Adaptation Blog - "Everyday Use"

POINT OF VIEW

If I were to make one of our short stories into a film, I would choose "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and make it a suspenseful movie. One of the most significant changes would be changing the point of view. In the original work, Mama tells the story giving her own personal thoughts and feelings about situations with her children. In the film version, Maggie would be narrating the story. In the original, Maggie never says much to Mama or Dee. In the film, the viewer will get to hear what Maggie is actually thinking during her sister's visit. For a film, Mama's consistent support of her daughters even when she disagrees would not keep the audience interested. When the audience hears Maggie's views, jealousy, and feelings of insufficiency, they will sympathize more with her character and find a basis to relate with her on.

PLOT

The beginning of the film would begin the same, with Mama and Maggie waiting outside for Dee to come home for a visit. We first see Mama's face, joyful at the fact her daughter Dee was coming home to see her. Then we see Maggie's face: bitter, hard, and cold. As she silently waits beside her mother, her thoughts narrate to the audience, beginning with the statement, "I will never forgive her for that day." She goes on to describe the day their house caught on fire and she was severely burned while a flashback appears on the screen of Mama carrying her out of the house. The camera then zooms into Maggie's eyes which make eye contact to Dee standing beside the tree. Dee's face is seen next with an expressionless stare. Maggie continues to narrate how she knew in her heart she started that fire out of her jealousy for the attention Mama always gave to Maggie instead of her. Dee finally arrives and the story continues very similarly to the story, the only difference being that Maggie continues expressing her thoughts about Dee and also how she resents Mama for not believing that Dee started that fire. Maggie keeps her mouth shut around Dee and Mama for the duration of Dee's visit. As everyone goes to sleep at night, Maggie is the last one awake and she uses this quiet time to think of ways to finally get revenge. She comes up with many ideas, but can never quite carry out her plan. This only angers her more and she hates herself for not being able to stick with her plans. One day when Dee demands the quilts from Mama, Maggie loses it when her mother gives in to Dee and hands over the blankets that were supposed to be Maggie's. That night, Maggie decides she will do to her sister what she had done to her a few years ago. When Dee goes to sleep that night, she uses the quilts to keep her warm. Maggie walks into her room and sets fire to the quilt and runs outside to stand by a tree in the front yard. Maggie watches while her house becomes engulfed in flames with the same emotionless stare Dee had years before. Suddenly a figure runs outside the house. Maggie expects it to be Mama, but it was really Dee. Maggie panics and cries out to Dee if she has seen Mama. She says she is still in her room, so Maggie runs into the house to save her. As she enters the burning house, Mama pulls into the driveway and runs to Dee to ask what was going on. Dee said someone must have left the oven on. Maggie still believes Dee that Mama is in the house so she continues her search. Mama then asks where Maggie is, but at that moment the burning house collapses. The camera then looks to Dee where she is standing with a disturbing smirk.

CHARACTERIZATION

Mama remains pretty much the same in the film as she did in the story. The changes are in Dee and Maggie. The main thing that changes is the relationship between these two sisters. The story did not show much hate and revenge between the girls. They just merely did not speak much in the original version. The characterization is more dramatic and unrealistic compared to the story. Dee is out to get Maggie when in the story that is not necessarily true. Maggie also is not portrayed as revengeful in the story while she is in the film.

SETTING

I would change nothing about the setting of "Everyday Use." The location on farmland spread out in the country seems ideal. For revenge to occur, it would not be beneficial to have neighbors witnessing the events that take place. I would keep the same time period as well because for the initial fire, an investigation would not have been done in that time to determine what caused the fire, which helps to make Mama not believe her daughters when they discuss what started each fire.

THEME

The original themes of the story deal with the meaning of heritage and the barrier education can make between individuals. Education has little to do with the film. The meaning of heritage is still relevant in the film because Dee continues to view her family as those who "oppress" her. However, there is less stress placed on this theme because the main storyline of the film has to do with the tenseness between Dee and Maggie. Their suspenseful struggle mainly deals instead with themes of jealously and what individuals may do to get revenge. The overall point of the story is mainly for entertainment purposes for those who enjoy suspenseful films. There is not an extremely important message to be relayed to the audience. The story provides a more substantial message and is less for entertainment purposes.

Film Blog - Smooth Talk

PLOT

In regards to plot, Smooth Talk maintained a highly similar storyline. It seems most every event that happened in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" also happened in the movie. Connie is still a 15 year old girl who is out running around with boys and lying to her parents. However, the movie version was far less ominous and troublesome. Her encounter with Arnold the first time at the diner only lasted a mere 2 or 3 seconds and seemed fairly insignificant, while in the story, it describes this encounter for about half the page. Had I watched the movie without reading the story, I would not have even paid attention to Arnold pointing at Connie. The biggest change in plot was the ending. Connie does not fight as hard to stay at home while Arnold tries to get her to go for a ride. She actually approaches the car while in the story she stays behind the screen door. In the movie she also did not scream into the phone and have a breakdown. She only cries for a short time then makes her way over to Arnold's car, in no way distraught as Connie's character was in the story. She also returns to her house afterwards, while the story ends with Connie walking toward the car. The movie made it far less ambiguous and troublesome. She returns home and apologizes to her family and hugs and dances with her sister, indicating that she went through a life change and would change her foolish ways. In the story, Connie breaks down and is forced to go with Arnold and the story stops there. The movie basically seemed like a sugarcoated version of Oates' story.

POINT OF VIEW

The point of view of the movie is fairly similar to that of the short story. There is no character directly telling the story, but the focus does remain on Connie. The major difference was that the film does not reveal the background of Connie and her relationships with her family. Those facts had to be revealed in a different approach by verbal communication between characters and witnessing how they behaved toward one another. The movie also made Connie out to be more of a victim of her family's harassment. The mother seemed more harsh in the movie than in the story, like in the beginning of the film when she says to Connie, "I look in your eyes and all I see are a bunch of trashy daydreams." There was also a point in the movie when Connie sits at the kitchen table and listens to her mom talk on the phone. When the mother sees her come in, she stares unblinkingly to Connie and speaks into the phone, "June is just wonderful. June is an angel. Not like this one here..." Connie is far more victimized and it made me feel more sympathy for her here than I did while reading the story.

CHARACTERIZATION

The characterization of the movie was similar in regards to Connie and her mother, but the father was very different. He was actually nice to Connie and seemed to be a foil of her mother. He took her for a drive and gave her a long lecture about being careful. In the story, the father said nothing to Connie and ignored her along with the rest of the family. He worked all day and only came home to eat. Having a steady father-figure diminishes my reasoning behind Connie's rebellion. In the story I assumed that a big part of Connie hanging around with boys was because of this lack of a father figure in her family. The movie provides her with a father though which makes it harder to assume the same reasoning behind Connie's acting out.

SETTING

The setting of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" was never stated in the story; however, it could be assumed it took place in the 50's or early 60's based on clues like the transistor radios and the fact it was written in the mid 60's. The film, however, does give a more specific location of some place near San Francisco. In the opening scene Connie and her friends are at the beach and come home passing the Golden Gate Bridge. The year it takes place also seems to be different. The way they dress looks to be more 70's and 80's style clothing than 50's or 60's, but they never say exactly what year it is. Overall, I do not believe the setting had much effect on the purpose of the story and film. The change in setting of the two versions did not change how I viewed the message.

THEME

The theme of the film and the story remained relatively consistent. A foolish young girl learns that she is not fully ready to become an adult and she is unprepared for the consequences that independence brings. The only difference is that the movie creates more of an epiphany for Connie. Unlike the story, Connie is brought home after being taken away by Arnold Friend. Upon her return she embraces her family members and apologizes to them. This ties in a second theme to the movie that the story did not contain regarding the importance of family and coming back to one's roots.

"You're Ugly, Too"

This story seems to just be one big characterization. I have gone back and forth between how I feel about Zoe, but in the end, I believe I overall feel somewhat sorry for her. She seems very depressed throughout the story about not being married. "'I'm not married? Oh, my God,' said Zoe. 'I forgot to get married,'" (355). Her sarcasm seems to be a cover for her sadness over not having a husband in her life. When Evan tells her that she is getting married, Zoe is unresponsive out of her sadness over not being married or engaged herself.

"'I was hoping you'd be my maid of honor,' said Evan, waiting. 'Aren't you happy for me?'

'Yes,' said Zoe, and she began to tell Evan a story..." (362).

She quickly changed the subject to avoid the conversation and bury her feelings. Even though I do feel sympathy for Zoe, I think she needs to be mature enough to be an adult and handle things differently. Being bitter does nothing to help the situation, and she was honestly just making it far worse.

Style of "Popular Mechanics"

This short story was written in what seemed like a rather informal style. The most obvious informality was that it lacked quotation marks around the husband and wife's statements. There was also a common pattern present. Each line switched between the husband and the wife yelling at each other and arguing.

"I want the baby, he said.

Are you crazy?

No, but I want the baby. I'll get someone to come by for his things.

You're not touching the baby, she said," (344, handout).

This back and forth arguing coincided with the couple's "tug of war". Their yelling back and forth was similar to their tugging back and forth of the baby in the end.

Oxymoron in "The Drunkard"

The father in "The Drunkard" seems to be a very strange character. Most people do not view funerals as he did: "It was an excellent funeral from Father's point of view. He had it all well studied before we set off after the hearse in the afternoon sunlight," (345). What kind of person gets excited over funerals? He was literally studying what he was witnessing before the funeral and becoming overjoyed at how "excellent" it would be. To me, that just seems sick if you find personal enjoyment out of the mournful loss of another's loved one. In the beginning of the story, the boy states that "it was a terrible blow to father when Mr. Dooley died," (342). I have no respect for alcoholics so I felt zero sympathy for the father at all. Even if he did experience a rough time, drinking was no way to solve it. He should have sought out his loved ones for real help, not a drink to help him forget.

Point of View of "The Lottery"

The point of view of "The Lottery" is 3rd person omniscient. The story is told by an indifferent narrator. The reader gets bits of information about many different individuals from the town, without any interference of opinions from the narrator. Because of this, the ending came to me as a surprise. While the narrator does use foreshadowing techniques to suggest at the disturbing ending, the indifferent attitude made me rather surprised at the end. "Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones," (264). This point of view helps to enhance the overall theme as well. The narrator giving no opinion about the lottery, is similar to how the town gives no question to the lottery tradition and blindly follows along.

Short Story Blog - "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

PLOT

Joyce Carol Oates effectively presents the plot of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" to the reader with help of foreshadowing techniques and attention to detail. Early on in the story, I knew that the main character Connie would get into some kind of trouble because of the detailed description of which Oates gave. She made sure to inform the reader to foreshadow an ominous danger of some sort. "Sometimes they did go shopping or to a movie, but sometimes they went across the highway, ducking fast across the busy road, to a drive-in restaurant where older kids hung out..." (251). "She spent three hours with [Eddie], at the restaurant where they ate... and then down an alley..." (252). We learn here that Connie is not honest about what she does in her free time and she has a reputation for spending lots of time with strange boys. This foreshadowed a potentially dangerous encounter later in the story, which also kept me consumed in the plot. The most obvious detail in the plot that foreshadowed at the later plot was the description of Connie's first encounter with Arnold Friend at the diner. "He stared at her and then his lips widened into a grin... He wagged a finger and said, 'Gonna get you baby,'" (251). Arnold's mannerisms and statements are just simply creepy. I knew this character would not go away for long.

POINT OF VIEW

This story is told in third person point of view. Connie is the main character in which the narrator knows everything about. This was the best point of view to use for this story. If first person had been used, many details about Connie would have been left out, as she the character would find them unnecessary to reveal. As a result, many of the foreshadowing events would not be indicative of anything at all because the reader would be lacking the knowledge of the kind of danger Connie puts herself in. Because of the unknown narrator, the reader knows that "Everything about her had two sides to it," (250), which indicates far more about the upcoming plot than would a first person story.

CHARACTERIZATION

Connie is the protagonist of the story. Oates gives pages of descriptive information about her. "She was fifteen and she had a nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors... to make sure her [face] was alright," (249). She shows much rebellion and anger towards her family as a result of her vanity, which ultimately causes her to put herself in harms way. Her actions of being where she is not supposed to be show her naivety and her lack of awareness for how the world actually is around her. She is solely aware of her beauty, her love of music, and her love of fun. She never weighs the consequences of her actions, but rather moves on with her life in the same careless pattern. She finally gets her wake up call when Arnold Friend shows up at her door, but by that time it may have been too late.

Connie's mother was a stock character in this story. As the mother she "noticed everything and knew everything," (249), which drove her daughter mad. Most mothers are presented in this way when a story is told from more of the child's point of view. However despite her habits and ideas of Connie, she remains the one true stable character in her daughter's life. "Their father was away at work most of the time and when he came home... he didn't bother talking much to them," (250). Without a father or a sister that she could get along with, Connie only had her mother and obviously regarded her as a stable parental figure, as in the last scene, it is her mother that Connie shouts out to for help. "She began to scream into the phone, into the roaring. She cried out, she cried for her mother," (265).

SETTING

This story does not come outright and state the exact location or time period in which Connie lives. The only locations we see are Connie's home, the shopping plaza in town, and the drive-in diner. These places indicate a possible small town setting. It would have to be small in order for Arnold to have found out so much about Connie in such a short period of time after seeing her that first night at the diner. "'But I know what it is. I know your name and all about you, lots of things,' Arnold said. 'I took special interest in you, such a pretty girl, and found out all about you-like I know your parents and sister are gone somewheres and I know where and hoe long they're going to be gone...'" (257). The time period is also not given exactly, but it can be inferred based on at least one essential detail. "He lifted his friend's arm and showed her the little transistor radio the boy was holding," (255). According to PBS (http://www.pbs.org/transistor/background1/events/tradio.html), the first transistor radio was made in 1954. This leads me to believe that it is likely that this story took place in the 50's or early 60's when these radios were most popular. The small town atmosphere and the time period ultimately play a role in Connie's lack of awareness about the world. She was sheltered in her small town and a situation like her's with Arnold Friend was not a common event that was discussed during that time. Things were usually kept "hush-hush" so to speak, which made Connie far more unaware of danger than she would have been living in today's world.

THEME

I believe the theme of this story has a lot to do with a search for independence. Connie choosing to rebel enforces her desire to be free and do what she wants and go wherever she wants. She meets up where "the older kids hung out," (251), and wants to be accepted as an adult, or rather older than she is. What is ultimately learned in the end is that Connie was not near ready for complete independence at all. When put to the test, Connie was "so sick with fear that she could do nothing but listen to it - the telephone was clammy and very heavy and her fingers groped down to the dial but were too weak to touch it. She began to scream into the phone, she cried for her mother" (265). Of course it was understandable why Connie would be so frightened, but because she was still a child lacking a readiness for independence, her fear paralyzed her thoughts making her indecisive. She called for help from her mother, as a young child would. Once she received no help, she did nothing for herself. She merely let herself fall into Arnold's trap. "She put her hand against the screen. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she was back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited.," (266).

Sympathy for Miss Brill

"Miss Brill" was a very sad short story in my opinion. I really much sympathy for Brill's character throughout the entire story. Her only excitement in life was each Sunday when she got to wear her fur and purchasing her "Sunday treat" of honeycake. "If there was an almond it was like carrying home a tiny present..." (186). I find it very sad that these were the only things in her day that kept her going, kept her happy with life. At the end when she is made fun of, she goes home and cries while putting her fur away. This is when my heart reached out to her character the most. She had no one and nothing but her fur and Sunday routine. And now even that has been put to rest. I believe most of my sympathy came from personally knowing older women who, like Miss Brill, do not really have anyone or anything of significance to look forward to. If any of the individuals I know that are similar to Miss Brill overheard someone making fun of them, they would be crushed and would have a hard time ever fully recovering from what was said.

Frame Story in "Once Upon a Time"

"Once Upon a Time" begins with a story about the author herself and her unwillingness to write stories for children. This eventually leads her into telling another story about a family afraid of intruders. I was very confused at first what the point of the first story was and how both stories were tied in with one another. However, I believe the second story serves to prove Gordimer's stance on children's books. She refuses to write them because of the possible implications they could have on a child's actions. The boy in the second story "pretended to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life," (236), which caused him to get tangled in the wire fence. If it were not for this children's story, the boy would not have climbed the fence and become trapped in it. It's possible Gordimer refuses to write a children's book so as to not cause kids to do something dangerous.

Rhetorical Questions in "A Worn Path"

Phoenix travels far from her home to get to town through many woods and fields. As she travels she frequently talks to herself and to the noises or sights she sees on her journey. For example, she spots a buzzard in the field and asks, "Who you watching?" (225). Talking to herself seems to comfort her as she makes such a long journey alone. It also seems to help her feel less lonely and more powerful against these creatures she comes into contact with. Her thoughts are always focused on just getting through to the next step on her path while trying to prevent anything from inhibiting that. I felt a lot of sympathy for Phoenix. Despite her age, she continues to make trip after trip to town to help her grandson without any help from others.

Internal Conflict in "Eveline"

This short story all has to do with an internal conflict the main character is facing. The story begins with Eveline sitting at the window thinking and weighing her options. She seems somewhat torn between her past and future, as she recalls memories from her past life and then begins to think of Frank. "She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of the question," (219). I feel that Eveline made the right decision to stay at home, and I believe that deep down, she knew all along what was best for her. Frank is only mentioned in a good solid paragraph while the rest of her past consumes the rest. Her thoughts always led back to past memories or her present life, indicating her inability to move on with her life with Frank. She belonged at home.

"Bartleby the Scrivener"

I found this story very confusing. Bartleby began as a hard working scrivener and accomplished many tasks. After some time though, he begins to refuse everything that anyone tells him to do, including eating. "...nothing stirred. I paused; then went close up to him; stooped over, and saw that his dim eyes were open; otherwise he seemed profoundly sleeping," (674). Why did he do this to himself? What made him decide not to live any longer? Bartleby must have gone through some kind of change to resort to death. I cannot seem to figure out why though. I also assumed that the other scriveners must have some symbolic meaning behind their work ethics, but I never seemed to be able to justify that while reading the story.

Foil Characters in "Everyday Use"

While reading "Everyday Use" the first thing I noticed was the difference between the sisters Dee and Maggie. "Dee wanted nice things...She was determined to stare down any disaser in her efforts... At sixteen she had a style of her own: and knew what style was," (175). Maggie on the other hand walked with "chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since that fire burned the other house to the ground," (175). "Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand... homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe," (173). Dee was confident and very different from the rest of her family. Maggie was obviously more insecure and felt inferior to Dee. Had it not been for the fire and the shame it caused Maggie, it seems that they would not be as great of foils.

Dynamic Character in "Everyday Use"

The mother in "Everyday Use" was a very hard worker and did much for Dee to give her an education and hopefully help her find what she wanted. She was consistently ungrateful and displeased with her life despite her mother's hard work. Resulting from her disrespect, she pushes her mother around. The mom is the dynamic character when she finally stands up to Dee for Maggie and her own beliefs. When Dee tries to take the quilts, she tells her that she promised Maggie she could have them one day, and she did not back down. "God knows I've been saving 'em for long enough with nobody using 'em. I hope she will!" (182). This shift shows the mother finally being fed up with Dee. By standing up for Maggie, she let her daughter know that she cared. "I did something I had never done before: hugged Maggie to me... Maggie smiled... a real smile, not scared," (181).

Situational Irony in "Hunters in the Snow"

"Hunters in the Snow" came to a very unexpected end. Kenny was shot by Tub and they laid him in the truck bed to take him to the hospital. Naturally, the reader expects Kenny to be taken directly to the hospital and treated. However, we learn in the last sentence that "they had taken a different turn a long way back," (201). This was definitely not what I expected to happen. I am very curious why they chose not to take him to the hospital. These men seem to have odd relationships with one another throughout the story. None of them really seem to me like that great of friends. I do not understand what made Tub and Frank come together over Kenny being shot.

Connotation in "Interpreter of Maladies"

In "Interpreter of Maladies," interpreter takes on another connotation Mrs. Das believes that as an interpreter, Mr. Kapasi literally interprets anything, such as people's thoughts, actions, feelings, or emotions.

"'I told you because of your talents...'

'I don't understand...'

'Mr. Kapasi, don't you have anything to say? I thought that was your job...'" (163).

Mrs. Das greatly misunderstood his occupation as he actually interpreted language for a doctor and for tours in English. He did not interpret personal maladies. Kapasi interpreted language so as to prevent social maladies, or undesirable conditions created as a result of individuals not being able to understand one another.

Suspense in "A Rose for Emily"

While reading "A Rose for Emily," I remained suspenseful of what was going on with Miss Emily Grierson throughout the whole story. Suspense began in the first paragraph when the narrator states why people went to the funeral: "...the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house which no one...had seen in at least ten years," (281). This indicated Emily's lack of friends and family first of all, since no one in the neighborhood actually went to her funeral to mourn her loss. This made me wonder why she did not have any relationships with anyone since she had lived there so long. I also wanted to know why she never came out of her house. Suspense in a literary work always adds more excitement to the story. The reader anticipates certain happenings and continuously wonders what will happen next. This keeps the reader's interest and makes for a better work.

First Person Point of View in "How I Met My Husband"

"How I Met My Husband" is narrated in first person point of view by the character Edie. Through Edie's narration of the story, situational irony is created, discussed in my previous blog entry. If this story was told in third person, we would soon realize Chris' motives in life as a "player." We also would be aware of the mail carrier's thoughts as he got to know Edie. This would cause the reader to make inferences and realize that Chris would not ever write to Edie. "I'm going to write you a letter. I'll tell you where I am and maybe you can come see me..." (142). As Chris stated this, we would have been aware of his actual thoughts and know that he had no interest in a relationship with Edie.

The reader would also assume that Edie and the mailman would develop a relationship over time. I believe Edie would also be viewed far greater as a young naive girl had we known Chris's history. We would see her falling for the wrong guy instead of finding her husband, which would greatly change a reader's perception of Edie.

Situational Irony in "How I Met My Husband"

Situational irony occurs in the last paragraph of "How I Met My Husband." Edie spends the majority of the story talking about Chris the pilot, and the reader assumes that she will be with him in the end. However, this was not the case. While waiting for a letter from Chris each day, Edie waits for the mail carrier and he believes she likes him. "He said he missed me...I went out with him for two years and he asked me to marry him..." (146). I was surprised at this ending, as the whole story was built on Edie's encounter with Chris. I feel that situational irony at the end of stories always adds something to the story as a whole. It gives it a more meaningful message that one should expect the unexpected.

Imagery in "Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead"

This poem, along with many others in this chapter, discusses the topic of death. In this poem, imagery of the sea is used to describe the father and son's differing viewpoints of the outcome of death. Lines 18-21 state, "I see myself on deck, convinced his ship's gone down, while he's convinced I'll see him standing on the dock and waving, shouting, welcome back." The imagery of the dock and ship sailing out to sea gives the reader a better image of the distance being created between the father and son at the ship's departure, or the inevitable death. The ship sinking indicates the end of a travel, or the end of the relationship between father and son. The father sees death as a new opportunity to "travel" to another world while awaiting his son's arrival. He does not see his ship sinking, but rather arriving at a new destination.

Irony in "Lonely Hearts"

"Lonely Hearts" is set up like a newspaper ad which contains various requests for love in this poem. In each stanza, someone is asking for something different in a partner. The first seeks fun and adventure, the next companionship, followed by someone interesting, Jewish, and finally Libran. These requirements become rather picky and likely hard to find. However, despite the involvement of each description, each ends with the question, "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" I find it ironic that the speakers call their desires simple when in fact they are rather picky. If it were really a simple request they would be open to anyone from any background or upbringing. Hobbies or religion would not matter and love would be the only necessity if it were truly a simple request.

Oxymoron in "Delight in Disorder"

A few significant oxymorons are found in Robert Herrick's "Delight in Disorder." The author presents these in lines 1, 12, and 14. These all serve to justify the overall message of the poem. "Sweet disorder" (line 1), "wild civility" (line 12), and "too precise" (line 14) appear to be rather contradictory descriptions. However, the speaker is stating that he thinks being perfect and precise is not nearly as beautiful as a little disorder. Without any disorder there is nothing to notice and nothing real. It is just a put-together picture. To the speaker, imperfection is perfection.

Paradox in "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"

In the first stanza of "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," the speaker commands his father, "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day..." The night refers to death throughout this poem. The author uses other images of night to describe death such as in line 4 when the speaker states, "wise men at their end know dark is right..." Death is referred to as a good thing and as the right thing. However, the speaker tells his father to "not go gentle" into death. This is a paradox because usually if something is referred to as a good thing, then it would seem natural to want to have it. But instead the speaker suggests that "wise men...rage against the dying of the light." This paradox is justified through the speaker's feelings for his father. He does not want his dad to die, even if it is the right thing. He cares about his father and does not want to be without him on earth.

Simile in "Getting Out"

Question 11: Point out examples of figurative language and explain.

The simile is contained in lines 1-2 reading, "That year we hardly slept, waking like inmates who beat on the walls." The speaker is referring to a spouse and herself. Comparing a couple to inmates seems to be an inappropriate comparison. Inmates do not experience intimacy like a married couple can. However, in this situation inmates was a qualified comparison in that the couple were unhappy together which led to the divorce. They had nothing in common except for their "matching eyes and hair," (line 16). This suggests that the relationship was merely superficial and lacked any real emotional connection which is why the marriage failed. The divorce seemed mutual as the speaker never spoke negatively of the husband and they took hands to exit the lawyer's office who was approving the divorce as stated in the concluding lines of the poem.

Theme of "Dover Beach"

Question 7: State the central theme in a sentence.

"Dover Beach" discusses a man's attitude towards life. He begins stating his past view and transitions into his present view. He uses many descriptive words to express his initial thoughts or feelings. Lines 1-2 suggest peace and calmness with in the innermost workings of the speaker's mind: "The sea is calm tonight, The tide is full, the moon lies fair upon the straits." In other words, at this time the speaker had everything figured out and he witnessed endless possibilities. Towards the end in lines 21-22, the speaker claims he has lost his previous feelings of inner peace. "The Sea of Faith was once, too, at the full..." He has lost his faith. He says we are only here "as a darkling pain plain swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight," suggesting that he finds no real reason to live. He does not understand why he is here. The central theme of the poem is that negative outlooks on life inhibit one's abilities to be happy and to find purpose in life.

Allusion in "Crossing the Bar"

Question 14: Point out and explain any allusions.

"Crossing the Bar" discusses the journey of life to death of the speaker and how he desires for it to be. He alludes to God a couple times in the work. He first suggests the presence of God in line 2: "And one clear call for me!" God was calling on the speaker because his time was approaching. In line 15 the speaker says he "hope[s] to see [his] Pilot face to face..." In this line "Pilot" was written as a proper noun which suggests that he was referring to a literal being of importance. Pilot was an appropriate title for God because the pilot controls and navigates, similar to how God creates and sustains life. The speaker desires to meet his "Pilot" because he knows how much power He had over his entire existence.

Tone of "My mistress' eyes"

Question 8: Discuss the tone of the poem. How is it achieved?

In the beginning of William Shakespeare's "My mistress' eyes," the speaker states that his "mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips red..."(lines 1-2). These beginning statements strike the reader as having a negative tone. The speaker bashes his mistress and compares her to other things that he finds more pleasant, such as in line 10 when he states that "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice when she speaks. No one would ever want to hear their significant other saying these negative things about them. To conclude the poem, however, the speaker takes on a more loving tone towards the mistress. "I think my love as rare as any," (line 13) shows how much he really does love her. Ultimately the speaker is suggesting that love involves far greater than just appearances. You have to have a foundation that is not superficial.

Symbols in "Ozymandias"

Question 12: Point out and explain any symbols.

"Ozymandias" discussed a statue of a tyrant from Egypt. The author was very descriptive about the appearance of it. The current condition of the statue was very poor as expressed in lines 4 and 12-13.

"Half sunk, a shattered visage lies..."

"Nothing beside remains... the decay of that colossal wreck..."

The poor condition of the statue is symbolic of Ozymandias' overall reign over Egypt. The "decay of that colossal wreck" is signifying the destruction of Egypt that he caused to all the people he ruled over. He was very destructive to the Egyptian nation. Nothing remaining of the statue is symbolic of the fact that he took away all rights of the people. This could also be symbolic of how when he went out of power, nothing good remained of Egypt. He had "decayed" the entire country.

Central purpose of "APO 96225"

Question 6: What is the central purpose of the poem?

"APO 96225" was written in respect to situations in the Vietnam War. Essentially, this poem was written to express the attitude American citizens had towards the soldiers and the war in general. Lines 13-18 address the overall attitude well.

"...'Son we want you to tell us everything. Everything!'

So the next time he wrote, the young man said,

'Today I killed a man...'

And the father wrote back,

'Please don't write such depressing letters. You're

upsetting your mother'..."

The American people did not understand the war. They did not care to ask the soldiers about what was going on and they did not want to hear it. Many of them were ignorant of the realities of war and what their loved ones endured. The central purpose of this poem was to express the lack of respect the Vietnam veterans received from the American people.

Theme of "Barbie Doll"

Question 7: State the central theme of the poem.

The overall theme of "Barbie Doll" was that society holds certain standards for the definition of pretty and individuals are pressured into conforming to them. Lines 12-14 express some of the things that the speaker's acquaintance was making herself do to conform to society.

"She was advised to play coy,

exhorted to come on hearty,

exercise, diet, smile and wheedle."

This girl started out normal but soon changed her ways to become "pretty" according to society. When puberty begins, everyone becomes self-aware and judges others. This creates a lot of pressure on young women to reach the expectations of everyone else. The excessive dieting and exercise and the need to be skinny are huge factors in today's world. The pressures of society are extremely hurtful and cause so much stress, especially on women. Sometimes it becomes so hard to deal with that we "[wear] out like a fan belt," (line 16) just as the woman in the poem did.

Paradox in "Batter my heart, three-personed God"

Question 13: Point out and explain any examples of paradox... What is their function?

In "Batter my heart, three personed God" many paradoxes can be found. An example of one is in lines 12-13.

"Take me to you, imprison me, for I,

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free..."

It seems odd for the speaker to ask God to imprison him to make him free. Doesn't being imprisoned imply that one is trapped or confined? However, here the speaker is stating that being imprisoned or confined in God is his best possible option. It would steer him away from evil and sin. He would be completely consumed in God which therefore brings him freedom of all evil.

Allusion in "February"

Question 14: Point out and explain any allusions. What is their function?

In "February" the speaker alludes to the game of hockey in line 20. "He shoots, he scores!"

The goal of hockey is to shoot the puck into the net to score a point. It is a common sport during the winter months in which the speaker is currently engrossed in. This reference to hockey is alluded to in order to relay another message to the reader. The phrase in line 20 is stated to give an example of the "game" men play to "score." The speaker feels that scoring is all that men care about. This could also possibly be taken more literally because through the fact that many (but not all) men like spending the weekends watching sports instead of helping around the house. This would add to her argument that men are careless individuals.

Irony in "Pink Dog"

Question 13: Point out and explain any examples of paradox, hyperbole, understatement, and irony. What is their function?

"Pink Dog" discusses individuals in poverty living on the Rio de Janeiro during the Carnival. The speaker seems to be complaining about the poor and their filth. The poor are referred to as dogs. They are considered less than the rest of the population.

"It's been in all the papers,

to solve this problem, how they deal with beggars?

They take them and throw them in the tidal rivers."

They are later referred to as "idiots, paralytics, parasites..." in line 16.

The irony occurs in the concluding stanza.

"Carnival is always wonderful!

A depilated dog would not look well.

Dress up! Dress up and dance at Carnival!"

The poor are not good enough to be among society, but for Carnival, the common people tell the poor to dress up and celebrate with them. I find it ironic that the poor are not good enough to be among society at any time throughout the year until Carnival. At this time, they are to dress up and celebrate. Otherwise they are "thrown in the tidal rivers."

Personification in "Bright Star"

Question 11: Point out examples of figurative language and explain their appropriateness.

The speaker in "Bright Star" speaks to a star, wishing to be steadfast as it is. He personifies the star in line 3 when he says the star "watch[es], with eternal lids apart." The star is not human and cannot have human qualities. The speaker uses this example, though, to better explain his feelings toward life and ultimately love. The star gives a more concrete example of the abstract feelings of hope and love for the future. Without this example, the reader would not be able to connect with the speaker as well. A concrete example gives the reader a starting point to begin basing ideas off of. Poetry would not be as beautiful without figurative language and the mystery it creates.

Central Purpose of "Dream Deferred"

Question 6: What is the central purpose of the poem?

"Dream Deferred" exhibits multiple ideas regarding the outcome of not following one's dream. The central purpose of this poem is the idea that if you don't go after a dream, it will result in a negative end. The speaker gives many possible outcomes of various bad things that could happen if a dream is not pursued.

"What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore-"

The results vary throughout the poem. The speaker's purpose is to persuade the reader to go after dreams. If they are avoided or neglected, nothing good can come from it.

Theme of "February"

Question 7: State the central theme of the poem in a sentence.

The central theme expressed in "February" is that love and emotion does us in and we cannot resist it. While beginning to read the poem, the theme seems quite the opposite. The speaker frequently bashes males and their desires through her comparison to a cat.

"If I'm not [dead], he wants to be scratched; if I am
he'll think of something..."

As the poem continues, however, the speaker states that she needs to go out and find love.

"You're the life principle,
more or less, so get going
on a little optimism around here.
Get rid of death. Celebrate increase. Make it be spring."

No matter how much the speaker may hate the idea of love, Valentine's Day, or anything associated with it, she recognizes that love is still a necessity. Every person desires it in some way. She knows she must stop making excuses for everything and go out into the world to find love and begin her life.

Sound of "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain"

Question 16: Discuss the adaptation of sound to sense.

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" consisted largely of funeral imagery, applying mainly to sound and hearing. To create imagery, I most often feel that a description of appearances is necessary to evoke a sense of what is taking place. This poem, however, serves as a prime example of how sound, not only sight, can create effective imagery and sense to the reader. Many sounds are heard by the speaker including the following lines:

"...mourners to and fro kept treading..."

"...a service like a drum - kept beating..."

"And then I heard them lift a box and creak across my soul..."

"...and I, and silence..."

These sounds give the reader enough of a sense of what is occurring without having to use descriptions of appearances, smells, etc. We have no need to visualize events to understand the poem's meaning. Sound alone is sufficient enough. It also serves to further enhance the poem's underlying meaning. The speaker's journey to insanity keeps her isolated from the world, similar to how the speaker would be isolated inside the casket. She can hear the outside world, but she cannot physically see herself as a part of it.

Theme of "Those Winter Sundays"

Question 7: State the central theme of the poem in a sentence.

"Those Winter Sundays" expressed one clear and concise theme or meaning throughout the work. The central theme of this poem is that what others do for another is not always appreciated fully until it is too late. This idea is expressed most vividly in the first and last stanzas.

"Sundays too my father got up early

and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,

then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather made

banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him..."

"Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold

and polished my good shoes as well.

What did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?"

The first stanza shows this theme and his regret through the unbalanced sentences. He now recognizes that he never gave his father enough credit for his hard work for the family. He spoke "indifferently" to his father, showing a lack of acknowledgement of his dad's labor. The final question the speaker asks at the end of this poem displays that he lacked an understanding of what it took to raise a family and keep everyone well. In this poem they show that they have now reached that understanding; however, it is now too late to go back and thank his father.

Allusion in "The Convergence of Twain"

Question 14: Point out and explain any allusions. What is their function?

In "The Convergence of Twain," I found that God was alluded to twice within the poem. The first was within stanza VI, referring to God as the "Immanent Will." The second was within stanza XI, referring to God as the "Spinner of the Years."

VI

"Well: while was fashioning

This creature of cleaving wing,

The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything..."

XI

"Till the Spinner of the Years

Said 'Now!' And each one hears,

And consummation comes, and jars two atmospheres."

Using Immanent Will to refer to God suggested that the Titanic sinking was God's will, immanent in that it could not be changed or prevented. Referring to God as a Spinner of the Years creates the image of God spinning or weaving individuals and events in and out of life throughout time as a seamstress spins thread into some form of clothing, blankets, etc. All the events serve as part of a bigger picture. God intended for the crash to happen and it cannot be explained other than that God has a plan.

Irony in "The Widow's Lament in Springtime"

Question 13: Point out and explain any examples of... and irony. What is their function?

"The Widow's Lament in Springtime" expressed what I feel is a rather ironic idea. Descriptions of spring usually cause a reader to make associations with new life, a new start, or an end to winter. However, the speaker of this poem associates spring with death, which is quite the opposite of the usual connection to new life.

"Masses of flowers

load the cherry branches

and color some bushes

yellow and some red

but the grief in my heart

is stronger than they..."

The speaker expresses much sorrow at the start of spring because of the memory of the death of her husband. The poem's irony, however, serves an important purpose which is to carry out the extent of which the speaker feels depressed over her loss. Even though there is new life around her and joy at the new season, she does not experience anything but death because she is unable to move on. As nature moves on from death to life from winter to spring, the speaker continues to dwell in her own personal "winter." She also has no intention of overcoming her sorrows, as she states at the end of the poem:

"I feel that I would like

to go there

and fall into those flowers

and sink into the marsh near them."

The Tone of "Spring"

Question 8: Discuss the tone of the poem and how it is achieved.

"Spring" by Gerard Manley Hopkins has been interpreted in a few different ways, but I believe there is one definite tone to his poem. In the beginning of the poem the tone is that of thoughtfulness, which is regarding the "new life" of children, or their innocence. The first line of the poem, "Nothing is so beautiful as spring," begins the speaker's reflection of the "richness" of youthful innocence and lack of sin. The tone later changes into that of desire and yearning. This is achieved mainly through the last stanza of the poem:

"Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,

Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning."

These concluding lines serve as a plea to Christ to keep the "beauty" of youthful innocence and new life before they become "sour with sinning". The speaker recognizes the sinful changes that develop over time and prays to Christ that he can spare children of this sin and keep the beauty of the "spring" alive.

Perrine Poetry Blog

While reading Perrine's "The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry," I found points that I agree with but also some ideas that I disagree with. I agree with his idea at the end of the first paragraph that states "there are no correct or incorrect readings: there are only readings which differ more or less widely from a statistical norm." I believe that poetry can be interpreted a numerous amount of ways, and many of them can be correct. Perrine also lists two determining factors for a correct judgment of a poem that I agree with. "Be[ing] able to account... for any detail," and "[relying] on the fewest assumptions," is a good way to determine the meaning of a poem. The poem was not written with any unimportant details, so each one must be accounted for, which made a lot of sense to me while I was reading Perrine's article. I do disagree, however, with the author's idea that if a poet must explain his poem, he has failed. A poem is a poem and if it has meaning, it has meaning. Just because the author has had to explain it to someone does not diminish the poem's true meaning and value. I do not see what one has to do with the other.

After reading the article I was at first proud of myself for interpreting Emily Dickinson's poem close to the way that Perrine did. I determined that the poem was about the sunset, however I took "ships" as having a literal meaning while Perrine said that they were actually clouds. What I found most shocking though was when the author stated that "Whitman's [poem] is literal, Melville's [is] metaphorical. Whitman's is about an army corps on the march, Melville's is about the stars." I am not sure that I even believe that Melville's was about the stars. Of all the things you could compare stars to, why would someone choose to use an army corps? The only words that insinuate stars are the adjectives "bright," "shining," etc. But these terms can describe more than stars. I felt the poem was written by someone who admired the army and was seeing their grandeur. I feel that makes much more sense. I also found it hard to believe that Blake's poem was literally about a rose and a worm. The word choice suggests so much more and I just don't get why someone would write a poem about a worm and a rose without having another underlying meaning. I also do not understand how Perrine comes to determine this about Blake's poem. How does he know that the poem has literal meaning?

20. Theme

The Things They Carried seemed to have a theme centered on the emotional states of the soldiers during the Vietnam War and trying to deal with them afterwards. The book begins talking about the literal objects the soldiers carried with them from fort to fort, but as the story continues we also are informed of "the things they carried" emotionally and how exactly they coped with them, or in some cases, how they failed to cope with them. The main feeling I picked up on was guilt of the deaths of others. Dealing with such burdens was not an easy task for any of the men in Vietnam. O'Brien dealt with such negative burdens through his writing. He not only writes to deal with the war, but in the end he also wrote about Linda to continue dealing with a traumatic childhood experience. The book concludes with the following, "I'll never die. I'm skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy's life with a story," (233). I found this to be a beautiful yet disconsolate statement. It is beautiful in that O'Brien can cope with such tragedy so well through his stories and writing and imagination. But I find it sad that he has to do so in order to protect himself from such pain. He has endured much tragedy and things that no one could ever understand unless they had experienced it themselves. Now that I have completed this book, I cannot decide how I feel about it. I cannot say I liked it, but I cannot say that I did not like it either. I did not necessarily enjoy reading it, but now that it is done, I know I really enjoyed some of the statements from O'Brien throughout the novel. What I do know for sure is that I definitely liked this book better than The Sun Also Rises.

19. Dealing with Death

In the final section of The Things They Carried, O'Brien recalls his first experience with death in the army and his first experience of death ever at the young age of nine. It really bothers me how the soldiers treat the dead bodies. "In Vietnam, too, we had ways of making the dead seem not quite so dead. Shaking hands, that was one way. By slighting death, by acting, we pretended it was not the terrible thing it was. By out language, which was both hard and wistful, we transformed the bodies into piles of waste," (225-226). Reading the things that the soldiers said to the farmer just really got to me. That definitely is no way to treat someone who just died. I suppose they had to do that in order to deal with killing so many people, but I just have a hard time finding that okay, especially them referring to bodies as "waste." They were real people, not garbage. I definitely know I would not last a day in any war. I would never be able to handle the things I would see and hear and experience.

18. A Last Resort

"Night Life" was mainly about the story of how Rat Kiley got sent to Japan. First of all, I really do not understand the order O'Brien places his chapters in sometimes. I would think he would talk about Kiley's departure before he talked about the arrival of the new medic Jorgenson. I don't really see what difference he is making by mixing up the order of things. But more importantly, I found this section more interesting because it was interesting to see the progression up to Kiley's breakdown. "He took off his boots and socks, laid out his medical kit, doped himself up, and put a round through his foot," (212). I really don't blame Kiley whatsoever. Honestly if I had to do what those men did, I would probably shoot my own foot too if that meant I could get out of it. I think it'd be worth it. I for sure could not handle the "night life".

17. A Sense of Loss

In "The Ghost Soldiers" O'Brien writes about his experiences getting shot. After his second gun wound, he is sent to a battalion supply headquarters and when his old comrades come to see him, O'Brien experienced some new feelings. "I felt something shift inside me. It was anger, partly, but it was also a sense of pure and total loss: I didn't fit in anymore," (188). After all the things he had been through, and now he lost the only friends he had. Being a soldier and being away from home is an extreme loss in itself, but then to be considered a misfit by the only people you have left would be an added sadness. The whole war experience seems so lonely. The soldiers honestly had no one and nothing. That would definitely change a person negatively. O'Brien poses the idea that that cold lonely feeling never really leaves. I still cannot imagine what that would be like coming back home and not being able to move on and get rid of all those bad feelings. It would have to take a very strong individual to pull that off.

16. A World of Difference

While reading "Field Trip," I found it a little strange that O'Brien took Kathleen to see war sites in Vietnam as a birthday gift. No ten year old girl wants to go visit open fields that hold no meaning. Kathleen does not understand what O'Brien does. She does not get the purpose of the war and why her father had to fight it in. She sees no need for her father to come visit these places again. On page 175 Kathleen asks her father questions about it:

"This whole war, why was everybody so mad at everybody else?"

"They weren't mad exactly. Some people wanted one thing, other people wanted another thing."

"What did you want?"

"Nothing. To stay alive."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

Kathleen sees no purpose to the war. She cannot relate with her father in this regard. She later calls him "weird" for "...coming over here. Some dumb things happens a long time ago and you can't ever forget it," (175). I think this story of Kathleen kind of represents the idea that many Americans' attitude towards the veterans was similar. They did not see why it was as big a deal as some made it. This further proves O'Brien's point as to why he had to use made up stories in order to tell others the truth. Just seeing the war for what it was if you are an outsider does not seem that huge of a deal. But knowing the feeling and emotion behind it is what makes you understand, just like seeing the field was boring to Kathleen because she could not feel the connection to it like her father was able to do.

15. Untruthful Truths

The section "Good Form" at first really confused me. But as I've sat here and thought about it for awhile, I think I kind of get where O'Brien is coming from. "I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why the story-truth is truer than the happening-truth," (171). I was not sure how that was true at all at first. But then I read, "What stories can do, I guess, is make things present. I can look at things I never looked at. I can attach faces to grief and love and pity and God. I can be brave. I can make myself feel again," (172). In the beginning I was very frustrated with O'Brien for telling a story and then in the next section saying it was not true. I never got the point until now. The facts themselves are not true. But the feeling and the emotion behind it could not be truer. It is the only way O'Brien can begin to explain what war is like. You have to make it comprehensible for your audience, because they will never fully understand the guilt and the pain and the heartbreak. He isn't just making up war stories for the heck of it. He is just explaining his feelings in a way that we can understand. By describing to us the appearance of his "first kill" with the star shaped hole in the young boy's head, we are able to better understand why O'Brien is so scarred by it. If he said that he killed many people but could not describe their face, we would not think as much of it. But to O'Brien, the guilt and the sorrow he felt was equal to that of the made up experience he wrote with the description of the boy's dead body. This book is meant to be felt, not just read word for word. The words don't make this book true, rather it is the feeling and emotion and experience behind it.

14. Perpetual Guilt

"In the Field" gives us yet another view of Kiowa's death. This time I noticed that there were many people that blamed themselves for his death: Norman Bowker, Jimmy Cross, and the young soldier who turned on the flashlight to show Kiowa a picture of his girlfriend. Guilt has been made a large part of the last few sections in this novel. "...but I felt sort of guilty almost, like if I'd kept my mouth shut none of it would've ever happened. Like it was my fault," (168) was said by Azar regarding the comments he made about the "irony" of Kiowa's death. Even he begins to feel responsible for his death just because of insensitive remarks he made. The soldiers all carry around a huge burden constantly. I could never do what those men did. It is especially unnerving to think that some of these men were only 18 or 19, not too much older than I, and they saw people getting blown to pieces. I would never be able to recover from something like that. O'Brien keeps writing war stories in order to try to explain to everyone what it was like. But it seems he keeps having to write because its impossible to make someone understand what it was like if they were never actually there to witness it. No matter how many stories he tells, no one will ever fully understand what he went through those years in Vietnam. I think that would be an unbelievably frustrating and lonely feeling.

13. Finding Solace

"...it occurred to me that the act of writing had led me through a swirl of memories that might otherwise have ended in paralysis or worse. By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself," (152). I find this statement from O'Brien to be a pretty universal idea in some ways. With anyone who goes through a traumatic experience, they either learn to cope with it, or they never find a way to escape it. O'Brien found solace in his writing, so he was able to move on, start a family, and live his life to the fullest. Norman Bowker found no means of peace, therefore he ended up committing suicide because he just could not find a way to handle everything that had happened. I really liked this statement because I found it so easy to relate to. With certain experiences in my own life, I've seen both sides. Those who find ways to cope and deal with things and move on the best they can, like myself, and those who just cannot find a way out of their thoughts and the traumatic things that have happened like some family members of mine. Its very important to find your source of solace and be at peace with your life. If you never find that peace, then life just is not what it is supposed to be.

12. New Beginnings

"Speaking of Courage" posed a few new ideas to me. When the war had ended and the soldiers returned to their hometowns, everything had changed a great deal. Life had moved on without them. Norman Bowker came home and was still stuck in the place he was when he left. He was not completely aware of how different things would be. "He felt invisible in the soft twilight," (144). Norman felt alone upon his return. He didn't know his place and where he fit in. Coming back home after being gone for so long would be extremely difficult. You would have to completely start over from scratch. I think it would be very sad to come home and feel completely forgotten like no one even cared you had been gone so long. This was a time too that the soldiers probably needed close friends to confide in so that they could talk out some of their feelings of guilt and sadness. Instead they came home and had to keep everything to themselves. No one would ever understand what they went through and what they saw. It would be an extremely troubling life I would think.

11. Personification

In the section "Ambush," O'Brien again relives the moment of is first kill. But this time was somewhat different in that he discussed events leading up to the death and his thoughts before it happened. "I had already thrown the grenade before telling myself to throw it," (127). O'Brien had no idea that this man was going to die, as he informs us in this section. As it was happening O'Brien was just as shocked as the man was who got a grenade launched at him. War instincts took over O'Brien before he could consider what this man was walking up the path for. He gives the grenade human abilities by saying that it "seem[ed] to freeze above me for an instant," (127) as if to give him the chance to realize what his body chose to do on its own. I like how O'Brien wrote two separate accounts of his first kill. I like the two different perspectives, the first just explaining the shock of the aftermath and the second walking me through such an out of body experience. I felt like I was there with O'Brien witnessing it all with him.

10. Imagery

"The Man I Killed" was practically bursting with unpleasant imagery. O'Brien relives the memories of the first boy he killed in the war. "His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his eyebrows were thin and arched like a woman's, his nose was undamaged, there was a slight tear at the lobe of one ear, his clean black hair was swept upward into a cowlick at the rear of his skull, his forehead was lightly freckled, his fingernails were clean, the skin at his left cheek was peeled back in three ragged strips, his right cheek was smooth and hairless...his neck was open to the spinal cord and the blood there was thick and shiny and it was this wound that had killed him," (118). O'Brien continues to describe the way the boy is lying on the ground. He begins to imagine how he just took away everything from this young man. I could feel his guilt and his confusion and the pure shock he was experiencing in that moment. He was not able to speak because of it. He just stood there examining every square inch of this man who he killed. He frequently repeats parts of this first paragraph throughout the entire section. It shows that that is all he could think about at the time. He could not seem to grasp everything about what he had done and had to do to save his own life. Just reading this section made me feel sick, I cannot fathom how terrible it would have been to be in O'Brien's place in that moment. His description has not become rusty at all. The imagery he provides for the readers is as clear as the day it happened. This has stuck with him through the years. Something like that could never escape my mind. I would feel guilty forever.

9. Stereotype

In "Church," Dobbins and Kiowa are the main characters we see interacting with one another. While cleaning Dobbins' gun, they discuss the idea of possibly becoming a minister. Dobbins said he had considered becoming one and he asked Kiowa if he had also. Kiowa responds,"No. Not ever," (116) and Dobbins began to laugh at the idea saying, "An Indian preacher. Man, that's one I'd love to see. Feathers and buffalo robes," (116). This was a very stereotypical statement on his part. Dobbins assumes that individuals with Native American descent still wear headdresses, feathers, etc. "Kiowa lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling, and for a time he didn't speak," (116). Kiowa is bothered by Dobbins' statement, but he does not try to explain that they do not wear feathers and such any longer because he probably finds it pointless to explain that to someone so ignorant and unwilling to see the truth. To be one of the few Indians in his group of soldiers must have been a very challenging lifestyle to take on, especially when so few understood that he was just the same as everyone else. They were all fighting for the same country.

8. Quick Transitions and Adaptations

In the section Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, we first meet Mary Anne. It was kind of interesting to me to see her transition throughout her first three weeks in Vietnam. In only three weeks she became a completely different person. "...she quickly fell into the habits of the bush. No cosmetics, no fingernail filing. She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna. Hygiene became a matter of small consequence," (94). The main thing this book has done for me is allow me to recognize how much a war mentally and physically changes an individual. Their surroundings are different, they are with new people, new cultures. They are completely submersed in a new lifestyle. No one can experience all this without becoming a new person. O'Brien makes the war seem something almost animalistic. Everyone seems to forget their old ways and simply commit themselves to being "ready for the kill," (110).

7. Anecdote

In the next section, The Dentist, O'Brien begins talking about Curt Lemon again. He starts off talking about his death, but then he suddenly sways the topic away from death and gives an anecdote from pages 82-84 about the February afternoon when "...an Army dentist was choppered in to check our teeth and do minor repair work." The anecdote was used to "guard against" O'Brien becoming sentimental over Lemon's death, as he states on page 82. This section shows how brave and macho these men feel like they have to be. O'Brien cannot get sentimental about death and Lemon is ashamed that he fainted at the dentist, so much so that he makes the dentist rip out a tooth, just so he won't seem so sheepish. I believe this is still true of a lot of men these days today also though. Not all, but most men seem to have trouble showing their sensitive sides and always try to act braver than they actually are. (No offense to the men out there, it's just a natural difference between guys and girls). I guess that is one thing that makes this novel timeless. The same rules still apply.

6. Hyperbole

In the beginning of the seventh section, How to Tell a True War Story, we first read about the letter Rat sends to Curt Lemon's sister after his death. On page 65 a hyperbole was used: "...the funniest thing in world history." Rat writes this in regards to a war experience he had with Curt, about "fishing with a crate of hand grenades," which does not seem like the "funniest thing in world history" to me. All the soldiers seem to take on an odd sense of humor in this book. The war seems to take over all their thoughts and perceptions. This whole section confused me. O'Brien kept talking about truthful truths and untruthful truths and I honestly do not understand one thing he was trying to say in this chapter. I was even more confused on page 81 where O'Brien writes about the story of Lemon's death, "It wasn't a war story. It was a love story." I have no idea how that was about love. Then further down on the page he says, "None of it happened. None of it." Why did he write 18 pages of a "true war story" if it really ends up not being true in the end? I'm a little frustrated because I just am not getting this Tim O'Brien character at all..

5. Random Stories

In sections 5 and 6, O'Brien tells the story of Jensen and Strunk. I don't understand why O'Brien adds this story in here. It seems really random and I don't see O'Brien's purpose behind it. After his recollection of the fight, O'Brien writes, "In any other circumstance it might've ended there. But this was Vietnam..." (59). I guess he was just trying to show the reader what the war did to some individuals' mental states? I just feel like these ideas are evident throughout his writing and he has no need to tell these stories randomly about others in between the chapters he writes about his personal life. He frequently goes back and forth throughout the book. I feel as if this novel was mainly written for his own benefit rather than making a point to others, as maybe it served as an easier way to talk through all his repressed memories. The little sections are so randomized and his thoughts seem very scattered. But maybe he just does this on purpose to show more negative and lasting effects of serving in the war.

4. Internal Conflict

In the fourth section, O'Brien shares his thoughts and feelings when he first received his draft notice. He experiences a mix of feelings as stated on page 43, "I was bitter, sure. But it was so much more than that. The emotions went from outrage to terror to bewilderment to guilt to sorrow and then back again to outrage. I felt a sickness inside me. Real disease." His internal conflict was whether or not he should run away to Canada or actually serve in a war he knew nothing about. O'Brien seems to really want his readers to understand what he went through back then. He seems to really stress the importance of not taking anything for granted. He never expected to be enlisted and it greatly altered his perspective on life. His emotional state was greatly changed as well. He experienced a variety of feelings within a short time frame, leading mainly to an uncertainty as to what would happen. Everything about the war changed who he was as a person and he attempts to relay that point to the reader in section four.

3. Simile

In the third section, O'Brien again describes memories from the war. On page 31, he uses a simile to help him explain what some parts of war are like. "On occasions the war was like a Ping-Pong ball. You could put a fancy spin on it, you could make it dance." I am not completely sure what O'Brien meant, but I believe that this simile is his way of saying that the war was not entirely bad. He found ways to make it a more positive experience than a negative one. Later in the chapter, however, he resumes talk of the negative experiences. As he says, "The thing about remembering is that you don't forget," (33). As he shares more positive experiences, he always leads back to the negative because he cannot ever forget no matter how much he may wish to do so. No matter how many good things happened, the bad will still always be a huge part of who O'Brien is.

2. Suspense

First of all, chapter 2 sort of threw me for a loop there when it turned into 1st person. The first chapter was not in 1st person I don't believe, so when the next section began I was confused there for a bit. But moving on, Jimmy Cross came to visit O'Brien in this section. They talked about old times and old friends. Towards the end, O'Brien tells Cross that he wishes to write a book about him. On page 29, Cross "hesitated for a second," then he said, "And do me a favor. Don't mention anything about-". Does anyone else really want to know what that little incident is? I know I sure do. I'm just hoping that it is actually something of interest because I also feel as if he could maybe just have been referring to the incident of Lavender's death. I am hoping that that is not all it is, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

1. Parallelism

In the beginning of chapter 1, I found parallelism present on page 3 in which Tom O'Brien is describing the reasoning behind why each soldier carries the things that he does. "Because the land was mined and booby-trapped... Because you could die so quickly... Because the nights were cold and the monsoons were wet..." The use of because as the first word in the sentences continues on for some time to provide justification for why each soldier had to carry what he did. The entire 25 pages of chapter 1 do nothing but explain what these men carry. I am PRAYING this book gets less dull. I do not understand the point of having a 25 page long list of random items the men had with them. It could have been explained in about 10 pages I'd say. That seems way more reasonable to me. Alls you need to understand is that each soldier has a different personality and a different value system which makes them find certain things important that others do not. And I'm sure this will play a role later on in the novel. But I understood that idea in about 5 pages so I do not see the need for the following twenty. Oh well! Time to continue...

The Things They Carried

By: Tim O'Brien

20. Epigraph

In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway begins his novel with two epigraphs, one spoken by Gertrude Stein: "You are all a lost generation." When I began reading this novel, I was not exactly sure what this epigraph was supposed to reveal to me about the novel or the theme. But while reflecting on the book as a whole, I cannot think of a more appropriate quotation to describe the theme and the characters in the novel. The values and morals of the characters in The Sun Also Rises completely diminished after the conclusion of World War I. They chose to partake in excessive drinking, partying, and sexual escapades, all to escape the scarring memories of the war. Throughout the book itself, even Hemingway avoids describing any part of the war in depth. The original attitudes, morals, and ways of life of the prewar world were completely "lost," which this book makes very clear. Throughout my reading I always created new ideas of how the book would end. Ideally I believed that Jake and Brett would change their ways and finally be in a relationship together. But I was very mistaken. Nothing really changes much throughout this novel. All the characters remain "lost" and going nowhere in the world. Unfortunately that must have been true of many veterans of that time. I was disappointed in the ending, but Hemingway ended it in probably what was the most realistic way.

19. All Things Must Come to an End

Chapter 19 concludes The Sun Also Rises with a conversation between Jake and Brett. Brett sent a telegram to Jake asking him to come see her. As usual Jake sacrifices his original plans to come help her. Brett has always seemed to rely on Jake to help her through her break-ups, and consistently he seems happy to be there for her. Not much has seemed to change until the very last line of the novel. In the taxi, Brett says to Jake, "Oh Jake we could have has such a damned good time together." In reply, Jake states, "Yes, isn't it pretty to think so?" I do not believe that Jake has stopped loving Brett, and he will most likely continue to do so. However, it seems to me that he has finally become sensible enough to let go of the hope he held of someday being in a relationship with Brett. It seems he is more accepting of that fact in the end of the novel, but he will continue to be there for her when she needs him as a loving friend.

18. Romero's Strength

In chapter 18, the next rounds of bullfighting begin. Romero had spent a few days with Brett at this point, and he found himself in love with her. However, unlike Jake and the other characters that also found themselves in love with her, Romero does not become weak or overpowered because of her affection. During the bullfight she only seemed to aid him, according to Jake "because he did not look up to ask if it pleased, he did it all for himself inside, and it strengthened him... he did not do it for her at any loss to himself. He gained by it all through the afternoon," (220). This greatly sets Romero apart from Jake and Brett's other "loves" because he maintains his original loves and values of bullfighting over Brett. In contrast, the other characters sacrificed their feelings and values just to be near her or in an attempt to regain her affection.

17. Reversals

Throughout the novel, Robert Cohn is frequently given a hard time over Brett, and he never failed to simply sit back and take it. In Chapter 17, however, it all became too much for him when he wanted to know Brett's whereabouts but Jake would not tell him. Menacingly, he stepped forward and threatened, "I'll make you tell me.." (194). He knocked Jake out and injured Mike as well. Cohn has never looked so pathetic. He still believes he has a chance with Brett, even after all that has happened. I cannot get it through my mind as to why anyone would stick around for Brett after witnessing her careless, promiscuous ways. Later in the chapter though, it was revealed an explanation for why Brett may have acted the way she did. Mike tells Bill and Jake that her ex-husband "always made Brett sleep on the floor. Finally when he got really bad, he used to tell her he'd kill her. Always slept with a loaded service revolver," (207). Brett was in a seriously abusive relationship in which he overwhelmingly dominated over her. After leaving her husband, I can now see why she acts the way she does. She goes from man to man because she never wants to be controlled in that way again. She reversed the dominating roles and now she is the one who has the control in her relationships, leaving all her suitors to keep chasing after her. I am not justifying Brett's lifestyle, but I do understand how she became to live that way. Her past relationship with Ashley would have been extremely damaging.

16. Brett's Influence

In Chapter 16 Brett is introduced to Pedro Romero, the young bull-fighter. She immediately feels as if she has fallen in "love" with him. She expresses these feelings to Jake when they take a walk alone in the park. She tells Jake that she wants to be with Romero, and she also says, "I've got to do something I really want to do. I've lost my self-respect," (187). Jake tells her not to do it, but she remains stubborn about what she wants to do, so Jake leads her to the cafe where he knows Romero is at. Earlier in the chapter, Jake admits to Brett that he is still in love with her, so why on earth would he ever help her to be with another man? He was so in love with Brett that he was willing to compromise all of his own feelings just to give her what she wanted, no matter how bad it may hurt him. Brett does not even seem to care that she has hurt all these men. She continues to hurt Jake, she used Cohn, and now she is cheating on Mike with a young boy of only 19. Brett has some serious issues. I do not understand how Jake can continue to love this woman, let alone watch her be with so many other men.

15. Pedro Romero

In Chapter 15, the week-long fiesta begins including the bull-fights. Jake is introduced to Pedro Romero, the young bull-fighter. There is something different about Romero compared to the other bull-fighters because he "never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line. The others twisted themselves like corkscrews... to give a faked look of danger... Romero's bull-fighting gave real emotion because he kept the absolute purity of line in his movements..." (171). I believe Pedro's character could possibly be symbolic of the life of Jake before he entered the war, mainly because of how fascinated Jake seemed to be with him. Before joining the army, Jake was "straight and pure," like the young bull-fighter. He was not yet "twisted". The same goes for Brett I believe. Before she lost her true love, she remained "straight and pure" as well. But once the war took place, she was shaken, similar to how the old bull-fighters changed their ways after a fellow fighter was killed. I think this symbolism really showed how and why people changed so much in the 20s. Hemingway really came up with a great symbol to explain the actions of Jake and his friends. I feel that I have a much better understanding of the characters as a result.