This blog is a place to leave comments about readings and also to check on assignments, due dates et al. It will be updated frequently!
Monday, December 20, 2010
"Can't repeat the past?" Why, of course you can!"
gatsby quote analysis
Gatsby final quotes
1. "Can't repeat the past?" Why, of course you can!"
2. "I hate careless people. That's why I like you."
3. "I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that's the idea you can count me out."
4. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts."
5. "It doesn't matter any more. Just tell him the truth -- that you never loved him -- an it's wiped out forever."
6. "They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together."
7. "They were careless people....They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money...and let other people clean up their messes."
8. "Oh you want too much! I love you now... isn't that enough? I can't help what's past."
9. "Gatsby turned out all right in the end -- it's what preyed upon him, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of man."
10. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us....so we beat on, boats against the tide, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
Friday, December 17, 2010
Socratic seminar questions about Gatsby
1. Tom Armstrong, a literary critic, wrote in the magazine Zen Unbound: "It is easy to dislike Tom and identify him as the villain of the book...But Tom clearly is trapped by his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life. He is blocked in his spiritual development by the very success he has over others. And for that, despite everything, he should have our sympathy." Do you agree with Armstrong's opinion. Do you think Fitzgerald provides enough motivation to allow the reader to be sympathetic towards Tom? Support your assertions with quotes from the text. (Think especially about chapter 7).
2. Again, in the article Zen Unbound, Armstrong writes of Daisy that "delusion is her shield, her warm fur coat; but this should not be taken to mean that we must view her as a bad person." Do you agree or disagree with this statement.
3. A writer once said: "We cannot judge people from their actions; it is from their careless conversations and half-finished sentences that we may hope with the greatest probability to discover people's real characters." Use this quote as your thesis statement and discuss how the seemingly meaningless comments and half-finished sentences in The Great Gatsby reveal character.
4. George's delusions about the billboard being God leads him to the fateful act of Chapter 8. But what was Fitzgerald's real purpose and meaning for the billboard advertising T.J. Eckleberg's services. What does this billboard symbolize? Support your assertion with quotes from the text.
5. In the same article, Tom Armstrong suggests that Nick and Mr. McKee had a sexual encounter at the end of the party in Chapter 2. What do you think? And if you think they did, what purpose would this serve in the scheme of the novel? Support your assertions with quotes from the text.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Scarlet Letter Question #3
3. What is the moral of the story? Cite an example or lines from the text to support your opinion.
Scarlet Letter Question #2
Cite an example from the text to support your opinion in your comment to this post.
2. What is Hawthorne's view of women?
Scarlet Letter Question #1
Was Hawthorne criticizing or embracing the Puritan world? Cite an example from the text to support your opinion.
Make sure your comment is edited for grammar and spelling please.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Road
If I were to meet Cormac McCarthy it would probably only be in some coffee shop or restaurant. But if I were to pick where I met him, it would probably have to be in a world much like the book itself. I would only have one question for him, "Is this what you believe the earth will be like in the future?". Honestly, I think the book is great. It has no reason to why this event has happened, it simply has and you have to except it. The setting is always dark mooded and barren, almost a solitude to it. The world itself appears dead. The way he writes the book is very different from most others I've read. He has very many long running sentences, as if he replaced a bunch of the periods with ands instead. And there is no actual dialogue, no sentences with parenthesis. There aren't any names at all for any characters. There isn't even any hint or description as to where they are in the world.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Meeting Kate Brian
I had only been standing in line for only a few minutes since the line was sort of small, suddenly I was at the beginning of the line. “I just have to know, what inspired you to write a book that exposed not only the beauty of another culture, but the ugly truth behind it?” I asked her.
“Well, I find great joy in volunteering, giving back to the less fortunate in our communities, and I wanted to spark that enthusiasm in my readers.” She said thoughtfully. “At the same time I wanted to educate them on the fact that it’s not just our communities that need help, that we all need to put aside our selfish ways and help each other all around the world. If we allow ourselves to do that there is no telling how many wonderful people we will meet, and how many more opportunities open up.”
“Have you ever been to India, because the imagery in the book is so detailed, and the knowledge of the culture is very in depth?” I asked while she was signing my copy of the book.
“Actually, that was the hardest part of writing this book for me. It took a lot of research, and luckily I have a friend who used to live in India for a long time. She set me up with a series of pen pals in order to come up with ideas for characters within my book. That is actually how I got most of the names for the book.” She said. She then gave me my book and turned her attention to the next person in line.
Going Bovine Review
Into the Wild
If I were to meet Krakauer in a coffee shop I would like to ask him a few questions. I would like to know if he believed that McCandless was mentally ill or if he believed he was wiser than us all. I would like to know if Krakauer believed that it was justifiable that he leaved his family without a word of notice. One of my biggest question would have been that, why did he believe that McCandless always tried to push himself to the edge to his utter demise?
Krakauer would have insight on the inner psychi of McCandless and would be able to answer the questions I would inquire. From inteviews I have read I realized how intelligent Krakauer is and how he has the ability to give his opinions about his book Into the Wild.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Now that you're finished with your book
When you finish a book, you should have a reaction to being done. (Besides relief). Sometimes, that reaction is a wish that the book hadn't ended. Once in a while you might want to hurl it across the room because you're so upset at the way it ended! You might also feel as if there were some questions left unanswered.
In this reading log, I'd like you to pretend you have just run into the author of your book somewhere in his or her world or yours. Set the scene, (coffee shop, racetrack, orbiting in space....) and then have a dialogue with the author in which you pose a question or let him/her know what you think about it.
The point of this post is to answer this question in a creative way: If you could meet the author of your book now that you are finished, what would you say to him or her?
Have some fun with it!
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Road
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Lucky T
Before Carrie sets off on her adventure to India she is extremely superstitious and self-centered. The whole reason she went in the first place was not to join the Help India program to make a positive difference in the world, but to get back her lucky T. Instead of letting go of the T-shirt she convinces her mother to let her go half way around the world to find it, by convincing her that she really wants to help in the Help India movement. Later on in the book, however, she discovers that bad luck might not have been the worst thing in the world, because it leads her to India where she finds love, and a passion for helping others. While it may be easiest to live your life with the comfort of good luck, it might not always mean you will have the most fulfilling life. Her views at the end of the book are so much different about her lucky T, that when she finally finds it she doesn’t take it back. When she finds her shirt, it is on a poor little girl living in a shelter. She is bruised from being beaten by her uncle. It is then that Carrie realizes that even if the T-shirt is good luck, that this little girl needs it more than she does. It took her traveling halfway around the world to realize that she was lucky all along, and that someone needed that hope more than she did. At the end of her journey she is no longer superstitious and selfless, completing a complete transformation.
Lucky T
I chose this book because of the diverse settings and culture within the book, and how easy it is to relate to a girl my age since it is written about a girl the same age as me. My favorite passage so far is found on page 273 when she reaches her mental turning point. “Carrie had been blessed with a lot of luck that summer, both good and bad, and the result of it all was- she was happy.” She finally realizes that good luck isn’t everything, and being over lucky might lead you down the easiest path, but maybe not the most rewarding one.
McCandless wanted to challenge himself and experience what it truly ment to be alive. He believed that life was a test and he was willing to put all he had into making his life worth something. He wanted to be overwhelmed with the passion of adventure and experiencing new and different things. McCandless even said the encounters and experiences he went through made him out of the ordinary and allowed him to have "a new and different sun" everyday of his life.
The Road
The Road fits in perfectly with the second half of the quote:
Tom V's Assignment
This book relates to the quote because the travelers have a somewhat clear dream of what they think their adventure is. It’s only somewhat clear in the way that they themselves have a perfect vision, but since their high off their rockers the “normal” people have no idea what they’re on about. Also in the way that the travellers are not only “looking for a revelation”, they believe they have found the revelation and are traveling to promote it.
And of course the whole book heavily discusses the hardships involved in being a free spirited gypsy/hippie/drug advocate. Of course you have to deal with the fact you have no home, no one who loves you, no known purpose in this world, and your self-destructive drug habits. Plus you have to constantly listen to people remind you of all these things 24/7!
Being a physcodelic-pioneer is a very demanding job. The job itself entails dreaming almost nonstop, and being an outcast. So it seems in all aspects that this quote is perfectlly describing the book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
The main character of Going Bovine, Cameron Smith, is definitely being tested throughout his journey. On this trip, he is looking for someone. The person is a certain “Dr. X” who has a cure for his sickness, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, which is the human equivalent to mad cow disease. A strange angel dressed in fishnet stockings and boots appears before Cameron to tell him of his mission: “You’ve got to find Dr. X, get him to close the wormhole before the planet goes up in flames. Before everything is obliterated.” While on his journey, he also has to avoid scary fire gods and a knight dressed in a black metal space suit with a sword.
This quote describes Going Bovine perfectly. Throughout Cameron’s travels with his friend Gonzo, they go through cities, like
“Travel is mostly about dreams.” This part of the quote says a lot about Going Bovine. It seems like everything is a dream to Cameron. The travels to
Saturday, September 25, 2010
In The Perfect storm, The main characters are the crew of the Andrea Gail. They are Robert "Bobby" Shatford, who was embarking on his last trip on the Andrea Gail to pay off child support from his former marriage, and would later settle down with his fiance, Christina Cotter. The cook, Dale Murphy, also had a failed marriage however he and his former wife remained close after the divorce for their three year old son. Alfred Pierre was a Jamaican from New York who is very shy but respected for his work ethic. James Sullivan, or "Sully," is well known in Gloucester for saving his entire crew during a storm at sea. He embodies the stereotypical Gloucester fisherman. He is tough, and callous, and it is evident in his speech, personality, and behavior. Michael Moran is considered to be the "different" character, as he has an inconsistent personality and is often enthused then reserved. The Andrea Gail is captained by Billy Tyne, who had a failed marriage with Jodi Tyne. Billy Tyne is well respected as a captain and for fishing success.
The quote in which we are responding to relates to my book in that each of these characters motives are similar, and differ in many ways. The culture in Gloucester, Massachusetts is that of a poor, working class society. The greatest source of profit is its fishing industry. Every crew member on board the Andrea Gail was in search of profit to make a living, or in Bobby's case, to pay off child care and start a new life with Christina. The crew is not in search of revelation or a test, they are in search of profit.
The life of a fisherman is that of hardship. Being a fisherman from Gloucester is a prestigious honor and is something each of the crew take great pride in. Gloucester men are known for their perseverance and determination, regardless of the consequences at hand. They have endured hard storms, and have lost countless battles with them. For each of the members of the Andrea Gail, it is a challenge they are willing to pursue.
Friday, September 24, 2010
More road musings
One writer said, "Travel is mostly about dreams—dreaming of landscapes or cities, imagining yourself in them, murmuring the bewitching place names, and then finding a way to make the dream come true. The dream can also be one that involves hardship, slogging through a forest, paddling down a river, confronting suspicious people, living in a hostile place, testing your adaptability, hoping for some sort of revelation."
In this post, apply the quote to your "road" book. Is the author/protagonist hoping for some sort of revelation? Being tested? If your book is more of a psychic quest than a physical journey, you still should be able to find a connection.
Your post should be lengthy and meaty. It also should be well-written and edited for such things as punctuation and spelling.
I'm looking forward to reading these Monday. Don't forget that your book should be read by Tuesday.
Dark Trail - Hiram King
The book I'm reading is called Dark Trail by Hiram King. I chose this book because after reading what it was about, it sparked my interest. It also won an award so I figured that it would be a good book. From what I have read so far, the book has passed my expectations. It has great dialogue and a pretty cool plot line to go along with it. One example of dialogue and the realistic characteristics of all the characters on page 25. The main character, Bodie, ventures into a town and buys some food for his horse. While there, the man in the general store shows great hospitality. He tells Bodie that "Corn's in the barrel there. Two bits' worth is one bucket. If you was to git more, I wouldn't notice it." Bodie declines his offer, but I believe that by adding such dialogue to the story, the imagery is much more clear.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Road - Ethan
I chose The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I chose it because it was recommended to me last year. I sort of blew it off until this year when I saw it on the list of suggested "road" books. It is exceeding my expectations by a lot; it's not at all what I expected. One passage that particularly struck me as significant (and there have been a lot of them) was on page 111, "They walked through the streets wrapped in the filthy blankets. He held the pistol at his waist and held the boy by the hand. At the farther edge of town they came upon a solitary house in a field and they crossed and entered and walked through the rooms. They came upon themselves in a mirror and he almost raised the pistol. "It's us, Papa", the boy whispered, "It's us."
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Into the Wild
The Road
The book I'm reading is The Road which was written by Cormac McCarthy. I chose this book because I have seen the movie and would like to see the difference between that and the book. I actually had a couple of passages really hit me. At one point in the story, the father says to the son, "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget",(Pg. 12). Another passage is about the father's belief of dreams. "He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril and all else was the call of languor and of death",(Pg. 18). These passages hit me because there the moral lessons of the book, and I believe they are true.
The Road by: Cormac McCarthy
The Perfect Storm
I am reading The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger. I chose this book because I've always been attracted to the sea, and stories about the sea. Another reason why I was attracted to this book is its relevance to my family. The story is about Gloucester fisherman, and both sides of my family all live in Marblehead, Massachusetts, which is in close proximity to Gloucester and has the same deep tradition in fishing and maritime. In the first few chapters I've read, not much has happened that really moved me. The introduction however really sets the pace of the book by describing how a bottle was found in the ocean with a note inside of it. The date was from 1896, and it told of a ship and a crew that was facing an inevitable end. The sailor wrote about how his crew mates were responding to it. I find this moving in that the feeling must be so helpless, knowing your ship is sinking and no one is there to help you.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom's book
The title of my book is The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, by Tom Wolfe. The story is about a crazy physcedelic drug pioneer who gets out of jail, and then plans to travel the country spreading the word about a new frontier. He travels with his band of “Merry Pranksters” and speaks about what is known as the Acid graduation. At this point in my reading, I feel like my brain has been repeatedly beaten with a jar of mayonnaise. This book is wild and confusing.
I chose this book because it looked the most interesting on the list of books Ms. Lannin suggested. I thought it sounded funky and hip, and I had no idea what I was getting in to. So far this book is insane and it feels like i’m watching an abstract painting from the 60s through a kaleidoscope. So in a twisted way, you could indeed say this book is meeting (and surpassing) my expectations.A passage that pretty much sums up this book goes as follows, “the San Fransisco symbol of “bad”- thousands of neon-magenta martini glasses bouncing and streaming down the hill, and beneath them hundreds, thousands of people wheeling around to look at this freaking crazed truck we’re in, their white faces erupting from their lapels like marshmallows-streaming and bouncing down the hill.” Do you have any idea what any of that gibberish means? That’s what I thought, and that is only from page 1! This essentially sums up the entire book as far as I’ve read. It makes your mind hurt. As in, it literally causes you to experience pain while you are reading it.
Going Bovine - Brittany's Road Book
Saturday, September 18, 2010
First independent reading log for your "road book"
By Thursday's class, I would like you to post the answers to these questions about your "road book." It would be nice if you answered all the questions in 1-2 coherent paragraphs.
1. What is the title of your book and who is it by? (Please feel free to attach a photo of it to go with your post).
2. Why did you choose this book? Is it meeting your expectations?
3. Share a significant passage you've read so far (tell us the page # too) and say why you were moved to choose it.