1) I think Zora Neale Hurston settled on this title because it gives us the feeling of the strength God has on humans. She creates the effect of the power struggle humans tend to face and the idea that in the end, God is the one with the most power that can control things on earth. The signs of God are used throughout the book to show his power, and the fact that she also describes people being like a godly figure at times shows that in the end, their power will collapse like it did for Jody and only God can have that control. So the big idea behind it is that people look up to God and He is the one that can have power over all. This alters my reading because it shows that no one is capable of having the strongest power other than God.
2) An alternate title she could have used is "Indecisive Struggle." It think it would altered one reading because it would show the struggle many of the characters in the books are facing. It would also represent the characters being indecisive in many of the decisions they face and struggle through it because they are not sure of their own selves.
3) The title of my pastiche is "The Universal Control" because it represents the control of power faced everywhere not with only a certain group of people. I think it is the strongest possible title because it represents part of Hurston's theme behind the use of power to take control which fits into my pastiche. 'Universal' shows the universality of control over other individuals.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Journal #7
1) Symbolism: "This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it" (Hurston, 55). The head-rag that Janie wears when she is married to Jody is an important symbol that represents power. Jody uses the head-rag to control Janie and make sure that she remains like a mule led by him. The head-rag also represents the fact that Jody begins to see Janie as an old person and that she has to cover her hair not only because of jealousy, but because he wants to make her feel as someone that doesn't attract anyone. "The other women had on percale and calico with here and there a headrag among the older ones" (Hurston, 41). In the beginning when Jody married Janie, he wanted Janie to feel higher ranking than all the other women in the town. Old women were described wearing head-rags and now that he wants her to wear a head-rag shows that he see's her as an old woman which creates a conflict between them.
2) Personification: "The sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel" (Hurston, 162). This is an important personification because it represents the power of the sea that was being foreshadowed since the beginning of the book. It is a connection to the hurricane and how much pressure the hurricane puts on the earth with the use of water. It shows the strength of water in nature and the way if affects it. It shows that water can be a good and a bad thing. It can be good during droughts, and for plants and humans and animals, but when it is in a big quantity, it becomes a lot of pressure of the earth like someone wearing high heels standing on someone else's foot.
3)Simile: "Then Joe Starks realized all the meaning and his vanity bled like a flood" (Hurston, 79). This quote is a great reflection of a simile and the feelings of Joe. Joe realized the effect of him being faced by someone that is supposed to be weaker than him. He saw himself put down and lowered by his own wife in front of an audience and that cut his vanity causing it to bleed. He saw all his hard work and control to achieve this just torn apart by Janie because she refused to be insulted as an old woman. This shows the feeling a controller goes through once something they don't want to hear happens, and that they are not strong unless everyone bows to them and respects them like a King.
2) Personification: "The sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel" (Hurston, 162). This is an important personification because it represents the power of the sea that was being foreshadowed since the beginning of the book. It is a connection to the hurricane and how much pressure the hurricane puts on the earth with the use of water. It shows the strength of water in nature and the way if affects it. It shows that water can be a good and a bad thing. It can be good during droughts, and for plants and humans and animals, but when it is in a big quantity, it becomes a lot of pressure of the earth like someone wearing high heels standing on someone else's foot.
3)Simile: "Then Joe Starks realized all the meaning and his vanity bled like a flood" (Hurston, 79). This quote is a great reflection of a simile and the feelings of Joe. Joe realized the effect of him being faced by someone that is supposed to be weaker than him. He saw himself put down and lowered by his own wife in front of an audience and that cut his vanity causing it to bleed. He saw all his hard work and control to achieve this just torn apart by Janie because she refused to be insulted as an old woman. This shows the feeling a controller goes through once something they don't want to hear happens, and that they are not strong unless everyone bows to them and respects them like a King.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Journal #6
By the feedback I got when we exchanged papers, I was able to figure out what to revise. I got good feedback that helped me decide my revision process. When I revised my paper, I changed a lot of the narration in order to make it fit Hurston's narration style. I revised my dialogues. I revised the syntax and the flow of the paragraph. I also removed some things that didn't seem to fit the pastiche and I added things to make the pastiche have a better idea of where it is going on. I think my revisions made the pastiche better than the first way it was written and made it have a better fit into Hurston's style, but more feedback will assure me that I am heading towards the right direction.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Journal #5
Then Dolly began to envision Dreams. Dreams, that precious goal we tend to follow, that waits for us until we reach it. The unforgettable one that lives deep inside us, without a border line for him to end. What reason is there for Dreams to hide, and what force can go against him and break him? He sits silently beneath us, watching our actions take place. Sits wordless and proud everyday with his enthusiasm preserved, waiting for every step to bring us closer to him. Sits to remain followed, to remain wanted, and to remain accepted. She was bound to find a petal from his flowers in her garden someday soon. She needed help and willingness to find him. Pitiable Bob! He need't follow his goal with a passion to be able to reach for it. She sent Carla to help invigorate him, but he felt it was redundant. Life doesn't always please everyone, cuz they got to work hard to find what pleases them. He'd be okay if he was given what he wanted without any challenges. He would then be able to reach for his dream. That's how he thought it worked. But Carla told her differently, therefore she knew the truth. And even if she didn't say so, the next morning she was certain to have know, because a group of administrators arrived to review his exam that test his understanding. Administrators that hardly appear, came and knocked at his door for a surprise. Just walked in without a word of opposition. Hope, that wondering creature, had conquered the earth.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Journal #4
Page 84
Syntax: In this passage, Hurston had all the sentences about the same length which gives the passage a good flow of sentences. She doesn't make them too complex nor too simple. This way she helps structure the passage in a way as to make each sentence flow with the next and make it easier to follow along.
Word Choice: Hurston's word choice helps depict the characters thoughts through out the novel. The use of "ten immensities away" shows the reader how far apart Jody and Janie are growing. She uses it this way to also show how hard it is for Janie to talk to Jody even though they have been married for a long time. This also shows how long it took Janie to get to that point where she is able to face Jody without being too weak.
Tone: This passage has a restrained tone. This is because Janie seems to be determined to have a good talk with Jody in the beginning, but then she gets restrained and begins to get nervous and worried about talking to her own husband. But then later in the end of the passage, she realizes that she has to talk to him even though it will be something hard to do.
Sound Devices: "Something stood like an oxen's foot on her tongue [...]." This sentence has the assonance of the word 'o' in it that helps make it sound like a rhyme. It also makes the sentence sound heavy in a way as to make us feel how hard it is for Janie to face Jody and talk to him.
Syntax: In this passage, Hurston had all the sentences about the same length which gives the passage a good flow of sentences. She doesn't make them too complex nor too simple. This way she helps structure the passage in a way as to make each sentence flow with the next and make it easier to follow along.
Word Choice: Hurston's word choice helps depict the characters thoughts through out the novel. The use of "ten immensities away" shows the reader how far apart Jody and Janie are growing. She uses it this way to also show how hard it is for Janie to talk to Jody even though they have been married for a long time. This also shows how long it took Janie to get to that point where she is able to face Jody without being too weak.
Tone: This passage has a restrained tone. This is because Janie seems to be determined to have a good talk with Jody in the beginning, but then she gets restrained and begins to get nervous and worried about talking to her own husband. But then later in the end of the passage, she realizes that she has to talk to him even though it will be something hard to do.
Sound Devices: "Something stood like an oxen's foot on her tongue [...]." This sentence has the assonance of the word 'o' in it that helps make it sound like a rhyme. It also makes the sentence sound heavy in a way as to make us feel how hard it is for Janie to face Jody and talk to him.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Journal #3
1) "Dis occasion is something for us all tuh remember uh our dyin' day. De first street lamp in uh colored town. Lift yo' eyes and gaze on it." (pg. 45) Symbol
2) "[...] the mule was around the store like the other citizens. Nearly everybody took the habit of fetching along a handful of fodder to throw on the pile. He almost got fat and they took a great pride in him." (pg. 58) Comparison
3) "It was like seeing your sister turn into a 'gator. A familiar strangeness. You keep seeing your sister in the 'gator and the 'gator in your sister, and you'd rather not." (pg. 48) Metaphor
4) "Didn't buy 'im fuh no work. I god, Ah bought dat varmint tuh let 'im rest. You didn't have gumption enough tuh do it." (pg. 58) Characterization of Jody
5) The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again." Personification
Analysis:
2) The fact that everyone in the town began feeding the mule and taking pride in him is a comparison to the town itself. When Jody first came, the town was small, there was no leader or store, but Jody's arrival helped the town improve and invited more people to it. The town became bigger, there was a store in it, and a leader that could help lead them and this made them proud of being part of that town. So the mule getting fatter is a comparison to it because the same way Jody helped the town grow, they are helping the mule grow and have a better life than what it had when Matt was his owner. It brings pride to them that they helped improve a life, even if it was an animal, just to give the mule the same feeling they had when Jody came along.
5) The spirit of the marriage is a personification to Janie and Jody's marriage. It says that the spirit left the bedroom to the parlor just to shake hands but it never went back to the bedroom which shows that Janie and Jody are breaking apart. They are getting separated further more as time passes. At first, the bedroom was an area for them to keep a connection and move on together, but not anymore. The connection they had was being lost and now, that connection is only an outer image to their surrounding. There is no spirit that makes their marriage special. It is only a way to show the town that Mr and Mrs. Starks are a married couple that they rule this town.
2) "[...] the mule was around the store like the other citizens. Nearly everybody took the habit of fetching along a handful of fodder to throw on the pile. He almost got fat and they took a great pride in him." (pg. 58) Comparison
3) "It was like seeing your sister turn into a 'gator. A familiar strangeness. You keep seeing your sister in the 'gator and the 'gator in your sister, and you'd rather not." (pg. 48) Metaphor
4) "Didn't buy 'im fuh no work. I god, Ah bought dat varmint tuh let 'im rest. You didn't have gumption enough tuh do it." (pg. 58) Characterization of Jody
5) The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again." Personification
Analysis:
2) The fact that everyone in the town began feeding the mule and taking pride in him is a comparison to the town itself. When Jody first came, the town was small, there was no leader or store, but Jody's arrival helped the town improve and invited more people to it. The town became bigger, there was a store in it, and a leader that could help lead them and this made them proud of being part of that town. So the mule getting fatter is a comparison to it because the same way Jody helped the town grow, they are helping the mule grow and have a better life than what it had when Matt was his owner. It brings pride to them that they helped improve a life, even if it was an animal, just to give the mule the same feeling they had when Jody came along.
5) The spirit of the marriage is a personification to Janie and Jody's marriage. It says that the spirit left the bedroom to the parlor just to shake hands but it never went back to the bedroom which shows that Janie and Jody are breaking apart. They are getting separated further more as time passes. At first, the bedroom was an area for them to keep a connection and move on together, but not anymore. The connection they had was being lost and now, that connection is only an outer image to their surrounding. There is no spirit that makes their marriage special. It is only a way to show the town that Mr and Mrs. Starks are a married couple that they rule this town.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Journal #2
I am going to mimic page 7 of Their Eyes Were Watching God. There will be 2 characters in this mini story where one is a young British tourist and the other is an Egyptian tour guide.
Rules:
(Egyptian dialect)
1) The 'th' in the, that etc. become a 'z' sound
2) The 's' in words also becomes a 'z' sound
3) The 'p' in words changes to a 'b' sound
4) 2 r's are used because the 'r' is rolled
(British dialect)
5) Mate is a common word used for 'friend'
6) Wicked is another word used for 'great' or 'awesome'
7) 'ou' is used instead of just 'o'. For example, colour instead of color, flavour instead of flavor.
It was a scorching hot summer in Egypt when George Watson, a young British tourist, decided to go visit the pyramids as a part of his vacation. With his camera and a cold bottle of water set, he stopped a taxi to take him to his destination. Arriving there, he was amazed by all the pyramids he saw, but needed help around the area. So he spotted a tour guide that he thought could help him.
"Hi there mate. I just arrived here and thought that you could help me around. If you can show me around the area and tell me about some of the history of the pyramids that would be wicked."
The tour guide thought for a moment and suddenly replied with great enthusiasm. "Hello man. Yez! I would love to do zat. I don't have anyzing to do. Let us starrt wiz za byrramids over here. But firrst tell me how long arre you ztaying overr herre in Egybt?"
"I am staying in Egypt for another week mate. I already bought a lot of souvenir's but my favourite is the shirt I got for my brother. It says 'I've been to Egypt' in bright colours all over it."
"Zat's wonderrful. Did you rride a camel yet? And did you trry all ze food? It iz verry good and tasty."
"No, not yet. But I definitely will sometime soon! And I did try so many dishes! But I still have more to go!"
"Oh yeah. It'z good zat you arre enjoying ze time here. But let uz starrt ze tourr."
The tour guide showed and told George everything he knew about the pyramids, and the pictures he took were sent to his family in Britain who enjoyed each and every single one of them.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Journal 1
In the first chapter, I perceived Janie as someone that is envied by many others for her beauty, and the wealth given to her by her ex-husband(pg.2). She seems to take the other people's thoughts about her indifferently, yet get's bothered that they judge her for what she has done. She also seems to be proud of herself by the way she interacts with Pheoby and talks about her thoughts of the other women in the village that talk behind her back. The way the other women in the village begin asking questions about Janie (pg. 2) makes me perceive her as someone who pursues what she wants and is indifferent about what other's think of her actions.
I perceived the narrator as a third person omniscient narrator because she seems to know everything about the characters and what's happening at every moment. But the narrator is more focused on Janie Starks, the protagonist of the book. The narrator also seems to be feminist because in the first passage of the novel, she describes men's life as either successful or unsuccessful yet when she talks about women, she says that they "act and do things accordingly." (pg.1) I also perceived the narrator as creative due to the way she uses narrative techniques.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Post #4- Sample test
1) In 1984, 'the place where there is no darkness' is an example of _________
2) "[..] the great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume," is an example of a ____________ (Their Eyes Were Watching God, pg. 2)
3) 1984 is an example of a totalitarian government. This is referred to as a(n) __________
4) “If you go too slowly there’s the risk of a heatstroke. But, if you go too fast, you perspire, and the cold air in the church gives you a chill.” (The Stranger, pg. 12)
5) "You don't believe me, do yuh? You don't know de women Ah kin git to mah command." (Their Eyes Were Watching God, pg.36)
Word Bank
A. Contrast
B. Dialect
C. Foreshadowing
D. Allusion
E. Simile
2) "[..] the great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume," is an example of a ____________ (Their Eyes Were Watching God, pg. 2)
3) 1984 is an example of a totalitarian government. This is referred to as a(n) __________
4) “If you go too slowly there’s the risk of a heatstroke. But, if you go too fast, you perspire, and the cold air in the church gives you a chill.” (The Stranger, pg. 12)
5) "You don't believe me, do yuh? You don't know de women Ah kin git to mah command." (Their Eyes Were Watching God, pg.36)
Word Bank
A. Contrast
B. Dialect
C. Foreshadowing
D. Allusion
E. Simile
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Post #3- Irony
Irony: Statement or situation in a novel that appears to be one thing, but is actually the opposite of its literary meaning. The statements are contradicted but what they actually appear to be later on. Irony is an important part of an author's writing because it gives the reader something unexpected. It is with the use of irony where a book becomes interesting and surprising. For example, in 1984, the Ministry of Love is technically the Ministry of 'hatred.' This ministry is a place where it tortures the citizens if they do anything that would threaten the government's power. If a person did a crime against the government, even if it was just inner thoughts, they would get sent to the Ministry of Love to get punished for their "crime." This way they assured the people that the Ministry of Love is a place where people would get tortured not because the government hates them, but because the government loves them and wants them to be a better and loyal citizen like everyone else.
Another example would be like this picture below. It's just a funny irony I found:
Another example would be like this picture below. It's just a funny irony I found:
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Post #2- climax
Climax: Climax is the point in story that takes you off your seat or makes you excited or surprised. It is the the event that makes the reader want to continue reading till the ending. It is usually unexpected which is why it is the best part of the story. The climax is a very important part of a story because it is the part where the story ends up revolving around. If it wasn't for the climax, an author would have a hard time trying to find a way to end the story and a reason on why to end it this way. For example, in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the climax would be when Snow White welcomes the witch to the dwarfs house, when she wasn't supposed to,and ends up eating the poisoned apple.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Post #1
1) The book that I enjoyed reading the most was 1984. The book had so much detail in it but it also had a lot of description of what the main character's thoughts were throughout the book. It had a lot of suspense in it and it just made me want to continue reading without stopping to see what would happen next. It is very interesting because it shows how much power a government can have on a person and change a person's mind through torture, spies, and constant watching to make them believe what the government wants them to believe. Even children are taught to be spies for the government and help imprison their own parents if they thought they were a threat to the government. The idea behind the book of a totalitarian society is something that I enjoyed reading, because its different than what I always read, but would never want to be part of that society. It also shows us what some countries have been through in the past and makes me thankful about the way we live today.
2) The book that I enjoyed the least would be The Stranger. I enjoyed it the least because the book didn't really have something behind it that excited me or made me want to continue reading it. The main character was only affected by the environment surrounding him, especially the sun, which caused him to do a lot of things that someone who is in his normal thoughts would not do. He was amoral and came to the conclusion that everyone will end up in death so there is no reason to fight for your life whether you die naturally or you are executed, which made me understand what he thinks but didn't make the book that much interesting to me at all and I just did not agree with what the author tried to say. Also, the main character only wanted to please himself from time to time with Marie and he didn't even care if he married her or not, as long as she is pleasing him in what he wants, he feels like everything is complete. Even another job opportunity in France and his mother's death made no difference to him. Although the author wanted to show the irrationality of the world, his book wasn't something that I liked very much.
3) If I were to write an essay on Their Eyes Were Watching Gods, I would focus on a couple elements. One of the main one would be the author's use of the language. Reading this book took me sometime because of the the way it was written, but the author wrote it this way to make us imagine and see the story in our minds as we read it. She wanted to portray an African American story and through the language, she was able to make it possible. Another element I would focus on would be the dreams of people like Janie's grandmother who was in slavery, compared to Janie who had a better life than her grandmother. This is an important point because someone like her grandmother, would only dream of a better life which includes leisure and wealth, whereas Janie doesn't think about those. Instead, she thinks of a life where she would fall in love and want to be married to that person because of her feelings about them, not marry them because of their assets.
2) The book that I enjoyed the least would be The Stranger. I enjoyed it the least because the book didn't really have something behind it that excited me or made me want to continue reading it. The main character was only affected by the environment surrounding him, especially the sun, which caused him to do a lot of things that someone who is in his normal thoughts would not do. He was amoral and came to the conclusion that everyone will end up in death so there is no reason to fight for your life whether you die naturally or you are executed, which made me understand what he thinks but didn't make the book that much interesting to me at all and I just did not agree with what the author tried to say. Also, the main character only wanted to please himself from time to time with Marie and he didn't even care if he married her or not, as long as she is pleasing him in what he wants, he feels like everything is complete. Even another job opportunity in France and his mother's death made no difference to him. Although the author wanted to show the irrationality of the world, his book wasn't something that I liked very much.
3) If I were to write an essay on Their Eyes Were Watching Gods, I would focus on a couple elements. One of the main one would be the author's use of the language. Reading this book took me sometime because of the the way it was written, but the author wrote it this way to make us imagine and see the story in our minds as we read it. She wanted to portray an African American story and through the language, she was able to make it possible. Another element I would focus on would be the dreams of people like Janie's grandmother who was in slavery, compared to Janie who had a better life than her grandmother. This is an important point because someone like her grandmother, would only dream of a better life which includes leisure and wealth, whereas Janie doesn't think about those. Instead, she thinks of a life where she would fall in love and want to be married to that person because of her feelings about them, not marry them because of their assets.
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