journal 20

Read the novel’s last passage (beginning with, “Gatsby’s house was still empty when I left”) and discuss the use of imagery and symbolism that is being employed by Fitzgerald. In your response, specifically address what Nick is saying about the green light and the connection that he is making between Gatsby and the Dutch sailors who “discovered” Long Island.

 As Nick is getting ready to move away from New York, he takes a second to  say goodbye to his old lifestyle. His mind flashes back to the Saturday nights he spent in New York, especially at Gatsby's parties. Nick uses imagery to describe the lavish house Gatsby lived in and the lavish parties he threw. Through the use of imagery, one is almost able to imagine themselves standing in Gatsby's beautiful yard, surrounded by several people laughing and dancing to music. Nick is also able to use imagery to describe his moments before getting on the train and heading off to a new life. He describes what life was after Gatsby's death. The taxi driver that was rumored to take Daisy and Tom away, the last of the guests that attended this summers' parties, the failure of a house, the beach that is now isolated, the empty town: Nick is able to use these things to help one imagine how dead the East Egg became once Gatsby was killed. Nick also connects Gatsby and the Dutch sailors through symbolism. He describes how the Dutch sailors discovered Long Island and what a huge accomplishment for them. The sailors built themselves up from nothing and became prosperous from the land they came upon. This story is symbolic of Gatsby because, in some sense, he did the same. He built himself up from nothing and was able to come close to his dreams through the house he built.

Journal 21

The two movies are very similar. The main characters of both, Sugar and Daisy, and alike in that they are both very materialistic. They both view men as something beneficial to themselves. Gatsby and Joe are alike because they both try extremely hard to impress girls. Gatsby is actually rich, and lives a lavish lifestyle, and he throws parties in order to impress Daisy. Both stories, however, focus on romance. However, Joe tries to act rich, and pretends he owns a yacht. They both use their social status and wealth, rather it be concrete or not, to impress women. The main conflicts are both very different, however. Some Like It Hot involves escaping from mobsters, while The Great Gatsby just focuses on romance.The first conflict in Some Like It Hot is much more serious then the conflict in The Great Gatsby. Social class is much more important in The Great Gatsby then in Some Like It Hot. Some Like It Hot has characters that have goals to be rich, but do not have money to begin with. They do not revolve their lives around money. It focuses more on crime and morality.

Journal 19

Nick Carraway: Tolerant

Nick's appearance is not explained, because he is the narrator. He is tolerant because he is often involved in everyone else's problems and is very forbearing.

Tom Buchanan: Arrogant

Tom was very full of himself. He thought he was superior over Daisy. He could be very violent with her. He only won Daisy over because he was wealthy. His physical appearance can be described as large and frightening. 

Daisy Buchanan: Superficial

Daisy was always concerned about her appearance. She was always more concerned about money then love. She only wanted to do something if it benefitted her. 

Jordan Baker: Mysterious

Nick often described Jordan as a beautiful young lady. She was not very involved in the book other than Nick referring to her. 

Jay Gatsby: Wealthy

Gatsby is known for his lavish lifestyle and parties. His name was popular around New York, but only a few people really knew Gatsby's personality. His physical appearance can be described as young and handsome. 

Journal 18 -“In Another Country”

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?

The title shows isolation. He tries to learn the Italian language, but once he tries to learn grammar it seems hard. It shows how things seem easy on the outside but as a whole they can be very difficult. He is from America, in Italy. There injuries also set them apart from the rest of the troops, which is another example of isolation.

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”? Why?

The fencer or major best represents the Hemingway Hero. He deals with the most suffering. His wife has just passed away, and his anger and anxiety shows. He also suffers a hand injury that won’t heal. He still perseveres, and keeps fighting. His injury greatly affects his future.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up? What is the significance of the major’s reaction?

The photos are encouraging, but could be fake. They are meant of a motivational tool. The major doesn’t acknowledge the photos, and is not very hopeful. He is distracted and focused elsewhere, isolating himself into his own world of suffering and loss. The is the embodiment of the Hemingway Hero.

Journal 16

Name: erin munchel

Journal 16 – Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” and London’s “To Build A Fire”

Read the following quote and discuss how it applies to the main characters in both stories. In the course of this discussion, address how each of the characters is both similar and different:

“Determinisim governs everything … The writer must study the inherited traits of individual character and the social condition of the time. Together, these elements determine the course of any action, the outcome of any life. Free will or self-determination is mostly an illusion, although chance is granted a role in human affairs. Still, even the effects of chance are obliterated in the inevitable course determined by the interaction of inherited character traits and the social environment.“

What happened to the main characters in each of the stories ws inevitable. In ‘The Blue Hotel’ the Suede’d actions led to his death. It was forshadowed in the beginning. The Suede is the outsider, and isn't fit to survive. He is violent, annoying, and has bad social anxiety. He has to drink in order to interact. He was very strange. He had a weakness for alcohol. His inability to handle alcohol plays a huge impact- although its beyond his control. He played a large part in his own death. The source of the Suede's fear is that he is in a place like the wild west, from things he has read or heard about. (real vs. ideal) He is timid the whole night, but after he drinks gin and becomes drunk, he gets very aggressive. Mr. Scully gave him the alcohol. He let the suede fight his son, Johnny Scully. (saying he was a cheater, which was foreshadowed). Mr. Blanc saw Johnny cheating and didn’t say anything, so he feels responsible because it may have stopped the fight. The cowboy says to Mr. Blanc that he didn’t do anything wrong. But at the fight, he was saying to John Scully to kill him. The Suede was afraid they were going to ganging up on him and was paranoid. But it was clear everyone was routing for Johnny. The cowboy thought the Suede was weird. At the end, the Suede wouldn't leave and still tried to start trouble. The person who comes in the hotel at the end stabs and kills him. In ‘To Build A Fire’ the protagonist fights against nature, which is completely out of control. He does not listen to anyone, and takes on nature himself. He could not have control over the weather conditions and his death was inevitable.

Journal 13

Name: erin

Journal #13 – Edgar Lee Masters Epitaphs (p. 502)

Read “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” and answer the following questions.

1. What object symbolizes George Gray’s life? How is this object representative of him?

His sailboat represents how he lived his life in fear. He never just let go, and let life happen, like wind can push a sailboat. He was always hesitant. He did not live his life to the fullest. Instead, he lived with meaning.

2. How was Lucinda Matlock’s life different than George Gray’s? How do you interepret the last line of the poem?

Lucinda’s life is different from Gray’s because Gray feels regretful that he did not live his life to the fullest. Lucinda’s epitaph shows her dancing. Dancing is a happy thing. She had lived a full life. While Gray’s life seems to lack emotion, Matlock’s life is full of excitement, eagerness, and blessings. Matlock’s life had the aspects of adventure. Life in general is rewarding when the time is well spent and reflected on, without holding back.

3. How are “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” examples of realism?

Gray never took a chance, and failed to live his life to the fullest. This is the reality of many people. Everyone is too scared what people think, or fear the outcome of certain actions. Living like this takes the excitement out of life, which many people regret. On the other hand, Lucinda lives her life on edge, and embraces every aspect of it. Many people live like this, searching for fullfillment, adventure, and excitement. Overall, both of there lived were live realisticly, but were on contrasting margins.

journal 14

Name: Erin

Journal #14 - E. A. Robinson Poems

Realism – The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject.

Read the following poems and write a detailed description for each of the title characters and explain how each is an example of the “real” instead of the “ideal.”

“Richard Cory“ (497)

Richard Cory was a wealthy man, seemingly blessed in everything the people who admired him thought most important. They respected him, perhaps too much, because to them he was an idealization rather than a living, breathing person. As a result, he was never truly befriended by any of them, but simply held at arms length and admired. Consequently, he became isolated and incurably lonely. He was thought to 'have it all,' yet the one thing he needed most, the friendship of his fellow man, was withheld from him; it never occurred to his admirers that he had the same needs as they did. Eventually, when the loneliness and alienation became unbearable, he took his life. “Richard Cory” describes how he is such a great man and there are others that are envious of his life, yet at the end of the poem he commits suicide without any specific reason given. This could very well be a statement about how some people live their lives, while they are truly tortured by some sort of trouble.

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

“Miniver Cheevy” has a similar principle, but the character is not happy with his life and in the end only ends up drinking. Cheevy is a common kind of character, one who never does much, but
has excuses for his lack of achievement. It isn't really his fault. In
Cheevy's case, he was just born at the wrong time. There is nothing
exciting or challenging in his own time and place, nothing to stir him up
and cause him to exert his latent talents. Nhow if he could only have lived back in the romantic past, then he would
have amounted to something.

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Eben feels that he has lived too long. The harvest moon he sees underscores his situation. Harvested crops have a use at the end of their cycle, whereas Eben has outlived the late-autumn stage of his life and is of no use to anyone, not even to himself. The townspeople do not welcome him, probably because they think he is a mere drunk. He is so lonely that, tipsy with drink on the way to his empty hilltop house, he talks to himself as if he were two people celebrating together.

There is, however, more to Eben Flood than meets the townspeople's eye. Despite his name's close sound to “ebb and flow,” they do not think about what ups and downs he may have experienced in his life. Unlike the townsfolk, readers overhear Eben and learn that he believes everyone leads “uncertain lives” in a hard world where precious “things break” all too easily. When he says this, he is remembering the loss of his family and his many long-gone friends.