The Unseen Commentary

Passage X - Adolescence II

In this extract, Rita Dove provides an "emergency room" feel through her discomforting imagery. This is mainly done in the way she describes the setting, the appearances of the three men, and tone.

Body 1: setting
-Venetian blinds slice up the moon
^allusion
-the tiles quiver in pale strips
In a clean bathroom, Venetian blinds and tiles seem expensive. Venetian blinds SLICE the moon, and tiles QUIVER... violence and fear.

Body 2: appearances
-...eyes as round as dinner plates and eyelashes like sharpened tines.
^similie
-They bring the scent of licorice.
-... sits in the washbowl, ... the bathtub edge, ... leans against the door.
-sleek bodies
-And they rise, Glittering like pools of ink under moonlight, and vanish.
^simile
These three men seem like doctors or aliens, "seal men" suggest soldiers, like Navy Seals. With giant round eyes and sharp eyelashes. Their fork-like eyelashes clincking every time they blink against their round white plate eyes. They sit where they want, one leans against the door so the main character cannot escape. When they get up underthe moonlight they vanish, like an alien teleporting under this celestial body.

Body 3: tone
-Night rests like a ball of fur on my tongue.
^simile
Final line. This is what is left with the reader, a feeling of discomfort, confusion.

Two Paper 2 Questions

May 2001 (a)
Compare uses and/or abuses of power as a theme in novels or short stories you have read. Say what this theme and its presentation contribute to each work you discuss.
- "How does 'power' fit into two novels."
- theme: How power, or lack of it, determines life or death.
- Darkness at Noon, The Metamorphosis

November 2003 (b)
Work and professions are one defining element for characters in fiction just as they are for people in real life. Compare how writers in your study have used one or more of the following to provide depth and interest to characters in their novels or short stories: work, professions, work environments.
- "How are characters characterized by their occupations."
- theme: How work takes away from life.
- Darkness at Noon, The Metamorphosis

A Character Analysis: Anse

In "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner, Faulkner's characterization of Anse is right on tune to a gluttononous, greedy, and gross man. Anse's actions, or lack of them, show the truth behind his vile character, and his words only amplify this perception of him. Anse ruined a family.

One of the more repulsing aspects of Anse is his lack of physical fitness and "inability" to sweat. On page 17, Darl describes Anse's appearances: "The shirt across pa's hump is faded lighter than the rest of it. There is no sweat stain on his shirt. I have never seen a sweat stain on his shirt... he tells people that if he ever sweats, he will die. I suppose he believes it." From this description, we can gather that Anse isn't a very hard worker, evident in how he lies to get out of work (He'll "die" if he sweats.). Not only this, but the hump described on his back gives us a deformed image of Anse in our minds. The hump, along with the absence of teeth, make him seem not-human, and play into his character further along in the story.
Samsons description of Anse is spot-on, very much capturing the laziness in Anse's actions: "I notice ho it takes a lazy man, a man that hates moving, to get set on moving once he does get started off, the same as he was set on staying still, like it aint the moving he hates so much but the starting and the stopping" (114).

After the Bundren family fails to cross the river with wagon, and Cash is kicked in the ribs and leg by Jewel's horse, Anse shows his pity on his son, "Was there ere a such misfortunate man" (157). After recovering Cash's tools and continuing the journey, we find that Anse has purchased a team to lead them into Jefferson. When questioned as to what he bought the team with he admits to "borrowing" Cash's money and selling Jewel's horse, his most prized (and expensive) posession. One minute Anse will pity his family, the next he will steal from him.

When first reading this novel, I though the reasoning for Addie wanting to be buried in Jefferson was to burden her family by forcing them to carry her coffin that distance. I thought Addie to be incredibly wise, foreseeing the trouble in which the family would go through in carrying her to her final resting place; with the intent of showing the family how much she did for them, and ultimately attempting to try and re-unite the family broken over her death. But after completing the work, I realized why Addie was carried all the way to Jefferson, for a new pair of teeth. Paging through the novel, I cannot find any supporting evidence that Addie actually wanted to be buried in Jefferson, except that of Anse. I'm led to believe that Anse simply fabricated this dying wish knowing there was no other way to get his family to come along With him to pick up his new fake teeth. To top it off, Anse finds a woman in Jefferson to take back home, a replacement for Addie, because he knows what life would be like without a wife to do all the work for him. Anse is a cheat, a liar, and an overall repulsive character.

A Sad Child

In Margaret Atwood's poem, "A Sad Child," Atwood contributes to the theme that society influences emotion. Throughout the first two stanzas, excuses are made as to why a child is sad, and how to "cure" the sadness. This leads into panic, but eventually resolve.
In the first two stanzas, extensive catalogging of excuses is seen in explanation of a young girl's sadness. The list includes: "you're sad because you're sad. It's psychic. It's the age. It's chemical." Even though these excuses (as said to the girl by another) are meant to comfort the girl through her sadness, they only increase her sadness by suggesting something is wrong with her, and that she needs to do something about it. Here are listed "cures" to her sadness: "hug your sadness, get over it, count your blessings, go shopping, dance." Among these "cures" many stand out, specifically ones stereotyping females. Suggestions like hugging dolls, shopping, and dancing are generally viewed as feminine. The basic message here is : "Don't cry, we don't like seeing a sad young lady. Try doing something girly to get over it."
In stanza three, we are given insight into what has caused the girl's sadness. Throughout this stanza, and the following two stanzas, it is hinted at that the girl has had her first period through words like; "flushed, bathroom, and red flame seeping out of you." This contributes to what seems to be a panicked feeling in the girl. Not only this, but we discover she feels meaningless due to her belief that she's not the favorite child. The ending of the poem gives the only encouraging words of the piece, to sum up: "We're either all the favorite child or none of us are."
In conclusion, the girl in the poem must be in a very confused stage of her life, and Atwood emphasizes this through her enhancement on what "they" are telling us to do to feel better.

The Frontier of Writing

In Seamus Heaney's poem, "The Frontier of Writing," Heaney uses war imagery to convey the theme that writing is an uphill fight; a difficult process involving lengthy procedures, guidelines, and people trying to butcher your work.
The setting of the poem is stated in the first stanza - the "nilness" of the space, sorrounded by troops with guns taking your car's "make and number." All of this contributes to the dominant effect of the piece, that writing is like passing through a war-zone, everyone wants to make sure your not the "enemy," or more figuratively, that you fit to the "social norm," following the general procedure to writing that authors commonly use in the current era. This is made most evident in the line descirbing the process of analyzation of the person passing through to the "frontier of writing," in which the troops are said to be taking the "make and number" of the person, and to an extent the person behind the wheel. Typically, taking the "make and number" refers to recognizing the model/type and license plate number of a vehicle. Here, figuratively, one may think that the soldier is actually refering to the "make and number" of the person passing through, as in "where is this person coming from?" This suggests that he has to be the "right" make and number to pass through, showing that writing/editing process should conform to the social norm.
In the conclusion of the poem we find the writer passing through the frontier of writing, in which he'she feels as though passing through a waterfall, which ultimately suggests how relieving getting through the process feels. Even further, he'she feels free in the way the "open tarmac" lies in front of him/her. He/she is free to the open roads of writing.
Overall, the peom emits an effect that places the reader in the writer's position through it's vivid war imagery.

Mid-Term Break

In Seamus Heaney's poem, "Midterm Break," Heaney contributes to the depressing/saddening tone through his straight-forward diction. Plain, simple, and concise words are used to give the serious efect Heaney is reaching for.
Mid-Term Break is about a college student who is disconnected with his family. The death of his baby brother/sister puts him in an awkward situatuiion in which the author feels out of place, not knowing whether he should act like a crying baby or resreved old man. n This is amplified through the absnce of descriptive words.
Throughout the poem, it is evident that adjectives and descriptors are not commonly used; adjectives are rarely used to boost the saddening effect, like "angry tearless sighs," or gaudy scars." The lack of description, reinforces how awkward the situation it is for the author, and also puts him into contrast of the crying/laughing baby and old men.
In conclusion, the overall tone of the poem is that of grief, but the grief is not felt through all, specifically the author, do to the disconnect between him/her and their family. The author does not know how to react, so he/she simply describes the situation as is, without heavy description and focus on mood.

The Good-Morrow

In John Donne's poem, "The Good-Morrow," Donne uses conceit to convey the image that love is a "new world." He compares his life to an endless sleeper, who when awoken, is shown a bright new world of love and happiness. This imagery is evident throughout the poem.
In the first stanza, Donne tells of his engagement to his lover. Further on, he explains how his life was "childish," how all lovers previuos to his current were because of his immaturity, and how his entire love-life before finding "true love" was simply a long slumber.
In stanze two, Donne explains how his love with his lover is like a sunrise in the morning; fresh, new, and invigorating. He uses the visual imagery of sea-men, maps, and treasures to show his great feelings of love and compassion. Not only does he experience great love, but he wishes this love unto other in line 13, hoping others may find "maps" tleading to great "treasures," love. At the end of this stanza, reference is given to the belief that every human being is their own little "world." This, taken into context with the previous few lines, suggest that the aforementioned maps and treasures lie within, and like a navigator, one must discover the true feelings of love.
In the final stanza, Donne explains how the combination of the love from himself and the love from his lover are mixed equally together, suggesting that their love will never die for each other.
In conclusion, the use of heavenly body imagery produces a "sweet" effect, which causes the reader to recognize that love in life is important; and hope that they may find the compass to someone's heart.

Act of Resistance!

For my act of resistence I completely sacrificed using modern forms of communication, no cell phone, facebook, email, etc (on thanksgiving). I decided to resist againts these forms of communication because they really take out the human element of communication, typing away on the internet is so void of emotion, and I figured I'd rid myself of the whole practice the entire day to spend more quality communication time with my family. It was difficult giving up something I take for granted, the instant gratification of being able to talk to anyone at any moment, pin-pointing their exact location, the nearly invasive practice of communicating with anyone at the push of a button or the strike of an enter key. It's insane how non-personal communication has become now that it's easier to "communicate." Anyway, it was very difficult to pull off, I wanted to go check me email quite a bit that day, but the lesson I learned was valuable and I recommend performing your own act of resistance.

Lysistrata - Final Thoughts

Lysistrata was amazing in comparison to HoBA and Hedda Gabbler. I think the main reason I liked it was because it had a happy ending, and I knew quite a bit about Greek life and history before even reading it. Lysistrata was clean-cut, it was very simple to understand (at least for me, I've heard differently from others). Although I did like certain aspects of HoBA and Hedda Gabbler (Hedda is still my favorite character with whom we've been acquainted thus far), I found Lysistrata to be the most enjoyable. I found it interesting how even though it was a totally different type of literature, some of the themes from the three texts we've read so far over-lap, such as gender roles/ the role of women, who maintains the power, etc. And last but not least, I really like saying the name "Kleonike," it's so genuinly Greek.

Lysistrata - Comedy

I really enjoyed thsi play because of its comedic value (and underlying themes of course). There were so many quotes from this book containg sexual innuendos that made the immaturity in all of us leap out a bit. Most of the references in this play were puns, suggestive puns, I often found myself laughing when others weren't (when reading in class), either because I had caught a pun and nobody else did, or because my mind was in the gutter and I thought something to be a pun when in reality it wasn't meant to be (slightly embarassing, it's almost like a "thats what she said joke," addicting in that whenever someone makes this type of joke, everything said during the next 10 minutes becomes a sexual innuendo). But on a more serious note, why did Arostophanes make Lysistrata a comedy rather than something more serious (talking about how bad the war was or something)? I'm think I might know the answer to my own question, I think Aristohpanes made this into a comedy in order to make the play memorable. By making it funny and applicable to everyday life, the play instantly becomes more memorable because its easy to reference and easy to understand. Thank You Aristophanes.

Lysistrata - Unity II

Not only does the theme of "togetherness" involve the uniting of Greek city-states, but also the uniting of the women and men of Greece. Throughout this play, male and female stereotypes reign supreme, clearly showing the division between man and woman in the text, outlining how the man's job is to be outside, tending his war, while the women remain indoors, tending the home (ring any bells, sounds a lot like Bernarda's view of gender roles in "The House of Bernarda Alba"). This seperation in everyday life lacks the unity necessary to ensure peace. The most ironic thing about the lack of unity in everyday life between the men and women, is that the women in society try to re-unite men and women by seperating themselves from men. By taking abstinences, they further seperate themselves in order to to further unite themselves in the end, nearly an "ends justify the means" thing going on. It's funny that things have to get worse before they get better, with the worse coming through abstinence and the better coming through national peace.

Lysistrata - Unity

In the United States we find unity to be the single most important thing (maybe next to freedom), evident in the motto written on our currency "E pluribus unum," out of many one. In Greece, the people struggle for unity, or at least in Ancient Greece during the time period Lysistrata takes place. During this time in Greece, civil war was upon the country, a battle primarily between the Athenians and Spartans, The Peloponesian War. "The worst kind of war is civil war," somebody said this... I don't know who exactly, but I agree with it. There's nothing worse than fighting with your neighbor and fellow citizen. This is primarily what Lysistrata was saying in Aristophanes' play bearing her name, made most evident in her quote on page 102 - "But now, when the Persians sit by and wait, in the very presence of your enemies, you fight each other, destroy Greek men, destroy Greek cities!" This very concisely summarizes how the lack of unity and togetherness destroys an entire culture, while the true enemy, Persia (Graeco-Persian War ended right before the Peloponesian War, and Persia still remained a dangerous threat to Greek affairs).

Lysistrata - Moral Chaos Ensue When Women are Missing

"Moral chaos ensue when women are missing" is a relevent theme within Lysistrata. I think this is true, but not with the opposite being true too. I believe moral chaos would ensue if men were missing too, neither men nor women can do it alone (pun not intended). The quote by the Koryphaios of Men sums this up nicely, "Life with women is hell. Life without women is hell too." Although it should probably be expanded to - "Life with men is hell. Life without men is hell too." We know life without the opposite sex is tough, but what justifies the hell between the coexistence between the two sexes? I think it comes from the inability for men and women to communicate in a proper way; men and women are different and sometimes its hard to completely understand the opposite sex, this is frustrating, and is ultimately why I feel the Koryphaios of men said that life with women was hell.

Lysistrata - "Greekness"

I find it amazing how much the Greek culture during Aritophanes' time differs from our American culture, especially when it comes to sexuality. Our version of Lysistrata that we've read during class has apparently been censored from a lot of this sexuality, it's more sexual than what we've read. I found it interesting that our society finds the need to censor books because of the amount of sex in them, especially when sex is a huge part of Greek society. By censoring this book, it's almost as if we're censoring the Greek culture, and I don't think that's fair. I don't like how we censor things simply because we think them to be taboo or "too different," whether it be the writings of Aristophanes and his ancient Greek culture or even modern texts. It just seems like we're doing a large injustice to the ancient Greek memory by censoring their work, because in the end, we're all people.

Lysistrata - Brawn vs. Brains

The classic showdown between brute force and intelligence. These theme is common to Lysistrata, with either side of the "abstaining from sex" and "pro-war" battle represented by either brawn or brains; the men represent the brawn and women the brains. This theme is supported right from the start of the play with Lysistrata's genius plan to end the war, suggesting the women's "brains." In order to combat the women's attempt to end the war, the men approach the femal stronghold, the Acropolis, with fire and smoke; the plan is to smoke out the women and place them under arrest... for taking the Acropolis and not having sex with them (haha). These "strong" men with fire are easily beaten down by the female forces, who all intelligently brought water to the fire-fight. The ease of their victory is recognized by the way they fought fire with water, rather than fighting fire with fire (the current situation the men are going through with the civil war, they're fighting fire with fire on the front). The brains obviously win this battle, although the unity of both strength and intelligence is un-rivaled in battle.

Lysistrata - Lost in Translation

There's a lot that bother's me in this play, and this is the blog where I complain. The things that bother me:
1-How the singing and poetry rhyme... Why does it rhyme? It shouldn't rhyme! If this is in any way an authentic translation of the origional Lysistrata by Aristophanes the poetry and choruses would most definitely not rhyme. It's near impossible, is impossible, to translate a rhyming text from one language into a rhyming text of another, and still have the translations mean the same thing in both languages. The fact that a lot of the poetry in this translation of the play rhymes suggests that the text has been significantly butchered... thanks for the true experience of Lysistrata Douglas Parker.
2-How the version is censored... Yet again, the butchering of a literary classic. I understand the the play has it's vulgarities, but I think they should have been left in the text in order to get the full understanding of the play.
3-The depiction of the Spartans... This really set me over the top. The Spartans had an elite, dominating, physical, culture that was definitely mis-represented in Lysistrata. In the play, these Spartans were represented as "country bumpkins," cast in a light of inferiority and stupidity. The Spartans were quite the contrary, and I think this representation of them is just as negative as modern day discrimination of different cultures.

Lysistrata - Abstinences Bring About Peace

So what's the best way to end war? It's a tough question, isn't it? There are so many variables in the "war equation" from distance of the fighting to reason for fighting, and many solutions have circulated over our country's warring years. Lysistrata's plan calls for a massive cooperative effort by all the women of Greece, ALL OF THEM, to abstain from having sex from all men, with the idea that men can't handle not having sex, and thus, giving in to the women's plans for peace. The idea is brilliant on paper, but I think the general feasibility of the plan is in question. First of all, all men who fight aren't typically fighting the enemy in their neighborhood, where their women are situated, they are usually off in rolling hills slicing and dicing the enemy. I think that the physical distance between the warring men and abstaining women to begin with is too large, it's almost as if men take abstinences when going to war simply because of the lack of women in war-like situations. Secondly, I'm unsure as to whether or not Lysistrata could unite all of Greec's women in order to achieve peace. Overall, the idea sounds pretty, but realistically I'm unsure as to its feasibility.

Lysistrata - The War Between the Sexes

In Lysistrata, I found the theme of "the war of the sexes" to be quite interesting. This was primarily because the theme involves the term "battle" which, ironically, the females in the play are trying to rid Greece of; the women "battle" the men in order to end the battles being waged by men on each other. I also find irony in the way the women and men nearly have a gender-role-reversal. The women in the play storm the Acropolis, a building of high importance to the Greeks, and hold themselves prisoner to the men. This is a very traditionally masculine thing to do, capture a building in protest. Not only do the women act more masculine, but the men act in a more "traditionally" (and by traditionally I mean stereotyped) feminine way, by begging for the abstinence to end and surrendering to peace in the end. So, in reality, the "battle of sexes" is between the more masculine females and more feminine men, with everyone winning in the end (no more war and much sex).

Finish

My reaction: it was pretty good :)
The ending of the play had a lasting effect on me, but so did Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba." Ending a play in death shows its significance, or has a big imapct on the viewer/reader. I think what really made "Hedda Gabler" a good play was the characterization of Hedda, she was pretty cool. The way she would just whip out a gun and point it at someone was crazy, that and the scene in which she burns the manuscript, that was eerie. What I hated was how Lovborg could just up and lose his manuscript like that, it seems like such a simple task to keep it close to oneself. In comparison, I really liked how simple and straightforward Lorca was in HoBA, but at the same time how intricate Ibsen's character Hedda was. Good read.

...twist

Hedda killed herself, it surprised me. It's pretty depressing thinking that the only way to escape a power structure/hierarchy is to just end your life, I feel like there are far more options to escape. Throughout the play it didnt really seem like Hedda had "control issues," considering how bossy she was towards other characters in the novel, and the way Tesman described how he spoils her. I guess it took some close reading to fully understand the intentions of all the characters in the play.