Popular Mechanics (Potpourri)

"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard.

In this manner, the issue was decided."

 

The husband and wife are fighting and a divorce is likely taking place. The man is leaving the house and they are fighting over posessions. Then, they start to fight over their baby. My first thought was that they both love the baby so much and do not want to let it go. However, I later realized that they do not love the baby at all. They are fighting over it just to fight so one can have control over the other. They show no concern for the safety of the baby what so ever. I do not think either of them deserve the baby. I'm not totally sure, but I want to believe that they baby is symbolic for something else. Maybe for control over the relationship and the split. No one wants to feel like they are out of control after a break up/divorce.

 

You're Ugly Too (Potpourri)

"Really, I was just kidding!" Zoe shouted. -page 370

Zoe is clearly very insecure about herself. She always concentrates on her appearance and focuses on what people say about her. She is also extremely cynical. All of the things she focuses on are the negatives of every situation or story. I see her as the typical grade school bully. The big kid who is insecure about themselves so picks on other people to take attention off of their flaws. Only Zoe isn't really a bully just very rude and sarcastic. She hardly ever gives a straight answer to anything. Zoe uses her jokes to cover up what her true feelings are. She truly does care what people think about her and wants people to like her. However, she wants to act like she does not care at all. She needs to "take off her mask" (Retreat reference). When she finally does stop being so ironic/sarcastic, she about kills Earl and says she was kidding. Someone in my small group suggested that she was going through a mid-life crisis. I think it is much worse than that.

The Drunkard (Potpourri)

"My brave little man!" she said with her eyes shining. "It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel." -page 351
This quote provides the unltimate irony of the story. The ten-year-old boy is drunk and originally is scolded. However, once the father leaves the mother comes and tells the boy that she is grateful for what he did. He unknowingly prevented his father from becoming very drunk and humiliating himself, the family, and missing work. I found it ironic and somewhat sickening that the father was more upset that he didn't get to drink, than he was that his son was drunk, sick, and wounded. Even before the incident, the father told the boy to go play in the street right outside of a bar. Wait, let me back up even more! The father wants to go get drunk after a funeral with a friend who did not even know the man who had died, and then he takes his son with him to the bar and hardly watches him. Clearly, this father is not aware of his responsibilities as a parent. The boy was expecting to have to take care of his drunk dad, but he ends up being the one taken care of. I feel like the boy's drunken rant is probably very similar to the way his father acts when drunk.

The Lottery (Potpourri)

"'Pack of crazy fools,' he said. 'Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves...'" -page 268

When I first read the title, I expected the lottery to be something good. Usually when I think of lottery I think of winning something like money or a prize. This lottery is actually for something awful. The person who gets randomly chosen gets stoned to death by the entire village. Even Tessie Hutchinson's son Davy was given stones to throw at her. She is the only one upset, and the rest of the village does not think anything of it. I'm not sure if this is some sort of population control or what. I found the quote above to be even more ridiculous once I knew what the lottery was for. It's ironic how he sees the other village to be barbaric when they are the ones stoning someone to death based off of a lottery. Most of the story has to do with tradition. The lottery has always been a tradition in this village, but many things have changed or are no longer worried about. The box is raggedy, uses paper instead, etc. They are continuing the lottery simply for sake of tradition. I think the author's meaning is that some traditions are not meant to be upkept, especially if the reason for the tradition is no longer even valid. Some traditions are ridiculous and can be done away with.

Miss Brill (Theme)

"Why does she come here at all--who wants her?" -page 186

Miss Brill might be the all time champ of people watching. Her routine to come to the park every Sunday has become a part of her life. The quote above uses indirect characterization. Miss Brill has no one in her life and is an extremely lonely person. She goes to the park and creates a play/story in her head. She judges the other people and creates entertainment for herself. Also, she could be covering up her own insecurities. Miss Brill changes quite a bit throughout the story. She starts off very confident and proud. After the she hears the young couple making fun of her, she loses all her confidence and becomes very upset. Miss Brill wants to be young and feel important in the world. The young couple makes her realize that she is old, strange, and lonely. When she heard something crying at the end, I think it could have been a number of figurative things. The crying was her feelings on the inside. Her creativity and confidence could be crying because they were damaged. Her longing for not being lonely could cause her inside to cry. A theme for this story could be that she does not like to accept change or it is hard for her to realize what her situation truly is.

Once Upon a Time (Theme)

"...the alarm set up wailing against the screams while the beleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out of the security coil with saws, wire-cutters, choppers, and they carried it- the man, the wife, the hysterical trusted housemaid and the weeping gardener- into the house." -page 236

This not-so-typical children's bed time story is filled with irony. All of the security precautions put into the house were what eventually killed their son. The parents were so paranoid of danger and robbery that they took it to another level. They would add some new type of security, even when nothing happened or no threat was posed. Another irony was that the alarm went off so easily and so often that it just became disregarded. The reader thinks that the parents paranoia comes from their protection of their child, but at one point they let him walk ahead of them all by himself. The parents had these internal subconscious type feelings that something was going to go wrong. They caused themselves to be paranoid, not society. A theme of this story would be that a person cannot constantly live in fear.

A Worn Path (Theme)

"She doesn't come for herself- she has a little grandson. She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork." -page 229
My first impression of Old Phoenix was that she was the psycho, old lady, who no one understands and likely has upwards to 40 cats. She is hallucinating, talking to animals, talking to herself, and is making stuff up in her head. She avoids all of the advice from the hunter and turns down his help. She acts extremely strange when she actually gets into town too. After I read the quote above, I started to have more sympathy for her and somewhat respect what she was doing. She made that long journey into town many times to get medicine and occasionally buy something for her grandson. However, based on her conversation with the attendant, I think that her grandson is actually dead. Welty, the author, says that whether the boy is alive or not is irrelevant. The story and it's theme is about how Phoenix shows her love and care for her grandson. She feels that it is necessary that she does something for him. This serves an emotional purpose which shows how much she cares about him.

Eveline (Theme)

"Strange that it should come that very night  to remind her of the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could." -page 221

I think this quote is largely responsible for why Eveline did not leave and go with Frank to Buenos Aires. She had promised her mom that she would do everything she could to keep her family together. She did not want to abandon her siblings with her dad. She wanted to move on and find a better life for herself by marrying her secret boyfriend. However, she did not want to lose her relationship with her family or want to break her promise. She definitely has trouble making up her mind and doesn't choose until the last possible second. A few possbile themes for this story could be that Eveline fears change, or Eveline cannot make a decision, or Eveline does not want to lose her family. Her father has given her every reason to want to leave, but I think Eveline still loves him and knows that he needs her for help. As much as I feel bad for Eveline, I also have sympathy with Frank because of the way she changes her mind at the last minute.

Bartleby the Scrivener (Characterization)

"I resolved to gather all my faculties together, and forever rid me of this intolerable incubus." -page 667

This quote revealed the narrator's final attempt to get rid of Bartleby. He is going to move his entire office to a different location, just so he can be away from Bartleby. Most of the narrator's words and actions up to this point I have agreed with and most likely would have taken a similar approach. However, I think moving offices was crossing the line. This was totally letting Bartleby take control of him. I would have taken Bartleby's key or done some way to prevent him from getting back inside the office, or called the police before I would have moved offices.

At first, my initial reaction was that Bartleby was the laziest person on the face of the planet. Later I rebuked this and discovered that he was simply just the weirdest person on the face of the planet. None of his actions or motives make any logical sense what so ever. Refusing to work might be lazy, but refusing to eat is just beyond me. I wish the author would have revealed more about Bartleby. As the reader, I just grew to hate him more and more, but never really got a chance to understand his situation or anything. I don't think I could have been as patient with Bartleby as the narrator was.

Hunters in the Snow 2 (Characterization)

"'I'm going to the hospital,' Kenny said. But he was wrong. They had taken a different turn a long way back." -page 201

This quote shows truly how careless and idiodic these three men are. Also, it shows how terrible of friends they are. Yes, Kenny pulled a very bad prank, but he got shot. Tub and Frank are showing no sympathy though. Their friend is in a lot of pain and they drop him, take his blanket, leave him in the truck, and don't take the right way to the hospital. He most likely would have healed from his bullet wound and been fine. However, with the horrific treatment from his friends, and based on the quote above, Kenny will probably end up bleeding to death or having a very serious injury. I find it strange how the author worded the last sentence. He did not say, "They had taken a WRONG turn," He said, "They had taken a DIFFERENT turn." This almost seems to imply that the two friends chose to go the wrong way. Or maybe the author's diction is this way to emphasize the neglect and carelessness of Frank and Tub. Either way, I'm glad none of these guys are my friends.

Hunters in the Snow (Characterization)

"'He was old and sick. Couldn't chew his food any more. I would have done it myself but I don't have a gun.'" -page 194

The quote I chose is a clear example of irony. Kenny had shot the farmer's dog, but did not tell either of his friends that the farmer had told him to. They had no choice but to assume that Kenny had gone crazy. That is why Tub pulled the trigger and shot Kenny, before he got shot. In reality, Kenny was just being a prankster like always. He thought it would just be a joke, but he did not foresee how shooting the dog would have put his friends on edge. It is ironic that the reader later finds out why Kenny shot the dog. Kenny was not the only one keeping a secret from the other guys though. Tub later reveals that he has no illness. He just eats a lot of food and is fat. Frank tells Tub that he wants to leave his wife because he is in love with a teenage girl. Besides this secret about Frank, he seems to be the most normal out of the three and has the best attitude. Neither Frank or Tub are necessarily ashamed of their secrets, but just ashamed that they have to be kept secret. After talking to each other about it, they both feel a lot more comfortable with each other.

Everyday Use (Characterization Blogs)

"'Take one or two of the others,' I said to Dee." -page 181

The "likeability" factor for Dee might be one of the lowest on any character I have ever read about. She is stuck-up, rude, selfish, and greedy. I think the strong dislike I have for her influences me to have sympathy for and like Maggie and Mama. Based on previous stories and the way Dee acts towards her mom, Mama has always been a push-over with Dee. Dee has always gotten what she wanted and has rarely been told "no." Finally, in the end, Mama sticks up for herself and makes a decision that goes against what Dee wants. She tells Dee that she is going to give Maggie the quilts and Dee will have to take other ones. Dee storms off saying that they don't understand. Maggie, who was intimidated by and somewhat scared of Dee, gains some confidence and is happy when Mama sticks up for her. Yes, Mama and Maggie are uneducated and lower class, but they embrace this fact. Especially at the end of the story, they are not ashamed of the way they are, and do not care that Dee does not think much of them.

A Rose for Emily (Plot and Structure)

"That was when people had begun to feel really sorry for her."

I chose this quote becuase I find it ironic and kind of confusing that the people in this town have so much sympathy for Miss Emily. The narrator in the story speaks in third person plural. I saw this as him speaking on behalf of all the citizens of the town. They all felt the same way towards Miss Emily. The way the reader tells the story is "A Rose for Emily" because they are sympathetic of Miss Emily and do not portray her as the crazy murderer she was. As the reader, I did not have much sympathy for her and could tell there was something very creepy and erie about her. Apparently the people of the town did not have the same feeling. They blame the bad things that happen to her for the reasons why she stays inside and is so anti-social. I realize that these bad things that heppen to her are not easy to get over, but it is her own fault that she reacted the way she did. Miss Emily had lots of trouble accepting and adjusting to change. Homer Barron was not going to stay with her and was actually gay, so instead of just letting him go, she killed him and kept his body in her bed.

Fantasy for Love (Plot and Structure)

"There were women just waiting and waiting by mailboxes for one letter or another."

This blog is going to compare "How I Met My Husband" and "Interpreter of Maladies." Both of these short stories describe how people have a fantasy for love. The quote above is from "How I Met My Husband," but it can apply to both stories and many situations. One thing critical about the quote is that women aren't the only ones waiting for a letter or fantasizing about love. In "How I Met My Husband," Edie is waiting for a letter from Chris Watters, the pilot. She was infatuated with him and thinks that he actually had feelings for her. She hoped and dreamed that they would be in love and have a relationship. In "Interpreter of Maladies," Mr Kapasi is infatuated with Mrs. Das and thinks that her interest in him is a sign that she wants a relationship. She asks for his address to send him pictures, but all he can think about is how she is going to write him letters. He fantasized about these letters, planning the conversations out; fantasizing about love. If he didn't notice that Mrs. Das had lost his address, he could end up just like Edie. He would be waiting by his mailbox everyday hoping that Mrs. Das had wrote to him.

Interpreter of Maladies (Plot and Structure)

"For this reason it flattered Mr. Kapasi that Mrs. Das was so intriqued by his job. Unlike his wife, she had reminded him of his intellectual challenges. She had also used the word 'romantic.'"

I think this quote really explains Mr. Kapasi's thinking throughout the whole story. He is somewhat disappointed with his life, especially his marriage. I think he is extremely attention deprived, and he is sick of not being appreciated by his wife. Mrs. Das takes some interest in him and he loses all sense and starts fantasizing about her. He thinks something will come of this, but in reality Mrs. Das is just interested in his job because she thinks he can help her. Mr. Kapasi comes to realize that Mrs. Das has wayyy more problems than him. She totally misinterprets his job and she tells him her life story. I don't really understand what she was wanting Mr. Kapasi to say, and he doesn't really either. In the end, both Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das have to accept their current lives. However, Mr. Kapasi has a much better perspective on things. He is disappointed with what happened, but knows it could be much worse.

How I Met My Husband (Short Stories: Plot and Structure)

"So I said yes, and I went out with him for two years and he asked me to marry him, and we were engaged a year more while I got my things together, and then we did marry."

I find the above quote to be very ironic. The title of the story is "How I Met My Husband," however that quote is about the extent she goes describing her time with her husband. The entire story is actually about her experience with another man. That in itself is also ironic. She ended up meeting her husband, who despite her lack of details, I'm sure she loves very much, by waiting for a letter from another guy that she was infatuated with. Not exactly the best love story I've heard of, but definitely interesting. One of the questions in the book asks "if you can detect the voice of an older, wiser Edie." I think this is definitely a "yes." I could tell she has learned a lot from her experience. There are several examples of this in the text, but one of them is, "Women should stick together and not do things like that. I see that now, but didn't then." She was not traumatized by this experience, but it definitely is a clear and memorable moment.

Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead (Pattern Blogs)

"He's ready. I am not."

In this poem, the speaker is talking about his dad, saying that he is near death. The quote above is a key point in the theme of the poem. The father is ready to die and move on, but the speaker is not ready for him to die at all. The father is a strong believer in the afterlife. He has "an itch to see new worlds" and "in the sureness of his faith" and "he thinks that when I follow him" are examples of the father's belief in life after death. The speaker on the other hand is not so sure that this is the case. In fact, the speaker is not really sure about anything. The tone of the poem is somber and subdued with not much energy. It seems like the speaker hopes that his father is right, but at this point he just can't bring himself to believe that he will ever see his father again.

Delight in Disorder (Pattern Blogs)

"I see a wild civility."

This poem contains two oxymorons. The first one is, "sweet disorder" which is seen in the first line, and the second one is the quote above, seen in line 12. These two oxymorons are somewhat opposites, but still serve the same purpose. The speaker explains that he prefers women who dress disorderly. I happen to agree with his stance. I would much rather prefer a woman who does not care how she looks and still looks beautiful, rather than a girl who tries to be perfect. The oxymorons support the them that being "wild" or "disorder[ly]" actually looks better. In the final couplet of the poem, the speaker makes it sound like he really is explaining his view of art. He prefers abstract art over precise, perfect creations.

Edward (Pattern Blogs)

"O I have killed my father dear,/ Mother, Mother,"

I found this poem to be very interesting, but also confusing. For this poem, I'm going to do something different and re-write the poem using modern English and using my interpretation, which could be wrong.

Mother: "Edward, why do you have blood on your sword? And why are you so sad?"
Edward: "Oh, I killed my hawk, mom. It was my only one.
Mother: "Your hawk wouldn't bleed that much. Tell me what happened."
Edward: "I actually killed my horse, mom. It was such a good horse."
Mother: "That horse was old, and you have more horses anyways. There is something else that is bothering you."
Edward: "I killed dad!"
Mother: "What are you going to do to make up for that?"
Edward: "I'm getting on a ship and leaving for forever."
Mother: "What are you going to do with your house and possessions?"
Edward: "I'll just leave them. I just can't stay here."
Mother: "What are you going to do with your children and wife? What will you leave them?"
Edward: "They will manage. They can beg and take care of themselves. I can't see them ever again."
Mother: "What are you going to leave for me?"
Edward: "I'm going to damn you to hell, because this is all your fault. You told me to kill him."

Edward and his family are clearly upper class people. I assume, based on, "Such counsels you gave to me, O." that his mother told him to kill his dad. It is still unclear though, because she acts like she has no idea, and says he needs to do penance.

Lonely Hearts (Pattern Blogs)

"Can someone make my simple wish come true?"

This poem is referring to the Personals section in a newspaper, where people with "lonely hearts" advertise themselves, and give a brief description of themselves or what type of person they are looking for. The author is satirizing these people who are trying to find love through a newspaper. The people say that their wish is simple, but in their descriptions they are somewhat specific. There is a lot of diversity in the Personals. There is a male biker, a gay vegetarian, an executive looking for a bisexual woman, an attractive Jewish lady with a son, and a Libran looking for a slim non-smoker under twenty-one. However, they all live in the same city and are all looking for the same thing - love. The villanelle allows for the repetition of the effective lines, "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" and the quote above. The different people are each looking for a specific person, who they think will complete their lives.

That time of year (Pattern Blogs)

"This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,/ To love that well which thou must leave ere long."

This poem by William Shakespeare is a sonnet, which has three quatrains followed by a couplet. The quote above is the couplet at the end. In the first quatrain the image of fall is emphasized in the line, "yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang." The second sunset is describing the twilight just before night. The image of the third quatrain is of death. These images all seem to support the ending of life and the loss of hope. However, based on the final couplet and the 4th question in the book, I realize that he is addressing his lover. He is saying that since death will come soon, their love should be even stronger. They must love each other now, before death comes.

Dover Beach (Tone Poems)

"The Sea of Faith/ Was once, too, at the full"

This poem by Matthew Arnold is an extended metaphor comparing the sea to faith. At first, the speaker is discussing the beauty of the sea. He seems to be on the beach at the cliffs of Dover in England on the French coast. I'm confused on the last two lines of stanza one that says, "With tremulous cadence slow, and bring/ The eternal note of sadness in." I also need more explanation regarding the second stanza. The speaker then transitions to the "Sea of Faith." He says that is once was full, but lately it has been less beautiful. He is claiming that people have been losing their faith and he is lamenting this religious decline. He is still a believer and wants others to come back. He tells his audience, "love, let us be true/ To one another!" I find the last line, "Where ignorant armies clash by night" to be very effective. Whether the armies are literal or figurative, he still makes the point of the uselessness of fighting and lack of faith and love.

Getting Out (Tone Poems)

"We held on tight, and let go."

This poem is about a couple who split from a marriage. The speaker is the woman, and she is addressing her ex-husband. In the first line, she uses a simile, "waking like inmates who beat the walls," comparing her and her husband before they split to inmates. She uses the pronoun "we" a lot, leading me to think that their split was not being blamed on one of them and that the feeling was mutual. They both agreed that the realtionship was heading in the wrong direction, but at the same time they were sad to be ending their marriage and be leaving each other. This is proven in the text, "Taking hands we walked apart, until our arms stretched between us. We held on tight, and let go." I think the woman is understanding that splitting was the best thing, but she can't help but miss him and reminisce their relationship.

The Apparition (Tone Poems)

"When by thy scorn, O murderess, I am dead,"

The speaker's tone in this poem is very angry and vengeful. He is angry with a woman that he had a previous relationship with, probably an ex-wife or ex-girlfriend. Based on the quote above, she has killed him. There seems to be text that supports the literal meaning that she actually killed him, but I don't think it truly is meant to be taken literally. He says, "then shall my ghost come to thy bed," which means that he is going to haunt her. The speaker then mentions another man, who the woman is with now. He is most likely saying that he is going to be a burden to their relationship. The speaker insists that "my love is spent," but in reality, if he was over this girl, he would not be going through this much trouble. I think that the speaker still has feelings for the woman and is angry that she doesn't like him back. Also, he is jealous of the new guy she is with.

Crossing the Bar (Tone Poems)

"I hope to see my Pilot face to face/ When I have crossed the bar."

In this poem, the speaker is talking of his death. He is most likely close to death and explaining how he feels about it. He says, "may there be no moaning of the bar" and "may there be no sadness of farewell," which implies that he does not want people to be upset when he dies. He uses an extended metaphor of drifting out into the sea as dying. The text says, "When I put out to sea." "When I embark," and "When I have crossed the bar" all representing his death. The moment of death is expressed in the first line, "Sunset and evening star." The speaker does not want his death to be a big deal for others. In the quote above, the speaker refers to "my Pilot" which I understood to be God, who he will see "face to face" in heaven. Suprisingly, this poem is not sad, even though it is about death.

My mistress' eyes (Tone Poems)

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;"

In Shakespeare's poem, he is comparing parts of his mistress to nature. He uses lots of similes to make the connectionns. He is praising nature by saying that the things he sees in nature are much better than what he sees in his mistress. At first, I thought it was a poem more about how bad his mistress was, but then came to realize that he was just in awe of nature's beauty. In the end, he explains that he still loves this girl more than anything. The lines, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/ As any she belied with false compare" prove this statement. Shakespeare is contrasting with the normal comparisons used in love poems and saying that he doesn't love her any less, but doesn't have to lie about her physical attributes. He says that one does not have to lie to his mistress to love her.

next to of course god america i (POUI Poems)

"they did not stop to think"

Cumming's poem seems to be very sloppy, but of course, this is for a reason. I think he wants the reader to understand that this quote was done in a hurry and not meant to be completely formal. Based on the quotation marks and the last line, "He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water" the "He" is someone giving a speech to an audience. I think the actual speaker of the poem though, is someone in the audience who is quickly recording the speech and adding in their opinion at the same time, maybe a journalist. The person giving the speech is very patriotic and even references lines from the Star Spangled Banner, "oh say can you see by the dawn's early." Based on the quote I have at the top, I don't think that the person in the audience totally agrees with the person giving the speech. There is also irony in the poem when it says, "what could be more beautiful than these heroic happy dead." Yes, the soldiers are heroic, but the war/fighting eventually led to their death, which is not beautiful or happy. The speaker clearly finds war to be foolish. I'm still not totally sure, but I think the speaker is a journalist criticizing the President's speech.

APO 96225 (POUI Poems)

"Today I killed a man. Yesterday, I helped drop napalm on women and children."

This poem was one of my favorite's of the chapter. I think it was easy to visualize, understand, and relate to. The speaker is a narrator describing the letters being sent between a son and his family, while he is serving for the military. Based on the questions after the poem, I realized the title is the mailing address of the 25th Infantry Division in the Vietnam War. The poem is full of understatements, which are all the letters the son shares with his family about his experience, except for one. He talks about the rain, the funny monkeys, and the sunset, until finally he gives into his family and tells them what is really going on. His response was the quote above. Situational irony comes in when his father writes back saying, "Please don't write such depressing letters. You're upsetting your mother." This response represented most of America's view of Vietnam. They wanted to act like they cared and were involved in the war, but really did not know what was going on and did not want to hear the terrible truth.

Holy Trinity (POUI Poems)

"I, like an usurped town"

The poem "Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne references the Holy Trinity. The speaker, and probably in this case the author, are Christian and believe in the one being of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The speaker is talking to God asking for help. Lines 2 and 4 are parallel to each other. The words "knock" and "break," "breathe" and "blow," and "shine" and "burn" each resemble the other. He compares himself to "an usurped town" and I looked up usurped, which means captured. The speaker could be captured by sin and wants God to forgive him of his sin. Also, "betrothed unto your enemy" could represent sin taking over his life. He recognizes his wrongdoings and understands that he needs God's help to be forgiven and avoid sin. This poem could easily be a prayer that the speaker is saying, or that the author made up.

Ozymandias (POUI Poems)

"Look on my works"

This poem also has lots of irony. One thing I noticed after only reading through the poem once was the irony of the words on the sculpture's pedestal. It read "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" The ironic part is that Ozymandias did not touch one stone, use one tool, or help at all with the sculpture, but yet the pedestal said, "Look on MY works." Also, the next line reads, "Nothing beside remains." Despite his boastfulness, the Egyptian tyrant's kingdom no longer exists. The speaker is purposefully trying to distance himself from the situation and time period. That is why he said that the "traveller from an antique land who said:" Antique means old, so the speaker is not from the same time period. I think that the author is critizing tyrants in this poem and saying that they are not really immortal, and their works and monuments will not last forever.

Barbie Doll (POUI Poems)

"So she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up."

In this poem the speaker is reflecting a girl's life. The girl in the poem grows up a normal life, and once she hits puberty, she is told by a classmate, "You have a great big nose and fat legs" which means the classmate called her ugly. The author is emphasizing that even though the girl was completely normal, her peers only focused on her looks. She was told what to do to be accepted by them. As it would on anyone, the way her classmates treated her made her feel self-conscious. Eventually, she did not accept herself and couldn't take it anymore, so she killed herself, which is the meaning of the quote above. It's sad to think about, but the story depicted in this poem happens all the time. I think Piercy is trying to convey the message of being kind to all people and focusing on what is on the inside more than the out. The whole last stanza was ironic because with her legs covered and make up on, the other people finally said she looked pretty. This is supposedly "a happy ending," when truthfully it is a tragedy.

The Joy of February (Chapter 5 Poem Blogs)

"your small pink bumhole"


No, I did not misread the title of a poem. This blog is addressing both of the poems, "February" and "The Joy of Cooking." Both of these poems were extremely odd and hard to comprehend the meaning. "The Joy of Cooking"  is literally a description of how the speaker is preparing to eat parts of her siblings bodies. I don't think the speaker is actually a cannibal. She might be criticizing her sister by saying that she talks to much. She could also be saying that her brother is mean and cold-hearted. The quote at the top is a line in "February." I am interested to see what we have to say in group discussions about the diction in this poem. The speaker talks about his cat for most of the poem. The speaker also makes it clear by the end of the poem that he or she hates February, and wants the spring to come. "Get rid of death. Celebrate increase. Make it spring."

Dream Deferred (Chapter 5 Poem Blogs)

"Or does it explode?"

I'm not sure if I liked this poem more for its length or the way it made me think. In the body of the poem, the speaker describes the feelings of having one's dream deferred to swell up and act slowly on the inside. Then the last line totally changes, and asks "Or does it explode?" I think the answer to these rhetorical questions depend on the person. Hughes is saying that letting disappointment and rejection build up inside can lead to an explosion/destruction/break-down. The entire poem uses similes, except for the last line. The dream is a goal, not a dream from sleeping. Referring to question 2 in the text book, the fact that Hughes was a black American plays into the poem. He certainly had dreams of being viewed as an equal to whites and having equal opportunities. This dream kept being turned down, so the poem is asking how this can affect someone. I don't know when this poem was written, but MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech was given four years before Hughes' death.

Toads (Chapter 5 Poem Blogs)

"But I do say it's hard to lose either,/ When you have both."

The poem "Toads" is an extended metaphor. The poem is describing two toads. The first one is the speaker's material wants. "Just for paying a few bills!" and "that's the stuff/ That dreams are made on;" are examples of how the first toad is referring to material wants. The second toad is the speaker's spiritual wants/ religion. His spiritual wants hold him back from getting his material wants. This is clear in the eighth stanza. One way to tell what the toads mean is that the first toad "Squat[s] on my life" and the second toad "Squats in me." Stanza three is a large alliteration, but I am not totally sure its purpose. The central purpose of this poem makes a lot of sense to me and often is a problem I also have. I work hard to obtain my material wants, but sometime my morals hold me back from getting some things, which they should. The final stanza says that the contradicting toads annoy him, but he would rather have both of them, than just one.

Oh Emily! (Chapter 5 Poem Blogs)

"I taste a liquor never brewed-"

Both of the Emily Dickinson poems we have read in class have had the title and the first line of the poem be the same text. I'm not sure how significant that is, but just an observation I noticed. This poem is a very deep and strange poem, similar to "I felt a funeral, in my Brain." The peom is a quatrain poem with four stanzas. The poem has sixteen hyphens, some lines with none, some with a hyphen at the end of the line, and some with two hyphens. I'm very curious to find the meaning behind all of the hyphens. In this poem, the speaker is having a feeling of intoxication, but not from alcohol, hence "never brewed." The things around her are making her drunk, such as the "Air," "Dew," and "summer days." I'm not sure what the "Bee" and "Butterflies" are referring to in stanza three, and I'm still trying to figure out how she is getting drunk. Whatever she is "drinking," she is never going to stop drinking it.

Bright Star (Chapter 5 Poem Blogs)

"Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art-"

This quote is the first line in John Keats poem and is the central purpose of the poem. The speaker wants to be forever unchanging, like the "Bright star." He is addressing the bright star, which is most likely the North Star or Polaris. The speaker is in love and is currently with his lover. He never wants to leave this situation and wants to be with her for forever. Lines 10-14 allow the reader to recognize that the two lovers are cuddling or very close together. The star is "watching, with eternal lids apart" over Earth, not the star being watched by Earth. Lines 5-6 use religious themes to describe the characteristics of the star. Keats uses "moving waters" (holy water) "priestlike" and "pure ablution."

The Panther (Poem Blogs)

"like a ritual dance around a center"

Even though the tone of this poem was sort of depressing, I really enjoyed and somewhat related to it. I want to answer the first critical thinking question after the poem, which says, "Why do you think Rilke chooses a panther rather than, say, a lion as the subject of the poem's images?" My answer was that a panther has different qualities that Rilke wanted to portray. A panther is a slick, black cat, which I think makes it very unique and mysterious. The panther is caged in a zoo or a circus. It wants to be released and be free, but it can't. I think the panther could resemble humans, or specifically the author. I can relate to the poem, becuase sometimes with the responsibilities of school, and basketball, and the pressures from the social aspect of life, I feel caged or trapped. I feel like I have to do exactly what other people think is right, but all the while, I want to be "released into the wild" and do my own thing.

Those Winter Sundays (Poem Blogs)

"No one ever thanked him."

This poem by Robert Hayden is a reflection back at a time earlier in his, or a character's, life. He now realizes how much his father actually did for him. Many times his father got up early on a Winter Sunday to warm the house and get everyone else ready for the day. The author regrets the fact that "no one ever thanked him." He recognizes all the good that came from his father, and is mad at himself for not being more appreciative. He is offering advice to other kids to not take what their parents do for granted. The last two lines were confusing to me. I think by saying these last two lines, he is admitting that as a kid/teen he thought he knew everything. Now, he realizes how much he misses and appreciates everything his father did, especially on "those winter Sundays."

The Convergence of the Twain (Poem Blogs)

"And consumation comes, and jars two hemispheres."

First off, "Twain" from the title has nothing to do with Mark Twain, and means "two." The poem has to do with the Titanic and includes the time leading up to and including the crash into the iceberg. The diction of the poem portrays that the ship and the iceberg were destined for each other. Words like "mate," intimate welding," "twin halves," and "consumation" suggest this destiny. Hardy is suggesting that the people felt the Titanic with all its luxuries and opulence was an amazing testimony to the power of man. He then tells the reader that God and nature will always be more powerful. "The Pride of Life," "Immanent Will," and "the Spinner of the Years" all stand for God, who is controlling this fate of the collision of the Titanic and the iceberg. The theme of the poem is human vanity < indifferent nature. I enjoyed Hardy's outlook on such a common known event.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (Poem Blogs)

"My Mind was going numb-"

This Emily Dickinson poem uses the literary term, quatrain. It is a poem that consists of five quatrains, that are four lines grouped together as a unit. I think the purpose of this is just to keep some of her thoughts separate from each other. I found this poem to be pretty confusing. I really want to know if there is a purpose for her randomly capitolizing some words, and not others, and if so, what is her reasoning or methodology? The overall meaning of the poem is kind of fuzzy too. Death is always connected with a funeral, so something is dying in her mind. Regardless of what is actually dying, she is having serious issues with her internal self. She leaves the ending open so the reader is able to decide on an ending for themselves.

William Williams... really? (Poetry Blogs)

"... not/ with the cold fire/ that closes round me this year."

This quote comes from William Carlos Williams' poem titled "The Widow's Lament in Springtime." I noticed the use of the oxymoron "cold fire" the first time I read the poem. I think the author uses the oxymoron because he wanted to portray the widow's feelings to resemble the intensity that a fire creates. He wants to clarify that it is a dark, sad, "cold" feeling this year, unlike the others. The oxymoron is parallel to "where the new grass/ flames at it has flamed/ often before" because of the theme of fire. The widow obviously had a positive relationship with her husband, especially in the springtime. I think it could be that this particular day or just a day in the spring was the date of her wedding anniversary. I enjoyed the addition of the widow's son to the poem. This made the poem a lot less depressing, knowing that she has a family to comfort her.

Perrine Poetry Blog

Overall, I agree with most of Perrine's points on how to determine "correct" interpretations of poetry. I agree that not every interpretation of a poem is correct. Some ideas can be too farfetched, that the details of the poem do not match the understanding. However, I think that if the main idea of the poem is understood, everyone's interpretation of each detail does not have to be the same, within reason of course. Who is to say that Perrine's understanding of every poem is not actually the truth in which the writer intended? One of his points that confuses me is that he says the best interpretation is the most "economical." There could easily be two different understandings of a poem that cover all the details and yet both make sense. Some writer's may purposefully leave their poems open-ended to allow readers to come up with their own meanings. In this case, there can be more than one correct interpretation.

My interpretation of Dickinson's poem was close to the correct meaning. I recognized the sunset being observed, but I took some of the details to be literal. I thought the "ships" "sailors" and "wharf"were actually being seen by the writer. I feel like my interpretation is just as logical as Perrine's. I was very surprised by the difference between the two poems that were compared. When reading Melville's poem, I did not recognize that he was actually talking about stars. After he told me the real meaning, I recognized all of the details and it made much more sense. I'm still confused on how he sees the poem as a question of the legitemacy of God, though. I thought Perrine's explanatons of details to be insightful. I agreed with the point, "a symbol 'means what it says and another thing besides.'" Symbols are open to more interpretaions than direct details. I think this article helped me recognize that I cannot look at a line or detail of a poem and understand its meaning. The true meaning lies in the poem as a whole, including every detail put together.

Conclusion (Never Let Me Go: 20)

"I just waited a bit, then turned back to the car, to drive off to wherever it was I was supposed to be."
-page 288

Having now read both novels, Brave New World and Never Let Me Go, I can't help but wondering how the world is going to change in the future. With all the new technology being developed, the plots of these books are not entirely out of the realm of possibility. It seems entirely possible that people can be made without God's natural idea of intercourse. If our world does become advanced enough to develop this technology, I hope that our world leaders will be responsible and not abuse it. I hope that if this existed, we would not use it in the same ways as the authors imagine it. I don't think man has the right to take away free will and control someone's entire existence. I might be nieve in thinking that this shouldn't happen, because people are treated this way in society now anyways. I think both authors might be warning our society that technology should never get to the point where it is more valued than one's life. Overall, I enjoyed both novels and feel like I have a new view on the world.

Soul Train (Never Let Me Go: 19)

"Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all."
-page 260

Kathy and Tommy's conversation with Miss Lucy had gotten a lot deeper than just "no we can't help you." They did not go through all that trouble to not at least get some things answered. They wanted to know more about Hailsham. Apparently, the whole point of the Gallery, was to show to the outside world that these clone children, were just as much human beings as anyone else. They had to get people to support the program, so they used the students art to prove that the kids had souls. It must be a demoralizing feeling that people of the outside world had to be shown that they were real people. They needed to prove that they deserved to be treated like real children. I can't imagine something harder than proving one's self-worth and human dignity. Even though this notion seems cruel and unjust, Hailsham was eventually shut down anyways, because people did not think these children needed decent living conditions. So in a sense, Hailsham had done Kathy, Tommy, Ruth, and all the others a huge favor.

The Truth (Never Let Me Go: 18)

"She shook her head slowly from side to side. 'There's no truth in the rumour. I'm sorry. I truly am.'"
-page 258

All the anticipation. All the questions. All the hope. It all came down to this meeting with Madame and Miss Emily. Were the rumors true? Was there hope that they could live longer lives together? All of it came down to this, and the answer was simply "no." The rumors were not true, and there was nothing that they could do to help them. They just had to live out the rest of their lives and die when their time came. I've had moments before when the worst answer I could predict is the one I got. However, it couldn't compare to Kathy and Tommy's situation. Their thoughts about life and their childhood had all been wrong. Even though they might not have shown it, finally knowing the truth had to have hurt.

We're Not Alone (Never Let Me Go: 17)

"I realised with a little chill, that these questions had never been for me, or for Tommy, but for someone else- someone listening behind us in the darkened half of the room."
-page 255

The scene with Kathy and Tommy finding and talking to Madame did not play out exactly how I had expected. I had expected Madame to blow them off and act like she didn't know what they were talking about. She invited them inside, and even though she was kind of unfriendly at first, she opened up once they came in. It was not unnoticed that they were not the only ones in the house, but it didn't seem important at the time. Kathy and Tommy started to explain to Madame their theories and why they had come to talk to her. Madame questioned them, but in a way like it was a test that she'd been through before. Madame though seemed to be talking out, like she was speaking to someone else. The quote I used is the moment Kathy realizes that they are not alone. Come to find out, Miss Emily was also in the house. I feel like Kathy and Tommy are about to find out something that they had not been expecting at all.

Bad Mental Picture (Never Let Me Go: 16)

"For a start, Tommy and I finally started having sex."
-Page 238

I realize that Kathy and Tommy are the same age. However, I can't help but get a picture in my head that Tommy is a lot older. Almost like he is living in a nursing home, and Kathy is his nurse. Maybe the fact of Tommy's health deteriorating is why I see him to be an elderly person. So one might imagine how I thought it was strange that Kathy and Tommy had started to have sex and act like a real couple. He was the donor/patient and she was the carer/nurse. Even though it wasn't really unexpected, I still was somewhat surprised, based on the circumstances. Kathy had taken the address that Ruth gave them for Madame's house. She had done some detective work and in fact saw Madame. Kathy and Tommy are going to find her and talk to her. I'm sure this must be very nerve racking for them, but like they mentioned, what will they do even if she gives them more time?

Running out of Literary Terms (Never Let Me Go: 15)

"I'd hardly ever been to Kingsfield in those days, so Ruth and I had to consult the map a number of times on the way and we still arrived several minutes late."
-page 218

I'm not sure why I'm waiting until now to mention that Kathy is the Protagonist in the story, but it might have something to do with the fact that some literary terms are just hard to find. Kathy has been the central character throughout the entire story, and she initiates or drives all of the action. In this chapter, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are all reunited for the first time since the Cottages. They are going to see a boat that got stranded on land, but I feel like the whole purpose of the trip was just to be together again. We originally think that Kathy wants to go on the trip, so Ruth could see Tommy again. Later, we find out that Ruth actually wanted Kathy to see Tommy, because she tells them that she is sorry for keeping them apart. It must be a strange feeling for Ruth to admit that she tried to keep her two closest friends away from each other just because she was jealous of their relationship. Kathy was upset, but she figured there was nothing that could be done now anyways. At the end of the chapter, Ruth dies and asks Kathy to go be Tommy's carer. Being the good friend that she is, plus wanting to anyways, she agrees to be Tommy's carer.

Part 3 (Never Let Me Go: 14)

"I said nice things about her too, and for the next half hour or so, I think we were genuinely delighted to be with each other."
-page 214

At the end of Part 2, Kathy leaves the Cottages and goes to start her training as a carer. She comes to find that she is very successful at her job. Since she has left the Cottages, she rarely sees people from Hailsham anymore. She runs into Laura one day and decides that since Ruth is now doing her donations, that she would be her carer. I used this quote, because this is how Ishiguro set up the mood when Kathy and Ruth saw each other for the first time since the Cottages. But this pleasant mood he has created does not last very long. A few lines later, Kathy says, "But once I officially became her carer, and I began to see her regularly, the sense of something not being right grew stronger and stronger." The mood now is that the two friends are happy to see each other, but there is still some unfinished business to attend to. Kathy and Ruth planned a trip to see Tommy. I am very curious to see how the three interact with each other now that they have been a part for so long.

Dialect (Never Let Me Go: 13)

"I think before long he got his Wellingtons on, and we both left the goosehouse."
-page 188

Dialect is a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area. This literary term is definitely used in the quote. "Wellingtons" and "goosehouse" are words that would only be used by people that live in England. I'm assuming Wellingtons are a brand of shoe popular in England during this time, and the goosehouse was some sort of barn. When I came across the sentence with both of these words in them, I knew I had to mention it in my blog. Tommy has been drawing his animals in the goosehouse, so hopefully he can go to Madame later and apply for a more time before donations. Kathy admits that Tommy has made a lot of progress in his artwork, but she still jokes with Ruth of how goofy the animals are. I knew this was a bad idea as soon as I read it. She had told Tommy that she liked his art, and that made him really happy. She had to have known that Ruth would tell Tommy that Kathy did not actually like them. This isn't the first time Ruth has tried to distance Tommy and Kathy, and it probably won't be the last. I think Ruth is jealous of Kathy and Tommy's friendship.

Norfolk (Never Let Me Go: 12)

"On that journey home, with the darkness setting in over those long empty roads, it felt like the three of us were close again and I didn't want anything to come along and break that mood."
-page 183

The literary term stream of consciousness is used throughout this entire novel. The inner workings of Kathy's mind are displayed many times. This quote is just one example of what she was thinking. In fact, Kathy's mind is the whole basis and director of the entire story. Tommy and Kath are left alone for awhile in Norfolk, and during this time they search for Kathy's old lost tape. This was Tommy's idea, and when she actually found it, she realized how good of a friend Tommy was. Then, they started to talk about a more serious topic. Tommy believes that Madame's Gallery, from Hailsham, is used to determine if a couple is truly in love, so that they can delay their donations be a couple of years. Kathy admits that this idea is completely plausible. I find this idea to be somewhat ridiculous. I am unaware how someone could determine if two people were in love by the artwork they created in grade school. Maybe that's why I don't get paid the big bucks, or maybe there is something more to it than that.

Possible (Never Let Me Go: 11)

"They were kind in their way and were trying to cheer Ruth up. At the same time, though, I remember feeling... a sort of resentment towards them of Ruth's behalf."
-page 165

I found this quote on page 165 to be a paradox. Kathy contradicts herself, but yet it still makes sense. She says that Chrissie and Rodney were being nice and sympathetic, but she felt it was out of selfishness and did not truly have concerrn for Ruth. The group had gone on this roadtrip to see one of Ruth's potential "possibles." At first I was very confused of what a possible was. The only thing I knew was that it was someone else in the world who was very similar to them. I thought it could've been a sibling, a parent, or something to do with science. I came to find out that all of the students at Hailsham and donation kids were actually clones of real people. The possibles were people that could possibly be the model to create the clone that ended up creating them. In a sense, finding a possible is like an adopted child finding their birth parents. Except, the possible was exactly you, even though they admit that what the person does as a living does not mean that's how their life would be.

Wizard of Oz (Never Let Me Go: 10)

"That's why she often looked more like the Wicked Witch than a movie star."
-page 141

This quote uses an allusion, which is a reference to something faily well-known. Kathy alludes to the Wicked Witch, who was the evil witch in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. She references the Wicked Witch to describe Chrissie. Chrissie is one of the veteran girls living at the Cottages, who Ruth happens to look up to a lot. Kathy says that Chrissie is tall and good looking, but she is always bending over trying to be the height of the rest of the girls, so she found her to look like the Wicked Witch. I think Kath might just have described her like that because she did not trust her very much. Sometimes when people are sceptical about someone, or flat out do not like them, they usually think they are less attractive than they actually are. Kathy thinks that Chrissie is up to something and is a bad influence. She does not think it is a good idea for Ruth to be as trusting and ifluenced by Chrissie as she is. I wonder if Kathy is just overreacting or if Chrissie will lead Ruth to something she'll regret.

Sex Lives (Never Let Me Go: 9)

"'There might be something not quite right with me, down there. Because sometimes I just really, really need to do it.'"
-page 128

This quote is an example of an internal conflict that Kathy is having with herself. She admits to Ruth that sometimes she really wants to/has to have sex, almost like it is uncontrollable. I have a feeling that this conflict will come up again, but it is not what I want to focus on with this blog.

The more I read of Never Let Me Go, the more I find similarities between it and Brave New World. Especially after chapter eleven, I have realized how much sex in these two stories is different from sex in our world. I don't mean the action is different, but the way people percieve the act is much different. In BNW, the characters were actually suggested to have sex with many different people and often. And in NLMG, the characters have sex quite often, before marriage, and with pretty much anyone they please. However, in NLMG, relationships do exist, unlike in BNW. I realize that there are people in our world who disrespect the gift of sex and see it differently from say a Catholic teenager, but in the novels, sex is almost a game. I'm assuming that the authors both are giving their suggestions of how sex would change if people could not have children or if our lives were set out for us. I'm not sure if I agree with the author's ideas, because I think even if children weren't tied to sex, our emotions and relationships would still be. An interesting topic to think about, never the less.

Part 2 (Never Let Me Go: 8)

"He was this grumpy old guy who turned up two or three times a week in his muddy van to look the place over. He didn't like to talk to us much, and the way he went round sighing and shaking his head disgustedly implied we weren't doing nearly enough to keep the place up."
-page 116

I am now on Part 2 of the novel, and Kathy and the rest of her class are no longer students at Hailsham. This quote is describing Keffers, who is sort of a grounds keeper or landlord for the Cottages. The Cottages are where most of the students went to live after leaving Hailsham, although some went to live at other places, and not everyone at the Cottages were from Hailsham. I used this quote because Keffers is a flat character. There is a chance that he will show up again in other parts of the story, but I find it very unlikely that he shows any change. He is very one dimensional in that he is a very grumpy and rude old man. I think that Ishiguro put Keffers into the story just to emphasize the dramatic change from Hailsham to the real world. All of the guardians and workers, besides Madame, at Hailsham were extremely friendly and caring, but in the real world, not everyone was like that. Also in this chapter, Kath tells Ruth that she is annoyed with how Ruth trys to act exactly like some of the veterans at the Cottages, especially in her relationship with Tommy.

The Elephant in the Room (Never Let Me Go: 7)

"'Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created  to do... You were brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them, have been decided.'"
-page 81

This quote is part of the Rising Action of the story. The speaker of this quote is Miss Lucy. Throughout the story so far, Miss Lucy has always been the guardian who has been dropping hints that the students haven't been told enough about who they are. She finally cannot take it anymore. She keeps hearing students talk about their aspirations of the future, and she knows that they will not come true. Her conscious tells her that she can no longer hide the truth from these kids. She knows they will find out eventually, but doesn't want their dreams to be crushed all at once. After Miss Lucy's rant, the kids were actually not really surprised, since they sort have been indirectly told before. It kind of surprises me how the kids react, or lack of. If I were told that my whole purpose was to donate my vital organs, and that I couldn't have kids or a family, I would be extremely upset.

I Know That Feeling (Never Let Me Go: 6)

"I don't know what I'd expected; for all my fantasies of the past month, I'd never really considered what it would be like in a real situation like the one unfolding at that moment."
-page 60

Ruth got this special pencil case, and suggested that Mrs. Geraldine, her favorite guardian, had given it to her as a gift. Kath did not believe that Mrs. Geraldine would do that, and was very annoyed by Ruth trying to show off. Kath wasn't positive, but figured that Ruth had seen the case in the Sales and had bought it before anyone else had seen it. Kath had come up with a plan to pretend like she knew that Ruth had gotten it in the Sales without actually saying it. Once they were alone, Kath said she had read the Sales sheet and saw every purchase, and Ruth knew that Kath had caught her lie. Ruth had gotten very upset, almost cried, and stormed off. Kath had been wanting to confront her for so long, but once it actually happened she felt terrible for making Ruth feel that way, and realized there was no reason for doing that. This is the use of situational irony, because Kath expected to enjoy Ruth admitting her lie, but instead she felt terrible about it. I have had that same thing happen to me before, when I called someone out on a lie or exaggeration, but then realize that it makes no difference, and I could have just let it go.

Foreshadowing (Never Let Me Go: 5)

"'But if I tried to explain it to you now, I don't think you'd understand. One day, I hope, it'll be explained to you.'"
-page 40

This quote is being said by Miss Lucy, one of the guardians, who is well liked and trusted by the students. She often says weird things about the students not knowing something, or not being told enough. She said this quote in response to Polly asking her why Madame takes some of their creations. Miss Lucy wasn't going to tell them why, but she was foreshadowing that they will find out eventually and that it's important. She uses hints and clues to suggest what will happen later. The more I read the more I realize that something is definitely different about this school and maybe even these kids. Kathy and her friends are starting to recognize that there are several things that happen that they don't understand, but for some reason they don't try to find out answers. It is like there are unwritten/unsaid rules that some topics should just not be discussed by the students, so they feel uncomfortable trying to figure out unknown questions about the school.

Madame (Never Let Me Go: 4)

"She was a tall, narrow woman with short hair, probably quite young still, though at the time we wouldn't have thought of her as such. She always wore a sharp grey suit, and unlike the gardeners, unlike the drivers who brought in our supplies-unlike virtually anyone else who came in from outside-she wouldn't talk to us and kept us at a distance with her chilly look."
-page 32

This quote is using the literary term of direct characterization. Ishiguro is having Kathy tell us directly what Madame, who is some sort of principal or president of the school, is like. The reader does not have to figure out what Madame is like by her words, actions, etc. because we are told directly, even though Kathy goes on to give the reader an example. Madame is brought up because Kathy was talking about the Gallery, which is a place where Madame takes all of the best pieces of artwork from the Exchange. The thing is that no one has actually seen the Gallery or knows what it's purpose is, and it is an unsaid rule that they don't bring it up around a guardian. I'm very curious to find out more regarding the Gallery and the purpose of Madame taking the students art. Kathy and her friends find out that Madame is afraid of them and does not seem to like children at all, so I seriously doubt she's keeping the art for her own viewing pleasure. I sense that Kathy and her friends are asking themselves the same questions, and want to get answers about Madame and the Gallery.

The Exchange (Never Let Me Go: 3)

"I should explain a bit here about the Exchanges we had at Hailsham."
-page 16

This quote came about because Kathy and her friends were talking about how much Tommy gets picked on. Some of them said that he brings it on himself, and as an example, they said that he did not put anything into the Spring Exchange. The Exchange is an exhibition, where artwork made by the students would be turned in for Exchange tokens based on the value of the work. Then the students could purchase others artwork with the coins they had received. The Exchange was a big deal for the students, so Tommy was seen as disrespectful for not contributing to the Exchange. Being artistic was a very important part of being a student at Hailsham, and Tommy was not artistic at all, and even got made fun of for it. Kathy had noticed that in time, Tommy had stopped having temper tantrums, and then eventually stopped getting made fun of. Kathy asked him what had caused this and he told her that one of the guardians (teachers), Miss Lucy, had told him that it was okay that he was not creative. Since being creative was such a big deal at Hailsham, Kathy thought he was lying and got mad. I find the whole Exchange to be a strange concept for a school. I'm wondering why being creative and artistic is so valuable at Hailsham.

Back to the Future (Never Let Me Go: 2)

"On the particular afternoon I'm now thinking of, we were standing up on stools and benches, crowding around the high windows."
-page 7

Flashbacks are used very frequently throughout this novel. In fact, most of the plot seems to be all in the past. The author seems to have Kathy telling a story to the reader about her experiences and friendships at her school. The school, Hailsham, is a boarding school in England. Based on the first chapter, the school seems to be very prestigious, well-known, and respected. The example of the old man Kathy was caring for, who wanted to know everything about Hailsham, proves this point. Kathy realizes how much the school has shaped her entire life. This is when she starts to go into the flashback, where the author has Kathy introduce some of the other characters. One of which is Tommy, a hot-headed athlete who is picked on by the other boys. At the end of chapter one, he hits Kathy, not accidentally, but not really on purpose either.

First Impression (Never Let Me Go: 1)

"My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years."
-page 3

This quote is the first two sentences in the book. Right away I realized that this novel was going to be in a first person point of view. This was quite obvious since it was such a change from Brave New World's third person omniscient point of view. I'm guessing Ishiguro did not think a last name would be necessary to include for Kathy, so he just left it at "H." I'm not totally sure what a carer is yet, but I think it is some type of doctor, or nurse for a donation center. It seems to be an important part of her life, so I'm sure it will come up again, and give more details about her career. The story seems to be about her, her friends, and her old school. I'm still not entirely sure if the main plot is going to be about her past or about her present life. I'm anxious to have some of my confusions cleared up.

Conclusion (Brave New World: 20)

"'Oh, my God, my God!' He covered his eyes with his hand."
-Page 259

This blog is going to be more like a reflection on the book as a whole. The quote I chose is the point when John realizes that he can no longer live in this society. The people of the Other Place, knew nothing of God, but the Savage had known God, and he knew that God and religion were better than being happy.

Everyone strives to be happy. People might sometimes lose track of what makes them happy, but actually achieving what they desire is not what makes them happy. The pleasure comes from the work it takes to attain what they enjoy and from loved ones that get to experience this feeling with them. In Brave New World, people are told to be happy, but do not truly experience a full life. They only know what they are told, and what they feel when they have taken soma.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and have taken a valuable lesson from it. I think Huxley is trying to get the reader to realize that even though we endure hardships, it is better than being permanently happy. Having loved ones and God is better than being controlled to live in a "perfect" society. He warns us to not let technology and our search of a utopian society, impair our vision of the beauty in the imperfections of life.

Thank Ford I finished my blogs in time! =)

Suicide (Brave New World: 19)

"Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet."
-Page 259

John could not take this civilized world anymore. The Savage could not live in a world when everyone was forced to be happy, and the last thing he wanted was to be like them. He was mocked and followed and had no where to hide from the people. This world, this civilization, these people had driven him to take his own life. John's suicide is the resolution of the plot/novel. The denouement concluded the story, after all of the other conflicts have been settled. The fate of the last character remaining is discovered in the final page of the book. The author does not bother telling us what happened to Bernard and Helmholtz on the island they were sent to. The important part of the resolution is that the happy and perfect society led to the death of a savage who knew what life was like before. The Savage knew God, and Shakespeare, and love, and he was killed by the Other Place, which he found to be insanity.

Crazy Concept (Brave New World: 18)

"... they're plagued with no mothers of fathers, they've got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about..."
-Page 220

This quote is the words of Mustapha Mond, the Resident World Controller for Western Europe. He is explaining to John, Helmholtz, and Bernard why the laws they have exist, and why the world they have created is correct. He knows the writings of Shakespeare, and knows what life in the past was like, yet he thinks this stability of life is a better solution. He believes that if people don't ever have feelings or emotions, but are happy, than that is how it should be. I am obviously biased, but I completely disagree with his line of thinking. I think of the quote, "It is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." I feel that the happiness someone brings to the life of a loved one outweighs the sadness or grief that is felt when they are gone. Even though the people in this society pretend that they are always happy, they will never experience the feeling of being loved. Is it fair that Mr. Mond and the other Controllers decide how everyone will live? In this society, people may be happy, but they are hardly even given the gift of free will. They are practically robots.

"It's Like Ten Thousand Spoons When All You Need is a Knife" (Brave New World: 17)

"... that beautiful, beautiful Other Place, whose memory, as of a heaven, a paradise of goodness and loveliness, he still kept whole and intact, undefiled by contact with the reality of this real London, these actual civilized men and women."
-Page 201

I find this quote to be extremely ironic. John is sitting over his mother on her death bed, and he is recalling all of the happy times they had together. One of these happens to be when she would tell him stories of the Other Place, where people were civilized, unlike on the Reservation. He thought so highly of this Other Place, and wanted nothing more than to get to experience it for himself. HOWEVER, he does get to experience the Other Place, and he finds it to be a nightmare. He finds these people to be living a fake life controlled by a drug. Still yet, he won't let his findings tarnish the image he had of the Old Place from the stories his mother had told him. In his mind a heavenly place like he imagined still does exist somewhere. And this London, this outside world, was not the Old Place she had spoken of before. It is somewhat sad, but very ironic.

P.S. The title are lyrics from the song Ironic by Alanis Morissette.
P.P.S. She is kind of crazy, and this video is weird, but enjoy!

The Jim-Jams (Brave New World: 16)

"'A doctor a day keeps the jim-jams away,' he added heartily, driving home his hypnopaedic adage with a clap on the shoulder."
-Page 186

This quote is using an aphorism, also known as a maxim or epigram. This novel is chalk-full of aphorisms from the hypnopaedic messages that are permanently instilled into every persons mind. Another one that is repeated over and over throughout the story is, "every one belongs to every one else." These maxims are instinctly memorized by all the civilized people, and are taken to be true, yet a few individuals question them. I chose this particular epigram because it can only make sense in this futuristic world, and would not be said in our time period. Also, I can only imagine what Henry Foster's vision of "jim-jams" would be! It clearly relates to our saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Henry is only concerned for Lenina and wants to cheer her up, but she is clearly not in the mood. I find this aphorism to be humorous, and I had to make a blog about aphorisms since they are said in almost every chapter.

Say What?! (Brave New World: 15)

"'Ai yaa tákwa!' It was only in Zuni that the Savage could adequately express what he felt about the Arch-Community-Songster. 'Hani!' he added as an afterthought; and then (with what derisive ferocity!): 'Sons eso tse-na.' And he spat on the ground, as Popé might have done."
-Page 173

This quote is John yelling out of anger in his native language. The quote uses the vernacular language of John's old community. The author uses John's vernacular language here to show how completely angry John is at this moment. I'm sure these native words are some sort of cuss words that he had learned while living on the Reservation. Zuni is the language of the hateful words being screamed out by John. Bernard wants him John to come to his party and meet some important people, becuase they wanted to see the Savage. However, John was tired of being used as a way for Bernard to become popular and did not want to meet any more people interested in seeing him. Using John's vernacular language showed that the Savage was barbaric and had not come aquainted with this "civil" way-of-life yet.

The Director's Embarrassment (Brave New World: 14)

"...or rather the ex-Director, for the poor man had resigned immediately afterwards and never set foot inside the Centre again..."
-Page 153

In this quote we find out the result of Bernard's plan that he had been devising since he had visited the Reservation. The Director openly fired and degraded Bernard in front of a whole floor of workers. Bernard got his revenge though by introducing Linda and John to him, who revealed all of the Director's secrets, in front of everyone. The other workers were astonished and laughed uncontrollably at the scene. The Director was so embarrassed that he immediately resigned. The Director, or as Linda would say, Tomakin, was a static character in this novel. He did not change throughout the course of the story. He was a heartless, prideful man, who thought very highly of himself and his work. He was in control the entire story, but once he lost his power and was humiliated, he vanished. This static character was put in the story to be the problem that Bernard had to resolve.

(Brave New World: 13)

"Buzz, buzz! the hive was humming, busliy, joyfully."
-Page 147

In this quote, the author uses an onomatopoeia. Huxley creates the sound of a beehive with the words "Buzz, buzz!" This onomatopoeia is used to create the image of the beehive, and comapring it to the Bloomsbury Centre. The chaos and constant noise and movement at the Centre is similar to the comotion of a beehive. Babies are being "born," infants are being nurtuted and learning lessons through electric shock, and toddler's are sleeping and unknowingly being taught through hypnopaedic lessons. Workers are rapidly moving about. Some are whistling, others are conversing, and some are cracking jokes. Eggs are being fertilized, and conntrolled science is at constant work. Huxley wants the reader to understand that the Centre is a hectic place, filled with constant motion and sound. The buzzing sound helps create this image, in which the reader can relate.

Bernard's Motivation (Brave New World: 12)

"'I wonder if you'd like to come back to London with us?' he asked, making the first move in a campaign whose strategy he had been secretly elaborating ever since, in the little house, he had realized who the 'father' of this young savage must be."
-Page 138

The author reveals to the reader Bernard's motivation for asking John to come back with him and Lenina to London. He tells us that Bernard has a plan to bring back John to meet his real father, the Director. Revealing Bernard's motivation allows the reader to predict or start wondering what is going to happen next. I am not sure how Bernard is going to present John to the Director. He could just try to introduce them, or he might try to black mail the Director into letting him keep his job in London. I'm assuming that the Director will deny, in all ways, the legitimacy of John being his son, but I could be wrong. John is very excited to be able to leave the Reservation and experience the things Linda has been telling him about. He keeps referring to it as the "Brave New World." Bernard understand his excitement, but warns John that it is not as great as it might seem.

John's Hatred for Popé (Brave New World: 11)

"Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain."
-Page 132

This sentence is the thoughts of John towards Popé, a man who frequently sleeps with his mother. Again on page 133 John thinks to himself, "Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous... Like drums, like the men singing for the corn, like magic, the words repeated and repeated themselves in his head." These adjectives are applied to Popé and are used frequently to emphasize his characteristic quality. Therefore, Huxley has used an epithet to describe John's hatred towards Popé. The author lets the reader know that John hated Popé more than anything. Popé puts on a smile and acts as if he is kind, but John sees right past this. He sees him only as an evil villain. He cannot stand him and wants him dead. John hates this "remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain."

Bernard Makes the Connection (Brave New World: 10)

"Linda had come from the Other Place long ago, before he was born, with a man who was his father. (Bernard pricked up his ears.) She had gone walking alone in those mountains over there to the North, had fallen down a steep place and hurt her head. ('Go on, go on,' said Bernard excitedly.)"
-Page 118

The literary term suspense is used in this quote, and in this whole paragraph. The reader has a feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next. The reader is having the same thoughts as Bernard at this point. We knew the anecdote that the Director had told earlier about how he had lost a girl he was having when he was visiting the Reservation. John, the Indian boy telling the story and son of the lady, said that some hunters had found her and brought her to the Reservation where she has lived since. The reader and Bernard are making the connection that Linda, this lady, is in fact the woman the Director had had relations with, and conceived a son. The suspense builds within the reader to know more about what really happened, and how the Director and this woman have had a child together. Also, there is suspense in wanting to know what Bernard is going to do with this new found information. He is the only one to know the Director's secret, so I am wondering if Bernard might black mail him.

Savages (Brave New World: 9)

"'But how can they live like this?' she broke out in a voice of indignant incredulity.
- Page 109

This quote is using the literary term rhetorical question. Lenina did not actually expect a response to her question. It was more of a remark of amazement towards the poor conditions that the savages lived in. The purpose of the question was to create an effect for Lenina's disgust and confusion of these barbaric creatures. Lenina and Bernard are staying the night in the Reservation, but Lenina is starting to have second thoughts. She is somewhat appalled by the Reservation already, and keeps saying how she does not like it, even though she wanted to go. Bernard knows more about the savages than Lenina does, and explains that these people have been living like this for thousands of years. I find it ironic that Lenina doesn't get why they would live like that and she lives in a very futuristic, sophisticated civilization, and yet we may ask the same questions about Indians living in a reservation now. It seems no matter what period in time, some people like to live in a simple, old way and others prefer to be more advanced and civilized.

The Director's Anecdote (Brave New World: 8)

"'I had the same idea as you,' the Director was saying. 'Wanted to have a look at the savages.'"
-Page 96

This quote is just the beginning of an anecdote told by the Director to Bernard Marx. The Director was talking out loud, but was telling the story almost as if it were to himself. In fact, he harldy even realizes that Bernard is there. The brief story is about how he had gone to New Mexico before with a girl he was having and she had gotten lost during a storm. She was never found again, and the Director admitted that he was very upset and still dreams of her and that day. The Director later reassures Bernard that he did not have feelings for this girl and that their relationship was healthy and not longdrawn. I believe that the Director was lying when he said this. The author put the Director's anecdote into the plot, because it shows that the Director does have emotions and feelings even though he doesn't want others to know. The anecdote retracts the robot-like image that the Director has shown so far. He strongly believes in his work, so he can not let others see that he has emotions.

What is This Stuff? (Brave New World: 7)

"And yet, bottled as she was, and in spite of that second gramme of soma, Lenina did not forget to take all the contraceptive precautions prescribed by the regulations."
- Page 77

Soma has been referred too many times throughout the novel. Huxley has yet to tell the reader what this substance is though. Everyone seems to like soma, except Bernard Marx. I can not tell if it is a liquid or food or a pill or some other type of medicine. By context it seems to be some type of drug, but if it is, people are not afraid to take it in front of others. It was being served with meals and offered out to people as if it were a common thing. Also on page seventy-seven, it reads, "that second dose of soma had raised a quite impenetrable wall between the actual universe and their minds." That is another reason why I think it is a drug, because it seems to be causing a high. The drug seems to make Lenina, and the others who take it, to be happier. The author tells us that soma is taken in so regularly that Lenina doesn't even have to think about it. Since it has been mentioned so frequently, but has yet to be explained, I think soma will come up again throughout the novel, and will probably have a greater significance.

Bernard Marx's Jealousy (Brave New World: 6)

"...men who moved through the caste system as a fish through water..."
- Page 65

This quote is a simile that uses the word "as" to make an explicit comparison between the movement of specific men through a caste system and the movement of fish through water. It is understood that fish move very easily through water, and by comparison, the reader realizes that it is easy for these men to move through the caste system. The quote is the thoughts of Bernard Marx towards men such as Henry Foster and Benito Hoover. Bernard is expressing his jealousy towards men of a large stature that easily have control of humans in a lower caste. He explains that he feels uncomfortable bossing around lower classes. He is upset that even though he is of a higher class, he has a physical defect, where he is as small as a Delta. Rumor is that alcohol was accidentally put into his blood-surrogate, which gave him the defect. He is treated as an outsider to other Alphas because of his size. Bernard envies the control larger men have on a person in a lower caste.

Indirect Characterization (Brave New World: 5)

"'He's so ugly!' said Fanny.
'But I rather like his looks.'
'And then so small.' Fanny made a grimace; smallness was so horribly and typically low-caste.
'I think that's rather sweet' said Lenina."
-Page 46

This is just part of a conversation between Fanny Crowne and Lenina Crowne about choosing men. This particular quote is referring to Bernard Marx. Lenina had been only getting with Henry Foster, and sense "every one belongs to every one else" she was suggesting other guys to get with. She had been asked on a date by Bernard Marx and was going to say yes, but Fanny disagreed with her decision. In this quote the author uses indirect characterization. One can easily tell that Fanny is somewhat shallow and puts a lot of emphasis on looks and reputation. Lenina however, puts more thought into the guys she might get with. She thinks Bernard is a sweet guy and does not care what other people think of him. Just from this conversation the author reveals a lot of information about the characters. Huxley does not specifically say "this is how the characters are," so the characterization is indirect.

Local Color (Brave New World: 4)

"For a very long period before the time of Our Ford, and even for some generations afterwards, erotic play between children had been regarded as abnormal (there was a roar of laughter); and not only abnormal, actually immoral (no!): and had therefore been rigorously suppressed."
- Page 32

It is clear at this point that the setting of this novel is way in the future, and something had happened that had totally changed the ways of society. This quote uses the literary term local color to show a specific custom to this futuristic setting. Apparently in this setting, children are advised at a young age to engage in sexual activity. The Director tells the students that this was not always the case, and that "erotic play" was considered immoral for children and adolescents. The students, who knew not much at all about the past, were extremely surprised with this fact. The author emphasizes that the setting for this novel is not the same as ours, and gives a specific example of a difference. The parentheses in the sentence are the responses of the students to this new information. I'm curious to find out why "erotic play" is viewed as normal or even beneficial.

Quite an Image (Brave New World: 3)

"The screaming of the babies suddenly changed its tone. There was something desperate, almost insane, about the sharp spasmodic yelps to which they now gave utterance. Their little bodies twitched and stiffened; their limbs moved jerkily as if to the tug of unseen wires."
-Page 21

This quote from page twenty-one in Brave New World is using lots of imagery. Huxley creates an image for the reader by using sensory language. Words like screaming, tone, insane, yelps, twitched, stiffened, and jerkily all create a concrete sensation. The author could have simply said that the babies then started to scream louder. However, he knows that using strong imagery will create a much better visual for the reader to relate to. The reader can easily tell that the babies are experiencing great pain from the shocks by the author's imagery. With further reading, I found out that the purpose of the shocks were to create a fear for books and nature for these specific humans. Overtime the babies' subconscience will tell it to avoid books and nature.

How Many?!? (Brave New World: 2)

"'Sixteen thousand and twelve in this Centre,' Mr. Foster replied without hesitation."
- Page 8

Mr. Foster is first introduced on this page. He works for whatever company is producing these human beings. He appears to be some sort of main scientist or manager. The quote I used is his response to the Directors question of, "Can you tell us the record for a single ovary, Mr. Foster?" Sixteen thousand and twelve twins were produced from one ovary. And their Centre doesn't even have the record. This makes me wonder how this is even possible, and why this is even a desireable result? What about over-population? I'm sure my questions will be answered with more reading, but as of the first ten pages, confusion is evident.

First Impression (Brave New World)

First off, my internet is FINALLY fixed, and I am able to make posts/blogs. I only wish it wasn't three days before the first twenty blogs are due. Oh well, better late than never.

"... and, leading his charges to the work tables, actually showed them how this liquor was drawn off from the test-tubes; how it was let out drop by drop onto the specially warmed slides of the microscopes; how the eggs which it contained were inspected for abnormalities, counted and transferred to a porous receptacle;"
-page 5

Upon reading this quote, with no prior knowledge of the plot, I assumed that these eggs were eggs of some type of alien or super-human. I also pictured a scene from Jurassic Park, where the scientists are working with DNA and eggs and creating dinosaurs. The D.H.C. who was taking the students on a tour seemed excessively proud of the work being done in this building. The students were very obedient and seemed almost like robots. On page 6, the author specifies that these creatures being bred are in fact "human beings." Now, I'm interested! What is this book all about?