Gerber's 319: AP Language and Composition

Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog.

2009-05-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

I liked "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog," but I read this story directly after "Harrison Bergeron." The latter had a strong message. I easily grasped this message, which simply warned against granting the government too much power. I did not have as easy of a time understanding "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog."

I like the way by which Vonnegut introduces one plot, the one involving the two men talking on a park bench, but then commences a second series of invents, involving Edison's dog, within the first plot. In the end, I found the story rather amusing and liked the way "the stranger" created a type of diversion to get away from Bullard. Even so, I am having a more difficult time connecting the story to a more profound theme; perhaps one does not exist. In addition, the most intriguing events all occured on the last page, whereas the first of the story, at least, passed by slowly.

Harrison Bergeron

2009-05-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

"Harrison Bergeron" one of, if not, my favorite story in the collection. The whole premise seemed to be anti-Communist to me, though Vonnegut, like most writers, never admits this outright. I found interesting the idea of everyone being equal in the future, not just in the eyes of the law but in every aspect known to man. Some of the images, like the idea of "handicapping" the gifted, were especially haunting.

In the end though, I couldn't help but wonder why Vonnegut wrote a story so anti-communist when many of his works protest war. I noticed that the story was first written/pulished in 1961, when anti-Vietnam sentiment was not that strong yet. Perhaps Vonnegut was more caught up in the Cold War at the time.

Where I Live

2009-05-10T17:59:00.001-07:00

I can't really say that I liked "Where I Live." I expected the story to be good because it is the first piece in the entire book, yet it doesn't even really seem to be a short story to me. Vonnegut introduces to the reader an encyclopedia salesman who, at first, appears to be the protagonist, but eventually any potential plot just seemed to fall into oblivion from there. I now consider "Where I Live" to be more of and introduction to the rest of the book (even though there is a preface too), rather than one of Vonnegut's stories. After looking at the piece through a different lens, one with fewer expectations, I found the "story" to be an interesting analysis of Cape Codders, who I have now learned are somewhat exclusive in their ways.

Long Walk to Forever

2009-05-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan on reading this story, but I was too curious to see the less satirical and more sweet side of Vonnegut, so I couldn't resist. My overall reaction was that it was an okay story. What immediately caught my attention was that the guy's name was Newt. This is the name of one of the characters from Cat's Crave. Therefore, as I was reading I couldn't help but make comparisons of the two characters in my mind. First of all, the Newt in Cat's Cradle falls in love as well, but in Long Walk to Forever the love was different because Catherine loves him for him and what sacrifices he made fore her. Rather, in Cat's Cradle, Newt's lover doesn't actually love him and deserts him. I found myself happy that things worked out for Newt this time, even though the other one is still sad and lonely stuck in the pages of Cat's Cradle. Also, I thought it was interesting how both Newts were very pure characters who were simply looking for love. They stood out, because they lived life and tried to make the best out of their time on the planet. The Newt from this story even broke the rules of the Military to pursue love, this sends a message to the reader that sometimes you have to break away from the guidelines of society to find purpose in life and simply love.

Who Am This Time?

2009-05-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

This story is probably one of my favorite from this book thus far. I was really interested in the characters especially Harry and Helen. For Harry, it's like he has no personality and must be told how to act and what to say by the scripts of the plays that he is in. This reminded me of some people that I know who don't seem to be able to think for themselves. They simply follow the 'script' given to them by society. They never say anything offensive, yet they never say or do anything real. These types of people just seem to float through life, slipping through the shadows stuck in a world that only appears to exist. The other character in this story that really caught my attention was Helen. Helen was a character that had never experienced love before. She was so dry and fake. It was almost like, if she is never going to let herself experience love then what's the point of even being there. At one point in the story Helen was compared to a machine, and I feel that more and more people are starting to become just like Helen. They simply go through life on autopilot and don't even feel any extreme emotions. Sure Helen wasn't sad, but she was numb. This is like the idea of whether you'd like to live life like a cockroach, long and boring, or if you'd like to live life like a firefly, short but exciting?

Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog

2009-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

"And then is when Edison showed me what a great scientist he was. He was willing to face the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be."

This quote really caught my attention, because it seemed like Vonnegut was warning his audience that truth isn't always positive and sometimes the things that we discover can be harmful to ourselves. Also, I thought that this short story showed how Vonnegut is unease about scientists and what they do. For example, the narrator says that he doesn't regard Edison as 'the great inventor.' Also, Vonnegut used to work for General Motors but didn't like it there, and this dislike for big powerful removed businesses is shown in his mentioning of Ford in this story as well. This story made me think that what if there are scientists out there that know something monumental about our society but have not told us. I think that the 'truth' presented in this story would have huge negative impacts on our world and shows how we have to be careful when looking for answers to all our worldly questions, because sometimes the answers that we get are not what we wanted.

Thanks!

2009-04-22T12:38:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much for the blanket and toys. How very thoughtful of you to think of us. Hopefully, we'll come in sometime before the end of the school year. In the meantime, here are some new photos of five-week-old Max! --Mrs. G

Worrying and preparing for the AP test perhaps??

Go cubs go!

See you soon!

Meet Max Benjamin Gerber

2009-03-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your congratulatory emails! I've been sharing them with Max (along with excerpts from The Great Gatsby, of course). For your viewing pleasure, please enjoy shots of my now two-week-old son, Max Benjamin Gerber.

Change

2009-03-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

It was a love story (85)
Making up a few things to get at the real truth (85)
No vines or moss or white blossoms (85)
It’s about love and memory (85)
He was not a fighter (125)
All fidgety and tight (192)
She was seventeen years old (93)
Long white legs and blue eyes (93)
He never smiled (97)
She’ll learn (97)
This girl will most definitely learn (97)
Bad things start growing inside us (236)
[He’d] turned mean inside (200)
Even a little cruel at times (200)
Getting shot and yelling out (200)
Things must have been said, but it’s all gone now,
Except for a few last images (233)
A body without a name (225)
Laughed it off… made jokes (202)
Anger partly, but it was also a sense of pure and total loss (198)
There was a half second hesitation (234)
The bodies were animated (231)
She stared at him for a moment (151)
Her pretty blue eyes seemed to glow (96)
His voice seemed hollow and stuffed up (99)
Shoulders hunched (104)
“Sometimes I want to eat this place” (111)

a book that nobody reads

2009-03-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

“There was no place in particular to go” (136).

“Foggy…hot…for the first few moments…lost” (132)

“Nothing” (93).

“There is no clarity” (82).

“Loop around the lake” (137).

“Seven mile[s]…flat” (137).

“Just stop it” (146).

“Cavemen and dinosaurs”(183). “…smell rotten” (182).

“Sucked away into the mud” (185).

“Forfeit”? (194)

“Two smells” (109).

“…from [a] distance…” (104).

“innocent” (105) “…butterfly…spotted with freckles…” (127)

“smooth…delicate” (127).

“And yet at close range…” (104)

“…dizzy” (195) “butterfly…spotted with…shame” (127).

“Chaotic…unmusical” (108).

“Partly dead” ( 24).

“[but] they had to” (25).

“No ice, no heat” (203).

“…afterward it’s never the same” (114).

“…inside a book that nobody’s reading” (245).

“Easy, easy, easy” (209).

“Loop around the lake” (137).

“…but it wouldn’t get any easier” (209).

“No moon and no stars” (220).

“Chasing the phantoms” (221).

“Just stop it” (146).

“Ripping off the scabs…and scratching open sores” (221).

“the baby buffalo was silent…nothing moved except the eyes” (79).

“…Alive, though just barely” (79).

“Loop around the lake” (137).

“He was alone” (149).

Sounds

2009-03-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the most part he carried himself with poise, (19)
A kind of dignity. (19)
Bowing under the stir (37)
Of long elastic silences. (99)
The harmonies of sound and shape and proportion, (99)
Spinning off the edge of the Earth and beyond the sun, (99)
Beyond mortification and gravity, (99)
Through the fast silent vacuum (22)
If he screamed, how far would the sound carry? (11)

It was a pretty good show. (54)
The sunlight came around him, (71)
Far away sort of, but close up, too, (73)
And lifted him high up, (71)
Higher and higher until (22)
It was all lightness. (23)
The Earth was slow and he was patient. (36)
He listened to the ground beneath him, (36)
Imagining cobwebs and ghosts, whatever was down there. (10)
Not a single sound but he still heard it. (75)
He had crossed to the other side. (116)

The immense serenity flashed against his eyeballs, (36)
It was the burden of being alive, (36)
It was pure knowing. (23)
Nothing is ever absolutely (82)
Quiet. (73)

beast on their lips.

2009-03-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

They carried the land itself, Vietnam. (15)
The soil, the whole atmosphere, the humidity, the monsoons (15)
The quarter moon rising over the nighttime paddies (37)
Those giant trees (70)
And a soft dripping sound somewhere beyond the trees (70)
Odd movements, odd shapes, the whole rain forest seemed to stare in at them (116)

The country rose up in thick walls of wilderness; triple canopied jungle, mountains unfolding into higher mountains (91)
Right out of the grave, (12)
Moving like shadows through the moonlight, filing in silently from the dark rain forests. (92)
There was no sound, no real substance either (105)
Not entirely, not all (105)
Something must have snapped (63)

The paddies would seem to swirl and sway, (209)
The trees would take human form (209)
The field was boiling, it seemed to suck him under and everything was black and wet and swirling. (171)
It lifted him up and sucked him high into a tree full of moss and vines and white blossoms (70)
They made those mountains burn (75)

There was the feel of permanent twilight (164)
The trees are alive, the grass, the soil, everything (81)
It was inside him, in his lungs (149)
I was part of the night. I was the land itself (209)
I was jungle fire, I was jungle drums, I was the beast on their lips (209)

Poor Poor Boy

2009-03-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Poor, poor, boy (212).
He was just a kid at war, in love. (12)
crawling out of the tunnel, grinning, filthy but alive, laughing (12)
hoping, unwrapping the letters, holding them with the tips of his fingers, spending the last hour of light pretending, imagining romantic camping trips, tasting the envelope flaps. (1)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
carried his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck like a comforter. (28)
slept with the stockings up against his face, the way an infant sleeps with a flannel
blanket, secure, and peaceful.(118).
nineteen or twenty
clucked his tongue (31)
your basic fun-lover (211)
splashing (119)
playing checkers every evening before dark. (32)
whooping and leaping around barefoot(36)
singing, “A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket.” (37)
teaching a rain dance (36)
He did funny jumps and spins. (136)
His wrists were the wrists of a child. (124)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
He had comic books (28)
He made up a rhyme that caught on, and we’d all be chanting it together.(33)
smiling (28)
He liked to roam around asking questions. (95)
Trick or treating on Halloween (239)
flipping his yo-yo, dancing it with short, tight little strokes of the wrist. (72)
buddies (217)
brothers (194)
Giggling and calling each other yellow mother and playing a silly game they’d invented.
there was a childlike exuberance to it all, lots of pranks and horseplay. (37)
Whoever chickened out was a yellow mother… they’d laugh and dance around and then do it again (70).

Poor, poor, boy (212).
Meat for the bugs. (223)
will most definitely learn (97)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
sat in the bow of the boat and cried (159)
“Lost” he kept whispering (105)
The boy seemed frantic. The young boy was trying hard not to cry. (171).

Poor, poor, boy (212).
Whimpered and waited (211)
coiled up, tightened his muscles and listened, knuckles hard, the pulse ticking in his head. (205)
thought about dark closets, madmen, murderers, trolls, and giants, all those childhood fears, blinked and shook his head. (205)
uncurl your fists and let your thoughts go. (34)

You hear the spooks laughing. No shit, laughing. (205)
Creepy (209)
He’d get jumpy (220)
He said, “I mean, Christ, I’m just a boy.” (37)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
Gonna alter your whole perspective. (231)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
Little kid without arms or legs (58)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
No way out. (205)
All you could do was scream. (214)
Hugging yourself, rocking (216)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
all young and innocent, but learned pretty damn quick (97)
The bubbliness was gone. The nervous giggling too. (99)
The body seemed foreign somehow-too stiff in places.(99)
Eyes were utterly flat and indifferent. (110)
He kicked the baby buffalo. (79)
He hit him hard. And he didn’t stop. (62)
Was Dangerous. Ready for the Kill. (116)
One more animal-end of story. (107)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
Wasn’t even the same person no more (107).
Sank down into the sewage. In deep shit (156).
A lost ball. (167)
A lost sensation. (221)

Poor, poor, boy (212).
How crazy it was that people who were so incredibly alive could get so incredibly dead. (223)
Burn away to nothing (111).
Simply vanish altogether (115).

The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow. (236)
Simply vanish altogether (115).

Guilt

2009-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

“The man I killed” (128)
“‘No choice, Tim. What else could you do?’” (37)
“His one eye was shut and the other was a star-shaped hole” (126)
“A slim, dead dainty young man of about twenty” (37)
“He would place the blame where it belonged…My own fault he would say” (169)

“Kept hitting him on the nose…used it to break his own nose (62-63)
“[A] pact…stump…‘Don’t kill me’…Strunk died…relieve Dave Jensen” (65-66)

“When a man died, there had to be blame” (177)
“Lavender was dead. You couldn’t burn the blame” (23)
“First Lieutenant Jimmy cross crouched at the bottom of the foxhole and burned…” (23)

“I feel guilty sometimes…still writing war stories” (34)
“All I could do was cry” (51)
“The embarrassment must’ve turned a screw in his head…pain…all smiles” (88)
“I couldn’t risk the embarrassment” (59)

“‘The truth…is I let the guy go’” (153)
“Like murder, the boy thought. The flashlight…as a result his friend…was dead” (170)
“That part of the story is my own” (161)
“He would place the blame where it belonged…My own fault he would say” (169)
“‘The truth…is I let the guy go’” (153)
“‘I felt sort of guilty almost, like if I’d kept my mouth shut none of it would’ve ever happened. Like it was my fault’” (175-176)

Burden

2009-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

They carried everything they could (9)
Wiring, detonators, and battery powered clackers (10)
They carried the land itself (15)
The humidity, the monsoons, the stink of fungus and decay (15)

It was something that would never go away (27)
It was the purest black you could imagine (220)
You'd swear you were walking through some kind of
soft black protoplasm, Vietnam, the blood and the flesh (221)

I was part of the night. I was the land itself (209)
Eyes closed, I seemed to rise up out of my own body (208)
Just clouds and fog...everything's all sucked up inside the fog (75)
Just feeling the cold spray against my face (55)

It commands you (81)
Like a killer forest fire, like cancer under a microscope (81)
The grief took him by the throat and squeezed and would not let go (105)
You try to block it out, but you can't (205)

But this too is true: stories can save us. (225)

The Truth of Vietnam

2009-03-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

...the thing about remembering is that you don't forget (34).
Rain and slop and shrapnel, no where to run, and all they could do was worm down into slime and cover up and wait (148).
Grief, terror, love, longing...they had tangible weight (21).
They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die (21).
His jaw was in his throat...
his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole...
the skin of his left cheek was peeled back in three ragged strips...(124)

War makes you a man; war makes you dead (80).
Nobody listens. Nobody hears nothin' (76).
[People] did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know (143).
You don't know Nam (97).

2009-03-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Stories are for joining the past to the future. (38)
…Where things came together but also separated. (8)
…where it seemed weightless… (8)
…the illusion of safety (9)
…and there was the stillness that precedes rain. (17)

Imagination was a killer. (11)

A mere matter of falling yet no one ever fell. (22)
It was the burden of being alive. (19)
It was something that would never go away… (27)
…all the fine lines and technicalities did not matter. (24)
But the thing about remembering is that you don’t forget. (34)
Once people are dead, you can’t make them undead. (41)

…they held hands as if afraid to let go. (104)
…words were insufficient. (51)
[But] still there was so much to say. (147)

…[He] imagined the feel of his tongue against the truth. (142)
…[It] seemed too abstract, too distant, with nothing real or tangible… (155)
For a time the morning seemed to brighten, the sky going to a lighter shade of silver, but then the rains came back hard and steady. (164)
…and what they wanted now was to… forget what had happened. (166)
…it was always the same, a desire to get it over with quickly… (166)

There was the feel of permanent twilight. (164)
Like the night had its own voice—that hum in your ears… (221)
…That’s the last thing I’ll ever see… (191)
I want you to feel what I felt. (179)
…You can’t ever forget it. (183)
…nothing to do but stare into the big black hole at the center of your own sorry soul. (205)
No moon and no stars. It was the purest black you could imagine… (220)
…and how crazy it was that people who were so incredibly alive
could get so incredibly dead. (223)

Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased,
When there is nothing to remember except the story. (38)
...there was something ageless in her eyes…
just a bright ongoing everness… (238)
We kept the dead alive with stories… (239)
I’ll never die. (246)

2009-03-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

Grief, terror, love, longing (21)
Irony mixed with tragedy (20)

A weight pushing [you] toward (51)
Over the tight blue flame (23)
[Held by] the tips of his fingers (23)
The bluish gray color of a razor blade (49)
Almost painful, a cutting sensation (48)

The immense serenity flashes against your eyeballs (36)
All lightness, bright, and fast (22)
The whole world gets rearranged (36)
Weird opium dream (105)
A sinking sensation, ears all plugged up (189)

The darkness squeezes...inside yourself (204)
Coldness inside [you] (207)
Imagination takes over (204)
Ghosts behind you...in front of you...inside you (205)

Silhouettes move...without moving (105)
The whole dark countryside c[o]mes alive (221)
Tiny sounds get heightened and distorted (205)
The night ha[s] its own voice (221)

You coil up...knuckles hard...pulse ticking in your head (205)
Too much (220)

2009-03-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

“He loved her” (pg. 96)
“Mary Anne Bell and Mark Fossie…
[They] had been sweethearts since grammar school” (pg. 94)
“He [brought] in a girl” (pg. 93)
“This is Mary Anne…she smiled” (pg. 94)

“He loved her” (pg. 96)
“D-cup guts and trainer bra brains… she’ll learn” (pg. 97)
“A good sharp mind…she’ll learn” (pg.97)
“[He] can’t find her. None of it seemed to be serving him well” (pg. 100)

“We got a problem” (pg. 101)
“She carried the standard…assault rifle” (pg. 102)
“[He] can’t find her” (pg. 100)
“What happened between them, nobody knew for sure” (pg. 103)
“Officially engaged (pg. 103), [but] [he] can’t find her” (pg. 100)

“Lost… grief took him by the throat” (pg. 106)
“He loved her” (pg. 96)
“A necklace of human tongues” (pg. 110)
“You’re in a place where you don’t belong” (pg. 111)
“You just don’t know” (pg. 111)
“She’s already gone” (pg. 112)
“He loved her” (pg. 96)

2009-03-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

…[H]e would have explained… (153)
…[H]e would have tried anyway. (149)
…[H]e would have told the exact truth. (148).
[But] the town could not talk (143)
It was a brisk, polite town (143)
…[B]ut would not listen. (143)

[P]eople…never listen. (85)
So [the soldiers] lie there in the fog and keep their mouths shut. (73)
Can’t even talk to each other… (73)
Absolute silence… (72)
…[They]whispered (112)
…[B]ut that did not help much with the pain. (105)

…[E]verything’s really quiet… (122)
Not a single sound… (75)
[Except] this strange gook music that comes right out of the rocks. (73)
Can’t even talk to each other except in whispers… (73)
So they lie there in the fog and keep their mouths shut. (73)
All they do is listen. (73)

The sound. (107)
There was no sound. (105)
The town could not talk, and would not listen. (143).
…[It] could only blink and shrug. (143)
So they lie there in the fog and keep their mouths shut. (73)
All they do is listen. (73)

2009-03-19T17:29:00.001-07:00

For a few moments [he] watched the sky, (227)
The big white moon added resonance, (210)
[But] there was no wind, (210)
You could blame the field, the mud, the climate (177)

[There were] tree frogs, maybe, or snakes or flying squirrels or who-knew-what, (221)
[but no] big crow looking at you from a boulder along the river, (56)
There was no wind, (210)
The night was absolute (210)

The country rose up in thick walls of wilderness,
Triple-canopied jungle, mountains unfolding into higher mountains,
ravines and gorges and fast-moving rivers and waterfalls, (91-92)
[But] there was no wind (210)

…Isolated and vulnerable, (92)
Knocked (…) against the pagoda wall, (189)
Surrounded on all sides by flat paddy land, (…)
And rolls of razor-tipped barbed wire, (192)

“Eight months in fantasyland,(…),” (204)
(…) unattached from the natural world, (208)
Swarms of bugs, billions of them, (221)
[But] there was no wind (210)
to carry them home

Just holes to be dug

Salvation

2009-03-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ghosts behind you and in front of you and inside you (205)
No safe ground: enemies everywhere (63)
There was no sound at all- none that I could remember (132)
None of it ever seemed real (54)
Honest to God, I sometimes can’t remember what real is (204)
There was again that sense of recognition (186)
Everywhere, it seemed … a great worldwide sadness came pressing down on me (57)
A crushing sorrow, sorrow like I had never felt it before (57)
The result was a kind of numbness (203)

[I] … imagined the feel of [my] tongue against the truth (142)
I won’t say it but I’ll think it (84)
You can’t extract the meaning without unraveling the deeper meaning (77)
Beyond the sun and through the vast, silent vacuum where there were no burdens (23)
Where everything weighed exactly nothing (23)
The weights fell off; there was nothing to bear (22)
Just go wherever the spirit takes you (126)
The magic doesn’t go away (118)

Absolute silence, then the wind, then sunlight, then voices (19)
It was the burden of being alive (19)
Which was dangerous but which helped ease the strain (15)

The Things They Carried

2009-03-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Post your response to the end of the book as a COMMENT.

Writers Week

2009-02-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

WRITERS WEEK XV
If you had to pay for this, you couldn’t afford it.

Please report directly to the auditorium. Let’s try to sit in the middle section. The place is going to be jammin’ so get there as soon as possible. First person there, get a row for our class. Once you find your seat, wave or wink or point so I can take attendance.

Here’s your assignment: Post 2 blog posts responding to the week. One by Wednesday, one by Friday. (But feel free to post on the first two days or post everyday, though) Include specifics, always specifics. Think quotes. Zingers. “Ah-ha” moments. Post this as a comment to this post. Write three polished thank-you letters. (I'll send these!) Have a shareable draft – inspired by WW. (Thank yous and SD due Monday, Mar 2nd)

**Don’t be obnoxious and shuffle papers in the auditorium. Just carry around a pocket notebook or a few index cards and when you hear a zinger, quietly jot it down. If you don’t write it down, you’ll forget…and then what? No B or A, that’s what. And if no B or A, no college, no future, no family. The pits. The bottom of the pits. The cruddy leftover gunk that sticks to the pits. You don’t want that. And for your thank you notes, again, include specifics: “Thank you, Writer, for not laughing at me when I asked you a question. Everyone else laughs at me. You didn’t. Thanks...”

valentines day

2009-02-06T13:23:00.001-08:00

Hello folk!
As most of you know, next Friday is the day before Valentines Day! As it is also Junior year I bet the majority of us are wailing over our homework, ACT and the loss of our innocence, I know I am. So let's liken back to our childhood! Mrs. Gerber said that we could possibly have a fun day on Friday! My ideas included everyone bringing a shoebox and a valentine for everyone! [Transformers, Hello Kitty and Spiderman valentines are required. All must also include candy.] Mrs. Gerber said that if anyone had any suggestions/wholeheartedly agreed with me [That means all of you] just to comment!

Teen Ink

2009-01-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!
For our second quarter writing submission requirement I submitted writing to Teen Ink. I recently got an email notification that my writing was selected to be posted on their website. People can read my writing, make comments, and vote on it. If I receive a lot of good feedback then they may publish my writing in the next issue of Teen Ink. Therefore, if you have the time, could you please visit the website and put a good vote in for me? thanks.
Oo and I think Jane also had her writing posted on their website. So Jane, comment on this post with the link to your writing too! (I mean if you want to.)
Thanks everyone! Good luck working on your term papers.
http://www.teenink.com/raw/Fiction/article/75945/How-to-Stay-Awake-Late-Studying/

Trascendental Movie Party

2009-01-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

Oven S'mores :]

Literary Research Instructions

2008-12-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, folks --

Happy Vacation! As you're cozy and home this winter break, make sure you read your research paper book not once, but TWICE. On your very first reading, I'd like you to fill out the accompanying PRE-READING sheet (on my website under literary research). Then, once you've finished the book, you can begin/finish your READING NOTES (also on my website.) The preliminary sheet is due the Monday after break, and the reading notes are due the Tuesday after break. I may give you that Monday in the lab to work on those, but I'm asking for four pages of analysis and reflection. I'd start this over break. Be sure you look at the assignment sheet before you read so you have a sense of purpose in mind.

I also strongly, strongly, strongly recommend that you purchase your book. Then write, write, write [in the book] as you read. On your first read, I'd ask questions and make connections; on my second read, I'd start to delve deeper into potential answers to those questions and provide analysis.

Finally, please post your final book selection (which was approved by me) as a comment on this post. I will have access to email for the first week of break, so feel free to email with questions, okay?

Enjoy! Relax! Read!

Lit Research -- book selection

2008-12-14T06:57:00.001-08:00

Hi, folks --

On this post, you should share your top 3 choices for your literary research book. Place your first choice as number 1 and then list your other two. Please be sure to explain why you are choosing your first choice title. So you know, for ease of finding secondary materials, I recommend that only one student does each book, though sometimes I am willing to let two share a title -- though no more -- so don't please look to your classmates for ideas.

Below you will find a list of titles that though they are on the list, Brewner and I do not recommend them for you. These titles include ones you have read in your English classes in past years. (The list appear here in the same order as on the list I gave you. If for some reason you lost your list, I have provided a link on my website -- not the blog -- for you, under "handouts.")

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Call of the Wild
Cannery Row
Catcher in the Rye
Fahrenheit 451
The Jungle
Maggie: A girl of the Streets
Uncle Tom's Cabin

Also, if you'd like to do a play, then select a pairing -- either a selection of plays by one author, or two-three plays with a similar motif. (You may also choose to do a pairing of non-plays, if you wish.)

If you have questions, I'll be able to check my email tonight after 5pm. Make sure you post your choices before school starts tomorrow... Happy Reading!

PLEASE POST AS A COMMENT.

Born to Trouble

2008-12-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Is Huck Finn a racist novel? Should the text be taught? Using Born to Trouble and Huck Finn as references, address the debate. Feel free to propose your own theories. Again, use support from your own reading along with the evidence/analysis provided in the video, and respond to each other's posts. (Respond as a comment.)

2008-12-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

In general, I liked Into The Wild. I, like so many others, find Chris's story to be a fascinating one. I enjoyed attempting to discover the depths of his person while trying to make sense of it all. I like the organization Krakauer chose, and I'm glad he took the time to consider the most effective, entertaining way to present McCandless's journey to the reader. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of the whole "lets include a multiple-chapter long tangent about myself" thing. I understand and can appreciate Krakauer's purpose and intent in including the information about himself, but I didn't like it. I know Krakauer made it apparent in the introduction that he was not a biased source, and wasn't going to pretend to be one; but to me, those chapters were just an excuse to be cathartic and for Krakauer to have some self-validation time. Frankly, I felt those chapters belong in his journal, not in this book. The same goes with "The Last American Man", if that is the correct title. The section about herself pretending to be a cowgirl was completely unnecessary.

2008-12-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Into the Wild has proven to be the best reading material I've had from this class so far. Krakhauer did a great job in piecing everything together and make it into a book. And the fact that Krakhauer narrated the non-fiction piece really made this book really different from anything I've ever read. He captures Chris McCandless's personality very well and how the character moved accross the country. There were a couple of concepts that I really liked from the book. One was that Krakhauer makes it seem almost as if it was in first-person. The information was so credible that it seemed like McCandless was narrating his life story. Another thing I liked from this book was the reference to the family. By going to Chris's parents and sister, I understood Chris in even more depth. I got to know who the real Chris was and it furthur proved Krakhauer's credibility. Overall, I thought this was a very interesting and moving story.

Into the Awesome-ness

2008-12-02T19:12:00.001-08:00

Saying that I enjoyed Into the Wild is somewhat of an understatement. I have never, ever before in my life enjoyed a book that we read in English class. This book steps outside of the normal realm for standard high school literature, and I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it was because the life of Chris McCandless is so exquisitely laid out. Krakauer is incredibly skilled in adding tension to his writing, and even though I knew that Chris was going to die, I could not put the book down. I loved how Krakauer defines Chris as a human being throughout the book, moving from the more statisitical facts in the beginning to what Chris was like on a spiritual level. The book gave such an intimate view of Chris's life that I almost felt intrusive at some points, but that's what made the book all the more enticing.

So basically what I'm saying is that if I die during an adventure in the wild, please call John Krakauer and get him to write a book about me.

2008-12-02T17:44:00.001-08:00

I really enjoyed Into the Wild because the whole story was something new to me. I had never heard of this before and I never saw the movie so reading this book was the first time I had ever experience the journey of Chris McCandless. I felt the book itself was very well written and kept my attention the whole time, which is pretty impressive for a school assigned book. I really liked how Krakauer presented the book. Even though it jumped around a bit, I felt the parts added by Krakauer about other people who have set off into the wilderness or him sharing his own personal story were just like tangents that helped further prove his points about McCandless. I thought he did get his point across really well, because when I started reading this book I was thinking that Chris was just some nature freak that wanted to go off on his own. Through this book McCandless showed that Chris had his purpose to make something out of himself and to test his limits. Krakauer developed Chris as a character so thoroughly that when he reached his goal, you were ecstatic with him and when he died, you were at peace with his death; you experienced the same feelings as Chris. Krakauer's close attention to detail and a thorough investigation of Chris's life was complete, well-organized, and kept the reader’s attention. I also felt happy that I read this book when it was over because Chris wanted to share his journey with others and this book helped him accomplish that goal.

Into the Wild

2008-12-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

Now that we've finished Into the Wild, share your final thoughts, questions, and responses to the text; include anything you might not have gotten to share in our discussions. Post as a comment. Want to watch the trailer for the movie? Click here and go to "video": http://www.intothewild.com/ (Also, please take the poll re: ACT!)

Chapter 5 Solitude

2008-11-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

In chapter 5 of Walden, Thoreau elaborates on the idea of solitude. He uses a lot of symbolism to convey his message that solitude is not something to hate and is something to enjoy. His tone when explaining is kind of sad yet a little joyful when it comes to instances of saying jovial moments of solitude. "I am no more lonely than the loon in the pond that laughs so loud." (Thoureau 5). by stating that, Thoreau's tone is exposed by using a metaphor to compare himself to convey that Thoreau is sad and yet satisfied when being alone. When using the word laughs, he is basically mocking the people who mock him for being alone. Symbollically speaking, Thoreau loves solitude. When it comes to diction, Thoreau's word choice is varied yet congenial when it comes to comparing himself. "Shall I not have the intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?" (Thoreau 5) Well, clearly Thoreau uses this diction to make us "spectators" (Thoreau 4) uknderstand that he asks these rhetorical questions to convince us that his point is valid. Another word he uses is cheap. "Society is commonly too cheap." (Thoreau 4) By this he is showing his true hatred on how society is running. The word cheap makes a bold statement in this chapter. His audience is not clearly stated in the chapter. However, the inference could be made that the audience is a group of people that view solitude as something not considering. "but spectator, sharing no experience, but taking note of it, and that is no more than it is to you." (Thoreau 4) By saying spectator, Thoreau despises those who don't believe in solitude. So he uses a disrespectful word to address the crowd. The Title is very clear to me. The one element of this chapter that I actually admire. By only using one word, Thoreau contrasts his title to the rest of the chapter. By that I mean that the title is stated in one word, but the idea of it is stated in numerous words. By this, Thoreau is portraying that the title is itself in solitude. Very clever.

Solitude

2008-11-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

Throughout "Solitude" Thoreau shifts his tone to express his feelings on changing subject matter. When discussing his life style or nature, Thoreau maintains a tone of admiration. He describes each detail carefully and takes time to describe all he sees. In contrast, while discussing society and the modern world, Thoreau's tone is sarcastic, bordering on condescending. He leaves out details and quickens his pace. In paragraph five, Thoreau spends more time painting the image of a tree that had been struck by lightning then he does listing places men like to congregate to. "The depot, the post-office, the bar-room, the meeting-house, the school-house, the grocery, Beacon Hill, or the five points, where most men like to congregate." (Thoreau 5) He skips any detail about these places or any possible benefit these places offer but spends much time describing the details and benefits of nature and the woods. Beyond the fact that this is done to show the listlessness of modern life, Thoreau makes it evident to the reader that he sees any apparent benefit of these places as unimportant and minuscule.

Thoreau's purpose in writing "Solitude" was to explain that though he is alone, he is not lonely and further, he is not missing out on anything by retreating to the woods. He accomplishes this by emphasizing the beauty, goodness and purity of nature and by explicating how he feels no loneliness. "I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." (Thoreau 12) Thoreau explains that he doesn't feel alone, and enjoys his own company more than any others. Knowing the fast pace of society, Thoreau appeals to his audience's desire for rest by emphasizing how relaxing being alone is.

The intended audience is educated members of society. Thoreau references both Greek and Roman mythology under the pretense that the reader is familiar with both of these. He quotes Confucius on multiple occasions, also under the pretense that the reader is familiar with Confucius and his work. Because of the fact that Thoreau leads a completely different life than that of his audience, he strives not to isolate the audience by using the word "we" repeatedly. "Society is commonly too cheap. We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are." (Thoreau 13) Obviously, Thoreau considers himself a separate entity from society, but still includes himself with society, as not to isolate the audience. He manages to criticize without putting the audience on the offensive by claiming that he is one of them, he is also musty old cheese.

Chapter 8: The Village

2008-11-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

The tone of the chapter “The Village” is constantly changing. In the beginning, Thoreau’s tone is one of interest. This tone can be seen through the diction that he chooses to use. “I went there frequently to observe their habits” (Thoreau 1). The word “observe” shows that Thoreau is viewing something to understand. He explains that he went to the village several times to observe the people and their habits. This shows that he found interest within his observations. He uses words like “curious” and “appeared” also. These words also reveal his interested tone. In the next paragraph, Thoreau’s tone changes to one of confusion and awe. You can see his confusion and awe through his explanations of his walks back to his cabin and his encounters with those who lost their way. He writes, “I have not been able to recall a single step of my walk, and I have thought that perhaps my body would not find its way home if its master should forsake it…”(Thoreau 2). His awe of his experiences as shown also as he explains how he views the act of getting lost in the woods. He says, “It is a surprising and memorable, as well as valuable experience, to be lost in the woods any time” (Thoreau 2). In the last paragraph of this chapter, his tone changes to one of annoyance and frustration as he explains his experiences with the state. His diction within this paragraph also reflects his tone. He explains, “One afternoon, near the end of the first summer, when I went to the village to get a shoe from the cobbler’s, I was seized and put into jail…” (Thoreau 3). His use of the “one afternoon” and “shoe from the cobbler’s” makes the readers view him as an innocent person doing an innocent act on just a normal day. This build up of the setting allows Thoreau to be viewed as an innocent, normal man. When he uses the word “seized,” because of his build up, the word seems much more harsh and wrong. You can see that he views himself as an innocent man being jailed for a stupid reason also when he explains the State. “But, wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their dirty institutions, and if they can, constrain him to belong to their desperate odd-fellow society” (Thoreau 3). His use of the word “pursue” and “paw” shows his annoyance at the acts of the people of the State. His frustration is seen through the diction in that he uses “dirty” and “desperate.” Both words seem very poor and annoying.
His purpose seems to be to place his ideas and thoughts onto the reader but not in a forcible way. His audience therefore can be seen as directed towards people who follow and accept his transcendental thoughts. In his other writings, when directing people who did not follow his ideals, he uses much more harsh and very strong and convicting words. However, when he wrote this chapter, he seemed to have written in a more friendly way. This can be seen as throughout the piece, he seems to mock those who don’t follow him and write of his experience with such people. His mocking tone can be seen in the first paragraph when he compares the people to animals. When he compares them to animals, they seem as objects of amusement and interest. He explains the people in the Village as people who are not of his same group. When comparing the people to animals, the people seem to be some abnormal, alien-group. He also does not place his thoughts and values that much and this shows that he obviously does not need to make a clear and repetitive transcendental point and that the readers will just understand.
The title of this chapter, "The Village," forces the audience to think that this chapter will solely be about the village near Thoreau's home. Although, he does do this in the first paragraph, the second paragraph is about visitors, and the third about the state. What this allows the readers to think is that Thoreau views all those three things as one group. He places the visitors, the actual village, and the state as one group of people whom he does not follow and agree with. Through his title not seemingly pertaining to what he talks about, he makes a suggestion that he views all those three subjects and people who are an object of interest and like a difference species in his point of view.

Solitude

2008-11-19T10:39:00.001-08:00

In Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the chapter five of the book, "Solitude," Thoreau states that being alone is indeed beneficial to oneself, counter the popular perception that being alone is unhealthy and that the more sociable we are, the better we are as a person. Rather than being completely isolated or alone in the negative sense, however, nature provides plenty of company when he is by himself in the woods. Thoreau critiques society's insistence that everyone must be act similar to each other in a group setting.
The title of the chapter, "Solitude," elicits a calm and positive mood throughout. People generally have a negative view towards people who choose a life as a hermit and often perceive them to be socially inept. However, by choosing the word "Solitude," Thoreau is able to create a peaceful and contemplative tone, indicating that he is purposely choosing to be alone rather than being left out by a group. For instance, if the title had been "Loneliness," it would have directed the chapter toward a much more melancholy theme.
The audience of this chapter is geared toward Thoreau himself. Writing in first person, he jots down his observations and emotions to express his feelings, free from the cares of other people. Although the audience is towards himself, Thoreau clearly wants people to realize and accept his beliefs that being in the nature, being in solitude, can bring positive benefits to oneself, as he says , "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude" (Thoreau). He is saying that although he is by himself, he is not truly alone as nature becomes his companion. In contrast, he views society negatively referring to it as "commonly too cheap" (Thoreau).
Thoreau's purpose in writing "Solitude," is to provide a different view towards solitude and to make people appreciate nature. He contrasts solitude with society, describing the former in a positive way and the latter negatively. He says, "To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating" (Thoreau). Although people around Thoreau are concerned about him being lonely in the woods, he does not understand them as nature gives him joy and peace. In contrast, he says of society: "Consider the girls in a factory — never alone, hardly in their dreams" (Thoreau).
Thoreau uses vivid and detailed diction in this chapter. The diction allows the readers to create images in their minds, making it more palpable. In one paragraph he uses "we" many times. The effect of this is to point out that we are doing the same thing collectively, repetitively, conforming to society. "We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are. We have had to agree on a certain set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war" (Thoreau).
Thoreau's private experience helped him express himself to the readers. He recorded the pleasant emotions that nature brings him and strongly opposed conforming to societal norms. Although it was his own experience, by writing descriptively about it, he is able to convince the readers the truth of transcendentalism.
I thought "Solitude" was very interesting. Thoreau gave a different insight into being alone and he presented a new idea that I never thought of: that nature can be our companion. Thoreau's theory is appealing as he strongly suggests people to do things the way each individual feels like doing, rather than merely acting in accordance with the society.

Winter Animals

2008-11-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Chapter 15 is called Winter Animals. In it, Thoreau observes the animals at Walden, writing down the observations like scientific findings, and adding his own stories too. Thoreau likes the animals; they are peaceful and tranquil. Animals, like nature are a part of good transcendentalism. Thoreau uses the Latin classification names in paragraphs 5 and 14. “Lepus Americanus” “Lepus, levipes” “Sciurus Hudsonius”. These add to the credibility and scientific edge that Thoreau puts into his chapter. Thoreau, although young, he lived in Walden when he was 28 till 30, wants to be taken seriously.Thoreau uses many onomatopoeias in his writing. “Hoo hoo hoo” (Thoreau) “Day day day” (Thoreau). Clearly, Thoreau observed the animals not only by sight, but by sound. Thoreau’s purpose in this piece was to talk about his encounters with the animals, and how they are naturally transcendental. “What is a country without rabbits and partridges? They are among the most simple and indigenous animal products; ancient and venerable families known to antiquity as to modern times; of the very hue and substance of Nature, nearest allied to leaves and to the ground- and to one another; it is either winged or it is legged. It is hardly as if you had seen a wild creature when a rabbit or a partridge bursts away, only a natural one, as much to be expected as rustling leaves” (Thoreau). Real animals don’t stand around, they dart under shelters. Any animal that comes in contact is not a true animal. Animals listen to their instincts; they don’t really think for themselves. Thoreau does not always say the animals are perfect examples of transcendentalism, though. “Sometimes I heard the foxes as they ranged over the snow-crust, in moonlight nights, in search of a partridge or other game, barking raggedly and demonically like forest dogs, as if laboring with some anxiety, or seeking expression, struggling for light and to be outright and run freely in the streets; for if we take the ages into our account, may there not be a civilization going on among brutes as well as men?” (Thoreau). Of course, the foxes are animals, not people, but they still express the same action of trying to be something they are not. The audience Thoreau aims at are people he thinks do not see the full greatness of the winter animals. “The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive, like true natives of the soil, whatever revolutions occur. If the forest is cut off, the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment, and they become more numerous than ever. That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare” (Thoreau). A problem Thoreau has with society are people cutting down the forest. He is somewhat insulting those who do, trying to convince his audience to do otherwise. Thoreau comes in contact with people in Walden, the hunters. While Thoreau wants lives a mainly solitude life in Walden, he does talk to the hunters. Survival is a natural instinct, and hunting animals is the basic form of food. To Thoreau, the hunters are touching on their inner selves, not being artificial. And for that, Thoreau can appreciate them, just like he appreciates the winter animals. The title Winter Animals is not very creative, but simplicity better serves transcendentalism than lying to make an interesting title. What sets the title Winter Animals apart from just calling the chapter Animals, is Thoreau sees an important difference in the animals apparent in the winter season. Rabbits and foxes and certain birds stay in Walden all year round, while other animals fly south or migrate when the weather is too cold. Thoreau wants to address the natural, true animals of Walden, not the ones who live there when the weather suits them.

Solitude

2008-11-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

The collection of essays, Walden, gives the reader a detailed description of life in the wooded area off Walden Pond where Henry David Thoreau was said to have studied nature. The fifth chapter, Solitude, is a direct response to comments said to the author such as, “I should think you would feel lonesome down there, and want to be nearer folks, rainy and snowy days and nights especially.” For this chapter, the author explains to those who say this to him why he finds the solitude of Walden so appealing.

The reader interprets the title, Solitude, in the negative context from the word loneliness. What the reader discovers, however, is that this solitude has positive connotations as words like serenity and peaceful. The author compares here what a life in Walden can be compared to. “But for the most part, it is as solitary where I live as on the prairies.” The reader knows automatically the epic tales from living in the prairie told through the ages. This piece is directed toward the common person who spends most of his/her time living a life in controlled civilization where the laws of society such as, “etiquette and politeness” apply. These people have little or no experience in going out and having a strong appreciation of nature and the solitude the author describes. The author uses the prairie metaphor to appeal to something the civilized society would know, so they would understand his position.

The tone of this chapter is directly reflected from the author’s attitude toward solitude. He gives his opinion here on his own solitude. “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” Instead of saying “friendly” or “aquatint with,” the author uses a word like “companion,” that emphasizes the undying connection between the author and solitude, and how he finds solitude so appealing.

By experiencing nature hands on, the author grows an appreciation for being solitary and tries to show others his revelation. He shows that solitude can be interpreted in a number of ways, not only the loneliness society perceives the real situation is. Through transcendental ideas of nature the author discusses, the reader understands none of us is ever really alone.
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The Village

2008-11-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

In the eighth chapter of Thoreau’s Walden, “The Village,” Thoreau gives a systematic description of his usual encounters with Concord village and its people. Through this description, Thoreau establishes in himself a superiority over the townspeople and also explicitly criticizes their activities. Essentially, he attaches himself to the abstract tenets of transcendentalism, free-thinking individualism and nonconformity, and attaches the opposite attributes to his most clear physical opposite, the town and with it the government.
Thoreau expresses his feeling of detached superiority over the townspeople by portraying his attitude toward them the same as his attitude towards other interesting, but impersonal, sights he sees in nature. “As I walked in the woods to see the birds and squirrels, so I walked in the village to see the men and boys; instead of the wind among the pines I heard the carts rattle” (Thoreau). Here Thoreau establishes detachment with the townspeople by comparing his impersonal evaluation of “birds and squirrels” to his observation of the people He does not attach any special value to the other humans here, which reflects his own idea (expressed in Civil Disobedience especially) that the townspeople, due to their lack of individual spirit, really do not have uniquely human value in his opinion. In fact, Thoreau also almost glorifies the natural order he sees in the woods in comparison to the contrived man-created order he sees in the town. The positive connotation in natural appeal associated with “the wind among the pines” beats the mundane manmade inadequacy of “carts rattl[ing].”
Thoreau especially rejects the town’s gossip, which represents to him that desire to know about other things and not oneself, which transcendentalism rejects. “Some have such a vast appetite for the former commodity, that is, the news, and such sound digestive organs, that they can sit forever in public avenues without stirring, and let it simmer and whisper through them like the Etesian winds” (Thoreau). While he does not come out and say “gossiping is bad,” Thoreau clearly means to demean the activity by describing its consumers as allowing it to mindlessly pervade their consciousness (“whisper through them”), which directly conflicts with the transcendentalist tenet of free thought.
Thoreau also uses descriptions of walking in a dark, snowy night to emphasize the transcendental view of nature. Thoreau essentially glorifies the idea of the mysterious and unknowable night (“very pleasant…to launch myself into the night”), and espouses that complexity as reflecting the true order of nature. “[N]ot till we are completely lost…do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of nature….Not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations” (Thoreau). Consistent with transcendentalist thought, Thoreau says we can learn about ourselves through the “infinite extent of our relations” with the “vastness and strangeness” nature and the reflection of us in nature, and of nature in us.
After a characteristic lash-out at the State, Thoreau concludes by glorifying his own lifestyle at Walden and his positive interactions with people who come to him. He uses this to lead into an ideological statement on how Thoreau thinks people should live to complete the natural order. On his own behavior to visitors, Thoreau says, “The tired rambler could rest and warm himself by my fire, the literary…” And about others’ response to him, he says, “[T]hough many people of every class came this way to the pond, I suffered no serious inconvenience from these sources.” Then Thoreau goes into his ideological absolute, “[I]f all men were to live as simple as I then did, thieving and robbery would be unknown.” Thoreau expresses that societal problems arise from the contrived clash with nature that defines manmade order, and that with a natural life like Thoreau lives, societal problems would not exist. Thoreau further enhances this idea of mutual trust and belief in the morality of the individual human by adding a classic quote praising the virtues of an individual over the laws and justice of the state.

2008-11-19T00:45:00.001-08:00

In his 5th chapter, “Solitude,” Henry David Thoreau presents the idea of seclusion and its importance in the life of an individual. Thoreau speaks of the nature and the beauty that surrounds him as he resides alone in the woods. The purpose of Thoreau’s chapter is to open the eyes of readers to a different viewpoint of solitude and seclusion in comparison to society’s typical, negative view. Through this chapter, Thoreau proves that seclusion may be a necessity for it brings a sense of peace and ease in the life of an individual amidst the chaos provided by society and generic neighborhood life. He states, “…we live thick and are in each other’s way, and stumble over one another, and I think that we thus lose some respect for one another” (Thoreau). However, Thoreau creates a contradictory to the definition of seclusion and solitude when he states the fact that an individual is never really alone, as they are in the presence of nature and its beauties. Thoreau then describes the inspiration and benefits nature provides.

The title of Thoreau’s chapter parallels and defends the purpose of his chapter. By using the word “solitude,” there is a more calming, rather than harsh, tone to the title. If the chapter were to be called “alone,” or “isolation,” there is an automatic reaction of negativity as the society usually perceives it to be. Thoreau presents a tone of admiration especially towards nature. He uses his diction to depict his enthusiasm he feels towards nature and the adoration he has accumulated. Thoreau proclaims, “The indescribable innocence and beneficence of nature—of sun and wind and rain, of summer and winter—such health, such cheer, they afford forever!” (Thoreau). The way he formats this sentence, using breaks, and commas, provide strong feelings towards nature. Throughout the chapter Thoreau uses vivid details to describe his experiences and feelings nature provides. He uses diction to present an imperial tone as he personifies nature in parts of his chapter. Thoreau declares, “ …and such sympathy have they ever with our race, that all Nature would be affected, and the sun’s brightness fade, and the winds would sigh humanely, and the clouds rain tears, and the wood shed their leaves and put on mourning in midsummer, if any man should ever for a just cause grieve,” (Thoreau). Thoreau also capitalizes the letter “N,” in “Nature,” personifying the concept even further. Thoreau describes nature using phrases such as “the fluttering alder and poplar leaves,” and “the wind still blows and roars in the woods,” to show readers that there is more than their outward appearance.

The audience of Thoreau’s piece is mainly himself. The chapter is written in first person and is stylized in a diary format. By writing this chapter in such a format, Thoreau is able to reflect on his own personal feelings the works of nature has given him. Even though the audience gears toward personal reference, Thoreau wishes for readers to open their minds and be able to experience the same experiences he has. In doing so, the audience may likely be ones who are confined to neighborhood life, who disregard solitude as a positive aspect. In paragraph 13 of this chapter Thoreau turns to the society, calling it “commonly too cheap,” and listing its flaws. Thoreau again uses strong diction to put his point across. He lists each fault and uses a repetition of the word “we,” to create a joint impact to ones who are ignorant to seclusion and nature. He states, “We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are. We have had to agree on a certain set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war. We meet at the post-office and at the sociable” (Thoreau). There is a tone of blame that we have not opened ourselves to the value of nature. Another evident piece of diction that points to an urban audience is Thoreau’s use of questions. He imposes questions such as “How far apart, think you, dwell the two most distant inhabitants of yonder start, the breadth of whose disk cannot be appreciated by our instruments?” This question speaks directly to readers who question his choice of living in solitude in order to receive a rejuvenating experience from nature.

I found that this chapter regarding solitude opened my own eyes into another viewpoint of solitude and seclusion, that there really isn’t such a thing. Thoreau presents an idea that most people disregard which is the idea of nature surrounding you. Thoreau shows that we should appreciate the magic of the nature we live in and not turn into conformity. I liked the idea that seclusion is not necessarily a bad thing and that it may be the one thing you need to do, to be alone with nature and its splendors.

6. Visitors

2008-11-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

In the 6th chapter of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, the author portrays the different aspects of society through the different visitors who come to his cabin, and the observation of these visitors reflects Thoreau’s comprehension of transcendentalism. A direct purpose of this chapter is to show that a minimalist approach to being hospitable will inevitably lead to a better connection with the visitor, but this requires both the host and the visitor to have the mind set of accepting and expecting less. In this sense, Thoreau is expressing that often societal expectation hinder more important aspects of a relationships from occurring, and that the correct mind set, such as the French-Canadian character praised in this chapter, will produce a different but more beneficial life for a person.
Thoreau idealizes the simplistic lifestyle, and when on the subject of a simple life vs. a “superficial” life there is an apparent shift in tone and diction. On the subject of living simply, Thoreau is sure to have a tone of appreciate of all aspects of life, and it is a tone rejoicing in all the greatness life has to offer. This tone is shown by Thoreau’s somewhat strange description of the French-Canadians tree stumps, that a “sled might slide over the stumps.” This carefully chosen description sets the joyous tone Thoreau uses for half of the chapter, and the diction correlates to the tone as well. He chose words such as “indulge” to describe the simple action of chopping down a tree. Also he uses religious parallelism to enhance the near divinity and heavenly experience a simple life has to offer (“…holy posts in a day, who made his last supper…”). In contrast, Thoreau adopted a pensive and almost malicious tone when expressing his visitors who were far away from his ideal lifestyle and mind set. Often times he would use their dialogue, then evaluate everything wrong with the person. Thoreau was sure to use words such as “concluded” and “ceased” to describe young means life already ending because they had fallen so into the corporate world.
The audience is mainly general because the concepts being shown by Thoreau can be applied to anyone and can be appreciated my all who already understand transcendentalism, though it is possible that Thoreau would’ve had a few past visitors in mind. The title “Visitors” reflects not only the people visiting Thoreau’s cabin in the woods, but the different perceptions of what is hospitable. Some came expecting a good meal, when Thoreau ate a “frugal” dinner himself. This chapter had a story with an aphorism that “they were wiser to think that apologies could supply the place of food to their guests”. This concept coincides with Thoreau’s view that life should be simple and superficial expectations should not interfere with ones private way of living. Since many of his guests did not understand his perception of life, they could’ve very well taken his actions as inhospitable and Thoreau through his examples in this chapter would like to prove to these visitors otherwise.
The title “Visitors” holds more meaning than just the physical people entering Thoreau’s home. These visitors reflect different types of people, some who in Thoreau’s opinion are getting the most out of life and others who are so superficial that their life has ceased at an early age. The accepted expectation of the title is jeopardized in this chapter by Thoreau devaluing common hospitality and promoting simple relationships with other people, nature, and oneself. This concept is shown by “Visitors” but is promoted by Thoreau to be utilized in all aspects of life.

Winter Animals

2008-11-18T23:30:00.001-08:00

“Winter Animals” is the fifteenth chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s nonfiction book Walden. Thoreau’s purpose in writing “Winter Animals” is to describe and demonstrate the purity and importance of nature.
Thoreau accomplishes his purpose by using vivid imagery and metaphors to describe the animals that surround Walden in the wintertime. He uses words with positive connotations in conjunction with the wild animals. For example, the uses words like “free” to describe the many animals multiple times throughout the paper. This use of the word “free” shows how the animals have an unconstrained mind and spirit, characteristics that Thoreau values and believes all people should seek to posses. Also, he describes the rhythmic qualities of nature. For example, “[The geese] passed over the pond toward Fair Heaven, seemingly deterred from settling by my light, their commodore honking all the while with a regular beat” (Thoreau). This rhythmic quality of nature is further exemplified through his use of word like “every evening,” and repeated use of the word “regularly.” This shows the reader that nature can be trusted and as Thoreau demonstrates through the geese, if a person follows nature he/she will be led to the “Fair Heaven.”
In addition, he presents his descriptions of the animals as evidence that man should value nature. Throughout the chapter Thoreau describes these animals from his own personal experiences. By using this “I” voice combined with his deep descriptions the reader can almost see through his eyes. By putting the reader in his own shoes he allows the readers to really experience nature themselves. Also, often times throughout the chapter Thoreau personifies the animals he is describing. For example, he says, “for all the motions of a squirrel, even in the most solitary recesses of the forest, imply spectators as much as those of a dancing girl” (Thoreau). By giving these animals human traits he gives the reader something they can relate to and have a better understanding for. This in turn allows Thoreau to transform his personal experiences into public expression.
Thoreau wrote “Winter Animals” for a very general audience. He shows this battle between the hunter and the fox to show on a microcosmic level that man is interfering with the peace and purity that is nature. By describing the general man as the “hunter” and the killer of these animals, he is directing this chapter at people who don’t value nature and as he says, “villagers confined to their street [by the snow]” (Thoreau). Although, his audience is general, it would have been helpful to be someone who lived in the Walden area because he often references locations in and around Walden.
Throughout this piece Thoreau utilizes a very respectful tone when speaking of the animals. He almost seems to describe them as friends when he says, “one alighted on an armful of wood which I was carrying in, and pecked at the sticks without fear…I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn” (Thoreau). This respectful tone helps give the readers a sense of admiration for the animals as well. This in turn allows the reader to connect with and value nature. On the other hand, in certain parts of the chapter Thoreau seems to have a more melancholy and saddened tone. For example, he describes the owl’s call, “I heard the forlorn but melodious note of a hooting owl” (Thoreau). Also, later he describes the sickly body of a rabbit outside his cabin. These “forlorn” and saddened words associated with nature relate to the winter months. For instance, the title “Winter Animals” describes animals as belonging to the winter months. This then emphasizes the fact that even though some animals may seem melancholy in the cold, hard winter; nature and the animals survive and will continue to live on. This is shown through Thoreau’s description of the sickly rabbit bounding gracefully away from him, because it still had a lively spirit, despite the barren looking outside. This forlorn tone also helps Thoreau accomplish his purpose because he shows the reader how nature is always reliable, alive, and pure despite how it appears. Overall, Thoreau describes only a few of the animals that he encounter in the winter months, but by doing so he shows his audience that nature holds harmony and free spirits that should be valued and reflected in the society of men.

Solitude

2008-11-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

Solitude, the fifth chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden, meticulously explains and depicts the level of peace and contentment Thoreau feels in what society would describe as “solitude,” and Thoreau would describe as the connection between “two minds,” Nature’s and his own.

His purpose throughout the chapter is to enlighten society not only about the misunderstanding and negative connotation that it has toward “seclusion,” but also to glorify Nature, its beauty, and its harmonious ability to comfort and sustain Thoreau. Beginning with the title, Thoreau denounces the general idea that the withdrawal from society would lead to the feeling of being lonesome by providing his personal experiences and comparisons to nature to show his delight in solitude. By titling the chapter “solitude,” he puts a negative and almost pitiful connotation in the reader’s mind. However, by the end of the chapter that the word “solitude,” in Thoreau’s mind might as well have been replaced with the word “liberty” or “serenity.” In achieving his purpose Thoreau, first explains that “solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows.” However, Thoreau does welcome this distance as he claims “to be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating.” Instead he describes solitude as an opportunity for a person to be “at the mercy of his thoughts.” These same thoughts led Thoreau to question “if the near neighborhood of man was not essential to a serene and healthy life.” While acknowledging that “to be alone was something unpleasant,” Thoreau proves this to be impugnable once he is in the “indescribable innocence and beneficence of Nature.”

Since Thoreau writes in first-person point of view, the chapter and book take on a form that is more personal and journal like, the audience in which Thoreau projects his ideas toward is himself. He writes this piece much like a devotion is written, and in Thoreau’s case, the object of his devotion is his solitude in Nature. However, as his private experiences in Nature are written out, Thoreau does say “you” once in his entire paper. This suggests that his ideas could be addressed to a broad audience.

The tone of the chapter is revealed through the specific diction in Thoreau’s piece. His overall tone toward Nature is seen as majestic and divine. This is evident through his eight references to Roman and Greek mythological gods and instruments. He also personifies the trees by saying “every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me.” This quotation describes how Thoreau feels completely fulfilled and empathized with while being in solitude. He goes further to explain that in Nature it is impossible to be really alone. Thoreau states that he is “no more lonely than the Mill Brook, or a weathercock, or the north star, or the south wind, or an April shower, or a January thaw, or the first spider in a new house.” The parallel structure of this sentence gives the reader a mental listing of the plethora of things in Nature that are one of many (bumblebees) or that survive quite perfectly by themselves like the north star. When Thoreau asks to “let me have a draught of undiluted morning air. Morning air!” his repetition and exclamation shoes his satisfaction with his natural surroundings. In aversion to his tone for Nature, Thoreau displays a disgusted and belittling tone toward society in the piece. For example, Thoreau complains by saying “society is commonly too cheap” to give “each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.” These quotations served as foils to the description of nature in their short and direct diction.

Thoreau begins this chapter by saying, “this is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore.” He describes his experience in Nature as being a powerful and absorbing, especially when his thoughts are left to transcend in the limitless area of Nature.

Solitude

2008-11-18T22:31:00.000-08:00

Through chapter four in Henry Thoreau’s Book, Walden, Thoreau expresses his view on loneliness and compares them to society’s view on loneliness. Thoreau takes his experiences from living in “solitude” to convey to his audience that being alone is a beneficial part of his life.
The title of this chapter, “Solitude” is Thoreau’s topic throughout the chapter. He talks about his life in seclusion, his experiences, and explains how they are different than what people might think. He says, “I am no more lonely than the Mill Brook, or a weathercock, or the north star, or the south wind, or an April shower, or a January thaw, or the first spider in a new house.” People may think that being lonely is being away from people but Thoreau points out that nature is a companion as good as any. Thoreau’s purpose in writing this chapter is to show the audience that isolation isn’t truly isolation; one can have nature as his companion. He expresses this through his own experiences while living in Walden. After a few weeks living in the woods he says, “I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature…human neighborhood insignificant, and I have never thought of them since.”
The descriptive and vivid diction used throughout the piece helps Thoreau set his tone. His tone is loving toward nature and calm just like how he feels when he is at his house in Walden. He takes in the nature surrounding him and shows nature in a different light. While people might be scared and upset by storms, Thoreau expresses that he is “soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting.” He also adds many details to the landscape surrounding his house that gives an idea to his isolation. Phrases like “fluttering alder and poplar leaves almost takes away my breath” and “as remote from the storm as the smooth reflecting surface” shows that Thoreau has spent a lot of time in “solitude” and thought out the implications of his “solitude.” Thoreau also uses many rhetorical questions throughout this chapter. For example, he asks society, “Why should I be lonely? is not our planet in the Milky Way?” These questions directly question the audience and their views on loneliness and call for the reader to question these views.
Though the audience for this piece could be just for Thoreau as a reference of his time spent in Walden, it is mainly directed toward people who are surrounded by people every minute of their lives and are not in tune to nature, mostly people that live in the city. This audience is targeted by Thoreau’s rhetorical questions and references of men saying to him “‘I should think you would feel lonesome down there, and want to be nearer to folks, rainy and snowy days and nights especially.’” This way people relate to the situation and then Thoreau gives his perspective.
"Solitude" was a very interesting piece because Thoreau presents a different side to the definition of the word “solitude”, one that most people wouldn’t consider. Thoreau shows through this chapter that people make their own definitions of things based on what they’ve experienced, and for most people that would be the view of the majority of society. Thoreau presents a point that if people don’t conform they will be more enlightened and knowledgeable about the world and themselves.

2008-11-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

“Winter Animals” the 15th chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, describes the wildlife he encountered during the winter months of his stay at Walden. The title “Winter Animals” reflects the Transcendental idea that all nature is unique and important. By putting “winter” in front of “animals,” Thoreau is putting importance on these animals. By using “winter” as an adjective, he is making these animals distinct from all other animals. These aren’t just any animals, these are WINTER animals. He is suggesting that each animal has an integral and distinct part in nature and society. If he titled the chapter “Animals Present During the Winter Months” or “Overwintering Animals,” it would suggest that the animals are just there, and not a greater part of the intricate ecosystem.

The purpose of “Winter Animals” is to describe the animals and their everyday actions during the winter months. In turn, he shows how all animals are related and all their actions affect each other, and that they are all important and part of an intricate system. For example, first he describes how a red squirrel eats corn cobs Thoreau gives it. “At length he would reach the corn, and selecting a suitable ear… and there sit for hours… nibbling at first voraciously and throwing the half-naked cobs about…” (Thoreau 2) Then, he describes the actions of the jays that arrive. “…they flit from tree to tree, nearer and nearer, and pick up the kernels which the squirrels have dropped” (Thoreau 2). After that, he describes the actions of the chickadees. “…came the chickadees, which, picking up the crumbs the squirrels had dropped,” (Thoreau 3). Thoreau includes these details to support nature’s complicacy and the individual power of animals.

By going into great detail about the animals, Thoreau conveys a very respectful and admiring tone towards the animals. He writes if each action is significant. For example, the squirrel just didn’t run to the tree, but it would “frisk about in the same uncertain trigonometrical way to the topmost stick…” (Thoreau 2). By including the word “trigonometrical,” he makes the squirrel seem intelligent. Also, he uses personification to support his admirable tone. He conveys great respect for animals by writing about them like they are humans. For example, he describes the jays as “They were manifestly thieves, and I had not much respect for them” (Thoreau 3). The chickadees “pick a dinner” (Thoreau 3), not just find food.

The audience is the majority of the population that isn’t Transcendentalist. By going into great detail about the small actions of each animal, Thoreau is opening the eyes of people unaware of the power and beauty of nature. At the end of the chapter, Thoreau asks “What is a country without rabbits and partridges?” (Thoreau 5) to make the reader themselves observe the individual importance of animals familiar to the reader.

By personifying the actions of the individual animals he encounters, Thoreau mirrors nature with the human society, and shows how all nature is important and integral to everything around it.

"Sounds"

2008-11-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Thoreau listens to nature in his piece "Sounds" and ultimately learns and comes to conclusions about society and thought because of these sounds that he hears. His purpose that one should follow nature is supported by the fact that he comes to his conclusions through sounds in nature, additionally it supports his beleifs that one should not follow manmade things such as trains and commerce, and that those things corrupt the natural order in the world.

Thoreau has more than one purpose in his piece sounds. By using his personal experience of hearing sounds and then interpreting them in order to support his beliefs shows that one can learn so much from nature. His personal experience proves his belief correct. Thoreau says, "What is the course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routing of life, compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen?" In saying this he is stating his purpose and prompting the reader not just to read things, but to experience them and interpret the information they take in. Additionally Thoreau uses his experience sounds in his natural habitat to coney his opinions on manmade objects and commerce. Thoreau makes it very obvious that he views manmade objects and commerce and evil which is a contrast to how he view nature. This view is displayed through his diction. First off, the train interrupts his calm day. They countryman's whistle "screams." But, that isn't even the worst of it. When speaking of the engine of the train he says, "as if this traveling demigod, this cloud compeller would ere long to take the sunset sky for the lively of his train; when i hear the iron horse make the hills echo with his snort like thunder, shaking the earth with his feet, and breathing fire and smoke from his nostrils (what kind of winged horse or fiery dragon they will put into the new Mythology I don't know)." He is using his private experience of sounds of the train cutting through his silence to show how the evil train cuts through society destorying the natural godlike order of things. He again uses diction to call commerce evil. He first discusses the restlessness of businessmen, and states that enterprise is not innocent. He uses a relgious reference when saying of commerce, "It does not clasp its hands and pray to Jupiter." Thoreau futhers his argument by using Rogerian argument, and discussing the benefits of trains and commmerce to farmers, but leaves the reader with an overall negative impression of trains and commerce.

Thoreau's tone which is admiring toward nature, and critical toward commerce assists in conveying his purpose. Not only does he use positive godlike diction towards nature, and negative evil diction when talking about commerce, but he also makes certain direct statements or poses questions to readers, as if to advise them to love nature and dislike commerce. At the very beginning of this piece he questions readers saying, "Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer?" In doing so, he is asking them if they will see nature as they should. Twice he exclaims, "If the enterprise were as innocent as it is early!" This aside statement is seperate from his other thoughts, giving this statement a punch and enforcing the message of the corruption of enterprise. Lastly Thoreau directly tells the reader, "Every path but your own is the path of fate. Keep your own track, then." In doing so, he is almost subtly hinting that the railroad track is not right because it is not your own, and therefore you should not keep to it.

Thoreau is telling society in general to follow nature and interpret it, instead of living in the restless world of commerce and enterprise. However, this chapter is directed toward an educated audience. This is evident because at the very beginning of this chapter he is telling people not just to read, which suggests they are educated and are reading for a purpose in the first place. Additionally , he says, "We are all educated thus to be sons of Tell." This is saying that we are educated in order to be heroes and made smart decisions, and he is prompting the educated audience to make these right decisions. Also, Thoreau references war heroes, Greek mythology, native american tribes, and historical events and one must be educated to a certain extent to know and understand these references. Thoreau wants society, and particularly educated smart people to follow the natural order of things, instead of participating in the "evils" of manmade goods, enterprise, and commerce.

Thoreau uses sounds he hears in nature to prove his point that one can learn from nature, along with showing his negative view on manmade goods, enterprise, and commerce. The fact that the title of his piece is "Sounds" causes the reader to look for sounds and really adds a logical appeal to his piece, because his personal experience of sounds backs up his argument. Thoreau's purpose is clearly conveyed through his experience of hearing sounds in nature.

Solitude

2008-11-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

In Thoreau’s fifth chapter, “Solitude,” he expresses his feelings about nature and reflects on how he feels when he is alone. The purpose of this chapter is to prove that one does not need to live with other people to be happy and that solitude can be just as friendly as any human. He writes about his encounters with nature and how they constantly amaze him. Being away from all of the distractions of society allows Thoreau to be completely consumed by the nature around him and helps him to write.

The title of the chapter, “Solitude,” is the part of Walden that Thoreau describes and defends. To better concentrate on his writing, Thoreau chooses to live all alone in a forest that is right next to Walden Pond. The title explains exactly what Thoreau discuses in his piece, “I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will” (Thoreau 12). He defends the idea of solitude and embraces the feeling of being alone that comforts him.

In this chapter, his audience is, above all others, himself. Through this chapter, he proves to himself that he is truly happy when he is alone. He wants for anyone who reads "Solitude" to understand how he feels and see that society is too "cheap" to spend all your time with others. Because of this, his audience is also perhaps those who unnecessarily cling to other people instead of exploring their own inner thoughts.

Thoreau's tone portrays his welcoming attitude toward nature's company and he is always awe-stricken by the mystery and beauty of nature when no one else is around. In solitude, Thoreau is able to dive into nature's secrets, and he can savor the beauty of a single tree with no other opinions. "I passed [the tree] again the other day, and was struck with awe on looking up and beholding that mark, now more distinct than ever, where a terrific and resistless bolt came down out of the harmless sky eight years ago" (Thoreau 5). He looks up at this tree and takes in the power that one tree has over him.

With his choice of diction, Thoreau creates an image of an isolated pond where all is still and untouched. He also uses the words "spacious" and he says "For what reason have I this vast range and circuit, some square miles of unfrequented forest, for my privacy, abandoned to me by men? My nearest neighbor is a mile distant, and no house is visible from any place but the hill-tops within half a mile of my own. I have my horizon bounded by woods all to myself..." (Thoreau 3). The connotation of such words is fresh and spacious. Thoreau fits his description of so much empty space around him into hits chapter to show how open and calm solitude can be when one is surrounded by something as superior as nature.

Thoreau's private observations in "Solitude" begin to speak to the reader because he chose to write down his beliefs and feelings. When his expiriences of being in solitude are on paper, the world can see his point of view on nature. He is constantly repeating that he loves to be alone. This chapter is his own means of communicating what solitude in nature is really like so that others can appreciate the ways of Transcendentalism.

Brute Neighbors

2008-11-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

The twelfth chapter in Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden, is titled Brute Neighbors, and concerns the wildlife that inhabits the wood and lake around his cabin. In this chapter Thoreau addresses both meanings of the word ‘brute’ by first speaking of the animals themselves, brute, and then by describing their raw and unaltered behaviors, brute. However, it is in the word ‘neighbors’ that Thoreau reveals his transcendental emotions. In his isolated cabin Thoreau did not have traditional neighbors, but his choice to call the wildlife his neighbors shows that he thinks of them as more than just animals.

In Brute Neighbors he shares the times he spent with a loon, a swarm of ants, a mouse and a partridge, all extremely detailed accounts focusing on the intellect of the animals. Thoreau expounds on the dedication of the fighting ants he watched, saying that “I have no doubt that it was a principle they fought for, as much as our ancestors, and not to avoid a three penny tax on their tea.” Thoreau condescends on the intentions of the American colonists, simplifying their intentions in the Boston Tea Party to make their reasoning seem silly. In doing so he builds up the tiny ants, making their fight seem like an honorable battle. Thoreau uses stories of the animals to illustrate how advanced nature is, and to show his fellow intellectuals the reasoning for his isolation.

Scattered among the animal stories are various references to historical events and words in Latin. Thoreau says that “it was not a duellum, but a bellum” (Thoreau), but does not explain what these words mean, because he assumes that his audience is educated enough to connect his references. He also uses these historical connections to express the complexity of nature. By saying that “The battle which I witnessed took place in the Presidency of Polk” (Thoreau), Thoreau places the ant battle in the historical time line, creating a higher regard for the battle in public opinion.

Throughout the chapter Thoreau personifies the animals he meets, saying that a loon “set up his wild laugh and betrayed himself” (Thoreau). By playing up the human qualities of animals, he makes it easier for the reader to connect with the animal because of their shared characteristics. His choice of words also adds to the awe filled tone of the piece. Thoreau’s amazement at the inner workings of nature seeping through with phrases like “[the loon] maneuvered so cunningly,” “so perfect is this instinct,” and “purity of infancy” to describe the animals, and said that his reaction was “excited and harrowed” (Thoreau). His involved and passionate tone helps the reader understand why he appreciates the wildlife.

Solitude

2008-11-18T19:21:00.001-08:00

Solitude, the fifth chapter of Walden, provides insights into Henry David Thoreau’s thoughts about the opportunities seclusion offers to an individual. Thoreau employs the word “solitude” for the title because it has a more calming and positive connotation than does “isolation” or “seclusion.” This word choice implies that he knows there is more to solitude than most people think (being cut off from society). His purpose is to convey to the readers that solitude in the midst of nature enables us to realize that “that we are never alone.” Thoreau declares, “What sort of space is that which separates a man from his fellows and makes him solitary? I have found that no exertion of the legs can bring two minds much nearer to one another.” He finds that merely being close to other humans does not guarantee that you will learn more about the world and yourself. Although he wrote the chapter privately and intended it for himself, the chapter is most relevant to urban dwellers who cannot understand the true value of nature. For example, he writes that one evening a wealthy townsman “inquired of me how I could bring my mind to give up so many of the comforts of life. I answered that I was very sure I liked it passably well.”

Thoreau employs vivid diction to create a surreal, poignant tone. For example, phrases like “the smooth reflecting surface,” “fluttering alder and poplar leaves,” “the stony shore of the pond,” and “the lingering odor of a cigar or pipe” call forth multiple sensations to create an image the reader can easily visualize. His first person voice addresses the reader directly and clearly describes the interactions he experiences with nature. In addition, Thoreau utilizes many rhetorical questions, such as “Why should I feel lonely,” What do we want most to dwell near to,” and “Shall I not have intelligence with the earth” to lay emphasis on his own convictions. These frequent questions also allow the readers to pause and contemplate about their own ideas on the subject, and they maintain the reader’s interest in the discussion. With his emotional, candid tone, Thoreau shows the reader that he understands the subjects he is discussing and has individually experienced and developed his beliefs. He relies primarily on emotional appeal and strong imagery to sway the reader to his side and demonstrate his views of society.

After a few weeks in his retreat, Thoreau “was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature…as made the fancied advantages of human neighborhood insignificant.” He questions why we cannot “do without the society of our gossips a little while under these circumstances — have our own thoughts to cheer us?” Thoreau wholeheartedly embraced individualism and a personal search for knowledge and fulfillment. He marveled the purity of nature and the lessons it could teach us, and he felt that remaining in an overcrowded environment where conformity prevailed could never benefit an individual as much as retreating to Walden could. Thoreau reasoned that one’s personal experiences and beliefs should shape his or her public attitudes and actions, and one must never be afraid to be different.

Solitude

2008-11-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

In chapter five of Walden, Thoreau addresses the issue of solitude. Many people view solitude as something negative, associated with loneliness. However, Thoreau puts a different spin on solitude saying that solitude is something all can benefit from because solitude gives you many benficial opportunities that you wouldn't get a chance to experience otherwise. Thoreau chose the title "solitude" because solitude doesn't have the same negative tone that the words loneliness and seclusion have. Even though solitude, loneliness, and seclusion have the same general meaning, these words represent different things in everyone's minds, and they associate these words with other things that give them a negative or positive aspect. If Thoreau had chosen loneliness and seclusion, then the audience wouldn't have the same open mind that they have with the word seclusion because of the negative things they associate with those words. Therefore, the audiance wouldn't have listened to Thoreau's ideas and beliefs as greatly as they would have, and they would be less impacted from his piece. The audiance also wouldn't have felt a greater need to act on Thoreau's words.

Thoreau's purpose in chapter five is to show his audiance that when an indiviual is "alone" with nature, they are able to see that they truly aren't alone. Nature is always there, and will provide everything we need. When we are alone with nature, that is when we are able to clearly think and find deeper meanings. "Some of my pleasantest hours were during the long rain-storms in the spring or fall, which confined me to the house for the afternoon as well as the fornoon, soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting; when an early twiligt ushered in a long evening in which many thoughts had time to take root and unfold themselves"(Thoreau 5). Thoreau explains to his audience that it wasn't until he was confined in his house for long periods of time with nature where he found many answers that he'd been searching for a long time. "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude" (Thoreau 12). Thoreau is saying that when we are with company, that is when we are truly alone because we aren't able to think and find the answers we're looking for. However, when we are with nature, we are able to be alone with our thoughts to find answers we've been searching for. Thoreau makes his argument throughout the piece by relating his own life experiences to what he believes to show that he is a good example of what he says. This way, the audience understands his purpose more.

The audience in chapter five is the more educated part of society. Thoreau quotes and gives exanples from roman and greek mythology, Conficius, and other intelligent sources that he assumes the reader knows and has heard of because he doesn't explain who they are or give a backround behind each source. Also, with the use of these well-known, intelligent figures, the audience relates more to Thoreau because they have heard of these sources and believe what they believe in. This also makes his audience easier to persuade.The tone of chapter five is amazed with all that nature and offers to the individual, and condescending of those who are unable to see all that nature offers, and those who don't desire to use nature to seek for deeper meanings. When Thoreau is asked by a townsman if he ever gets lonely, Thoreau immediately wants to respond to his question to show the townsman how wrong his question was and how deeply mistaken he was. Thoreau thought in his mind,"What sort of space is that which seperates a man from his fellows and makes him solitary?"(Thoreau 5). Thoreau means to show how misunderstood society is about solitude, and how confined and conformed their thoughts are about being alone.

Thoreau's "Sounds"

2008-11-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

Henry David Thoreau spent almost two years at his pond-side transcendental paradise, Walden. He documents his daily life at Walden and his experiences in Walden, and focuses on the auditory experience of Walden in the chapter “Sounds.”

Thoreau’s purpose in writing the chapter entitled “Sounds” is to inform his readers on what his daily life is like through his auditory experiences, as well as discuss his personal beliefs on civilization and technological advances, just as the title allows the reader to assume. The description of his auditory experiences are a direct reflection of his feelings about civilization and how he places a higher value on natural things instead of man made objects. Thoreau expresses a dislike for the trains he hears, which are the ultimate symbol of man’s technological advancement. The train cuts through the woods surrounding Walden Pond and often interrupts Thoreau’s peaceful paradise. Thoreau muses on the benefits of trains, and although he says they are beneficial to farmers, they are “scaring the owl and fox.” Trains and their noises disrupt the natural flow of life, and Thoreau believes that “if the cloud that hangs over the engine were perspiration of heroic deeds…then Nature…would cheerfully accompany men on their errands.” In his transcendental wonderland, Thoreau has little use for the trains, but rather prefers the sounds of his natural surroundings. He expresses great admiration for the sounds of animals that fill his days, and finds peace in the noises of the owls, whippoorwills, and frogs. The noises of nature and the isolation allow Thoreau to be alone in nature with “no path to the civilized world.”

Thoreau’s audience is rather general, though one familiar with transcendentalism. He gives in depth descriptions of what Walden looks like and sounds like, so it can be inferred that his target audience has never been to Walden before. The discussion he provides on civilization makes it seem as if his audience is those who are familiar with transcendental arguments. Thoreau doesn’t try to convince his audience that nature and natural things are better, but rather he only gives evidence on why nature is good and civilization is bad. Thoreau employs few argumentative strategies in “Sounds,” thus making the audience those who are already in accord with transcendentalism.

Thoreau writes “Sounds” in a thoughtful tone, focusing on deep ideas related to transcendentalism and nature. There is no joking in “Sounds,” but rather deep analogies related to death. Thoreau compares the sound of screech owls to “suicide lovers remembering the pangs and delights of supernal love.” His tone conveys his deep feelings on the importance of nature, but he also writes in a very observant tone, especially when describing the actions of certain animals in around his home, such as the whippoorwills. Thoreau implements specific onomatopoeias into the chapter, which allows the selection to become a little lighter in regards to tone. Several times, Thoreau tries to imitate the sounds the animals make. In describing the owls, Thoreau writes that from a distance, the owls sing, “hoo hoo hoo, hoorer hoo” and the frogs say “tr-r-r-oonk, tr-r-r---oonk.” Thoreau is consistent throughout the piece with the imitations of the animals, and it allows the readers to put themselves there and hear what Thoreau hears. It also adds to Thoreau’s observational tone, as well achieving his purpose of informing his readers on the auditory experiences at Walden.

Through the descriptions of his auditory experiences in "Sounds," Thoureau shares his true feelings about the technological advances of civilazation. The only noises that are acceptable are those of nature, and those that remind the listener of nature, and the true values that civilzation should hold. Thoreau's belief in a constant attention to nature contradicts the fast world surrounding him, but Walden and the sounds he hears allow him to be one with his natural surroundings.

Reading

2008-11-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Chapter three of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, titled “Reading,” transcends a mere definition or poetic analysis of this activity. In fact, “Reading” actually promotes exemplary methods by which to explore literature. Thoreau specifically encourages the reading of original texts, deep analysis, and the development of educational village, a task that he predicts will refine America’s intellectual scene.

The title “Reading” may suggest a romantic interpretation of the beauty of literature. If anything, Thoreau is really commenting of the importance of literature and the best means by which it should be handled. Thoreau’s purpose actually consists of three parts. First, he promotes the study of ancient languages for true understanding of the classics. He exemplifies this by saying that “Homer” or “Æschylus” are best read “in the Greek” so that there will be no danger of “dissipation” of the text. But beyond just telling the reader to study literature in its original form, Thoreau also exults a more thorough approach to reading. At one point he says, “Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they are written, for there is a memorable interval between the spoken and written language” (Thoreau 2). Thoreau means that one cannot treat what he reads as spoken language. Thoreau describes spoken language as “brutish,” something learned “unconsciously.” Writers, on the other hand, put much thought into what they write, and thus their manuscripts deserve more thoughtful analysis. Otherwise, reading is merely a “paltry convenience.” Lastly, Thoreau intends to convert his New England village, Concord, into a “patron of the fine arts.” He even writes, “It is time that we had uncommon schools…that villages were universities. Cannot students be boarded here and get a liberal education under the skies of Concord?” (Thoreau 5). At this point in history, men and women in New England were sending their children to Europe to receive quality educations. To counter this trend, Thoreau advocates Concord’s own transformation into an educational center.

Only aiding in his purpose, Thoreau employs philosophical and disdainful tone and diction yet remains hopeful in the end. Within the first paragraph, he writes, “In founding a family or a state, or acquiring fame even, we (humans) are mortal: but in dealing with truth we are immortal” (Thoreau 1). Speaking of “truth” and mortality, Thoreau establishes a thoughtful, philosophical voice early on in the piece. The reader sees he takes the subject seriously. Later Thoreau writes that men only read to “keep up and add” to their English and that “this is about as much” as even the “college-bred” do. Thoreau is fairly disappointed that even the educated “college-bred” do not fully understand or grasp the importance of literature. Nonetheless, Thoreau finishes his the chapter on a hopeful not: “I am confident that…our means are greater than the nobleman’s. New England can hire all the wise men in the world to come and teach her…and not be provincial at all” (Thoreau 5). Despite lackluster performance with education and literature hitherto, Thoreau sees potential in Concord’s becoming a sophisticated educational center.

Thus Thoreau clarifies his intended audience as his own neighbors. Yet even earlier he writes, “We boast that we belong to the Nineteenth Century and are making the most rapid stride of any nation” (Thoreau 5). As shown with the words “we” and “nation,” he reveals that not only does he identify with his audience, but that it also goes beyond just Concord village. Thoreau really directs this work at America as a whole. This explains why Thoreau encourages the study of ancient languages and reading as a “noble intellectual exercise.” With these intellectual improvements that each individual can make, all of America can “take the place of the nobleman of Europe.” The nation itself can publicly become a center of intellect and education.

With this chapter, Thoreau intends to modify the way by which Americans read. He explains the importance of reading texts in their primary languages and also a more analytical style. With his ultimately goading tone, Thoreau attempts to move the reader to ameliorate his intellect, all because of the potential Thoreau sees in America.

Economy

2008-11-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

In the Economy chapter, Thoreau discusses how the majority of people are too focused on their money and financial status. The meaning of necessity has been changed to convenient in American culture. Thoreau describes necessity as food and shelter. Most of the population has food and shelter or could obtain it if they didn’t spend their money on other items that they also consider necessities.

The tone in this piece is a frustrating and incredulous one. He seems to be confused as to why people put all this work in to live an unrewarding life, for there is a minute amount that become rich by work rather than having family money passed down to them. Thoreau states that he especially saw this in Concord where “the inhabitants have appeared to me to be doing penance in a thousand remarkable ways” (Thoreau 1). Frustration also shows through when he uses bold statements such as, “But men labor under a mistake” (Thoreau 1). He has very strong viewpoints on the fact that Americans overwork themselves for an ideological goal that’s almost unattainable. He includes this personal account of Concord to further prove to the reader that he has experienced what they are going through, but he still finds it ludicrous. If he hadn’t included this paragraph a predictable response to this whole piece would be that “he doesn’t know where the citizens are coming from.” On the contrary, he knows very well what they are going through and it was one of the many reasons he turned his back on society. Without this paragraph, this piece would be less credible and less effective.

The purpose of him writing this piece was to point out to people that most of their efforts don’t produce enough reward and to present that they can lead a much more fulfilling life without the strains they experience daily. When he says, “The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost” (Thoreau 1), it shows that Thoreau believes that such repeatedly laborious work eats away at the good of a man. In this chapter he provides pages of evidence that show people can live gratifying lives if they would just change their perception of what a necessity is. The people that he tries to reach out to would be all of those that aren’t in the upper class but dream to be in it and slave most of their lives away to try to obtain that status. He attempts to show them through this paper that there is no need to live a life of constant discontent when they can just let go of the non-necessities and then be able to put food on the table for their families. The piece even says, “…to the mass of men who are discontented, and idly complaining of the hardness of their lot or the times, when they might improve them” (Thoreau 4).

Thoreau really emphasizes on the word “necessity.” It frequently comes up in the piece because he is trying to get the point across of what is really necessity and what is just considered necessity by society. He also gets a bit sarcastic towards the end. Thoreau talks about how people think fire places are necessary, but they aren’t because as long as enough food is consumed, the body will make enough body heat. He then talks about how the rich will have four fireplaces in one house because they consider it a “necessity,” when it’s definitely not. Just to show off their money, the rich will sometimes have many fires going at once and “…are not simply kept comfortably warm, but unnaturally hot…they are cooked, of course a la mode.” (Thoreau 4). He throws in the sarcastic comment about “a la mode” because he’s trying to put down the foolish perspective of society and tries to show people that there isn’t a great reason to want to be rich.

The title of “Economy” interests the reader because that is where most of their nagging questions about Thoreau lifestyle are rooted. He even takes time in the first two paragraphs to address common questions such as “what did he eat?” and “did you feel lonesome?” The title also sets him up for the point he is going to discuss and the reason it was so easy for him to survive was that he could let go of the conveniences and only focus on the true necessities. From there he goes into what the true necessities are and then tries to convince the readers of the better life they are able to live if they would only consider his points.

Overall this piece was very interesting, and the points he makes within it are have validity and grounds to back them up. Though he offers a very convincing argument, what he suggests to the readers is something most won’t take advantage of because the dramatic changes they would have to go through. This pieces main purpose is not to convince them to take advantage of this though, its mearly to suggest a way out of the discontent life they live.

2008-11-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hi, folks --

Here's your reminder for the Walden blog post!

1.Go to www.eserver.org/thoreau/cliff.html
2.Take the guided tour.
3.After you’re finished, go to the Walden section of the site.
4.Read 1 chapter of Walden.
5. Analyze the chapter for the following rhetorical strategies:
*Tone
*Purpose
*Diction
*Private experience into public expression
*Audience
*Title
6. Choose 3-5 quotes from the chapter and integrate them into your response.
7. Post to the blog by classtime on the 19th of Novembe
8. Sketch an interpretation of the chapter on a blank sheet and bring it in to class. Choose a quote that best captures what you have created.

Please post the TITLE of the chapter as the title of the blog post. Enjoy!

2008-10-17T10:49:00.001-07:00

This tragedy didn't really have a hero since, in the end, all main characters were equally worthless.

2008-10-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Having been abandoned by his father as a child, Willy was destined to do the same to his children, and be an unsuccessful parent.

2008-10-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

Had Biff not walked in on his father having an affair, he would have grown up trying to achieve the American Dream the same way his father had tried.

Amber's Thesis

2008-10-16T20:44:00.001-07:00

Willy's tendency to hide the truth behind a more perfect image causes him to be unable to cope with reality, and essentially ruins his life. If Willy's deceptive and dellusional life had been a success, Biff would not have seen a flaw in disguising the truth, and would not have learned that it is better to be an honest man who doesn't try to cut corners.

Thesis

2008-10-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

If Biff had not seen the affair his father had with the woman, he would have and would continuing living a life similar to Willy's. His brother Happy, however, because he had not seen the betrayal of Willy and thus Willy's lack of devotion to Linda also, would continue to lead a life that resemble's his father's.

2008-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Willy attention automatically drifts to Biff, overpassing anything regarding Happy, from his weight to his own wedding. Through it all, Happy still sees Willy as the man he respects and must please. Because of Happy's deranged preception, his ignorance, and Willy's paternal neglect Happy will live his life mirrored to his father's.

2008-10-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Willy believes that being well liked, and not what the person can accomplish, will progress one forward in the capitalist world. This ignorant belief and its repercussions are not only depicted in Willy’s failure, but also his sons who were encouraged and convinced that they would succeed in life solely on charm. There was never an emphasis on sheer hard work and solid talent and this lack of understanding contributed to the characters problems repeatedly throughout their lifetime.

thesis

2008-10-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Due to the negative influence that Willy put on his sons, they will ultimately be like their father that they will be misguided.

Thesis

2008-10-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Woven throughout the play are many symbolic references to inanimate objects in conjunction with Willy. These repeated references show the importance Willy places on tangible success and give reason for Willy’s unhappiness and eventual demise.

Jane's Thesis

2008-10-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Though male influences are prevalent throughout DOAS, the lack of significant father figures in all of the childhoods of the Loman males eventually leads to their inability to reach success, as defined by the "American Dream."

One sentence down, hundreds to go.

Thesis

2008-10-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

Biff admired his father Willy greatly through out his childhood, and if Biff hadn't walked in on his father having an affair, Biff would have led a similar, delusional life that Willy lived through out his life.

Thesis

2008-10-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Although in the end of the play Biff finally realizes how he should've lived his life all along, Miller explains that the lack of trust and success Biff had in his life came from Willy's misguided ways of parenting.

Thesis

2008-10-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Because of Willy's constant favoring of Biff and neglecting of Happy (while growing up), and because of the mindset Willy put into his boys , Happy will lead a life similar to his father's.

Thesis

2008-10-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Although both Biff and Willy exhibit characteristics that can be considered "tragic flaws," Willy is the only true "hero," in accordance with the play's other tragic elements.

Thesis

2008-10-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

The two characters that Miller creates to be most clearly opposite are Biff and Happy. Miller attempts to illustrate the material lies in the American Dream (Willy's flawed ideals) through Happy by showing him to be a weak character with the same untruthfulness as his father. In Ben, Miller demonstrates the positive path (beginning at the Boston event) away from Willy's lies and towards the positive ideological aspects of the American Dream.

Thesis

2008-10-16T17:16:00.001-07:00

Blinded by the pressure to be successful and to live the American dream, Willy Loman is both a victim and the cause of betrayal -- Biff betrays his father's ambitions for him just as Willy betrays Linda's love by having an affair with The Woman.

Thesis

2008-10-16T16:46:00.001-07:00

Throughout the book, Miller makes many symbolic references to nature. More specifically, Miller describes Willy's fascination with seeds and gardening. These symbolic allusions help to further develop Willy as a character, and reveal his subconcious desire to fix his family, himself, and the relations he has with them.

Thesis

2008-10-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Despite being a salesman for a long time, The reality of the modern economic society does not have mercy on Willy when he has difficulty doing his job.

thesis

2008-10-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Linda Loman is a woman who idolizes and admires her husband more than anything and anyone else in her life. Although Willy is blind to how much she really loves him, she is still willing to suffer through his disrespect and defend him from everyone but himself.

Thesis

2008-10-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

The play’s many references to nature, including the outdoors, the seeds, and the garden, illustrate the contrasting values and motivations that Willy and Biff embrace.

Thesis

2008-10-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Because of his inability to self analyze, and his eagerness to be lifted out of the shadow of his older brother, Happy Loman is a version of his father, grasping parental success but never realizing the fault in his world view.

Thesis

2008-10-16T13:48:00.001-07:00

For my paper I want to focus on the symbolism of nature and seeds in the story and how Miller uses them to further clarify Willy as a character so I think my thesis statement is going to go something along the lines of this...

Miller mentions nature, and more specifically seeds, throughout the book and through this reveals certain characteristics of Willy that helps further progress the story.

DOAS Thesis

2008-10-16T13:03:00.001-07:00

Hi, folks --

Post your thesis as a NEW POST. Make sure this is done by this evening!

Tragedy and the Common Man

2008-10-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Discuss the ways in which you see Death of a Salesman as a "Tragedy of the Common Man." Provide evidence from Miller's article and the play itself. If you disagree, provide evidence that argues against Willy as a tragic hero. Your post should reference both the play and the article. Post -- as a developed comment-- before class on Thursday. (After class Thursday, but before class Friday, you'll need to post your analytical thesis.)

Contridictory Dreams

2008-10-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Do you think there is a contradiction with the "American Dream" that Willy upholds (salesman, a nice house, successful children) and the more natural, manly success of Ben? Do you think that Miller intended this foil between socially normal success and more the more adventurous self-reliance that Ben embodies?

2008-10-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Was there a point or significance to the garden at the end of the play? Was there a reference to it somewhere in the beginning?

2008-10-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

Why did Miller choose flute music? It seems ironic that a light, almost wispy sound would represent Willy's looming failure.

2008-10-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Why do you think Arthur Miller decided on the title "Death of a Salesman"instead of something different like "Willy the Salesman?"

2008-10-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

In the play, when the author describes the setting, he sometimes mentions an apron, is this a term for theatre or what is he referring to?

2008-10-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Why doesn't anyone show up at Willy's funeral? Why did the author decide to do this when being "well-liked" was all Willy ever really wanted to acheive in his life?

2008-10-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

What is the significance for Ben in this story? And why does Willy continuously talk to himself?

2008-10-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

On pages 60-61, Willy and Biff argue about whistling. Since whistling is a form of music, is it in any way related to the flute motif in the story, or is whistling a significance of some sort on its own?

2008-10-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

The word "unstable," should be between obvious and state. Sorry.

2008-10-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Why do you think Charley helps Willy even through Willy's obvious state? Charley gives Willy money to pay off his debts even though Willy constantly taunts him. And why won't Willy just accept Charley's job oppurtunity? Is it all jealousy or is there more?

2008-10-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Toward the end of the play, when Biff cries, is he really crying because he loved his father, like his father thinks, or is he is crying because of something else? Also, why do you think Linda can't cry at the funeral? And did Linda ever learn that Willy cheated on her?

Willy's Death

2008-10-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

Does Willy kill himself to help his son Biff? He says something about 20,000 dollars, and is he using his insurance to give Biff the American Dream?

2008-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of confused about the theme of theft. What does this represent? Is it the fact that Biff always wants to succeed quickly, as a result of what Willy has taught him?

Also, I don't really understand what happens at the end of the play when Biff starts crying. Is Biff blaming himself for eveything that's happened? Does he really plan to move away? Why is Willy happy when he sees Biff crying? Does he mistake the tears for physical proof that he is liked?

2008-10-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

What does Willy seem to primarily want (like in a life-goal sense)? He seems to have the dreams of a salesman, like the 84-year-old Dave Singleman guy he mentions, but he is apparently happy when he makes things and builds things (like Biff mentions at the end). Which one is it?

2008-10-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't really understand certain phrases that they used like...

"dime a dozen" on page 132
"cover" page 60
"broke the mold" page 66
"lick the world" page 64
"counting your chickens" page 63

(I have the book from the school book fair.)

2008-10-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

I know that Linda adores Willy, and respects him so much, but why does she? This question popped into my mind after the four of Lomans are discussing Biff going to talk to Oliver, and the whole time Linda is just as excited as the rest of them and Willy keeps telling her to shut up. Linda just takes it, and the respect that I had for her in the first act kinda dwindled. Willy was never successful or all that amazing, so why then does she worship Willy so much?

ALSO:

Look what i found on PostSecret!

2008-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

I don't completely understand Happy... Why is he so ignored all the time, is he a success or a failure, and why does he lie so much? why can't he face the facts? Why does no one seem to like or care about him?

2008-10-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

I still don't totally understand the flute. It seems like it just keeps popping up at random times. Does anyone think they know the significance?

2008-10-12T08:57:00.001-07:00

Can anyone explain the images/theme of nature that Mrs. Gerber wanted us to identify? Is Willy's desperate attempt to plant seeds one example?