Journal #7

Disguise and deceit is a common theme throughout all of the three plays. In Oedipus The King the disguise is what the prophet knows and what Oedipus doesn’t know. In The Wild Duck it is what Gina knows that Hjalmar doesn’t know, and in Blood Wedding it seems to be what the Bride knows that the Bridegroom doesn’t know. This repeated theme involves relationships and lies. The lies demonstrated in these books are not so much lies as they are deceits. The characters who are hiding something don’t flat out lie, but they do avoid the truth.

In Oedipus the King, Oedipus doesn’t know that he did anything wrong. He never knew that his wife was his mother. Sophocles explores a different kind of disguise in Oedipus’ story because no one in particular is lying to Oedipus. However his life was a lie. The prophet who talked to Oedipus didn’t lie to him he just didn’t tell him the truth.

In the Wild Duck, Ibsen presents us with a whole family with a bunch of secrets. They all pretend that everything is alright. When Gregers tries to uncover the truth to Hjalmar, everything goes wrong. In this play there are a few actual liars, Old Werle and Gina. This contrasts with Oedipus The King because a few people who actually caused the mess are the people who are avoiding the truth.

In Blood Wedding, Lorca is very ambiguous. In the beginning it seems that the Bride is having a lot of doubts and the antagonist seems to be Leonardo. I don’t know what is going to happen next but I don’t think that the Bride ran away with Leonardo. I feel like he took her away. So in that case I think Leonardo is the liar. For example his wife wanted him to ride on the cart to the wedding but he refused and rode his horse instead. Later he and the Bride ran away on that horse. I have a feeling he planned to escape. He never told a lie though. He was never asked directly if he was doing anything like that. He deceived everyone to make it seem like they ran off together. However, if the bride was in on it then she was the one who deceived her family and the Bridegroom.

Comments!

Matt "The Wild Duck Journal #2"

I think you should add that imagery plays a big part in that theme. "depths of the water" and what you mentioned. Maybe even describe the Flying Dutchman and how he could be symbolic of something.

Omar "The Wild Duck: Journal 6"

Thats deep. Good job. You should ellaborate more on the affair and the lies though.

Anthony N. "Wild Duck Journal #2"

I thought it was cool how you talked about the differences between books and plays. That could be an essay topic. You would have to have a book example though. So you could contrast the boring and exciting parts. Please explain more about the way the author took the boring parts out of the play

Journal #6

In "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, Sophocles creates an underlying question in the play. Is the prophecy true? Did Oedipus really kill his dad and sleep with his mom? To answer this question Sophocles uses the metaphor of blindness, both literally and metaphorically. This is also used in "The Wild Duck" by Ibsen. But the question in Ibsen's play is what is the big secret that Gina is hiding and who is Hedvig's real dad? Both of the authors use characterization to answer these questions.

In "Oedipus the King", the prophet is the character that helps open Oedipus' eyes. In "The Wild Duck", Gregers is the character that opens the eyes of the family. Both stories have families that are built on lies causes by the father figure (who often loves power, and is blind to the lies in the family). Both Sophocles and Ibsen answer these questions with characters that expose the truth to the fathers.

The connection between the two plays is the blindness of the fathers and the two characters that try to give them vision. In "Oedipus the King", the chorus says, "How can I say you've chosen for the best? Better to die than be alive and blind". This quote shows how the characters in both books seek the truth even if it brings them unhappiness. Like that saying goes, ignorance is bliss. That would have been the other option if it wasn't for the prophet and Gregers.

Journal #5

"Although doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one."

There is doubt and uncertaity in both Ibsen and Sophocles' plays. The doubt comes from Hjalmer in Ibsen's play and in Oedipus in Sophocles' play. The doubt is created by the situations they are in. They are both in unstable social conditions. They both doubt there marriages and the truth. There knowledge is tested and they become curious. Since they are both assertive and powerful, they pursue this knowledge. Yet they are uncertain because they don't want the truth to hurt them. Even if it sets them free of doubt.

Oedipus doubts the fact that his wife is not his mom and that the man he killed was not his dad. He is so curious to know the truth but he is also uncertain about what that truth might bring his future. No one would want to find out that their wife was there mom, or that they had killed there dad. Especially if that person thought of himself as a great and amazing leader. Oedipus proves that he is uncertain when he says, "Always, terrified Apollo's oracle might come true-" (217). This quote also illustrates how he doubted his marriage all of the time. He was constantly trying to find something to prove that his wife was not his mom. He talks about how he ran away from his parents so that that could never happen.

Gregers doubts the happiness of the Ekdal family. He wanted to reveal the truth about Werle to Hjalmer so he doesn't have to endure what his dad went through. "[...] Hjalmar I can free from all the lies and evasions that are smothering him here" (176). Gregers is trying to make up for what has been done wrong in this family. Gina also seems to be uncertain about a lot of things. She is always hesitant to let people hear things or do things. She seems to be worried about appearances and keeping things from people.

Journal #4

THE WILD DUCK:

I think the setting in act 1 is a big deal because it is only in the house and there are a lot of people in the house.The stage directions create a very good picture of the house. The setting in this play is definitely a lot more modern that "Oedipus the King". "A richly and comfortably furnished study, with bookcases and upholstered furniture," This stage direction shows that the house is a very nice one. There are also servants and waiters.
The culture of this time seems to be very conscious of appearances. I can tell this because the stage directions in the beginning make it seem like the hosts are trying to hard to impress. "In from the dining room come laughter and the hum of many voices in conversation; a knife clinks upon a glass; silence; a toast is made; cries of 'Bravo'", The clinking of the glass shows that they are trying to act very upper class. They are clearly trying to impress there guests. Also later the guests seem uppity when they notice that the number of people there is one more than it usually is.
I have also noticed a lot of ambiguity in the characters speech. "Oh, Gregers, lets not talk about that." They are very good at avoiding subjects.

Journal #3

Dear Ismene,
Life as we know it has changed so dramaticaly. I don't understand how one seconed we are perfectly normal women and the next we are dirty and bad. Mothers death was tragic, but don't worry. Look on the bright side of the situation, sister, if mother was still alive, life would be harder to bear than it is already. I dispise how we are always looked at like animals now. We were forced to leave our palace! Where will we live now Ismene! I hope we go somewhere far away. Our reputations were ruined! How will anyone not know about Oedipus by the time we reach there. Where did they take daddy! How could he not know that mom was his mom! I think this is really unfair Ismene!

Antigone

Journal #2

The plot in this play moves along very smoothly because there is a lot of ironic foreshadowing that is somewhat humorous and enjoyable for the reader. When Jocasta says, “I come with prayers and offerings … I beg you, cleanse us, set us free of defilement!”. She uses the word ‘cleanse’, which has connotations of cleaning something dirty or riding it from sin. This foreshadows the fact the she is Oedipus’ mom.

The chorus in this play serves as a control in the situation because it knows the truth. The chorus is sort of like a conscience that the characters can’t quiet grasp onto. The chorus trusts that the prophecies will come true, and they do. It also helps the plot move along because it has a neutral position in this controversy. It sees the truth clearly because of this neutrality. “Destiny guide me always/Destiny find me filled with reverence/pure in word and deed” (209). This quote proves that the chorus trusts the Gods and respects them. This also contrasts with Oedipus because throughout the whole play he is questioning the prophecies and treating them like he is beyond them and more important than them. He juxtaposes with the chorus because he trusts what the chorus says but he doesn’t actually listen until the end. Oedipus tried to change his destiny and it didn’t work. So the chorus was correct in the end.

Journal #1

Dear Diary,

I am torn. I accused Creon of killing Laius but I really killed him! What if Laius was my father? Would that not mean that Jocasta is my mom. No way. She isn’t my mom. I would never be so dumb. I am awesome.

I vividly remember the day that I killed those travelers. I was running away from my foster parents after they told me the truth. I couldn’t stand to be with them anymore. I thought that there was no way the prophecy would come true if I ran away. I was hiking through the hills when a bunch of travelers started harassing me. I had to kill them in self defense. I had no choice. How could that so called prophet call me blind and corrupt. I am perfect.

If the prophecy did come true my whole life would be cursed. I don’t believe that the Gods would want this for me! I can’t imagine that. No free will. I would be destined to live that awful corrupt life of brutality.

Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda by hotdogccm on Polyvore.com

Journal #3

This novel criticizes and warns people about anti-feminism. The society in this book is very controlling of women. They make it seem like it is fair and good but they are just taking away women’s freedoms to give them safety. This book warns people about the reversal of women’s rights. The citizens of this new country are placed in different categories. The women are either Handmaids, Wives, Prostitutes, Aunts, Daughters, or Econo-Wives. The men are Commanders, Guardians, Eyes, or Angles. There are strict rules placed on the women of this society more than the men. For instance the men are commanders and policemen while the women are just wives and prostitutes. The women aren’t even aloud to read. This is a form of mind control and suppresses the women in this society a lot. The author, Margaret Atwood, creates a powerful message towards women of this reversal of women’s rights. She really shows us that we shouldn’t take things for granted and that women have to keep fighting to make sure their new found rights are kept. This society seems almost like a science fiction society because of the infertility. But overall the book sends a very powerful message of suppression to the extreme. Atwood uses flashbacks a lot in this book to give her reader a constant reminder of how things used to be for Offred. It is a juxtaposition of past and present and how much women’s freedoms have changed. Readers are hopeful for Offred when they find out about the resistance groups and that the Commander, Nick, Ofglen, and even Serena help Offred along the way.

Journal #2

I am currently on page 218 in The Handmaid’s Tale.

Offred doesn’t like the Republic but she is very passive. She is victimized by the Republic because she is forced to be a Handmaid. She had a choice to either become a Handmaid, become a prostitute or be sent to the colonies where people die from the conditions. Offred, being the passive person that she is, chose to stay a Handmaid. She lives in a house with a Commander and his wife. Her job is to make babies for the couple. She resists the rules by breaking little ones. For instance she uses butter as lotion every night. The Handmaids aren’t aloud to have lotion because the only thing they need to take care of is their uterus. She also steals small things from the living room and hides them in her bedroom. This makes her feel like she has power over her life. This resistance is only successful on a internal level. By breaking the little rules she isn’t changing the society, but she is making it easier on herself. Offred also resists by having sex with the Commander’s chauffeur to better her chances of getting pregnant. This is a very big deal because if she doesn’t get pregnant then she will be considered useless and forced to become a prostitute or be sent to a colony. Also, if she gets caught with this man she will be in big trouble. The worst punishment would be hanging her on the Wall. If she is successful and she becomes pregnant, she will be able to stay a Handmaid.

IMAGE: http://media.photobucket.com/image/Handmaid's%20Tale%20Martha/jolly_kraken/Handmaids%2520Tale/all_flatBLUR.jpg

Journal #1

THE SOCIETY: The Handmaid’s Tale

“These men, we’ve been told, are like war criminals. It’s no excuse that what they did was legal at the time: their crimes are retroactive. They have committed atrocities and must be made into examples, for the rest.Though this is hardly needed. No woman in her right mind, these days, would seek to prevent a birth,should she be so lucky as to conceive.

What we are supposed to feel towards these bodies is hatred and scorn. This isn’t what I feel. These bodies hanging on the Wall are time travelers, anachronisms. They’ve come here from the past.

What I feel toward them is blankness. What I feel is that I must not feel. What I feel is partly relief, because none of these men is Luke. Luke wasn’t a doctor. Isn’t” (33)

This society is called The Republic of Gilead. It is located where America used to be. There are Commanders who have a Wife, Marthas, Guardians and a Handmaid. Angles are soldiers and Eyes are the people who find out who is breaking laws. Handmaids are fertile women who are supposed to provide the Commander with babies. Aunts train the Handmaids.

It seems that the primary goal of this community is to make babies and follow the rules.People are closely watched in this society. There are Eyes, Guardians, and Angles who help enforce rules and laws. This society blames infertility on women only. They won’t believe that men can be infertile. Women are not allowed to read. At the market the signs on the booths are pictures. They are allowed to have two walks a day. Each walk has two different ways you can go. The churches were turned into museums, but they still use the bible. They have to go through fertilizing ceremonies. The Wife and the Handmaid have to hold hands during this. The punishment for breaking any law is to be hung on the Wall. There seem to be 3 to 5 people hanging on the Wall a day. Offred tries not to feel anything when she sees them. She usually sees doctors, scientists, and priests/pastors.

The Handmaids Tale Art!

I plan on drawing something too.

Journal #9

FINAL THESIS:

Camus uses mostly simple descriptions of setting and characters to reference the unemotional, selfish mental state of an isolated person.

Journal #8

 
I enjoyed The Stranger a lot because Camus does a great job of illustrating the inner thoughts and feelings of a person with a strange philosophy on life. Camus creates an insight into this philosophy and forces the reader to sympathize with people like Meursault.

Journal #7

THESIS: Camus uses mostly simple descriptions to reference the mental state of an isolated person.

1. "It's dirty. Lots of pigeons and dark courtyard. Everybody's pale" (42)
2. "The noise was getting painful" (75)
3. "A few minutes later, it got dark" (72)
4. "It was nice and he agreed" (51)
5. "[...] and we felt a closeness as we moved in unison and were happy" (50)
6. "She was staring right at me" (86)
7. "It was very hot" (3)
8. "She sniffled a lot" (11)
9. "The boss was nice" (25) 

During the trial Meursault remembers his life vividly. This contrasts the way Meursault described things before the murder.

1. "[...] the big fans were still churning the thick air in the courtroom and the jorors' brightly colored fans were all moving in unison" (103)
2. "My head was spinning with heat and astonishment" (102)
3. "[...] what rose to meet me was the silence in the courtroom, silence and the strange feeling I had when I noticed that the young reporter had turned his eyes away" (106)
4. "He was very talkative and spoke to me more confidently and cordially than he ever had before" (106)
5. "But all the long speeches , and the interminable days and hours that people had spent talking about my soul, had left me with the impression of a colorless swirling river that was making me dizzy" (104)
6. "In the end all I remember is that while my lawyer went on talking, I could hear through the expanse of chambers and courtrooms an ice cream vendor blowing his tin trumpet out in the street" (104)
7. "I was assailed by memories of a life that wasn't mine anymore" (104)

He still had troubles with his emotions

1. "I wasn't thinking about anything anymore" (107)
2. "But my heart felt nothing, and I couldn't even return her smile" (105)

Journal #6

1. Does Camus show a change in Meursault’s philosophy by having him think about less physical things during the trial?
2. Is Camus showing the reader that Meursault has a mental condition by using indifferent words when describing the shooting?
3. Why does Camus use a depressing tone in the court room?
4. Is Camus trying to show a change in Meursault when he suddenly tries to defend himself? “I blurted out that it was because of the sun. People laughed” (103)
5. Is Camus showing Meursault as an absurdist by using a short sentence structure and limited adjectives?

Journal #5

 I think Camus split the novel into two parts to show a change in Meursault. He becomes more emotional in part II.

Journal #4

1. Why does the translator use the word "indifference" when he is explaining the Arabs' faces?
2. Why does Camus have Meursault talk about Marie so much?
3. Why doesn't Meursault feel happy on the beach with Marie? He only feels a little happier.
4. Does the sun bother Meursault a lot because he doesn't like being warm?
5. Does Marie put up with Meursault because he is fascinating? Why does she stay with him?
6. Why does Camus make the Arabs seem completely innocent? It makes Meursault look like an antagonist.

Journal #3

Intellectuistic

1. There is a God and he gives us choices. Those choices put us on specific paths.
   
2. The theory of evolution is accurate.
   
3. Happiness is more important than wealth.
   
4. There are five parts of life that have to be balanced. Health is the most important.
   • Health
     
   • Friends
     
   • Family
     
   • Work
     
   • and Education
5. Never become close minded. Always be pragmatic and make the right decision.
   
6. Beauty isn’t everything.
   
7. People should educate themselves and become active members in society because everyone can contribute in different ways.
   
8. There is more bad than good in the world but having beauty in life covers most of the bad.
   
9. Hard work now and happiness will come later.
   
10. Not everybody had to believe the same things. It is important that everyone is unique.

These ideals developed in my childhood and from my education. I grew up in a wide variety of surroundings with very liberal parents. I got to see poor people and rich people, bad places and good places, and a wide variety of religions. In my free time I read books about philosophy and religion. Kierkegaard  had a lot of influence on my philosophy. I would say that I am pragmatic and liberal. I am not afraid to change my mind or defend my philosophies. I enjoy finding myself in my art. It is my way of expressing my self and I have learned so much about myself through my research of art. The study of architecture also changed my look on life because art and beauty have a huge impact on everyone whether they know it or not. Your surroundings can effect who you are because you see them everyday. Everything has an idea behind it and it reminds you of that idea everyday. This can be inspiring to some people or boring to others. Everyone sees things differently and that is ok.

Journal #2

Part one: According to your work today in class, which translator would you argue has the most literary value and why? I liked Ward’s translation better because it was written in a simpler way. This added to the books theme. Diction and syntax were simple and short.

Part two: The Indifferent. I chose this word because Meursault says, “[…] my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings” (Camus 65). Meursault thinks that he would have feelings if he didn’t have physical needs. He is indifferent, emotionally, to the world around him. Especially when Marie asks him to marry her.