This particular section (page 21-end of Part I) focuses on Marlow going to meet Kurtz (who is said to be a sick man), but his boat gets damaged. The manager of the Central Station said that they took Marlow’s boat out and damaged the bottom out the boat by tearing it on some rocks. Marlow suspects that they may have did this on purpose in order to keep him from seeing and meeting with Mr. Kurtz. It is taking Marlow many months to fix this boat.
The rivets to fix the damaged boat do not end up coming, but the Eldorado Expedition does come to find the treasure. Marlow gives up on trying to receive the rivets to fix the boat and now has different thoughts about meeting with Mr. Kurtz after talking to the brickmaker. The brickmaker says, “He is a prodigy…He is an emissary of pity, and science, and progress, and devil knows what else. We want…for the guidance of the cause entrusted to us by Europe, so to speak, higher intelligence, wide sympathies, a singleness of purpose” (Conrad, 25). I think the brickmaker has turned Marlow’s views of Mr. Kurtz to an "iffy-type" (not totally negative) view of him, however, Marlow still does want to meet with Mr. Kurtz. The brickmaker also adds that there are going to be some opportunities cancelled because of Mr. Kurtz being the General Manager. The brickmaker wanted to be the assistant manager, but because of Mr. Kurtz being the General Manger, his chances have decreased.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Heart of Darkness Response #1
With much of this book so far, I have been spending more time trying to figure out the language of the author versus what is actually going on in the story. I have heard much about the book in regards to the difficulty of the reading; however, I did not expect it to be on the much higher level of language usage that it is on. Truthfully, any type of notes I have the ability to see have been helping me through my struggle of understanding the language. Although, I do think that the second set of pages we have to read (10-21) did not seem as struggle as the first set (pages 3-10). I think maybe it was because the first set of pages assigned caught me off guard.
As Marlow is telling this story, he mentions much detail of the interactions he has had between many people including the doctor, his aunt and Mr. Kurtz. He also talks about the contrast of the white and black, let alone does he mention what he sees happening to the black people.
At the doctor’s office, the doctor tells Marlow “I am not such a good as I look…” (page 11). That was the doctor’s response to when Marlow told him that he was surprised at him for not going out “there”. It is obvious that the place of Africa does not seem an actual place of interest for this doctor. He also tells Marlow that he never sees the men again after they go off to Africa, foreshadowing the fact that they either do come back dead or they do not come back at all because they are dead.
On page 17, Marlow says, “They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom”. Here he is talking about the black workers dying and how they were not really bad people, they were hard workers who were tortured terribly and now they are gone and black shadows. These black shadows, the now dead black workers, were starved, sick, and confused.
As Marlow is telling this story, he mentions much detail of the interactions he has had between many people including the doctor, his aunt and Mr. Kurtz. He also talks about the contrast of the white and black, let alone does he mention what he sees happening to the black people.
At the doctor’s office, the doctor tells Marlow “I am not such a good as I look…” (page 11). That was the doctor’s response to when Marlow told him that he was surprised at him for not going out “there”. It is obvious that the place of Africa does not seem an actual place of interest for this doctor. He also tells Marlow that he never sees the men again after they go off to Africa, foreshadowing the fact that they either do come back dead or they do not come back at all because they are dead.
On page 17, Marlow says, “They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom”. Here he is talking about the black workers dying and how they were not really bad people, they were hard workers who were tortured terribly and now they are gone and black shadows. These black shadows, the now dead black workers, were starved, sick, and confused.
Monday, September 22, 2008
still memory [PR]
All sorts of things came to mind when I read the title of this poem. It made me think of memories that I have written about in my past english classes. This poem made me realize a few things about this ten-year-old’s life. I thought of her family has a family that is not connected with one another at all. It is sort of like everyone has their own thing going on. Mother is in the kitchen going through the silver and cooking, Father just got off of work and is in the doorway, and her twelve-year-old sister is stepping across the bathroom fast to avoid the coldness of them and the writer herself is reaching for this pen to write again. Everyone in the family is obviously in a different part of the cold house.
The memory that I have from reading this poem is when the heat at our house broke. It was winter time and the heat at my house was broken for no longer than 2-3 days. I felt like I was going to freeze to death because it was so cold and I told my mom that I could not imagine living without heat for a period of time or never having heat at all. In this poem, the sister was walking on the tiles fast because they had no heat. This was not just temporary, they did not have heat period.
At the end of the poem, Karr writes, “My ten-year-old hand reaches for a pen to record it all as would become long habit”. It made me think that the girl wants to record her life and how it is to live with this seeming unconnected family. She said that it would become a long habit, meaning that she will be writing about the household for longer than just that one day.
The memory that I have from reading this poem is when the heat at our house broke. It was winter time and the heat at my house was broken for no longer than 2-3 days. I felt like I was going to freeze to death because it was so cold and I told my mom that I could not imagine living without heat for a period of time or never having heat at all. In this poem, the sister was walking on the tiles fast because they had no heat. This was not just temporary, they did not have heat period.
At the end of the poem, Karr writes, “My ten-year-old hand reaches for a pen to record it all as would become long habit”. It made me think that the girl wants to record her life and how it is to live with this seeming unconnected family. She said that it would become a long habit, meaning that she will be writing about the household for longer than just that one day.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
eveline.
1. Eveline is a short story about a girl name Eveline, who fears a new life and rejects escaping her hard life at home and going to Buenos Ayres with her love, Frank.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
Who is Eveline’s lover?
Level Two
After all, why doesn’t Eveline want to go to Buenos Ayres with Frank?
Level Three
Why would one fear a new life?
3. Observation
The theme of this story is that fear can be larger than life itself. Eveline’s fears allowed her to shutdown this lover she had, Frank. Unlike the boy in Araby, she actually had a lover who loved her back and wanted her to go abroad to Buenos Ayres to live with him. The boy in Araby wanted Magnan’s sister to like him back as much as he liked her, thus, he wanted to go to the bazaar and buy her something nice. Eveline feared the start of a new life in Buenos Ayres. She also feared escaping this hard life home, which she was so used to. She was afraid that Frank “would drown her” (Joyce, 27).
Joyce gives us plenty of detail on Eveline’s life and how it was hard. I started to gain sympathy for Eveline as Joyce talked about her life. I found myself feeling sorry for her. However, the fact that she denied the opportunity of a new life lowered my amount of sympathy for her. I would not call Eveline stupid for not taking the opportunity because I can tell that she seriously does have a huge amount of fear of something new, which she never really had. Eveline feared something that she had never been able to do and she was never around someone like Frank who cared and loved her so much, thus, she could not find so much trust in Frank to go off and live with him.
Many times while reading the story I tried to put myself in Eveline’s shoes and think of what I would do if I were her. My decision would have been proudly starting a new life, but obviously it is not easy for Eveline to just go about it as easily as it may seem for someone like me to say. I can say that I have never been in a situation like Eveline, like living a hard life like her and having to make a decision to go to another country to start a new life. As happy as it sounds (yayyy, a new life!), it may not be that easy for others. I really do wish Eveline would not have been so fearful and taken the chance. She could not know the outcome unless she tried starting the ‘new’ life in Buenos Ayres.
Another thought I have is; how can you just start a completely ‘new’ life? There are always going to be memories you have that may or may not haunt you. It is impossible to just forget everything that you have came across before in your life. There are still things that are going to stick with you your whole life. I think this is something else to think about considering Eveline’s rejection of going to Buenos Ayres.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
Who is Eveline’s lover?
Level Two
After all, why doesn’t Eveline want to go to Buenos Ayres with Frank?
Level Three
Why would one fear a new life?
3. Observation
The theme of this story is that fear can be larger than life itself. Eveline’s fears allowed her to shutdown this lover she had, Frank. Unlike the boy in Araby, she actually had a lover who loved her back and wanted her to go abroad to Buenos Ayres to live with him. The boy in Araby wanted Magnan’s sister to like him back as much as he liked her, thus, he wanted to go to the bazaar and buy her something nice. Eveline feared the start of a new life in Buenos Ayres. She also feared escaping this hard life home, which she was so used to. She was afraid that Frank “would drown her” (Joyce, 27).
Joyce gives us plenty of detail on Eveline’s life and how it was hard. I started to gain sympathy for Eveline as Joyce talked about her life. I found myself feeling sorry for her. However, the fact that she denied the opportunity of a new life lowered my amount of sympathy for her. I would not call Eveline stupid for not taking the opportunity because I can tell that she seriously does have a huge amount of fear of something new, which she never really had. Eveline feared something that she had never been able to do and she was never around someone like Frank who cared and loved her so much, thus, she could not find so much trust in Frank to go off and live with him.
Many times while reading the story I tried to put myself in Eveline’s shoes and think of what I would do if I were her. My decision would have been proudly starting a new life, but obviously it is not easy for Eveline to just go about it as easily as it may seem for someone like me to say. I can say that I have never been in a situation like Eveline, like living a hard life like her and having to make a decision to go to another country to start a new life. As happy as it sounds (yayyy, a new life!), it may not be that easy for others. I really do wish Eveline would not have been so fearful and taken the chance. She could not know the outcome unless she tried starting the ‘new’ life in Buenos Ayres.
Another thought I have is; how can you just start a completely ‘new’ life? There are always going to be memories you have that may or may not haunt you. It is impossible to just forget everything that you have came across before in your life. There are still things that are going to stick with you your whole life. I think this is something else to think about considering Eveline’s rejection of going to Buenos Ayres.
joyce`s araby .
1. Araby is a short story about a boy who wants to go to supposedly “splendid bazaar" to get a gift for Mangan's sister, the girl who he wants her to like him the same way he likes her.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
Where did the tenant of the house, the priest, die ?
Level Two
The narrator never really says exactly why he wants to go to Araby. Why do you think he wanted to go so badly?
Level Three
Describe a time in which you really wanted to go somewhere, but you had to wait for a long period of time for your parents to get home, whether it was to get money or whatever the situation was. How did you feel?
3. Observation
Even though I was confused by the ending of this short story, I was able to get a sense of theme. I believe the theme of this story is to act more than you observe. I think the narrator found himself doing much observation. I think the author talked more about what he saw and what appeared to him, other than interacting with others more in the story. Good things come out when you interact more. Like he was able to go to Araby after expressing so much why he wanted to go.
When I read the part about him having to wait for his uncle to get home so he could have money to go to the bazaar, it made me think of the many times that I have wanted to go somewhere but I had to wait until my mom got home to get money for her. This was of course before I was allowed to take money out of my account. I remember being so frustrated because I was not able to just leave when I wanted to, but yet, I had to wait for like my mom to get off work before I could get the money.
I thought this story was kind of weird, well the ending anyway. I do not quite understand how the last two paragraphs come into the story. I intend to get a better understanding when the class discusses this short story in class.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
Where did the tenant of the house, the priest, die ?
Level Two
The narrator never really says exactly why he wants to go to Araby. Why do you think he wanted to go so badly?
Level Three
Describe a time in which you really wanted to go somewhere, but you had to wait for a long period of time for your parents to get home, whether it was to get money or whatever the situation was. How did you feel?
3. Observation
Even though I was confused by the ending of this short story, I was able to get a sense of theme. I believe the theme of this story is to act more than you observe. I think the narrator found himself doing much observation. I think the author talked more about what he saw and what appeared to him, other than interacting with others more in the story. Good things come out when you interact more. Like he was able to go to Araby after expressing so much why he wanted to go.
When I read the part about him having to wait for his uncle to get home so he could have money to go to the bazaar, it made me think of the many times that I have wanted to go somewhere but I had to wait until my mom got home to get money for her. This was of course before I was allowed to take money out of my account. I remember being so frustrated because I was not able to just leave when I wanted to, but yet, I had to wait for like my mom to get off work before I could get the money.
I thought this story was kind of weird, well the ending anyway. I do not quite understand how the last two paragraphs come into the story. I intend to get a better understanding when the class discusses this short story in class.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Good Man is Hard to Find
1. A Good Man is Hard to Find is a short story about a family who goes on a trip, but has an accident and are killed by some men who stopped to ‘help’ them with their car.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
What is the name of the grandmother’s son?
Level Two
Surprisingly, the grandmother did not react panicky or scared when she found out the man was ‘The Misfit’. Why do you think she did not act like this?
Level Three
Regretful seems to be a common characteristic among the characters in the short story. Talk about a time in which you regretting something and then some tragedy came out as the ending result.
3. Observation;
The theme of this short story is that there may be fatal consequences of being a self- centered person and trying to make people they way to want them to be. I believe the grandmother was much of a self-centered individual and she tried to make The Misfit a better man than he really was. The grandmother wanted to find out all the good things of The Misfit and allow him to understand he was a good man and because of this, her and her family ended up dead. The Misfit was not this man that she talked him up to be because him and his men ended up killing the family.
The common pattern in this short story was many of the characters having the characteristic of regret. This included the grandmother, Bailey, the kids' mother, and The Misfit. The grandmother regretted (or should have regretted) not telling the family that the house was really in Tennessee. Bailey, the grandmother’s son regretted bringing his mother with them on the trip, while the childrens' mother wishes she could change her childrens' behavior. Lastly, The Misfit regrets not being able to remember his past.
I thought this story was pretty interesting. Once I started reading it, I did not put it down because I was so curious to find out what was going to happen next. I found it pretty ironic that they ran into The Misfit after they just talked about him before the left for the trip and even when they stopped at Red Sammy’s Famous Barbecue. Red Sammy told them a good man is hard to find and it obviously did not stick with the grandmother because she was trying to get all the good stuff out of The Misfit and have it outweigh all his negative capabilities.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
What is the name of the grandmother’s son?
Level Two
Surprisingly, the grandmother did not react panicky or scared when she found out the man was ‘The Misfit’. Why do you think she did not act like this?
Level Three
Regretful seems to be a common characteristic among the characters in the short story. Talk about a time in which you regretting something and then some tragedy came out as the ending result.
3. Observation;
The theme of this short story is that there may be fatal consequences of being a self- centered person and trying to make people they way to want them to be. I believe the grandmother was much of a self-centered individual and she tried to make The Misfit a better man than he really was. The grandmother wanted to find out all the good things of The Misfit and allow him to understand he was a good man and because of this, her and her family ended up dead. The Misfit was not this man that she talked him up to be because him and his men ended up killing the family.
The common pattern in this short story was many of the characters having the characteristic of regret. This included the grandmother, Bailey, the kids' mother, and The Misfit. The grandmother regretted (or should have regretted) not telling the family that the house was really in Tennessee. Bailey, the grandmother’s son regretted bringing his mother with them on the trip, while the childrens' mother wishes she could change her childrens' behavior. Lastly, The Misfit regrets not being able to remember his past.
I thought this story was pretty interesting. Once I started reading it, I did not put it down because I was so curious to find out what was going to happen next. I found it pretty ironic that they ran into The Misfit after they just talked about him before the left for the trip and even when they stopped at Red Sammy’s Famous Barbecue. Red Sammy told them a good man is hard to find and it obviously did not stick with the grandmother because she was trying to get all the good stuff out of The Misfit and have it outweigh all his negative capabilities.
Monday, September 1, 2008
"there must be more money! there must be more money!"
1. The Rocking-Horse Winner is a short story about a boy name Paul and his understanding that his parents are ‘unlucky’ and he has the urge to help his family by placing bets on horse races and making money.
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
What was the phrase that was always ‘whispered’ in the house?
Level Two
“Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money” (Lawrence, 37). Why was there never enough money in the house?
Level Three
“‘It’s what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money’” (Lawrence, 38). Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Explain.
3. Observation
The theme of this short story is that money does not satisfy everything. There were still even the whispers in the home after Paul made the money from the horse bets and gave it to his mom. The whispers were because there was no money in the house and it was thought that Paul’s money would quiet the house and make these bets go away, but it did not work like that. Thus, money did not satisfy the problem.
My observation for this short story is going to be reflecting on the theme. I do entirely agree with the fact that money does not solve all kind of problems and satisfy everything and everyone. Paul’s mom still yearned for money after she was given the 5,000 pounds from Paul, which shows that this money did not fix her needs. It is obvious that money could help a starving family and allows a homeless person to eat and put clothes on their backs, however, money does not guarantee happiness. Money makes this world go around, but it obviously does not ensure for people to be happy.
I know of someone who is filthy rich, but is not a happy person. He has his own family who lives together, but he is still not happy. He also has many degrees and has lead what is known to be a ‘successful’ (legal) life, but there still is no happiness in this person. This shows you that he can have all this money and not even have to work for the rest of his life. All this money still does not entitle him to be the even slightly happy camper at all. This is just a real life example that happiness does not just come with being rich like a drink comes with a m
2. Leveled Questions
Level One
What was the phrase that was always ‘whispered’ in the house?
Level Two
“Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money” (Lawrence, 37). Why was there never enough money in the house?
Level Three
“‘It’s what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money’” (Lawrence, 38). Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Explain.
3. Observation
The theme of this short story is that money does not satisfy everything. There were still even the whispers in the home after Paul made the money from the horse bets and gave it to his mom. The whispers were because there was no money in the house and it was thought that Paul’s money would quiet the house and make these bets go away, but it did not work like that. Thus, money did not satisfy the problem.
My observation for this short story is going to be reflecting on the theme. I do entirely agree with the fact that money does not solve all kind of problems and satisfy everything and everyone. Paul’s mom still yearned for money after she was given the 5,000 pounds from Paul, which shows that this money did not fix her needs. It is obvious that money could help a starving family and allows a homeless person to eat and put clothes on their backs, however, money does not guarantee happiness. Money makes this world go around, but it obviously does not ensure for people to be happy.
I know of someone who is filthy rich, but is not a happy person. He has his own family who lives together, but he is still not happy. He also has many degrees and has lead what is known to be a ‘successful’ (legal) life, but there still is no happiness in this person. This shows you that he can have all this money and not even have to work for the rest of his life. All this money still does not entitle him to be the even slightly happy camper at all. This is just a real life example that happiness does not just come with being rich like a drink comes with a m
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