The Drunkard: Personal Reflection

"'My brave little man!' she said with her eyes shining. 'It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel."
p. 351

This along with "You're Ugly Too" have probably been my favorite stories we've read this year. I love the irony in this story. The Drunkard, as the title implies, makes the reader think that it will end up being the dad getting drunk like usual during funeral times. However, it ends up being the son. The actions of the 10 year old boy really were quite funny. I especially liked the irony at the end. As in the quote above, the boy's mother praises him calling him a "guardian angel." What kind of parent praises their child for such an action! I just thought it was hilarious how she was so happy her husband didn't get drunk that she thought it was okay for her son. Oh the Irony!

You're Ugly Too: Personal Reflection

"Zoe came up, slow, from behind and gave him a shove. His arms slipped forward, off the railing, out over the street." p. 370

The title ties in with the central part of the story. Zoe always has a habit of taking jokes too far or using sarcasm that comes across as strange or rude. The joke about the doctor is Zoe's favorite and conveys her character. Just as she takes jokes too far, she also did her actions. In the quote, Zoe actually goes as far as shoving Earl, pretending to push him off the balcony. Instead of a playful shove, she pushes him firmly to the point where he even almost slipped over the railing. Was this just one of Zoe's sick jokes that she took too far, or was it something more? I am interested to see what other people's opinions of this event are in class tomorrow.

The Lottery: Foreshadowing

"They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed."
p. 264

This is really messed up. Reading this my first time, I just glanced over the detail that there was a pile of stones there. O yeah, I guess it was for the human sacrifice later. Reading this a second time, I picked up on many details foreshadowing the cult-like event to come that I gazed over in my first innocent reading. I got the ominous feeling that the lottery wasn't good to win, but the story's foreshadowings really can't be fully interpereted until the story is over. It was very interesting to go back and read all the little details hinting towards the stoning. In the quote, it shows the subtle changes in the peoples' character that foreshadows the lottery's meaning. However, why were they even there? From what I understood, they believed it would bring crops. Is it really worth killing one of their friends or maybe themselves over a dumb superstition? I just thought this story was pretty creepy in the way the characters' reacted to and handled the events.

Popular Mechanics: Metaphor

"He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."

Please don't be literal. I think this story as a whole is a metaphor for divorce. This is revealed in the very last line where the author includes "the issue was decided." This hints at a bigger picture than parents actually fighting over a baby and pulling it apart. What sick people would actually do that? What this short story is about though is the manner in which couples fight over things in divorce. Whether it is their time in seeing their children or materal things, divorces typically result in both parties fighting for everything they can get. It's a sad part of modern society but is commonplace as is hinted in the titles "popular mechanics."

Miss Brill: Another Irrelavent Story

This story was even more boring than "A Worn Path." I'm just glad it was shorter so I could get through it about as fast as possible. Seriously, nothing happened in this story either. Miss Brill thought she was a classy lady and star of the show becuase she wore what she thought was a fancy fur coat. While it was sad that the girl who made fun of her brought her classy dreams to shame, Miss Brill probably should have had a little more character and have not allowed it to hurt her. Becuase of just one person, Miss Brill locks up her fur coat, I think for good, and lets go of apparently one of the few things she still enjoyed. Miss Brill seems to be going back into solitude just because of this one incident. This stories plot and ending really just seemed somewhat frustrating and pointless to me.

Once Upon A Time: Irony

If there was one thing to pick up on in this story, it's either irony or satire. For this blog I'll focus on the various ironies found within the story. For starters, the author begins by directly telling the reader that they don't write children's stories. What does she do next? She writes a children's story. However, this one is of pure satire which pretty much rips on all the other children's stories ever written. This story was by far my favorite. I really just found all the ironies to be quite funny and the way in which the author satirically conveyed her point of view, to me, was hilarious. One of my favorite ironies was how the people kept building more elaborate walls and alarm systems to keep the burglurs out. However, it did just the opposite. Many alarms went off and became more of a nuissance rather than an alarm. Just like car and fire alarms, everyone just began ignoring them, allowing the criminals to slip into homes under the cover of the alarms. Finally, the family who just wanted a happily ever after for their child decided to install barbed wire on top of their wall. The author said it was barbed wire much like that in concentration camps, so you know its good. 60% of the time, it works, every time. Instead of protecting their child though, it viciously mauled him apart as he tried to scale the wall like a hero in a children's story. Ironic, isn't it?

A Worn Path: Dead or Alive?

I'm sorry but I really thought this story was just irrelavent. Nothing really happened to capture my interest. However, the one thing that did catch my attention was Phoenix's grandson. Was Phoenix a delusional old woman who couldn't remember that her grandson was dead or was she actually trying to help him get better? I tend to lean towards the idea that he is dead. First off, when she walked into the doctor's office, she couldn't even remember what she was there for. Also, the woman in the doctor's office even asked her about her grandson being dead. To me, I'll take this woman's word for it since it seems as though Phoenix has lost her mind over the years. However, whether the grandson is alive or not does not take away from the thematic message of love and devotion conveyed in Phoenix's character. Just like the story as a whole, this question of whether the grandson is dead or alive is just simply irrelavent.

Eveline: Sympathetic Character

Eveline, in this story, shows many signs of being a sympathetic character. First off, she grew up in an abusive family. Her father abused her mother and brothers. Now that they left, he had begun threatening to do the same to her. In addition to this, Eveline finds herself stuck in Dublin with no escape until she meets a man named Frank. Frank is a kind sailor and becomes Eveline's boyfriend. However, nothing from the text ever supports that she actually loves him. Frank is more of a ticket away from home and an adventure. As Frank and her were about to depart for Buenos Aires, she found herself unable to truly leave her father and city behind for a man she truly did not love. This indirectly makes the reader feel sympathy for Eveline, knowing she is caught in a tragedy in which neither choice would have really brought her happiness in life.

Hunters In the Snow: Forshadowing

"'You ask me how I want to die today,' Kenny said, 'I'll tell you burn me at the stake.'"
(p. 189)

As I poured through the text looking for a simile or some simple imagery I could tie into the story, I found this. I must have just glazed over it the first times I read it. This is really significant. The quote, when looked at in its surrounding text, is actually really random. Kenny's statement comes from nowhere and no thought or consideration is given to it. It's just out of place which is why I just read right over it until now. This quote foreshadow's the events to come. While it is unclear whether Kenny actually dies or not, it is implied that he does. While I don't think Kenny ever thought such an event would pass, the author slips in this clandestine hint towards how the story will unfold. Instead of burning, however, Kenny freezes. Whether this is significant in some way, I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that this forshadows the future suspected death of Kenny. If anyone says they picked up on this the first time they read the story, I won't believe you.

Hunters in the Snow: Hey! You killed Kenny!

"As the truck twisted through the gentle hills the star went back and forth between Kenny's boots, staying alwyas in his sight. 'I'm going to the hospital,' Kenny said. But he was wrong. They had taken a different turn a long way back."
(p.201)

I can't take credit for noticing this because it only came to my attention in the group discussion today. The ending of the story is that Frank and Tub take a "different" turn from the road to the hospital. Why not a "wrong" turn? It seems logical that the turn would be considered wrong if it was the turn they missed towards their intended destination. However, the turn is just "different." From this, it kind of implies that the turn was intended by Tub and Frank but unsuspected by Kenny. Did Tub and Frank decide to let Kenny die? Another thing that I found startling that adds to this is when Tub leaves the directions at the tavern. Frank says that he pretty much knows where he's going. If Kenny's life meant something to them, wouldn't they want to be sure? They were only a couple miles down the road but don't want to waste a few minutes going back. It's not like they thought Kenny might die because of these few minutes since they already made it clear that they were taking rest breaks along the way. My final point to this is that they literally just left Kenny in the back of the truck to freeze to death or bleed out, whichever came first. They frequently stopped, had a meal, and even took Kenny's blankets. That doesn't sound like they're friends at all. It really makes me think that this "different" turn was something Tub and Frank both agreed on.

Everyday Use: Indirect Characterization

"In real life, I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day."
(p. 174)

Well this chapter is all about characterization and that's what we did in class, so i might as well blog about it. Mama is shown as a tough-as-nails character. Every time I think of her, for some reason, I get this image in my head of this lady I saw wearing a t-shirt that said "Hunting Bucks and Driving Trucks" but thats a different story. Anyway, in this quote, Mama is shown as quite a determined and somewhat stubborn character. Throughout the story, there are just reocurring instances that convey to the reader that she is the one in charge. I know I wouldn't want to mess with her. Also, the paragraph this quote comes from reminds me of the most interesting man in the world guy from the commercials. She goes through all of these random instances in her life to show her rough exterior like the most interesting man in the world does to show he is interesting. The story's narration by her, I think, better serves the nature of her character and allows the reader to indirectly get an understanding of who she is.

Bartleby the Scrivener: Strange Character

After reading that, there are two conclusions one can come to. For me, it’s that Bartleby is an interesting character, in a bad way. I could not come to sympathize with his character at all and just perceived him as the weird man he is. I definitely have never read a story which involved a character as out of touch with, I guess, reality as Bartleby is. He simply didn’t do what others said like a normal person does. If someone, especially an authority figure, tells me to do something, I’ll probably do it. It’s just a normal thing. Bartleby obviously is not normal. There also is a second way I’ve noticed some people perceiving him. Some readers sympathize with the character similar to how many people sympahtized with Miss Emily from the last story we read. They both are just so out of touch with reality that you have to feel bad for them. I can see myself feeling this way sometimes but most of the time I’m just frustrated with his overall character.

A Rose For Emily: Point of View

"For a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin."
(p. 289)

This was definitely one of the creepiest pieces of literature we have read so far this year. One of the things that made it so creepy was the way in which the story was narrated. The point of view led me, the reader, to speculate on all of the events occurring. It created an eerie tone to the story that contributed to the story's plot. The point of view was first person and plural. The narrator always spoke using "we" or "us" conveying that what was being said was the townspeoples' collective speculation and thoughts on what was really going on. This sense of removal and rumor really added to the overall effect of the story. I think that without this unique style of narration, the author's work would not be as entertaining as it is. Overall, the point of view worked very well in further communicating the author's intentions for the story.

Interpreter of Maladies: Simile

"She lifted her pinkish brown sunglasses and arranged them on top of her head like a tiara."
(pg. 153)

I found this simile to be very significant in the characterization of Mrs. Das. Honestly, she is quite simply a mean and stuck up person. Throughout the story, she ignores her children, reveals her dishonesty towards her husband, and insults Mr. Kapasi. The simile from the quote contributes vastly to her character. The image of the tiara on her head creates the idea of her high maintenence and arrogance. The tiara symbolizes her selfish thinking in which she must always be put before everything else. I found Lahiri's use of this simile to be very profound as it set the tone of the story. Mr. Kapasi, in the end, realized Mrs. Das is not the person he would ever want to marry and lets the piece of paper with his address on it blow away without saying anything to her.

How I Met My Husband: Realistic Ending

"So I said yes, and I went out with him for two years and he asked me to marry him, and we were engaged a year more while I got my things together, and then we did marry."

I touched on this point a little towards the end of my previous blog but I figured it was worth elaborating upon. This story really throws out the traditional fairytale ending. Most stories would have it end with Edie and Chris falling in love, getting married, and flying around the globe until the end of their lives. However, this story doesn't end like that at all. Instead, Edie doesn't even get a letter back from Chris. How romantic? What does happen though is that Edie falls short of the fairytale cliche and marries the mailman she would see everyday waiting on Chris' letter. While it doesn't live up to the usual expectations of a love story, it creates a more realistic perspective on love and marriage. At the end, Edie describes how she enjoys other people being happy and that what makes them happy isn't really what's important. Edie and the mailman are both happy to be married together and enjoy their lives. I think that Munro tries to convey this idea that things are never perfect but that it doesn't prevent us from finding true happiness in a simple life.

How I Met My Husband: Ironies-Situational and Dramatic

"He always tells the children the story of how I went after him by sitting by the mailbox every day, and naturally I laugh and let him, because I like for people to think what pleases them and makes them happy."
(pg. 146)

This was my favorite story we read even though some parts were a little wierd. However, I mostly enjoyed this because I really like ironic stories. It is always fun to see something unexpected happen. This story contained many ironies, both situational and dramatic. The quote above illuminates the dramatic irony that occurs in the end of the story with the husband telling his kids how he met their mom. He believes that it was her who was flirting with him by waiting for him at the mailbox everyday when, in reality, she was waiting on another man, Chris. In addition to this, the story is a situational irony becuase the plot leads the reader to suspect that Edie will receive the letter from Chris and eventually marry him. In contrast, Edie's waiting on the letter leads her to find a new person, the mailman, who she ends up marrying. I enjoyed this story because of the ironies that led to a different meaning among the text and kept me, the reader, guessing what would happen. I think the purpose of Edie marrying the mailman was to combat the traditional love story format of a happily ever after ending to a more realistic ending conveying the reality that people can't wait forever on something that will never happen.

Lonely Hearts: Personal Reflection

I found this poem to be pretty wierd and strange. Also, I'm just simply confused on the meaning or purpose behind this poem. To me, I just see six lonely people trying to use an old version of E-harmony. Why write a poem about this? I don't really see a theme or purpose at all in this poem. One thing that is apparent is that these people live in North London. After that, I'm just lost. I don't really even know what questions to ask about this poem to better understand it. I'm definitely going to have to hear other people's perspectives on this poem in class because I think I'm reading it too literal.

Delight In Disorder: Personal Reflection

I found this poem to be very interesting in the speaker's view towards disorder. Generally, our everyday lives have a schedule and plans to govern the day. However, the speaker in the poem conveys his objection to this. He finds satisfaction among disorderly things and even anger among order. The speaker states that he finds a sweet disorder in some dress. The oxymoron, "wild civility", describing the tied and orderly shoelace among the disorderly dress conveys this outlook the speaker has on order. He, in contrast to society, views civilization as being somewhat barbaric or "wild." I found this point of view on the matter very interesting because it is something most people don't ever think about in our daily lives of "wild civility."

Edward: Repetitive Form

The first thing that I noticed in this poem was the repetition in the form of the poem and in certain lines and phrases. This poem was very hard to follow due to this unusual nature. I think I understand the gist of the poem but lack the entire meaning. Edward starts off killing his hawk, and his mother somewhat sugarcoats his wrongdoing. Next, he kills his steed and yet again his mother does not let him know of his wrongdoing. Finally, Edward kills his father. His mother then asks what is he going to do. Each stanza showed a progession in Edward's offenses until they became so great he would be forced to leave his old life behind. In the end, he blamed his mother for not giving him proper advice or punishing him for his wrongdoings. Because he was able to get away with his faults, he never learned anything from them and continued to commit a more serious offense. I think that the author is trying to imply that punishment and consequences have good intentions in teaching valuable lessons. However, many aspects of the poem still remain unclear to me. I will be interested to hear other peoples' thoughts and interpretations of this poem.

Death, Be Not Proud: Central Purpose

I think that the speaker's central purpose in this poem was to convey that people shouldn't fear death. He describes death as not being "mighty and dreadful" as some have called it. Conversely, he goes as far to ask death to kill him. The speaker describes death as just a simple step until "we wake eternally" where death does not exist. The poem takes an unorthodox approach to look at death in a positive light. The speaker, obviously a man of faith, describes death as the last thing between people and their eternal life after. One of the things I didn't understand from this poem though is why he is telling death to not be proud. The speaker describes all the good things of death and then says for it to not be proud. Usually when we think of good things or qualities, there is a sense of pride that comes along with it. Paradoxically, the author conveys that this is not the case which has left me a little confused on the theme or if my understanding of this poem is right.

Elegy For My Father, Who Is Not Dead: Extended Metaphor

This poem represented two conflicting and relavent beliefs that many people have about an afterlife. The arguement in this poem was whether or not people believe in life after death or a heaven. This theme was communicated through an extended metaphor in the poem. The speaker metaphorically compared death and what comes after to a journey on a ship. The father in the poem embraced the idea of a heaven and was described as having a "sureness of faith." In contrast, his son did not think the same way. The son clearly disagreed stating "I do not think he's right." The metaphor of the son watching his father sail away convinced the ship is going down and the father convinced he'll be waiting for his son on the other side represents the divide in human belief and faith found in our modern world. One thing I didn't understand, however, was the author's own opinion on the matter. I couldn't decide whether or not he believed in heaven or if he was even trying to communicate his own beliefs through the poem.

Dover Beach: Personal Reflection

I found this poem to be one of the most difficult to understand from this section. The speaker is standing, I think literally, on the beaches of Dover in England. He is comparing the sea in front of him to the Sea of Faith. The speaker states that faith has been receding and less people are believing in God. My confusion stems from this knowledge. I'm not sure whether he himself believes in God or if he is even troubled by the lack of faith. However, the last line "where ignorant armies clash by night" leads me to believe that the speaker is angry with the injustices in the world. Whether it is in war or faith, the speaker seems to be condemning the world around him for their behavior.

Getting Out: Simile

Throughout the poem, I noticed a couple of similes that added meaning to the poem. The first simile is in the first line of the poem which says "That year we hardly slept, waking like inmates." This simile infuses an image of either prisoners trapped in a cell or a mental inmate imprisoned in their own mind. To me, the second one seems more likely given the context of the poem and the emotional differences that led to the couples end. The next simile "heaving words like furniture" describes the destructive nature of the couple's relationship. It describes the arguements in a more severe manner and illuminates the large conflicts that the couple had. Finally, one excerpt that I think gives a more significant meaning to the poem is the phrase "our matching eyes and hair." This seems to describe a couple comprised of two people who were so alike that they could not coexist together because of such similarities eventually ending in their divorce.

Hazel Tells LaVerne: Allusion

Reading this poem, the allusion to the Princess and the frog can be recognized. However, the outcome is much different. The woman kills the frog. What is the purpose of referencing the story to twist the ending in a  modern and less charming style? My only guess right now is that it may have been simply for just humor. However, lost in the usage of improper grammer and lacking punctuation, I'm having trouble determining a theme or message from the poem. Usually when I think of poetry, I think of elegent words from hundreds of years ago that I have to look up in a dictionary to understand their ancient meaning. In contrast, this poem is literally the exact opposite of my stereotype of poetry. My only understanding for the theme of this poem is that its intended meaning probably lies somewhere among its informal nature.

My mistress' eyes: Personal Reflection

I'm going to take a stab at the meaning of this poem. First off, literally all the first 12 lines state all the imperfections of the speaker's mistress and how he doesn't like her. Then he goes on to say his love is rare and great. Why discuss everything that you hate about someone and then go on to tell them you love them? That just seems to go against the normal way of things. However, I think that the meaning to this poem could be that imperfections shouldn't matter. The speaker describes all the flaws in his mistress' physical being yet never says anything bad about her spiritual characteristics. Through this, he creates a sense of flawless spirit among the woman and conveys that physical imperfections should not determine love.

Crossing the Bar: Imagery

I couldn't help but notice the recurring imagery throughout this poem. Various images of a "sunset and evening star", "boundless deep", and a "twilight and evening bell" all metaphorically described the death of the speaker. All these images have a central theme in common. They each are something at the end of their cycle. These images are used to describe the speaker's approaching death. The speaker in the poem states "And may there be no moaning of the bar." At first I didn't know what this meant; however, after reading the description in the questions in the book, I can conclude that this statement means that the speaker wants to have a peaceful death. He does not want to die in agony, yelling from pain which is certainly what I think all people would want. Overall, I think I understood and enjoyed this poem's unique imagery that helped communicate its meaning in a metaphorical manner.

"next to of course god america i": Personal Reflection

I'm not sure what it is I even read. I have so many questions for this poem, but I don't even know exactly what it is to ask since I can't even decode what the poem is about. These are probably my most basic questions. Who is the speaker in the poem? Is the theme of the poem about America's brilliance or faults? Why does the poem shift from mocking American songs to the speaker's own thoughts in the same lines? These shifts in and out of song are very confusing and hard to pick up on. I'm definitely going to need to listen to other peoples' thoughts on this poem during class discussion.

APO: 96225: Personal Reflection

This was my favorite poem out of the section because of its simplicity and profound implications. The mother, to me, seems to represent innocence and curiosity. She seems to symbolize the attitude of the American public during the Vietnam war. Hardly anyone knew of Vietnam before the war started and were curious to learn about what was going on in the war. The mother displays these qualities in her curiosity for her son's well being. Just like the mother, a vast majority of the American public protested the war when they learned of the horrors involved in it. The poem seems to convey the robbing of innocence that war brings whether it was in the son's actions during the war that plague his concience or the mother's knowledge of the realities her son must face. This poem, as a whole, seems to embody the experiences the American people went through during the Vietnam war.

Sorting Laundry: Central Purpose

I think that this poem is about a couple aging through life together. Details of "shirts and skirts and pants recycling week after week" lead me to believe that this is about an aging couple. All their "wrinkles" still "in style" conveys that the two lovers are growing old together and ignore the aging process as a hinderence in their relationship. From these details, a central purpose in the poem emerges. I think the central purpose is to show that love is something that never grows old. The last stanza in the poem conveys this through describing how there is no material substitute for love. "A mountain of unsorted wash [that] could not fill the empty side of the bed" seems to depict this immaterial quality to love.

Ozymandias: Imagery

The various images in this poem contribute to a general theme and meaning among the work. Ozymandias was a powerful Egyptian tyrant during his reign. Statues and monuments were created of him boasting "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings." However, the imagery of the poem conveys that all things eventually end. The images of an "antique land" describing post-kingdom Egypt create a sense that the power of the kings, especially, Ozymandias has dissolved into history. Though Ozymandias thought himself invincible, the images of the monument, or "colossal wreck", in "decay" illuminate the meaning of the poem that all things, even once thought invincible, will come to be just a mere "antique" of history. This, to me, creates a bleak sense about our world today. The tone of this poem has two sides to it: that all opression will come to an end but also, with it, all other good things in life. The tone just seems to imply that all things come and go and no matter how invincible people think they are, they will eventually be forgotten.

Much Madness is Divinist Sense: Paradox

This poem by Emily Dickinson seems to be one big paradox. I think I'm on the right track to understanding this poem. The first line states "Much madness is divinest Sense." How could madness be supreme reason? In reverse order, the speaker states that "much sense [is] the starkest Madness." The speaker, through the paradox, conveys the theme that those who sometimes are thought of as logical and belonging to the majority are the ones who are insane. The speaker illuminates that the majority of humanity is insane for "handling with a chain" all those who do not think the same way as them. The speaker, through the paradoxes, conveys that those who aren't open minded and refuse to consider other ideas other than their own are the one's who are insane rather than logical.

The Joy of Cooking: Personal Reflection

They say serial killers always torture animals when they're young. I wonder if they write about cooking their sister's tongue and eating their brother's heart, too. This poem is just simply the wierdest thing I have ever read. After getting through the gruesome details, I think I have discovered something close to the meaning of the poem. Thankfully, it seems to be metaphorical. The speaker describes her brother's heart as "barely feeding two" when it should serve six. This seems to symbolize her brother as being a very cold-hearted individual who probably did not love the speaker as he should have. However, I'm confused on what her sister's tongue could symbolize. This poem, overall, confused me on its exact meaning as well as ranked number one on the wierdest things I've ever read list. I would think she'd be able to come up with something else to get her point across that didn't involve cooking her siblings' organs, but apparently we can't always get what we want.

February: Personal Reflection

This poem seemed to carry a dark metaphorical tone. The speaker describes "sex and territory" as "what will finish us all off." This statement conveys a bleak tone that the world will end up destroyed due to humanities' own flaws. Also, the speaker talks of death very casualy when he describes his cat frequently checking to see if he is dead. This casual talk of death implies that the speaker is indifferent on the subject of death and seems to be just simply waiting for it. Through images of pollution pouring out of chimneys to keep him warm, the speaker associates the month of February with that of gloom and depression. In the last line, I found the final statement "make it spring" to be very profound. To me, it seems that the speaker is representing the bad times and depressed outlook on the world with the month of February. Spring symbolizes the happiness that the speaker so desperately wants, needs, and is asking for.

Dream Deffered: Simile

The speaker in the poem addresses the issues of dreams people don't pursue. He describes the outcomes that could impact the person through the use of similes. The images depicted in these similes carry a negative tone to them. The speaker, through these images, conveys the lingering emotions that may come when people don't pursue a dream. However, each question and statement is said with slight doubt. Each statement describes a negative affect of a deffered dream but then conveys that this affect may simply go away. What is the purpose of doing this? The final line seems significant in the sense that it supercedes all the other outcomes of a dream deffered. Asking if it explodes reveals that a dream deffered could affect a person so strongly that it could destroy their life. I think that this poem conveys that we should actively pursue our dreams in life and not simply give up on them without trying because we will never know how bad the burden of deffering our dreams may be looking back from our future.

Toads: Symbol?

This poem was very hard to understand for me. What are the two toads symbolizing in the poem? The speaker describes one toad as soiling "six days of the week... with its sickening poisen just for paying a few bills." Is the toad money and greed? This is the only thing that makes sense to me, but throughout the rest of the poem, I struggled to come up with any examples or text supports to prove this. The speaker describes poverty through depicting "nippers [that] have got bare feet." However, I have found no direct connection between the toad and this description. The second toad is described as "hard to lose" when both toads are present in a person's life. However, I'm clueless what this could be. I'm interested to hear what other people think these toads symbolize in class.

I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed: Extended Metaphor

This whole poem is an extended metaphor comparing liquor to something else. The first line shows that this "liquor" is metaphorical through the speaker's statement "I taste a liquor never brewed." This conveys that the liquor is not actually something tangible, but is instead utilized as a metaphor. However, I'm not exactly sure what the speaker is comparing this too. Some clues in the text give me the perception that the speaker is somewhat "drunk" on nature's beauty. The speaker describes the liquor as "Inebriate of Air," "Debauchee of Dew," and "Reeling-thro endless summer days." All these details depict nature. The speaker, through these details, seems to convey that they enjoy nature to the point it is intoxicating. It goes a little far in describing this, but , to me, it just seems that the speaker is describing their appreciation of nature and all its beauties.

The Panther: Personal Reflection

I found this poem to be very vague in its meaning. I'm not sure I have fully understood the meaning behind the poem but I have a few thoughts of what it could be. First off, the poem has a very dark tone, even in the sense of the panther. The panther was chosen for its darkening image among the other dark language used in the poem's description of the panther being caged from the world. Also, the panther is significant to be the animal chosen to be in the cage because it is a more mysterious creature than others such as a lion. A panther, historically, has been at the edge of environmental tragedies. This panther could symbolize the injustices placed on a certain person or group. However, who or what could this be? Reading this poem, I have noticed certain details that may describe this, but I'm still unsure what exactly it could symbolize. However, what is known is that the images of confinement and that the image the panther sees in the end create a feeling of sympathy for the creature that is cut off from the world on the other side of the bars. I'm curious to understand the exact symbolic meaning behind this poem.

London: Central Purpose of the poem

William Blake describes a battered London as a result of the horrors of society. Descriptions of "every cry of every man" being heard illuminate a sad tone to the poem. Also, Blake depicts the "youthful Harlot's curse" as destroying the sanctity of marriage and the lives of children. However, blame is not placed upon the Harlot. The adjective "youthful" reveals that the Harlot is not the sinner but a tragedy of the unjust society caused by an out of touch "black'ning Church" and neglectful government. Through these details, Blake reveals the central purpose of the poem. Its purpose is to reveal a warnful tone of the horrors that can injure the people of a nation if they are not respected by their government or if religion and morality become out of touch with the people. If these atrocities are enabled in society, Blake conveys the inevitable outcomes that coincide with them.

The Widow’s Lament in Springtime: (Images Q 10)

This poem is full of symbolic imagery. Williams describes a widow who has lost her husband recently. His images of the plumtree white with flowers are associated with that of her husband. Her husband’s death has left her sad and lonely. However, when the images of the white flowers again resurface, it is under the hope that the widow will again see her husband. Her son depicts the scene of trees of white flowers at the edge of the woods. The woods are used as a metaphor for the woman’s life and that at its end, she will arrive to be with her husband when she “sinks into the marsh” around the flowers. William’s use of symbolic imagery intertwines the two people through the description and representations of the white flowers of their lives. This imagery reveals a thematic message in the poem which implies that true love and friendships still exist even after death.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (Personal Reflection)

I found this poem very confusing at first. Dickinson metaphorically compares her transition from sanity to mental chaos with that of a funeral. The funeral, in her brain, is the loss of reason and replacement with insantity. Her diction reveals this metaphor in the first line "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain." Personally, I enjoyed observing this transition through her metaphorical images of the casket plunging into the ground when the "Plank in Reason" breaks. The cutoff at the end of the poem added to this effect of the person's lack of communication with the rest of the world that coincided with her insanity. However, one thing that I found strange was her capitalization of certain words while leaving others normal. Was this a way she signified their importance or just pure randomness? Anyway, the poem demonstrated very well each stage in the process starting with the failure of reason leading to the eventual insanity of the person.

The Convergence of Twain: Tone of the poem and how it is achieved

Upon analysis of this poem, I have come across two tones that the author creates within the poem. The first is that of a gloomy atmosphere conveyed through the author's diction using words such as "grotesque", "slimed", and "bleared and black." The author uses such words to describe the once luxorious and magnificent ship now at the bottom of the sea. The ship has now become worthless along with all its "jewels in joy designed." In addition to his gloomy tone of the present state of the ship, Hardy shifts to a warnful tone of the coming event. He describes the ships growth and progress as well as the iceberg's growth. These seemingly unrelated objects now meet after this warning in Hardy's next lines that depict the catastrophic event of their "intimate welding of their later history." Through his diction, Hardy is able to achieve both a gloomy, dark, and warnful tone in his poem.

Perrine Poetry Blog

        Upon picking up the article and reading the first few statements, I already disagreed with Perrine's idea that some explanations for poems are wrong and others are right. I have always thought that a poem was whatever a reader wants it to be. However, after I finished the article I was in general agreement with him. Perrine doesn't advocate that only one interperetation of poetry is right while the rest are wrong. He simply states that logic should be applied to analysis. With this logic should come limitations in the scope of perceptions into the poem's true identity. From this, one correct explanation of a poem or a multitude of explanations may arise. Perrine simply states that some interperations of a well-written poem can be proved implausible.
        Within Perrine's logical idea, I do find myself disagreeing with some aspects of his explanations. Poetry is not always meant to be analyzed for a specific meaning. Therefore, this idea for interpereting poetry is not always applicable. Sometimes, in my opinion, poetry is composed to create a broad spectrum of interperetations in which none should be limited by logical reasoning. However, for the most part, poetry vaguely addresses things in which real meanings can be discovered. Because of this, I think that Perrine's analytical stratagies can be very helpful. They can help me in class by using the process of logical steps in my explanations and interperetations of a poem's meaning. By using these steps, it will prevent me from having conflicting meanings within my own interperetations of a poem as well as serve as a guide and starting point when first reading the poem.

Never Let Me Go 20- The Sad Ending

"'Kath, I don't want you to take this the wrong way. But I've been thinking it over a lot. Kath, I think I ought to get a different carer.'"
(pg. 280)

This quote describes the sad ending to this book. Tommy, knowing that he is dying, tells Kathy that he is going to get a different carer. I think it is very brave of him to do this and really shows the human qualities to the clones that very few people in their world want to recognize. Tommy obviously would want Kathy to be there when he is dying, but he is brave enough to send her away so that she won't have to see him in such bad condition and get upset when he begins to die; he wants her to remember him as the boy at Hailsham that she grew up with. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than "Brave New World." However, these books were both very similar in their societal settings and themes. Both books indicated the importance of keeping technology in check with our reality. If we let technology spiral beyond our moral boundaries, the books depict the horrible futures that may result. These symbols and themes are quite profound and relevent, especially since we live in a world with new technologies being developed every day. Someday soon, we might actually have to face the choices these books warn about. It really proves the timelessness of literature that we are focusing on in these books, especially since one was written nealy 80 years ago. I felt that "Never Let Me Go" was very good in the sense that it contained so many emotional twists. I also enjoyed watching  the characters personalities change as they aged.  One thing that I didn't like though was all the pointless anecdotes that probably filled half of the book. Many things would happen that were completely irrelavent and unimportant. Overall though, I enjoyed the book, but I'm even happier now that I have finished all my blogs!

Never Let Me Go 19- Rhetorical Question

"'Poor creatures. What did we do to you? With all our schemes and plans?'"
(pg. 254)

The rhetorical question from the quote is significant in the way it puts emphasis on what Madame was saying. Madame, through this quote, is conveyed as sympathetic for what Kathy, Tommy, and all the other students had to go through. In this scene, Miss Emily and Madame explain to the children the horrors of their society. Hailsham was a beacon of hope for changing the way their society worked. Before schools like Hailsham, students were created in warehouse-type factories and treated horribly. Their tone is of sincere remorse and regret that they couldn't accomplish this change as they later explained the reality of how their world works. However, Miss Emily and Madame had tried hard to change peoples' opinions of students like Tommy and Kathy through their art as a key to conveying the human qualities of the students. As a reader, I have to feel sorry Tommy and Kathy. Their perceived reality about the world and the defferals were nothing but fantasies. All hope they had in a good world that could help them just one time vanished with their newfound knowlege.

Never Let Me Go 18- Allusion

"I'd sit in the chair and read to him from various paperbacks I'd bring in, stuff like 'The Odyssey' or 'One Thousand and One Nights.'"
(pg. 238)

I've frequently noticed many allusions throughout the book but failed to mention any so far in my blogs. These allusions really create a time reference within the book. World War 2 is spoken of like it had just happened. Even though the technology and society is vastly different from ours today, it seems that the setting of this book is actually around our time era now if not in the past. One of the themes I've noticed from this book is how quickly and dangerously society can change if people dont regulate technology or, in some cases, even restrict it. Back to the quote though, it depicts the new relationship Kathy and Tommy have developed in the final parts of their lives. They had always been right for each other, but as Ruth explained, she kept them apart. One of Ruth's final wishes was for them finally to be together. Now Kathy has become Tommy's carer, and they are prepared to spend the final moments of their lives together since they'd missed this chance earlier during their upbringing as students.

Never Let Me Go 17- What Donor's Are Supposed To Do

"'I was pretty much ready when I became a donor. It felt right. After all, it's what were supposed to be doing, isn't it?'"
(pg. 227)

What does she mean they're supposed to be doing it? I feel sorry for the characters because they know, deep down, that they are being used. Obviously, this was the case, but they never talked about it and tried to pretend that it wasn't so. I think it represents their remaining innocence that they've tried to cling on to in their final years. In the quote, it seems Ruth knows what others are doing to her is wrong. Ruth is talking in a way that she has to ask reassuringly that what she was doing was right, or what they were "supposed" to do. I know that they must feel the obligation to become donors since it was what they were created to do and, otherwise, would never have existed if it weren't for this purpose. However, it just still seems odd and almost unrealistic that everyone would come to terms with this matter. In this chapter though, the three friends are reunited for their first time since Hailsham. It will be interesting to see how the characters have changed and are newly portrayed as adults now. Kathy had already mentioned drastic differences in Ruth's character.

Never Let Me Go 16- Hailsham Closing

"Hailsham was going to close any day and there were plans to sell the house and grounds to a hotel chain."
(pg. 212)

Kathy must have been distraught over Hailsham closing. It was the only little piece of her childhood that she had left, and people were selling it. This seems very symbolic of Kathy entering a new era in her life. The school she grew up in and loved was now gone. I think this symbolizes her transition from the innocence that Hailsham offered, a safe haven from the cruel world, to her new, harsh reality. She already had to leave behind her old friends from Hailsham. Now she must leave behind the school itself.  She is only left with the cruel reality of what faces her: donations.

Never Let Me Go 15- Kathy's Leaving

"But I kept a certain distance from her, just as I did from Tommy. We didn't really talk properly again at the Cottages, and before I knew it, I was saying my goodbyes."
(pg. 203)

Kathy, in the quote, describes how after the three of them had that final fight, they were never the same around each other. This led to Kathy leaving the cottages to become a carer. Personally, I would rather hang out with friends I wasn't that close to rather than sign up for my death, but I guess that's just me. It's just odd how everyone accepts there fate and doesn't try to do anything about it. I would be the first one out of those Cottages if it were me that was going to have my organs harvested, but again, that's just one guy's opinion. Anyway, I know Kathy just wants to move on at this point in her life and doesn't really have a point in staying with Ruth and Tommy, but it really is shocking how she and the others cope with their lives. Obviously, she meets Ruth again later in the story, but Kathy, at this moment, is leaving Hailsham and her childhood behind by doing this. A new emotional tone comes over the story with Kathy leaving and knowing very well that she might never see them again.

Never Let Me Go 14- Simile

"I can recall now, as fresh as anything, Tommy's own face, the anger receding for a moment, being replaced by an expression almost of wonder, like I was a rare butterfly he'd come across on a fencepost."
(pg. 195)

This was yet another one of Ruth and Kathys' fights. This time, Ruth dragged Tommy into it as well. I don't see why the characters, mainly Kathy and Ruth, always act this way. They just get mad and no one walks away happy. It's like a game for them and now, this time, they pulled Tommy into it with them and ended up hurting him the most. Ishiguro frequently includes all these fights in almost every chapter. They really don't seem to have a purpose except for the characters to get mad at each other and then make up for it a few pages later. In this fight, Ruth tells Tommy how she and Kathy had been making fun of his drawings which were very important to him. Even though this wasn't entirely true, Kathy didn't say anything. Unlike the previous arguements before that I neglected to include, this fight was actually important though in the way it had really driven Kathy and Tommy apart. Also, it seems have significantly changed the direction of the plot.

Never Let Me Go 13- Epanalepsis

"'What she told Roy, what she let slip, which she probably didn't mean to let slip, do you remember, Kath? She told Roy that things like pictures, poetry, all that kind of stuff, she said they revealed what you were like inside. She said they revealed your soul.'"
(pg. 175)

Do clones have souls? Is a picture of an object the same as that object? It all seems very complicated to think about. A clone, like a picture of something, can have the same properties and visual representations, but is it still different in some way? This is similar to the point in question in the book. Obviously, people are going to disagree whether a clone of something is actually the same, or equal, as the original. Maybe this is the point as to why the guardians at Hailsham stressed the importance of art, because in some way, art reveals people through their creativity, passion, and as Miss Lucy said, it reveals one's soul. The Epanalepsis in the quote is very effective in communicating the imporatance of this. The society they live in is already depicted as somewhat of a futuristic utopia where social order is controlled by unrevealed authorities. However, outside Hailsham and the cottages where clones are kept, maybe a few people are trying to stop cloning and that, through the students' art, they are trying to make this possible- to end cloning. It already seems like the guardians at the school are trying to do this. Whatever the struggle, if there even is one, Miss Lucy frequently stressed the importance of their art and its possible role in helping protect the students at Hailsham. Ishiguro has created a very suspenseful plot so far and has left me guessing what could happen next. I'm pretty impressed with the book so far (That's a pretty big compliment coming from me) and I'm curious how it will end.

Never Let Me Go 12- Ruth's True feelings found in Norfolk

"'We know it, so we might as well just say it. If you want to look for possibles, if you want to do it properly, then you look in the gutter. You look in rubbish bins. Look down the toilet, that's where you'll find where we all came from.'"

(pg. 166)

I don’t know if maybe I’m reading a little too deeply into this, but it seems to me to be ironic as to where Ruth breaks down and reveals her true emotions. What emotions had been lost inside her that she had kept hidden remained lost inside until they arrived in Norfolk, the corner of England that contained all their lost things. She always had little quarrels with people, mainly Kathy, but never to this extent. The way Ruth broke down here and snapped at Kathy and even Tommy was quite profound. Was Norfolk to be the place where they find the truth but also lose their friendship? Realizing that the person in the office building wasn’t Ruth’s possible made the five of them there generally begin to understand that they were not dealt the best cards in life and they just seemed to have to live with this. In addition to this, Norfolk seemed to truly help the characters find what they had lost, whether they were looking for it or not. Whether it was emotional in Ruth’s case, or physical in Kathy’s case, they both seemed to find what they had lost there when Ruth discovered her true feelings and Kathy found her old cassette. I’m curious to see whether this symbolic corner of England will play a deeper role in the rest of the plot.

Never Let Me Go 11- Balance

"'What they said,' Chrissie continued, ' was that if you were a boy and a girl, and you were in love with each other, really, properly in love, and if you could show it, then the people who run Hailsham, they sorted it out for you. They sorted it out so you could have a few years together before you began your donations.'"
(pg. 153)

The author uses balance to create emphasis on what is being said in the quote above. Through this balance, the point in which Hailsham students were always regarded as special is now revealed. Thorughout the novel, Hailsham students were thought of as privileged and treated the best. I'm guessing now that this must be the reason. However, why is it that only Hailsham students are allowed to do this? What makes them different from everyone else in the story? My guess, though I could be completely wrong, is that it somehow relates to their art gallery that Madame created. This seems to be logical since Miss Lucy clearly told Tommy that his art would benefit him later in his life. Maybe, Hailsham is the only school that creates these works of art and could be the reason as to why they are treated differently. I'm curious to see if my theory is proven to be on the right track or if I am completely wrong as I read deeper into the book.

Never Let Me Go 10- Are the Kids Clones?

"Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life."
(pg. 139)

This quote was very shocking and explains a lot about the story. It is literally like the sequal to "Brave New World." Ruth entertains the idea about her finding what they refer to as a possible, or the person they were cloned from. Now that Ishiguro explained what was going on with the students and why they would be donors, I now understand why the guardians and Madame would get very emotional about having to tell the students all this back at Hailsham. I think I understand this right, but my thinking is that the donors were the ones who were cloned from an original person and would then provide their "possibles" with the necessary vital organs they needed as they got older. This society basically mirrors that of the previous book we read in the way that fixed statuses in life were chosen before birth and the way in which immoral practices were used on some to benefit the society in general. My one question that I keep having is that if Kathy and Ruth know all this, why would they conform to these rules that have discriminated against them all their lives to the point to which it will kill them. They just seem to accept their role and do just as the others want.

Never Let Me Go 9- Round Character

"She was struggling to become someone else, and maybe felt the pressure more than the rest of us because, as I say, she'd somehow taken on the responsibility for all of us."
(pg. 130)

Ruth is being further revealed as more of a round character throughout the novel. In the quote, Kathy describes how Ruth was trying to take on a new character and personality in her transition to life in the cottages. Whether this was in her way she talked to the "veterans" or the manorisms and gestures she picked up watching them, Ruth has been shown as changing to try to adapt to her new life. Kathy describes Ruth as taking the responsibility of this adaptation upon herself. However, problems have been arising between them due to this change that have created tension between the two characters. Kathy, as the protagonist, is shown to be a static character so far. If Ruth continues this change, though Kathy depicts it is only during the day as of now, it will be interesting to see how the two friends react or if they even remain friends at all for the period of time. Kathy has already been irritated by this changing behavior and is beginning to realize that the Ruth she knew and liked back from Hailsham is beginning to change in their new era of their lives. It will be interesting to see the extent of this change and whether or not it will be of any significance.

Never Let Me Go 8- Wow! Great Imagery

"If someone mentions the Cottages today, I think of easy-going days drifting in and out of each other's rooms, the languid way the afternoon would fold into evening then into night. I think of my pile of old paperbacks, their pages gone wobbly, like they'd once belonged to the sea. I think about how I read them, lying there on my front in the grass on warm afternoons. . ."
(pg. 119)

I'm usually not the one too keen on the images in a book or long narratives that usually don't depict anything important. However, the way Ishiguro uses imagery in this book is really fascinating. As Kathy describes her transition to the new setting among the cottages, I can really imagine just what it is like there. The cottages, being somewhat of a high school or college, become the new setting for Kathy's extended frame story of her childhood. She begins to explain the next phase of her life that takes place here, and thanks to the magnificent imagery, I can adjust to the new setting with a clear mental image of what it is truly like. The new laid-back lifestyle among the cottages is conveyed very well among the images of "drifting in and out of each others' rooms" or the "easy-going days" described in the quote. The imagery above sets the tone for a new slower-paced life that Kathy is now entering. Though the author does not come out and clearly state the shift in the pace of her life, it can easily be picked up among the new tone created among these vivid details.

Never Let Me Go 7- Art is Important???

"'Listen Tommy, your art, it is important. And not just because it's evidence. But for your own sake. You'll get a lot from it, just for yourself.'"
(pg. 108)

Could art really be important? I know in my life I've accepted art as something that I simply am just horrible at. Tommy also had done the same when Miss Lucy told him that it was fine not to be creative or good at art when he was younger. However, now that he is much older, Miss Lucy is beginning to tell Tommy that he needs to be better at art. The tone she creates is of utmost urgency that he correct this problem. One thing I am intrigued of in this quote is that she refers to the art as evidence. What could art be evidence of? I have a few ideas but mainly I'm guessing that the guardians are on the students' side trying to help them escape their horrible fate. The guardians, especially Miss Lucy, seem to be quite emotional and convey an upset and angry tone whenever they describe things that relate to the students' future after Hailsham. I believe Ishiguro is conveying that art is somehow the key to escaping such a future the students will face. Is it just a coincidence that all the people who seem to be emotional and sypathetic for the students at Hailsham are the same people who are telling them to do well at art becuase it will be for their own good? I'm curious to know what exactly the role of art plays in the story.

Never Let Me Go 6- Anecdote

"'Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do.'"
(pg. 81)

This quote is from yet another one of Kathy's anecdotes in the book. However, this quote is very significant and begins to explain what role the student's play in their society. It is a harsh reality that draws significant parallels and similar themes with the other book we read, "Brave New World." Both books describe immoral societies that designate social statuses that govern the world. One thing that I find quite shocking though is the silence of the students when they hear this. Kathy states how they don't understand it completely to a degree at the time, but it is so clear that their futures are not good. They were created to be killed, but the students seem to dodge around this point and even come to accept it. As Kathy now is much older telling the story as a carer, she must know that she, too, will come to this fate. However, no one seems to fight it or try to run away from this pending doom. No characters seem to feel that escaping this fate is a possibility or even a thought that they have as children and apparently, in Kathy's case, as adults as well.

Never Let Me Go 5- Anaphora

"'You've been told about it. You're students. You're . . . special. So keeping yourselves well, keeping yourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me.'"
(pg. 68)

Wow! There are so many anecdotes in this book. Reading through the first seventy pages, I must have read at least ten anecdotes already. However, as many of them were of little significance, just introducing more characters, I found this anecdote Kathy is describing about Hailsham very profound. First off, the anaphora in the quote serves as an indicator that what is being said is especially important. It creates a monolithic emphasis on the serious atmosphere and tone of the situation. In the quote, Miss Lucy was telling the children how it was bad to smoke. What I found significant, though, was the way in which she told them it was bad, saying that it is important for them to stay healthy "inside" since they are special and not like her. Why would she say healthy "inside" instead of just healthy in general? The word just seems out of place conveying a more physical aspect to their health. Anyway, Miss Lucy and the other guardians seem to take their no smoking policy quite far. Kathy mentions going so far as to try to keep her cassete tape secret since it showed a woman smoking on the front cover. Whatever the reason for keeping all the children healthy, it seems like it is of great importance. I'm interested as to find out the reason as the story progresses since it seems key to understanding the significance of the students at Hailsham and Kathy's present job as a carer which still has not been defined clearly.

Never Let Me Go 4- Guardian Angry… At What?

“’Shaking. With rage. I could see her. She was furious. But furious deep inside.'”

(pg. 28)

I found this quote very profound. It comes from Tommy when he was describing Miss Lucy, one of the guardians at the school. She called him down to her office to discuss his creativity and his problems he was having in class. However, Tommy describes how something was different in what Miss Lucy was saying, especially when she told him it was fine not to be creative. To me, after just briefly reading the novel, this was shocking. It seems that creativity was the objective at Hailsham; they were always creating, whether it was making pieces of art or composing poetry. To follow this up, Miss Lucy began to seem flustered and angry as the quote from Tommy reveals. She then went on to say that the students at Hailsham weren’t being taught enough, hinting at the lack of knowledge the students’ had about what they were to do after they left the school. I’m very interested as to what this teaching is that they have not learned about that seems very important in the world outside the gates of Hailsham. I’m left hooked in the novel wandering what there is to know about the secrets the guardians have kept from them. Also, it seems as though there is a higher power governing the guardians which has not been mentioned so far. I’m not sure if this is true, but it seems Miss Lucy would otherwise have taken this teaching upon herself if she were able to do so since she obviously feels so strongly about it.

Never Let Me Go 3- Simile/Imagery

“Everything- the walls, the floor- has been done in gleaming white tiles, which the centre keeps so clean when you first go in it’s almost like entering a hall of mirrors.”

(pg. 17)

I have noticed already that Ishiguro uses excellent imagery throughout this book. This simile above comparing the centre Ruth is staying in to a hall of mirrors really lets me picture as well as imagine what this centre really looks like. Kathy, being the carer of Ruth, is visiting the center Ruth is in. I’m still unsure what this job entails but I’m sure Ishiguro will further elaborate as the story progresses. However, this visit between Ruth and Kathy gives the narrator an opportunity to depict the events that they shared back at Hailsham. Kathy begins an anecdote explaining one of the first times she talked to her good friend Tommy she mentioned earlier in the story. As they reminisce on their memories back at Hailsham, I can’t help but notice similarities between this book and “Brave New World,” especially in the manner in which knowledge of the outside world seems to be kept from them. Guardians at their school seem to be teachers but also “know” things the students don’t; it is quite evident they don’t want the children to know these certain things. The tone of the novel in how the students regard the guardians is fearful but also very respectful at the same time. I’m interested to see how this outlook on the guardians further develops.

Never Let Me Go 2- Was Kathy Lucky to be at Hailsham?

"That was when I first understood, really understood, just how lucky we'd been- Tommy, Ruth, me, all the rest of us."
(pg. 6)

In the story, the donor Kathy is taking care for frequently asks her about Hailsham and her childhood there. When she tried to ask him about his own upbringing, his face told the story. The author describes the donor as grimacing from his memories, and when he told Kathy where he was from, he did not elaborate nor bring up the subject again. This seems odd to me. Why would some children be sent to grow up in nice places such as Hailsham while others were sent to places like those the donor would not speak of? It seems as though the donor Kathy is taking care of wants to forget his own childhood memories and replace them with Kathy's memories at Hailsham. I’m curious to see the reason behind this. It is beginning to sound a lot like the previous book we read in which positions or statuses in life were already chosen before people were born.

Never Let Me Go 1- First Person Point of View

"... She always chooses her own kind: people from Hailsham, or one of the other privileged estates. No wonder she has a great record. I've heard it said enough, so I'm sure you've heard it plenty more, and maybe there's something in it."
(pg. 4)

As the story opens, I immediately noticed that the book is in the first person point of view. The narrator is one of the characters named Kathy H. She never reveals her last name nor hints at what it is. She simply says that she is Kathy H. I don't know if this has any significance yet, but of all the characters that she introduced so far, they all state their last name with just a single letter. Also, I noticed in the quote that Kathy references a "privileged" estate called Hailsham. Kathy says that she is a Hailsham student and always chooses her donors from there. I'm not exactly sure what Hailsham is but the book so far frequently gives the impression of it being regarded by others as a very nice or even coveted place. Also, Kathy, the narrator, directly addresses the reader in the quote as though she is telling the story to another character, me, the reader. This is a different approach to describing a story than I'm used to but seems to make me feel more involved and hooked into the story.One of the first questions I have though is what the narrator means by when she states that she is a "carer." I mean it obviously points out that she takes care of people, or donors as is already described, but what exactly she does or why she does it is what I am confused about. I'm wondering if a carer draws any societal parallels or follows along the same lines with the last book we read, "Brave New World."

20-Brave New World-Bad Ending

"Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet."
(pg.259)

Could this really be the end of the story? I think it's horrible. There were so many other places Huxley could have taken the story. The end really wasn't even exciting. Also, he didn't even explain or describe where Marx and Helmholtz had gone or what happened to them there. I felt as though this was a very sub-par ending to what could have otherwise been much more interesting. The end was just wierd anyway. Why would John try to kill Lenina and I'm not even sure if he did because Huxley never really said. Then he just hangs himself because he doesn't want people to bother him. It just seemed a rather strange, and in my opinion, bad ending which really never answered any questions I had as a reader or thoroughly resolved any conflicts and situations that came up in the book.

19-Brave New World-Climactic Ending?

"It was to escape further contamination by the filth of civilized life; it was to be purified and made good; it was actively to make amends."
(pg.247)
At the end of the talk with the World controller, John decided to leave civilized life behind and live in solitude. However, as I read a little further this apparently would not be the case. People are showing up and wanting interviews with him which he made it clear that he refused. I'm very interested to see how things will end up since there's only a few pages left. Will authorities come to take him away for his acts of violence or will more people still try to learn about him? Personally, I think that his "savage" ways of live will have repurcussions. Whether they come from the World controller or the people will be intersting to see. Huxley seems to have created a very climactic set up for the ending.

18-Brave New World-Conditioning God

"'People believe in God because they've been conditioned to believe in God.'"
(pg.235)

I found this quote particularly interesting since it applies to me so much. Being raised in a catholic family and going to a catholic school all my life has had a profound impact on my religion. If I were not raised in a religious setting, would I believe in God? It is a very interesting question to think about. Why did Huxley include this statement into his book? I wonder if it was to reveal his own thinking and beliefs or to challenge the reader to think this way. We are all conditioned in our lives. Though it is not in the way the book describes, we are all conditioned to like or believe in certain things. Obviously, someone who grows up in a religious setting is going to be more likely to accept those beliefs than someone who did not grow up in that setting. This is the idea that the book is soley based upon and is what Huxley wants the reader to think about by writing what he did.

17-Brave New World-Mustapha Mond 2

"'But I was an inquisitive young scullion once. I started doing a bit of cooking on my own. Unorthodox cooking, illicit cooking. A bit of real science, in fact."
(pg.226)
Again, I keep getting lost in all the twists Huxley puts in the story. It is like he wrote the first story and then went back and changed all the plot to the opposite. Mustapha Mond's character is continuing to change from what I originally perceived. He now reveals that he was once like the three of them facing a potential removal from civilization to an island. Could this be a possible forshadowing that Mustapha Mond might try to change the world back to how it was? Also, I am wondering how could Mustapha Mond be given such a responsibility after he nearly got banished for disobeying what he would have to later enforce. It just seems peculiar that Huxley would continue with these unexpected events. I'm curious to see how he will end the book as I approach the final chapters. Will Mustapha Mond play a key role or will Huxley, again, include something unexpected to shock the reader?

16-Brave New World-Reason for Banning Old Books

"The Controller shrugged his shoulders. 'Because its old that's the chief reason. We haven't any use for old things here.'"
(pg. 219)

I found this reference to why the new civilized world bans old books and things from the past very interesting. The Controller simply says that the main reason is because its old. I found it intersting that Huxley stated this rather than for the reason to keep from knowing or thinking freely for themselves. Also, the Controller, Mustapha Mond, is conveyed to be more personal than I expected someone who controls the world in conformity to be. Huxley has repeatedly included twists to his plot that I would have never expected or even thought of. It is actually a little frustrating becuase it just seems as though the plot does not make sense. The novel has taken a completely different direction to it than I expected. I expected Mustapha Mond to be an evil dictator like his job title implies. However, his newfound personality implies instead of a more benevolent ruler who seems to be a good person trying to keep people happy, though I disagree with the way in which it is done.

15-Brave New World-Moral Character

"Linda had been a slave, Linda had died; others should live in freedom, and the world would be made beautiful. A reperation, a duty."
 (pg.210)

This quote reveals a new moral character. I found it very interesting that Huxley included it so late in the novel. It is quite paradoxical that the "civilized" people refer to John as a savage. However, as a reader, I see it quite the opposite. John seems to be the only one normal in the story. He is the only character not conditioned to like what he is supposed to; he is the only person to think freely for himself. The quote from the passage foreshadows an overwhelming sense of duty to try to bring others into the same free-thinking state of mind he has. His frustration is completely understandable by me, the reader, but inconceivable by anyone "civilized" in the story with a few exceptions. This foreshadowed thinking brings him to try to help the children being conditioned but instead gets him into serious trouble.

14-Brave New World- Mustapha Mond

"'The author's mathematical treatment of the conception of purpose is novel and highly ingenious, but heretical and, so far as the present social order is concerned, dangerous and potentially subversive. Not to be published.'"
(pg. 177)

Going along with my last post, it seems as though everyone in this book is kind of cynical. Whether that comes from Huxley himself, or is just a concept he implies that goes along with a conformed world can be speculated but not really answered. Mustapha Mond seems especially like he lacks true happiness. He is concerned so much with hindering social order that he seems to miss the bigger things in life. Whether it is, as this quote displays, an ingenious work of a scientist or simply a new idea, Mustapha Mond will do his best to insure the status quo is maintained. It's his job as a World Controller as the name implies...control, but he just comes across as especially controlling. I'm sure he will come to play a larger role deeper into the story. I am very interested to see if his personality stays the same as it appears to me so far or if he will change over time.

13-Brave New World-Metaphor/Balloon Comparison Again

"The intoxication of success had evaporated; he was soberly his old slef; and by contrast with the temporary balloon of these last weeks, the old self seemed unprecedentedly heavier than the surrounding atmosphere."
(pg. 178)

Huxley, again metaphorically compares Marx with that of a balloon, constantly rising and falling. This time the balloon is described as "heavier than the surrounding atmosphere." One thing that frustrates me was that I previously thought that Bernard Marx had been the moral character in the story who wanted to change the conformity in the world. Now, it has been revealed that the only reason he wanted to change it was because he didn't fit in with the system. As soon as he became "well-liked", used would be a better term, he turned his back on his few, only true friends. However, no one actually liked him. He used John for popularity and others used him for John. Now that he abandoned his only friends and everyone else is back to hating him, what's supposed to happen next? I didn't see this coming and now I have no clue where Aldous Huxley plans to go from here since what seemed to be the protagonist who would change the horrors of the social system is no longer in any position to do so. Also, why is literally everyone in this book for the most part, for the lack of a better term, such jerks. There's really no one who has emerged as a strong moral character in this book. Huxley is a pretty wierd guy so I'm just wondering if anything in his personal life, like getting made fun of as a kid, might have caused him to make all people immoral jerks in his book.

12-Brave New World-Simile

"Like a pearl in the sky, high, high above them, the Weather Department's captive balloon shone rosily in the sunshine.
(pg. 157)

The quote above contains a simile which aids the description of the balloon that Bernard Marx and John were riding around on. To me, the balloon seems too detailed to just be simply depicting an image. I feel as though the balloon represents Bernard Marx's newly aquired social status. Like a balloon that rises and falls, Bernard has went from a lonely man in near isolation to a popular figure that everyone wants to know. Right now, Bernard's life is seemingly great. He is having a more optimistic view of the world rather than his old cynical view. This could account for the description of the "rosily" shining balloon. It is much easier to be optimistic when everything is going great. However, Bernard seems to be abondoning his old character and becoming part of the conformed world around him.

11-Brave New World-Forshadowing

"Bernard meanwhile lay pensive and wide-eyed in the dark. It was long after midnight before he fell asleep. Long after midnight; but his insomnia had not been fruitless; he had a plan."
(pg. 140)

Aldous Huxley threw a couple of twists into this story that made it much more interesting. As previously revealed in a phone call, Bernard Marx was going to be relocated to Iceland by the Director. How severe of a punishment this is supposed to be I do not know. Iceland just sounds like a bad place to go to though. However, Huxley, in the quote above, foreshadows that Bernard Marx may have a trick up his sleeve to fight this punishment. I'm guessing that it obviously will incorporate the Director's son and Linda. One thing that is intriguing, however, is how swiftly the Director came to this decision. It was yet another one of Huxley's unexpected twists in the story. I thought that the Director's threats were just warnings and that Bernard would be given many chances especially since he was an alpha, a very important and intelligent person. I think Bernard thought that as well since he was so shocked when Helmholtz Watson told him the news. I wonder if Huxley will yet again incorporate another twist to the story in the upcoming forshadowed event.

10-Brave New World- Indirect Characterization

"The dress of the young man who now stepped out on to the terrace was Indian; but his plaited hair was straw-coloured, his eyes a pale blue, and his skin a white skin, bronzed.
(pg. 116)

I have noticed in this quote as well as other frequent examples in the book that Huxley indirectly characterizes the people in the story. In this example, the author depicts a peculiar looking man who doesn't appear to be an Indian form the reservation. However, he is described as wearing Indian clothes in the quote. As I further read a few pages ahead, Huxley revealed that this character, John, was actually the son of the Director. One of my previous curiousities in a recent blog was answered in the fact that the Director's anecdote would play a quite significant role in the story. If the Director had not told Bernard Marx of his venture to the reservation and loss of the girl he arrived with, Bernard would have never made the connection that this was, in fact, the Director's son and that the girl, Linda, was alive. However, though it does answer one of my questions, it has also raised many questions as to how this will affect the future plot. I am very curious to see where and how Huxley will incorporate these new story changing characters into the plot.

9-Brave New World-Anecdote

"'I actually dream about it sometimes,' the Director went on in a low voice. 'Dream of being woken up by that peal of thunder and finding her gone; dream of searching and searching for her under the trees.' He lapsed into the silence of reminiscence."
(pg. 97)

In this quote, Huxley incorporates an anecdote into the story. The Director, when given a document from Bernard Marx for his travels to New Mexico, reminisces upon a past event when he had actually travelled to New Mexico. Another side to the Director, previously seen as only a powerful and professional character, is revealed through the anecdote. The Director begins to tell Bernard of the horrors he experienced on the reservation in which the girl he travelled there with got lost in a storm. The author, I feel, uses great imagery in depicting the details of the setting as well as the Director's feelings. The Director is shown to feel guilt and responsibility for her death. I'm curious to know the purpose for Huxley's inclusion of this anecdote. Whether it was an attempt to make the Director a more personable character or for some other purpose, I am interested to learn as I read further into the story.

8-Brave New World- Rhetorical Question

"He laughed, 'Yes, Everybody's happy nowadays. We begin giving the children that at five. But wouldn't you like to be free to be happy in some other way, Lenina? In your own way, for example; not in everybody else's way.'"
(pg. 91)

Huxley utilizes a rhetorical question to further develop Bernard Marx's ideas about happiness and the current state of their world. In his conversation with Lenina, he strongly voices his "radical" ideas about how he wants to be free to like what he chooses rather than what he is conditioned to like. This quote marks a key turning point in creating what appears to be the protagonist of the story who seems to fight against the universal conformity. Marx is recognized to be the outcast in his world in both his appearance and his thinking. The reader can develop a connection with Bernard because he represents the views of the society in which the reader lives. However, though the views we have on society align with those of Bernard Marx, they are virtually nonexistant in any other character in the book. Will Bernard try to change the world around him back to a society where individuals are free, or will he remain passive throughout the story and even come to accept conformity? I am very interested to see how the author will incorporate Marx's contrasting views into the plot.

7-Brave New World- Allusion (Henry Ford)

"'Ford,' sang out an immense bass voice from all the golden trumpets. 'Ford, Ford, Ford..." Nine times. Bernard ran for the lift. The great auditorium for Ford's Day celebrations and other massed Community Sings was at the bottom of the building."
(pg. 79)

Throughout the novel, I have realized that the characters continue to reference Henry Ford. Whether it is in reference to his Model T car or years in A.F, (which I'm guessing stands for After Ford since they're so obsessed with him) Henry Ford seems to be at the center of the peoples' lives. All the characters revere him as somewhat of a god and there is even "Ford's Day." Obviously, Henry Ford had a profound impact on Aldous Huxley and his life if he would go as far to create a cult or religion dedicated to him in his book. It is actually really creepy in a way that Huxley admires him so much. One question that I am wondering is why Ford plays such a key role in the story other than due to Huxley's obvious admiration. Was he the man in the book who had the idea for mass producing people since he was the first to mass produce cars? It would be very interesting to see if Huxley reveals the reason for Ford's importance.

6-Brave New World- Alliteration

"The air seemed hot and somehow breathless with the scent of ambergris and sandalwood."
(pg. 76)

In this quote, the author utilizes alliteration to emphasize the images he depicts in the setting. The alliteration gets the reader's attention to recognize the details in the scene in which Linina and Henry went out on a date to dance. Also, throughout the book so far and in this scene as well, it appears as though everyone except Bernard Marx is taking a thing called soma. It seems as though it's a drug of some sort, and the characters always say it "cures ten gloomy sentiments." I am thinking that it may possibly be a drug designed to keep people happy with their place in society. Everyone who takes it is happy with the exception of Bernard Marx who also seems to contrast the normal by almost isolating himself from everyone. Also, Huxley reveals Bernard's dislike for the current social system he lives in which, again, is in contrast with all the other characters in the story. Whether there is a real connection with the drug and this way of thinking will be interesting to learn later in the story.

5-Brave New World- Programmed Prejudice?

"'What a hideous colour khaki is,' remarked Lenina, voicing the hypnopaedic prejudices of her caste."
(pg. 62)

This quote reveals a key component of the world's social system Huxley developes in this book. Frankly, the characters in this book are prejudice. It seems they are always concerned with their social superiority by making it known how happy they are to belong to their social class and not to another. The narrator reveals that these prejudices were created through the hypnopaedic process. This simply is voicing a statement so that people hear it as they sleep for periods of time, described in the book as being many years, until that statement becomes a fundamental belief and fact to those who have heard it. However, I am confused with why Huxley would include these prejudices in his book. They don't seem to be important to the plot really in any significant way so far. Also, I don't understand why programming these people to be prejudice would be helpful or important in any way to the people in the story other than just attempting to make themselves feel superior. Was it just a random thing Huxley added to the traits of his characters he created, or will it come to play a key role later in the story?

4-Brave New World-Anaphora

"Their world didn't allow them to take things easily, didn't allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remoreses, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the poverty-they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?" (pg. 41)

I found this quote quite interesting. Huxley uses anaphora to convey his point in the quote and get the readers attention. However, I honestly have no clue what he is trying to say here though. It's not even a character talking but rather the narrator addressing the reader. Could this be Huxley's attempt to tell the reader of his disgust with the normal social order of the world at his time? We already know this guy had a pretty sick mind to be writing this "interesting" story, so maybe he does want a society like he depicts in his book. His diction is very interesting in the quote though. I don't even think its a sentence or even a complete thought, but from the anaphora, he just states that humans were forced to feel strongly, and therefore, could not be stable. Whether this is his own personal view of his world or some character's in the book, I am unsure of.

3-Brave New World-Onomatopoeia

"The nurses obeyed; but at the approach of the roses, at the mere sight of those gaily-coloured images of pussy and cock-a-doodle-doo and baa-baa black sheep, the infants shrank away in horror; the volme of their howling suddenly increased." (pg. 21)

Huxley reveals the power of the Director in this chapter as well as the processes involved in programming people to like certain things. The Director is implied as having absolute control over people where he works. The nurses always obey his commands swiftly and silently. In this chapter, the Director shows how they train people, starting as babies, to grow to like or dislike certain things. In the quote, Huxley uses onomatopoeia to convey the images of harmless animals and flowers that children would most certainly love. However, he contrasts these happy images with the horror and fear the children have at the sight of these images. Due to the programming efforts, the babies now associate those images with pain and loud, frightening noises. What I do not understand is how the Director, nurses, or students, don't see anything wrong with hurting children pyschologically. I mean someone has to see something wrong with it. I wonder how Huxley could address this if he even addresses it at all.

2-Brave New World-"The Secret of Happiness"

"'And that,' put in the Director sententiously, 'that is the secret of happiness and virtue-liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny.'" (pg. 16)

This quote reveals much about the storyline and actually answers one of my previous questions. The Director explains that they condition people to like what they are destined to do. I'm guessing this is how they are able to keep order in their social system. If everyone is happy, why would they want to change? However, I am wondering if all the people who control and program these people such as the Director agree with it since they know what truly happens. Do those in power agree with the way in which they were programmed to enjoy their work, or does knowing this system change their original feelings? I have a lot of questions right now and am interested in seeing how Huxley goes about answering these questions he has planted in the reader's thoughts. So far, the book has really shocked me with the grim details of Huxley's future world.

1-Brave New World-Predetermined Social Destiny

"'We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future. . .' He was going to say 'future World controllers,' but correcting himself, said 'future Directors of hatcheries,' instead." (pg. 13)

As I began to read the novel, I was very shocked at the storyline in which I realized humans had been bred for specific purposes in a system of predetermined social heirarchy. One of the biggest questions that I have so far is how humans could accept this system. How could the world transition into this system without extreme resistance? Will there be some kind of resistance group that fights against this unprecedented social structure or is everyone brainwashed into following it? Also, I have noticed that Mr. Foster and the students regard the director very highly. The students would write down nearly every word he said. Also, Mr. Foster in this quote is somewhat sucking up to the Director comparing him with a "World controller." Whether it is a select group or even as small as one person, regarding the Director with one of these people seems like quite a compliment just from the title alone. I am very interested to see where Huxley will take the reader further into the plot.