Saturday, October 18, 2014

Literature Analysis #2 Heart of Darkness

Collaborative with Jared Dube
1.Exposition: This novel takes grasp around Marlow, a sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, whose reputation tells him to be an unwavering man of supposed great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company because of his aunt for a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo. As Marlow travels to Africa and then to the Congo he slowly loses the amenities of home and see’s the brutal nature of the company stations. The native inhabitants of the region have been forced into the Company’s service, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Company’s agents.
Rising actions: Marlow proceeds to the central station where he meets the general manger who runs the station and finds him to be unwholesome as a person. The steam boat has been sunk and because of an accident a few days previous which Marlow thinks is because they don’t want him to meet Kurtz. During the 7 months at the central station his curiosity of Kurtz’s grows and he wants to meet this infamous person. The ship is soon fixed after the parts arrive and Marlow proceeds with a group of men up river to Kurtz location. They find the silence of the Congo to be eerie but continue on until they come across a hut with stacked firewood, together with a note saying that the wood is for them. Shortly after the steamer has taken on the firewood, it is surrounded by a dense fog. When the fog clears, the ship is attacked by an unseen band of natives, who fire arrows from the safety of the forest. The African helmsman is killed before Marlow frightens the natives away with the ship’s steam whistle. The group arrives at Kurtz station expecting to find him dead but instead a half-crazed Russian trader, who meets them as they come ashore, assures them that everything is fine and informs them that he is the one who left the wood. The Russian claims that Kurtz has enlarged his mind and cannot be subjected to the same moral judgments as normal people. Kurtz has established himself as a god with the natives and has gone on brutal raids in the surrounding territory in search of ivory. The collection of severed heads decorating the fence posts around the station confirms to his “methods.” The natives bring Kurtz out of the station-house on a stretcher, and a large group of native warriors pours out of the forest and surrounds them. Kurtz speaks to them, and the natives disappear into the woods. The manager brings Kurtz, who is quite ill, aboard the steamer. The Russian reveals to Marlow, after swearing him to secrecy, that Kurtz had ordered the attack on the steamer to make them believe he was dead in order that they might turn back and leave him to his plans of harvesting ivory. The Russian then leaves by canoe, fearing the displeasure of the manager. Kurtz disappears in the night, and Marlow goes out in search of him.
Climax: Marlow finds him crawling on all fours toward the native camp. Marlow stops him and convinces him to return to the ship. They set off down the river the next morning, but it seems as if Kurts isn’t going to make it. Marlow listens to Kurtz talk while he pilots the ship, and Kurtz entrusts Marlow with a packet of personal documents. The steamer breaks down, and they have to stop for repairs. Kurtz dies, uttering his last words “The horror! The horror!” which leave Marlow confused. Marlow falls ill soon after and barely survives.
Falling Action: Eventually he returns to Europe and goes to see Kurtz’s intended fiancĂ©. She is still mourning even though it’s been a year and she ask Marlow for his last words but instead of ruining the illusion she has of her perfect Kurtz she tells her he called out her name.
Purpose: The main purpose of this novel appears to be the fact that power and the Congo were the variables that converted Kurtz a man who was a paragon of virtue and achievement into the embodiment of madness.
2. The theme of this novel is madness in that if you let your virtues be challenged by power and it begins to run rampant that you yourself will eventually be consumed like Kurtz was. Madness seems like it can’t be prevented unless you have your humanity to keep it checked and balanced but it also serve as a reminder that all human have this fallibility within them.
3. The tone itself of the story was quite dark and cynical from my perspective from quotes such as “We live as we dream--alone....” or “Your strength is just an accident owed to the weakness of others.” And finally to capitalize on this fact “It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core.”
4.
1)      Repetition-'The horror!  The horror!" (Page 69).
2)      Metaphor-"The water shone pacifically . . .the very mist . . . was like a gauze and radiant fabric" (page 46).
3)      Imagery- “Imagine him here—the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina—and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like” (page 11).
4)      Personification-"Flames glided in the river" (Page 9).
5)      Diction-The other explained…with the ivory.” (Page 45)
6)      Motif-"Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall…”(Page 47)
7)      Simile-"Swept and ungarnished staircase, as arid as a desert"(Page 14).
8)      Allusion-"Eldorado Exploring Expedition"(Page 52)
9)      Onomatopoeia-“A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head…” (Page 22)
10)   Symbolism-“The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds...seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness"(Page 113).
1. Direct Characterization:
·         
Indirect Characterization:
·        "I did not betray Mr. Kurtz--it was ordered I should never betray him--it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice. (Page 79)
·        "Never see him! I saw him clearly then. I shall see this eloquent phantom as long as I live, and I shall see her too…” (Page 93)
2. Marlow the
3. Marlow the protagonist in the Heart of Darkness can be seen as dynamic and round character. The reason Marlow is a dynamic character is because at the start of the story Marlow believe the world is a good place without very much evil until the end when he realizes the world is actually dark. He moves on believing this is just how world is and goes along with it by lying in the final interview.
4.



Thursday, October 16, 2014

LITERARY FICTION & EMPATHY

Fiction can open up the spectrum of vocabulary that you have as well as its use in different variations to better understand what you’re reading in the immense library of books that exist and quite possibly take themes from one book and easily distinguish that same theme or morality in another. Hamlets asides make it easy to distinguish his grief or planning of future tasks which I do in my own thinking process because my thoughts are my own just like Hamlets. Hamlet gives an easy amount of monologue to distinguish his characters struggle and the vortex of choices he can make that appears to be consuming him.

HAMLET ACT I SCENE II

HAMLET ACT I SCENE I

. Bernardo and Marcellus are guards with a friend of prince Hamlet named Horatio who stand watch waiting for a Spector.
.The Spector appears and then vanishes.
.The Spector resembles the recently dead king of Denmark and is there to represent a wrong that seem present due to the appearance of the Spector.
.The idea is the Spector is appearing due to the loss of land that must be reclaimed.

The three come to a consensus that they must retrieve Prince Hamlet because the deceased father would never turn away his beloved son since the Spector wouldn’t speak to them.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Phonar Assignment

My unforgettable moment that I have was just making my way to the first run of the day, sitting on a ski lift heading towards the top which all I could see was the pristine forested mountain as we inversely gained height from starting at the foot of it. The sun was just starting to appear over the top and soon hit my back as I exited the lift and had my breath stolen at a vision that couldn’t possibly be framed into a portrait. The mountain looked phenomenal with its selectively carved paths through the vegetation and the silence enhanced the music that played in my headphones which left me sitting there for a longer moment then I had intended until my ski’s made my decision for me. In which I took the plunge down its side and followed its curves with amusement and intense adrenaline filled speed as I hit every corner with a blur of vision.

Vocabulary 6

Abase: to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade. Ex: The demotion did not abase his credibility with his peers.
Abdicate: to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner. Ex: The king abdicated position when he grew too old.
Abomination: anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred. Ex: The stitched horror could only be known as an abomination.
Brusque: abrupt in manner; blunt; rough. Ex: But his brusque and haughty demeanor to his equals made him many enemies.
Saboteur: a person who commits or practices sabotage. Ex: The ship sunk due to a group of saboteurs.
Debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance. Ex: I committed many debaucheries. 
Proliferate: to grow or produce by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division, or by procreation. Ex: The cells proliferated over time.
Anachronism: something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time. Ex: The Wolverine is a good example of an anachronism.
Nomenclature: a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc. Ex: But progress was made difficult, in consequence of the clumsy and irregular nomenclature employed.
Expurgate: to amend by removing words, passages, etc., deemed offensive or objectionable. Ex: He expurgated his actions.
Bellicose: inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious. Ex: The bellicose noises made for war now were silent then.
Gauche: lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless. Ex: Gauche adolescent, completely unsure of herself.
Rapacious: given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. Ex: His rapacious hunger built as his fangs began their descent.
Paradox: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. Ex: Paradoxes can cause an Artificial Intelligence to destroy itself.
Conundrum: a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words. Ex: The Riddler used many conundrums against Batman.
Anomaly: a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form. Ex: There was a strange anomaly in the design of the building.
Ephemeral: lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory. Ex: He was looking for both ephemeral ponds and permanent water-bodies containing fish.
Rancorous: bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice. Ex: All this question achieves is endless rancorous bickering
Churlish: like a churl; boorish; rude. Ex: I didn't want to sound churlish on his page.
Precipitous: of the nature of or characterized by precipices. Ex: Through a deep, narrow gorge with precipitous sides.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Pre-Will

A) The most I've ever known about hamlet is that it’s about a boy whose father is overthrown by a bitter uncle and Hamlet makes the decision to kill his uncle for his act of betrayal and ends up dyeing himself from poison that the uncle gave him earlier and his mother takes her own life in dismay of his death.
B) Shakespeare is considered one of the most important founders to English of the time between 1550’s to 1650’s, which is a rough estimation of his lifespan but anyway he did create many fascinating plays that captured the surrounding nations in ovation.
C) Honestly speaking I wouldn't understand why anyone would frown over Shakespeare mainly considering my enjoyment of all the works I've have read which I enjoyed every moment of beside a few dull sections of monologue

D) Um I don’t believe I have an idea that would make my enjoyment of Hamlet better other than acting out the play among the class which we already plan on doing. 

THE POINT OF CANTERBURY TALES IS

The collation of characters in Canterbury tales is amusing but most of the denizens in the plot contradict their own titles. Are there any real world occupants that portray contradictions similar to the ones in Canterbury Tales? Is this assumption of irony that the characters exhibits accurately represent the time or does Chaucer give us a false depiction of characters of the time? 

Monday, October 6, 2014

Ski/Snowboarding trip

Hey everyone from Dr. Preston’s class I’m trying to put together a trip to a mountain for a day of snowboarding/skiing this winter and I feel like it would be easier to collaborate on how to make the trip a reality by discussing things like what mountain, the day , and possible fundraising as well as sponsors. This would be a lot easier to plan with a head count of who actually is interested by the idea of spending a day on the slopes, so if you’re interested just leave a comment and we can plan a meeting and go from there.

Vocab #5

Shenanigans: secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering.
Ricochet: a glancing rebound; verb spring back; spring away from an impact
Schism: division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Eschew: verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
Plethora: extreme excess
Ebullient: joyously unrestrained
Garrulous: full of trivial conversation
Harangue: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
Interdependence: a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)
Capricious: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable
Loquacious: full of trivial conversation
Ephemeral: lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
Inchoate: only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Perspicacious: acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
Codswallop: nonsensical talk or writing
Mungo: things that tend to be incorrigible reprobates and are best avoided.
Sesquipedalian: characterized by long words; long-winded.
Wonky: inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one side

Diphthong: a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another

canterbury tale narrative

They told us how easy it was to obtain our future like it could just be given to us and in all conscience I believed them and went willingly but nothing could’ve prepared us for the emotionless bitter void that waited in that tormenting Metropolis that was supposed to be my way out of this life that lacked purpose. A group of students including myself was seemingly lucky enough to score high enough on the tests they administered for capitalistic gain were subjected to a chance to further our education in fields of are choice with a secondary amount of monetary value that would surpass the first in order to gain that purpose that we all anguished for. As a group jumped at the chance and we followed the guide lines that seemed as if they were set up a millennium ago but we progressed to the Metropolis where our education through lectures sat anticipating our money into their grubby hands. In the distance I saw the imminent sight of my future that lied in that metropolis of towering buildings which from anyone’s point of view would leave you in awe and at first sight I thought this is the place for me. The other would be students I was traveling with all looked ahead themselves in awe and spoke of what the looming future could hold for them. Among the interior of the city appeared the same way in which it glistened all around it vast expanse as if it was prepared for the batch of freshman’s arrival but apparently no people were out and about other than the administers. We exited off the bus swiftly as we soon entered a line to pay the year fees and tuition which ranged into 1000’s of dollars but I persevered past this because of the anticipation I had to gain my long need for purpose. A clerk with a printed smile quickly took my check and for some reason after that I felt as if the city had become colder and darkness engulfed the city, nevertheless I progressed outside because of the lack of breathing room inside the cramped building due the throng of freshman immersing it. The step outside showed no evident light, smog and filled the gaps above the streets and building, and the denizens of this town revealed themselves and all appeared so contorted and miserable. That moment I swung back to return to the clerk to get the hell out of this god forsaken metropolis but it was locked; I rushed down the streets and check for unlocked doors and was left with more locked corridors. The metropolis denizens ignored my pleas for help and questions as if their mouths had been sewed up and went upon their way in silence that added on to the Metropolis’s expansive silence other than this excruciating sound of water dropping constantly onto the asphalt but there was no rain which puzzled me.  The thought came to mind to find the other students but I found no one due to the multitude of horrifyingly contorted faces that passed by me, I gathered the strength to leave the mass of broken people and head towards an empty crevice among the soaring buildings. The silence progressed other than that unbearable dripping but I found an empty alley and thought of everything I was ever told and how wrong they all were about how trivial it was to obtain a future. The madness of their lies hurt and burned my very being to the point of my collapse in the alley that had vague light from a lamp that seemed enough to live with in this obscurely dark metropolis. The madness seemingly consumed me with that relentless agonizing noise of water drops but no rain until finally I was sat at the point of beak and let it consume me. I began to fade off comfortably under that moderately comfortable light and let the madness take me so that I too could be as contorted as the populous of this Metropolis. A splash of something struck my head and threw me out of my mindless stupor in which I froze in terror that tormenting noise that said I was still alive had stopped and again I was struck with another drop. I proceeded to look up and saw dim light and was struck with another drop, the building had a ladder scaling all the way to the top in which I leapt for just to reach that light and as I rose the light got dimmer. The light got dimmer as I climbed but the metropolis that was under me appeared to have a vast surplus of it in which I doubted myself to go back because obviously this ladder would lead to nothing but my demise. Then the realization of what was actually down there took its effect and I the darkness that waited upward has to be better than the dim light below. The darkness eventually consumed me and I could see nothing and could only feel the warm dripping of water that kept hitting me so I proceeded even though I had been visionless. Something bright appeared above me, which was also quite warm, I rapidly reached bar after bar increasing that light until suddenly it was all around me, no more darkness just light and pouring rain and the top of this towering building awaiting a few more feet. 

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Character study (III)

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

Much leaner then before with his adaptation to college diet Marcel began the new section of his life hesitantly but endured. The place is just an average University in an area which inhibits various weather usually pleasant mix of cold and warm depending on the time of year, and the beginning of Marcel Dube’s long journey for a proper education towards a bachelor in Biomedical engineering and who knows maybe to long lunge for a master or even PhD would lie in the future for him. The winter is cold just as he likes it, filling the close by mountain with snow for his skiing escapades with a group that he met and has plans to go later in the season after finals. The finals for freshman year are imminent leaving Marcel with a group of peers cramming away in his dorm room for the utterly frustrating exams but with the aspiration that a slope is waiting for him afterwards for some much needed relief. The time after graduation with the hurried move to the distant place was both audacious and an exciting experience to finally leave the vortex that was Santa Maria which had engulfed many of his peers but he had persevered out of its pull.