ecoirie

1.) Reflection:

T.S. Elliot's poem “The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock” begins with an ironic title that's in complete contrast to the entire poem. Love songs usually describe a passionate romantic encounter and a deep connection to someone, but Prufrock is anything but connected to anyone. In fact, he is absolutely alone in a trapped state of pity and low self esteem. “For I have known them all already, known them all-- / Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoon, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons: I know the voices dying with a dying fall” (48-54) represents Prufrock's meager existence. The only resemblance of a “love song” is his desire to meet someone, but his fears and insecurities keep him from reaching out to “disturb the universe” (46). Thus, Prufrock is destined to live a life of solitude and loneliness all the way to his grave, which seems to be coming faster than he would like by his comments “ I grow old....I grow old....” (120) “With a bald spot in the middle of my hair-- / (They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!) / and / (They will say: “But how his legs and arms are thin!”) (40,41,44)

The scene is initially a dreary one of cold fog laden dirty streets that resembles little about a possible romantic opportunity for Prufrock unless he is possibly pursuing a prostitute in such a destitute place. This would explain the dreary fog and “yellow smoke that slides along the street / Rubbing it's back upon the windowpanes” (23-24) that resembles his conscious, shame and guilt. Later as he travels along the streets, the scene becomes more upbeat, or at least, more refined with having tea in “porcelain cups”, and dining on “marmalade”, “cakes and ices”.

None the less, the women that he encounters and views from a distance pay him no interest with images of “mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me.” (124-125) The drama that plays out for Prufrock is all in his head. It's as if women are unattainable beings and can only be viewed from a distance. The reality of interjecting any form of discourse would be an unthinkable act outside his socially awkward walls that he's built around himself. This is evident in lines 111-119:

No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Differential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous--
Almost at times, the fool.

As a man filled with such despair, I felt little pity for Prufrock's predicament. Self loathing is a recipe for disaster in ones life, and to analyze everything around you “and time yet for a hundred indecisions / and a hundred visions and revisions” ( 32,33) , but do nothing to change your situation is inexcusably pathetic. My only sympathy lies with the idea that he may not have any friends to lean on as he travels through the rest of his life, which would truly be a sad tale indeed.

2.) Looking ahead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone

“Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. Her common surnames are Sito (wheat) as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros (divine order, unwritten law) as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society. Though Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon.”

“Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld. Homer describes her as the formidable, venerable majestic queen of the shades, who carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the dead. She was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld. The myth of her abduction represents her function as the personification of vegetation which shoots forth in spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest; hence she is also associated with spring and with the seeds of the fruits of the fields.”

The Demeter and Persephone myth consists of Hades falling in love with Persephone and abducting her to the underworld. As Demeter grieves of her daughters loss, the seasons stop and all living things begin to die. Zeus saw this as the end of all life on earth, so he made a deal with Hades to release her. Hades agreed under the condition that Persephone didn't eat anything, but unfortunately Persephone ate 6 pomegranate seeds. Therefore, Persephone was forced to stay with Hades for the summer months, which causes drought upon the land during this season every year. The universal themes learned from this myth are suffering, separation, life cycles of the seasons, gratitude for abundant seasons and preparation for those without, selfishness, and sacrifice.

1. Reflection

Antigone is the tragic hero by defiantly standing her ground against an unjust law that leads to her death, while Creon is an arrogant and paranoid leader that feels he is supporting the state and the gods by following through with his laws, but these actions are paid back twofold upon his life. By burying her brother, Antigone feels she is justifiably overriding the “mortal laws” of Creon and fulfilling those “great unwritten, unshakeable” ones of the gods. As she states:

“they are alive, not just today or yesterday: they live forever, from the
first of time, and no one knows when they first saw the light. These
laws—I was not about to break them, not out of fear of some man's
wounded pride, and face the retribution of the gods.”(496)

With the will of the gods on her side, Antigone does not “bend before adversity”(467) when facing Creon by exchanging blows of accusations and character degradation, which is evident in her statement: “and if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I've been accused of folly by fool.”(496) This infuriates Creon who feels that he is protecting everyones interests though his laws, and so hands her death sentence down. In his mindset, if he lets up, the weakness shown and disrespect for the law will unravel Thebes society and eventually lead to it's demise, but he's also worried about tarnishing his reputation too. “Imagine it: I caught her in naked rebellion, the traitor, the only one in the whole city. I'm not about to prove myself a liar, not to my people, no, I'm going to kill her!” (502). This repeats itself again as Creon exchanges words with Haemon:

“Creon. Am I to rule this land for others—or myself?
Haemon. It's no city at all, owned by one man alone.
Creon. What? The city is the king's—that's the law!
Haemon. What a splendid king you'd make of a desert island---you and you alone.”(504)

And again with Tiresias, whose wisdom falls on Creon's deaf ears:

“All men make mistakes, it is only human. But once the wrong is done, a man can turn
his back on folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends, however low he's fallen,
and stops his bullnecked ways. Stubbornness brands you for stupidity—pride is a
crime. No, yield to the dead.” (511)

This repeated advice many times over unfortunately isn't taken to heart by Creon, and instead lashes back with brash acusations of corruption of bribes taken to bring down the state. In essence, Creon is an overbearing fool that lets his newfound power blind him of the truth that Haemon, Tiresias, and Antigone try to show him. I'm torn whether to pity him for his dire mistakes in judgment, or scorn his irate egotistical mannerisms. In the end, it's hard not to feel some sympathy as he loses his entire family in one tragic moment that deadens him with regret, guilt, and a lifetime of greiving solitude. Power is a delacite balance, and if one forgets to listen and follow reason from those around him or her, their role will be short lived.


2.  Looking ahead
Extended Meaphor:

http://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/extmetterm.htm
A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_metaphor
A metaphor that continues into the sentences that follow. It is often developed at great length, occurring frequently throughout a work, and are especially effective in poems and fiction.

In Kogawa's “Obasan”, extended metaphors are used to describe the painful internalized grief Obasan experienced through the World War II Japanese Internment camps. For Obasan, “the memories are drowned in a whirlpool of silence”(Kogawa, 4), which eventually erodes her and her daughters spirits. There's no escaping Obasan's grasp of dispair since her “Grief inside her body is fat and powerful. An almighty tapeworm.” (Kogawa, 4) Images continue through her pain accumulates through the the years as “grief has roamed like a highwayman down the channel as her body with its dynamite and it's weapons blowing up every moment of relief that tried to make it's way down the road. It grew rich off the unburied corpses inside her body.” (Kogawa, 4) With no end in sight for an outlet to express her feelings, grief “claimed her kingdom fully, it admitted no enemies and no vengeance. Enemies belonged in a corridor of experience with sense and meaning, with justice and reason. Her Grief knew nothing of these and whipped her body to resignation until the kingdom was secure.” (Kogawa, 4) Not only was Obasan trapped, but her daughters paid the price as well, which is why they “fled to the ends of the earth” (Kogawa, 5) in an attempt to:

“live a life in perpetual flight from the density of her inner retreat-- from the rays of her
inverted sun sucking in their lives with the voracious appetite of a dwarf star.
Approaching her, they become balls of liquid metal—mercurial--unpredictable in their
moods and sudden departures. Especially for the younger daughter, departure is as
necessary as breath. What metallic spider is it her night that hammers a constant
transformation, lacing open doors and windows with iron bars.” (Kogawa, 5)

Whether it's a whirlpool, tapeworm, dwarf star, or iron bars spun from a metallic spider, the extended metaphors run deep in portraying the inescapable magnitude that grief played in Obasan's life.

Part 1

The World War II Japanese internment camps is an essential piece to understanding the depths of despair felt by the characters in Kogawa’s “Obasan”. Naomi’s aunt and uncle were proud seafaring fishermen along the BC coast, “like Moses, he was an infant of the waves, rocked to sleep by the lap lap and ‘Nen, nen, karori’” (Kogawa, 3), but were ripped from their life to a dry inland internment camp. An expert craftsman boat-maker no more with his beautiful creations stolen forever, “the voice of the RCMP officer saying ‘I’ll keep that one,’ and laughing as he cuts through the water. ‘Don’t worry I’ll make great use of her.’” The pain from such events are embedded with her aunt as “the memories are drowned in a whirlpool of protective silence. ‘For the sake of the children,’ it is whispered over and over. ‘Kodomo no tame’”(Kogawa, 4). This inward grief eventually eats away at her relationship with her daughters and their inevitable departure from such pain. “Each has lived a life in perpetual flight from the density of her inner retreat - from the rays of her inverted sun sucking in their lives with the voracious appetite of a dwarf star.” (Kogawa, 5). As the seasons change and years go by after the end of the internment camps, the pain never retreats. “Our inner trees, our veins, are involuted, cocooned, webbed. The blood cells in the trunks of our bodies, like tiny specks of light, move in a sluggish river. It is more a potential than an actual river--an electric liquid--the current flowing in and between us, between our generations.” (Kogawa, 7). What was taken from one generation of Japanese during WWII internment, was taken from the following generations thereafter as well.


In the 2010 spring semester graduation ceremony at Sacramento City College, victims of the Japanese internment camps that happened along the farmlands of central California a California were given honorary diplomas. It was not only land and belongings that were taken from these people, but their schooling and dreams as well.

Part 2

When I write papers, it’s always helpful to work out a detailed outline, and build it in small chunks at a time. I’ve also found that mindmaps are a valuable tool to capture your ideas without restricting yourself to only a linear approach. I’m previ to Mind Node & Mind Jet software applications. As for what I would like to learn about writing from this course, I’m open to anything related to writing about literature actually. I haven’t had a literature class in over 13 years, so I could definitely use some work in that area.

The intertextuality of Eustacia Vye, Ham Peggotty, and Moby Dick utilized within“The Boat” provides a deeper context and understanding of the characters within this fishing boat family.  Eustacia Vye is used to convey the strong and unique beautiful physical appearance of the narrator’s mother with “ a local beauty for ten years”, and “she was tall and dark and powerfully energetic”. This helped emphasize the stark contrast between his mother’s work ethics and dreams with those of Eustacia Vye’s by, “My mother was of the sea as were all of her people, and her horizons were the very literal ones she scanned with her dark and fearless eyes.” As for Ham Peggotty, the self sacrifice of Ham is shown through the narrator’s decision to put his love for schooling aside, so he could assist his aging father on the fishing boat. While this decision did not come lightly, it did come swiftly knowing he was helping his family, “And I knew then that David Copperfield and The Tempest and all of those friends I had dearly come to love must really go forever. So I bade them all goodbye.” Finally, Moby Dick represents the all encompassing struggle of his parents connection to the ocean. Whether it’s the mother’s need of having her identity tied to a fishing family, or the father’s struggle of having chosen such a path, the ocean eventually swallows up their remaining years with his drowning, and her meager existence thereafter.

Part 1:

After you’ve read the page on Character, think about Eveline. How does Joyce make her memorable, given the fact that she doesn’t fit many of the criteria we identified as being necessary for a “good” character – being dynamic, having a “voice” etc? How does Joyce reveal information about her? 

Reminencing the details of the past and how they impact her life today and the decision she needs to make. Also, the swing in emotions she displays towards her father, Frank, her community, and siblings shows how torn she is about making a change in her life.

The phrase “Derevaun Seraun” has been variously translated. The notes in the text tell you that it means “the end of pleasure is pain,” but most Joyce scholars agree these days that in fact it is nonsense. Why does it actually fit, thematically, for Eveline to cling to these words, even if they are meaningless?

Even if you follow your dream, it will enevitably lead to pain in the end, so why risk it. I beleive this ran though Eveline’s mind and bones as she clung onto the station railing instead of boarding the ship.

This story is part of a collection called Dubliners, all about people living in Dublin at the turn of the 20 th century. Joyce is quoted as saying that they are all somehow in a state of paralysis. It is clear that Eveline is, but what is the cause?

The fear of change and distaste for outsiders creates an atmosphere of heavy social pressure to stay in ones community. For those who leave, they are seen in a negative light and looked down upon. In a sense, you have failed your duty as a Dubliner if you leave, especially during wartime. Although, I can see this anger or disdain is presented more from jealousy than anything else.

How does this story fit with the theme introduced in "This Be the Verse"?

With “This Be the Verse”, The inadvertant teachings of our parents always come back to haunt us with the decisions we make in life. This is apparent with Eveline’s inability to follow through with her dream of leaving with Frank, and instead stay trapped under the abuse of her father as her mother did until she died. As miserable as she was, Eveline’s mother’s life was her home and family, which is why she had Eveline “promise to keep the home together as long as she could.” This loyalty that Eveline bestows upon her deceased mother continues the missery of an unfullfilled life from mother to daughter.


Part 2:

Look at the contexts for the phrase "only a girl." How do these change in the story?

“Only a girl” is presented in a negative conotation, but it isn’t until the end of the story does it come from her father, which cirtails into her believing it as well. Until the Flora incident, her father defended her with such statements as “I would like to have you meet my new hired man.” The push away from the “girl” role with work keeps her from taking “only a girl” statements to heart, but eventually realizes the inevitability of her role in society with her acceptance in the end.

Do you think the author believes that gender roles are determined by nature or by nurture/environment? Why?

While it’s a bit of both, the author leans heavily on the nurture/ environment aspect. The main charactor is constantly resisting to fall into her mothers role in the kitchen. While she can do her fathers work, society doesn’t respect it from a girl. Her mother’s work is seen as less important in the kitchen than her fathers work outside the house. Everything she does to fill the respectful role of a boy cannot be overcome when she sees the diplay put on with her father and Henry killing of Mack. The author brings nature into the mix when the shift away from her father occurs after Mack’s slaughter commences. The brutality and lack of empathy makes her realize that she is different than a boy and better for it. Unfortunately, she feels trapped just like Flora.

Do you think the ending is pessimistic or optimistic? Is it possible to reconcile a "feminist" point of view with this ending?

It’s a pessemstic ending, because she feels trapped in the role of a girl. Like Flora, she resisted her inevitable fate with all of her might, but in the end there was no escape. It was only a matter of time before Laird took over her work with her father and pushed her into the kitech. This was done without any effort, which mirrored Mack’s manorisms. In the story, resistance is equated to freedom, but when she gives up resisting, so goes her freedom as well.

I would have to say that I'm a bit torn on whether “This Be the Verse” fits the status of great literature. While the theme is universal and can be interpreted in many ways, I believe the shock value of “fuck” could have been used more as a marketing ploy than a literary infusion. Since Larken was considered a serious poet, the use of profanity in the first verse would come as a shock and grab attention to readers outside the usual literary circles. For example, on the wikipedia site, a judge presiding over a divorce case recited this first verse to two waring parents that were emotionally tearing their daughter apart. It's not only the language, but the childish catchy tone involved in the first verse contrasting with the rest of the poem that makes it memorable. Is it the literary structure that this brings to the poem, or is it Larken's way of gaining pop culture noteriety?

Aside from my cynicism, the universal appeal of the poem is unmistakable. As a parent of two young boys, I'm quite aware of how my upbringing effects the way I raise my kids. Our parents, “By fools in old-style hats and coats”, influence our behavior both consciously and unconsciously onto our children. It takes effort to break the negative habits of old without over compensating with the new ones. I also see the term “ soppy-stern” more as societies influence on children with consumerism and unattainable Disney fantasy. As parents, breaking from our past and societies influences takes continual learning, effort. and hard work. I believe “This Be The Verse” provides a blunt reminder of how important this can be.