (Donne, 4). Death is once again personified in the poem by Donne when it talks dealing with poison, war and sick. Poison, war, and sickness are daily issues that humans have to deal with. The personification throughout the poem gets the readers attention. The personification allows the reader to realize that they are the audience of the poem.
Crossing the Bar
In "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, crossing the bar could symbolize so many different things. One thing that I think that Crossing the Bar means is crossing from this life onto the next. At the end of the poem where it talks about seeing the pilot's face after they cross the bar, the reader can infer that the pilot is dead. "I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar" (Tennyson, 15-16). The reader can also infer that maybe the pilot symbolizes someone in the characters life who led them before they passed away. Just as the pilot of an airplane controls our path, the pilot could symbolizes a role model or leader who lead the character in his or her life before the "pilot" passed on. Seeing the pilot face to face could also symbolize other things. Seeing the pilot face to face could also symbolize the character finally being treated as equal to the pilot. The reader could infer that the character always felt inferior to those around him/her and once they pass away, they will finally be treated as not inferior, but equal. "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson has a a variety of meanings and symbols throughout the poem.
That Time of Year
In The poem That Time of Year by William Shakespeare, a certain season is talked about. I think "that time of year" is referring to the end of fall. In the first few lines, it talks about the leaves falling from the trees and the cold coming. "When yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang upon those boughs which shake against the cold, bare ruined choirs where late where late the sweet birds sing" (Shakespeare, 2-4). The yellow leaves symbolize the leaves changing colors during the fall and autumn season. When the poem talks about the none or few leves hanging, it's talking about the time of year when the leaves are all falling from the trees. The poem is also referring to to time when there are only a few are still on the trees. At this point, winter is quickly approaching. The bare ruined choirs symbolizes the bare, empty trees after all the leaves have fallen at the end of fall or autumn and beginning of winter. When the poem talks about the trees shaking in the cold, it is referring to the bits of winter breeze that are seen at the end of fall, right before the beginning of winter. Throughout the poem, the reader is shown many symbols that lead him or her to believe "that time of year" is the end of fall, beginning of spring.
A Rose for Emily
The story A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner told out of chronological order. The story begins with what really is the end chronologically. The first line states, "When Miss Emily died, our whole town went to the funeral" (Faulkner, 282). The rest of the story is then an out of order flashback to the events leading up to Miss Emily's death. I think that it is told our of chrinigical order for two reasons. One reason that I think the story is told out of chronological order is to keep suspense throughout the story. If the story were told chronologically, the reader would better be able to predict the ending. Another reason that I think the story was told out of chronological order is to show mystery. Since no one ever really knows what is going on with Miss Emily or what is going on in her life, the story should be told told in a mysterious fashion. Just as the townspeople never know what Miss Emily is doing or why she is doing it, the reader should not know what is coming next!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Much Madness is Divinest Sense
In the poem "Much Madness is Divinest Sense", we learn a lot about the personality of the writer Emily Dickinson. The poem talks about her frustration with the society that she lives in. The poem talks about people who are sane, versus the people who are insane or have madness. She is trying to say that what society believes is madness maybe might not be true. Maybe she is trying to tell the reader that maybe the societies view may be the opposite of reality. The poem's title suggest that madness can be a good thing. It suggest that madness is the "divinest sense" that all people should strive to achieve. She also talks about how madness is perceived differently by different people. "Much Madness is divinest sense to a discerning eye" (Dickinson, 1-2). Dickinson is implying that those who see the world differently than the rest of us, may be the sane people after all.
Bartleby
Nicknames are used throughout the course of the story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. The reader learns throughout the course of the story that the narrator gives nicknames to all of his employees. Three of the characters mentioned in the novel are only mentioned by their nicknames. Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut are all only referred by their nicknames based their personalities and jobs at the office. For example, Ginger Nut received his name from one of his main duties, which was to fetch Turkey and Nippers cake. "Not the least among the employments of Ginger Nut... was his duty as cake and apple purveyor for Turkey and Nippers" (Melville, 647). The fact that all of the lawyers previous copyist have had nickname poses a question. Is Bartleby his real name or a nickname? As the reader ponders on this question, they must look at the background of Bartleby for the answer. Little is to be known about Bartleby's life outside the office. The reader will never know due to the lack of information. What do you think?
APO 96225
Sometimes the truth is better when it is concealed, such as in the poem "APO 96225" by Larry Rottmann. The poem starts out with a letter from the son fighting in the war saying "Dear Mom, sure rains a lot here" (Rottmann, 3). Throughout the course of the rest of the poem, the son continues to sugarcoat what is really going on in the place where he is fighting the war. But, no matter what he says, the mother always asks what is really going on there. It seems rather ironic that when the son finally tells his mother what his life is really like that the father replies saying "Please don't write such depressing letters. You're upsetting your mother" (Rottmann, 17-18). It is quite ironic because all he was doing was obeying her, yet he ended up hurting her. Sometimes the people in our lives know what is best for us. In this situation, it was best for the son to withhold the information about what it was really like in the place where he is in the war. Even though its tough, sometimes sugarcoating news can be better for someone than finding out the reality. The poem ends the same way that it begins stating "Dear Mom, it sure rains here a lot" (Rottmann, 19-20). Maybe, the poem ends the same way as it begins to show that even though the mother received new she did not want to hear, their lives are still the same as when they started. The information that the mother learned did not change the son's situation, but only changed the perspective of the mother.
I Felt a Funeral in my Brain
The poem "I Felt a Funeral in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson, begins talking about the great loss that the narrator suffers. In the poem, I think that she is having a funeral for her brain. She is coming to the consensus that she is losing her mind. Dickinson is saying that her mind has left her, similarly to how the mind leaves the body once they have passed away. The poem implies that Dickinson had been alienating herself, but the funeral has allowed her to be the person that she wants to be. The poem implies that she was trapped in her mind. It implies that what she was thinking consumed her life. But now that her mind has "died", she is set free. "And then I heard them lift a box" (Dickinson, 9) refers to her being set free from her alienation and from herself. She was finally able to answer the questions that had been consuming her. When the poem says "And finished-knowing...," (Dickinson, 20) it shows that she is now truly at peace and ready to break away from herself and stop alienating herself.
Miss Brill
Loneliness is a theme in the story Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield. Throughout the course of the story, the reader learns a great deal about the character Miss Brill through her actions. The fact that Miss Brill is always sitting alone on a park bench expresses her loneliness. It also acts as a step to making conversation with others through her lonely time. Loneliness often time leads to desperation. Miss Brill continues to follow a band around to try and find someone. Despite her actions, he still ends up feeling alone in a sea of people. While she wishes for company on the park benches, Miss Brill is often joined by couples: couples who already have someone to be with. Loneliness is also expressed in the story when the only conversation that she ever hears is the talk about herself. She seldom converses with others and when she does, most of the talk is about her. Eavesdropping is a skill that Miss Brill uses to try and ease her loneliness. Often times, the plan of eavesdropping makes her feel even worse and even more lonely because people are talking about her negative pathetic life. "Miss Brill's eyes filled with tears" (Mansfield, 185).
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
External Conflict
In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, there is a cycle of external conflicts. Throughout the course of the novel, each of the characters express an external conflict that influences the rest of the family. Ruth's determining on whether or not to get an abortion affects Walter and Mama. It affects Mama because it brings back the memories of Big Walter. It affects Walter because he has to make the decision and stand up for his son just as his father (Big Walter) did. Another external conflict that affects multiple family members is when Willy takes Walter's money. It affects the family because not only do they not have the money that was for the liquor store, but Walter did not invest any money, so they lost all of the money. Walter states, "that money is made out of my father's flesh" (Hansberry, 128). It also affects Travis because they force Walter to explain this in front on his son. Travis learns to act like a man and take responsibility for the things he does both right and wrong in his life. The external conflicts throughout the course of the novel we learn not only impact the person individually, but also the people surrounding them.
Dreams
Throughout the course of the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, many of the characters have dreams. The character's dreams vary greatly. Mama's dream can be described as the typical american dream. She wants a big house, nice car, and a garden for her family. Her dream is a a better life for her family. “Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back
of the houses down home" (Hansberry, 53) The garden symbolizes her dream growing more and more. Along with Mama's dream, Walter's dream deals with economic security. Throughout the course of the novel, Walter searches for self-happiness that he believes comes with opening the liquor store. Ruth is another character with a dream. Ruth's dream deals with having financial security and a happy marriage. We see this throughout the course of the novel when she wants to invest part of the $10,000 check. The many different dreams throughout the course of the novel symbolize the differences in the Younger Family.
of the houses down home" (Hansberry, 53) The garden symbolizes her dream growing more and more. Along with Mama's dream, Walter's dream deals with economic security. Throughout the course of the novel, Walter searches for self-happiness that he believes comes with opening the liquor store. Ruth is another character with a dream. Ruth's dream deals with having financial security and a happy marriage. We see this throughout the course of the novel when she wants to invest part of the $10,000 check. The many different dreams throughout the course of the novel symbolize the differences in the Younger Family.
Money
Money plays a huge role in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Money is connected to one of the major conflicts in the novel which is what to do with Mama's $10,000 insurance check. But even before the reader learns about the insurance check, there is an argument about the 50c that Travis needs for school. Even though it is just a small amount, the tension grows in the scene because of the money. Ruth states, "I don't care what teacher say. I ain't got it" (Hansberry, 28). The money continues to rip the family apart throughout the course of the novel. Walter wants to get the check in order to follow his dream of owning a liquor store. Walter is very selfish when it comes to the money. Some members of the family think that the money should be used for Beneatha's education. In the end, as the reader, I think that Mama should do with what she wants with the money. Besides, it is for her to use it for whatever she thinks is best for her family.
Symbolism
There are many symbols in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. One symbol in the novel is the plant. The plant symbolizes hope. Throughout the course of the novel, the plant symbolizes her hope for a better life for her family. Mama is constantly watering the plant symbolizing her always trying to to nurture her family and make them grow closer together. The fact that the plant is always in the darkness symbolizes the darkness that the Younger family is stuck in. The fact that even though Mama continues to water the plant in the darkness, she never gives up hope on her family. It also shows how she is constantly caring for her family. Even when Mama tries to leave the plant behind at the old to symbolize her leaving her behind, she goes back and gets the plant. After she leaves the plant behind, "The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time," (Hansberry, 151). She takes the plant with her because it symbolizes the struggles that their family has overcome and the constant love that she has had and will always have for her family.
Father
The father plays an essential role in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Even though the father is deceased, his presence is key in parts of the novel. His death has significantly impacted the family and their financial status. Because of his death, conflict and tension has developed with the family. The family is constantly bickering and disagreeing on how to use the $10,000 insurance check that Mama will receive from the death of Big Walter. He is also influential in his son Walter's life. When Ruth is considering the abortion, Mama talk to Walter about standing up for his soon to be child, just like his father stood up for him. Mama states,"I’m waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy" (Hansberry, 75). Even though Big Walter is gone, Walter is still constantly being compared to his father. He is expected to be the man that his father was, before he was taken away from the family. The term gone but never forgotten perfectly describes Big Walter in the Younger household.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Attention to Detail
At the beginning of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, we learn that Amanda pays great attention to detail. In the first scene, we see the family eating what was suppose to be a nice relaxing dinner. We soon learn that Tom the narrator and Tom the character are completely different people. While they were eating dinner, Amanda instructs Tom on how to eat his food. She not only pays attention to the details of how he eats his food, but also to the food itself. Amanda states "A well cooked meal has lots of delicate flavors that have to be held in the mouth for appreciation" (Williams, 1237). She pays attention to the specific detail that some spices must have be held in the mouth for a certain amount of time in order to get the full flavor. She also pays attention to how the other member of her family, not just Tom do not take the time to appreciate the food. They do not share the same appreciation for the food as their mother. They also do not take the time to pay attention to the details of life. It shows how Tom and Laura do not take after their mom in every aspect of their lives.
The Coffin
In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Tom talks about the magic show, specifically about a coffin. He compares his life to a coffin. He talks about how he is trapped in his home now because he cannot leave until he finds a man for his sister. I think that he compares his home to a coffin because no matter what he tries right now in his life he cannot escape from his house. He talks about how the man at the magic show was nailed into a coffin. "We nailed him to a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail" (Williams, 1249). The man in the magic show that was trapped in the coffin is very similar to Tom's situation right now. The idea of escaping the coffin without removing a nail symbolizes Tom leaving the family without breaking the family. Since Tom is crucial to his delicate family, he is trying to find a way to leave his family without breaking them and destroying what they have together. Tom struggles with this throughout the novel and the reader never truly learns how Tom deals with this struggle of escaping the family without breaking it.
Laura and Jim
At the end of The Glass Menagerie, Tom brings his friend over to dinner at the families house. Amanda requests that he brings home a man from work for Laura so that he can finally leave the family. Jim, the man that Tom brought home from dinner, plays a significant role at the end of the story. Amanda truly believes that Jim could be the man for Laura. It is very obvious when she talks about how romantic he is. Amanda states, "Well that shows your romantic" (Williams, 1272) when Jim talks about how his favorite kind of light is candle light. At the end of the story, it talks about how Jim has truly broken Laura out of her social shell and allowed her to begin to talk to men again. Before, the only male in her life was her brother because he Dad walked out on her. Jim taught her that it is okay to associate with other men in her life. He also taught her that she can trust men and that not all of bad, even though he was engaged while this was happening. Their very short time together made a tremendous impact on Laura and her social status.
Imagery
Scene 4 of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams uses a great deal of imagery. In this scene, Tom says that he is going to the movies, but returns extremely late at night. When returning home late, he is questioned by Amanda about why he was returning home so late. Tom begins talking about how he attended the magic show that night. During this scene, a great deal of imagery is used to describe the magic show. Tom states, "He performed wonderful tricks, many of them, such as pouring water back and forth between pitchers" (William, 1249). He allows for the reader to really picture the magic show by describing some of the magic tricks that were performed. Some of the tricks that he goes in detail to talk about are turning water into wine and then turned it into beer, then finally turning it into whisky. By going into detail about the magic show, the reader also is able to come to the realization that certain parts of the magic show could apply to his real life. The reader can also begin to pay attention to what the symbolism could be regarding the tricks used in the magic show.
Symbolism
Symbolism is used in scene seven of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. At the end of the scene when Jim and Laura kiss there are many uses of symbolism. The first use of symbolism is when he knocks over her glass menagerie. "its lost its- horn it doesn't matter" (Williams 1282) The horn on the unicorn getting knocked off and it looking like a horse symbolizes Laura breaking away from her unusual ways and becoming more "normal". The unicorn is a very odd and mystical creature which symbolizes her unusual ways and lifestyles. The horse is a more normal character that society recognizes as acceptable. The unicorn changing into the horse symbolizes her becoming more acceptable to society. Another use of symbolism at that scene has to do with the fact that she isn't even upset about the fact that he broke her glass menagerie. The fact that she isn't upset symbolizes that she is okay with embracing this new lifestyle of being open to society. She is also accepting the fact that change is not always a bad thing in today's society.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
"Those Winter Sundays"- Imagery
In the poem "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, imagery is used throughout the poem. Throughout the course of the poem, different kinds of imagery are used. In the beginning of the poem, imagery is used to describe a dark and cold moment. "My father got up early and put his clothes on the blueblack cold, then cracked hands that ached from labor" (Hayden, 781). The use of imagery in the first stanza of the poem allows for the reader to really see the tone of the situation. The tone was dark and painful misery. Another form of imagery is seen in the poem, but this time it is to display the admiration and respect that he has for his father. "When the rooms were warm, he'd call, and slowly I would rise and dress" (Hayden, 78). The imagery creates a picture for the reader of a father who is working hard to provide for his family. He spends his time working to create not only actual warmth, but a sense of warmth in the household. Imagery is used throughout the course of the poem to display both cold and dark imagery and compassion and respectful imagery.
Acceptance and even friendship- My Papa's Waltz
Acceptance is a theme throughout the course of the poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke. Throughout the course of the poem, the narrator learns to accept things that he does not particularly like about his father. In the first stanza, the narrator states, "The whisky on your great could make a small boy dizzy; but I hung on like death: such waltzing was not easy" (Roethke, line 1-4). Even though the narrator does not like the fact that his father is an alcoholic, he accepts him. When he states that he hung on like death, he states that he is going to stay by his father's side until the day he dies. The narrator states that even though it is hard to tolerate a father who is "waltzing with alcohol", he learns to accept him for the man that he is. Not only does he accept him, but friendship is shown between them throughout the poem. The title talks about waltzing, which could symbolize friendship between the narrator and his father. The waltz is a dance between between two people who show compassion for each other. By talking about the Waltz in the title, it shows their journey of friendship, companionship, and acceptance of each other.
The Drunkard- Irony
In the short story The Drunkard by Frank O'Conner, there is a great deal of irony. The irony occurs concerning the son's drinking. The mother thinks that the son is a guardian angel for drinking the alcohol. The mother states, "My brave little man... You were his guardian angel" (O'Conner, 351). She thinks that the son drank the alcohol in order to keep it away from his alcoholic father. But as a reader, we know that the son only drank the alcohol because of his curiosity. He was not even considering saving his father from he alcohol. All that he cared about was himself. Another use of irony is used when the Mom applauds her child for underage drinking. One would think that a mother would be upset at her kid for underage drinking, but instead, she approved of it. She even goes on to talk about how he is angelic like for breaking the law and underage drinking.
Once Upon A Time- Irony
In the story Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer, irony is a literary device used. Throughout the course of the short story, irony is used the most out of the literary devices, in my opinion. The most dramatic irony that takes place involves the security of the house. The family originally made the intricate security system in order to keep their family safe. "You are right, said the wife, then the wall should be higher. And the wise old witch, the husband's mother, paid for the extra bricks as a Christmas present to her son and his wife" (Gordimer, 234). The irony comes into play at the end of the story when the son is killed. "The man and his wife burst wildly into the garden and for some reason the alarm set up wailing against the screams while the bleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out of the security coil..." (Gordimer, 236). The irony of the story is that the fence that was made to protect their family, mostly their son, but instead, ended up causes the sons death. Because of the barb wired parts of the fence, the son ended up being cut into pieces and he had to be torn out of the security coil.
Self-Sacrifice
In the story The Worn Path by Eudora Welty, a major theme is self-sacrifice. The grandma leaves perfect her life behind in the country to seek help for her grandson Phoenix. In order for Phoenix to get the treatment that he needs, she must make the journey into the city. The distance she travelled is displayed when she describes where she lives as it being "way back yonder, sir, behind the ridge. You can't even see it from here" (Welty, 227). The quote demonstrates how she is giving up her day and her home to make the long travel to get help for Phoenix. The idea of self-sacrifice is also present when she takes care of her grandson. She talks about how her grandson is her life. In order to have made him her life, she had to give up the life that she had before he drank the lye. The grandma is displayed as a very genuine kind person who is willing to give up anything to get the help for her grandson.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Interpreter of Maladies- symbolism
The use of symbolism is prevalent throughout the course of the story Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. One symbol that is used is the strawberry. "The blouse was decorated at chest level with a calico appliqué in the shape of a strawberry" (Lahiri, 149). The fact that she compares it to a strawberry symbolizes her irresistible interest in Mr. Kapasi. Just as the strawberry is delicious and irresistible, in her eyes, Mr. Kapasi is irresistible. Another symbol used in the story is the piece of paper that has Mr. Kapasi's address written on it. The piece of paper symbolizes her plan to stay in touch with Mr. Kapasi after she returns home from her vacation. As she holds onto this piece of scrap paper, she is holding on to the affection and feelings that she has toward Mr. Kapasi. It also symbolizes her desire to hold onto the relationships in her life. It could also symbolize something that she has to hold onto after she talks to her husband about her lack of feelings toward him.
Everyday Use- Theme
There are many themes throughout the course of the short story Everyday Use by Alice Walker. One of the major themes throughout the course of the novel involved African-American culture. The theme talks about the good parts of the African-American culture, as well as the conflicts and struggles that come along with being an African-American. For example, Walker states, "like good looks and money, quickness passed her by" (Walker, 71). The text talks about the difficulties concerning the opportunities that African American have in society. Specifically, it talks about how it is difficult to proceed with life concerning money. Not only does it talk about them individually, it talks about how they have work well together. In the story, Walker gives a story about how the culture of working for African-Americans has enabled them to achieve greatness in life. It talks about how their culture takes the bad aspects, but turn them into something they can work with. For example, Walker inserts a story about a woman who embraces her working ability to provide for herself and those around her. It said that she could work outside all day breaking ice to get water for washing. The theme of the good and the bad of African-American culture is present through the course of the short story allowing the reader to learn how they live their lives.
Toads- external conflict
In "Toads" by Phillip Larkin, Larkin talks about external conflict. The first toad discussed in the poem talks about an external conflict. "Why should I let the toad work squat on my life?" (Larkin, 1-2). It is an external conflict because it talks about how he should not let the toad squat on his life. The "on his life" part implies that it is an external conflict because it is happening outside of him, versus inside of him. He is having trouble fighting this external conflict because he cannot find a way to use his brains to make the conflict go away. In lines 3 and 4, Larkin states "Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork and drive the brute off" (Larkin, 3-4). Not only is Larkin having issues dealing with the external conflict, he also is struggling from an internal conflict. The external conflict is harder for him to overcome because of the internal conflict that he is facing as well. The combination of the two will not allow him to achieve happiness and his desires in life which is the fame, the girl, and the money all at the same time.
Toads- internal conflict
In the poem "Toads" by Phillip Larkin, an internal conflict is discussed. We can infer that the second toad discussed in the novel is an internal conflict because of the way it is worded in the sentence. "For something sufficiently toad-like squats in me" (Larkin, 25-26). We can infer that it is an internal conflict because its says that it "squats in me". We know from the text that whatever this internal conflict is that it is keeping him from getting what he truly desires. "And will never allow me to blarney my way to getting the fame and the girl and the money" (Larkin, 29-31). Now that we know that it is an internal conflict, we have to try and figure out what the internal conflict is. I believe that the internal conflict could be his desire to overcome his shyness. The text led me to believe this because it talks about how he cannot blarney. Because he is shy, we can believe that it is keeping him from being able to "brown nose" his way into the fame and the money that he truly desires.
Mr. Z's Irony
M. Carl Holman uses irony throughout the poem "Mr. Z". Throughout the course of the poem, Mr. Z tries to deny his heritage. In the first line of the poem, Holman mentions Mr. Z's heritage by stating, "his mother's skin was a sign of error" (Holman, 1). Line 1 is the only line throughout the course of the poem that refers to his heritage. Throughout the rest of the poem, it talks about his Mr. Z spends his life acting as a non-African American person. In lines 9 through 13, it talks about Mr. Z's manners and his unbiased views of life. I think that he dedicated his life to having unbiased views because his entire life he has been judged by others. I also believe that acting as a non-African American is his way of denying his heritage. The main source of irony comes in at the end of the poem. In lines 25 and 26, Holman states "ringing crude changes on a clumsy phrase: 'One of the most distinguished members of his race'" (Holman, 25-26). It is ironic because he spent his entire life denying his heritage, but in the end, his race and his heritage ended up distinguishing him in the end.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
My Thoughts On The Interpretation Of Poetry
After studying Perrine's "The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry", I was left with parts of the article that I disagreed with, as well as parts that I agreed with. I disagree with the idea that poetry only has one meaning that is correct. I agree with Perrine's idea that when the poetry was written that the author had a particular idea in mind. But, I do not think that it is the only correct interpretation. I believe that someone's interpretation of a poem could be affected by their life. Everyone has different events in their lives that could spark an idea for them when interpreting the poem, which leads to a different analysis. I also believe that everyone is entitled to their own personal opinions. I don't think that a teacher can state whether a persons opinion is right or wrong! The only way, in my opinion, that an interpretation could be wrong would be if, as Perrine stated, it contradicted itself.
Reading the Perrine article actually further proved my thoughts before reading it. In reading the different interpretations discussed in the article, I discovered that multiple interpretations are possible. As long as the reader finds a way to support his opinion in a non-contradictory way, it is correct. Although all of the interpretations were different, they were all correct in my opinion. I also learned how easy it is in some ways to interpret poetry. Many of the things discussed in the different interpretations were very simple and to the point. For example, Perrine talks about the bright and twinkling in the poem immediately referencing stars. Sometimes when reading poetry we look too deep and miss what is right in front of us!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
A Pictures Worth A Thousand Words
I figured it was only fitting to take my summer reading picture where I spent most of my summer: Christmas Lake in Santa Claus, Indiana across the street from Holiday World! 
Final Thoughts
I greatly enjoyed reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I found myself not wanting to put the novel down once I began reading it. I found that you never knew what was going to happen next in the novel. It was also a very relatable novel to what point we are at in our lives. The Catcher in the Rye was a coming of age novel and its perfect for us to be reading right now. The fact that Holden is fighting to stay in his childhood even though he is quickly becoming an adult. At this point in our lives, we are breaking away from our childhood. We are "starting up the steps" (Salinger, 268) to a new part into our lives. We are making decisions now that are going to influence the rest of our lives. For example, we are figuring out where to go to college and what we are going to do for the rest of our lives. Just as Holden must embrace his life as an adult, so must we.
Contradictions
Throughout the course of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden contradicts himself quite frequently. Throughout the course of the novel, Holden reveals his very strong feelings as to things in everyday life. Some of these things include movies, church, and many others. He will talk about how he hates these things in his life and how he doesn't understand them, but the next minute he shows concern for them. For example, at the beginning of the novel he talks about how he hates movies. Holden states, "If its one thing I hate, it's the movies," (Salinger, 4). But then later on in the novel, he goes an attends a movie with Ackley. Not only does he contradict himself concerning movies he also does this with the church. He talks about how he hates church because Catholics are "always trying to figure out if your catholic" (Salinger, 112). But later in the novel, he gives $10 to two nuns just as a donation. I think that Holden contradicts himself so much because he is never happy. His deep depression causes him to not know what he wants in his life, so he is constantly contradicting himself.
Phonies
Throughout the course of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden makes his stance clear on adults. Holden believes that all adults in this world are phonies. Part of the reason that Holden refuses to grow up is because he does not want to socialize with "those" people. He also does not want to turn into that type of person. He does not want to turn into his brother D.B. who changed for people when he grew up. Holden talked about how D.B.changed from a book writer to a prostitute. Holden stated, "It [D.B.'s book] was about this little kid who wouldn't let anyone look at his goldfish because he'd brought it with his own money. It killed me. Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute" (Salinger, 4). Later in the novel, Holden also learns that their are even more phonies in this world than the one's that appeal to his eye. Since he was too scared to go home, Holden decided to book a hotel room. While he was there, he happened to look out the window and see a man that "took out all these women's clothes, and put them on" (Salinger, 80). Holden learns that even when people seem normal from their appearance they still can be phonies in disguise, leading him to trust no one.
Living with Depression
In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character Holden battles a deep depression. By reading this novel, one gets a look inside of the life of a teenage battling deep depression. Throughout the course of the novel, Holden continues to surround himself with people. The quote "How can I be surrounded by a sea of people and yet still feel so alone?" really applies to the life of Holden Caulfield. Even though he surrounded himself with people, he was felt depressed and alone. I would label Holden as a pessimist. Holden always found a way to find a bad in every situation. For example, while eating breakfast with two nuns Holden thought, "All the two of them were eating for breakfast was toast and coffee. That depressed me" (Salinger, 143). The fact that he was a pessimist greatly contributed to his depression. Even a simple event, such as a small breakfast, spiked his depression. His depression got so bad that he spoke of taking his life on multiple occasions. Living with depression is a battle that Holden will fight for the rest of his life, but lucky for him he has people in his life like Phoebe to help him through it.
Mr. Antolini
In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden contacts an old teacher during his time of need, Mr. Antolini. Due to the fact that he was desperate for shelter, Holden contacts Mr. Antolini late in the night. Mr. Antolini cared deeply for Holden since he allowed him into his house in the middle of the night. He also "came up to [Holden's] house for dinner quite frequently to find out how [Holden] was getting along' (Salinger, 180). Since Holden came to him in the middle of the night, Mr. Antolini suspected that their must have been a problem. Mr. Antolini prepared his usual speech and even though Holden wanted just to sleep when he got to Mr. Antolini's house, he continued with his speech anyways. If Holden had been awake for Mr. Antolini's speech, it could have really changed his attitude towards life. Mr. Antolini reminds me of the people in my everyday life. Everyone has those people in their lives that are always their for them. I can only hope that everyone has a "Mr. Antolinil" in their lives and appreciate him/her.The Red Hunting Hat
The red hunting hat made appearances throughout The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. At the beginning of the novel, we first learn about the Red Hunting Hat that Holden bought in New York. At the beginning it did not really seem relevant to the novel and to Holden as a person, but as you read on you begin to understand. The first point where I began to see the red hunting hat's importance was when he picked it up from the hat-check girl. I learned that the hat really became a part of him. After Holden picked up his hat, he stated, "She [the hat-check girl] was very nice though. I showed her my goddam red hunting hat and she liked it. She made me put it on before I went out, because my hair was still pretty wet" (Salinger, 153). At this point in the novel, I realized what the red hunting hat symbolized: individuality. When the hat-check girl made him put it on before he left, she was really saying to be yourself when you leave here and not the person that other people want you to be. Since no other person in the novel owned a red hunting hat, it was a symbol of who Holden was. Even though it may have looked weird and ridiculous he was proud to wear it because it was who he was. He learned that he maybe different but he should always be himself.Holden
Holden Caulfield was the major character in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Holden was an antagonist and narrator throughout the course of the novel. He was a sixteen year old who was stuck in his childhood. At the beginning of the novel, we were introduced the Holden as a junior in high school that had just been kicked of Pencey Prep. My first impression from Holden after reading a few pages of the novel was that he was sort of a "loner". I got the idea from the quote that stated "I was way the hell up on top of Thompsen Hill, right next to this crazy cannon that was in the revolutionary war and all" (Salinger, 5). I began to wonder why he was not socializing with other students during the game. As I read on, I quickly learned that Holden had issues socializing with people because he believed that almost everyone around him was a phony. As we read on in the novel though, we were able to see him grow as a person. Even though throughout the course of the novel, Holden often fought with his depression and thoughts of suicide, he became more sociable. With the help from people like Phoebe, Holden was able to realize that people are always going to be there for him and that he is never alone. He was also able to see that not everyone in this world is the phony person that he thought. We also saw him transform from a kid stuck in his childhood to someone who realizes that he must embrace his adulthood and the adventures that lie ahead of him. Throughout the course of the novel, it was really nice, as a reader, to see Holden break the mold of society and become a sociable and unique individual.
Home
There were many settings throughout the course of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Because of the way that Holden traveled throughout the novel, the settings varied from city to city, hotel to hotel. One setting in particular though stuck out to me and that was home. Before Holden arrived at his home, he always felt depressed and alone. He never had the sense that someone was always there for him, or that he was never alone until he went home. No matter how far the journey, Holden knew that home for him was the setting for happiness. Holden stated, "I walked all the way. It wasn't too far, and I wasn't tired... The best break I had in years, when I got home..." (Salinger, 156-157). He knew that when he arrived at home that Phoebe would be there waiting for him like she always had been. The idea of that gave him a sense of comfort. Even though it was a change from what life had been like away from home he liked it. He stated, "I felt swell for a change... I just felt good for a change" (Salinger, 159). People say that "Home is where the heart is" and for Holden's sake it really was home. He loved being surrounded by those that he loved and those that loved him. Home gave him a sense of individuality and security, which will help him in becoming the man that he secretly has always wanted to become.
Dealing with Death
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the idea of death is very prevalent. Their are many deaths that occur or that are talked about throughout the course of the novel. But, there is one death in particular that has a lasting impact throughout the novel. The death of Holden's brother Allie is talked about greatly. Dealing with his death was a major part of the novel. Many people deal with death in different ways. Some people like to get rid of things that remind them of those who have passed in order to grief, others hold onto the things that remind us of them. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden hold on to what reminds him of his brother. He keeps Allie's mitt. Not only is the mitt important to him because it was physically his brother's but it also had poems on it that allowed him to feel his presence when he was reading them. At one point in the novel, Phoebe and Holden get into a disagreement over their brother Allie. Holden begins talking about how even though Allie is gone that he still loves him. He says "Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake--especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all" (Salinger, 171). I think that Salinger was trying to make a point to society when he wrote this. I think that we should remember the good in those who have passed and how they have positively impacted us. Gone but not forgotten is the way that we should think about death in our society today, just as Holden did in The Catcher in the Rye.
Phoebe
In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, there are many minor characters that influence the novel. One character in particular that influenced the novel was Holden's sister Phoebe. Often times throughout the course of the novel, Holden thought back to Phoebe. He often mentioned wanted to talk to Phoebe about things that were going on in his life. One night when he was drunk and wanted to talk, Holden states, "I couldn't get that off my mind... I figured I'd better sneak home and see her" (Salinger, 156). Holden's relationship with Phoebe is not only a brother and sister relationship, but its also a best friend relationship. Holden feels that Phoebe has and will always be there for him. Phoebe became a major influence on Holden at one particular point in the novel. Instead of sympathizing with Holden's reluctance to grow up, she becomes angry at him. Even though she is six year younger than him, she realizes the importance of growing up. By getting angry with Holden instead of agreeing with him, she helps Holden face the realization that at one point or another in his life he is going to have to grow up and embrace his adulthood. Old
Throughout the course of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the character of Holden uses the world "Old" quite frequently. I noticed that throughout the course of the novel, Holden refers to multiple people as Old. He does not do this is a negative way, as of in age, but he does it as a title for them. For example, Holden refers to someone as old two sentences in a row. He states, "Old Brossard was a bridge fiend... Old Ackley parked himself in my room" (Salinger, 48). Holden not only refers to people older than him as "Old", but he also does it to people that are the same age as him. Two examples of this would be Brossard and Ackley. Both of those characters are nearly or the exact same age as him. I think that Holden does this as a way of holding onto his childhood. I believe he likes to call others old because it allows him to feel young. Holden spends a lot of the novel grasping on to his childhood. By referring to people as old in our lives, we are able to feel rejuvenated, just as Holden.
The Museum of Natural History
J.D. Salinger used symbolism throughout the course of The Catcher in the Rye. One particular use of symbolism stuck out to me: the Museum of Natural History. In the novel, the Museum of Natural History symbolized the Holden holding on to his childhood. Holden fears the idea of becoming an adult and losing the idea of being a child. Holden states, "Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you'd be so much older or anything. It wouldn't be that, exactly. You'd just be different, that's all" (Salinger, 121). Holden begins to imagine what life would be like if everything stayed the same. He imagined staying a child for the rest of his life and living in a predictable world where he knew what was going to happen all the time. He begins to show how he is very reluctant to change. He likes to know what is going on in his life and he likes to keep a consistent routine. But at this point, he shows that he knows inside that things are going to change. He knows that their will be points in his life that are unpredictable and non-consistent. Holden pictures the museum as a fantasy world. Even though he never goes inside the museum, he was able to so vividly describe it. It shows that he wants to live in a consistent, childhood fantasy world more than anything else.
Money, Money, Money, MONEY
The Story Behind the Title
At this point in the novel, I believe I am beginning to get a glimpse in the meaning of the title The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The first point in the novel that we get a glimpse into the title is when Holden states, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" (Salinger, 115). I'm sure that as I continue to read the novel that more of the title will be explained. At this point, I believe that the part of the quote that states "a body catch a body" could symbolize Holden and Allie. I also believe that when it talks about coming through the rye it could symbolize their childhood together. They experienced many adventures during their childhood I would imagine. I am also starting to believe that Allie is the catcher. Considering the fact that he was a catcher for baseball and that he owned the catchers mitt, it can lead us to believe that he is the catcher. But now that he is gone, Holden now owns the catchers mitt. Since Holden owns the mitt now, is the new catcher? After reading this part of the novel, I can not wait to continue the novel and further see what the real meaning is behind the title The Catcher in the Rye.
Imagery
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Final Thoughts
Reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was a moving novel. To be honest with you, when I first heard that we were reading this novel I had little hope for the book, but my views have changed. After reading this novel, I realized that it was a brilliantly written novel that could appeal to everyday life. The story line deals with events that people our age go through every day. The Kite Runner was a story of friendship, betrayal, relationships, and guilt. Certain aspects of the novel, like friendship for example, really appeal to my senses. Everyone has those friends that they know will be with them through think and thin, just like Amir and Hassan. Just as when Hassan states "For you a thousand times over" (Hosseini, 371) he is basically saying that they will be there for each other until the end of time, we all have that one friend that will always be there for us. Along with the idea of friendship, relationships appeal to our everyday lives. Relationships surround us on all sides. Just as Baba and Amir have to find ways to strengthen their relationships, we need to find ways to strengthen the relationship the surround us. The Kite Runner turned out to be an amazing novel with an remarkable story line that appeals to the everyday life of our generation.
Baba the Black Bear
In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Baba is compared to a black bear. "I have imagined Baba's wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it. And in those dreams I can never tell Baba from a black bear" (Hosseini, 12). Amir talks about how Baba had three parallel scars down his back from bear claws. As I was reading the novel, I came across different lines that made me think that Baba could easily be compared to a black bear. for example, in chapter 3, a description is made talking about how Baba had unruly brown hair and a dark curly beard. The appearance could easily compare to a black bear. Not only does Baba have the physical appearance of a black bear, but many of his characteristics are similar as well. As we looked farther into the novel, two more characteristics of Baba appeared to be very similar to the ones of a black bear. The first part is where Baba and Amir have a real father son relationship. Baba would be the strong father that would protect his child, just as a bear would protect its cub. Another characteristic of a bear that Baba carries is his obnoxious snoring. According to Amir, Baba's snoring could easily be compared to the growling of a bear when he is first waken up from his slumber. During many parts of the novel, the comparison between Baba and the Black Bear are confirmed.
Adoption
When reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I thought a lot about the adoption scenes of the novel. After trying the conceive a child for quite some time, Amir and Soraya thought about different options in starting a family. When the idea of adoption was brought up, I was very surprised at the response. "This adoption... thing I don't think its for us Afghans" (Hosseini, 187). I thought that since they wanted a family so bad that they would have been open to the idea. As a read more into the novel, I came to the realization as to why they decided that it was not for them. I realized that it does not go along with the traditional way of Afghan life. I realized that Afghans live off of blood relationships and that adopting a child means that they are not blood related. I also believe that this is the reason that they decided to adopt Sohrab later in the novel. I do not agree with the fact that they would not adopt Sohrab just because he wasn't a blood relative. I believe that family is family no matter whether or not they are blood relatives. I am saddened by the fact that it took the fact that they were blood relatives in order for the child to be adopted.
Italics
"Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly" (Hosseini, 114).
Flashbacks
Throughout the course of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini relies heavily on the use of flashbacks. By using flashbacks throughout the course of the novel, Hosseini is able to maintains suspense. He is also able to show the theme of how past events in a persons life are prevalent in their current life. At the very beginning of the novel, Hosseini flashes back to Amir's childhood. "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind the crumbling mud wall, peeking into an alley near frozen creek. That was a long time ago..." (Hosseini, 1). Hosseini's use of flashbacks allows for the reader to have a glimpse into the past life of a particular person. Every flashback that takes place throughout the novel has a meaning. It gives a new characteristic to a character, or explains why things are the way they are in a particular person's life. For example, Hosseini's flashbacks continue to show us how Amir is afraid of his past. By always flashing back to the terrifying days of his childhood, it shows why he is the way that he is. If we did not know about his selfish past, we would not know how and why he became the selfless person that he is at the end of the novel. Flashbacks are literary keys into the past life of characters.
"For you a thousand times over"
Reoccurring insomnia
Throughout the course of The Kite Runner by Khalen Hosseini, insomnia has been a reoccurring theme. The insomnia first begins in chapter 8 after Amir witnesses the rape of Hassan but says nothing. The insomnia is caused by guiltiness that eats away at Amir. Insomnia occurs once again following the event where Amir tries to get Hassan kicked out of the house. "I lay awake, an insomniac once more. Awake. And alone with demons of my own" (Hosseini, 358). Hosseini tells us about many of the demons that cause Amir's insomnia. Another one of the events in Amir's life that causes him to be an insomniac is the broken promises that have occurred in recent time. One of these empty promises involves Hassan's son Sohrab. The fact that he broke his promise to him created guilt inside, causing another case of insomnia. Insomnia can be related to everyone's life, not matter who you are. Everyone has some kind of guilt, just as Amir does throughout the course of his life. We all have times in our lives where we think back and ask ourselves "What could we have done differently?" and "If I had done this, what would have been different?" Just as think back on our lives and the choices we have made, Amir spends his nights as an insomniac reliving what should have happened, instead of what did happen.
Assef
In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, an influential character is Assef. Assef is the main antagonistic character in the novel. Assef spent his childhood as a bully and a sociopath. "Door to door we [Assef] went calling for the men and the boys. We'd shoot them right in front of their families. Let them see. Let them remember who they were, where they belonged" (Hosseini, 277). Assef directly influenced a multitude of people. One of the major characters that Assef influenced was Hassan. For example, Assef was the character who raped Hassan in the alley. Not only did Assef influence people directly, but he also influenced great deals of people indirectly. One character that was influenced indirectly by Hassan is Amir. Because of the fact that Assef raped Hassan and he witnessed the event, Amir suffered from insomnia for much of his life. Assef also caused Amir to live with gut wrenching guilt for most of his life. Even though some people believe Assef to be a minor character, Assef's influence was present throughout the course of the novel and created a lasting impact.
Growing throughout the Novel
In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, one particular character, Amir, stuck out to me as a main character throughout the course of the novel. As we start to read the novel, we learn about the personality of Amir. Amir spends his upbringing as a privileged Afghan citizen. He grows up receiving almost everything that he pleases, but if he doesn't receive what he wants, he performs acts of jealousy. We learned that Amir is very selfish and that no one can have anything that he doesn't have. Throughout the course of the novel, we see him transform from a selfish child to a selfless adult. We learn of different acts that he performs in his later years in life that show that he truly has changed from his selfish ways. Amir begins to develop quite a guilty conscience. "That was when I understood the depth of pain I caused, the blackness of the grief that I have caused everyone" (Hosseini, 107). He begins to see the things that he has done wrong in his life, and tries to make up for them. For example, Amir had felt that he needed to make up for the fact that he tried to get Hassan kicked out of the house, so he spends his time trying to save Hassan's son. Even though Amir knew that trying to save Hassan's son could mean the end of his life because he had to face Assef, he did it anyways. Through acts like that, we learn to truly see the transformation from a selfish kid to a selfless adult.
Baba and Amir
In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the relationship between Baba and Amir goes through an emotional roller coaster. At the beginning of the novel, the relationship between Baba and Amir was not a very strong relationship. Amir spent most of his life thinking that Baba was wishing that Amir could be more like him. He also believed that Baba blamed him for the death of his mother due to the fact that she died while giving birth to him. The relationship got to a certain point where Baba stated to Hassan "If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him our of my wife with my own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son" (Hosseini, 98). They communicated civilly, but never had the father son relationship greatly desired by Amir. Through the act of kite flying and kite running, Baba and Amir finally achieved the father and son relationship Amir had always wanted. Baba and Amir finally began to live life as a family. They went from civil communication to bonding like no one else. The core of the relationship was all based on winning Kite Running tournaments. Even though Amir tried greatly to sustain the relationship that they had regained, it was not enough. Slowly their relationship began to diminish throughout the rest of the novel. Their relationship truly was challenged throughout the course of the novel, but in the end, they ended up right back where they had begun.
Praise at Last
Guilty Conscience
While reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I began to notice the amount of guilt that Amir is feeling. The amount of guilt placed on him comes from his lack of action during the alley scene. During this scene, he watches his friend get raped and does nothing to stop it. The novel goes on to talk about how Amir spends time avoiding Hassan while he tries to forget what he saw. Through this avoidance, the guilt in Amir begins to build rapidly. As the novel continued, Amir reveals the story of how he once purposely framed Hassan by placing money in his mattress to try and get him kicked out of the house. In chapter 22 of the novel, the past begins to be revealed. The guilt in Amir from trying to get Hassan kicked out of the house causes him to want to protect the son of Hassan, Sohrab, from Assef. In chapter 22, Amir is faced with Assef in order to save Sohrab. In the process of saving Sohrab, Amir was severely beaten including a dislodged kidney stone which caused him pain. Ironically, while he in pain he was laughing. Amir stated "I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in the corner of my mind, I'd been looking forward to this" (Hosseini, 289)." Following this, I believe that Amir forgave himself both for what happened in the alley and in the housing situation with Hassan.Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device used throughout the course The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini uses foreshadowing throughout the course of the novel to create Amir as a memorable character. As I look back on the novel, I notice that Hosseini uses many literary devices to make Amir stand out. Foreshadowing is just one of them. Hosseini uses foreshadowing to show how Amir is going to betray Hassan as the end of the novel. Through the use of foreshadowing, Hosseini was able to create suspense. He left the readers pondering how, when, and why Amir was going to betray Hassan. For example, when Amir states, "The next time I would see Hassan smiling unabashedly like that would be twenty-six years later in a Polaroid photograph," (Hosseini, 67) it poses a thought to the reader. It creates the suspense as to why Amir would not see Hassan smile ever again. Hosseini's use of foreshadowing throughout the course of the novel is key in allowing the reader to really connect the dots in the life of Amir.