So Long, Farewell, Auf wiedersehen, Goodbye!

I am about to finish grading the blogs, but I wanted to write a quick post telling you all how much I have enjoyed having you in class this semester. Kudos to those of you who perservered after losing your original instructor two weeks into the semester. I appreciate your patience for giving me a chance to get a course thrown together in a short amount of time. I enjoyed your class discussions (when you read!), and I enjoyed getting to know you all a little better. What? Your blogs have been so enjoyable to read. I know some of you are graduating this spring. Good luck in your future endeavors. For those who will be around a bit longer, I hope to see you around campus!

The blog will remain up. Feel free to continue to interact with each other!

Metamorphosis 2

During Gregor's metamorphosis, the only person who really cared for him and helped him was his sister. "By early morning--it was still almost night--Gregor had a chance to test the strength of the resolutions he had just made, for the sister, almost fully dressed, opened the vestibule door and suspensefully peered in." (Kafka 2010-2011) She would come in and feed him everyday. "Hoping to check his likes and dislikes, she brought him a whole array of food, all spread out on an old newspaper." (Kafka 2011) The rest of the family wouldn't even dare enter his room. After an event in which an apple was thrown at him and had jammed into his back, Gregor died. The family moved on with their lives as if he were unimportant. "Then all three of them left the apartment together, which they had not done in months, and took the trolley out to the coutryside beyond the town. The streetcar, where they were the only passengers, was flooded with warm sunshine. Leaning back comfortably in their seats, they discussed their future prospects and concluded that, upon closer perusal, these were anything but bad; for while they had never actually asked one another for any details, their jobs were all exceedingly advantageous and also promising." (Kafka 2030) This shows me that they have moved on with their lives and seem happier without having to deal with Gregor.

Hedda Gabler

Henrick Ibsen's play, Hedda Gabler, was one of my favorite readings of the semester. I found it very interesting and had no trouble staying entertained. I know Hedda had a problem with power but I hated the way she used men to have power. She only wanted them if she could be in control. In the end she felt like she lost all power. She said to Brack, "Nevertheless, I'm in your power. Depended on your will, and your demands. Not free. Still not free! No. I couldn't bear that. No." (Ibsen 1517) She felt as though she had lost power because Brack had power over her. This eventually led to her committing suicide. After gunshots were heard, Tesman told Brack, "She's shot herself! Shot herself in the head? By Jove! Fancy that!" (Ibsen 1518) Once she felt she had run out of power, she committed suicide. I think Hedda was a vicitm to society because she felt that people expected things out of her, which eventually led her to being power hungry.

Metamorphosis

Frank Kafka's The Metamorphosis was a very strange story, but it was also a very good reference to life. At some point in life, we all go through some kind of change, usually more than one. Although it may not be as drastic as turning into a bug, change happens and we have to learn how to adjust as Gregor Samsa did in the story. I found it funny that even though Gregor had transformed into a bug, he tried to continue on with life as though no one would notice. He thought he could get out and go about his regular lifestyle. He said, "I'll be dressed in a minute, pack up my samples, and catch my train." (Kafka 2007) He also thought about it a second time in the story. "For now, he wanted to get up calmly without being nagged, put on his clothes, above all have breakfast, and only then think about what to do next; for he realized he would come to no sensible conclusion by pondering in bed." (Kafka 2001) Not only had he seen what most of his body looked like, but he had also tried to get out of bed and didn't succeed. There was no way he could just get out of bed and go to work. This is also a demonstration of change in life because while we are going through things in our life, we tend to put on a smile and pretend nothing is wrong, thinking no one will notice a difference.

Fragment E

Fragment E is an interesting story, now that I’ve done some serious analysis of it. It’s easy to read a story and overlook some very important details that change the way you see the story. The most interesting thing I found is the reference to religion throughout the story. In the opening paragraph, the narrator makes the first of thee references. “North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free” (Fragment E, Paragraph 1). This suggests that the author resents the church in some way. Rather than saying “the school dismissed the boys, he uses words to suggest that the boys were imprisoned by the church.
The author also mentions the priest, who was the former tenant of their house. He describes the backyard with a central apple tree. This could be referring to the Garden of Eden, and the Tree of Life. He mentions times when his mind would revert back to the thought of the girl. “Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I, myself did not understand” (Fragment E, Paragraph 5). The mention of strange prayers and praises here is not only a reference to religion, but the way it is being used suggests that he did not feel an obligation to this religion.
I read this story twice before I began to catch these details, and when I did, it was like a light went on, and several other things began to become obvious to me as well.

Metamorphosis

This story metamorphosis is so hard to visualize and the Author Franz Kafka's use this change to catch the readers attention. In the first sentence ''One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin. (Kafka 1999).'' This story took me to a suprise to find out why is a man being transformed as a bug. But the author is getting an oppurtunity to let the readers know that anything can change in your life at any giving moment. And then Gregor said"What if I slept a little more and forgot all about this nonsense,"he thought. But his idea was impossible to carry out, for while he was accutiomed to sleeping on his right side, his current state prevented him fromgetting into that position."(Kafka 1999). This statement is to recognize that he is wondering if what he is going through is real or not changing into this monstrous vermin. Gregor is aware that the life he once live will never be the same because he was to comfortable and the situation with being this bug as got him out of his comfort zone.

The Guest

The book about the Guest is interesting, the Author Albert Camus explains how action can cause a reaction towards the choices the prisoner made in his life. Some things in life is like karma the things that you do comes back on you. In this book its about a prison guard who is alone and find a friend or company. The writer entertain the readers and make them feel like it's ok to be friendly and to show some kind towards any body no matter what they have done. The prisoner Arab is guilty of the murder he has commited and has no problem doing his time, but the Guard wants to set him free.The author is showing how the prison guard is really wanting to help the prisoner Arab to be free. The prisoner do not want to be free he knew the crime he committed and is willing to accept the punishment. This story is about friendship, companion, and being social. The guard and the prisoner is in the same area and they are by themselves so who else can they talk too. This shows that it doesn't matter who the individual is as long as its somebody to communicate with and to be social.

Fredrick Douglas

Fredrick Douglas is a slave that strive to learn who he is as a black man. As a child he seen so many of his black culture get beat, sold, and killed. He is a person that's determine to find the truth and a way to become free from slavery. Fredrick Douglas story captivates the mind of his readers to show that learning and being educated is the most powerful tool that any human being can use. He is own a quest to find away to help the black slaves to learn but some is so caught up in being a slave that they are not able to comprehend what Douglas is trying to teach them. This book shows courage and strength in Douglas life as a slave. Douglas did not know his father and he said his mother is very dark and the rumour is his father is a white man. The courage that Douglas shows is that he did not know his mom that well and never meet his father, but there is nothing in his life that made him give up. He had to sleep on the cold floor and never wore any clothes but a long white tee shirt. Douglas experience brought the best out of him to show the other slaves that they can gain power by knowledge and reading. Douglas knew what to do to gain power and he did by listening to his master wife everyday, she taught him his alphabets. Fredrick Douglas is a pioneer for many slaves and people today. Fredrick Douglas love to write and read. He knows the secret to being free and that is learning. This story show so many obstacles in Douglas life but did not allow any problem to cripple him but only made him more determine to succeed in life.

Cannibalism

Cannibalism means to devour human or animal flesh. I agree with the title of the short story, "Diary of a Madman". The Chinese Culture is filled with many mysteries and traditions. Is it unrealistic to put two and two together and believe that eating people is the norm in China? Taking apart live skin piece by piece with oozing blood dripping cheek to cheek isn't a great way to start your day. The narrarator insinuates the madness and it is a kind of sanity to Chinese Culture.

Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler is the main character in this play everything is wrapped in the palm of her hand. She is so beautiful and uses her charisma and deceit to manipulate the people that is around her. Hedda Gabler marries George and he is this writer that is very intelligent but is in his own world. George is willing to do whatever his wife wants him to do anything to please her. George has two aunts that love him and they helps him finical with his home and the one that is dear to him see pass away. This play is driven by power and what control that Hedda Gabler can uses over her husband and friends. She is from a rich family that was known for their power and her father being a General. Hedda is not getting the attention she needs and causes distance between her husband Aunt Jo Jo. In this play you have a Judge and he knows all about Hedda and she knows it and she will do whatever in her power to control anybody. Their is also Loveburge in this play and he is a writer like her Husband George and he changed his life from drinking and living a unrighteous life. So now he fits in society and George is afraid that he will come more popular than him. But that was not the case he just want to show off to George.  This play is provide us with knowing people background  and to determine why a person behave the way they do.

Gullivers Travel

In the book Gulliver's Travel, The author Johnathan Swift creates a different world to make the readers think about the difference of people lifestyles and how to be set apart and define in a group. There is the Yahoo and the Houyhnhnm's that is uses as an example to separate individuals in society if they do not belong in the group. The yahoo is these emotion and feeling types of creatures that looks like monkeys and then you Have the Houyhnhnm's that is human like but is a horse, but they are the proper one's and the one's with reason and logic. Now the main character is Gulliver who travels and is married and stay away from home a lot. Gulliver is in a land with the different creatures but Johnathan Swift wants the readers to see his point how separate and alike people can be when they compare themselves with different groups. Gulliver's Travel is a book that makes the reader to look how they compare themselves with other people and it can be a prejudice behavior. To feel like a person is superior than the other ones. The Yahoos expresses themselves in a emotional way just like some humans and Houyhnhnm's is more reasoning and just because they don't express themselves like the Yahoos they feel like upper class citizen and their way of life is more better.

Frankenstein

In the book Frankenstein, The author Mary Shelly creates a horror story for the readers to relate to the character in the book. Frankenstein is a young man that loves to learn and he challenges himself to do something that never has been done by any human being. The author demonstrate the creator as very intelligent but is naive and knowing how to teach his creation to adapt in society and become afraid of his creation. Frankenstein creates this monster and after everything is finished and the monster come to life he runs from the very thing that he gives life too. Frankenstein is a very complex story that can make the reader look at their own life and relate to the different events that accord. Frankenstein is the one that is the monster he finds different animals that is dead and uses the dead things to create the living. However just because something is dead doesn't mean it can not come to life and Mary Shelly show that if a relationship is dead it ways to make it work.

EMILY DICKINSON! (1129)- morgan peach

Another great poem by Emily.
"Tell all the Truth but tell it slant"(pg.1057).- tell the truth but twist it to spare feelings of others is what i took from this.
"Success in Circuit lies
"Too bright for our inform Delight"(pg.1057).- I wasnt quite clear what to take from this line, I came up with people lie to get to the top and try to weasle their way in as well as tell on everyone for wrong doings.
"The Truth's Superb surpirse"(pg.1057).- the truth about someone or something can surprise us sometimes.
"As lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind"(pg.1058).- People that lie try to explain the reason for their lies and eventually come out with the truth but not before feelings have been hurt. Sometimes instead of wanting to see or know the truth, people look passed it as almost as if they were blind to anything going on around them.
After reading through a few more of Emily Dickinson's poems I realize that none of them are the same or too similar, she doesnt have a running theme to them, in my opinion. Which I love that each one somewhat tells a story in its own way!

HEDDA G! -morgan peach

Hedda Gabler made this play awesome. She was the character that was trusting but devious, beautiful on the outside ugly on the inside, she was admirable in the fact of marrying George for knowing shed be takin care of and loved. But she loved Loevborg and had many secret affairs with Brack. Shes up class and snooty at times. She an Act all in one, just herself. I did a little digging on other critics thoughts on hedda. None of them were nice or postive!
*A Norwegian critic called her a "monster created by the author in the form of a women who has no counter part in the real world".
*The Danish critic George Brandes found her a "true type of degeneration" who was incapable of yielding herself, body, and soul to the man she loves".
*For Hjalmer Boyeson she was a "complete perversion of womanhood"
*Another response was to classify Hedda as "abnormal or perverted".
^^all of these I found on http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu.

EMILY DICKENSON! (341) -morgan peach

Emily Dickenson is probably one of my favorite writers that we have read this semster, aside from reading frankenstien. I love that when reading her poems you can take away not just one opinion from what you have read but different points of view.
"after great pain, a formal feeling comes"(pg.1053) - from this i gathered someone has a broken heart whether it be from a death or a break up.
"the nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs"(1053)- the pain setting in and everything going numb. The point where nothing matters and you dont care about anything at this point.
"the stiff heart questions was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?"(pg.1053)-asking why me? why them? why do people have to suffer. why cant there be happiness always?
"The Feet, mechanical, go round.
Of ground, or Air, or Ought.
A wooden way regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment,like a stone" -This is were I came to the realization that this is the point to were a person a realizing that the healing process will not be an easy one and that it will take time.
"First-chill-then stupor-the the letting go"-simply put that they are finally able to let go of the hurt that they have experienced.
Out of all the poems from 216-1593. this one is by far my favorite!