"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver - UGLY

"Get away, get away! she cried." This whole story is a very sad situation. To me, it is one of the saddest that can face any family. Divorce brings many hardships to the whole family, especially the children. Sometimes it shows weakness on part of one or both of the parents, but sometimes it's due to not thinking through marriage properly beforehand. Many different reasons infect marriages of today, and the easy allowance of divorce does not help this situation. Even worse, this situation has turned violent and outright hateful. Neither respects the other. They don't even communicate to each other directly. They fight over their child and don't try to find any common ground or compromise. It really scares me to see such a sad situation in life.

"You're Ugly, Too" by Lorrie Moore - Gender?

"...his Magic Marker buttocks turned away now toward all of downtown, a naked pseudowoman with a blue bracelet at the wrist..." I am not very entertained by the gender reversal in the story. The woman appears to have shaven like a man. And the man, if that's what he is, is described in very feminine terms. The irony almost causes humor, but to me, it doesn't. It just adds to our culture of not being able to accept oneself. Today's society has come to accept that if you aren't fully pleased with who you are, you can change that in an instant. It doesn't require work to accept what God has given us. I see this as an easy way out of life. It doesn't bring true happiness and is a disease infecting human nature.

"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor - Irony

"I could and without difficulty. I started to get sick." This line sums up the major irony in the story. Instead of the father getting drunk, as expected, the son gets drunk. This brings humor to the story. The kid becomes a babbling fool and embarrasses his father. This is like retribution for what the father had done. Another irony is that the mother was pleased with the actions of her son. She called him a guardian angel. How could this be since he is underage and getting drunk in front of the town? It saved the Father from becoming drunk. This saves the family time and money. This irony adds to the humor of the story in that we laugh at the good fortune the boy received after he was drunk.

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson - Q1

1.What is a "lottery"? How does the title lead you to expect something very different from what the story presents?
"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones..." Winning the lottery is usually associated as something good. It usually means winning a prize, most commonly money. But it can also be a lottery for a material good. The title of this story makes it appear that one would want to win the lottery. However, we find that the lottery, for this town, has a much different connotation. The winner of the lottery is stoned to death. That makes the surprise ending a surprise! Yes, there were clues, but throughout the story, I was thinking, the lottery winner has to gain something beneficial. But it turns out that the winner is murdered. Without the title, much of the suspense would be killed.

"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer - Happily Ever After?

"Next day a gang of workmen came and stretched the razor-bladed coils all round the walls of the house where the husband and wife and little boy and pet dog and cat were living happilty ever after." Do they really live happily ever after? Of course the tragedy at the end says no. But, I want to focus more on their whole life in general. How can one enjoy life by staring at walls? No matter the danger, without beauty, life misses much. Not being able to feel free is their own decision, yet they go so far in tormenting themselves. How can they live happily by shutting themselves in. I would rather live with those outside the suburbs. What happened was coming to them. They were not living happily ever after since they were so worried and preoccupied about their safety.

"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield - Is Miss Brill Living?

"But when she put thel id on she thought she heard something crying." I see this as potential support of Miss Brill being dead, whether it be literal or in the spiritual sense. She might be dead to herself. I find this as a very legitimate question. Miss Brill seems to have been around a while, but she still hasn't been able to establish any close relationship with someone. That's why she is stuck to watching people. By the end of the story, she decides that she is done. I think this is her dying to herself. She has lost all hope. The putting away of the fur symbolizes the end of her. But, maybe that means she is going to go out and try a new life. Maybe she is going to try to change her life radically. That is more likely the best answer to the question of her state of being.

"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty - Q6

Q6. What might have led the student to ask that question? How can the author's remark be seen as an answer?
"She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him." "But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air." This scene is probably the leading cause to the student's question of whether the boy was alive or dead. I believe that this scene is of the grandmother hallucinating her grandson bringing her cake. Then, she realizes, he isn't there. She doesn't really react, so this must be a regular occurence. The author didn't answer the question with a direct yes or no. But by commenting on the state of the grandmother, it implies that the grandson is dead. She is alive, but the grandson is not. He passed long ago.

"Eveline" by James Joyce - Question 7

Q7: Is Eveline a sympathetic character or unsympathetic character? Is she a victim of her character or of circumstances beyond her control?
"She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition." While, this makes Eveline appear to be a sympathetic character, I feel minimal sympathy. She is not a strong-willed person. She won't take her own necesities into concern. Yes, she's responsible for her family, and some have died, but she is submissive to the abuse of her father. While that can be good at times, she can't even stand up to him for the man she loves. And when it comes time to make the decision for a better future, she doesn't take it. The question becomes, is this something she can't control, or is she a victim of her character. While many unfortunate events happened outside of her control, her reaction to them and her willpower are all under her control and character. To me, I see a weak character who is unable to respond to the difficulties in life.

"Bartleby the Scrivener" bye Herman Melville - Why?

"I would prefer not to." Why is Bartleby the way he is? What possesses him to be so stubborn? I can't imagine living with a guy like him. He is just extremely unapproachable and unfriendly. If one of my friends were like him, I'd have a serious chat with them. He needed to be saved from his condition, but it's too late. I guess I can feel a small amount of sympathy, but he really brought it upon himself. He is a frustrating character and I cannot stand the way he acts. The story really tested my concentration.

"Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff - Craziness

"He was old and sick. Couldn't chew his food any more. I would have done it myself but I don't have a gun." Is this for real? The man asked Kenny to kill the dog! This means that Kenny was just pulling a mean, clever trick on his friends. While it was quite the creative idea, he didn't think far enough to think he might receive a bad reaction. The essence of their goofiness is summed up in this situation. Kenny just loves to pull the craziest pranks on his friends. He really needed to get his head on straight, but it is too late. He is destined to die while Tub and Frank enjoy nice meals at restaurants along the way to nowhere.

"Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff - Dramatic Irony

"Tub ate several mouthfuls, then started to wipe his lips. Frank took the napkin away from him. 'No wiping,' he said." Meanwhile, Kenny is bleeding to death in the back of the truck. Why don't this characters understand how much their friend is suffering? Yes, the talks were nice, and it's good to get to know your friends. But, now is not the time for it. This situation adds a little bit of gross humor to the story. It is the whole plot. These three goofy guys are never fully aware of their surroundings or what they are doing. The dramatic situation is one of many which keeps the reader thinking, "What the heck?"

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker - Characterization

"She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of her hand, that 'no' is a word the world never learned to say to her." Dee seems to be a very privelaged and spoiled girl. This line is one of many incidents where the reader feels that notion. Also, she acts like she owns the quilts. This scene shows how entitled she feels. Dee feels like she has the right to the quilts since she is the smarter one. However, Mama lays down the law and finally tells her 'no.' This may have been the first time she had ever been told 'no.' Dee's character acts as a strong opposite to the other two main characters, Moma and Maggie. Making Dee a spoiled character helps display the contrast between generations that exists during this time period.

"How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro - Where's the Humor?

"That's to cool us off, miss." Well, let me tell you that this story did not need any cooling off. It was about as bland as they come. At least "A Rose for Emily" was creepy. This story gave me no feelings whatsoever. I felt like I was simply reading a boring autobiography. Her story was not entertaining as I had expected. While the misunderstandings deserved a chuckle, and the ironic marriage deserved a "hm," I found very little entertaining about this story. I was hoping for some good humor, considering the title. No matter how unique her marriage is, it still isn't a great campfire story. I prefer ones with Betty White and Kansas (summer field studies reference). This story needed more fire to keep it burning.

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri - Response to Q4

4. Discuss the significance of Mrs. Das's requesting, and then losing, Mr. Kapasi's address. Apart from its function in the plot, how does this suggest a resolution to the story?
"When she whipped out the hairbrush, the slip of papter with Mr. Kapasi's address on it fluttered away in the wind." And so went his life dream. This represents hope for Mr. Kapasi's life. He lives a routine life, and was hoping that the letters from her would get him out of it and give more meaning to his life. Losing the slip of paper represented the lose of hope for Mr. Kapasi. He is stuck in his way of life, with his arranged marriage. This also suggests a resolution, because of the reaction of the characters to the event. Mrs. Das didn't try to get it back, she decided to move on. Mr. Kapasi also didn't put forth effort to get it back. The basis of the story was blowing away in the wind, and no effort was made to stop it.

"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner - Why so Creepy?

"What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust." This man dies and he is in a bed? What is wrong with this picture? Only, it gets worse! Emily was laying in bed with a corpse! In understand that we promise to love people to their death. But, after death, this type of love is just wrong. How could she even begin to think that such an idea was good for her? Something was clearly wrong with Emily and her mental state. I can just picture the joker saying, "Why so creepy?" to Emily. I cannot imagine anyone performing such an odd task. I don't want to know what else went on.

"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner - Q4 from Textbook

What is the effect of the final paragraph? How does it change the reader's attitude toward Emily and her fate?
"Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head." The entirety of the short story brought the reader feelings of pity toward Emily. She "fell ill in the house filled with dust and shadows, with only a dodering Negro man to wait on her." Poor Emily had no one to love her through the end of her life. She was lonely and refused to talk with anyone. She was the talking point of the town! Her house stood out among the modern culture! How could this happen to poor Emily? Then, the final paragraph turns our pity into gross denial of our pity for her. How could she be laying in bed with a corpse? This woman was truly messed up. The author saved all the grotesque details for one little ending paragraph to slam us with strong emotions. Quite an entertaining and effective end to a short story.

"Death, be not proud" by John Donne - Oh this guy

"And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die." I'm catching on to this John Donne guy! He is a Christian poet whose themes constantly revolve around the victory of God over evil. This poem alludes to the Resurrection. Through Jesus' death and with God, we can overcome death. One of the questions asked if the speaker was strong in faith, or if he was trying to convince himself that there is nothing to fear in death. I believe that this man is strong in faith. I see him as proclaiming his faith to others, to help them be free from fear. This man is proclaiming the victory of God over death, for mankind may now live in eternity. But he also has a tone of gloating - one that will not win one eternal life. The last two lines seem like neener-neener lines. He seems too proud of his proposed victory over death. In a sense, I can see him questioning himself. All of us have doubt at some point or other, this very well may be his attempt at burying that doubt.

"Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead" by Andrew Hudgins - Title Choice

"One day I'll lift the telephone / and be told my father's dead. He's ready." I see this title as slightly misleading. It implies that elegies are only for those who are dead. THIS IS NOT TRUE! It can be any poem of mourning. Obviously, this father is not dead. Literally, anyways. Figuratively speaking, the speaker says that his father is as good as dead. His father is ready for death, for he is prepared for the afterlife. So, to in a way satirize his father, the son writes an elegy for him. Through the use of the elegy, I see him indirectly addressing his father. While his father is ready for death, the speaker is not. The speaker is trying to tell his father to stop talking about death so much, he isn't ready for his father to die.

"Delight in Disorder" by Robert Herrick - Personification

"A sweet disorder in the dress / Kindles in clothes a wantonness." This poem is loaded with personification! First, these lines give disorder the ability to kindle something. Then, "An erring lace...Enthralls the crimson stomacher." Obviously, laces cannot literally enthrall anything else. However, the personification of these nouns gives a better description of appearance than without such use of personification. When the author uses words such as kindles and enthralls, I see truly enhancing characteristics in the attire. I can understand what he is saying when he says that disorder can be more attractive than exactness. And due to his explanation, I agree with him! With "perfection," I tend to notice more errors and snobiness. Without personification, this poem would lack strong rhetoric.

"Edward" by Anonymous - Repetition

"And what will ye leave to your children and wife, / Edward, Edward, / And what will ye leave to your children and wife." The repitition of the first phrase of each stanza gives the poem a song-like feeling. To me, the poem has the feel of a nursery rhyme.  However, it is quite a depressing nursery rhyme. "And what will ye leave to your own mother dear...The cures of hell from me shall ye bear;" that is not the loving words of a son. The repetition of her question transforms it into a plea. She is hoping that her son will choose the good over the evil, but he does not. The repitition almost mocked the mother. It made her seem like the loving mother at home, singing nursery rhymes to her young child. Yet, the old child does not want this anymore and curses her for it. Such love...

"Lonely Hearts" by Wendy Cope - Pattern

"Do you live in North London? Is it you?" This poem has the most obvious pattern of repetition of all this week. And I believe it has the most profound effect on the poem. First it starts as an innocent lovely question wondering if YOU may be the one who is just right for the speaker. But then, it begins to shift. The question remains the same; however, the context becomes creepier making the question seem violating. To me, her descriptions of herself seem like gloating, and she probably is not exactly as how she describes. I feel violated when she asks me to write to her without even knowing who she really is. But the question keeps her innocence. She seems pitiful and in need of love. While I could never write to her, I at least feel sympathy towards her lonely situation.

"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell - Philisophy/Theme

"Thus, though we cannot make our sun/Stand still, yet we will make him run." This poem, on the surface, is about love. However, it turns out to be a lesson about life in general. The speaker discusses how he wants to be able to spend all of eternity loving his lover, but he realizes he can't. Time goes on even if he doesn't want it to. Then, he tries to tell his mistress that they need to speed up their relationship in order for them to love each other more in life. The lesson comes from this. The author is trying to tell his audience that life is short and we need to enjoy it while we can. Like this lover he portrays, we can't wait to do what we want in life. Time won't slow down for us.

"Hazel Tells LaVerne" by Katharyn Howd Machan - Syntax

"last night im cleanin out my howard johnsons ladies room whell all of a sudden up pops this frog." This poem lacks any form of punctuation. However, it is still easy to follow, unlike "next to god america i" by e.e. cummings. Why leave out the punctuation in this poem? By doing so, it reflects the speaker's education level. With punctuation, the person would have seem more educated, and the poem would have lost some of its substance. However, to make up for the lack of punctuation, the author made a new line for each thought allowing the peom to be followed easily. I liked the idea of substituting line breaks for punctuation. It reflected the character of the speaker while keeping it understandable. The last two lines, "me/a princess" show her disbelief by causing the reader to pause between the two lines. This shows her questioning of her own abilities.

"Hazel Tells LaVerne" by Katharyn Howd Machan - Vernacular

"an i hitsm with my mop an has ta flush." This poem reminds me of our AP Language summer reading book, Their Eyes Were Watching God. The poem is written in the language of the speaker. Clearly, the speaker is either uneducated, from the South, or both. The vernacular gave the speaker an attitude. She wasn't gonna take no "little green pervert"'s sass. The tone from this poem (established by the language) is a realistic and down-to-earth one. The speaker doesn't believe in such a fairy tale. The language made me laugh as I read the poem. If the poem wasn't written in vernacular, the speaker could be anybody, but by the language, the speaker is limited to the above suggestions.

"The Apparition" by John Donne - Imagery

"Then shall my ghost come to they bed." This poem is particularly full of imagery. The whole description is the speaker as a ghost coming back to haunt his lover. The descriptions display the speaker's dismay with his lover. She won't have sex with him yet and it's killing him. He says that when he comes back from death, he will haunt her like a ghost. He also says he doesn't want to give away what he's going to say now because he'd rather have her repent than be innocent. I see that as harsh. He would rather her do what she is doing and then torture her than ask her to do his desires and never haunt her. The imagery of this poem sets a tone of dark, haunting death.

"My mistress' eyes" by William Shakespeare - Simile

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun." When I read this poem, I was surprised by Shakespeare's description of his lover. He uses similes and metaphors to compare her looks to well-known items. He compares her eyes to the sun - saying that the sun is more brilliant. He compares her to perfumes, "and in some perfumes is there more delight." The inital effect of these comparisons is a taking down of this woman's beauty. But Shakespeare ends by saying that he loves how unique she is. He still see here "as rare." He believes that the above comparisons don't do her justice. The comparisons above don't give her enough credit for how amazing she is.

"Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne - Calling Out to God

"...Take me to you, imprison me, for I, Except you enthrall me, never shall be free..." This quote is the speaker calling out to God in blind faith. He has come to realize that he cannot get to heaven without God. Unless he gives himself up to God, he "never shall be free." That's how the paradox in that line is justified. The only way to true freedom and happiness is through giving one's life up to God. "Imprison me" gives me the image of a big hug. The speaker is asking to be wrapped up in God's love. I respect this line greatly and believe it reveals a truth that all of us should realize at some point in our lifes. It's the only way we can live in eternal happiness. These minions are happy =)

"next to of course god america i" by e.e. cummings - I'm Gonna Die!

This poem kills me! But, in a good way! I'm going to hug this poem until I get it! I don't quite understand the point of the poem. Is it to discourage against those "who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter?" Or is it to encourage speed talking. I see contrast in the "talk of beauty" and "the roaring slaughter." I see paradox in "the voice of liberty be mute?' But I don't see the connection in the poem. I hope to shake it to pieces so I can get to the truth at the bottom. I have spoken. Now I'm going to eat some ice cream. Those past two sentences seem pointless, but they reflect the last two "sentences" in the poem. Seemingly pointless, but with a delicious truth behind them. I just have yet to taste that delicious significance.

"next to of course god america i" by e.e. cummings - Structure

"...even deafanddumb they sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry by jingo by gee by gosh by gum..." Two marks of punctuation. This poem counts as "something annoying." But in all seriousness, why do this? Why does the author exclude punctuation? One effect I feel when studying the poem is a feel of rambling. I see this person as an informed rambler who knows that most people who hear him won't listen, or won't understand. That's my shallow observation of the poem. My deeper look is that the syntax reflects what the speaker sees as the American people's blind acceptance of the American way. Americans just jump into anything for their country. Even the "deafanddumb" would go straight into war for America. They don't go into activities thinking. They simply jump into an activity, "who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter," and don't even realize that "they died."

"APO 96225" by Larry Rottman - Situational Irony

The mother in this poem doesn't really want what she says she does. She is like all mothers - she knows everything! The whole time she is begging her son to tell the whole truth because she knows he is holding back, "Son, we want you to tell us everything. Everything!" Yet when the son responds with what he is actually doing, she is apalled and her husband pleads, "Please don't write such depressing letters. You're upsetting your mother." She knows that the truth is bad, but she doesn't realize that she doesn't want to hear it. I loved how the poem started the same way it ended! That sealed the irony of the situation. What is the effect of the irony? The speaker is able to display how the public views war. They "want" to hear everything, but when they do, they respond negatively. The speaker is trying to tell his audience that sometimes being informed can be a bad thing. This video is my version of situational irony. The scientist doesn't really know what he was supposed to do.

"Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley - Irony

"'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains." That is one of my favorite few lines of all the poems we've read so far. The irony is just splendid! This man was king of a great land. He controlled all that the eye could see and had marked the whole area with his touch. He even made a statue of himself, so that the whole world could see that Ozymandias was the king of kings! Nobody could ever be greater than he! This is proclaimed on the plaque, while the whole area around him is crumbling apart. What is the effect of this irony? I see the irony as the speaker's way of displaying his theme - nothing lasts forever. That's his theme in cliché format. What he really is trying to tell the reader is that what you have in life now will not stay with you in eternity. Eventually, everything will change. If not, then Ozymandias' statue would be amidst a great city.

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" by John Donne - Mixed Feelings

I'm having trouble understanding what this poem is about. But I'm going to jump into the water and say what I connections I see. The first words I latched onto were, "Moving of the' earth brings harms and fears." Being a physics guy, this made me start thinking of the sun and the moon. I see that those two are the "lovers" the speaker refers to. The virtuous men are the planets and asteroids that orbit the sun. The earth causes fear during a lunar eclipse when the two lovers can't see each other. The sun is "in the center sit" and the moon is "the other far doth roam." The moon "leans, and hearkens after it." While this seems a stretch to some, I find it as perfectly logical and it means more to me since I am interested in physics - which deals with such objects.

One final note: "And makes me end, where I begun," refers to the Big Crunch. We started with the Big Bang and will end in the same point from which we were made - through the Big Crunch.

"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes - Theme

"Dream Deferred" has an amazing message. It caused me to contemplate what will be the result of the dreams we let go. With they "dry up like a raisin in the sun?" or "does it explode?" What does the speaker mean by this - "does it explode?" I think his message is that some of lost dreams can come back to haunt. When we are older in age, we will look back and wish we had taken that chance. It reminds me of "The road less traveled by" mentioned in a Robert Frost. The speaker of "Dream Deferred" is trying to point out that our dreams are worth attaining. They very well may cause us pain if we don't at least try to achieve them. I believe that as long as we try to attain them, the worst that can happen is that they will "dry up."

"Pink Dog" by Elizabeth Bishop - Logos

Pink Dog has a message familiar to those from South America and other Spanish-speaking countries. Carnival is a worl-wide celebration on the American Mardi Gras. Unlike the American celebration, though, Carnival spurs a celebration with nearly full participation from the people. They come together as a family and celebrate until Ash Wednesday. Bishop's logos for writing this poem was persuading the outsiders, non-participaters, and particularly Americans that Carnival was a celebration for ALL to celebrate. The "pink dog" is the outsider who doesn't participate. This can also represent the"radios, Americans, or something, (that) have ruined it completely." She wants to tell people that Carnival is an event that shouldn't disappear - it should be celebrated all the more! She is encouraging even the "beggars" to dress up in some way for the event. She doesn't want to lose her Spanish culture to the American business-like culture.

"Toads" by Philip Larkin - Tone

Mr. Larkin has ATTITUDE! He sets a tone evident throughtout his poem. From, "Why should I let the toad work/ Squat on my life?" with "No one actually starves," he brings a feeling of bitterness towards the lower class. Why bitterness? Bitterness towards the poor seems to be a paradox. Where could this bitterness towards the people that work for him come from? I believe it stems from the speakers desire to have some of their lifestyle - their friends, their family, their sense of community. The speaker has a bitter tone because he is jealous of some aspects of their lifestyle. I think the author did this to point out that those who are last have something that those who are first don't have, "For something sufficiently toad-like/Squats in me, too." That's his confession of his true feelings.

"Toads" by Philip Larkin - Extended Metaphor

I see an extended metaphor in the poem "Toads." The poem is regarding the poor, unskilled laborers of society. He refers to them as toads - ugly, worthless creatures. He rejects their desire to have a better life. He says, "Ah, were I courageous enough to shout Stuff your pension!" Wow! He acts like no matter what they do, they will survive, so why try? He basically says that with,  "no one actually starves. He explains this by comparing them to toads - they seem to survive no matter what. But he does confess that he sometimes has the same desires as the "toads." This can be interpreted as every girl's desire (little or small) to be the toad/frog in the princess stories. Even though being the toad is so despicable, the result is amazing. I see that the author, even through his snubbing of the lower class, is expressing his occasional desire to be with them by using the toad metaphor. He wants to have something they have that he doesn't - community.

Robert Hayden - "Those Winter Sundays"

Wow. I am used to Sundays being happy days because I get to sleep in before going to Mass. I see how lucky I am to have what I'm blessed with when I read this drab poem. I never fear "the chronic angers of that house." I can't imagine waking with the fear that my family will be angry and I may have to face difficult arguments. But then again, I do appreciate my dad more than the author did during his time. I don't speak "indifferently to him." If my dad gets up early to make a fire for us, I'm always sure to thank him. The author realizes later in his life how much his father did for him, and he feels sorry for the way he treated his father. I'm glad he's come to this realization, but it always seems to come too late. I hope that this poem sends a message to kids of all ages to appreciate all that their parents do for them and to thank them for it.

Imagery - William Carlos Williams - "The Widow's Lament in Springtime"

The poem "The Widow's Lament in Springtime" emphasizes the imagery of certain situations to bring out the meaning of the poem. For example, "flaes as it has flamed" shows how brilliantly colored and lively the yard used to be during the springtime. But it is contrasted with "the cold fire that closes round me this year." These juxtaposed images bring out the sorrow due to the loss of the widow's husband. Also, the masses of lowers" aren't as noticeable as in years previous as she "turned away forgetting." The imagery of these flowers is used to develop the brilliant beauty of the yard. But, since she has lost her husband, all of this beauty is lost. The author's imagery of the yard help emphasize how much of a loss the widow feels because, despite the beauty, the author is still depressed and doesn't notice it. This poem used more imagery than the others and culminated in the desire to "fall into those flowers and sink into the marsh near them." This was the author's point that no matter how beautiful the scenery was, the loss of her husband still drug her down.

Rainer Maria Rilke - "The Panther"

The Panther saddened me and reinforced my dislike of zoos. I hate to see an animal that has "grown so weary that it cannot hold anything else." I also hate to see them behind "a thousand bars." I believe that animals deserve to be in the wild where they can use their God-given abilities. While I believe it is sometimes necessary in order to save a species, I don't like to see an animal with "a mighty will (that) stands paralyzed." This poem evoked a feeling of sadness and despair for the poor panther. The ending was the final erasure of all hope. The animal seemed to have caught a spark in something, but the near attempt at normality is crushed through his surroundings. I find that this poem serves as a good, strong message towards the bad side effects of zoos.

Thomas Hardy - "The Convergence of the Twain"

What is the central purpose of the poem, the poet's fictional point?
"And the Pride of Life that planned her..." That statement is the first of many in which the author blames the death of many humans in the sinking of the Titanic on pride and vanity. The purpose of the writer is to inform the reader that excess pride or vanity can lead to destruction, "Lie lightless, all the sparkles bleared and black and blind." The author points out that God does not like pride. We are called to humility. "The Immanent Will that sirs and urges everything" is the reference to God. He "prepared a sinsister mate" who "in the shadowy silent distance grew." The shipwreck represents the victory of the humble (silent in last quote) over those with "human vanity." The author is simply warning that our vanity can lead to our downfall and disgrace.

Emily Dickinson - "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain"

Discuss the adaptation of sound to sense. The entire poem by Emily Dickinson is based around sounds, since it is felt in her brain. "Like a Drum" brings the sense of solitude. Without other instruments, a drum is monotonous and simply carries out a given beat that drones on. "I heard them lift a box/And creak across my Soul" brings a sense of longing. The sound of creaking reminds me of ghosts and such, and soul reinforces that idea by saying that the person lost is no longer visible to the author. "And I, and Silence... Wrecked, solitary, here-." This phrase also appeals to our sense of hearing. Silence is the absence of noise, and that brings about a sense of solitude and loneliness. But it also brings about God. We hear God in the silence of our minds. I believe that's why the "Plank in Reason" broke through. She realized that she had to get out of her horrible state of mind from the funeral.

Bringing Science to Literature

"In poetry, context may function to expand meaning as well as to limit it." (The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry, pg. 4) Always go into a new experience (or reading) with an open mind. The article by Laurence Perrine regarding the interpretation of poetry really opened my eyes. As evidenced in my interpretation of the Emily Dickinson poem we read in class, I was a strong hater in the interpretation of literature. I believed that I could interpret anything I wanted in a literary work, so I despised taking classes studying works and determining a "correct" answer. Now, my eyes are opened and I understand that I could incorrectly interpret a poem. While variations in interpretation DO exist, they are limited by the words in the poem. This makes poem reading more fascinating to me. While I still am not a literature interpreting maniac, I appreciate that a fairly scientific approach was brought to literature.
While this is all well and good, I do see a downside in Perrine and his opinion. He seems to be a creativity hater. Yes, I understand that completely abstract ideas can be thrown out, but I still stand by my laundry interpretation of Emily Dickinson's poem. While it may not be the easiest, most simplified interpretation, that doesn't eliminate its effectiveness. If the author wanted the poem to be simple and have a straight-forward interpretation, he would have simplified the poem and made it straightforward. I will make a concession based on this phrase, "...the best is that which is most economical, i.e. which relies on the fewest assumptions not grounded in the poem itself." (TNPIP, pg. 1) This idea of having the simplest method be the most correct struck me as a science-guy. In physics, the most successful equations and theories are the "beautiful" ones. What makes an equation or theory beautiful? Its symmetry and "shortness." So, I do see how the simpler the interpretation, the more correct it is. But that doesn't make a less simple interpretation incorrect. When Einstein made the laws surrounding electricity and magnestism simpler, it didn't make Maxwell's equations incorrect or unvaluable. So, I don't believe that a more complex interpretation is necessarily incorrect.

BNW20 - Brave New Book

"There was a yell of ironical applause." (Brave New World, pg. 255)
I liked Brave New World much better than Never Let Me Go. I found that both books did well in teaching their lessons, but I think Mr. Huxley did a better job. I appreciated that his history was well thought out and explained. I also appreciated the idea of a new alternative to science (although I like science more). I also liked the comparison to the discovery of the new world. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found the plot intruiging, plausable, and engaging. He is advanced in his vocabulary and is a clever author.

BNW19 - Hubris

"The whip was hanging on a nail by the door, ready to hand against the arrival of reporters. In a frenzy the Savage ran back to the house, seized it, whirled it. The knotted cords bit into his flesh." (Brave New World, pg. 252) And down falls our tragic hero. The hope the reader has in this beautifully different character dies with his flagellate-type behavior. Why does our hero have to have a tragic flaw? Remember that John was a major fan of Shakespeare - his heroes all had their tragic flaws. John hung himself after the burden became too much to carry. He served hs role, though. Without our "Savage," we wouldn't understand the reasoning behind the "brave new world." Hopefully John's death was considered noble - he was a noble man.

BNW18 - Genius

"'All right then,' said the Savage defiantly, 'I'm claiming the right to be unhappy.'
'Not to mention the right to grow old and ugly and impotent; the right to have syphilis and cancer; the right to have too little to eat; the right to be lousy; the right to live in constant apprehension of what may happen tomorrow; the right to catch typhoid; the right to be tortured by unspeakable pains of every kind.' There was a long silence.
'I claim them all,' said the Savage at last." (Brave New World, pg. 240)
Wow. I applause Aldous Huxley. He did something only Tony Hollowell has done for me. He showed me that suffering DOES belong in our lifes. Yes, we want to be happy. But do we want to live like the people in this society? We want freedom and adventure. He brings us full circle on accepting our sufferings. I see the last line of Ch. 17, "You're welcome" as Huxley speaking. I really like the way he presented what our lives would be like without unhappiness. Very, very ingenious. *applause*

BNW17 - Explication! The Truth Comes Out!

"Right up to the time of the Nine Years' War. That made them change their tune all right. What's the point of truth or beauty or knowledge when the anthrax bombs are popping all around you?" (Brave New World, pg. 228) I finally understand what I believe to be Huxley's purpose for writing. I understand why everybody is so conditioned. Huxley published this book in 1932. He had lived through WWI and the Great Depression had just begun. I believe he was trying to discourage a Second World War. His anthrax bomb in the Nine Years' War is the equivalent of the nuclear bombs of today. They destroy so much and ruin all of the progress we've made. I feel like this is his outcry to control science. Yes, it advances us, but it may also destroy us. Today is the day we face that decision - do we move forward and risk it, or do we condition ourselves to be happy? According to Michio Kaku, our world is in this transition to a Type I Civilization. Real scientists like Einstein don't intend for peoplo to die from their science. It happens when the technology gets in the wrong hands.

BNW16 - To the Rescue!! ... Or Not

"'Will you come quietly?' asked the Sergeant, 'or must we anaesthetize?' He pointed his water pistol menacingly.
'Oh, we'll come quietly,' the Savage answered dabbing alternately a cut lip, a scratched neck, and a bitten left hand." (Brave New World, pg. 215)
Almost a heroic effort! Unfortunately, too much of a population is against them. The poor minions can't comprehend anything because of their conditioned training. Plus, nobody can contend against the vicious effects of soma. It would take an army with masks to be able to overcome the way this society is set. I was hoping they might have a chance - but the evidence points to the contrary. At least they did what was within their power.

BNW15 - Super Situational Irony

"She stepped forward, she touched him on the shoulder. 'Can't you behave?' she said in a low, angry voice." (Brave New World, pg. 206) In our day, we would expect that the nurse was going to comfort John. But the opposite happens - she scolds him. Then, from her point of view, she expects John to accept death in stride. Instead, he's bawling by his mother's bedside. I call this Super Situational Irony. From every viewpoint, the unexpected occurs. I find this a bit of genious on the author's part. It's not obvious, but the all-around irony is there. I see it as Huxley's way of teaching us to consider other people's viewpoints. Many people need to learn how to do this.

BNW14 - Internal Conflict

"But instead of also saying 'Darling!' and holding out his arms, the Savage retreated in terror, flapping his hands at her as though he were trying to scare away some intruding and dangerous animal." (Brave New World, pg. 193) John faces an immense internal conflict. Does he take Lenina in like her society teaches, or does he resist like he's been taught. But what is the point of displaying this internal conflict? I believe Huxley used it to show the clash of two civilizations. It is partly used, I believe, to show in a modern form what it was like for the Indians in the 1490's. These people with a completely different set of beliefs come and rule the world. I think it also displays someone who is going through a culture shock and doesn't know how to behave. I think Huxley might be trying to prepare us for our own culture shocks in life. Any way I look at it, Huxley is trying to give us a more universal viewpoint.

BNW13 - Elegy

"Yesterday's committee,
Sticks, but a broken drum,
Midnight in the City,
Flutes ina cavuum,
Shut lips, sleeping faces,
Every stopped machine,
The dumb and littered places
Where crowds have been:...
All silences rejoice,
Weep (loudly or low),
Speak-but with the voice
Of whom, I do not know.
Absence, say, of Susan's,
Absence of Egeria's
Arms and respective bosoms,
Lips and, ah, posteriors,
Slowly form a presence;
Whose? and, I ask, of what
So absurd an essence,
That something, which is not,
Nevertheless should populate
Empty night more solidly
Than that with which we copulate,
Why should it seem so squalidly?" (Brave New World, pg. 181)
Helmholtz wrote something absurd in his time - an elegy. He was nearly fired for it! The elegy was a mournful reflection on loneliness. But such a reflection was considered blasphemy. It was a nice poem that could bring one comfort - but thats what soma is for. I thought the elegy was effective because it showed that life wasn't perfect, even in the utopian society. Again, it shows the dark side of conditioned response. I like Helmholtz - he's a true character.

BNW12 - A Good Christian

"Hastily he looked away, disengaged his imprisoned arm. He was obscurely terrified lest she should cease to be something he could feel himself unworthy of." (Brave New World, pg. 169) Even after going through the experiences he did, John was able to control his emotions. Clearly, his conditioned responses are very moral. He didn't take the chance he had with Lenina. I'm impressed with how he sticks with his old world ways. John is an example to all of us in how we are to face such temptations. He doesn't run astray despite the promises. But he's behaving much like Linda when she entered the Reservation. Neither conformed to their new environments. They both did what they believed was appropriate despite being outcasted.

BNW11 - Dramatic Irony

"Laughter broke out, enormous, almost hysterical, peal after peal, as though it would never stop. My father-and it was the Director! My father! Oh Ford, oh Ford! That was really too good." (Brave New World, pg. 151) Who would've though the Director had a child! Obviously not the people at the Hatchery. While they laugh because of its "impossible" implications, the truth is out. The director might realize this - at least the readers know the truth. Those poor spectators. What a shock they'll receive when they see that it's true. Dramatic irony is especially effective in this backwards society. Once the society fully realizes what has occurred - pandemonium. Huxley does a great job of dramatizing the situation. It helped create a better, more intense feel in the book.

BNW10 - Punctuality

"At ten fifty-four Bernard was shaking hands with the Warden." (Brave New World, pg. 141) Bernard manages to pull off his entire scheme in a short amount of time and enjoy his day before returning to check on Lenina. I was giggling at the descriptions of time for when he did his earliest activities. Whenever I invite friends over, I'll give them a time such as 3:23. And yes, occasionally my friends will drive around the neighborhood to be sure they arrive exactly at 3:23. I thought it was funny, too, because I am a very scheduled person. I like to have events drawn into the day's schedule so I can get everything done. I wonder if Bernard wrote it down on a notecard while he stayed up all night planning. Many times I find myself scheduling my days, and then just winging it when the actual day comes. It seemed that Bernard has a large amount of self-discipline in accomplishing his schedule early in the day. I always enjoy the rewarding rest of the day after getting the work done in the morning. Of course, I say this as I'm typing a blog half an hour past midnight. Change isn't bad once in a while. =)

BNW9 - Frustrating Life

"It hurt more than anything he had ever felt-like fire. The whip whistled again, fell. But this time it was Linda who screamed." (Brave New World, pg. 126) Poor young man. I feel sorry for him for what he went through. I don't feel sorry that he had to live in the Reservation; I'm sorry for being raised by Linda. He constantly was faced with conflicting opinions and ways of looking at situations. While this is a good things sometimes, it's a very tough burden to place on a child. He dealt fairly well with it, though. He read - which may help him in this book. I can see him becoming a sidekick to Bernard in his overthrowing of the accepted society. But I can also see him as a drawback - he may keep Bernard from doing the things he desires simply because the young man wants to be happy. I would understand why after all that he's been through. Especially with the thought of this brave new world being perfect. Only more reading will tell what will actually occur.

BNW8 - Stream of Consciousness

"Lenina was left to face the horrors of Malpais unaided. They came crowding in on her thick and fast. The spectacle of two young women giving breast to their babies made her blush and turn away her face. She had never seen anything so indecent in her life." (Brave New World, pg. 111) The auther Huxley does much to reveal the inner workings of the characters' minds. I will focus on Lenina's and Bernard's minds. Lenina has been conditioned to respond in certain ways to certain situations. The author reveals how this brings about torture to her during her encounter with the indians (above quote). However, something is different about the way Bernard thinks. Whenever Lenina does one of her conditioned responses, Bernard says "Five hundred repititions once a week from thirteen to seventeen" (BNW, pg. 100) or something of the like. This reveals how the two characters' minds work differently. Huxley does a great job of this and brings out how it affects the characters throught the plot. The stream of consciousness is essential.

BNW7 - Bernard the Protagonist

"Ignoring the interruption. 'It suddenly struck me the other day,' continued Bernard, 'that it might be possible to be an adult all thetime.'" (Brave New World, pg. 94) I'm starting like Bernard. Yes the people find him odd - but I find that thats what makes him special. As the book progresses, it is becoming apparent that Bernard is the protagonist. He is the one who is going to fight against this society. This is evident in the way he doesn't think like the others. Plus, he knows all about why people think the way they do - he is one of the administrators of the conditioned response training. He is able to keep a clear mind and think about what is going on in his society. Bernard is able to understand that what he is living in isn't true happiness. It's drugged and false happiness. I see him setting out to reveal this - maybe through Helmholtz's paper, or through taking other people through his thought process. If he manages to stay at the Hatchery, he might try to tinker with the conditioned response systems. Only reading will tell what Bernard will do next. I am enjoying this book more than the other as of now.

BNW6 - Super-Strings

On page 80 of Brave New World, a single word popped out to me - "superstring." Yes! As this book is a science-fiction book, many physics references are made. This word really got me thinking though. The society they live in isn't really all that advanced. They still use helicopters, airplanes, taxis; they still use fossil fuels for their energy; they don't have any real scientists. Normally a society this far in the future would have mastered the use of renewable energy - particularly solar energy. They would be able to colonize Mars, and travel throughout the solar system. Then why, nearly 500 year into the future of our world, are they stuck on simple machines and not advanced theories such as relativity and super-string theory? I will tell you why! Yes, everybody is "happy" in this society. But that requires conditioned responses from childhood and a happy drug. These leave no room for real scientists. Nobody can think completely clearly; and therefore, no real advancements are made. So, yes, everyone is happy now. But wait until the world uses up its supply of coal and oil - how will the society continue? Scientists can't be conditioned - the only way to let a real scientist work is to let him think of whatever he wants. This would jeopardize the "stability" of the society. While it may seem like an ideal utopia right now, it is destined to collapse.

BNW5 - Choo Choo, Here Comes the Quatrain

"Come, Greater Being, Social Friend,
Annihilating Twelve-in-One!
We long to die, for when we end,
Our larger life has but begun." (Brave New World, pg. 81)
Huxley uses this quatrain as an example of the ceremony called Solidarity Service. It is an odd service in which the people offer their lifes to Ford. This quatrain revealed something about this society we are learning about. Something I did not believe this society have. Faith. It's a  twisted, corrupted faith much like a cult, however. Through the lines in the quatrain, we see the people's dedication to "Our Ford" much like our dedication to "Our Lord." They will die for their Ford like a martyr. But that wasn't what suprised me as much as the last line in the quatrain. "Our larger life has but begun." (BNW, pg. 81) Earlier in the novel, the director and commander said that heaven was something people ages ago believed in, and these people were ridiculous. However, the people themselves say that their life truly begins after their death - a key believe in Christianity. This shows that the people really don't understand what they say - they're just pawns of conditioned response. If they understood what they were saying, they would realize that they were living in a paradox. I found these quatrains particularly revealing about the people and how effective their drug soma is.

BNW4 - A Flowing Simile

"Some sort of extra power that you aren't using-you know, like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines?" (Brave New World, pg. 69) This simile is gushing with significance. Helmholtz Watson represents the man with a rational mind. He has the intelligence of many of our great minds of today. He represents the old word - along with Bernard Marx. When he says this quote he is in a way referring to the beliefs of the world before Ford. He is saying that all of this pleasure is short of true pleasure - life with Christ. While he may not be saying this exactly, I'm extracting a feeling of emptiness from his life of immoral pleasure. He knows he has the potential to be someone better, but he doesn't know what it is since he has been brainwashed by the neopavlovian society. I feel that he is going to rebel against the society he is currently living in - through the newspaper and propaganda. This simile revealed a lot about Watson.

BNW3 - Diction - Funny Words yet Miserable Reading

"Hoity-toity." (Brave New World, pg. 54) "...soma..." (BNW, pg.55) "...morocco-surrogate." (BNW pg. 52) "...promiscuous..." (BNW, pg. 43) This chapter had its fair share of entertaining diction. Not to mention a confusing attack of three conversations alternating lines. Somehow, I survived the misery. But beyond the entertaining words and sufferable style of writing, the diction helped set the setting for the story. Mr. Huxley does a good job of using scientific words and expressions to help put the reader into the scientifically "advanced" society - though the idea of them being a better society is debatable. Without words relating to science and drugs of the future, the book would lack authenticity and would keep the reader from getting into the story. I do have one question - When Bernard Marx declares: "Damn you, damn you!" - where is he damning the Mr. Foster to? They don't believe in Hell - so maybe its to a life of instability? Or perhaps Marx is a single believer out of a world of millions.

BNW2 - Allusion

"Infant Nurseries. Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms, announced the notice board." (Brave New World, pg. 19) Ah-ha! This notice board is a reference to a well-known Russian scientist, Ivan Pavlov, who discovered the use of conditioned reflexes. A conditioned reflex is such that an animal (humans are animals) will respond in a certain way after a recurring stimulus. For example, Pavlov trained a dog to drool for food when it heard a bell. This was done by ringing a bell every time the dog was fed. So, after numerous repetition, the bell was rung without food, and the dog began salivating all over the floor. We see this exact training performed by the hatchery to the humans. While it is unrealistic that this time of training would still be performed in this advanced society (it would be easier, and more scientific of them to simply mutate the DNA of the specimens), it would be an effective, yet cruel, way of training humans. However, I will forgive Mr. Huxley for his blunder because the truth about DNA had yet to be fully realized. Even today we don't understand all that it contains.

BNW1 - Moodymoodmood

"And in effect the sultry darkness into which the students now followed him was visible and crimson, like the darkness of closed eyes on a summer's afternoon. The bulging flanks of row on receding row and tier above tier of bottles glinted with innumerable rubies, and among the rubies moved the dim red spectres of men and women with purple eyes and all the symptoms of lupus. The hum and rattle of machinery faintly stirred the air." (Brave New World, pg. 11) This first chapter of Brave New World puts the reader into a mysterious mood. The building we explore is unknown and futuristic to us. The creepy rooms, such as the one above, augment the elusive mystery of the society in which the characters exist. I see this society as a parallel universe that went astray. While the existence of such a society is possible, its probability of existence is much lower than the one in which we subsist. The mood makes the society seem to be a cross between the Dark Ages and scientific advancement - a seeming paradox. But the author is effective in setting an appropriate mood for this dark story.

In the End

With Tommy and Kathy being split apart at the end, I feel a little emptiness inside. I feel pain for all of the clones who have to go through what they did in their society. Kathy stayed true to the end, and I now understand why she was ready for donations. Without hope for anything more, without her friends, without anybody close to her, she is ready to complete. Her final years will be very depressing. The memories will keep her company, but they can only do so much. Ishiguro made me feel sorrowful for the clones who must run their course in life. Overall, the book was good, but the ending was fantastic. I appreciate Ishiguro's message about the downsides of cloning, and I don't regret having to read this book.

Fantastic Second to Last Chapter

Chapter 22 was absolutely fantastic. Ishiguro amazed me with the way she wrapped everything up. I very much appreciate the rest of the book now. Great save Ishiguro! Her message about cloning is something the world needs to take into account. While it may seem beneficial to us, we have to take into account how the clones are treated. To me, raising clones is an issue that would be too difficult to deal with. Our society could fall apart with the different arguments. I hope that our society never clones humans. The idea is repulsive and the repurcussions are extreme. Thank you Ishiguro for a fantastic ending to the book.

Suspense? Finally!

After 250 pages, I finally encountered real suspense in Never Let Me Go. The entire time Kathy and Tommy were with Madame, I was hanging from suspense. The book really needed it in order to keep me awake on the drive home from Georgia. The majority of this book was boring childhood drama with a slightly odd twist to it. The suspense saved the book from being a complete dud. I was genuinely surprised when Miss Emily entered the scene. Too bad the rest of the book didn't make me feel this way. Unlike her childhood (since I knew she'd survive and make up with her friends), I'm not sure what is going to happen next and I'm interested. Ishiguro is a good, talented writer, and she did well with suspense.

JUXTAPOSITION!

About time! Throughout the lengthy Chapter 19, Ishiguro juxtaposes the old and the new Ruth. The author compares how the new Ruth is calmer and less easily provoked than the old Ruth. The new Ruth accepts when Kathy and Tommy gang up on her. Why juxtapose? By juxtaposing the old and the new Ruth, the author is able to explain what is different now and how issues were resolved. Juxtaposing the Ruths effectively showed Ruth's newly gained maturity. It's disappointing that Ruth died so young. She'd just turned her life around.

I Can't Carer

Life as a carer seems difficult. I wouldn't be able to take care of donors if I knew that was my fate, too. I'm impressed with how Kathy handles it. I understand what Laura is going through. It's not an easy job. I simply can't fathom how Kathy does it. I guess she enjoys life while she can. She tends to have a good attitude about life. If I was a donor, I'd want Kathy as my carer.

Simile =)

"It was like being given a maths problem when your brain's exhausted, and you know there's some far-off solution, but you can't work up the energy even to give it a go." Simile! This analogy is a wonderful comparison. As a student myself, I can feel her brain just telling her, 'no.' The situation she was in had multiple variables, and chosing the wrong method could send her down along a frustrating road. But unlike a math problem, Kathy couldn't try multiple methods. She went with the one most students would go with - walk away to deal with it later. Ishiguro's simile works on multiple levels. I'm starting to have that feeling with this book.

Say Bye-Bye

If Tommy was BA, then his theme song would be Deuces. He's stuck with Ruth who complains and is obnoxious to him. Yes, she puts up with his slower nature, but not in the way Kathy does. Kathy has been Tommy's good friend for a long time. They've had rough stretches, but it's been much better than Ruth's relationship with Tommy. I think Tommy is beginning to realize this. Kathy makes Tommy "want to say bye-bye, say bye-bye, say bye-bye to her (Ruth)."  I don't see how Tommy puts up with Ruth. He should throw down the gauntlet!

mmm skittles =D

Mood

Chapter 14 is a moody chapter. Once we, as the readers, realize that Ruth didn't find her possible, we get a sense of "uh-oh." We feel the awkwardness in the air. Ruth's speech on the bottom of page 166 gives the reader a feeling of the tension between the characters. As Kathy and Ruth go their separate ways at the end, we feel the angst and resentment. The mood Ishiguro puts us in is very profound. We sense a turning point, a switchback, in the friendship of Kathy and Ruth. This mood isn't going to leave for a while. At least it seems like I'm in a real conflict for the first time.

Switchbacks!!!

Page 148! 3rd full paragraph! "Zigzagging footpaths" - There are switchbacks in fantasy England! Oh, how I miss Summer Field Studies. It was absolutely the best experience of my life. I even miss the switchbacks. Even when Cubby announced we were on the last one, even though it may have been the first. And I miss sleeping under the blanket of stars! Even if it meant being covered in frost on our final morning. And Dirtbag, the sweet feeling of scoring a ten. I'm looking forward to next year! Now, to relate it to the book... Well, I feel like Kathy's and Ruth's relationship is littered with switchbacks. Now they're friends, now they're not. I feel like their destination in life is like a frozen Thunder Lake. So, they best enjoy the journey. Good news - they don't have to drive through Kansas to get to Norfolk!

Happy I'm in This Parallel Universe

The society that Kathy and Ruth are in is disgusting. They clone people, send them through specific boarding schools, use their vital organs, and leave them to die. I'm very disturbed by it. As a clone, I would feel hopeless and worthless. I don't see how they still live happily. At this point I would just run away, but maybe the clones are tracked. I'm disgusted by that! I don't see how any society could justify it. I feel horrible for Kathy and the other clones. And why is Hailsham so special?

Who is the antagonist?

Kathy seems to be facing a large number of antagonists and not one central opponent. First, Hailsham and the situation she is born into can be seen as a roadblock. The gaurdians sheltered her too much, so she didn't fully understand the world she's up against. But it doesn't stop there; Tommy could also be seen as an antagonist at times. He was a pain in his early years and hurt Kathy's reputation. But I wouldn't put him high on the list. Ruth, however, could be seen as a more frequent antagonist. While she was Kathy's best and most trusted friend, she goes to the extent of extreme embarassment in public. Kathy follows all of Ruth's rules. Kathy suffers through them constantly. But, there doesn't seem to be a single antagonist - the group of smaller challenges does pile up for Kathy, though.

Round Character

Ruth is a frustrating round character. She doesn't understand who her real friends are. She keeps conforming to fit in wherever she is. She doesn't consistently respect Kathy as a true best friend. She puts Tommy through a lot of interesting twists and turns. Ruth needs to realize that the world doesn't revolve around her. While it's good for her to open her little box, she can't abandon her old friends. I don't see how Kathy deals with it. Ruth, in the end, will do whatever she can to be the center of attention.

Motivation

I find Chapter 8 as an appropriate time to discuss motivation. The entire chapter is about sex. The students didn't ulnderstand what the gaurdians wanted them to do about sex. The reason this misunderstanding existed is that each side had different motivations for sex. The gaurdians believed, for themselves, that "sex was for when you wanted babies." The students had sex if they were close to somebody, or if they wanted practice. They didn't face nearly as serious consequences. Clearly, this civilization doesn't have a set moral standard regarding sex, so differences arise between the "normals" and the students. Kathy's motivation for sex is for practice for later on. Not exactly moral.

Ps. Take a took at the last sentence on the 4th full paragraph of page 97. "Parallel universe" - a fun physics theory like Hyperspace!

Anecdotes!

They fill the book! The author has built the entire book off of anecdotes from Kathy's past. Even though there is no clear plot to the story, the anecdotes are easy to follow and help fill in Kathy's past. The author flows well from one to another. One point is for sure - without the anecdotes there is no story. We are being let into the plot like Kathy was as a child. The anecdotes help us mirror how Kathy learned. While this is neat, I'd prefer to learn the plot.

Foreshadowing

I think I found foreshadowing, unless I'm misunderstanding this donation business. I see the donations as ex-students giving organs to the richer, royal families of England. When I read what Miss Lucy said, "So keeping yourselves well, keeping yourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me," I thought she was alluding to the donations in the future. They may also be why they can't have children. With Ruth's death, I know that the donations must be risky. But they must also be mandatory. I want to know more about their purpose and how they work. The author is slowly revealing pieces of information about this civilization. After A Separate Peace and Never Let Me Go, I'm glad I don't go to a boarding school.

Confusing...

Kathy was a confusing child. She seems so nice at times. But, she also imagines hurtful things to Ruth. Then when she acts on it, she feels horrible. Ruth has an interesting personality. She likes to be in control, and she will do anything to get control. Of course, when she's caught lying, she pities herself. I don't see how Ruth and Kathy are friends. I don't know how they get along or remain buddies. It's weird to me.

ANGER!

I am frustrated with this book. I don't like how it's all about the main character in the past. It reminds me a lot of A Separate Peace, but it's worse. The constant flashbacks are not engaging. I haven't enjoyed the book. I keep trying to get engaged, but it's not exciting. I hope Kathy can get out of her past so she can live a normal life. Maybe then she will explain what a carer is. I hope we visit the present sometime soon or I might go crazy.

Analogy!

On page 35, Ishiguro uses the analogy, "But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders." This comparison portrays Madame as scared and disgusted of the children. As horrible as that seems, it is also accurate. She did all that she could to avoid the children. This makes me wonder if all the kids in England are in boarding schools. And, does something happen that makes you scared of children? Clearly Hailsham is the best boarding school - is that because it keeps its children innocent? At the beginning, Kathy was looking back with happiness AND with regrets. Does she wish she had learned more at Hailsham? Many unanswered questions. The biggest - why is Kathy stuck in her past?

Local Color

I have never heard the term "local color" before. But I found that it applies well to the beginning of Never Let Me Go. The beginning is dedicated to Kathy's home school Hailsham. When Kathy is in her flashback, she portrays Hailsham as a dreamy land. The descriptions of the places are glorious. At the opening, she discusses how others viewed Hailsham. She realized how lucky she was to have lived her childhood years there. I have yet to read one poor aspect of Hailsham. She emphasizes how close she was to her friends and how nice the area was. Even the custom of "The Exchanges" she holds in high regard.

Flashback (first of many...)

From pages 7-12, Ishiguro utilizes the use of a flashback. At this point in the story, the flashback tells the reader a little about the background of Kathy, the protagonist. Ishiguro started her book with direct characterization, but after the first paragraph she switched to indirect characterization. This flashback, in my opinion, was her way of introducing Kathy by way of example. I doubt the others in the flashback play a major role. To me, the flashback brings out Kathy's caring characteristic - maybe why she is a carer now? The flashback was an interesting way to learn the basics about Kathy, but it didn't fill me in on the present. Yet, it did show me a little about Kathy's attachment to her home school Hailsham. I'm curious to learn more about Hailsham, and I wonder if Ishiguro will continue with flashbacks.