Literature Analysis #2

1. Exposition: A man lives a life based on routine and is very peculiar. He doesn't usually wish to talk to people, he doesn't show emotion and he doesn't like to miss work. This man lives in an apartment complex and only talks to his neighbors sometimes, but as the story unrolls he will become good friends with his neighbor, that is a pimp, names Raymond. Meursault, the strange man, receives a telegram informing him that his mother has passed. He goes the home that she was living at and will sit next to the body all night before the funeral. Some of the other old folks that live there sit with him during the night and are surprised that he does not cry and shows no sadness. The head of the home is shocked when Meursault says he does not wish to see her body. The day after Maeursault's mother's funeral he meets a girl named Marie, who he will have a relationship without the story.
Rising Action: Marie and Maeursault become very close and Marie talks about marrying him. He says that he does not particularly love her but that if she wishes to get married he will marry her. Marie and Maeursault become close with Raymond who had previously beat his girlfriend and had beef with the girlfriend's brothers. Raymond invites Marie and Maeursault to go to the beach, where his friend has a beach house. They agree to go and on the way see the girlfriend's brothers. They are having a great time at the beach, when the men go for a walk and come across the brothers. Maeursault keeps Raymond from killing the brothers by taking his revolver. The men get into a fight, but then it is over and they go their separate ways.
Conflict: Maeursault goes back out on the beach by himself because he is feeling a little sick. He comes across the brothers again and thought they would be gone since they had already gotten in a fight. Maeursault is minding his own business and is feeling very weak because of the grueling sun. One of the brothers comes over the Maeursault with a knife; he does not know what to do because he knows that he cannot fight because of how sick he is feeling.
Climax: Maeursault then remembers that he still has Raymond's revolver. He takes the gun out of his pocket and shoots the man four consecutive times. The police come and Maeursault is arrested for murder as the brother obviously died after being shot four times. Maeursault does not really realize what he has done because he still feels delusional from being sick.
Falling Action: Maeursualt is kept in jail and still doesn't realize what is happening, he feels as if he will be released soon, once the police find out the real story. Maeursault gets a lawyer and they are going to have a big trial. During the case, he sees Marie and Raymond and it all starts to sink in that he may never get to see them again. As the case seems to be going bad for him, he starts to realize his destiny. He knows there is nothing that he can do and starts reflecting on his life and what he would be doing in his daily routine.
Resolution: Raymond, Marie, and many of the witnesses try to help free Maeursault, but the jury finds him guilty, which means he has the death penalty. He now sits in a sell waiting for his day to come to be killed. He reminisces on the time he went to the death penalty ceremony and remembered how sick he was after watching. Now that he is sentenced to the death penalty and people will come to watch him be killed, he wishes that he would have gone to more. He says that if his appeal goes through he will go to every death penalty after that. A reverend from the prison comes to talk to Maeursault and get him to believe in God. He says that he believes his appeal will go through and he just needs to believe too and it will happen, but Maeursault refuses to believe in any God.
2. One theme in this story is the meaninglessness of human life. Every day Maeursault would get up and to the same thing waiting for the day to end, just like waiting for death. This story shows how death is inevitable and this man chose not to make his life memorable or something people will cherish. There are some people in the world that strive to accomplish and do wonderful things while they are alive and some people just live their lives and await death. In this story, Maeursault shows the meaningless side of the human race.
3. The author's tone is very melancholy. "He'd beaten her till the blood came. Before that he'd never beaten her." Page 38 Although this excerpt is melancholy it shows no emotion. None of the characters, nor the author, feels bad for the lady that was beaten up. So rather than melancholy, it may be a tone of carelessness or dispassion.
Another tone this author portrays is harshness or brutality. "'You let me down, you bitch! I'll learn you to let me down!' There came some thuds, then a piercing scream-it made one's blood run cold-and in a moment there was a crowd of people on the landing." Page 45 The author makes this seem like it seem as if women being beaten is harsh but normal.
Another tone is plain or monotone. I feel as if the story never changes emotion, again because there is no emotion. "I noticed at once that four men in black were standing behind the coffin and the screws in the lid had now been driven home." Page 16 This excerpt shows how detached the author was or how he made the characters seem because they are talking about locking up his mother's body and he has no sadness in him at all.
4. a) "I entered the mortuary. It was a bright, spotlessly clean room, with whitewashed walls and a big skylight. The furniture consisted of some chairs and trestles. Two of the latter stood open in the center of the room and the coffin rested on them. The lid was in place, but the screws had been given only a few turns and their nickeled heads stuck out about the wood, which was stained dark walnut.' Page 5 This is an example of description or imagery.
b) "There was the promise of a very fine day. I hadn't been in the country for ages, and I caught myself thinking what an agreeable walk I could have had, if it hadn't been for Mother." Page 14 This is an example of irony, he is angry with his mother because she died and he didn't get to go on his morning walk.
c) "But what caught my attention most was his ears; pendulous, scarlet ears that showed up like blobs of sealing wax on the pallor of his cheeks and were framed in wisps of silky white hair." Page 17 This is an example of a simile, he compares the ears to the wax on his cheeks.
d) "Salamano's spaniel is an ugly brute, afflicted with some skin disease-mange, I suspect; anyhow, it has lost all its hair and its body is covered with brown scabs. Perhaps through living in one small room, cooped up with his dog, Salamano has come to resemble it." Page 32 This is an example of a metaphor. The dog and its owner are compared and are alike.
e) "Then the dog began to moan in old Salamano's room, and through the sleep-bound house the little plaintive sound rose slowly, like a flower growing out of the silence and the darkness." Page 42 This is an example of juxtaposition because flowers remind someone of sunlight and growth, whereas silence reminds someone of darkness and decay.
f) "'And I daresay that's why I love you,' she added. 'But maybe that's why one day I'll come to hate you.'" Page 53 This is an example of dichotomy. There is a major gap between the two opposing things, they will either love each other or hate each other.
g) "For a moment the "little robot" (as I thought of her) had much impressed me, but I soon forgot about her." Page 56 This is an example of a comparison or a metaphor.
h) "But the whole beach, pulsing with heat, was pressing on my back." Page 75 This is an example of personification.
i) A common motif in this story is death and decay. Maeursault's mother dies, the dog dies, the brother dies, and soon Maeursault himself will die.
j) "And then a rush of memories went through my mind- memories of a life which was mine no longer and had once provided me with the surest, humblest pleasures; warm smells of summer, my favorite streets, the sky at evening, Marie's dresses and her laugh." Page 132 This is an example of flashback.
Characterization:
1. Indirect Characterization: "I was rather surprised, as I didn't know who she was. I wanted her to stop crying, but dared not speak to her." Page 11 This shows how Maeursault was not very attached to anyone nor had any emotion. He was not sympathetic to anyone no matter how sad the times were.
"Then, when she came back, he'd go to bed with her and, just when she was "properly primed up," he'd spit in her face and throw her out of the room. " Page 40 This shows that Raymond did not respect girls and often had a problem with women. He was a pimp so this just shows his disrespect towards women.
Direct Characterization: "Still, he often had a word for me, and drops in sometimes for a short talk in my room, because I listened to him." Page 34 This shows how Raymond relied on other people for advice. He couldn't do something until he had told Maeursault his plan.
"'No,' he answered, 'I shouldn't call him that. But he isn't one to wast his breath, like a lot of folks.'" Page 115 This shows that Maeursault did not talk a lot and wished not to be known by the world, but rather kept to himself.
2. I believe that the authors diction does not change throughout the story, it remains pretty plain and not highly sophisticated. When the author is talking about the appearance of characters, he usually uses longer, more descriptive sentences, but when he talks about the personality of the character he uses dialogue. "Next came a group of young fellows, the local "bloods," with sleek oiled hair, red ties, coats cut very tight at the waist, braided pockets, and square-toed shoes." Page 26
3. I believe that the protagonist is dynamic because once he is in prison and realizes that his freedom is gone, he wishes that he would have done things differently in life. Although he does not experience a big change and the change is not until the very end, I believe the text on the last couple pages makes him a dynamic character. I think that Maeursault is a flat character because he is pretty plain and easy to explain, it does not take a lot of words or sentences at all.
4. I feel as if I have only read a character because I could not really connect to Maeursault or anything that happened to him. He has gone through things I haven't experienced and some things I will never experience, so it was extremely hard to connect and be inside what he was feeling. "For all to be accomplished, for me to feel less lonely, all that remained to hope was that on the day of my execution there should be a huge crowd of spectators and that they should greet me with hows of execration." Page 154 This excerpt confuses me as to why you would want a lot of people to watch your death. I would not want people to watch my death, but to remember me for who I was, but then again I have never felt the loneliness he feels in prison, so I don't know exactly what my reaction would be to this situation, which is why it is difficult for me to know him as a person, rather than a character.  

Brave New World Essay

    Our world may be approaching one like the Brave New World, but it hasn’t reached it yet. Some countries may be closer to it than others, but as far as the United States goes, it is one of the farther countries. Huxley explains how forces and technological advances seems to be the influence towards a Brave New World. Forces, such as over population and over organization, both allow for increased amounts of control. Huxley also mentions that technology is being used in a bad way, which places people where they never thought they would be. Although our world and country is quickly approaching a utopia, it needs more years to develop.

   Over population and over organization contribute to actions that are taking us closer to a designed community. Government must take more control when countries are becoming over populated because there is less resources and jobs for the abundance of people. Over organization creates communities where there is more power over society. This growing power is what will lead to a utopian society. The power has not yet reached its full potential though. People still have power to have children with normal genes that haven’t been altered to create a working child. The human race still has control over their actions and their thoughts, but soon the government or other forces could take over and gain control over the human race entirely.

   Also, technological advances such as propaganda, television and computers are taking a big part in people’s life. Propaganda allowed Hitler to control millions of people in Germany. Huxley explains how people are using technology in the wrong way or for negative things, like hacking into people’s private business. If this continues, our world is destined to turn out like the one in Huxley’s book. People rely on technology for everything, which can be extremely dangerous because it can be taken from our fingertips at any time, just like people fifty years ago, who didn’t have access to anything that we have. Technology can be just as powerful as mankind, especially the men behind the machines.

   Brave New World should be a warning to the people living now, so that they can change the direction in which we are all moving. If the human race can recognize the flaws in our government, society, and so forth, then we have a chance of changing it for the better. But if we chose not to act upon it and realize the power that is taking over us, then the world is destined to be a utopia. Huxley sees the warnings and is also notifying those less informed through his books, now its time for a generation to make the changes.

Conversation Reflection

In class today, we talked about how we personally thought the book was really strange. Some things we mentioned was that it's strange to think of the concept of not having parents or even a family for that matter. Another thing we thought that was strange was that the children played together naked. I explained how I didn't really like the idea and thought it dumb to have such structured human being beause it ultimately took the individual characteristic out of everyone. Hannah, Judith, Sierra, Stevie and Siera all agreed that the story was extremely strange. We talked about how it was extremely difficult to follow because it jumped back and forth almost every paragraph. 

I also talked about this book with my boyfriends dad who has read it three times now. He said the first time he read it he didn't like it that much either, that it was hard to understand. He said once he read it the second and third time it was more interesting and he got a lot more out of it. He said that the beginning can be hard to follow, but give it a chance because it does get better. 

Chapter 4 Analysis

Chapter 4 Analysis 

Lenina had been with all the men...Interesting 

She was talking about going with Bernard publicly not because she liked him but because she wanted to make a point to the other men.

Paragraph beginning with the and ending with stupor has a pun in it I believe. (Twilight)

Many examples of personification in the first paragraph page 60 (knees and face)

Manifest cordiality-?

Benito symbolizes sun and warmth 

Incandescence-? 

Is everywhere like this or only in where they live? Must all be like this since they can fly around 

Lenina is playing hard to get, Bernard questions himself because of her hard to get attitude 

Bernard did not meet the physical attributes of his cast. ( too short) 

I am I, and wish I wasn't. Cliche or allusion 

Bernard very self conscious, feels inferior 

Mr. Helmholtz described with vivid imagery in last paragraph on page 66 with analogies as well

Helmholtz and Bernard a lot alike because of their mental excess their defects from their castes.

Helmholtz had many women, Bernard did not 

Bernard wants attention tells Helmholtz he's taking Lenina to New Mexico with him 

Helmholtz talks about this feeling he has of power but not sure what it is and doesn't understand it

Helmholtz is sympathetic for Bernard but also embarrassed by him. 

Chapter 2 and 3 Analysis

Chapter 2 and 3 Analysis

Aseptically- never heard that word 

Long sentence of paragraph of imagery starting with half dozen nurses and ending with marble. 

Metaphor of paleness to the posthumous whiteness of marble 

What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder. Not sure what literary technique it is, but it's something. 

Deltas always loved nature and transport, but didn't get enough done in the factory. The shocks that made the babies fear flowers trained them to hate nature but still have the idea of transport even if they hated the country. 

Viviparous- never heard that before.

The students don't know what parents are, which means they too were made by this interbreeding process. The boys find parents unpleasant, this is the director brainwashing bad things into the students mind so they will continue his inhumane lifestyle.

Anecdote of Tommy which shows that kids are taught to repeat things and merely memorize them, but not understand them.

80 children are exposed to this sleep-teaching, but not about regular education about moral education. The director is brain washing the children to learn about the different breeds of humans and the jobs of the different breeds. 

Metaphor I think. Starting with Not so and ending with scarlet blob. On page 28 metaphor between the children and the liquid substance. 

Restatement in the next paragraph. The director is emphasizing his power over the minds of these children who can't even talk. 

Chapter 3 

Apertures-?

Continued theme of breaking tradition or creating a new norm. In the old days kids could find anything and make games out of it, now children can only play games that are extremely difficult and help to build the mind. 

Mustapha Mond - controller from Western Europe. Treated like a king. 

He brushed away a little dust, and the dust was Harappa, was Ur of the Chaldees...what does this paragraph mean? 

Mond's advice is that History is bunk. Which he repeats twice. I believe he says this because the kids were never taught true history so that they would not all turn on the state, but now they are being taught history because they are brain washed enough to not want to leave this tradition. 

Controller has to be careful, but truly he wants the kids to know what a family feels like and experience a feeling of love, but the kids find nothing of it. They find it horrible to ever have parents.

I believe the controller is talking about family and how it provokes suicide and so forth. 

In the mix of this we are hearing the story of Lenina and Fanny. Are they friends? They seem to have more power than the students given that Lenina can date Henry who is the psychologist. Are the girls workers? 

Fanny is going through pregnancy substitute, which I have no idea what that means yet, but maybe we will find out? 

These girls are workers. The policy is that they can have "relationships" only if they have multiple people and as long as they are not intense or long-drawn. Lenina and Henry's relationship would be against the directors rules.

Now goes back to the controller. Not sure who is saying the paragraph that starts with mother and ends with stable. Not sure what it means exactly either. 

Director described as the strictest conventionality. 

The controllers statement about stability is a restatement and may include other literary techniques as well. 

Common theme of everyone belongs to everyone else...even the workers follow this, referred to as a game 

Anaphora on page 43 in the paragraph that starts with impulse. 

Marx and Lenina both like each other or respect each other, but other people talking them out of it.

Great lines by controller...speeches about liberty of the subject. Liberty to be inefficient and miserable. Freedom to be a round peg in a square hole. Page 46

Liberalism, of course, was dead of anthrax, but all the same you couldn't do things by force. Page 49 explains the world before all this happened 

Controller is saying how hypnopaedia is bad, which is what they use. 

Repetition is very important in this book because it shows how the morals are instilled into the children's head through the constant reminder.

Anaphora and other techniques in paragraph starting with now on page 55

Masterpiece

My masterpiece is going great. There are no new updates other than I need more willing participants. My dates and activities were all planned out in the previous post about my masterpiece. Nothing has changed except that I have a good idea of how I am going to present this. I plan on making a powerpoint about my cause and including my journey in the powerpoint, I will include videos, information, pictures, and many more things. I also want to bring one of the special needs students in to not only watch the presentation, but possibly to speak as well. My masterpiece is inclusion and it only seems right to include one of my fellow athletes in the presentation. Inclusion is my goal and I will continue to spread it even if it is hard to get others on board.

Chapter 1 Analysis

I had a difficult time analyzing this chapter because I thought the overall idea was kind of boring. I know that there is a lot of great writing in this book and specifically in the first page, but the idea of breeding humans seems extremely odd and is hard to connect to at first. After having a class discussion about the first chapter it was a little easier to get into the book and think deeply about it but I didn't really post anything not because I didn't do it, but because I didn't know how to analyze something that was so boring to me. Now that I have heard more about the book, I hope that chapters 2 and 3 will be a little easier for me.