Antigone Journal 3

Contrasting Characters:
Antigone and Ismene, Creon and Haemon,

Antigone and her sister have very opposite views on the world. Ismene is beautiful, Antigone is plain. Ismene wants to do what is right by the world; Antigone wants to do what is right by her heart. Ismene cares for things of the world like makeup and clothes, Antigone does not. When Antigone tells Ismene her plan to bury their dead brother, Ismene is reluctant and afraid of the consequences. When Antigone realizes that her sister will be of no help, she goes and buries Polynices on her own. Ismene and Antigone's personalities contrast in morals and rebellion. Antigone has strong morals, but is very rebellious. Ismene also has strong morals, but her want to obey the law overrides her want to bury her brother. 

Creon and Haemon. Father and Son. They are so closely related, yet so different in personalities and values. Creon wants to marry Antigone, he loves her. Haemon wants what’s best for his kingdom, and is willing to take out Antigone if she interferes.

Antigone Journal 2

Timeline:

• Antigone talks to Ismene about burying their brother. 

• Ismene says to sleep on it

•  Antigone takes Ismene's dress and makeup so that she can dress up for Haemon

• Antigone goes to visit Haemon

• Haemon laughs at Antigone and they fight and she runs away from him

• Antigone goes and buries her brother with his shovel

• the nurse catches Antigone because she checks her room and she is not in her bed

• Ismene talks to Antigone 

• Antigone tells her that she already buried their brother

• Haemon comes and promises he loves Antigone

Antigone Journal 1

Stage directions:
I would have the steps off towards the back, with a black pond in front, the guards sitting near the pond, and Antigone sitting looking in. All other actors will be scattered on the steps, with the king at the bottom.
I will have 1 chorus, to keep it uniform and easier to understand.
I would have George Clooney play the king because I can imagine him in a place of royalty. I would have kristen stewart play Antigone because I think she looks always a bit sickly and that's how i imagine Antigone to be. I would have Blake Lively play Ismene.
Antigone would be wearing simple, plain dresses, no makeup, until she goes to see Haemon. She then dresses up in awkward clothes and over done makeup.
The Chorus will be wearing a black robe, to blend into the background.
The nurse will be wearing a cap and night gown in the first scene.
Creon will be dressed in a long purple robe, with gold rings and chains.
The only props i will need is the castle, the cave, the shovel and dead body

Dystopian Journal 3 (Handmaid's Tale)

The Handmaid's tale has many cultural connections. Two of these are connections to abortion and feminism. These two connections are very prominent and both very similar to each other. Margaret Atwood wrote this book in the late 1970s, early 1980s. This time period has a lot of feminism and abortion movements connected to it. Abortion was legalized in 1981 and between 1978 and 1983, feminist health centers around the country provided low-cost abortions and the church began using illegal acts of violence against these clinics. This issue is very prominent in the dystopian society that Atwood has created. The Handmaid’s only purpose in life is to have children and if they are either unable to, or kill a baby, they are then named an “unwoman” and exiled. We know that this society has a Christian, theist government and that during the time that this book was written, Christian groups were often burning down and destroying abortion clinics out of anger. In the church, women have very small roles compared to the men; this also plays out in the novel through the repression of women and their rights. The handmaids are controlled through their clothing and having all of their rights removed. In the beginning of the society, the first signs that women were losing their rights were when they weren’t allowed to own money or property; these constrictions were then raised to complete control.

Dystopian Journal 2 (Handmaid's Tale)

"I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping."

The significance of this passage is that this is the point when Offred seems to accept her place in society. Offred remembers her past and the past ways that her body was treated. Before the republic was created, her body was meant for “pleasure” or “transportation”. It was a body, for sex or getting around; now her body is simply a means of having a baby. Her only goal in life is to be able to give her commander a child. In a world where birth rates are declining, her life purpose revolves around her ovaries, she describes her body as a “cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping." This description shows a lot of insight into how Offred views her role in society and her body. Her ovaries “glow red” showing that they are the only important part of her. I think the use of the color “red” is significant because of the motif of red representing the handmaids. All the handmaids are required to wear red to show who they are. This color seems to be a color of both fertility and humility. The bright color puts these women on display for the rest of their society to judge, and it is a symbol of fertility because they are the few women that are fertile in their society and those who aren’t, are either wives, the aunts, and the unwomen. “The shape of a pear” is significant because a pear is skinny on the top with a wider bottom; I think there are two different ways to analyze this. Firstly you could say that this represents pregnancy, a wide belly with a child inside. On the other hand, you could say that the skinny top represents the insignificants of what the women think and the large significance on her fertility.

Dystopian Journal 1 (Handmaid's Tale)

“No guns though, even they could not be trusted with guns. Guns were for the guards, specially picked from the Angels. The guards weren’t allowed inside the building except when called, and we weren’t allowed out, except for our walks, twice daily, two by two around the football field, which was enclosed now by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. The Angels stood outside it with their backs to us. They were objects of fear to us, but of something else as well. If only they would look. If we only we could talk to them. Something could be exchanged, we thought, some deal made, some tradeoff, we still had our bodies. That was our fantasy” (4).

This is a passage from the very beginning of the Handmaid’s Tale. This quote begins with “guns” and an ambiguous “they”. The guns are in reference to a restriction. In this book, there is a society in which everyone is controlled, however, with the use of the ambiguous “they”, Margaret Atwood is not specifying who exactly is being controlled, it could be in reference to only the women, however throughout the book we learn that the men are also restricted. In keeping the restriction of guns from being specific, Atwood is demonstrating how the restrictions are complicated. Guns can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, it is stated that “guns were for the guards”. This shows that their deadly essence was being used for protection or reinforcement. Mainly for reinforcement. The guards are called “Angels”, when I think of angels, I think of a protector, or someone caring. The ironic use of this word shows how things are not always as they seem. These trigger happy young men are often more brutal than protective of the republic. This passage states that “The guards weren’t allowed inside the building except when called, and we weren’t allowed out”, this shows that the handmaids and the guards live very separate lives. Atwood uses this to show that there are levels in this society giving a good, first insight into the society that she has created. Atwood describes the guards as standing “with their backs to (them)”. This shows that the men did not respect or care for the woman, they were simply there. The last few sentences in which the relationships with the guards are described, we see that it is truly the guards separation from the women that caused the most fear. “If only they would look. If we only we could talk to them. Something could be exchanged, we thought, some deal made”, this quote shows that the woman want access to the guards and it’s being denied. The very last sentence I find the most interesting, “That was our fantasy”. This shows the true feelings of the women. They dream and wish to have some kind of contact to the guards. Maybe this is because they want the presence of a male figure, maybe because they want to feel some sort of authority returned to them, Atwood leaves this unclear. This passage is important to the book because it gives us our first insight into the society in which The Handmaid’s Tale is based.

Stranger Journal 5

I part two, we begin to see slight changes that really affect how we read the tone of the book. The paragraphs are all even in tone and sentence length. They are no longer short and choppy in one, and long and detailed in the next. Meusault's character also goes through a few changes. A once avid smoker turns down a cigarette when offered, "one of them offered me a cigarette, which I turned down," (82). He has also been changed from a person that goes unnoticed, to the center of attention and this is shocking for him. Also a man dedicated to detail begins to get annoyed at the judge because he "went into minute detail in his narrative," (87). He has gone from a man with very little emotion and not caring too much about what people thought of him to having "this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me," (90). This is also shown when he states that "it was the first time in my life I ever wanted to kiss a man," (93). He also for the first time seems to want his opinnion to be know, "There were times when I felt like breaking in on all of them and saying, 'Wait a minute! Who's the accused one here? Being the accused counts for something. And I have something to say!' But on second thought, I didn't have anything to say," He just wants to be heard, (98).

Stranger Journal 4

My group chose Maman to analyze. We first meet Meursault when he finds out about his mother's death and is deciding when to go to the funeral.

On the very first page he says, "For now, it's almost as if Maman weren't dead. After the funeral, though, the case will be closed, and everything will have a more official feel to it," (3). He is referring to her death in a very matter of fact, open and shut matter. The reference to a "case" and "official" I found interesting because when someone is on trial, unless you are directly involved, it is very impersonal. The jury is not allowed to have contact directly with the victim, and anyone working on the case can not have any emotional connection what so ever with it.

Through out the first chapter, we follow Meursault through his experience at the vigil and funeral. The entire time he seems very distant and disconnected. Everything is referred to in a matter of fact manner. He can describe the most ridiculous things in such great detail, such as how the screws on the casket looked against the wood, or how Mr. Perez's face looked when he cried, and yet he was unable to articulate why he didn't want to see his mother, "I don't know," (6).

Maman brings out Meursault's true self. He does seem to love her, but he himself does not seem to recognize it, "And from the peculiar little noise coming through the partition, I realized he was crying. For some reason I thought of Maman," (39). This passage shows her true heart, while he never cried once during the vigil or funeral, the thought of someone else crying over something they lost evokes feelings of loss in himself. This passage shows a bit of Frued's theory of the unconscious the Camus uses throughout the book.

Stranger Journal 3

The title for The stranger, i believe, has different meanings.

Firstly i believe that the title could relate to Meursault and his relationship with society. He seems very disconnected from the normal social behaviors which would set him apart for the rest of his community and turning him into a stranger to them

I also see that the title could potentially relate to the Arab that Meursault kills. That man was a stranger to him, and because he is dead, he will always be.

Stranger Journal 2

Salamano: He is Meursault's neighbor and he is important because he helps make Meursault look better. He beats his dog mercilessly and no one ever says anything. Salamano really does love his dog, but it's tough love, "Then he beats the dog and swears at it," (26). I wonder how he can beat his dog and still care for it at the same time?

The Dog: The dog plays an important role in Salamano's life. Though it gets beaten constantly, it remains faithful. It has been with him so long that "he's sort of taken on his master's stooped look, muzzle down, neck straining," (27). This shows how you can become who you are around, which alludes to later on in the book when Meursault begins to take on Raymond's personality.

Raymond: Raymond is another one of Meursaults's neighbors and he leads an interesting life style. All of the people in the apartment complex believe that he lives off women, implying that he is a pimp. Yet he insists that he is ware house guard. this very apparent lie does not put him right in the minds of most people, but Meursault doesn't seem to care about his business, he says that he does not have any reason not to like him, and so they become friends.

Stranger Journal 1

Meursault has a very unique personality. He does not like to speak very often, and when he does, it is usually one word answers, or very short and matter of fact, "I said 'yes,' just so i wouldn't have to say anything else," (4). His personality seems to keep him from having very many relationships out side of the one with Marie.

"I went in. It was a very bright, whitewashed room with a skylight for a roof. The furniture consisted of some chairs and some cross-shaped sawhorses. Two of them, in the middle of the room were supporting a closed casket. All you could see were some shiny screws, not screwed down all the way, standing out against the walnut-stained planks, " (6). This passage is an important insight into Meursault. It shows that he is observers, not not only on the big picture. He tends to focus into the little things, like screws, rather than focusing more effort into the entire room.

 I think that it is odd that he observes so much about human nature, yet he acts out in ways that are not what society would suspect.


He also has a very habitual lifestyle. There is order which he does things and everything he does is simple and matter of fact, "I drank the coffee. Then I felt like having a smoke," (8). "I caught the two o'clock bus. It was very hot. I ate at the restaurant, at Celeste's, as usual," (3)

"Yes" and "No"

Whenever Meursault is asked a question, usually he answers in the simplest way possible. When asked a yes or no question, the easiest answer does not always include an explanation, "I answered, "No." (6). "I said, "yes," (4). "I like milk in my coffee, so I said yes," (8).

Cultural Journal #1

In the first chapter, the topic of religion is very prominent because of Meursault's mother's death. It is said that she had a "desire for a religious burial", (6). The Catholic culture is very strong in France and when a death occurs, a vigil is held. This is suppose to be a time to pray and reflect on the person you have lost. Meursault's mind wanders and he ends up falling asleep, this shows that he is possibly a non-practicing Catholic.

Eyes Journal 5

They put her to bed and sent for her married daughter from up around Ocala to come see about her.  The daughter came as soon as she could and took Annie Tyler away to die in peace.  She had waited all her life or something, and it had killed her when it found her.
      The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long. Anyhow, she wasn't going back to Eatonville to be laughed at and pitied.  She had ten dollars in her pocket and twelve hundred in the bank.  But oh God, don't let Tea Cake be off somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it.  And God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me.  Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lad dey say, but Lawd, Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin', Jesus.  Ah done waited uh long time.
      Janie dozed off to sleep but she woke up in time to see the sun sending up spies ahead of him to mark out the road through the dark.  he peeped up over the door sill of the world and made a little foolishness with red.  but pretty soon, he laid all that aside and went about his business dressed all in white.  But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn't soon come back.  She got out of the bed but a chair couldn't hold her.  she dwindled down on the floor her head in a rocking chair.

Tone: Somber, hopeless

Parallels between Annie Tyler and Janie: They both start off in bed, and they were both waiting for something or someone.  Annie Tyler also had a lot of younger loves, just like Janie, and in the end she lost it all. 

Biblical References:  The words highlighted are all related to the bible. The sun coming over the horizon shows God answering her prayers.

Word Choice: Hurston uses a lot of vague references in this passage, using the word "it" repeatedly in the first part. Half way through she begins to reference everything as a "He".

Metaphor

Imagery

The very last sentance in this passage tells how Janie cant even sit in her chair, Hurston shows how weighted down she is with the burdens of worrying about Tea Cake.