Close Reading 12/11

New Yorker: Day of the Dead or Halloween?

This modern version of an epistolary (sup, AP lit vocab) short story, uses diction, language, and details to ridicule the overbearing, politically correct, and generally oversensitive parents in the modern era. Throughout the piece, Semple uses side comments in parenthesis and more hostile language to show the exasperation of Ms. Emily. The language shifts from freindly, cheerful, and cutesy (as one would expect in pre-school curricula emails) to more angry, defensive, and sardonic. By including details like "Millie and Jaden M. recognize Jesus Christ as their Saviour" or the decision of Maddie's parents to raise her "dogma free" again ridicules the overbearing and sensitive nature of modern parents. The inclusion of Adela's email adds to the humor in this piece.

Response to Course Material 12/11

The past few weeks most of what we've been doing is going through Ceremony, which has been very enlightening. I enjoyed reading it the first time through, but i could tell that there was a lot that i was missing and the things i did notice, i didn't really understand. Learning about the concepts central to the book, like Thought Woman and Sun Father were fascinating, and the diagram of how Tayo goes in between time periods and memories , which formed a web, was really interesting. This has been my favorite piece weve gone through so far because i enjoyed i the first read, but there is so much beneath the surface, and it is contrary to so much of the Western Literature tradition.

Open Prompt 12/4

1986. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit and show how the author's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

            The more things change, the more they stay the same. The cyclical nature of time, and non linear narratives are a central device in American Indian literature, and particularly in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony. The novel jumps in its chronology constantly. Sometimes, a past even or memory will begin in the middle of a paragraph or sentence with no warning. Silko uses the non linear narrative and jumps between memories and time periods to show the cyclical nature of time and how the world repeats.

            After he returns from WWII, the main character Tayo is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and falls ill. The narrative constantly switches between his memories and his current life. An artifact or event will take him into the past, where another element may remind him of another memory, and he switches between memory and present day constantly. He is confused and disoriented by this, mistaking Japanese soldiers for his uncle thousands of miles away, or becoming ill at the sound of a crack, that reminds him of the sound his friend’s skull made when he died. Silko weaves time periods and memories together seamlessly and constantly, because everything is the same. A key point throughout the novel is that things repeat themselves, and time works in circles, not lines. By connecting the past and present, Silko shows the unitary nature of time.

            One of the underlying stories that creates the backbone of the story is that of Spider Woman, or Thought Woman, who creates the world by thinking it. The way that Silko creates the chronology of her story is not a line, or lines, it is a web. Everything is connected , and everything repeats. Completely separate events, like a sunrise and nuclear explosion, can be the same. By bending and shaping the way that time operates in her story, Silko shows the cyclical nature of the world and everything in it, emphasizing her motif throughout the story.  

close reading 11/20

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/21/111121fa_fact_theroux

In his essay "Heirlooms", Theroux describes the process of growing and eating a tomato as something spiritual, sensual, holy, not mundane. He achieves this effect by using vivid imagery and specific diction to evoke in the reader, the same feelings he has.
   When Theroux describes a ripe tomato, it is not red and pleasantly soft, it is "deep hued and luscious on the inside, as crimson and soft as mouth flesh". As a tomato ripens, "the first blush appears on the fruit, and then the pinkish cheeks, reddening to ripeness" Not only is the imagery sharp and clear, but it has personality. The first description is sensuous and enticing, while the second uses alliteration and characterization to emotionally connect the reader to the tomato, as a gardener is to his plants.
    The diction of this piece is unique, and specifically chosen to connect the reader and author's emotions. When Theroux describes a super market tomato as "and industrial tomato, the bright gassed, ripened in the truck ball of tasteless pith" the reader becomes repulsed, almost angry, just as the author is. It is perverse to compare something "industrial and gassed" to the a juicy pomodoro with a "fizz of crushed leaf, a scraped zest of citrus"  that creates an "alchemy of flavor". The effect of a tomato is magical.

Response to Course Material 11/20

I really enjoyed watching and then reading Death of a Salesman. I felt that especially for this play, there is so much to be gained by watching it, and understanding the emotional subtext and story, which is easy to overlook when looking at it from such a purely academic standpoint, which we do in class discussions. I also just enjoyed the play. The most recent in class essay about the two poems and protecting innocence went fairly well i thing, but i suppose ill have to wait to be sure. I dont think that the individual presentations did much for me in really emphasizing the important aspects of each era of literature,  but that isn't a huge deal as we have all learned them before.

open prompt 11/13/11

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

The society and environment that an author places his characters in says much about either the characters, the society, or both. In Death of A Salesman, Arthur Miller places Willy Lowman in the middle of New York City, where the people are always beating ceaselessly into the future, giving little thought to nostalgia or the “olden days” this creates a fundamental problem for Willy Lowman, a man who spends most of his time preoccupied and confused by the past, while simultaneously blindly dreaming of a better future. In Death of A Salesman, Arthur Miller creates a discrepancy between Willy Lowman and his surroundings to show the shift in American Values, and the deep character flaws within Willy.

            Willy spends a significant amount of the play caught up in day dreams of his happier past. Even in these daydreams, Willy is preoccupied with the past, imploring his brother Ben to tell him stories of his father and family history. Miller indicates a flute melody to be played many times during the play, which seems to act as the instrument of a pied piper, drawing Willy into the past. This trait of Willy’s is at sharp odds with his society. His boss seems to be obsessed with his new recorder, an instrument of the future, which Willy is terrified of. Biff, Willy’s son, eventually realizes the meaningless of his former high school football glory in a world where it has done him no good. Willy is baffled and amazed by the past, never able to understand or come to grips with the facts.

            Willy’s separation from his society shows the flaws deep within himself, and thus, in aspects of the American Dream. Willy is obsessed with his past, yet doesn’t understand it. He constantly mistakes how much money he used to make, or fails to see problems, such as Biff’s kleptomania. This is like the current state of America: we jump at the chance to wax poetic about the American heroes of WWII, but mention Hiroshima and we seem to gloss over things a bit. The union army emancipated the slaves from the evil south and saved America, yet the north was full people just as racist in the south. Willy Lowman, like America, is a deeply flawed and imperfect individual, but he also has a dream in his heart.

ATTENTION! ANOTHER NOTICE!

TURNS OUT  YASH AND DANA SWITCHED INSTEAD. WERE ALL GOOD, STOP WORRYING. SHOWER ME WITH PRAISE AGAIN. lol jk. some of these blog posts are shameful. i apologize.

ATTENTION! NOTICE! ADVISO!

HAI. DUE TO A BUNDLE BUMBLE IN THE COMPLEX BLOGGING PROCESS, A MISTAKE HAS BEEN MADE. YASH PANDYA AND I HAVE TO SWITCH GROUPS. ACTUALLY, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, IM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THIS MEANS, SO I APOLOGIZE. THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY A LACK OF FORESIGHT AND CAPS LOCK.

Open Prompt 2005 B

2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the idea of power is exploited throughout. Lady Macbeth yearns for her husband to seize power and murder Duncan. Macbeth desperately defends his power by having Banquo killed. Ultimately however, there is no one in the play who has real power besides the Witches. Shakespeare portrays the struggle for power as brutal and bloody, but ultimately insignificant, as fate is the only true holder of power.

When Macbeth and Banquo first hear their prophesy, Macbeth immediately begins to question himself and where he stands. Does he have enough power as it is? Who will truly have more power, he or Banquo? Lady Macbeth ultimately decides though, as she holds the power in their relationship. It is she who urges and humiliates Macbeth into seizing what is supposedly rightfully his. Shakespeare uses the power dynamic between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to also play on gender roles, making the female Lady Macbeth more masculine, and thus more powerful, than her husband.

As Macbeth continues to struggle with the meaning of the prophesy, he desperately clings to his power by having his closest friend murdered. The quest for power has driven Macbeth insane, and tortured by guilt. This is the fate of all who go down this road. Lady Macbeth too is driven to suicide by her guilt. Those who seek power through force do not die in their beds, they suffer the same fate they inflicted on others.

Throughout the play, despite Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, or even those who resist Macbeth, the Witches are the only characters who truly have power. The supernatural forces that seem to manipulate fate and destiny are the only charactesr with any real control. This symbolizes the lack of structure or reliability in life, emphasizing the chaos of life.

Response to Course material 10/23/11

Im glad that we finally started reading something. If i had to ac one more packet about essay writing i would have exploded. I like the American Dream, but i dont love it. I wish we could have started off our year with a less dense work. Still though, i like working through it, but i think that when we discuss it as a class without a teacher who knows whats going on, we tend to get lost or misguided. Also, i think in general people are trigger happy with the analysis. I'm pretty excited for death of a salesman, and I will certainly be playing review games for the test on friday, which is a method that works surprisingly well for me.

Close reading 10/23/11

READ ME

     The primary comedic device that O'Donnel uses in this piece is the casual, friendly tone, juxtapossed with the ridiculous things the man is saying. He opens the piece as if it were any normal, polite letter from a potential employee after an interview. He mentions the whole biting ordeal second. Also, he increases the ridiculousness by showing that he did not simply bite his potential boss in a fit of misguided absentmindedness, but instead bit him many, many times, along with other members of the office. All of this is discussed by the letter's author in a friendly, slightly apologetic tone. The dichotomy between what he is saying and how he says it is very funny.
   O'Donnel also uses unexpected punchlines for comedic effect. For instance, the man tries to explain that the reason he bit the boss was that his fingers looked like sausages, which is ironic considering his brief case was full of left over sausages, explaining why his resume was so greasy. Or his explanation for his biting habbits being that it started in childhood when he would bite people for no reason, and continued to do so for many years. These are answers that the reader does not expect and do not follow logically, which creates humor.
     The tone and stylistic choices of O'Donnel are the reason for this piece's humor, and full disclosure, it might be the funniest close reading ive put up so far.
    

Open Prompt 3 (2009 B)

2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political oe social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explazin how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

    Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores the impact that fear and irrationality can have on a society. The literal witch hunt that occurs inspires lying, hysteria, fear, and distrust within the puritan community. This can be viewed as an allegory for the climate of mass hysteria and exploitation that Arthur Miller wrote in, during the McCarthy era. Arthur shows how when frightened and lied to, society can be bent to the will of the wicked, and the dangers that creates.

      John Proctor, the protagonist, is shown to be a hardworking, honest, flawed, but ultimately good hearted man. He also happens to be freethinking and iconoclastic, which becomes his downfall. When the society around him becomes hostile to anyone unique, or dissenting with the majority, he is labeled for persecution. Miller uses this setting to parallel the world that he himself lived in, during the McCarthy era. This too was a time when panic and fear were exploited by individuals for their own benefit. Free thinkers, critics of the government, and the unique were persecuted to advance selfish goals. Miller uses this parallel to create empathy in the reader, and enhance the realism of his story.

Even though John Proctor is clearly a good man, he is still subject to the public’s hysteria. Even when the public knows that he is innocent of any wrongdoing, and it would be easy for him to escape the noose, he still dies. When life is turned into a simple battle of ideals and beliefs, no one ends up the winner. “Cleave no faith when faith brings blood” is Miller commenting on the ideological war between Communists and America, and how it ultimately means nothing and causes harm.

     Miller compares his current political cliamate to a witch hunt by creating a parallel world, a strong moral compass in John Proctor, and metaphor.

Close Reading 10/9/11

Sleeper Camp by Larry Doyle (New Yorker)

      Doyle wrote this piece in response to the discover of Russian spies living in a suburban neighborhood in 2010 (evidenced by an excerpt from two of the spies). The piece is hilarious, largely due to the fact that it seems like a cold war era report by a Russian spy, but is actually from the point of view of a child at "Sleeping Bear" (the bear symbolizing Russia) summer camp, infiltrating the rival "Screaming Eagle" (Eagle=America) camp. The syntax of the piece keeps with the Russian spy theme, making the essay read like a report. The sections are divided by date, use shorter sentences, and includes many parenthesis to elaborate and detail the narrator's thoughts.
     The diction and language of this piece also serve to add humor and re enforce the idea of a spy's report. By including words like drop-off, secured, isolated, ad devise, to create an official, espionage themed tone. Small details in the piece also contribute to the humor, for example referring to the laxatives as explosives.
    My favorite part of this essay is the subtle characterization and shift in opinions of the narrator. Steadfast in his hatred of Screaming Eagle, and resilient to its allures, the narrator begins to humbly suggest improvements to Sleeping Bear's amenities. In the end though, the ice cream bar and smores are too much for the narrator, and he switches allegiances.  

Response to Course Material 10/8/11

I was excited that we finally started reading something this week, because I feel like we have done a lot of practice prompts, and discussion of analysis, and writing introductions, but we havent actually analyzed or worked on a piece as a class, so I feel that it's sort of difficult. I have continued to refine my essay writing/organizing skills, and im excited for us to begin to look deeper into the American Dream, which seems like a pretty meaning saturated piece of work. It will be nice to understand that play a little better. 

Open Prompt 2 (1982)

1982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Jim Casy evolves into the voice of the oppressed and downtrodden farmers during the Dust Bowl. As a former preacher, he utilizes his natural skill as an orator to express the feelings of those around him into poignant and powerful words. Eventually though, his beliefs place him in direct conflict with strike breakers and bosses, those who work against and exploit others. He is shot down, which prompts Tom Joad to kill the man who shot Casy. The act of violence seems to stifle the voice of the oppressed, until Joad strikes back, symbolizing the tenacity and fortitude of the people’s will.

A motif throughout the Grapes of Wrath is the conflict between the wealthy and the destitute. Steinbeck shows the poles of the human spirit; those who can run over a starving dog and keep driving as if nothing happened, and those who sacrifice their own life to protect the less fortunate. Ma Joad gives whatever she can to the starving children of their camp, while the owners of the peach farm are willing to suck their workers of every last dime. He symbolically demonstrates this theme in the opening vignette, showing how there are people who will swerve to avoid harming an innocent turtle, and those who go out of their way to harm it.

Jim Casey is the spokesperson of the poor and helpless migrants, and so the act of violence against him by the strike breakers symbolically represents the oppression of the migrants. Though reluctant at first, Casey is able to speak for the powerless migrants who cannot speak for themselves. The administration of the peach farm, the powerful and wealthy, try to silence Casey in the ultimate form by killing him, but in the end they aren’t successful. They do kill Casey, but they also turn him into a martyr, inspiring Tom Joad to take his place and to fight back against the corrupt and evil, to fight for the people that need him. The act of violence then, becomes a metaphor for the struggle between the two groups.