Literature Analysis #5: The Great Gatsby

General

1.      Gatsby is a rich man who is a war veteran who has come to Long Island to find his lost love. Daisy Buchanan is Gatsby’s lost love but she is already married to a man named Tom Buchanan. Nick first met Gatsby at one of his regular, crazy Saturday night parties. The narrator of the story is Nick Carraway and he helps introduce Gatsby to Daisy, however, he doesn’t realize that they had previously known each other from when they were younger. Tom is constantly cheating on Daisy with his mistress, Myrtle. Tom and Daisy have an affair up until; Tom meets Gatsby and goes digging into his past. He finds out that Gatsby came from a poor family but, he still didn’t figure out how he became so wealthy. Daisy ends up running over Myrtle; however, he tells Nick that it wasn’t her driving. Tom tells Myrtle’s husband who ran her over and he ends up killing Gatsby and himself while, Tom and Daisy run away.

2.      The theme of the novel is to let your past be your past. Gatsby should have never reconciled with Daisy because if it wasn’t for her he would have still been left alive. Because if we try and replicate our past then it forces us constantly back into it.

3.      The tone is cynical and ironic at times. Nick is a very cynical person so he makes the reader interpret the story in a cynical way which changes your perspective on some of the characters.

4.      Setting: The setting takes place in Long Island, NY.

 

Tone: The tone of the book is cynical and ironic. "I love to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of a – of a rose, an absolute rose. Doesn’t he?" She turned to Miss Baker for confirmation: "An absolute rose?"

 

Symbolism: The green light that is in the lighthouse far off from Gatsby’s house symbolizes the unattainable dream. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then.”

 

Mood: The mood is the same as the tone because the tone affects the reader’s feelings about the book as a whole and the reader.

 

Imagery: "Please don’t." Her voice was cold, but the rancor was gone from it. She looked at Gatsby. "There, Jay," she said – but her hand as she tried to light a cigarette was trembling. Suddenly she threw the cigarette and the burning match on the carpet.”

 

Diction: The author’s diction is very complex because I feel like Fitzgerald does a good job of writing in the way people talked during the time the novel was written.

 

Syntax: The sentence structure of the novel varies which makes the novel a better read. Fitzgerald constantly switches between lengthy sentences to simple and brief sentences.

 

Metaphor: “I decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction. But I didn’t call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling.”

Characterization

1.      Direct Characterization: “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

 

Direct Characterization: “The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty.”

 

Indirect Characterization: “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.”

 

Indirect Characterization: “That’s my Middle West, the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark.  I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.”

2.      The author doesn’t change his syntax and diction when he is describing a character because he uses informal diction and syntax throughout the book and not just when describing characters.

3.      Nick is a static and flat character because during most of the novel he tries to help Gatsby out as a friend. Tom is constantly trying to find out Gatsby’s dirty little secret but, Nick is always watching out for Gatsby so he doesn’t do something he regrets.

4.      When I finished the novel I didn’t really felt like I met someone in real life because I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I have never been in a situation like the one presented to the characters in this novel but, I still recommend the book because it was a good read.

Thinking Outside the Box
I think Sartre and Plato both believed that our thinking limitations were created by us overthinking things. We are responsible for our thinking limitations, if we wanted we wouldn't have limitations. Many humans overthink things and its completely normal, for example, if you asked a calculus student and an elementary student what an even number was, the calculus student would put more thought into the question while the elementary student would give you the simplest answer possible. I really have no idea how to solve this problem because like every other human being I am susceptible to overthinking the simplest things. Teenagers are probably the most endangered by overthinking things because they are able to receive a one word text from someone and come up with a complex assumption from one word. It's AMAZING! Plato's allegory consists of prisoners stuck in a cave because of their ignorance to attain knowledge and turn away from the norm. Sartre's allegory consists of 3 people in hell arguing and overthinking the reason why they were put together; eventually they come to the assumption that hell is other people. Plato's extended metaphor is comparing the freed prisoner to someone who is open to new things and craves knowledge as well as the truth. The prisoner in the cave is compared to ignorance and darkness because of his constant resistance of being open to change. Sartre's extended metaphor is comparing people to hell because their presence and comments eventually lead to extreme annoyance with one another.

Literature Analysis #4: Grapes of Wrath

General

1.      Tom Joad was in jail for four years for hitting a guy with a shovel at a bar. He was released for good behavior but is on parole. When Tom is released he goes to find his parents at their home but it is abandoned so he asks a nearby neighbor what happened. The neighbor tells Tom that they have left and are now living at Tom’s uncle’s house. Due to the drought many families have not been able to afford their land so the bank takes them away. When Tom meets up with his family they tell him that they are moving to California because there is work there. Tom and his family travel to California and the closer they get the more that they realize that California may not be as nice as they hoped. Thousands of people have traveled to California in hope of finding work but have found none. Tom and his family are lucky enough to stay in a government camp for a couple of days but eventually they have to leave to find work. Eventually, they find work at a peach camp but after a couple days Tom and Casey get into trouble and the Joads have to leave the camp. The Joads one night take shelter in a barn and hope for a better future because they have found no work in California during the Great Depression.

2.      The theme of Grapes of Wrath is the importance of family because none of them would have survived if they were all alone in California, they needed each other. They treasured each other’s presence because it kept them sane. When the world is bitter and cold to the Joads, they can always look to each other for comfort.

3.      The tone was very gloomy and somber because the novel describes a family going through the many hardships that affected people during the Great Depression.

·         “When I worked in that hotel in Albuquerque, Al, the way they steal-ever’ darn thing.”

·         “An’ the bigger the car they got, the more they steal-towels, silver, soap dishes. I can’t  figger it.”

·         “The families learned what rights must be observed- the right of privacy in the tent; the right to keep the past black hidden in the heart; the right to talk and to listen.”

4.      Setting: The setting constantly changes in Grapes of Wrath because the Joads travel from Oklahoma all the way to California. The story does take place during the Great Depression. “Just let me get out to California where I can pick me an orange when I want it.”(p.83)

 

Symbolism: When the author describes the bank, he describes it like it is some kind of hungry monster that wants to eat more and more of plantations and farms owned by farmers. The tractors are described as "snub-nosed monsters, raising the dust and sticking their snouts into it, straight down the country, across the country, through fences, through dooryards, in and out of gullies in straight lines."

 

Imagery: “When Albert come back a week later there wasn’t a thing left in his house-stove was gone, beds were gone, window frames was gone, and eight feet of plankin’ was gone off the south side of the house so you could look right through her.”(p.43)

 

Tone: “And on the road the panic overcame some of the families, so that they drove night and day, stopped to sleep in the cars, and drove on to the West, flying from the road, flying from movement.”(p.196)

 

Mood: The mood is the same as the tone. “Then water in the evening was the yearning, and food over the fire. Then health to go on was the need and strength to go on, and spirit to go on.”(p.196)

 

Allegory: The turtle in Chapter 3 trouble to travel across the road reflects the Joads’ troubles to go across the country and find work in California. “For a long moment the turtle lay still, and then the neck crept out and the old humorous frowning eyes looked about and the legs and tail came out.”(p.15)

 

Diction: The author’s diction is informal because I think the author believed this is how they talked during that time, for the people that lived in the country. “Grampa’s tough ol’ bastard. Jus’ set on that Injun pilla an’ says, ‘Let Albert come an’ get her Why,’ he says, ‘I’ll take that squirt and wring ‘im out like a pair of drawers.’”(p.44)

 

Syntax: The sentences are very prolix at times when Steinbeck is describing places. “When Albert come back a week later there wasn’t a thing left in his house-stove was gone, beds were gone, window frames was gone, and eight feet of plankin’ was gone off the south side of the house so you could look right through her.”(p.43)

 

Allusion: Steinbeck makes a couple of allusions in Chapter 14 of well-known people in history. “If you could separate causes from results, if you could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were results, not causes, you might survive.”(p.152)

 

Metaphor: “Keep these two squatting men apart; make them hate, fear, suspect each other. Here is the anlage of the thing you fear. This is the zygote.”(p.151)

 

 

Characterization

1.      Direct Characterization: “He was not over thirty. His eyes were very dark brown and there was hint of brown pigment in his eyeballs. His cheek bones were high and wide, and strong deep lines cut down his cheeks, in curves, beside his mouth.”(p.6)

 

Direct Characterization: “His gray cap was so new that the visor was still stiff and the button still on, not shapeless and bulged as it would be when it had served for a while all the various purposes of a cap- carrying sack, towel, handkerchief.”(p.6)

 

Indirect Characterization: “The questions of the driver had the tone of a subtle examination. He seemed to spread nets, to set traps with his questions.”(p.8)

 

Indirect Characterization: “The driver looked quickly back at the restaurant for a second. “Didn’t you see the No Riders sticker on the windshield?” “Sure-I seen it. But sometimes a guy’ll be a good guy even if some rich bastard makes him carry a sticker.”(p.7)

 

2.      The author doesn’t change his syntax and diction when he is describing a character because he uses informal diction and syntax throughout the book and not just when describing characters. “Grampa’s tough ol’ bastard. Jus’ set on that Injun pilla an’ says, ‘Let Albert come an’ get her Why,’ he says, ‘I’ll take that squirt and wring ‘im out like a pair of drawers.’”(p.44)

3.      Tom is a dynamic and round charcter because when you first meet him you get the impression that he is a bad guy because he was in jail for hitting a guy with a shovel. However, as the story continues you get to see more of Tom and how much he cares about his family that he would do nothing to put them in harm’s way which is rare for a guy that just spent some time in jail.

4.      At the end of the story I felt like I met the family in real life because their misfortunes were so dissatisfying and unfortunate that I developed a feeling of hope that the family would be ok at the end of the story. “The family ate the steaming boiled potatoes with their fingers. And when this last food was gone, they stared at the gray water; and in the night they did not lie down for a long time.”(p.450)

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" Sonnet

The shackles bind them for eternity,

Until they turn away from their ignorance.

 

When they see the light they can learn everything, like what is maternity,

They are no longer fools so if they wish, they can dance.

 

They are now in the realm of intellectuals unafraid of change,

While the prisoners stay afraid in their cave.

They are no longer restricted by the darkness’s cage,

They have been saved.

 

They can now be exposed to knowledge and the truth,

Their possibilities are limitless.

It’s not like losing a tooth,

Your chance of losing a tooth is imminent.

 

Join the realm of intellectuals and not give birth to ignorance,

 

However maybe the world was meant to contain difference.

 

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"

1.       The allegory cave represents prisoners who live in a world filled with ignorance and stubbornness because they refuse to deal with change so they are afraid to turn their head and join the light.

2.       Prisoners only see the shadows and not the object that creates the shadow because they are ignorant. The darkness of the cave represents the lack of knowledge and changes the prisoners’ desire. The prisoners that decide to leave become part of the realm of intellectuals.

3.       It is not the prisoners’ fault that they are stuck in the cave because they haven’t experienced the truth and how knowledge affects their education and enlightenment. If they were exposed to the light and knowledge then they would never want to go back to the cave where ignorance is bliss.

4.       The shackles symbolize that the prisoners are bound to what they know and that they are unable to join the light if they are not optimistic and open to change. The cave represents darkness in its purest form, engulfed in ignorance and its inhabitant’s undeniable refusal of change.

5.       Nowadays I think technology shackles the mind because if we didn’t have technology anymore then we would have to go back to reading books, newspapers, and encyclopedias to acquire information which would make many people very unhappy.

6.       The freed prisoner is open to change and now dwells in the realm of intellectuals so unlike the prisoners in the cave he craves knowledge because ever since he moved into the light he has never even thought of returning to the cave. The prisoners’ perspective is that they fear change so they continue to stay in the cave because they want to stay ignorant and not be exposed to the light which contains knowledge and the truth.

7.       The two ways lack of clarity and intellectual confusion can occur is by never being exposed to knowledge and the truth so you stay in the cave where ignorance is bliss or if you are exposed to knowledge and the truth and it scares you because you are afraid of change so you return to the cave where everything there is familiar and “safe” to you.

8.       Once a prisoner turns his head and becomes optimistic and searches for knowledge then he will be free from the shackles that the cave binds him with. The freed prisoner has now acquired intellectual freedom and he will most likely take advantage of it by seeking help from others that have been exposed to the light and collaborate with them to gain even more knowledge.

9.       I agree there is a difference between an appearance and reality because like Mackenzie said in class just because Dr. Preston was wearing a wedding ring that doesn’t mean he is married which was an assumption. There could be a more complicated story behind the ring, for example, the reality could be that Dr. Preston is still wearing the ring because he is having trouble getting over the loss of his wife because she has recently died from a lethal disease.

10.   I don’t understand this question.

Literature Analysis #3: Frankenstein

General

1.      Victor Frankenstein departs from Geneva, his hometown, to go to college. When he arrives at the university he is intrigued by modern science compared to old science which he had read numerous times while he lived at home. Many professors did not believe in the older sciences, the creation of life, because their results were unsuccessful; however, Frankenstein convinced one of the professors to allow him to work in his laboratory. For years, Frankenstein worked in the lab trying to create life. When he finally figured out how to give life, he assembled body parts and created a monster. Frankenstein became really ill after the monster vanished but, eventually he recovered and returned to his home town of Geneva where he found his brother dead. Frankenstein was certain that this was the work of the monster he created so he followed his trails into the mountains and approached the monster. The monster told Frankenstein of his conflicts with man and how vowed eternal hatred for them. The monster requested a mate from Frankenstein or else he would hurt his loved ones. Frankenstein agreed to create him mate, however, half way through Frankenstein abandoned the cause because he did not want to bring another monster in the world. The monster vowed to be present on his wedding night with Elizabeth. Elizabeth was killed by the monster of the night of Frankenstein’s wedding. Frankenstein’s father died shortly after from overwhelming misfortune and heartache. Frankenstein vowed to follow the monster to the ends of the earth until, one of them dies. Frankenstein eventually becomes weak and unable to chase the monster after years of following his tracks. After, Frankenstein dies the monster visits his corpse and reveals to the corpse that he will cause no more death and will commit suicide and join his creator in the afterlife.

2.      The theme of the story is the undeniable monstrosity of the human condition. The monster is unloved by society so he seeks to have a mate from Frankenstein, the only person that can give him this. Frankenstein is appalled with the very appearance of him and denies him any sanction and happiness because he murdered his little brother. The monster just wanted to be a part of society but he is shunned because of his appearance. He was kind-hearted and compassionate towards others until he realized that he would never be a part of society that is when he became a true monster.

3.      The novel has a grotesque/gloomy tone because it is a gothic tale. The author implies the tone is gloomy because when you first think of the novel you imagine the horrific monster that causes death and decay wherever he goes.

·         “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair. Everywhere I turn I see the same figure –her bloodless arms and relaxed form flung by the murderer on its bridal bier.”

·         “Mingled with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!”

·         “The deep grief which this scene had at first excited quickly gave way to rage and despair. They were dead, and I lived; their murderer also lived, and to destroy him I must drag out my weary existence.”

4.      Foreshadowing: “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein-more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.”(p.42)

 

Imagery: “As exemplified in the change from life to death, and death to life, until from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me-a light so brilliant and wondrous, yet so simple, that while I became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect which it illustrated.”(p.46)

 

Simile: “No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success.”(p.48)

 

Personification: “My limbs now tremble and my eyes swim with the remembrance; but then a resistless, and almost frantic, impulse urged me forward; I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.”(p.49)

 

Analogy: “But my enthusiasm was checked by anxiety, and I appeared rather like one doomed by slavery to toil in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade, than an artist occupied by his favorite employment.”(p.50)

 

Tone: “Like one who, on a lonely road, doth walk in fear and dread, and, having once turned around, walks on, and turns no more his head; because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread.”(p.53)

 

Diction: The author’s word choice is significant to the story because if Shelley didn’t use a wide and advanced vocabulary then it would have taken away from the story. An example is, “I passed the night wretchedly. Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I felt the palpitation of every artery; at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness.”(p.52)

Mood: The mood is the same as the author’s tone. “Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the feelings have been worked up by a succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear.”(p.80)

 

Syntax: The author’s sentence structure is prolix at times because sometimes his sentences feel like run on sentences; however, they are just really long descriptions. “My father observed with pain the alteration perceptible in my disposition and habits, and endeavored by arguments deduced from the feelings of his serene conscience and guiltless life, to inspire me with fortitude, and awaken in me the courage to dispel the dark cloud which brooded over me.”(p.80)

 

Gothic Tale: “I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed: when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster whom I had created.”(p.52)

Characterization

1.      Direct Characterization:

·         “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun whit sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.”(p.51)

·         “I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept.”(p.92)

Indirect Characterization:

·         “I shut my eyes involuntarily and endeavored to recollect what were my duties with regard to this destroyer.”(p.193)

·         “His voice seemed suffocated; and my first impulses, which had suggested to me the duty of obeying the dying request of my friend, in destroying his enemy, were now suspended by a mixture of curiosity and compassion.”(p.193)

2.      The author doesn’t change his syntax and diction when he is describing a character because he uses formal diction and syntax throughout the book and not just when describing characters. “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun whit sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.”(p.51)

3.      Frankenstein is a dynamic and round character because he was able to give life to inanimate object, however when he looked upon the being he was terrified. When the monster tells Frankenstein his story, Frankenstein feels somewhat guilty and agrees to create a mate for the monster; however, Frankenstein eventually realizes that the new monster could be more dangerous than the first one so he abandons the project and the monster.

4.      At the end of the story I didn’t feel like I could relate to anyone in the story because of how many misfortunes all the characters went through. “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair. Everywhere I turn I see the same figure –her bloodless arms and relaxed form flung by the murderer on its bridal bier.”

Sonnet Analysis Part 1

• A sonnet has to be 14 lines.
• A rhyme scheme.
• Written in iambic pentameter.

Big Question
What percent of our brain do we actually use on a daily basis? What does the other part of the brain that we do not use, used for?

Vocab List #11

Affinity- relationship by marriage
My parents' relationship is an affinity.
Bilious- of or indicative of a peevish ill nature disposition
The sex toy made the students believe their teacher was bilious.
Cognate- of the same nature
Marvel and DC Universe are cognates because they both consist of superheroes.
Corollary- A proposition inferred immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof
The judge prosecuted the man because he was proven guilty through a fingerprint corollary.
Cul-de-sac - a pouch
Only men wear cul-de-sacs.
Derring-do- a daring action
Everyone thinks jumping off a cliff is a derring-do.
Divination- The art or practice that seeks to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge due to the interpretation of omens
A psychic is a master in divination.
Elixir- A substance capable of prolonging life indefinitely
I wish I had an elixir so I can extend my life expectancy.
Folderol- a useless accessory
Some men believe a necklace is a folderol.
Gamut- an entire range or series
The Earth's distance from Mars is a gamut.
Hoi polloi- the general populace
Anyone that lives the United States is considered part of the hoi polloi.
Ineffable- incapable of being expressed in words
After his mom died his emotions were ineffable.
Lucubration- to study by night
Many college students lucubrate because of their busy schedules.
pneumonic- intended to assist memory
I have many pneumonics to help me memorize important things.
Obloquy- abusive language
Rapists use obloquy.
Parameter- an independent variable used to express the coordinates of variable point and functions of them
I use parameters when I am doing my math homework.
Pundit- a learned man
Anyone who graduated college should be considered a pundit.
Risible- provoking laughter
The joke was risible because it was hilarious.
Symptomatic- having the characteristics of a certain disease but arising of a different cause
The disease the man had symptomatic cancer.
Volte-face- a reversal in policy
After Obama was elected president he had many volte-faces.

Sonnet

Sonnet #29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings
-William Shakespeare

AP Hamlet PLN

AP Hamlet: Ms. Garr
This site made the cut because it had one article that just blew me away. The teacher only has a couple resources of Hamlet but, they are very good resources. She had one article that described a modern interpretation of Ophelia which was the article that blew me away because of the how well done it was and how relative it is to modern-day.

AP Love
This site made the cut because it had brief summaries from each scene which I found helpful. It is probably most useful as a review tool. Compared to other websites that I visited, this one was probably one of my favorites because I prefer short summaries than tediously, lengthy summaries.

Boyd's AP English Literature and Composition Blog
This is hands down my favorite resource because it has everything you could possibly want regarding Hamlet. It has character charts, literary terms, vocabulary, discussion questions, summaries, and it also provides more resources about the play from other sites. This blog is just overall great for any class reading Hamlet.

Saunders' AP English Literature and Composition Blog
This blog doesn't really contain any important information about Hamlet but, I chose it because it had 2 videos on the blog that I thought was well done. One of the videos talked about Hamlet in pop culture which I thought wasn't possible, however, after watching the video I was proven wrong. The other video talked about Denmark and mentioned Hamlet but it wasn't really relevant to the play.

Mrs. Mills' AP English Literature and Composition Blog
I had to put this one on my top 5 because the blog is so appealing in its layout but, it is also so informative about Hamlet. It arguably contains more information about Hamlet than our own course blog. It provides videos of Hamlet, his soliloquies, and so much more.

Vocab List #10

aficionado- a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer
browbeat- to discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
commensurate- able to be measured by a common standard
diaphanous- Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent
emolument- Payment for an office or employment
foray- A sudden raid or military advance
genre- A realistic style of painting that depicts scenes from everyday life
homily- An inspirational saying or platitude
immure- To confine within or as if within walls; imprison
insouciant- carefree or unconcerned; light-hearted
matrix- a substance, situation, or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed
obsequies- A funeral rite or ceremony
panache- A bunch of feathers or a plume, especially on a helmet.
persona- The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self
philippic- a bitter or impassioned speech of denunciation; invective
prurient- unusually or morbidly interested in sexual thoughts or practices
sacrosanct- Regarded as sacred and inviolable
systemic- Of or relating to systems or a system
tendentious- Marked by a strong implicit point of view; partisan
vicissitude- A change or variation

Literature Analysis #2: Heart of Darkness

General

1.      The main character of the story is Marlow and ever since he was a little boy he loved looking at maps. He wanted to travel to Africa as well as the Congo River when he grew up. Thanks to his aunt’s connections Marlow finally gets his chance when a European captain is killed by the natives in Africa. Marlow takes a ship to the Congo where his new steamship awaits him, however, he finds out that it will take a couple of months to repair. Marlow overhears a conversation about a man named Kurtz who is rumored to hold significant information about the Congo but he is very ill and needs to be attended to immediately. Marlow then travels in search of Kurtz but is ambushed by natives which leads to a couple of dead men on Marlow’s ship. When, Marlow finds Kurtz he learns that Kurtz is the thought of as a god by the natives because he has raided multiple surrounding territories in search of ivory. Eventually, Marlow and Kurtz become good friends on their voyage back to Europe, however, Kurtz dies onboard of the ship but before he does he releases important, personal documents to Marlow about the Congo.

2.      The theme of the novel lies in the very name of the novel, darkness. Marlow’s journey literally begins and ends in darkness. The setting is dark and gloomy, and there is also the imaginary and philosophical darkness that spreads throughout the novel.  Despite, darkness some men hope to conquer it, in order to receive the reward it holds, specifically ivory. Darkness is probably present in Kurtz more than anyone else because he has been living in the Congo for a long time. It has devoured him and taken away his morale and natural being through his acts of savagery against the natives.

3.      The novel has a cynical and dark tone which is implied through Marlow’s constant use of the words darkness, fear, and madness. Not one person in the novel has a positive aura surrounding them; everyone in the book is complemented through darkness. Here are three excerpts that support my claim of the author having a cynical and dark tone:

·         “The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.”

·         “He seemed to stare at me out of the glassy panel-stare with that wide and immense stare embracing, condemning, and loathing the entire universe.”

·         “I seemed to hear the whispered cry, “The horror! The horror!”

4.      Personification: An example of personification is used in the following quote, “The tidal current runs to and fro in its unceasing service crowded with memories of men and ships it had born to the rest of home or to the battles of the sea (p.66).” When the current is said to be running and containing memories of men this signifies human qualities that a current doesn’t have because it isn’t a living object.

 

Simile: Conrad uses similes throughout the book and here is an example of one, “Here and there a military camp lost in the wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay (p.69).” Conrad is comparing a military camp with a needle in a bundle of hay to show how hard it is for Marlow to find the camp in the fog and wilderness.

 

Imagery: Conrad’s imagery is breathtakingly frightening because he is a master of the darkness and he does it magnificently throughout the novel. For example, “A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting between the stones, imposing carriage archways right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar (p.73).”

 

Cliché: Conrad doesn’t use many clichés in the novel; however, they stuck out to me so I decided to mention them because they are some of my favorites. He uses, “The horror! The horror!” and “as far as the eye could see (p.78).”

 

Analogy: An analogy and a simile are essentially the same in meaning but, I mentioned both of them because Conrad uses them so well that I had to talk about both of them. For example, “The voice of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother (p.78-79).”

 

Symbolism: Conrad uses symbolism numerous times to compare the natives to machines and pilgrims. For example, “They wandered here and there with their absurd long staves in their hands, like a lot of faithless pilgrims bewitched inside rotten fence (p.91).”

 

Diction: The author’s word choice is significant to the story because if Conrad didn’t use a wide and advanced vocabulary then it would have taken away from the stories great explanation and expression of darkness through the characters. An example is, “We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse (p.108).”

 

Syntax: The author’s sentence structure is prolix at times because sometimes his sentences feel like run on sentences; however, they are just really long descriptions. For example, “It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream-making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is of the very essence of dreams….. (p.97)”

 

Mood: The author’s mood is the same as the author’s tone which is cynical and dark. The mood comes across cynical because every character in the book seems to have a dark aura surrounding them. For example, “Marlow sat cross-legged right aft, leaning against the mizzen-mast. He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol (p.66).”

 

Foreshadowing: The author uses foreshadowing constantly when talking about Marlow’s memories and what he wants to forget because he is narrating this story.  For example, “There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies-which is exactly what I hate and detest of the world-what I want to forget (p.97).”

Characterization

1.      The first example of direct characterization is when Conrad describes Marlow at the beginning of the book. “Marlow had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol.” An example of indirect characterization is when Conrad describes the Lawyer who is thought of as reliable and wise because of his age. “The Lawyer-the best of old fellows-had, because of his many years and many virtues, they only cushion on deck, and was lying on the only rug.” Another example of direct characterization is when Conrad describes the Director of Companies. “He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustworthiness personified. It was difficult to realize his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, within the brooding gloom.” Another example of indirect characterization is when Conrad describes Kurtz through Marlow’s comments. For example, “It seemed to me I had never breathed an atmosphere so vile, and I turned mentally to Kurtz for relief-positively for relief.” Conrad uses both direct characterization and indirect to give hints to the reader about the characters and their traits but, he uses his tone, syntax, and diction to assist the reader in interpreting the qualities of the main characters.

2.      The author doesn’t change his syntax and diction when he is describing a character because he uses formal diction and syntax throughout the book and not just when describing characters. In this excerpt from the novel it explains how the darkness had engulfed Kurtz because he wanted to kill all the natives, “It was very simple, and at the end of that moving appeal to every altruistic sentiment it blazed at you, luminous and terrifying, like a flash of lightning in a serene sky: “Exterminate all the brutes!”

3.      Marlow is a static and flat character because his goal throughout the book stays the same. After, Marlow attains control of his own steamship he travels along the Congo River to meet a man named Kurtz who holds important secrets about the Congo so, Marlow travels in search for him. Marlow throughout the book tries to learn the secrets to the Congo and before, his new friend dies, Kurtz; he reveals unknown secrets about the Congo which fulfills the main character’s goal.

4.      At the end of the book I felt like I read a character because I couldn’t relate to Marlow or Kurtz. They are very relatable characters so I am sure someone could provide me with a great counter argument but I just didn’t feel like their characters popped out of the book. For example the following description was hard to relate to because I don’t think I am as hated as Kurtz, “He is a prodigy, an emissary of pity and science and progress, and devil knows what else.”