A Man Lost in Between

Kurtz and the Magistrate are both men lost in between the world of their homeland and the world of the natives they preside over. After being immersed in the new lands for so long, the men change. Kurtz, from The Heart of Darkness, embarked on his mission to further the economy of his homeland. He was a main connection to the heart of Africa where he lived for many years. However, when first met by Marlow he seems to have lost much of his western lifestyle. Kurtz seems completely assimilated with the natives, and they seem to respect him. He came to the place as an explorer and left the place a new person. Kurtz was not a native though. His dying words exclaim of the mysterious “horror” and his postscript wishes for the natives to be exterminated. Where did this come from? Kurtz is clearly not the man he was before Africa; he has lost much of his western attitude and behavior. Nor is Kurtz true to Africa; he wants to kill its people! He is lost in between. He has become a unique type of man, forgotten in the convoluted twists of imperialism. In Waiting for the Barbarians the Magistrate has experienced something similar to Kurtz. He has lived on the frontier for thirty years. At the beginning of his stay, he was a man of the Empire, loyal and against the barbarians. After so long observing the native people, the Magistrate has become captivated by the culture and history of the area. He does not see them as a threat. Instead, he spends his days collecting and exploring the lands. He never fully learns the history, ways, or even language of the nomadic people of his region. But there is no doubt he has changed. With the arrival of Joll, it is clear the Magistrate is no longer in agreement with the Empire. He even extends his favor of the natives by hosting a native woman. He eventually returns her and is not met kindly by her people. Also, she rejects him and does leave. Toward the end of the novel, it is clear he is a lost man. The Empire has abused and abandoned him, but he is also afraid of the barbarians. The Magistrate does not belong to either world. Both he and Kurtz are explorers caught within their explorations.

Barbarian morals

Waiting for the Barbarians is thus far a juxtaposing journey of morals and reality. The book immediately features two officers of the Empire with differing views. One, wearing “two little discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes in loops of wire”, treats the barbarians with disdain and views them as a threat. The other, the magistrate, has been around these nomads for nearly thirty years. He thinks they are a harmless people. He supports this view as he quietly tries to help the prisoners the other officer has collected. The magistrate is limited because he knows anything drastic will make him appear as an old officer stuck in the field too long. After the other officer is gone, he begins to indirectly patch things up. The magistrate takes care of a near blind “barbarian” girl left behind. I think deep down he thinks he is helping those people, or making things right by doing so. While his morals are in the right place, the reality instead, seems a little greedy. Given an absence of companionship in his long stay on the front, it seems he is only motivated to cure his loneliness. The two remain together and yet not close for quite sometime. One day, the magistrate makes the bold moving of attempting to return her to her people. Here, he is very selfless. Because of that, and because they are in a new environment, away from peering eyes, the two become much closer than ever before. They are even able to consummate their peculiar relationship. The reality is, she leaves him and her stay with him has probably degraded his leadership role in his community. However, the magistrate’s morals have been respectful and with good intentions. He is not the most likeable character, but only because of the confusing circumstance. He cannot run things the way he would wish because it would be against the Empire. The way he treats the girl is sweet but a bit unusual. If the magistrate should either come full circle and act in true consistency with his morals or succumb to the ways of the Empire, his character could be better understood. Yet, his perplexing nature makes him unpredictable; and therefore, makes the next section more suspenseful.

Letters from Conrad

§ 9 letters written by Joseph Conrad leading up to his departure to the Congo

§ Covers 6 months in 1890 from January to June

§ He writes to his uncle, aunt, friend, and lover

§ Spans the time when he meets this aunt for the first time in Brussels. Seems to develop a close relationship with her

§ Shows he is traveling a lot, London to Brussels to Lublin and back and to Africa eventually

§ Interesting: he changes the spelling of his name with each letter. On average, becomes more as it is now, changes k to c, Konrad seems to be first name but becomes last, changes initials

§ Gets control over steamboat from French company

§ Very polite and extravagant in his wording

§ Off to Boma then Leopoldville

Jane Doe

Who is she? That is my first and final question.During the third section, we are exposed to Kurtz's relationship with the natives. While much of it is unclear, the two sides have trouble separating as shown by the native’s appearance along the river while the steamboat carrying Kurtz drifts away. However, only one person is given a full description. This princess perhaps, is glorified. She is adorned with “brass leggings to the knees, brass wire gauntlets to the elbow, a crimson spot on her tawny cheek, innumerable necklaces of glass beads on her neck, bizarre things, charms” and more (60). The most she does in this scene is open “her bared arms” and throw “them up rigid above her head as though an uncontrollable urge to touch the sky” (61). This lover, perhaps, graces the pages only once more. “She put out her hands, shouted something, and all that wild mob” standing on the bank “took up the shout in a roaring chorus of articulated, rapid, breathless utterance” (67). The steamboat whistle will not move even this friend, perhaps. Friend, lover, princess, goddess, daughter, or something else, who is the Jane Doe of the heart of darkness?

Images in the sound

The use of symbols in The Sound and the Fury changes depending on the section and who the narrator is. These symbols and their appearance in their original and other sections is the main focus of my article “The Words of The Sound and the Fury. To start, Benjy’s section talks about light, particularly mentioning the word fire over forty times. The things he can see and not understand, including the shapes he finds in fire and the images he sees in the mirror, fascinate Benjy. Many times he is referenced as staring into the mirror in a way where he seems to be searching for what he has lost. That is why the bright and open things, light and mirrors, intrigue him so. He is looking to understand and explore the well-lit side of life. Quentin, on the other hand, highlights his section with shadows and windows. His life is much darker as he is haunted by his family relationships. He often stares through windows, which serve as outlets out of his life. Through them, Quentin can observe how other people life with normal lives. The next section, Jason’s, features less of any symbolism given the lack of depth in Jason’s personality. The final section also lacks any major images because it is finishing up the story following various characters. However, the images from the first and second section appear in other areas of the novel although not nearly as often. These motifs are important because they each connect to the character’s personality in a unique way that helps the reader to learn more about the Compson family.

The Words of "The Sound and the Fury" Robert A. Martin. The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Fall, 1999), pp. 46-56. Published by: University of North Carolina Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20078252.

uh oh..

While reading the second quarter of The Sound and the Fury, one phrase really struck me. “Father I have committed incest” appears regularly as something clearly haunting Quentin’s mind. This upsetting statement is vaguely backed by other strange thoughts. Quentin reflects a lot upon conversations regarding sex and virginity. At points he talks to his father confirming he is a virgin. The timeline is distorted but some of his present day thoughts even seem to imply that. So why say he has committed incest? What has really happened? He evidently has many conversations with Caddy about her love life; however, those are also very cloudy in detail. If his confession is true, the act would certainly have to be with Caddy. What really bothers me are the following questions.

In the reading do we witness the event unknowingly if it even happens?

Is Caddy’s child actually Quentin’s as well and that is why the girl has that name?

Does Caddy marry to cover up her incest love child?

Ew! I hope not.

1/2 Blog

I wish I could say I have read numerous short stories. Unfortunately, I spent many frees last week catching up on schoolwork. I am excited to embark upon this reading quest, and I am sure Mr. Thommen will be eager to help; so more to come on that assignment. As for the weekly, and in this case, half-blog, I would like to talk about the creepy story. I do not think more introduction is necessary. I was surprised by the story. I found it to be not only unsettling but also too open-ended. Usually when determining the upsetting nature of a story, the set-up is more direct and typical. I think this story was unusual. I know it was based on real events, making it all the more chilling, but that also lessens the literary freedom. The author certainly wrote loosely based, but stuck to the original interaction. What I am trying to say is, I was anticipating more creepiness than I found, which is probably for the best.

My other main thought regarding this piece was the open-ended nature. I really enjoyed all the hidden meanings. I was very intrigued especially by the number. I played with it during class after we discussed it, and I didn’t come up with anything particularly exciting. I like thinking outside the box and this story promoted that with the elusive references. Overall I liked it because it maintained my attention. It had an interesting plot, plenty to think about, and was written well enough.

Where is the love?

Somewhere during their marriage, Norma Jean and Leroy lost their connection. This does not become apparent until he starts spending all his time at home because he cannot continue his job due to his injury. They do not fight, they just cannot say what they want and need to. It is hard to say where the problems started. It might have been early on when they lost their child. It might have been just something to happen over time. Regardless, Leroy’s main solution is a new home. This idea is something he promised her long ago, perhaps by fulfilling it, they can return to the feelings they once had. Leroy is blind to the fact that his actions are too late. The incident that brings out the truth of their relationship is one prompted by Norma Jean’s mother.

By visiting Shiloh, the couple realizes what they are feeling. Norma Jean is finally able to admit to Leroy her desire to leave him. It is interesting that such a confession would occur in this place. Norma’s mother tries to convince them to visit the whole story partly because she loved it when she visited for her honeymoon. Shiloh, a place that inspired love for her mother, inspires reality for herself. On the other side, Leroy had hoped this trip would bring them together. He failed to see the obvious however. It was too late. He finally became invested in his marriage only once he was forced to be part of it. That is not to say he did not regret his traveling or was a bad person, it only means something in the relationship died long ago.

Can a log cabin really save a marriage? Nope. It would seem not in “Shiloh.” Leroy knows things are off balance between him and his wife. In doing so, he makes some small strides in an effort to salvage the relationship. Buying the keyboard for Norma Jean seems to truly make her happy. Leroy tries to continue this by insisting on the house. He wishes to make her blissful and once upon a time had promised her a new home all their own. He thinks by building this cabin on his own, just for her, it will somehow restore the two together. Norma Jean says however that she doesn’t want it. Leroy has missed the point, and his third attempt at reuniting the two, the trip to Shiloh, concludes his efforts.

Where their relationship went is impossible to say. It is likely that their baby’s death killed something between them but because Leroy was often traveling for work it might not have surfaced as much of a problem. However, when he returns home, their disconnect becomes apparent. I think, had he not been injured, they might have continued their lives together for longer because Norma Jean was just as unaware as Leroy of their troubles until his injury. In “Shiloh” the story of a lost marriage reveals the irony of attempts at trying to fix it only bringing about the sad truth.

Who is a Lady?

Who is a Lady? To define a lady is a task left only to Webster. He provides us with many options, mainly focusing on the more archaic idea of a lady as a woman connected to a knight. It seems 3a and 3b in the dictionary really capture the meaning for the story stating “a woman of superior social position or a woman of refinement and gentle manners” respectively. However, in the case of “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the definition becomes more of an interpretation by the reader. The Grandmother of the story frequently likes to think of herself as a lady based off her own conclusions. Yet, her actions in the final scenes of the story are unexpected if her own classification is to be true. Is the Grandmother a true lady?

To answer this question, the meaning must first be decided. I believe Webster was on to something with 3b. “A woman of refinement and gentle manners” certainly sounds like a lady. I think this is only a partial definition however. In addition, I think she should attempt to bring light to any situation and care for others before herself. By adding these details, the new meaning would then encompass the behavior, appearance, and actions of a lady. Does this all apply to the Grandmother?

Language in its nature is subjective. Because there are so many words and because everyone thinks differently, language has become a vast road with endless pebbles trying to work together and lead in various directions at the same time. Therefore, I do not think the Grandmother can wholly be classified as a lady. Based on Webster’s definition, I do not think she qualifies. Based on his plus mine, I do not think she makes it. I do think, although not the whole package, she still retains lady-like qualities.

The Grandmother does her best to present herself well. She dresses nicely and speaks politely. She also attempts to try to connect with her family, but usually with selfish motivation. Such as when she prods the children to wish to see the old house, but only so she might see it too and relive her past rather than show them something interesting. Her manners and level of refinement are perhaps average to above average enough to make her lady-like. Yet the end of the story comes around and her image changes. First, she pleads with the Misfit. Next, she ignores the killings the behind her. Finally, she reaches out to her killer. The pleading does not deny her the lady title, but the fact she is not pleading for all her family does. Combined with her disregard for the events taking place in the woods behind her, the Grandmother seems very unconcerned for anyone else. This selfish characteristic is maintained in the whole story. However, because of its demonstration at the end of her life, it casts a large negative shadow. By reaching out for the killer, reaching out perhaps even to embrace him, little can be concluded. This action is so off base, I believe an analysis is unfair.

I also think, judging much of that last scene is unfair. To be in such a situation is something few can relate to, and I can only imagine the traumatic emotions. Yet, because it is a short story, I know it must be at least delicately read into beyond the basic lines. I feel as if a lady stands out and is highlighted by all she does. Therefore, I find it easy to say the Grandmother was not a lady; less so because of her actions and more because of the lack of action. (612)

Blame in "Teenage Wasteland"

Daisy is just a mother trying to do her best. There is no simpler interpretation than that. Her best may not be good enough, in fact, it may be damaging to her cause. In “Teenage Wasteland” it is difficult to place blame for Donny’s troubles. There are many people who have contributed to his development including him. The story gives little fault to Donny and so did our class. This perplexed me. Yes, he is young; however, he clearly deserves some credit for his actions. Daisy can also be credited, but for how much? I believe the poor path Donny is following lies in the hands of many people.

To start, the lack of much of a father character in the story certainly did not help. Because we rarely hear from him, we can only assume he barely plays a role in Donny’s life. This draws the attention to Daisy. However, I maintain that Donny could have used a strong male role model. Next, I’d like to turn to Cal. He arrives in Donny’s life only after his path has begun the downward spiral. Yet, Cal represented hope. He was highly recommended, made Donny happy, and at first even seemed to make an impact. Due to those facts, it is hard to bear that Donny did not permanently change from their relationship. Also, it shows that clearly Cal did not help; whether or not he negatively affected him is up for debate. The final candidate besides Daisy is Donny himself. Similar to the other characters, he does not warrant all the blame, but he did not help. At some point, he must have realized his actions were harmful to not only himself but also his family. Why he did not change then? The story will not allow us to know. Instead, “Teenage Wasteland” highlights Daisy’s responses to his life. She had some trouble raising Donny right, and once the problems became more serious her reactions became more scattered. Daisy does deserve some blame for the outcome. How much is impossible to determine. However, I certainly do not believe her insecurities, which are demonstrated in some areas of the story, are a direct cause to Donny’s troubles. As a reader it is unfair to hold them against her for two reasons. First, we cannot be sure she displays them in front of Donny enough to be a weak parent for him. Second, is she not allowed to have insecurities? I felt as if the class answered yes. There is not some point in our lives when we will lose such a weakness. Therefore, it seems obvious that there is no one person whom the finger can be pointed at.

Why Donny left, what went wrong, what could have been different? These are all questions we, as readers, get to decide for ourselves since the story does not. To me, in addition to such quandaries, I wonder why we are so concerned. I understand the family was torn apart, and I do see this snapshot (this being the specific scenes we see in the story) as a crisis. However, who is to know the future? Donny may learn his lesson away from home. He may return and reunite the four of them. I like to think that Donny finds something new out of life while away from home. He is so altered that when he returns home, not after too long, he can apologize to his parents, something extremely hard to do. Yet, we cannot know the conclusion. We are only meant to decide for ourselves.

Interpreter of Love Lost

A woman’s purse is often seen as an object of mystery and intrigue. Depending on the woman, it can be large or small, complicated or simple, cheap or expensive. The accessory in question is a statement of a particular woman’s personality; its unique qualities demonstrate how the woman leads her life. She might choose to use a small bag when attending a formal event for she need not carry much. However, on trips, a larger purse is helpful to provide for easy access to many essentials, like a hairbrush. Additionally, in the case of a mother, bigger is often better. Mothers can bring with them tools of entertainment or snacks for their dependent children to utilize especially while on long excursions from the house. This specific purpose is consistently demonstrated throughout the Interpreter of Maladies. Mrs. Das finds many excuses to dig through her bag whether looking for herself or for her children it seems she always finds what she needs. Yet her constant rummaging suggests more than a desire for what she needs. Through searching and using the items in her purse, Mrs. Das is looking for an escape from her loveless life. Whenever a moment emerges that illustrates her emptiness, the handbag seems to emerge as well.

The first encounter with her handbag is her purchase of some puffed rice. She bought it after reluctantly escorting her daughter to the restroom without any feelings of attachment since she didn’t even hold her hand. In this situation, it would be typical for motherly affection to be displayed; yet, Mrs. Das only fills the void by adding to her purse. This snack becomes a reoccurring character throughout the story. She often pulls it out when it seems she needs something to do. Although, it’s most important performance comes at the end of the story. By leaving a trail of puffed rice pieces, she inadvertently attracts the hungry monkeys. This leads the animals to her son, and they begin to attack him. Mr. Kapasi saves him quickly, and the parents begin to care for the boy. Mrs. Das almost instinctively reaches for her purse. She produces a band-aid to cover the boy’s wounds. Ironically, in this case the purse brought her closer to her son instead of giving her a reason to ignProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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e him because she was able to share with him relief that was usually maintained only for her.

Another example of Mrs. Das’s loss of connection is portrayed through the exchange of contact information with her tour guide. At first, it appears to be a genuine outreach. After taking down his information, Mrs. Das puts it in the place where her life can be maintained, her purse. By the act of “dropping it into the jumble of her bag”, it shows how any curiosity she might attain quickly becomes part of her messy bag (586). She seems concerned with his work and his life; later, the story reveals an ulterior motive for her actions. Her attempt to build a bridge with him turns out to be an attempt for her to confess her sins. She hopes he can absolve her of her adulterous guilt. Her effort at creating a relationship not only has the wrong intentions but also is a failure. Once Mr. Kapasi realizes what she is after, he abandons all interest in her. She soon follows suit. Mrs. Das’s loss of his contact information, although unintentional, from her purse represents much more. She cannot fill the void of her loveless life, even through the use of her purse as storage for her necessities.

Mrs. Das tries to use her purse to keep herself together and that is all she can keep together. She has lost her ability to love. Perhaps it is because she has messed up in her marriage or perhaps it is because she lost her friends early on. But within this short story, there is a glimpse at her endeavors to reconnect with someone. While doing so, she carries along her purse loyally to keep her close to something. It also allows her the ability to escape, such as having entertainment, such as “a bottle of colorless nail polish”, rather than having nothing to do (582). No matter where she goes she will keep her purse with her as if it is the only weight to keep her from floating away.

Yay books!!

1. Phantom Tollbooth - I just remember loving this book. I think it is because the book is very clever. I specifically recall the conclusion island which characters could jump to.
2. Flowers for Algernon - I first read a shortened version of this book in middle school. I liked it so much that I got the full book and read it right away. It was very sad, but I also found it moving and thought-provoking.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird - To me, this book was so interesting and unique. Usually, I am more of a fan of mysteries and fantasy; however, this piece captured me attention.
4. Life of Pi - I read this book a long time ago but I really enjoyed its style and plot.
5. Harry Potter - every single one ever!!!!
6. Lord of the Rings - every single one ever!!!!!!
7. Chronicles of Narnia - every single one ever!!!!!
8. Count of Monte Cristo - I loved this book! I became very engaged with the main character and I couldn't wait for him to succeed in his tricky plot.

Once upon a time, I was an avid reader. I still love to read but I have found less and less available time. Therefore this summer I embarked on a tour of four books, although I wish it could have been more. I re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. For the first time, I read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. The book out of this collection that touched me the most was My Sister's Keeper.

This writing explores a family dealing with a cancer patient, a juvenile deliquent, and a child who sole purpose was to donate organs to her dying sister. Now two things need to be said before I continue. First I have not seen the movie, although I do intend to; therefore, this writing has no reflection on the cinematic production. Second, I will be ruining the end of the book. If anyone intends to read it, exit this page now and spare yourself the heartache.

I expected Jodi's work to be sad. The subject matter cannot be dealt with lightly and I have read other works of hers, which are also upsetting. Yet, it was hard to put down. The majority of the book consists of descriptions of a lawsuit that the youngest daughter (the child who was created to save her sister) files against her parents after she was told she had to give her sister her kidney. Anna does not want to give it up for many reasons stated such as a love of playing hockey (after giving up a kidney it is recommended to cease playing any contact sports). She asks for medical emancipation so that she may decide when and how to help her sister. As a sister myself, I empathized with the predicament. Granted, my sister is not sick, but there is a fine line between helping your sister and retaining your own identity.

While reading, I found myself developing and changing an opinion with every new page. I couldn't decide if the younger sister was just being selfish. I couldn't decide if the parents had gone too far and stopped caring for the youngest daughter. I couldn't decide what was to be done. Perhaps this was because I did not have all the facts. The last few chapters of the book reveal some startling revelations regarding the characters motives. It turns out that the sick girl had asked her sister to file such a lawsuit. Anna says that her sister asked her because she wanted to die. She had been tired of being the sick girl and at age 16 was tired of her life. This was Anna's main reason for her actions. However, the book illustrates that upon further questioning, Anna's sister was simply exhausted of her life but did not actually wish to end it. Now, here comes the kicker. Anna wins the lawsuit, upsetting her mother a bit but also bringing the two closer together. On the ride home, Anna is with her lawyer and they get into a car wreck. But wait, it gets worse. Anna's father is a firefighter. Since he is part of the first emergency group to arrive on the scene, he does not know right away that his daughter is dying. She is pronounced deceased at the hospital where her grieving mother and father are told her organs are still usable for donations. This is the end. The epilogue describes Kate's life (the older sister) as successful with her new kidney. She is doing well many years later and has not had the cancer come back since her sister was alive.

I was shocked. Not only did I not see this coming, but also it just seems so utterly tragic to me. I could barely comprehend such a possibility. While I sat in awe pondering such a circumstance in my own life, I decided fiction is best left to books. If anything similar came upon my sister and me, without a doubt I would give her my kidney. Of course, our situation would be much easier, given I wasn't raised for that purpose. However, I can understand Anna's difficulty and Kate's desperate thoughts. Simply the book took me for such a ride that thinking about it still gives me chills. I hope no one ever has to face such a decision of giving a kidney, whether they were created for that goal or not. Having to make or deal with it can be no simple task. (764)