I think The Catcher in the Rye is mainly about Holden's turmoil between wanting life to be as simple as it was when he was a child and his desire to be accepted by society as someone older than his age. This is displayed through Holden's refusal to take responsibilty for his future. Rather than deal with school he wants to run off to the country and live alone. Yet at the same time, Holden is always trying to prove to bar-tenders and women that he is older than he is. In addition, his encounter with the prostitute shows how he wanted to have sex just to fit into his peers' expectation of him. Holden cannot find an equilibrium between his childhood and adulthood which is extremely troubling for him. At one point he considers suicide as an escape, and his drinking is an emotional escape as well. Childhood seems appealing to Holden as he describes the boy singing on the street, "the cars zoomed by, brakes screeched all over the place, his parents paid no attention to him and he kept on walking next to the curb and singing" 115. For Holden, this child's life in a nutshell is all he wants. I think every adolescent can relate to Holden's feelings. For example, during Family Living the kids can have the time of their lives just picking up garbage or running around in circles for ten minutes. Of course everyone wishes they didn't have to study or do home work and that they could be careless again, but most people can accept that they have to grow older, and in turn, more mature.
Throughout the novel I think Holden realizes his place in his family. He obviously feels close to D.B. and Phoebe because he talks about them constantly. When Holden claimed "I felt sorry as hell for my mother and father. Especially my mother, because she still isn't over my brother Allie yet" 155, he showed that he could have sympathy for others. This reveals that Holden does feel regret for failing out of school again because he knows what it will do to his mom. After finally realizing this, I think Holden can take a huge step to actually care about school because he can connect the negative affect him failing has on his family. Also, when Holden said "All the visitors that were visiting the cemetary started running like hell over to their cars. That's what nearly drove me crazy. All the visitors could get in their cars and then go some place nice for dinner-everybody except Allie" 156, he actually opens himself up to admit that Allie's death does still make him extremely upset. I think a reason why Holden is so bitter towards others and claims they're phonies is because he thinks they will never understand what he has been through. He's angry because he lost someone that he loved but by putting these emotions down on paper Holden will be able to handle them. Everything else in the novel that "drove him crazy" was trivial, such as cheap suitcases, the word "grand" and the movies. But the fact that he has mentioned something REAL that can justifiably make someone upset shows that he has matured.
Another thing Holden comes to terms with is that he can never escape his troubles. He comes to this conclusion when he says "That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking somebody'll sneak up and write "F**k you" right under your nose" (204). There is no place Holden can truly either become a child again or be considered an adult. Holden wants to "catch" every child and save them from adulthood, like he wished someone did to him, but in reality he knows this is not possible. He will never be COMPLETELY peaceful no matter where he is, so instead of running away he should try to adjust to life at home.
Towards the end of the novel, when Holden is with Mr. Antolini, he is given an inspiring message. Holden says he still has the paper which said "The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one" (188). This kind of reminded me when in Macbeth, Macbeth does not want to die the "Roman fool" like some men in Julius Caesar did. A noble man will not kill himself for a cause, but instead live for one. The fact that Holden still has this piece of paper shows that it meant a lot to him and he has found motivation from it. That suggests to the reader that Holden will be able to succeed in his next school and learn from his past.
^^excuse the lengthhhh
ahhhhhhhhhh i cant believe its OVERRRR.....well besides the essay =/
payce and luuuvvv @ndrea x0x0x0x0x0x
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Catcher In The Rye-Bread
Holden's entire perspective on life reveals a lot about his character. He uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism to make up for his own defficiencies. The fact that he has been through so many boarding schools shows that his parents find him so impossible to deal with that they need to send him away. Holden attemps to play off the fact that he has been kicked out of various schools as if it were his own choice, as he said "One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies" 13. In reality, Holden could not find the self-esteem to push himself through school. Holden's lack of self-esteem stems from his self conciousness in his physical appearance, and the fact that he is considered the failure in the family. Because of this, Holden realizes that life is a game and "If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, thats a game alright...But if you get on the other side, then whats a game about it? Nothing. No game" 8. I think this is Holden's general perspective about everything. He is not the best at anything, so he figures why try if he will always lose. His lack in confidence is also shown when dealing with women.
When Stradlater goes on a date with Jane Gallagher, Holden cannot contain his excitement and interest. At first, Holden just seems interested because he used to be friends with Jane. He repeatedly says he "oughta go down and at least say hello to her" 32, but never actually does. Instead of admitting he was too shy to go to see Jane he just claims he wasn't in the mood. this shows how Holden cannot even admit his true emotions to himself, but always has to make up an excuse so that he doesn't feel inferior to others. Furthermore, later that night when Stradlater returns, Holden takes out his own anger at himself on his roomate. Stradlater didn't ACTAULLY do anything wrong by going out with Jane, but Holden is obviously mad at himself for not having the confidence to say hi to jane, and for succumbing to Stradlater's request to write a paper for him. Rather than looking inward and realizing that the issue lies within himself, Holden acts out aggressively. This aggression was shown before, when Holden's brother Allie died from leukemia.
After Allie died, Holden "slept in the garage...and I broke all the windows with my goddamn fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all of the windows in the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time" 39. During this rampage Holden claims to have "harldy even know what he was doing" and during the fight with Stradlater he says he can't really remember what happened. This is also just a cover up like when people say they were "soooo drunkkkk" as an excuse for doing embarassing or demeaning things. Also, Holden apparently can't deal with his emotional problems causing him to be aggresive. I think he would be considered a "passive aggressive".
Holden also feels like he is basically on a different level than everyone else, and that he is soo far above society. Once he said "people never listen to you" and another time "people never believe you" 37. These phrases show that Holden catagorizes everyone else as "people" and that they are all against him. He probably feels betrayed by his family, so he views everyone else as a threat. Because he feels threatened, he constantly puts others down by "dissing" them. As he said about Stradlater "Stradlater was putting on his tie infront of the mirror. He spent around half of his goddamn life in front of the mirror" 33. Holden is threatened by Stradlaters' good looks so he calls him vain to feel better about himself.
This is totally out of order, but when Holden talks to Mr. Spencer in the beginning he makes up all these excuses for why he has to leave, not only to Mr. Spencer, but to himself. As he says "But I just couldn't hang around there any longer...and the way he kept missing the bed whenever he chucked something at it, and his sad old bath robe with his chest showing, and that grippy smell of Vicks Nose Drops all over the place" 15. Holden points out all of these details so he can avoid that fact that the reason why he really wants to leave is because he can't face the fact that he has let himself, teachers, and his parents down once again.
Cant wait to keep readdinnngggggg xxx0000000000xxxxx
payyyyyce and LuVvVVVv, @ndrea
When Stradlater goes on a date with Jane Gallagher, Holden cannot contain his excitement and interest. At first, Holden just seems interested because he used to be friends with Jane. He repeatedly says he "oughta go down and at least say hello to her" 32, but never actually does. Instead of admitting he was too shy to go to see Jane he just claims he wasn't in the mood. this shows how Holden cannot even admit his true emotions to himself, but always has to make up an excuse so that he doesn't feel inferior to others. Furthermore, later that night when Stradlater returns, Holden takes out his own anger at himself on his roomate. Stradlater didn't ACTAULLY do anything wrong by going out with Jane, but Holden is obviously mad at himself for not having the confidence to say hi to jane, and for succumbing to Stradlater's request to write a paper for him. Rather than looking inward and realizing that the issue lies within himself, Holden acts out aggressively. This aggression was shown before, when Holden's brother Allie died from leukemia.
After Allie died, Holden "slept in the garage...and I broke all the windows with my goddamn fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all of the windows in the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time" 39. During this rampage Holden claims to have "harldy even know what he was doing" and during the fight with Stradlater he says he can't really remember what happened. This is also just a cover up like when people say they were "soooo drunkkkk" as an excuse for doing embarassing or demeaning things. Also, Holden apparently can't deal with his emotional problems causing him to be aggresive. I think he would be considered a "passive aggressive".
Holden also feels like he is basically on a different level than everyone else, and that he is soo far above society. Once he said "people never listen to you" and another time "people never believe you" 37. These phrases show that Holden catagorizes everyone else as "people" and that they are all against him. He probably feels betrayed by his family, so he views everyone else as a threat. Because he feels threatened, he constantly puts others down by "dissing" them. As he said about Stradlater "Stradlater was putting on his tie infront of the mirror. He spent around half of his goddamn life in front of the mirror" 33. Holden is threatened by Stradlaters' good looks so he calls him vain to feel better about himself.
This is totally out of order, but when Holden talks to Mr. Spencer in the beginning he makes up all these excuses for why he has to leave, not only to Mr. Spencer, but to himself. As he says "But I just couldn't hang around there any longer...and the way he kept missing the bed whenever he chucked something at it, and his sad old bath robe with his chest showing, and that grippy smell of Vicks Nose Drops all over the place" 15. Holden points out all of these details so he can avoid that fact that the reason why he really wants to leave is because he can't face the fact that he has let himself, teachers, and his parents down once again.
Cant wait to keep readdinnngggggg xxx0000000000xxxxx
payyyyyce and LuVvVVVv, @ndrea
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE PULL ESTHER OUT OF THE JARRR?!?!?!
I feel like this book can be seperated into two parts. Even though Esther's plumet into insanity is gradual, I felt like during her depression she was Esther #2. Prior to her suicidal thoughts, Esther #1 was sarcastic and cynical, but she still seemed to have SOMETHING keeping her going. One thing I found so interesting was how Plath managed to make her suicide seem so rational. I think was a parallel to her own thoughts on suicide which apparently resurfaced later in her life. Someone on the outside of the "bell jar" would see suicide as either cowardly, or just horrifyingly (made up a worddd chyea) tragic. Yet Plath, being inside the bell jar herself can justify suicide as a valid solution to the problems that face her. Speaking of the problems, I saw many distinct causes to Esthers' depression.
One major factor was Esther's indecisiveness. Esther believed that she had to make a choice about her future while she was in college because of the people surrounding her asking her what her plans were. After realizing she didn't have a distinct plan Esther goes further to say "I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest" 77, meaning she wants to do all of these things, but felt that if she chose one path for her life she would miss out on all other oppurtunites surrounding her. This caused her to be so frustrated that Esther concluded doing nothing would just be simpler. Also, Buddy points out that Esther is neurotic because she can't decide between the city and the country; she desires both. Personally, I could relate to this cause of Esthers depression because when people ask me what kind of college I want to go to I end up thinking I want to be in the middle of a city, yet I'd also want a beautiful campus far away from highways and traffic. I think everyone at one time is confused by their future, but unfortunatly Esther cannot handle her problems, so she doesn't deal with them at all.
I think Esther's numbness is a coping mechanism because of the death of her father and how men have treated her in the past. When her dad died, Esther and her mom never properly mourned the loss. By Esther watching this as a young child she learned to bottle her emotions rather than let people see she is upset. Also, when she had high expectations about men (Buddy, Lennys friend) they always let her down. Previosuly she said if you didn't have expectations you could never be let down. Further into her depression she has completely gone numb and claims "I knew I should be greatful...only I couldn't feel a thing...where ever I sat-I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air" 185. Esther is "IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONNNN"--Ron Burgandy, and until she can swqueeze herself out, she will always feel like ending her life would be indefinitly better than doing the same thing every day, if she was only going to die in the end.
Eventually, Esther kind of finds her way out of her depression. I think this comes about because of the shock therapy, and talking to Dr. Nolan. I wish Plath had included more of the conversations between her and her doctor because they were definitly crucial in her healing. I definitly didn't want to play hop-scotch or jump rope with my gal pals when I was done with this book, but there were a lot of parts I enjoyed in the bell jar. Plath should've just written a straight up autobiography BUTTT i guess she wanted to spice some stuff up, and leave a lil out here and there. Shweeeeet NoVeL
x0x0x0x*****~~~~~@ndrea
One major factor was Esther's indecisiveness. Esther believed that she had to make a choice about her future while she was in college because of the people surrounding her asking her what her plans were. After realizing she didn't have a distinct plan Esther goes further to say "I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest" 77, meaning she wants to do all of these things, but felt that if she chose one path for her life she would miss out on all other oppurtunites surrounding her. This caused her to be so frustrated that Esther concluded doing nothing would just be simpler. Also, Buddy points out that Esther is neurotic because she can't decide between the city and the country; she desires both. Personally, I could relate to this cause of Esthers depression because when people ask me what kind of college I want to go to I end up thinking I want to be in the middle of a city, yet I'd also want a beautiful campus far away from highways and traffic. I think everyone at one time is confused by their future, but unfortunatly Esther cannot handle her problems, so she doesn't deal with them at all.
I think Esther's numbness is a coping mechanism because of the death of her father and how men have treated her in the past. When her dad died, Esther and her mom never properly mourned the loss. By Esther watching this as a young child she learned to bottle her emotions rather than let people see she is upset. Also, when she had high expectations about men (Buddy, Lennys friend) they always let her down. Previosuly she said if you didn't have expectations you could never be let down. Further into her depression she has completely gone numb and claims "I knew I should be greatful...only I couldn't feel a thing...where ever I sat-I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air" 185. Esther is "IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONNNN"--Ron Burgandy, and until she can swqueeze herself out, she will always feel like ending her life would be indefinitly better than doing the same thing every day, if she was only going to die in the end.
Eventually, Esther kind of finds her way out of her depression. I think this comes about because of the shock therapy, and talking to Dr. Nolan. I wish Plath had included more of the conversations between her and her doctor because they were definitly crucial in her healing. I definitly didn't want to play hop-scotch or jump rope with my gal pals when I was done with this book, but there were a lot of parts I enjoyed in the bell jar. Plath should've just written a straight up autobiography BUTTT i guess she wanted to spice some stuff up, and leave a lil out here and there. Shweeeeet NoVeL
x0x0x0x*****~~~~~@ndrea
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Jar of Bells Numero Uno
I really like Sylvia Plath's writing style. Everythings kind of sarcastic and so detailed. In every scene the reader gets such an intricate description of Esther's surroundings that I feel like I'm there with her. Esther's underlying depression is slowly seeping through, but so far she seems pretty sane.
A few scenes stood out to me as interesting, the first being when Esther went out one night with Doreen. Doreen seems to feel like she is above everyone else and that she is too cool for the events that the other girls go to. I think Doreen notices that Esther doesn't fit in either so she kind of uses her to go out with and basically make fun of the other girls with. Esther enjoys Doreen's company, revealing Esther's own cynical side. Anywayyyy so when the two girls do go out and Esther sticks by Doreen's side as she gets frisky with Lenny she says "there is something demoralizing about watching two people get more crazy and more crazy about each other, especially when you are the only extra person in the room. It's like watching Paris from an express caboose heading in the opposite direction-every second the city gets smaller and smaller, only you feel it's really you getting smaller and smaller and lonelier and lonelier, rushing away from all those lights and that excitement at about a million miles an hour" 16. I think this quote is such a figurtive look on "third-wheeling" and I felt so sympathetic towards Esther while she was in Lenny's apartment.
That night, Esther "made a decision about Doreen...I decided I would watch her and listen to what she said, but deep down I would have nothing at all to do with her. Deep down, I would be loyal to Betsy and her innocent friends." (22) I think this shows how Esther doesn't know her true identity, and how she always puts on a happy face for everyone but on the inside she is really depressed. The fact that she doesn't know who she is is displayed when she has that meeting and suddenly realizes she has no idea with what she wants to do with her life.
Also, I thought the part about Chemistry was really interesting, especially because Esther is SOOO smart. Her whole scheme to avoid taking Chem was pretty amusing because Mr. Manzi and the Class Dean thought she just had such an appreciation for the subject that she would love to sit and listen even if it didn't count for a grade. But in reality "if my Class Dean had known how scared and depressed I was, and how I seriously contemplated desperate remedies such as getting a doctor's certificate that I was unfit to study chemistry...I'm sure they wouldn't have listened to me for a minute" (36), again showing how Esther can easily appear one way to everyone surrounding her but on the inside shes like I FOOLED YOUUUUUU HA-HA! Theeeeeen when Buddy puts on an act that Esther is sooo much more experienced than him, she gets piiiiiissed, but Esther does the same thing to almost everyone surrounding her. I'm on Esther's side all the way though, that Buddy seems like a real man whore.
x0x0x0x0x @ndrea
A few scenes stood out to me as interesting, the first being when Esther went out one night with Doreen. Doreen seems to feel like she is above everyone else and that she is too cool for the events that the other girls go to. I think Doreen notices that Esther doesn't fit in either so she kind of uses her to go out with and basically make fun of the other girls with. Esther enjoys Doreen's company, revealing Esther's own cynical side. Anywayyyy so when the two girls do go out and Esther sticks by Doreen's side as she gets frisky with Lenny she says "there is something demoralizing about watching two people get more crazy and more crazy about each other, especially when you are the only extra person in the room. It's like watching Paris from an express caboose heading in the opposite direction-every second the city gets smaller and smaller, only you feel it's really you getting smaller and smaller and lonelier and lonelier, rushing away from all those lights and that excitement at about a million miles an hour" 16. I think this quote is such a figurtive look on "third-wheeling" and I felt so sympathetic towards Esther while she was in Lenny's apartment.
That night, Esther "made a decision about Doreen...I decided I would watch her and listen to what she said, but deep down I would have nothing at all to do with her. Deep down, I would be loyal to Betsy and her innocent friends." (22) I think this shows how Esther doesn't know her true identity, and how she always puts on a happy face for everyone but on the inside she is really depressed. The fact that she doesn't know who she is is displayed when she has that meeting and suddenly realizes she has no idea with what she wants to do with her life.
Also, I thought the part about Chemistry was really interesting, especially because Esther is SOOO smart. Her whole scheme to avoid taking Chem was pretty amusing because Mr. Manzi and the Class Dean thought she just had such an appreciation for the subject that she would love to sit and listen even if it didn't count for a grade. But in reality "if my Class Dean had known how scared and depressed I was, and how I seriously contemplated desperate remedies such as getting a doctor's certificate that I was unfit to study chemistry...I'm sure they wouldn't have listened to me for a minute" (36), again showing how Esther can easily appear one way to everyone surrounding her but on the inside shes like I FOOLED YOUUUUUU HA-HA! Theeeeeen when Buddy puts on an act that Esther is sooo much more experienced than him, she gets piiiiiissed, but Esther does the same thing to almost everyone surrounding her. I'm on Esther's side all the way though, that Buddy seems like a real man whore.
x0x0x0x0x @ndrea
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mamamamamamaaaaaaango
I'm not sure if i should feel really depressed after finishing this book or kind of happy because as Esperanza said "One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away" (110). This at least leaves the reader with some hope that maybe one person can take their experience in a horrible neighborhood and instead of falling into the cracks, learn from it and allow it to make them a stronger person. I think Esperanza realizes that her years on Mango Street have more shaped her than crushed her spirit. One of the best things about Esperanza is that she can look at the women around her and see their faults. Of course, she stumbles along the way (ex: chillen with sally slore) but throughout the book Esperanza does realize that marrying young can only lead to a trapped life.
Another revelation Esperanza stumbles upon is that wanting to leave just to escape is not enough. She recognizes "I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out" (110). I do admire her promise to come back, but I also wonder what she'll do when she returns for lets say her sister Nenny. Nenny will most likely be married, and what is Esperanza going to do? Force her to leave her husband? It seems as if all of her other friends besides Alicia will be trapped because they aren't strong enough to leave, and I question how Esperanza will be able to rescue them. On that subject, I thought the 3 sisters at the funeral were a bit far fetched for the book. Everything so far has been realistic, and parts even tragic, but the whole part about one of the women reading her mind and saying the EXACT right thing to Esperanza was pretty cheesy. This also makes me see how much Esperanza and her friends rely on the supernatural. Between her visiting the "fortune teller" and praying every day because she believes she will go to hell, I can tell that spirits are an escape for people on Mango Street. When there are no answers to why children get beaten and the neighborhood is so badly neglected, they turn to religion to provide an explanation.
I'll try to rap this up to save everyone the boredom...but lastly I was really affected by No Speak English. It was so sad because this man saved all of his money to bring "Mamacita" to America, and after she arrives all she wants to do is go back home. Then to add to her depression, her son begins speaking English and all she can do is yell at him to stop, but eventually he will be Americanized and know nothing about his real home. I really felt the frustration Mamacita had because she probably had all of these dreams about what life in America would be like, but finds Mango Street instead. Her fate is basically the opposite of what Esperanza wants. Mamacita leaves a home she loves for one that she can't stand. Here it is proven how important a home is and how much it can affect someone.
ANYWAYSSSSS I liked this book but I wish some chapters were longer so there was more of a plot line. The snippets were kewl though.
x0x0x0x0x0x0x peace and lovee
Another revelation Esperanza stumbles upon is that wanting to leave just to escape is not enough. She recognizes "I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out" (110). I do admire her promise to come back, but I also wonder what she'll do when she returns for lets say her sister Nenny. Nenny will most likely be married, and what is Esperanza going to do? Force her to leave her husband? It seems as if all of her other friends besides Alicia will be trapped because they aren't strong enough to leave, and I question how Esperanza will be able to rescue them. On that subject, I thought the 3 sisters at the funeral were a bit far fetched for the book. Everything so far has been realistic, and parts even tragic, but the whole part about one of the women reading her mind and saying the EXACT right thing to Esperanza was pretty cheesy. This also makes me see how much Esperanza and her friends rely on the supernatural. Between her visiting the "fortune teller" and praying every day because she believes she will go to hell, I can tell that spirits are an escape for people on Mango Street. When there are no answers to why children get beaten and the neighborhood is so badly neglected, they turn to religion to provide an explanation.
I'll try to rap this up to save everyone the boredom...but lastly I was really affected by No Speak English. It was so sad because this man saved all of his money to bring "Mamacita" to America, and after she arrives all she wants to do is go back home. Then to add to her depression, her son begins speaking English and all she can do is yell at him to stop, but eventually he will be Americanized and know nothing about his real home. I really felt the frustration Mamacita had because she probably had all of these dreams about what life in America would be like, but finds Mango Street instead. Her fate is basically the opposite of what Esperanza wants. Mamacita leaves a home she loves for one that she can't stand. Here it is proven how important a home is and how much it can affect someone.
ANYWAYSSSSS I liked this book but I wish some chapters were longer so there was more of a plot line. The snippets were kewl though.
x0x0x0x0x0x0x peace and lovee
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Shweeeet Mangooo
The House on Mango Street has been really easy to get through (especially after reading the awakening) and I like the writing style. The Way Cisneros writes dialogue is interesting, but sometimes really confusing. At first I didn't understand the fight between the four girls, but when reading it again I could decipher it. I thought it was funny when Espy was like "Rachel WOULD say that" because thats such a common term today like "Rachel L. would write 'sup foo' on her blog". Also the fact that Nenny kept listing names while Lucy and Esperz were arguing further shows her ignorant and juvenille characteristics.
I think this book is a happy medium between Montana and The Awakening. It's read-able, but there's enough to analyze. It shows a girls struggle against society without all of the soggy crumpets. Esperanza clearly wants a better life for herself, and I admire her for that. I liked the quote "I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry bc she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be?" and that Esperenza "doesn't want to inherit her place at the window" (11). This shows that she is aware that everyone has a choice to either pity themselves, make the best out of their situation, or strive to do better. Also, the use of the window reminded me of Wuthering Heights how the windows are tiny there, and at Thrushcross Grange Cathy would look out the window to the home she longed to be in. Esperanza made it clear that she will do more than stare at a life she could have, but she will attempt to make it happen.
Esperanza's relationship with her sister is one part of the "achor" that holds her down. Because Nenny is younger than her, she has a responsibilty to her. Esperanza always upholds this responsibility, showing her dedication to her family. I think this will inhibit her from finding the better life she seeks. I am curious to see who "the boy who is now a man" that watched her dance is. I'm digging the whole house on the street of mango and it'll be a good read over break. SPEAKING OF BREAKKKK EVERYONE HAVE AN AWESME ONEEEE <3333 LeAvE ur CoMmEnTs x0x0x0x0xxxxx
I think this book is a happy medium between Montana and The Awakening. It's read-able, but there's enough to analyze. It shows a girls struggle against society without all of the soggy crumpets. Esperanza clearly wants a better life for herself, and I admire her for that. I liked the quote "I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry bc she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be?" and that Esperenza "doesn't want to inherit her place at the window" (11). This shows that she is aware that everyone has a choice to either pity themselves, make the best out of their situation, or strive to do better. Also, the use of the window reminded me of Wuthering Heights how the windows are tiny there, and at Thrushcross Grange Cathy would look out the window to the home she longed to be in. Esperanza made it clear that she will do more than stare at a life she could have, but she will attempt to make it happen.
Esperanza's relationship with her sister is one part of the "achor" that holds her down. Because Nenny is younger than her, she has a responsibilty to her. Esperanza always upholds this responsibility, showing her dedication to her family. I think this will inhibit her from finding the better life she seeks. I am curious to see who "the boy who is now a man" that watched her dance is. I'm digging the whole house on the street of mango and it'll be a good read over break. SPEAKING OF BREAKKKK EVERYONE HAVE AN AWESME ONEEEE <3333 LeAvE ur CoMmEnTs x0x0x0x0xxxxx
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE THROW EDZZ A LIFE VEST!?!?!!?
Edna, Edna, Edna....so much to say and so little time. I enjoyed the journey Edna went through and how we could see her gradually breaking away from the life she was given towards a life she desired. But some things along the way I was not too pleased with. Her affair with Arobin just makes me lower the respect I had for my good friend Eddzz. I can completely understand how she fell in love with Robert while being married to Leonce, the she-man, but if she's in love with Robert WHY DOES SHE FOOL AROUND WITH AROBIN??!!! To me, this proves how out of control she is; perhaps she has been closed so tightly into the conforms of society that the second someone rebels against it (adultery) she just grabs at it. In addition, I believe her suicide is not because of Robert at all. I think its more about how she will ALWAYS be connected to her children and as she has said she would never give her "true being" up for her kids, so she will never be able to break free from her previous life. There was no such thing as joint-custody in her days, making her role to her children almost a death sentence to Edna.
Edna also feels like she has no place in society and that no one understands her. When she goes on a rant to Robert about how she has freedom from all men his face goes white and he says "What do you mean?". Then before her suicide Edna explains "He did not know; he did not understand. He would never understand". The fact that no one would ever come to terms with her new way of life makes her want to commit suicide. Edna "had resolved never again to belong to another than herself" (80), which means she would never again be the posession of a man, not even Robert. This reminded me of in To Kill a Mockingbird when that old lady wanted to die beholden to nothing so she slowly and painfully overcomes her morphine addiction. All Edna wanted was to be uncontrolled like a free bird, but society would not let her.
It was reassuring that Edna knew it was better for her to suffer while finding her new self than to live the rest of her life in a sort of daze. Like that famous quote: its better to have loved and lost than to never love at all, Edna might have endured a strenuous journey, but at least she tasted freedom. The time period when Leonce was away really allowed Edna to grow as a person. She became self-sufficient by selling her paintings and I guess the affair let her see what life could be like if she wasn't confined to her husband.
Mad props to K.Chopin for writing The Awakening. I could've done without some of the dinner parties, but if she hadn't written this novel maybe we wouldn't be able to wear jeans or join the army. WOMANS SUFFRAGE HOOOLLLLAAAA.
~~~***~~~ @ndrea xxxxx00000xxxxxx000000xxxxxx
Edna also feels like she has no place in society and that no one understands her. When she goes on a rant to Robert about how she has freedom from all men his face goes white and he says "What do you mean?". Then before her suicide Edna explains "He did not know; he did not understand. He would never understand". The fact that no one would ever come to terms with her new way of life makes her want to commit suicide. Edna "had resolved never again to belong to another than herself" (80), which means she would never again be the posession of a man, not even Robert. This reminded me of in To Kill a Mockingbird when that old lady wanted to die beholden to nothing so she slowly and painfully overcomes her morphine addiction. All Edna wanted was to be uncontrolled like a free bird, but society would not let her.
It was reassuring that Edna knew it was better for her to suffer while finding her new self than to live the rest of her life in a sort of daze. Like that famous quote: its better to have loved and lost than to never love at all, Edna might have endured a strenuous journey, but at least she tasted freedom. The time period when Leonce was away really allowed Edna to grow as a person. She became self-sufficient by selling her paintings and I guess the affair let her see what life could be like if she wasn't confined to her husband.
Mad props to K.Chopin for writing The Awakening. I could've done without some of the dinner parties, but if she hadn't written this novel maybe we wouldn't be able to wear jeans or join the army. WOMANS SUFFRAGE HOOOLLLLAAAA.
~~~***~~~ @ndrea xxxxx00000xxxxxx000000xxxxxx
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Choppin is Boppin
The Awakening seems like a book that tells us more about the time period it was written than an interesting story. Because the novel was considered revolutionary at the time we can see what society thought of women when it was written. Right now I'm doing a project for history on the changing Victorian Woman so I can basically grasp what a shock The Awakening would be to readers in 1899. One thing I thought was interesting was how I learned in my history text book that women were finding their roles from the 1850's-1900 and the book proves that, "Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being" 13. I think this really shows what the time period was about for women and how they started to understand they might have more of a role than just wife and mother.
Although I have no experience with motherhood, if you're not cut out to be a mom I can see how it would be quite annoying to take care of two smelly brats. Mrs. Pontellier seems to have absolutely no connection with her children or her husband. When her husband suggests she should check up on their son because he thinks he has a fever, Edna is extremely reluctant to get out of bed. This shows how the mom was supposed to unquestionably take care of the children and how hard it is for Mrs. Pontellier to be a mother and a wife but nothing more. As Chopin describes, "her marriage was purely an accident resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate" 18. Women of the time pretended they fell in love at first sight but this was all just an act because in reality many women did not marry the men they were in love with, but just those who found them suitable. I think Mrs. Pontellier knows she wants out of her typical life, but because everyone around her thinks her husband is amazing she is really lost and confused inside. It seems as if everything around her is perfect so Edna is left asking herself "why am I so unhappy???" If only her husband wasn't so conventional and a bit more open minded Mrs. Pontellier wouldn't feel so frustrated.
Mrs. Pontellier's relationship with Robert could just be an escape from her husband. At first it appears that she doesn't care much for him but this obviously changes. I'm just unsure if her admiration for him is true or if he's just there at the right time. Right now she's basically having a mental break down and heres this young, casual man who is apparently flirtatious and has frequent obesessions with women; he's basically the perfect fling to distract her from her marital problems.
Throughout this novel I think Chopin's main goal is to make a point about how women were forced into a role to be submissive and passivly walk through their life when they DO have true emotions and go deeper than just a pretty face. Chopin's voice is apparent in the novel: "but unthinkingly as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of life which has been portioned out to us" 31, here she is speaking directly about women, to women. She's showing them how they've all been given this pre-planned life that they CAN be dissatisfied with and ultimately change.
It's tough to get through this book because Edna's character is not exactly likeable. She comes off as a whiney and annoying, perhaps someone tied her corset too tight. (BTW Chopin obviously cared a lot about clothes and hair bc she always mentions in detail what the women are wearing!) I thought it was amusing when she swam a foot, felt like an olympian, then almost drowned. I wish I was there to point and laugh at her, but the literary importance of this was to show how once she feels at the height of her strength and independence she always gets knocked down by someone or society.
I hope there's more action in this book soon! But for now I'll just take a few cat naps between chapters =) leave yo comments at ur leisure
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Although I have no experience with motherhood, if you're not cut out to be a mom I can see how it would be quite annoying to take care of two smelly brats. Mrs. Pontellier seems to have absolutely no connection with her children or her husband. When her husband suggests she should check up on their son because he thinks he has a fever, Edna is extremely reluctant to get out of bed. This shows how the mom was supposed to unquestionably take care of the children and how hard it is for Mrs. Pontellier to be a mother and a wife but nothing more. As Chopin describes, "her marriage was purely an accident resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate" 18. Women of the time pretended they fell in love at first sight but this was all just an act because in reality many women did not marry the men they were in love with, but just those who found them suitable. I think Mrs. Pontellier knows she wants out of her typical life, but because everyone around her thinks her husband is amazing she is really lost and confused inside. It seems as if everything around her is perfect so Edna is left asking herself "why am I so unhappy???" If only her husband wasn't so conventional and a bit more open minded Mrs. Pontellier wouldn't feel so frustrated.
Mrs. Pontellier's relationship with Robert could just be an escape from her husband. At first it appears that she doesn't care much for him but this obviously changes. I'm just unsure if her admiration for him is true or if he's just there at the right time. Right now she's basically having a mental break down and heres this young, casual man who is apparently flirtatious and has frequent obesessions with women; he's basically the perfect fling to distract her from her marital problems.
Throughout this novel I think Chopin's main goal is to make a point about how women were forced into a role to be submissive and passivly walk through their life when they DO have true emotions and go deeper than just a pretty face. Chopin's voice is apparent in the novel: "but unthinkingly as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of life which has been portioned out to us" 31, here she is speaking directly about women, to women. She's showing them how they've all been given this pre-planned life that they CAN be dissatisfied with and ultimately change.
It's tough to get through this book because Edna's character is not exactly likeable. She comes off as a whiney and annoying, perhaps someone tied her corset too tight. (BTW Chopin obviously cared a lot about clothes and hair bc she always mentions in detail what the women are wearing!) I thought it was amusing when she swam a foot, felt like an olympian, then almost drowned. I wish I was there to point and laugh at her, but the literary importance of this was to show how once she feels at the height of her strength and independence she always gets knocked down by someone or society.
I hope there's more action in this book soon! But for now I'll just take a few cat naps between chapters =) leave yo comments at ur leisure
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Montana : 2008
The second half of Montana definitly had its ups and downs. One problem in general that I have with the novel is how much the narrator spells every single thing out for the reader. Sure this makes the novel easy to understand but it leaves basically no room for the reader to form their own analyzations of the characters. For example, when David and his father are talking about re-painting the house David says "was this another of his promises-like a trip to Yellowstone-to make me feel better?" I feel that those comments are unneccessary because it would be more valuable to the reader if we can draw our own conclusions from the text. This is also shown when the narrators' voice frequently cuts in and says things like "it was trivial, yet it bore out what a boy I was when all this was going on" (123). Let the reader see that obviously his want for chocolate cake proves how juvenille he was inside instead of litterally saying it. Furthermore, I thought the Epilogue was too detailed, sometimes I like to picture how the characters end up rather than have the story completely closed for me. It was almost too sweet to have both villians killed off when the grandpa died. I think if the Epilogue was more vague, or not there at all, the story would be more intruiging.
Also, the whole scene with the four men approaching the house seemed way too gimicky and "wild west" to actually be in the novel. It reminded me of West Side Story with the Jets approaching the Sharks snapping their fingers in the beat of the music. That entire part was not needed, and there were many other ways Watson could've shown how in danger the Hayden family was.
The fact that the Haydens were able to keep Frank in the basement for so long shows how corrupt the towns' government was. I, like Gail, was dumbfounded when Wes explained that Uncle Frank was being locked up underneath their feet. It was like they were giving a rapist hotel accomodations for commiting first degree murder. At the end of the novel for a second I thought Frank had killed Wes because of how Watson wrote that whole scene. This made the twist at the end enjoyable, in a sick, twisted way. David also feels a certain satisfaction when Uncle Frank kills himself, but his happiness was not a shock to me because earlier in the novel when David has his uncle in range of gunshot, his first thought is of the mechanics of the shot, not about the moral aspect of KILLING his uncle. I conclude from this that he felt to attatchment to his Uncle, but David also went on a rant about his connection to his uncle and how weird it was to think of him as a rapist and a murderer. Their relationship is not as clear as black and white, but either way his uncle has changed his life forever.
All in all I did like Montana 1948, but the simplicity of it at times made it a wee bit too bland.
Also, the whole scene with the four men approaching the house seemed way too gimicky and "wild west" to actually be in the novel. It reminded me of West Side Story with the Jets approaching the Sharks snapping their fingers in the beat of the music. That entire part was not needed, and there were many other ways Watson could've shown how in danger the Hayden family was.
The fact that the Haydens were able to keep Frank in the basement for so long shows how corrupt the towns' government was. I, like Gail, was dumbfounded when Wes explained that Uncle Frank was being locked up underneath their feet. It was like they were giving a rapist hotel accomodations for commiting first degree murder. At the end of the novel for a second I thought Frank had killed Wes because of how Watson wrote that whole scene. This made the twist at the end enjoyable, in a sick, twisted way. David also feels a certain satisfaction when Uncle Frank kills himself, but his happiness was not a shock to me because earlier in the novel when David has his uncle in range of gunshot, his first thought is of the mechanics of the shot, not about the moral aspect of KILLING his uncle. I conclude from this that he felt to attatchment to his Uncle, but David also went on a rant about his connection to his uncle and how weird it was to think of him as a rapist and a murderer. Their relationship is not as clear as black and white, but either way his uncle has changed his life forever.
All in all I did like Montana 1948, but the simplicity of it at times made it a wee bit too bland.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
First Post for Montana 1984
Hey group, I'm definitly enjoying this book =) I think it's mostly about David's forced journey out of childhood because of the events that took place during 1948. In the first chapter there is a lot of background information, but what I found most importand was that David's grandfather was the sheriff of the town because he wanted power. To keep this power, he gave the position as sheriff to his son. As we learn later in the novel, David's father, Wesley, is always in the shadow of his brother. He's not as good looking and is far from a war hero. Therefore, his job as sheriff is the only scrap of power he has left, and his job is the only way he can gain respect and recognition from his father. I think the relationship between Wesley, Uncle Frank, and the grandpa is very interesting. When David's mom and dad are talking about what Marie told them about Uncle Frank, Wesley says, "I don't want this getting back to my father" and then David goes into a narration about how his dad "declared absolute fealty" to his earthly father. This proposes that he is protecting his father from the information about his supposedly heroic son, but I am confused as to why he would want to do that? If he told his dad he would ruin the image his father has of Uncle Frank, making him the better son. But on the contrary, it seems as if the grandfather knows Uncle Frank is interested in Indian women and finds that acceptable and manly in some way. Ultimately, I think Wesley fears his brother will hate him if he tells their father, which shows how much he cares about his brothers' approval, and how much he is intimidated by him.
Moving on to David's character, I thought the scene after the dinner at his grandfathers' house was interesting. David gets to ride around with a gun and he basically shoots the gun just to hear it and get all of his aggression out. This shows how much tension there is building up inside of him because of the weight he is carrying. I thought the quote "looking in the dead birds eye, I realized that these strange unthought of connections-sex & death, lust & violence, desire & degradation- are there, deep in even a good hearts chambers" (82) shows how much David is maturing from the situation he is in. The quote also points out that no one is all good or all evil, but that everyone has weaknesses that they can either ignore or succumb to.
David's mom is also a huge part in this section of the novel. She obviously knows the truth and always reminds her husband in their conversations to look past the fact that Frank is her husbands brother, and see him for who he really is. She kind of gets annoying when she doesnt actually DO anything about Marie. At the end of chapter 2 you can see when she talks to Daisy that she regrets not doing something more, because she definitly could have. The way Watson portrays women in this novel is weak and passive. Once one woman actually takes charge, she meets the worst possible fate. The grandfathers' wife is a pansie and Gloria, Franks wife, seems like she is really nice but puts up with all of Franks B.S., making her a push over. The women are WET BLANKETSSSSS ;) and need to start sticking up for themselves.
I was really shocked and disappointed when Marie dies (hope I didn't give that away to anyone) because I liked her character and I wanted to learn more about her past. Anyhoo, I can't wait to read everyones blogzz and I hope you liked mine! MoNtAnA is where its aaattttt. peace and loveeee, Andrea
Moving on to David's character, I thought the scene after the dinner at his grandfathers' house was interesting. David gets to ride around with a gun and he basically shoots the gun just to hear it and get all of his aggression out. This shows how much tension there is building up inside of him because of the weight he is carrying. I thought the quote "looking in the dead birds eye, I realized that these strange unthought of connections-sex & death, lust & violence, desire & degradation- are there, deep in even a good hearts chambers" (82) shows how much David is maturing from the situation he is in. The quote also points out that no one is all good or all evil, but that everyone has weaknesses that they can either ignore or succumb to.
David's mom is also a huge part in this section of the novel. She obviously knows the truth and always reminds her husband in their conversations to look past the fact that Frank is her husbands brother, and see him for who he really is. She kind of gets annoying when she doesnt actually DO anything about Marie. At the end of chapter 2 you can see when she talks to Daisy that she regrets not doing something more, because she definitly could have. The way Watson portrays women in this novel is weak and passive. Once one woman actually takes charge, she meets the worst possible fate. The grandfathers' wife is a pansie and Gloria, Franks wife, seems like she is really nice but puts up with all of Franks B.S., making her a push over. The women are WET BLANKETSSSSS ;) and need to start sticking up for themselves.
I was really shocked and disappointed when Marie dies (hope I didn't give that away to anyone) because I liked her character and I wanted to learn more about her past. Anyhoo, I can't wait to read everyones blogzz and I hope you liked mine! MoNtAnA is where its aaattttt. peace and loveeee, Andrea
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