Ted Talk Blog Response

             In the Ted Talk Chimamanda Adichie recounts her rather “American” experience despite being a native Nigerian, and how she discovered how generalized Africans were as she studied literature. I would say that out of the ignorance she was forced to deal with something positive arose. She realized she was partly ignorant herself to her own roots, which allowed her to reflect on and recognize her African heritage. Her talk made me reflect on the dangers of globalization. Pop culture and the media are dangerous tool by which we as a people are tricked into believing false stereotypes like the “lazy Mexican”. Everyone should be proud of their cultural background and make the effort to not stereotype or assume about someone elses.

Heart of Darkness Setting

            Setting is always a key component in a novel. However in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad the vast jungles of the Congo transcend the ordinary role a setting plays and become much more significant. In a way the dense jungles are more of a character than most of the ones who are present in the play. The importance of the setting raises the question: can setting truly be more important than characters? In the novel the jungle holds far more importance than any of the characters, and is what symbolizes the “Heart of Darkness”.

            Conrad does not rely heavily on characters to convey his message. We can see in the begging of the novel how we doesn’t even give name to a great number of characters including the narrator. On the other hand he spends a great deal of time describing the setting and using vivid imagery to make it come alive, a distinction none of the characters share, with the possible exception of Kurtz. Here is a quote for example: “the creek, the mud, the river-seemed to beckon with a dishonoring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.”(102). Aside from the imagery proposed by Conrad the Jungle holds a lot literary value. It is debatable whether the “Heart of Darkness” is actually the Jungle or if it is the colonial mentality shared by the colonizers. This could mean the heart of darkness is interchangeable and the Thames could be the real heart of darkness as it is the way in which the colonizers are connected towards the rest of the world.

            Joseph Conrad has done a unique thing in this novel. He created a setting which outshines all other elements in the novel as far as importance. The unique nature of the jungle resembles its darkness and encourages us readers to find where the “Heart of Darkness” resides in our lives.

Heart of Darkness Symbolization

            Darkness is a universal symbol of alarm, when used correctly it instills fear and dread into the minds of those who picture it. In Heart of Darkness, darkness is very significant as it relates to the characters, setting, and plot. Through the use of symbolization Joseph Conrad intelligently uses darkness to represent the lack of morals displayed in the novel.

            In the novel darkness is often talked about in reference to the jungle. However I don’t believe it is the setting itself that provokes this evil. It is the advance of the colonizers into the jungle that is can be thought of as “dark”. I first came to this observation when I read this quote in part II:” The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief”. Marlow does not seem to realize although he attempts to disassociate from the actions of the company he is still involved with them and very much a part of “the darkness”. The darkness is not necessarily is something tangible I believe it can be interpreted as the colonial mentality found in the “heart” of every colonizer.

            Exactly what is represented by darkness in the novel can be left up to interpretation. However there is no denial that the darkness must be linked to the actions that Marlow and the rest of the colonizers do unto the innocent Africans. Heart of Darkness forces us to look into the reality of colonization and realize the truly dark nature of it.

Heart of Darkness Reflection

            A little over a century is a long time. Since 1902 the year in which Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was published, we have made long strides forward in deteriorating social problems like racism. However Heart of Darkness was published before the notion that all men are equal and should be free, which in turn greatly impacted the tone of the novel as a whole. This made me wonder how the novel might have been different if society had different view on foreigners at the time. Joseph Conrad´s views were surely a byproduct of the mainstream thoughts at the time.

            Our main character from part I Marlow is quite skeptical about the prejudices that his fellow Europeans share. This objective point of view is important because it allows us to view the novel through discerning eyes. However it is important to understand that Marlow still has racist tendencies, he still possesses the typical European mentality that Africans were uncivilized savages and has clear moments of prejudice. For example; “they were dying slowly-it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. (83) This quote exemplifies perfectly how Conrad dehumanizes Africans and how his views are shaped by the colonial mindset of the time.

            When coming across works of literature like Heart of Darkness it is important to remember the context in which it was written. The book is a clear example of racism, but would have disagreed with it if you were a European living in 1902? Probably not. This novel clearly demonstrates the influence of society on an individual and reminds us to once in a while questions society’s view.

1.      What examples from the song are ironic?

“Great Nations of Europe”

“He had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say
the great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way.”

This song has quite a bit of irony in it. I actually found the title to be somewhat ironic, since he calls them great even though he depicts them as barbaric. Irony is basically using certain words to convey the opposite about what those words mean, so you can see how calling them “Great” or “Religious” is very contradictory.

2.      What examples are not Ironic?

“There's pictures in a museum, some lines written in a book
but you won't find a live one, no matter where you look.”

“Destroying everything in its path from sea to shining sea
like the great nations of Europe in the 16th century.”

These  examples are not ironic because in the present we know these things to be true. He is describing actual events and even though the tone is lighter it is still very literal.

Character Change in OFOCN

Watching characters evolve and develop throughout a novel is one of the biggest payoffs in literature. In One Flew over the Cuckoo´s Nest Chief Bromden goes though the combine and emerges quite differently. However this is not thanks to Nurse Ratchet’s attempts at rehabilitation. Even though the Chief succeeds in escaping from the fog, the rest of the patients don’t. This raises the question: can people really change? I believe with the right circumstances people can rise to the occasion and change themselves for the better. 



               A lot of people believe that mental illnesses are incurable, that they can only really just be temporarily dealt with. Modern psychiatry proves that this is untrue. Nevertheless In the context of this novel mental medicine was quite more barbaric than it is today. Patients including the chief were afraid to deal with their problems because it could lead to treatments like EST. This creates quite a problem for the mental stability of the chief. We must remember that it was fear that turned chief Bromden "death and dumb". It is only through the help of McMurphy who is not plagued with fear that he eventually transforms and refuses to hide in the fog again. It is very significant to the novel as a whole that the chief was able to change himself, as it McMurphy´s goal to prove to nurse ratchet that his ways are superior to hers.
 
               In the end it is McMurphy who helps us answer our question. Through the use of perseverance and will power the Chief succeeds in changing himself and proving the nurse wrong.

Portayal of Women in OFOCN

            The portrayal of women through literature does not really exemplify the power of control women can exert. However in the novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest we are introduced to nurse Ratchet. Through the use of powerful imagery Ken Kessey succeeds in making nurse Ratchet an imposing character throughout the novel.

            Nurse Ratchet is basically the only significant female character in the book, making her quite unique. Even though she is described as having large breasts there is no sexual quality to her, she exudes only a cold calculating persona. Through the eyes most people the nurse is an amicable person. The chief however might describe her as one of the key pieces of the “combine”. We know the Chief is not the most trustworthy of narrators especially after reading a passage like this:  “She’s going to tear the black bastard’s limb from limb, she’s so furious. She’s swelling up, swells till her backs splitting out of the white uniform.” Still an image like that can’t be ignored. The nurse immediately induces fear wherever she goes; all the patients know what lies underneath that calm exterior. There is a sharp contrast in the way the nurse is portrayed. We see her as the “big nurse” or the way she behaves in the group meetings; calm and collected, but still seething with anger.

            Nurse Ratchet was a pleasant surprise from the standard fare of passive female characters. Her impact is so large that pop culture often refers to her when describing emasculating women. What made this possible was the vivid imagery that made her more believable than most characters.  She has become a staple in American literature and female figures.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Blog Response

           In the real world fog is something that clouds our vision and perception. However we know what lies outside the fog and how the fog is something separate from our mind. In Chief Bromden´s world this is not quite the situation. The Chief cannot discern between reality and “the fog” which in turn affects his state of mind.

 In times of stress like many people the chief loses control of his thoughts and feels a “fog” drift over him. One could say this fog could be a sedative of some sort but I believe it goes beyond this. We have to keep in mind the chief is mentally ill and is not a reliable narrator; the fog could symbolize something else in the ward. My first impression of the fog was negative as if it were a evil force that seeps through the minds of the chief poisoning his thoughts. But as I read on I came across a quote that changed my thoughts: “One of these days ill quit straining and let myself go completely, lose myself in the fog the way some of the other chronics have.” (37) Once I read this I understood the fog was not exclusive to Chief Bromden. The fog affects all of the patients and as I thought about it I came to the conclusion that it is a metaphor for their state of mind.

The Chief is considering giving in to his illness and completely lose touch with reality as it is the case with some of the chronics. As I continue reading I expect to see a lot more of the Chief´s personal battle with the “fog” and how characters like Nurse Ratchet and McMurphy will affect his struggle.

         

Waiting for Godot Film Analysis

            The opening scene of the film adaptation of Waiting for Godot struck an interesting chord with me. As with the book I was not expecting to be engaged in the story or remotely care about the plot. However my initial feelings of apathy gave way to genuine interest. There is a certain social stigma when it comes to movies that come from important works of literature, which basically amounts to: “the book is always better”. Despite of this I quite enjoyed the scenes I watched from Waiting for Godot. What first struck me was the setting. While reading the play I envisioned something different from the baron wasteland that was offered in the film. This got me thinking about a lot of the liberties and decisions that the director of this film had to make. Absurdist theatre is very vague when it comes to stage directions, which makes film adaptations tricky. However in this case all the right decisions were made to make the movie the best representation of Waiting for Godot.

Waiting For Godot Impressions

            Baffled would be an understatement to my state of mind immediately after finishing Waiting for Godot. This absurdist play certainly lives up to its genres name as it had me scratching my head and rereading passages several time through. My confusion, alas, was not in vain. Upon deeper examination I came to realize several of the symbolizing undertones in this play. For example the use of the word “Godot” suggests not a man but something higher like a god. With this new insight into the play I could understand what Samuel Beckett meant to convey: Aren’t we all waiting for something? To say I completely understood Waiting for Godot would be a blatant lie, however I can confidently say that even though my analytical skills were put to the test, I was able to understand the better part of this play. I look forward to reading other literary works that challenge my thinking and enable me to grow as a reader and writer.

The Stranger Blog Response #3

In today’s world reason seems to be the cause for almost everything, It sounds logical enough. Think about all the decisions you’ve ever made. They most likely had some sort of reasoning behind them, which is totally understandable. Society has shaped you to think this way. Why then do existentialists affirm that “Reason alone is an inadequate guide to living”? Mersault certainly does not rely on reason to tell him how to live his life. Through the whole novel we can see how Mersault lives in the moment and acts out of impulse rather than consider how his actions will impact the future. Afterwards we see how this doesn’t quite work out too well for Mersault. The important thing to understand Is Mersault is the extreme of existentialism, he is the exact thing existentialism shouldn’t be. In my opinion the most important aspect in life is balance. People should not be subject to an endless stream of dull decision making, while on the other hand living without any foresight can lead to a situation like Mersault´s

The Stranger Blog Response #2

As I finished reading The Stranger I wondered several things. My main thoughts were about Mersault and how someone could become like that. I kept on wondering about his execution and why Camu decided to exclude it from the novel. The absence of this critical part of the novel made we think what Mersualt would have thought about in his final moments. In the end of the novel we see how he comes to terms with his situation and embraces it: “all that remained to hope was that on the day of my execution there should be a huge crowd of spectators and that they should great me with howls of execration.” (76) This however doesn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t feel fear or dread for what was to come.  Death can be thought of as the ultimate test for an existentialist and as to the way Mersault faced it can only be speculated upon.

Existentialism in The Stranger

            The Stranger by Albert Camus gives us a personal insight into the mind of what most people would consider a true existentialist. We quickly learn that Meursalt our main character and narrator is an extremely subjective and indifferent as to what happens all around him. His emotionless reaction makes the reader questions the true nature of someone like Meursalt. Albert Camus immediately strikes an interesting tone by opening the novel with this sentence: “MOTHER died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.” (1). The lack of grief displayed by Mersault suggests he is rather unfazed by this event, one that most people would consider a tragedy. Existentialism would have us believe that life and pretty much anything we do is pointless as in the end we are all going to die. To me it would seem as though Mersault agrees with this notion, not only demonstrated by his attitude towards the passing of his mother but also by his all around outlook on life. By this point it has been made clear that Mersault is quite different from most. This not only applies to his way of thinking but his habits as well. Take this quote for example: “now that I was by myself it was too large and id moved the dining table into my bedroom… the rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.” (15) The depths of Meursalt´s existentialist persona is in a way reflected by his apartment. Everything about Meursalt does not suggest his concern for his future or basically anything for that matter. Meursalt is truly in every way a “stranger”  

Color Symbolism in the Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald there is a lot of symbolism to be found. Fitzgerald’s main tool to represent the true intentions of his characters is the way he foreshadows their emotions with the use of colors. Colors have always been linked to human characteristics; red means passion while blue is associated with wisdom and stability. In the novel the color white represents innocence and purity or it can also be thought of as the illusion of those things as the characters that display these colors aren’t really innocent. Take this quote for example: “An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in.” (84) In this quote Gatsby is about to meet Daisy for the first time in five years, before doing so he puts on a white suit in order for daisy to see his honesty and purity. Even the name “Daisy” suggests that she is also pure but as we realize later in the book daisies are white on the outside but yellow (corrupted) on the inside. In the end of the book the symbolism becomes more apparent, and now that I reread passages of the Great Gatsby I can see how the colors are a great insight into the mind of every character.