1. I think that Hurston chose Their Eyes Were Watching God as her title because like we see in the book, there are many biblical references and she does use God as a motif throughout the book. I feel like sometimes she references religion or God in a cynical way but then at other times like in the passage we looked on in class it's in a positive way. This book also has to do with the motif of power and the title makes me think that everyone kind of looks up to God because he has the ultimate power. She includes, "Their" I think, because this book is not like others where it only focuses on the protagonist and antagonist but also focuses on the rest of the towns people. She makes it seem like the whole society is just as important in the book just like Janie is important as well.
2. She could have used the title, Janie's Journey but this would have centered the focus more on Janie herself. Even though she is the main character I feel that the towns people have a vital effect in the story as well, which with this title that would be lost.
3. The title of my pastiche is "Unwanted Destiny". I felt like this was the best title for my pastiche because Edna who is a slave really has no say in her life, because she's owned by her master. I also think that even though she didn't like having to leave her mother is was bound to happen, because of the time period. So she might not have known it was her destiny but when it came she couldn't avoid it, and of course she wasn't fond of it.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Journal #7
1. Foil
"Mis' Woods, Ah have often said to mah husband Ah don't see how uh body like Mis' Woods can stand all them common niggers round her place all de time." "They dont't worry me atall, Mis' Turner." (Hurston)
"Don't worry honey, yuh'll see everything will be fine, maybe yuh'll even make a new friend here and der."
"Mah don't youh care dat he gonna take me away from yuh, dat he gona split us apart?!"
Having foils is a good way to highlight the main character's characteristics and in this case it shows how people that are in the same situation react differently, but that makes them who they are. And as discussed in class there are foils in almost every good book.
2. Imagery
So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead. Not the dead of sick and ailing with friends at the pillow and the feet. She had come back from the sodden and the bloated; the sudden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgment. (Hurston)
Edna fell at once to the cold hard ground, knees firs. She sat there and scrunched her back as her head almost reached the dirt floor. Violent sobs began to take over Edna's entire body.
Imagery is important because it doesn't say how or what a character is going through but it actually shows you by appealing to the senses. In the first quote by Hurston she shows whether than tell the reader how her arrival affects the rest of the town. In the second quote I don't just say that Edna feels bad but I actually show it by Edna's reaction and what her body does.
3. Comparison
"Ah laks de woman and Ah sho would hate tuh see her come up lak Mis' Tyler." (Hurston)
"At least yuh still is alive, at least yuh got to meet yuh own motha, at least yuh gots memories of me. Some chillin' ain't even got dat."
Comparison can be like foil but in this case you look at what's the same. In the first quote Sam says he doesn't want Janie to end up like Miss Tyler, who were in the same situation but had different outcomes. The second one Edna's mother compares her to the rest of the children that get taken away from their families. And even though they face the same situation Edna has memories that will last forever while some children don't just like her mom tried to tell her.
"Mis' Woods, Ah have often said to mah husband Ah don't see how uh body like Mis' Woods can stand all them common niggers round her place all de time." "They dont't worry me atall, Mis' Turner." (Hurston)
"Don't worry honey, yuh'll see everything will be fine, maybe yuh'll even make a new friend here and der."
"Mah don't youh care dat he gonna take me away from yuh, dat he gona split us apart?!"
Having foils is a good way to highlight the main character's characteristics and in this case it shows how people that are in the same situation react differently, but that makes them who they are. And as discussed in class there are foils in almost every good book.
2. Imagery
So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead. Not the dead of sick and ailing with friends at the pillow and the feet. She had come back from the sodden and the bloated; the sudden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgment. (Hurston)
Edna fell at once to the cold hard ground, knees firs. She sat there and scrunched her back as her head almost reached the dirt floor. Violent sobs began to take over Edna's entire body.
Imagery is important because it doesn't say how or what a character is going through but it actually shows you by appealing to the senses. In the first quote by Hurston she shows whether than tell the reader how her arrival affects the rest of the town. In the second quote I don't just say that Edna feels bad but I actually show it by Edna's reaction and what her body does.
3. Comparison
"Ah laks de woman and Ah sho would hate tuh see her come up lak Mis' Tyler." (Hurston)
"At least yuh still is alive, at least yuh got to meet yuh own motha, at least yuh gots memories of me. Some chillin' ain't even got dat."
Comparison can be like foil but in this case you look at what's the same. In the first quote Sam says he doesn't want Janie to end up like Miss Tyler, who were in the same situation but had different outcomes. The second one Edna's mother compares her to the rest of the children that get taken away from their families. And even though they face the same situation Edna has memories that will last forever while some children don't just like her mom tried to tell her.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Journal #6
One of the first things I did to revise my pastiche was take out the first couple lines of dialect because I realized they weren't needed and they didn't make a difference in the story. These lines also made it confusing for the reader to understand who was speaking so taking them out completely really was the best option. I also tried to make it easier for the reader to understand which character was speaking when by adding lines like,
“Well,” Edna began as knew she couldn’t hide anything from anyone. I felt like it was more descriptive while at the same time helping the reader. Although I tried to make the techniques I used stronger I feel like I still need help and input from peers.
“Well,” Edna began as knew she couldn’t hide anything from anyone. I felt like it was more descriptive while at the same time helping the reader. Although I tried to make the techniques I used stronger I feel like I still need help and input from peers.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Journal #5- Mini Pastiche
But Mia had a perception of Love. Love that beautiful woman with faraway eyes who lived in her own fantasy. The complicated one who lived in the Cave of Unknown Destination. Hard to catch and forlorn to the touch of humankind. What need does Love have to disguise herself, what is more powerful than her? She hovers above us hour after hour each day and night as she sees the world. Hovers smoothly and elegantly with her hair flowing in the sky waiting for the right time to arrive. Been hovering there patiently as well as poise for years, months, and days. She was bound to feel her sparks from her footsteps soon. She was frightened and anxious all at once. Cute Michael! He has to be happy too. She couldn't wait to see Michael again and he was just as delighted as her. Other couples were proud to witness a love as pure as Mia's and Michale's because it was as if destiny had truley made them cross paths for a reason. One could only hope their spark would last all eternity, in spite of the hardships that awaited them. They were as happy as they could be. That's what they thought. But the older couples told them otherwise, so she began to question her feelings. Even if he didn't, the next time she got out of bed she would have to be certain, there would be guests gathered for the reception. Even those who barley bothered to show up for church came to celebrate. Some just stood there while others sat and chatted but they all waited. Regrets, that repulsive looking woman had shadowed the ceremony.
I capitalized the word Love like Hurston did with Death in her passage and also where Love lives. Hurston also made Death a character and I made Love a character too. The tone also went from narrator to more into a person thoughts which in this case were Mia's.
I capitalized the word Love like Hurston did with Death in her passage and also where Love lives. Hurston also made Death a character and I made Love a character too. The tone also went from narrator to more into a person thoughts which in this case were Mia's.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Journal #4- Their Eyes Were Watching God
For this journal I decided to focus on the passage on page 77, the third paragraph.
Hurston uses simple sentences to describe how Janie is seeing that Joe has basically
let go of himself. She uses the words, "squatted" to describe how he walked, also she
describes his belly as "prosperous-looking". Hurston is showing how he is not the same
person he was and Janie, no matter how Joe tries to make her feel, is in fact aware of
that. Hurston also shows his change in character in the second line of this passage,
"He just stood in front of a chair and fell in it", this shows how now he's more careless.
The overall tone changes about how Joe is now percieved by Janie. He is no
longer this powerful man who is in charge of everything. In the middle of the passage
Hurston writes, "He squatted over his ankles when he walked", this line emphazises the
sound "ck". This makes me think of how Joe's apperance change as well as his personality
change, and also how Janie thinks of him now as well.
For this journal I decided to focus on the passage on page 77, the third paragraph.
Hurston uses simple sentences to describe how Janie is seeing that Joe has basically
let go of himself. She uses the words, "squatted" to describe how he walked, also she
describes his belly as "prosperous-looking". Hurston is showing how he is not the same
person he was and Janie, no matter how Joe tries to make her feel, is in fact aware of
that. Hurston also shows his change in character in the second line of this passage,
"He just stood in front of a chair and fell in it", this shows how now he's more careless.
The overall tone changes about how Joe is now percieved by Janie. He is no
longer this powerful man who is in charge of everything. In the middle of the passage
Hurston writes, "He squatted over his ankles when he walked", this line emphazises the
sound "ck". This makes me think of how Joe's apperance change as well as his personality
change, and also how Janie thinks of him now as well.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Journal #3
1. "Us talks about de white man keepin' us down! [...] Us keeps our own selves down."
To me this is an allusion to the first chapter when the people see Janie and start gossiping about her. It could also relate to them and how there are smaller groups within a large group of people and how that effects them as a whole. We would expect that being with our own "group" we would feel safe and protected but even though it seems odd, sometimes you don't. Even your own culture or group in which you belong to can attack you, kind of like what Janie experiences at the begginig. This could also relate in a way, to Joe and how he feels and acts superior to everyone else. He in his own group feels above them.
2. Everybody was coming sort of fixed up, and he didn't mean for nobody else's wife to rank with her. Characterization. This demonstrates how Joe thinks of his wife as a competing object and how he wants every one else to look at her and think not only that she is beautiful because its more of what people think of him. If he has a beautiful wife then he must be doing something right and that gives him "power". I feel like he wants people to envy him for everything the has.
3. They bowed down to him rather, because he was all of thses things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down. Motif. This shows once again the motif of power throughout the book, but this time instead of it being between a man and a woman it's between a man and the rest of society. It kind of raises the question of how do people get power?
4. Every morning the world flung itself over and exposed the town to the sun. Personification.
5. That was the rock she was battered against. Metaphor
1. "Us talks about de white man keepin' us down! [...] Us keeps our own selves down."
To me this is an allusion to the first chapter when the people see Janie and start gossiping about her. It could also relate to them and how there are smaller groups within a large group of people and how that effects them as a whole. We would expect that being with our own "group" we would feel safe and protected but even though it seems odd, sometimes you don't. Even your own culture or group in which you belong to can attack you, kind of like what Janie experiences at the begginig. This could also relate in a way, to Joe and how he feels and acts superior to everyone else. He in his own group feels above them.
2. Everybody was coming sort of fixed up, and he didn't mean for nobody else's wife to rank with her. Characterization. This demonstrates how Joe thinks of his wife as a competing object and how he wants every one else to look at her and think not only that she is beautiful because its more of what people think of him. If he has a beautiful wife then he must be doing something right and that gives him "power". I feel like he wants people to envy him for everything the has.
3. They bowed down to him rather, because he was all of thses things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down. Motif. This shows once again the motif of power throughout the book, but this time instead of it being between a man and a woman it's between a man and the rest of society. It kind of raises the question of how do people get power?
4. Every morning the world flung itself over and exposed the town to the sun. Personification.
5. That was the rock she was battered against. Metaphor
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Journal #2: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Mariana clocked in at her usual time, a minute or two after six in the morning. She was tired from the day before having to take her daughter in for surgery. She thought about what the day held for her.... An eight hour shift, picking up her children after school, the bills that needed to be paid, and then her manager came in.
"Good Morning Mariana, how is your daughter doing? I heard she went it for surgery."
"She fine, I a little scare before but de doctor say she is normal. Uuuh can I leave early tuday? I need to pick up her medisin from de store."
"Oh, yeah that's fine. One of my relatives also had there tonsils removed about a year ago, and they're still on medication. It must feel awful."
"Yeah, my daughter she always have her uuuhhhh how you say?" Pointing at her throat.
"Tonsils?"
"Yeah, de doctor when she was small, say her tonsils were very bick, but the insurance no cover de operation."
"Really, that's strange."
"Gloree what time es the meetin at today in the night?"
"It's from six to about seven thirty, only an hour and a half. It shouldn't be too bad."
"Okey."
A customer arrived at the drive through ordering his usual breakfast. Mariana of course already knew what he wanted, a breakfats crossaint with extra bacon. She was fine with making it as Glory checked the registers and counted to make sure there was enough money in each one.
Rules: 1. The changes to "de"
2. Oh changes to "uh"
3. Misses words like when asks how you say, instead of how do you say.
4. The -y in Glory changes to -ee
5. Instead of using is, she uses es
6. Big changes to bick, a hard ck sound
7. Has had changes to just have
Mariana clocked in at her usual time, a minute or two after six in the morning. She was tired from the day before having to take her daughter in for surgery. She thought about what the day held for her.... An eight hour shift, picking up her children after school, the bills that needed to be paid, and then her manager came in.
"Good Morning Mariana, how is your daughter doing? I heard she went it for surgery."
"She fine, I a little scare before but de doctor say she is normal. Uuuh can I leave early tuday? I need to pick up her medisin from de store."
"Oh, yeah that's fine. One of my relatives also had there tonsils removed about a year ago, and they're still on medication. It must feel awful."
"Yeah, my daughter she always have her uuuhhhh how you say?" Pointing at her throat.
"Tonsils?"
"Yeah, de doctor when she was small, say her tonsils were very bick, but the insurance no cover de operation."
"Really, that's strange."
"Gloree what time es the meetin at today in the night?"
"It's from six to about seven thirty, only an hour and a half. It shouldn't be too bad."
"Okey."
A customer arrived at the drive through ordering his usual breakfast. Mariana of course already knew what he wanted, a breakfats crossaint with extra bacon. She was fine with making it as Glory checked the registers and counted to make sure there was enough money in each one.
Rules: 1. The changes to "de"
2. Oh changes to "uh"
3. Misses words like when asks how you say, instead of how do you say.
4. The -y in Glory changes to -ee
5. Instead of using is, she uses es
6. Big changes to bick, a hard ck sound
7. Has had changes to just have
Monday, February 13, 2012
Journal #1
1. From the first chapter I percieve Janie as being a beautiful but very envied women by almost everyone around her except for her trusted friend Phoeby. Page two describes her physical appearance and how men couldn't take their eyes off of her. To me, it seems like she has natural inside beauty and that's why everyone is so envious of her. I also see her as being more mature or kind of above what everyone has to say about her because she knows that people are talking about her but she doesn't feel the need to respond to their negative comments. On page 6 she tells Phoeby that she doesn't mind her telling other people what she is saying because her tounge is in her friends mouth which to me shows that she is honest.
2. The narrator is third person omniscient, she is able to "hear" all the character's thoughts like on page 7, "Phoeby held her tounge for a long time, but she couldn't help but moving her feet". The narrator is also able to do the same with Janie. The first page though says a lot about the narrator because it gives a sense that men usually don't succeed in getting what they want or reach their goals. For women however, the narrator says, "The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly". This hints that the author has a clear view off women and men in general and how they act to persue their dreams and goals.
1. From the first chapter I percieve Janie as being a beautiful but very envied women by almost everyone around her except for her trusted friend Phoeby. Page two describes her physical appearance and how men couldn't take their eyes off of her. To me, it seems like she has natural inside beauty and that's why everyone is so envious of her. I also see her as being more mature or kind of above what everyone has to say about her because she knows that people are talking about her but she doesn't feel the need to respond to their negative comments. On page 6 she tells Phoeby that she doesn't mind her telling other people what she is saying because her tounge is in her friends mouth which to me shows that she is honest.
2. The narrator is third person omniscient, she is able to "hear" all the character's thoughts like on page 7, "Phoeby held her tounge for a long time, but she couldn't help but moving her feet". The narrator is also able to do the same with Janie. The first page though says a lot about the narrator because it gives a sense that men usually don't succeed in getting what they want or reach their goals. For women however, the narrator says, "The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly". This hints that the author has a clear view off women and men in general and how they act to persue their dreams and goals.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Post #4 - Mini Literary Terms Test
1."Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board" (Their Eyes Were Watching God")
2."The breezes on that lagoon had chased their tails like kittens were finding their way across the platform into the forest." (Lord of the Flies)
3."Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon" (Romeo and Juliet)
4."Parting is such sweet sorrow". (Romeo and Juliet)
5."The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry" (Romeo and Juliet)
1."Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board" (Their Eyes Were Watching God")
2."The breezes on that lagoon had chased their tails like kittens were finding their way across the platform into the forest." (Lord of the Flies)
3."Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon" (Romeo and Juliet)
4."Parting is such sweet sorrow". (Romeo and Juliet)
5."The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry" (Romeo and Juliet)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Post #3: Dialogue-
- The words spoken in the text. Is it quick or lively to create excitement? Does it slow down the reading to make you pay attention to important information?
- conversation between two or more persons.
- the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc.
- an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, especially a political or religious issue, with a view to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement.
Dialogue is particularly important because it really says a lot about the message an author wants to convey and authors choose to write how their characters speak for a reason. We can see the different kinds of dialogues in The Stranger and Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Ex: "She was very close to your mother. She says you r mother was her only friend and how she hasn't got anyone" (The Stranger)
Ex: "Ah see you is. Gal, you sho looks good. You looks like youse yo' own daughter."(Their Eyes Were Watching God)
Clearly their are differences between the words spoken in those two lines, but it's a good thing because it helps the reader learn more about the story; and get to know these characters that are created by the author.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Post #1
1. Which of the three books did you enjoy the most and why (again, be sure
that you use enough details to demonstrate that you read the entire book)?
The book that I enjoyed the most was definately Their Eyes Were Watching God. I think this is because it had a woman protaginist and I feel like many book mostly have male characters as the center of the book so this was obviously different. It makes me feel that I can relate to this book more which made me enjoy it more as well. The book clearly tells the reader the different values that Janie's grandmkother and her have because of their different experiences and their different lives. I can personally relate to this because I feel like me being the first generation here of my family and my mother being from a completley different country, I can relate to Janie's character a bit. So when her grandmother wants her to get married to her first husband it's more for financial and security reasons, showing her perspective on marriage which is different from Janie's, I understand why she thinks that way. I also liked this book because it's not perfect in the sense that other authors might have had Janie or a character like her end up happily married with her true love, but it is actually realistic.
2. Which of the three books did you enjoy least and why?
The book that I enjoyed the least was The Stranger, which was okay but not as good as the other two books. At first I felt that it was very straightforward and it didn't grab my attention. But as I kept reading it, it got better and it wasn't so bad. When he found out that his Mother had passed away I expected some type of reaction from him but I was confused by his lack of reaction. Then when he was at the funeral he didn't show any emotion either, which again I thought it was strange. I think that the first time reading it it might seem dull but I'm hoping that when we read it again, things will jump out that were not so obvious the first time around.
3. If you were to write an essay on the third novel (the book not addressed
in the previous two questions) what element or elements would you focus on in
that essay and why do think they are important?
I think that if I were to write an essay on 1984 I would focus on society and how it's demonstrated in the book and compare it to how it was back then, and how it is now. I feel like we are all part of society whether we like it or not. Obviously this book took it over the top. But I wonder how far people now a days feel about the government and how they run things. And also how far would we be willing to let the government in on our lives? I feel like their are so many different points of view and reactions to that question but it would be great to know what others think. I think that as far as the book goes it's important to see how the government made the characters choose between themselves or the ones they love. It made me think that maybe we aren't as friendly or compassionate as we think, because the main character gave up his lover in order for him not to suffer. So, I would focus on humans' true nature.
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