Musical Devices:

Thesis: Maya Angelou incorporates the usage of musical devices, such as rhyme and anaphora, as well as tone to portray the speaker's deep love for nature's release from her hard labor.

           The use of rhyme scheme in the poem adds a nostalgic and playful tone for the poem. The first 14 lines list the speaker's chores, but they are written in a way that sounds both tedious and playful. The chores themselves are many, but the rhyme scheme and rhythmic meter lighten the burden of the speaker ever so slightly. The rhyme scheme changes from AABB to ABAB, and the rhythm becomes less simple and even. The shift shows how the speaker's feelings become more complicated as she thinks of the ways in which she enjoys herself. For her, the chores are automatic and stand as obstacles that keep her from letting go. The beauty of nature is the only source of comfort for her. By using anaphora, she emphasizes her need to indulge into happiness. She prays, "Rain on me, rain" (16). The urgency to be released from the tedious and monotonous chores can be explained by observing the evenly monotonous writing in the first 14 lines. The chores are void of any emotional excitement. The speaker can only look forward to the way nature comforts, for nature is all that is left that holds no grudges or prejudices. Nature also has no schedule or strictness--it's essence is free-flowing, spontaneous, and pure. Thus it is so that the the speaker feels that nature is "all that I can call my own" (30).
         

The Stranger #2

                Mersault's feelings of indifference towards the rest of the world is further explored as the story progresses. His view towards women is quite shallow. The only reason he spends time with Marie is to look at her and use her for pleasure. When she asks him if he loves her, he "told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so" (35), and when he is asked later, he responds with a similar indifference. Then, later, when she asks him if he would marry her, he responds in the exact same way: "I explained to her that it didn't really matter and that if she wanted to, we could get married" (41). When faced with such strong and serious emotions, Mersault reacts in the same indifferent manner. He is void of emotion. His mind fixates on giving in to cravings, such as smoking another cigarette, or sleeping with Marie, or eating a meal. All of his actions benefit him in some way, and those that involve others are pushed aside in his mind as being of less importance. There is some vacancy in his soul, something that isn't being fulfilled. Raymond is the only person he feels somewhat connected to, and the reader can notice the path to ruin that Raymond leads. Mersault follows closely down this path, as he becomes closer to Raymond and decides to defend him against domestic abuse charges.

"The Oxen" Tone Analysis

Thesis: Thomas Hardy uses imagery and rhyme scheme to develop the superstitious and nostalgic tone of the speaker on Christmas night.
     
               The speaker uses various techniques to develop the central mood of the poem.  By including descriptions of a farm and creating the warmth of the "embers in hearthside ease" (4), Hardy begins to establish a setting of simplistic comfort. The time being Christmas Eve adds an even calmer scene, one of religious awareness and respect. The "meek mild creatures" (5) are perceived as innocent and well-treated. The speaker presumes they are feeling similar religious tranquility and connectedness, as he explains how "Nor did it occur to one of us there / To doubt they were kneeling then" (7-8). However, the feeling of stillness is disrupted by the end of the poem. There is more depth to the seemingly tranquil setting, as the speaker refers to a different time: "'Come; see the oxen kneel / 'In the lonely barton by yonder coomb / Our childhood used to know,'" (12-14). The familiar bittersweet feeling of nostalgia overcomes the reader. The childhood is associated with a loneliness felt by the speaker, and he is propelled to see whether the animals too feel a religious connection on Christmas.

Dorian Gray #7

        Dorian's inability to continue with his Hedonistic lifestyle becomes even clearer towards the end of the book. No longer can accessible pleasures quench his desires--he finds the need to travel an hour to get an edge off of opium, the only pleasure he can think of. He fantasizes of opium-dens, "where one could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new" (135). Dorian tries to find more ways to distract his mind from the terrible deed he committed the night before, to the point where he develops a "hideous hunger for opium" (136) in order to make him forget. The hunger can be explained by the failures of choosing to live a Hedonistic lifestyle. One of the faults is the fact that pleasures don't last long, every time creating a deeper yearning for more pleasure. Also, Dorian chose to give in to an urge by murdering Basil and is now suffering the mental consequences. He later describes his inner struggle: "He was prisoned in thought. Memory, like a horrible malady, was eating his soul away" (138). His friends are noticing he is not himself. With James Vane determined to murder him, and his constant memory of killing Basil, Dorian will soon either admit his deeds or make them noticeable to all.

DORIAN GRAY #6

              The deterioration of Dorian Gray's soul becomes ever apparent as the story progresses. Years pass, and Dorian's corruption and evil become regularly talked about throughout England. His reputation crumbles. When he sees Basil, he is reminded of the one person left that is unaware of his soul's impurities. After Dorian reveals to the painter the truth of the transformation as seen through the portrait, "suddenly an uncontrollable feeling of hatred for Basil Hallward came over him, as though it has been suggested to him by the image on the canvas, whispering into his ear by those grinning lips" (115). The surge of uncontainable hatred that possesses Dorian shows how powerful the evil within him has become. Furthermore, the evil convinces him to passionately murder the old man with ruthless revenge. Even after the deed has been done, it takes some time before Dorian even realizes the severity of it. He justifies his horrid actions: "The friend who has painted fatal portrait to which all his misery had been due, had gone out of his life" (116). Dorian blames his wretchedness on the painting and its creator, even though it was truly Lord Henry's influence that is the cause of Dorian's dilapidation.
               The uncontrollable evil of that night turn to panic by the morning. The shift is very evident. Whereas the night before, Dorian feels "strangely calm" (116), as he awakes the following morning, he reflects, "How horrible that was! Such hideous things were for the darkness, not for the day" (118). Later, Dorian plays back memories he has with Dorian, and concludes, "Poor Basil! what a horrible way for a man to die!" (120). Feelings Dorian has about the whole situation are strange. Some degree of regret seems to be hidden in his thoughts, but more than anything, he seems to think of Basil's body as being an inconvenience. This then changes to terror when he realizes the portrait has changed again, this time with a "loathsome red dew that gleamed, wet and glistening, on one of his hands, as though the canvas had sweated blood" (127). The evidence is clearly portrayed in the portrait. Even if Allan Campbell disposes entirely of Basil's lifeless body, there is proof dripping on the canvas. Dorian's response is to quickly cover the painting, as he covers his sins while they decompose the good of his soul. It is only a matter of time before he will be unable to continue to escape and to cover his evil.

Compare and Contrast Poems #9

Thesis: Emily Dickinson's poems "I never saw a Moor" and "'Faith' is a fine invention" use punctuation and a theme of vision to emphasize the different perspectives and opinions on faith.

1. The use of punctuation in the two poems help point out important points and perspectives. The dashes Dickinson uses act as means to make the reader pause and consider the content just read before continuing on to the next line. In "I never saw a Moor", Dickinson expresses, "I never saw a Moor-- / I never saw the Sea--" (1-2). The simple statements seem to be obvious to the speaker, but the reader might find it hard to imagine not knowing what such basic sights look like. The dashes act as a reminder that the speaker is drawing importance from her inexperience that needs to be understood in order to understand the rest of the stanza. In "'Faith' is a fine invention", Dickinson uses the dashes to separate the two main ideas being expressed. But the more important use to punctuation in the second poem involves the way the words "faith" and "microscopes" are expressed. The very first word of the poem boldly defines the speaker's opinion about faith's validity. By placing faith in quotation marks, falseness and artificiality extend from the word. It is then described as a "fine invention" (1), implying faith as being man-made and used as a tool. The Gentlemen use the false tool for status as it is expected by all of higher class. "'Faith'" is highly contrasted by the word "Microscopes" (3), both italicized and capitalized for emphasis. Dickinson draws attention to it and its importance. The microscopes show what faith alone cannot cause or explain. The over-emphasis shows the speaker's desperation to make the point that the correct way to go about a distressful situation is by relying on scientific facts and medicines. The use of punctuation in the second poem adds a humorous tone to it all, whereas "I never saw a Moor" remains almost entirely at peace and serious.
2. Though both poems highlight the importance of vision, they do so in such ways in order to come to different conclusions of faith. In "I never saw a Moor", Dickinson develops a speaker who uses their imagination without having experience. She is adamant about the power of her ability to see a "Moor"(1), "the Sea" (2), and "a Billow" (4). Her assurance is expressed with, "Yet I know how the Heather looks" (3). The entire first stanza makes known the speaker's unique connection with reality, strengthened by her strong faith. The second stanza refers to her belief in God. Though the speaker has no direct experience with God or heaven, "Yet certain am I of the spot" (7). Once again, the assurance is emphasized, therefore highlighting the speaker's unbreakable connection with religion and her vivid imagination. She can see without truly seeing, and knows without having had experience. The second poem takes an entirely different perspective on faith through vision. Using the word "see" (2) refers to the literal act of looking at the general picture. This kind of seeing skims the surface, skipping over details. The Gentlemen see with such a vague lens and they are in turn seen with a similar vagueness that guarantees their status and respect. Ambiguity is then compared to the "prudent" (3) way of seeing things when in a time of danger or distress: looking through "Microscopes" (3). Seeing scientifically under such magnification makes it easier to see factual details that could otherwise be missed. The speaker of this poem encourages microscopic vision as a way to see past the falseness of a status, for times of crisis call for the most precision.

Picture of Dorian Gray #5

           After Dorian Gray first notices the change in the portrait and once he makes the connection that the shift represents the degradation of his soul, he becomes increasingly paranoid about it. He frets when Basil comes to visit him, and even worries that his servants and the framer will see the revealing masterpiece. He refuses to allow others to look upon it, and decides to hide it away into his abandoned play-room. When he enters the room, he "recalled the stainless purity of his boyish life, and it seemed horrible to him that it was here the fatal portrait was to be hidden away" (89). Dorian's placement is ironic. Dorian chooses a place where he spent most of his innocent childhood, before having met Lord Henry. After the encounter and the transfer of influence, Dorian begins to lose his once naive purity, and instead his soul begins to decay. He tries to conceal the decay by hiding its only proof in a room that is yet untouched by the new Dorian Gray. The sheltered play-room is the only place "secure from prying eyes" (89), and before the painting is placed there, it was also the most restored part of Dorian's life. He would have remained untouched by sin if he had only chosen to listen to Basil's warnings about Lord Henry's influences.

Dorian Gray #1

              It is here in the beginning of the story that Lord Henry realizes Dorian Gray is a blank slate onto which he will express his philosophies of life. He does so in a care-free fashion, constantly expressing underlying truths that Gray takes with his naivety as being entirely true. It is here that he introduces Hedonism. He tells Dorian, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous unlawful" (13-14). Dorian is overwhelmed by the speech as he tries to make sense of it. He considers the words of Lord Henry as being truths. Henry then expands upon this philosophy when Dorian sits in Basil's garden. Here, he warns the muse that his beauty will not always be present, and that with this knowledge, it is wise to use the time he is given to give in to pleasures: "realize your youth while you still have it. Don't squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common, and the vulgar. These are the sickly aims, the false ideals, of our age. Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you!" (16). Henry wants Dorian Gray to realize that his beauty's short life should be embraced while it still remains. It should be used to its full potential. Thus, Dorian should give in to his desires, as that is the only way he should remain youthful. However, what Lord Henry chooses to leave out are the downsides of living a Hedonistic lifestyle. Pleasures of life do not last long, and as one chooses to seek them out without minding its effects on others, they suffer from animosity for the remainder of their days. Dorian Gray does not consider this--he takes in the views, inspired by their seemingly truthful ideas. Lord Henry is fully aware of his power as manipulator.

Dorian Gray #3

                In this reading section, Lord Henry gives hints of his wanting Dorian Gray to become his Hedonistic experiment. When he hears of Gray's engagement, he tells Basil, "'I hope that Dorian Gray will make this girl his wife, passionately adore her for six months, and then suddenly become fascinated by some one else. He would be a wonderful study'" (54). From the moment he met Gray, Henry's been trying to corrupt and pollute his youth and naive perfection. He explains to Gray that the only way to stay youthful is to give in to all pleasures by living a Hedonistic lifestyle, knowing of Gray's extreme vanity and obsession with his own beauty. Dorian's sudden engagement excites Henry, as he anticipates this first step as being the start of Hedonism. The way Henry refers to the boy as being his "study" is haunting, as he is entirely aware that his influence on Dorian will transform him but interested in observing the transformation. He knows Dorian is under his wing, trapped under the spell of the philosophies regarding beauty and pleasure. All the while, Henry basks in his selfishness, not caring that his influence on Dorian Gray could hurt those closest to the boy, potentially leaving him alone and without an audience to admire his everlasting youthful beauty. Dorian Gray will have a therefore useless gift of beauty, having selfishly succumbed to his own pleasures without considering its effects on others. Thus, the only things he will have are the painting and Lord Henry's dominating influence.

Dorian Grey #2

        It is curious how Lord Henry takes Dorian Gray's announcement of being in love with Sibyl Vane. At first, he seems not to take it seriously, responding with "'That is a rather commonplace debut'" (34) and then criticizing the lacking usefulness of women in daily lives. Henry tries to sway Gray with his wisdom, adding that many fall in love more than once, and that Gray is simply experiencing his first. As it becomes clear that Dorian Gray is overly-infatuated with Sibyl Vane by her looks, her voice, and her talent, Henry becomes more nosy: "'what are your actual relations with Sibyl Vane'" (38). He is determined to verify the 'love' felt by Gray towards the woman, especially as simultaneously, Gray's need for Henry's inspiring words wanes. With his new-found love and his mental transformation, Gray is able to live how he wishes, all the while being deeply admired by both Basil and Lord Henry. However, harry takes this challenge as being a more interesting: "certainly Dorian Gray was a subject made to his hand, and seemed to promise rich and fruitful results" (43). Lord Henry seems to be trying to mask his overwhelming infatuation with Dorian Gray using detachment: Gray is seen as not a love interest, but a mere subject to be tested with. Henry's intentions are still quite unclear, especially at the end when he receives the notice that declares Dorian Gray's engagement to Sibyl Vane. 

"My Son the Man"

Thesis: In her poem "My Son the Man," Sharon Olds incorporates the usage of simile, contrast and an extended allusion to express her nostalgia and sadness she experiences as she sees her child mature, while also realizing he is able to escape from her tight clasps.

1. Simile
   
   • "This was not / what I had in mind when he pressed up through me like a / sealed trunk through the ice of the Hudson, / snapped the padlock, unsnaked the chains, / appeared in my arms" (10-14)
     The speaker compares her son's growing up to another one of Houdini's challenges. She, along with many of Houdini's audiences, does not imagine that her son can overcome such a challenge. She presumes her hold as a mother will last forever, but as she sees this is not the case, she realizes her son is clever enough to escape.
     
     
2. Contrast
   
   • " It seem / no time since I would help him put on his sleeper, / guide his calves into the shadowy interior, zip him up and toss his up and / catch his weight" (3-7)
     There is a quite apparent contrast between the allusions to Houdini and the image of a mother preparing a child for bed. Houdini could overcome any challenge, no matter how dangerous or seemingly impossible. The growing son is similarly facing the challenge of his mother's suppression, wanting independence and the ability to live how he wishes. She remembers and cherishes the time when she did everything for him, when he was too young to think of leaving her or to object. She misses the time when he was helpless and unable to think for himself. However, her wishes of returning to that time cannot be granted, and so she must live with the fact that she can no longer be his main provider.
3. Allusion
   
   • "Suddenly his shoulders get a lot wider, / the way Houdini would expand his body / while people were putting him in chairs" (1-3)
     The speaker tries to target her son's facing physical development to manhood as being similar to Houdini ready to face his next dangerous stunt. She feels her son is eager to grow old enough to leave her, for he cannot be chained forever. His maturation is his ultimate stunt, proving he can leave her as soon as he is of age. She represents the chains holding him back from freedom, but he seems to want her there in order to have something to break free from. Without the obstacle, there is no victory or spectacle.
     
   •  "Now he looks at me / the way Houdini studies a box / to learn the way out, then smiled and let himself be manacled" (14-16)
     Yet again, the son sees his mother as the ultimate obstacle, or as a game he will win. When he "smiled" he knows he has found the way to freedom. She too knows there is nothing she can do to suppress him any longer.

The Preface of Dorian Gray

           Oscar Wilde makes a commentary at the very start of the book, talking about art's aestheticism and beauty. His elaborates on the view that an artist is capable of making beauty, but of also making useless work. He believes that those who try to hard to interpret masterpieces and tend to see ugliness are "corrupt without being charming" (vii). It is beautiful as it is, not be be too analyzed for symbol or to give it more meaning. The aesthetic of artwork is to be admired if beautiful, but only then, for if the artwork is useless or truly ugly. Then, at the end, he says "All art is quite useless" (viii), somewhat contradicting his previous arguments.
           Wilde takes his audience for one that perceives art in the wrong way. He tries to enlighten their approach to viewing art's aesthetic by instructing them of the rights and wrongs. Criticizing art makes the artist feel they have accomplished their goal--but the reader does not know this. He also knows how his audience most likely dislikes art that is too similar to their own flaws, and tends to embrace the things that surpass the beauty of themselves. 

"Barbie Doll" Outline

Thesis: Marge Piercy incorporates the usage of simile,  repetition, and irony to ultimately characterize the severe issues of body image caused by gender norms, media messages, and peer disrespect.

1.Repetition

• "big nose...fat legs" (6, 11)
  
  • The repetition of the peer's identification of the protagonist's physical flaws enables the reader to somewhat experience the agony of focusing on those flaws. The reader can enter the mind of the protagonist, a mind fixating on the two traits even when other favorable traits are mentioned. She is so fragile and unstable, believing it to be her fault she looks the way she does, the two features engrained in her mind as being something she must apologize about. It is clear that the positive aspects are irrelevant to the protagonist, and no matter how hard she tries to fix her big nose and fat legs, the only solution to her agony is to get rid of them altogether.

2.Simile

• "Her good nature wore out / like a fan belt" (15-16)
  
  • The protagonist's breaking of strength is compared to the breaking of something inhuman and automatic. Her life has been not alive, but simply present, working to please others, but never being able to please either they or herself. Once a machine loses its meaning or function, it breaks, as does the protagonist. She can no longer take the strain of living without acceptance.

3. Irony

• "with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on, / a turned-up putty nose" (20-21)..."Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said. / Consummation at last. / To every woman a happy ending." (23-25)
  
  • Her entire life, the subject of the poem has been ridiculed, leaving her without self-acceptance. After trying to fix her only "flaws" by cutting them off, she ends her life. Only when she is lying in her casket during her funeral, with plastic surgery that has created a false but acceptable nose, do people compliment her looks. Ultimately, the price women pay for beauty and acceptance is death due to self-hatred.

1984 War Is Peace, Ignorance Is Strength Notes

1984                                                                   Mika Gonzalez

War Is Peace

·      Eurasia consists of Northern Europe and Asia

·      Oceania is made up of the Americas, Atlantic islands, Australia, and southern Africa

·      Eastasia comprises China and countries south of it, Japanese islands, and some parts of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Tibet

·      The regions have been at war for 25 years

·      The ongoing nature of war between the regions continue going for no explainable reason, not one of them ever winning or coming close to it.

·      War affects citizens in each region, suffering from food and good shortages and the occasional air raid. Each is heavily protected and not separated by any set of beliefs.

·      Each region is protected enough so that conquering is unlikely

·      The superstates fight a war for labor power, trying to win over as many densely populated areas as possible

·      Powers controlling equatorial Africa, the Middle East, or Southern India use the cheap labor to expend oil and coal, and these millions of workers are fought by the fluctuating borders of each region

·      The major goal of the warfare is to “use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living” (188). Uses doublethink to try to accomplish this

·      Before the Revolution, people dreamed of a world “unbelievably rich, leisured, orderly and efficient” (189) with the development of science and technology. Once the regime took hold, all these visions perished mainly due to the prohibition of free thought.

·      The machine came to dislike the happiness and comfort of the people and the disappearance of a hierarchal society. Therefore, they managed to think up a way to keep the most esteemed members of the machine rich as all the rest remained with little: to keep the poor ignorant and illiterate, unable to think for themselves and therefore rebel.

·      They also wanted to restrict the majority of the population without having to restrict output of goods, thus not distributing goods but only producing them in a state of constant warfare.

·      The people living under the regime are expected to be living as if in warfare: industrious, somewhat intelligent, frightened, angry, and triumphant. All are forced to believe the Party will win the war and that the war exists with the process of doublethink.

·      The Party wants to be able to know what everyone is thinking in order to control thought, and kill millions of people without warning

·      There has been little development in the three powers concerning weapons that are not already created by each of them. The atomic bomb is not used, but owned.

·      Citizens are prohibited to come in contact with foreigners, with fear that the illusion of their evil will be destroyed

·      The fact that the war does not actually involve danger of conquest makes the people live in a false reality and therefore owned by Ingsoc.

·      The goal of the war is to keep the established society intact

·      “A peace that was truly permanent would be the same as a permanent war” (199).

Ignorance is Strength

·      The normal society consists of the High, the Middle, and the Low: the High stay the way they are, the Middle try to become High, and the Low want an equal society. The High is sometimes taken over by the Middle due to poor leadership, and the Middle breaks the promise of helping the Low and leaves them as they were before. The High then becomes the emerging Middle. The Low, throughout history, does not change.

·      Unfreedom and inequality used stop progress and history, therefore making the High group able to keep their position as the top of society. Human equality becomes a danger to be avoided due to the destruction of social and economic levels.

·      With the invention of print, and therefore of radio, film, and television, manipulation of the opinions of the pubic became easier. With the television, now arose the destruction of citizen privacy, now with the police’s ability to watch those needed to be watched at all times.

·      There are four ways for the Party to lose power: “it is conquered from without, or it govern so inefficiently that the masses are stirred to revolt, or it allows a strong and discontented Middle Group to come into being, or it loses its self-confidence and willingness to govern” (207). The first is unlikely, since all three superstates are unconquerable. The second can be avoided by the Party’s ability to keep the masses from having a comparison to other lifestyles and therefore living unaware of their oppression.

·      Big Brother is the mascot of the Party, a being that is seen everywhere on posters, who takes credit for all glories of the Party and stirs inspiration and leadership. The people make him the object of their human emotions.

·      The High is the Inner Party, the Middle is the Outer Party, and the Low are the proletarians. Entrance into each section is not hereditary, as long as the structure remains the same.

·      Rebellion is not possible. The prolitarians live their lives unaware of a life that could be different due to lack of education. Those living in the Party are constantly watched by the Though Police, without freedom of choice, but there is no law. A Party member must have good instincts.

·      The word crimestop, meaning the instinct to stop before thinking too far into a dangerous thought, keeps the people in a state of “protected stupidity” (212).

·      Blackwhite refers to believing that black is white despite other facts, whether out of loyalty or impudence. This requires the alteration of the past with doublethink. This readjustment occurs when the Party constantly rewrites history to make the predictions facts and the results what the Party wants to see and be believed.

·      Past only exists in written word and memories, therefore whatever the Party means to make it. This power has made their power able to last.

·      “The greater the understanding, the greater the delusion: the more intelligent, the less sane” (215)

·      Linking of opposites shows the contradictions, the doublethink, rejecting principles from the pre-revolutionary days of Socialism while also preaching Socialism.

·      Ministry of Peace deals with war, Ministry of Truth with lies, Ministry of Love with torture, and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation. Doublethink. The High keep their position, and the minds of everyone continue to be controlled.

1984 #3, 4

              In the series of events that occur in the latter part of Part One of the novel, the reader comes to the conclusion that Winston is starting to show signs of wanting to do what he can to investigate the truth of the quality of life before the Revolution and making his statement to the future of London. He continues to write in his diary, each time confessing more dangerous subjects, such as his encounter with a prostitute. He makes an attempt to talk to an old man about his experiences before the war and Big Brother, but with little luck. He then makes the risky move of entering the antique shop where he purchased his diary, and even at one point imagines himself living in the upstairs room, without a telescreen and with more freedoms in life. His loosening up indicates to the reader the importance of the diary and the depth of rebellion Winston will reach, if successful, by the end of the novel.
               Similarly, Winston is able to assess the qualities in a Party member that are sought after by Big Brother: "Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" (53). With the steady decline of words in the Newspeak dictionary, Syme adds that "'In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it'"(52). He gives the example of the word 'good'. Because Newspeak uses 'plusgood' and 'superplusgood' to mean anything exceptional or fantastic, and anything bad as 'ungood', the people are left with only the adjective 'good'. Every other word used in Oldspeak is made permanently nonexistent. Newspeak acts as the ultimate control method used by Big Brother on the people, for eventually there will be so few words known to all that expression is difficult, practically rendering them speechless.
              Therefore, Winston feels the need to fulfill his own quota of protest by writing his diary. He must leave behind a portion of the reality before even his mind is consumed with lies. He also writes: "If there is hope it lies in the proles" (69). He realizes they hold the most thought and action freedom, and have the potential to overthrow the dictatorship. Before the end of the novel, Winston will have somehow managed to make some sort of anti-Party statement.

1984 #2

          In the next two sections of the first book of 1984, protagonist Winston begins to question truly how much influence Big Brother and the Ingsoc regime has had on his memory and ability to think for himself. In Part III, he tries to remember what life was like before the Party took absolute control, and he emphasizes how, "if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed--if all records told the same tale--then the lie passed into history and because truth" (34) and "you could prove nothing. There was never any evidence" (36). Those living under the rule of Big Brother and the ruthless Party have no way of referencing events from the past because the past has been dominated and altered by the government. This further shows how everyone living this way, unable to experience any joys or freedoms, are also stripped from the truth of the past. Even if one wanted to rebel or reach out to other lands, they would find their inability to recall facts from the past way of the world. The ultimate power belonging to the regime is so great and terrifying, the people having been so minimized in their abilities through fear and lies. They are faced with doublethink, a never-ending puzzle of trying to figure out the truth: "Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. 'Reality control,' they called it" (35). Those having their minds controlled by the regime have very little chance of having the ability to break the spell needed for a government overthrowing.

The Game Has Lost Its Fun

                Maya Angelou's lyrical poem "Harlem Hopscotch" uses the powerful symbol of a game of hopscotch to reflect the hardships experienced by black children living in a time of brutal racism and the twisted game of life she must complete without giving in to defeat. From the start, the mood of the piece is hauntingly highlighted: "Another jump, now to the left. / Everybody for hisself" (3-4). Angelou captures the innocence of the children playing with the rhythmic enjambment, and by the next line, outlines the fear experienced as well. From one hop to the next, danger emerges and the players must try to escape without the help of the others. Through the dire situation, they continue playing, as if in an effort to grasp whatever enjoyment from life they can get while trying to keep their sanity. They persist and play until the end of the hopscotch path: "Hold for three, then twist and jerk. / Cross the line, they count you out. / That's what hopping's all about" (10-12). The final struggle proves to be the one fought for the most, but there is no reward, the finishing goes unnoticed and unrecognized. Though the speaker has fought for their rights and has tried to make it through alive and strong, society does not grant the rights promised. However, there is some reward: "Both feet flat, the game is done. / They think I lost. I think I won" (13-14). Though the oppressed race has not been made equal to the oppressing whites, there is a victory. The symbol of finishing the game shows persistence and overcoming of struggle. The speaker is able to prove her ability to stand her ground and do whatever is in her power to stay there, making a bold statement towards white society of her capabilities.

Lies are Forbidden...Except When They're Not

                    There lies the deepest contradiction in Marlow's opinion compared to his actions regarding lies. Marlow makes it clear pretty early on in the story that

"I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies--what is exactly what I hate and detest in the world--what I want to forget" (94)

Marlow despises the hypocrisy and the lies involved with the imperialist efforts of the time, and honors Kurtz for admitting his madness and being blunt about his efforts. For example, he concludes his report with "'Exterminate all the brutes!'" (123), not hiding behind any facade or false image of morality.
                     Escaping the possibility of becoming similar to Kurtz's transformed self, without the guidance of society and morality to keep him from losing control, Marlow decides to escape the imperialist effort and return to England. He then decides to visit Kurtz's wife-to-be to give her some of her husband's papers and belongings, while also to comfort the widow. At one point, she asks Marlow what Kurtz's last words were, and he hesitates. He realizes her lasting image of him is still that of the honorable man, untouched by insanity or the prospect of ivory obsession, and makes the decision to forever keep this image intact. Therefore, instead of mentioning Kurtz's true last words, "'The horror, the horror!'" (153), he assures her that her name as being those last spoken.
                     Reflecting on this decision, Marlow to mentally justify his lie:

"The heavens do not fall for such a trifle. Would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justice which was his due? Hadn't he said he wanted only justice? But I couldn't. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark--too dark altogether" (157).      

The reader is left with this confusing decision and contradiction of moral beliefs. Marlow believes there is nothing worse than a lie, but he makes the decision to lie on behalf of Kurtz's fiance, though what he admired about Kurtz was his moral choice to be truthful. In this instance, Marlow makes an exception to his rule. He realizes the darkness that can sometimes accompany the lie more than the truth. If he had chosen to speak the absolute truth to the widow, her image of her loving husband would be forever distorted, causing her even more grief, realizing the man she admired and cared for had disappeared long before his death. Telling her what she wants to hear is easier for Marlow to do, for he knows it will keep her the closest to sane possible. The deception practiced here greatly differs that practiced in the Company and imperialistic efforts of the time, where cruel acts were committed under a false mission, the atrocities hidden to those who had not experienced them. In a way, Marlow does similarly, not wishing Kurtz's fiance to experience the unfortunate transformation of Kurts from man to savage, but here, emotions are involved and complicate the morality of telling the complete truth. Therefore, in the end, Marlow does continue Kurtz's justice, because keeping his fiance sane is what he would have wanted.

                                                                                                                                         

            

Mr. Kurtz: the Glorification vs the Reality

           Throughout the story thus far, there has been much talk about the famous Mr. Kurtz, much of it comparing Marlow to him. This association deeply fascinates Marlow to the point where he cannot wait to finally meet Kurtz and hear him speak, learn what he's like. Kurtz is known throughout the Company as being the grandest provider of ivory and a man of great power, but there have been mixed feelings about him by other members of the Company. Some feel belittled by Mr. Kurtz's domain, like the manager, and others dislike and envy the fascination around the subject of Kurtz. It is known, however, that Kurtz is ill, and Marlow is needed to resupply him. 
           However, after months of travel by boat to the "Heart of Darkness" where Mr. Kurtz is said to be situated, a great feeling of disappointment is felt by Marlow upon meeting the one most talked about. He talks extensively with a Russian man who works for the famous imperialist, and he gives Marlow a more accurate description of the kind of man Kurtz truly is. At one point he notices various posts outside in the distance, each with a rotting human head speared to the ends. Met with great disgust at the sight, Marlow reflects,

 "there was nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him--some small matter which, then the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence" (133).

The young Russian, who continues being a great admirer of Mr. Kurtz, tries to defend him by stating the speared heads were those of rebels. However, Marlow's disgust and disappointment in the man of ultimate power remains evident. Along with many other points, such as Kurtz's ill state, his planned attack on Marlow's steamboat, and his clear misuse of power and reign, proves his lack of grandeur, as well as his mortality and deterioration.

 

Savage or just....hungry?

         
   As the story unfolds, revealing hints of apparent racism that are tied into the imperialistic attitude, yet another of Marlow's opinions is uncovered. When their boat is surrounded by thick and blinding fog, those aboard the ship hear yells in the distance. Unable to decipher whether these are yells for attack or simply of defense, Marlow and the other directors become puzzled as to what to do next. Marlow then orders for the chained anchor to be lifted. He describes the black men:

"the others had an alert, naturally interested expression; but their faces were essentially quiet, even those of the one or two who grinned as they hauled the chain. Several exchanged short, grunting phrases, which seemed to settle the matter to their satisfaction" (111).

Never truly acknowledged as humans, simply the "others", hints at the racism shown throughout the story thus far. Marlow generalizes the expressions of most of the black men, as though they were not individuals, but one mass. The "grunting" that is associated with their speech gives them a savage quality, as he does not recognize their sounds as being a developed language.

              While he is observing all of this, their leader comes up to talk to him: 

"'Catch 'im,' he snapped, with a bloodshot widening of his eyes and a flash of sharp teeth--'catch 'im. Give 'im to us.' 'To you, eh?' I asked; 'what would you do with them?' 'Eat 'im!' he said curtly, and, leaning his elbow on the rail, looked out into the fog in a dignified and profoundly pensive attitude" (111).

Once again, Marlow contributes insane and animalistic qualities to the African natives, describing their leader as having bloodshot eyes and carnivorous teeth. However, after hearing the leader express the desperation for food felt by the other natives, Marlow realizes how little food he has given them throughout the voyage. He expresses that "as long as there was a piece of paper written over in accordance with some farcical law or other made down the river, it didn't enter anybody's head to trouble how they would live" (111). He admits his having f0rgotten to consider them as humans that needed food for survival, he along with the other white men take the work of the black men for granted, presuming they will always be there to give their strength. Marlow has come to the point where he forgets to acknowledge such an important necessity for all humans, and animals alike. He thinks of the rotten hippo meat they brought along as being an annoyance to all on board, when really it was a means for survival. He always considers the well-being of himself and the other Europeans first priority, and with the power given to him to rule the native people, he has been mentally detached from them. This shows insight to the even further moral transformation he will undergo before the ending of the tale, and the contrast to what the present-day and reflective Marlow thinks of his actions.

Needles and Cables...

            Maya Angelou's poem "The Telephone" transforms a simile into developed personified image of a telephone as compared to an old woman and her needlework. The simile is first introduced in the fourth line: "Sitting like a strict / and spinstered aunt" (4-5). Their is an implication that the title is the objected being compared to the woman, who is paying her full attention to her crochet and hemming projects. She is so engrossed in her work that she is intentionally or unintentionally unaware of the speaker, who notices the woman "ignoring me" (11). The speaker is anxiously awaiting a call, but the telephone ignores her desperation similarly to a woman concentrating on her crocheting. Days go by, and the aunt "sits silent" and the "needle sound / does not transfix my ear" (21-22). Personifying the phone highlights the speaker's frustration in grasping the attention of the woman, similar to her impatience in expecting a long-awaited phone call. She awaits for the ring of the phone to relieve her of this frustration, and "draw my longing to / a close" (23-24), and therefore let the speaker know she is wanted and noticeable to the important people in her life.

Heart of Darkness 1

               As the story follows the theme of the evils of imperialism, and the Marlow's depiction of imperialists as being "weak-eyed devils" of deception, the perspective takes a strange turn. Marlow gets to know one of the leaders in the company, he discovers the general attitude of those working there. The officer admires the freedom and charm of the hippopotamus, saying, "'The animal has a charmed life [...] but you can say this only of brutes in this country. No man-- you apprehend me?--no man here bears a charmed life'" (96). The manager here illustrates the duality of the unsatisfactory lifestyles of either side of the imperialistic battle. Those there to gain power are corrupted and made to believe their actions are correct and follow through with them. Meanwhile, the native people are being oppressed to the extremes, forced to abandon their previous lifestyles in order to be reduced to slavery. The parasitic relationship between the oppressors, who rely on the 'weak' for power, and the oppressed, who are being destroyed by force, holds no complete satisfaction for either of the groups. The manager realizes his life is charmless, but continues to hold his rank, in fear of losing the only power he has.

"35/10" Comparison between Mother and Child

Thesis: Sharon Olds' poem "35/10" incorporates the use of imagery and metaphor to develop a subtly depressing but loving contrasting relationship between an aging mother and a youthful child, therefore reflecting the twisted message of the circle of life and its natural way of replacing the old with the young.

1. Imagery
   
   • "Brushing out our daughter's brown / silken hair before the mirror" (1-2)
     The pleasant features described give a fragile innocence to the child. The "silken" hair is smooth and free of the harshness of reality and growing older. Her image is reflected as so in the truthful mirror and is contrasted by the grey on the mother's head. This first image of the poem sets the tone for the entire length of the work, the mother taking in the fresh beauty of her daughter as she also faces her own decay.
   • "I brush her tangled / fragrant hair at bedtime" (15-16)
     There is a slight shift to the decription of the child's hair. Before it was seens as flawless and soft, whereas by the end it is tangled. The mother is beginning to see her her daughter's fixable flaws, and her ability to soothe and untangle her nearly insignificant problems. The mother's flaws are seen as permanent, and so she must cherish the time when she can mend her daughter's imperfections while she knows she still can.
2. Metaphor
   
   • "She opens like a moist / precise flower on the tip of a cactus" (9-10)
     The use of the simile hints at the power of reproduction, the blossoming of the flower made by the mother's reproductive system. She is "precise" and planned, her placement on the cactus and in the world done purposely. Flowers are also seen as pure, and on a cactus, the flower is the only part that is not harmful to the touch. In this way, the daughter is seen as perhaps the only thing cherished by her mother. Similarly, the flower on a cactus is not reachable by the thorns of the plant, therefore simbolizing how the child is still away from hurt's reach, or so thinks her mother.
   • "her full purse of eggs, round and / firm as hard-boiled yolks, is about to snap its clasp" (13-15)
     Once again, the topic of reproduction resurfaces. The biological eggs in the girl's uterus are compared to the yolks of eatable eggs. Both kinds are able to create a new life, however if the eggs are hard-boiled, then the life has been lost. The mother seems to recognize her daughter's ability to reproduce, but she is not yet ready for another generation to exist. She will not allow her daughter to experience the bittersweet feelings of motherhood.
     
3. Contrast
   • "the fold in my neck / clarifying as the fine bones of her / hips sharpen?" (13-15)
     The mother heavily contrasts her signs of age with her daughters signs of puberty. The bones of the child seem very fragile, almost as though they have not been used completely. As the hips are being described as sharpening also adds a slightly unhealthy aspect to the girl's physique. 
   • "As my skin shows / its dry pitting, she opens like a moist / precise flower on the tip of a cactus" (8-10)
     The metaphor used to compare the child to a cactus flower contrasts the mother's view of her own skin's imperfections. Her daughter has no physical, or emotional, scars as of yet, and the mother seems to be reflecting on the hopes she has for her daughter to stay as innocent and unharmed as she is now.

Ethics come with time

Thesis: Linda Pastan's poem "Ethics" intertwines of contrasting imagery, powerful diction, and punctuality placement,  unfolds a distinct perspective on in her poem on personal morals and how they are developed through life experience and looking within.

1. Imagery
   
   • "Restless on hard chairs" (6)
     The description of the narrator's youth is seen as tied down and restrained, and the discomfort is evident for the reader. These feelings greatly contrast the soothing and reflective mood of the end of the poem, and therefore highlight how the narrator has changed in maturity and perspective.
     
2. Diction
   
   • "This fall in a real museum I stand / before a real Rembrandt..." (17-18)
     At last, the narrator is faced with the reality. In the first section of the poem she along with the children in her Ethics class don't consider the teacher's question as something to be taken seriously, because they have not found the meaning of life and they have yet to live. The author demonstrates this with the double usage of "real", emphasizing how later in life, the narrator has realized reality and is now able to truly understand and answer ethical questions. 
   • "caring little for pictures or old age" (7)
     The author uses such simple words to show the simple way the children think. Their inability to truly consider what they would rescue in a fire proves exactly the conclusive point that those lacking in maturity are not able to be truly analyze anything that does not directly concern themselves.
     
3. Punctuation
   
   • "...old woman, / or nearly so, myself..." (17-19)
     The narrator's use of enjambment is prevalent throughout the poem. In this case, she uses it to show uncertainty. She mentions how she is now the old woman, but due to her pauses and reconsideration, she admits to the reader that she has not quite come to terms with her age or the fact that so many years have passed since her school years. 
   • "I know now that woman / and painting and season are almost one / and all beyond saving by children" (23-25).
     In the final thought of the poem the narrator for the first time does not use any punctuation. The idea is complete and rushed out without hesitation. The author could have wanted to highlight the narrator's confidence in finally concluding the answer to the question asked in the beginning of the poem. A mixture of experience and maturity are found in her confidence, for no longer does she want to answer the question "half-heartedly" (9) and she knows that children lack the seriousness to actually be able to understand the value of life and the how it can be compared to a painting.

Now Here's a Truly Beautifully Somber Poem.

Thesis:
Dudley Randall's poem "Ballad of Birmingham" leaves a chilling sensation and lasting impact, in part due to the song-like structure, haunting imagery, and unforgettable irony.

        1. Structure
                 a. "'No, baby, no, you may not go, / For the dogs are fierce and wild, / And clubs and horses, guns and jails / Aren't good for a little child'" (5-8). Randall uses an alternate rhyming pattern to make the depressing piece have a melancholy sing-song quality. The usage of rhyme also helps capture the youth and innocence of the lost child.
                b. The entire poem is divided into four-line stanzas that further add to the lyrical structure of the poem.
    
         2. Imagery
                  a. "She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair, / And bathed rose petal sweet, / And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands, / And white shoes on her feet" (17-20). The visual imagery incorporated into this stanza helps the reader imagine the innocent little girl, and therefore making the fateful twist at the end all the more painful and heart-wrenching. The visual hints create an attachment felt between the reader and the child.
                  b. "She clawed through bits of glass and brick," (29). The harsh and even slightly savage-like imagery contrasts greatly from the soft and sweet descriptions of the living girl, highlighting the desperation to find the child's angelic face once more. 

        3. Irony
                 a. "The mother smiles to know her child / Was in a sacred place, / But that smile was the last smile / To come upon her face" (21-24). While the mother forbids her daughter to march in a Freedom March in fear of her safety, she is wounded when at church, believed to be the safest place around. The complete opposite occurs of what is expected by the reader and the child's mother.

Prospero's Noble Punishment

By the end of the The Tempest, in Act I Scene I, Prospero's mission fulfillment becomes clear. Early on, he states how although he has been humiliated and wounded by the actions of his enemies, he is able to see that he will use his "nobler reason" (I.i.26) to not give in to his rage. Therefore, he frees the men from their confused and trapped mental states. He then enters a trance, summoning the spirits, and promises to bury his staff and drown his book, to rid himself of his magic. This shows he is already considering the passion he must give up in order to take the position as Duke of Milan. After summoning the royal party, he embraces Gonzalo with thanks and honor, showing his humble gratitude. Though he does shame Alonso and Sebastian, he focuses his speech on his brother Antonio. Prospero looks down on them (except for Gonzalo) with a confident power. He is untouchable, it is now known that his position will be restored, and his actions all contributed to this victorious ending. At the same time, his only prize is what is rightfully his (that being his status as Duke of Milan) and he does not exceed the punishment on those that wronged him. Furthermore, this proves his qualities as a Comic Individual.

Shakespeare uses formulas. In this case it is called Shakespearean Comedy.

Many aspects of Shakespeare's The Tempest help categorize it as a classic Shakespearean comedy. For one, the play entirely fulfills the overall nature of plays of its kind. There is a guideline that specifies that most Shakespearean comedies include characters that fall in love in the first act, and by the last they are united forever. In the first act of The Tempest, Ferdinand meets and falls in love instantly with Prospero's daughter Miranda, and she does the same, and by the end they are joined by a marriage ceremony magically created by Prospero and his sprites. But before then, Prospero makes Ferdinand "earn" his daughter. The barrier discussed as sometimes being present between two lovers in Shakespearean Comedy is exemplified here when Prospero punishes Ferdinand by making him haul logs across the island. He is busy all day doing this labor, and this way Prospero physically keeps them apart until he feels the time is right.
   Additionally, the role of the Comedic Individual is met through the character of Prospero. As protagonist, he is partially at fault for his banishment onto the isolated island. While he was Duke of Milan, he focused too much on his books of magic, so much that he was unaware of his brother's plan to take him out of power. His brother, Antonio, was given too much power and he convinced all of Prospero's followers and magistrates to betray their leader. Prospero was then banished to the island for twelve years. When his sworn enemies arrive at the island, he follows the Shakespearean guideline of not losing control, and he never physically harms any of them. Then the Comic Solution is elaborated. He restores his position as Duke after presenting himself in front of his enemies and revealing to them the reasons for his actions. By the end of the play, he drowns his book and buries his staff, swearing never to use magic again in the hopes to be able to rule with his full potential as Duke of Milan. He therefore destroys his deception and the one thing that held him back from staying in power.