stranger body 2

Marsaults disregard for his own emotions leads to inexplicable impulsive actions. While the reader is fully aware of Meursault’s thoughts, due to his overwhelming physical sensations, the reader is left asking “why?”. When he kills the arab the reader is not told why he killed him but rather how he was feeling when his finger pulled the trigger. (quote) He gives a very in depth description of his physical sensations, he focuses on he sun on his skin and the sweat on his brow. Furthermore when Meursault is on trial he seems ambivalent to the fact that he may be locked away for a long time. In the court scene the prosecutor plays on his lack of emotion as an attempt to convince the jury of his wrong-doings. (quote). They bring up his mothers funeral and him going with Marie to a comedy as evidence against him. While some may see these actions as actions of a man who does not have empathy or compassion for human life, they neglect to understand Meursault’s emotional retardation. The trial focuses on what he did not why he did it. Meursault himself does not even know why due to his lack of attention to his emotional motives. He acts solely on his physical desires and conveniences. 

stranger body 1

In his life he has few relationships that really resonate with him. In his life his two most important woman are his mother and girlfriend, just like any other man. However, In his relationships he is unusually impersonal. At his mothers funeral he can hardly keep his eyes open. (quote). His physical impulses seem to mask the emotion one should experience from the death of their mother. Moreover, with Marie it is very evident that he does have feelings for her and that he does indeed enjoy spending time with her. He describes his impulses with her and how much he enjoys kissing her: (quote) However when it comes to romance and love he is at a loss for words. He does not understand love nor does he know how to interpret it. It is apparent that he only knows what he is physically feeling or observing. It may be that when he gets these physical sensations that they are in fact emotions. There are times where he misses his mom but doesn't quite seem to know why. (quote about the dog). He does love his mother and Marie he is just confuses his emotions with physical sensations and is incapable of analyzing his own feelings. 

The stranger intro

Meursault is a man of a few words, yet our insight to his thoughts reveal a very observant man who's physical feelings consume his emotions. He is able to recognize emotions in other people and is very keen to their senses. However, when reflecting he seems almost numb to his own emotions. In his relationship with Marie it is clear that he desires her and enoys being with her, but when she asks him about love and marriage he does not seem to understand. This is the difference between meursault and others, he is able to recognize emotion and even have an understanding, however when analizing his relationship with Marie and his murder of the Arab it would appear that he does not truly experience emotions for himself. It would appear that in the most tying moment of his life rather than experiencing emotional distress he focuses on physical discomforts which seem to occupy his thoughts. They occupy his thoughts so much so that it seems as if he displaced his emotions all together.

Physical vs emotional

I want to focus on the three most important entente which include the funeral, the killing, and the trial. With these examples I'd like to expand on how during this critical moments he focuses on trivial things. He is very observant, he gives no explanation for his actions, he is blunt, and very confused. He is very good at observing what is around him but in incapable of observing himself and analyzing his actions

Stranger essay idea

I'd like to disgues the lack of emotions yet very keen sense of physical sensations. He can understand emotion and recognizes it in other people however, his physical feelings are so powerful that its almost as if he doesn't have any personal feelings. He's in touch with his outer self but not so much with his inner soul. He's become so preoccupied with analyzing other people that he has forgotten to analyze himself. This is further illustrated when he reflects on why he killed the Arab. Though this could have been a very traumatic experience his focus was not on taking the life of this man but rather he was concentrated on the sweat on his brow and the color of the sand.

Translators note

An idea prevalent in the translators note is the words unsaid. Throughout the text Meursault's attitutude is very non chalant and unsympathetic to other people's misfortune and emotion in general.  "she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so. She looked sad" in this passage Meursault comments on her looks but gives no real though to her emotion of what love even means. It is evident that he enjoys her company but it is unclear whether or not he has any real emotion toward her. When he does not say I love you back it is a prime example of the idea illustrated in the translators note which connotes his lack of communication. Something's are better left unsaid but in this instance his lack of communication does not seem to be for the good of others, rather it would appear that he simply does not understand emotion or what it is like to have emotions. Even with his mother, whom he should have the greatest affection and affinity towards, he seems utterly detached and emotionless.

The stranger

The short sentences and excessive use of narration coincidence with Meursault's detachment to humanity. There is hardly any direct dialogue and when there is it is rare that Meursault responds with more than one word. This demonstrates his inability to connect with other people. "I washed my hands. I really like doing this at lunchtime. I don’t enjoy it so much in the evening, because the roller towel you use is soaked through: one towel has to last all day". Many times it seems that the narrator stresses details that are minimal and unrelated to the story line however this small details demonstrate Meursault's detachment to humanity and lack of concern for others. These statements make it appear as if he is incapable of relating to people.

comparing styles

I read both "13 Reasons Why" and "Gone Girl". "13 Reasons Why" is a story targeted towards young adults. The language is not too difficult; however, the issues the book deals with are very mature. This book is based around a suicide and also addresses rape. While the language and dialect may not be too advanced it is very imactful."I left last night without saying goodbye to Skye" this is an example of how personal his language is. The dialect makes it seem as if clays thoughts are ours as well. I was so in love with this novel that the characters really felt like people i knew. It takes place in the present tense which allows the reader to identify with the narrorator clay. On the other hand, "Gone Girl" is a novel targeted towards older women. The narroration switches off between the husbands narroration and the wifes diary entrys.
“Same questions over and over, and me trying to pretend they’re thought-provoking. And them trying to pretend they’re thought-provoking. Thank God for the open bar”
 I feel like this makes it a bit less personal because it is not her direct thought but her past tense thoughts. It is suppose to be a mystery but unfortunatly the language and style are very impersonal which make it difficult to truly connect with the characters. The content and jokes within the book are also clearly targeted for a more mature audience which may be another reason why i found myself disenganged in the plot. I found myself not being able to put down "13 reasons why" but find it very difficult to get into "Gone Girl" this i feel is greatly due to the style and audience that each of these novels are targeting.

In class writing on Kafka passage

His words are complimentary on the surface however when delving deeper into the text it appears that his words become somewhat condescending. "Could not be expected to undertake" makes it sound as if Gregor is making excuses for his father.  While he may just be stating a fact, his undertone is very belittling to his fathers success. Furthermore, when he talks about his mother he puts little, if any, expectations On her to provide for their family in anyway. Similarly he does this when talking about his sister. He says "wearing pretty clothes, sleeping late" by subjecting his sister to her clothes, he makes it seem as if she is incapable of amounting to a place in her life that will truly fill the void that Gregor cast. His words are not malicious however it is apparent that he feels his family will deteriorate without his reletnting effort and prence.

in class essay

topic 3

“One morning, as Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vernon.” (Kafka 5) While one may suspect a person to be stunned or even horrified by the fact that they have awoken as a vernon, Gregor on the other hand was nearly impartial to this metamorphosis. As the book progresses we notice that he does not give his physical shift in appearance much thought, rather he is more concerned with the altering dynamics within his family. His life is dedicated to the wellbeing of his family, and due to his fathers seemingly endless “vacation” the stress has been put on Gregor to sustain his family’s lifestyle and “bring home the bacon”. For this Gregor does not seem bitter however it is evident that his love and affection truly lays with his sister who must fill the void Gregor’s transformation has cast and join the work force herself. While his physical metamorphosis may be much more drastic, the metamorphosis that partakes within his family is of much greater concern. 

The fist and most astonishing change that partakes in this novel is Gregor waking up as a “monstrous vernon”. His appearance has greatly altered and he is no longer capable of carrying out his typical tasks. He can no longer go to work and can no longer interact with people. Thus, he is not able to tell his family that he means no harm, tell his sister what food her prefers, or tell his boss that he can no longer attend work due to his unusual condition. Due to his inability to communicate with humans he can not tell his sister (who is simply trying to make his life more convenient) that he does not want her to move his belongings outside of his room. His inability to convey his thoughts, which is brought on by his physical metamorphosis, causes him great pain. However, he still notices that despite his physical disposition the changes that are partaking within his family have a much greater impact than do the single change that solely affects him. 

While the changes within his family may very well have been brought on by Gregor's metamorphosis, the impact they had were bigger than Gregor. The father who seemed to have no motivation was now dressing for work. His sister who had no purpose took on Gregor’s roll and began working for the family. It appears that after this monumental shift in Gregor’s appearance the family each began to take on a greater roll in both their lives and in the lives of each other. While the transformation may not have necessarily brought the family closer it certainly gave them motivation to work harder and gave them a purpose in life. 

Conrad essay

I thought that my essay had a lot of good points but the errors distracted from what i was trying to convey with my writting. I will be sure to check my essays and proof read before a submit a paper next year. I learned a lot from this class and know that next year when i have an assignment that i will certainly reread and edit my writting throughly before submitting.

Kafka disguession

I liked the idea of whether Gregor believes that this current state that he is in is permit ate or not. I also find it very interesting that he doesn't react to this strange transformation. This proves his loyalty to his family although he may internally resent his father. It proves this because it shows that even though he is physically changed his thoughts and cares lay with his family and his job.

Meta 2

Gregor seems to be coming to terms with the fact that he is now an insect. Everything is more difficult for him now and comes at an inconvenience to him except for the fact that he heals. Much faster. Gregor only really finds confort and any sign of affection from his sister who brings him his food.

Metamorphosis

I find it very strange that he was more worried about getting to his job than waking up as a Vernon. He seems to think that there is nothing really wrong with him

Students as teachers

I really liked some of the discussion and i thought that dean Maddie and Ian were really instrumental instrumental instrumental keeping the conversation going.
Andrew also had some really good points but was a bit radical in his approach if you ask me.
I Think that this activity is really helpful for kids and allows those who normally do not participate in class to get a chance to share their opinion

paragraph 3

Marlow’s struggle with surpassing his id only gets worse as he joins deeper. His misogynistic views are reveled when he mentions woman as both shallow and disconnected. He believes that woman should be kept in their place and he does this by objectifying them to nothing more than the material goods they are surrounded by. The man who was at first compared to a dirty begins to lose faith in humanity and reveal his true feelings that were suppressed and buried before. When his boat is being shot at and the Helmsman died, marlow shows no remorse and even blames the Helmsman for his own death. Marlow shows no compassion for human life which coincides with Freud's theory on man which illustrates man’s inner desire to harm and hate our neighbor. Moreover, Marlow develops as sense of admiration towards Kurt's who is a megalomaniac. “Kurt's is a remarkable man”. Marlow saying this alienates him from the rest of the crew. Marlow idolizing Kurtz is the indicator that all that he once valued has been thrown away. 

paragraph 2

Conrad introduces Marlow in the first few pages as a man resembling the Buddha. “lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards, so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower” This imagery connotes the purity and morality within Marlow when he first embarks on this adventure. His life is driven by his supper ego -- the external regulations and customs. He has a sound moral compass and presents himself as a man of curiosity and righteousness.  He honors all that is true and honest and claims to be a man of no lies; similar to the religious figure ( The Buddha to whom he is first compared). However, as he journeys deeper into the Congo his moral standards begin to diminish. He becomes a man who is driven by his id. His sarcasm becomes cynical and his nature becomes primitive. 

first paragraph HOD

Marlow is a man in the novel who has an unweavering stuggle between good and evil, light and dark. He prides himself on being an honest man and hates those who lie, however when an pure woman asks Marlow what her loves last words were he says “your name”. This may be viewed as an act of kindness on Marlow’s part, as if he were attempting to preserve her feelings, however he invents himself as a man who hates lies -- even white ones. Freud similarly expresses this struggle between good and evil with the idea of the id. Marlow’s id is slowly being revealed throughout the course of the novel however his id runs wild when he decides to betray his morals and lie. 

Question I will address in my essay

I am going to address the topic of Marlows lie and the struggle within that deals with both personal hypocrisy and putting others at discomfort.

Marlows lie

Marlow begins the novel illustrating how much he detests lies. However throughout the novel his Id gets  challenged leading marlow to later lie to the intended. He lies essentially not only to others but to himself.

Current state of student reading

While reading can be enjoyable and even more entertaining than a movie, I feel that students nowadays are too concerned with other activities or simply do not have the patients to finnish a novel. The explanation for this lack of stamina could be societies stress on media and technology. Kids in today's world now have books that read to them, web sights that summarize entire novels for them, and movies that come out before one even is assigned the book to read. For these reasons we now see students who neglect their text and resort to faster, easier methods of reading.

HOD

The more I read the more I begin to appreciate the intricate detail and innovative style of Conrad's writting. I'm really beginning to understand and get into the story

group work

I worked with ashton on comparing the heart of darkness to freuds theory on humans. I really liked working with ashton and feel like our combined ideas really led me to have a broader view of both freuds theory and about human nature in general.

Heart of Darkness

I think that it is very telling that three of the main charaters are only described by their occupation. This technique give a very impersonal and unattached feel which allows the reader to put more of their own connotation upon each character.

Sigmund Freud

I believe that his theories are very messed up for our time. He talks of agression and insest. While the time period in which he was born/ which he was raised may explain his pessimistic and angry opinions of man; however, his ideas and theories are so interesting that many world famous artists have incorperated his theories into their masterpieces.