Handmaid's Tale
"There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you re being given freedom from. Don't underrate it." (Atwood 24)
In a sense, these freedoms are just opposites of each other. The freedom to "smell . . . the turned earth, the plump shapes of bulbs held in the hands . . ." (Atwood 12) are things that she enjoyed once upon a time, but with this new life, she is restricted to the building except for their walks. Another thing that fits this juxtaposition is the white wings that all Handmaids must wear on their heads. These are "to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen" (Atwood 8) They lose the freedom of being seen and appreciated and gain the freedom from being critiqued, just on superficial terms.
To further the gain and loss of freedoms, women of this society lose choice inside of their homes, but outside of them, they gain them, which is opposite of what most societies today follow. Inside the homes, like with the Commander and his wife's sex with Offred, choice is made for each person without input. At the market, Offred and Ofglen always have the choice to take a different route. However, they always take the same one, and through this, Atwood suggests that choice takes a backseat when conditions are strange enough.
Their ultimate lack of choice is being the carrier of the Commander's baby. When they have sex, Offred is turned from an ignored woman to a very necessary tool. Just a tool. She, Offred, however, describes the sexual encounter as not rape, not "Making love", nor copulating, because of her "choice".
These passages, by showing the false gains in freedom and the loss of certain choices shows the society as becoming one that values not the individual choice, but the structure of the society. Like in the doctor scene, everything they do must somehow fit into the structure of the society. With the "signed up" for sex, the commander and his wife rule the Handmaid that they deem necessary. Society in The Handmaid's Tale is becoming frenzied with the order of things, not the things that are being done.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Stranger Journal #7: Thesis Statement
Through the motif of sleeping, the changing patterns of sleeping, the circumstances and settings in which Meursault sleeps, Camus creates a Meursault that grows from being flat and dull to thoughtful, but still stuck in his same life.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Stranger Journal #6
Thesis stuff:
Why does Camus use an antihero?
In Part 1 vs Part 2, the lacking of sentence complexity vs the overflowing variety is a symbol of Meursault, and how is it used to portray Camus' ideas?
hmmmmm....
Thesis?
-
In the final pages of the novel, Camus brings Meursault to important conclusions. One of which is that everything is really meaningless and nothing matters, no goals exist, and an end only lies in death. "I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. . .wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution. . ." (Camus 122-3). Throughout the passage, Camus has setup Meursault as the antihero, with all the traits of a slacker and non-relatable character, causing the reader to disagree with the actions that he takes. Therefore, his conclusion is also to be rejected by the reader and Camus because of Meursault's bias towards "indifference". Camus doesn't wish for the reader to come to the same conclusion. In fact, Camus even places words in Meursault's mouth that expresses what he wishes the reader to conclude. "All the shouting had me gaspin for air." (Camus 122). Here, Camus wishes for the reader to make a connection between the motif of the sky and the things "beyond" the vast sky such as a Maker. Meursault's "gasping" is his unknowing thirst for something more in life, when he ironically concludes that he has nothing to long for in his life except his death.
Why does Camus use an antihero?
In Part 1 vs Part 2, the lacking of sentence complexity vs the overflowing variety is a symbol of Meursault, and how is it used to portray Camus' ideas?
hmmmmm....
Thesis?
-
In the final pages of the novel, Camus brings Meursault to important conclusions. One of which is that everything is really meaningless and nothing matters, no goals exist, and an end only lies in death. "I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. . .wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution. . ." (Camus 122-3). Throughout the passage, Camus has setup Meursault as the antihero, with all the traits of a slacker and non-relatable character, causing the reader to disagree with the actions that he takes. Therefore, his conclusion is also to be rejected by the reader and Camus because of Meursault's bias towards "indifference". Camus doesn't wish for the reader to come to the same conclusion. In fact, Camus even places words in Meursault's mouth that expresses what he wishes the reader to conclude. "All the shouting had me gaspin for air." (Camus 122). Here, Camus wishes for the reader to make a connection between the motif of the sky and the things "beyond" the vast sky such as a Maker. Meursault's "gasping" is his unknowing thirst for something more in life, when he ironically concludes that he has nothing to long for in his life except his death.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Stranger Journal #5
Camus creates two parts in The Stranger as a separation between an old, flat and emotionless Meursault from a more thoughtful, self examining Meursault.
One idea in Part 1 that is paralleled in Part 2 is the idea of rising and falling action occurring with the rise and fall of the sun. In Part 1, the day of Maman's funeral, the sun was up, and it was hot. As time drew nearer to night, Meursault goes to sleep, which is one of his ways to deal with stress. In part 2, after Meursault's lawyer's defense, "the sun was getting low outside and it wasn't as hot anymore." As the sun was falling, Meursault's future was being decided, which was falling action in comparison to the courtroom questionings.
Another idea that is paralleled between the two parts is Meursault's identity reflected in the syntax of the novel. In part 1, Camus uses short, choppy sentences, rarely going beyond basic structures. In Part 2, Camus extends the sentence structure and variety in length as a reflection of Meursault's growth. In the quote "So it seemed to me that you could come up with a mixture of chemicals that if ingested by the patient ( that's the word I'd use: "patient") would kill him nine times out of ten" (Camus 111). The word "so" is used to show that Meursault is now consciously connecting things together. The interjection of parenthesis is a representation of underlying thoughts that Meursault is sometimes aware of.
One idea in Part 1 that is paralleled in Part 2 is the idea of rising and falling action occurring with the rise and fall of the sun. In Part 1, the day of Maman's funeral, the sun was up, and it was hot. As time drew nearer to night, Meursault goes to sleep, which is one of his ways to deal with stress. In part 2, after Meursault's lawyer's defense, "the sun was getting low outside and it wasn't as hot anymore." As the sun was falling, Meursault's future was being decided, which was falling action in comparison to the courtroom questionings.
Another idea that is paralleled between the two parts is Meursault's identity reflected in the syntax of the novel. In part 1, Camus uses short, choppy sentences, rarely going beyond basic structures. In Part 2, Camus extends the sentence structure and variety in length as a reflection of Meursault's growth. In the quote "So it seemed to me that you could come up with a mixture of chemicals that if ingested by the patient ( that's the word I'd use: "patient") would kill him nine times out of ten" (Camus 111). The word "so" is used to show that Meursault is now consciously connecting things together. The interjection of parenthesis is a representation of underlying thoughts that Meursault is sometimes aware of.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Stranger Journal #4
How does Meursault change from part 1 to part 2?
In Part 1, Meursault is a detached character, living only in the moment, unable to express his own feelings. However, in Part 2, he begins to explore his feelings, and recognizes his difficulty in expressing what he means. "I thought she looked very beautiful, but I didn't know how to tell her." (Camus 74)
"On my way out out I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man." (Camus 64) Here, the content suggest Meursaults developing idea of things being bad or good. Before, everything was indifferent, love was nothing, and death didn't stir him. However, now, he sees his involvement in someone's death as evil, and thus doesn't want to mess up something good. Also, there is a change in Camus' writing style and syntax. More and more sentences are less and less choppy. The reduced choppiness creates a more sensitive Meursault who has more insights into things.
"But in another, it killed time." Camus originally used many time phrases to give Meursault a strict, regimented life style, following the moment, and only living as a person of no actual thought. Now, as he is denied one of his base pleasures, he experiences a break from time." By breaking his routine, he became more individualized.
In Part 1, Meursault is a detached character, living only in the moment, unable to express his own feelings. However, in Part 2, he begins to explore his feelings, and recognizes his difficulty in expressing what he means. "I thought she looked very beautiful, but I didn't know how to tell her." (Camus 74)
"On my way out out I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man." (Camus 64) Here, the content suggest Meursaults developing idea of things being bad or good. Before, everything was indifferent, love was nothing, and death didn't stir him. However, now, he sees his involvement in someone's death as evil, and thus doesn't want to mess up something good. Also, there is a change in Camus' writing style and syntax. More and more sentences are less and less choppy. The reduced choppiness creates a more sensitive Meursault who has more insights into things.
"But in another, it killed time." Camus originally used many time phrases to give Meursault a strict, regimented life style, following the moment, and only living as a person of no actual thought. Now, as he is denied one of his base pleasures, he experiences a break from time." By breaking his routine, he became more individualized.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Stranger Journal #3 (Motifs)
Motifs
Routine
-Quotes: "They haven't changed their route in eight years." (Camus 27)
"I worked hard all week." (camus 34)
"She had positioned herself right next tot he curb and was making her way with incredible speed and assurance, never once swerving or looking around." (Camus 43)
Camus uses the motif of being entrenched in a daily routine. Routines entail lack of change, lack of need for change, and lack of want for change. By putting the motif of routine in the novel, Camus sets up a sense of dissatisfaction with routine, and that routines aren't always the things to follow, because of the later loss of the old man's dog.
Religion
-Quotes: "While not an atheist, Maman had never in her life given a thought to religion." (Camus 6)
names of bible: "Emmanuel, who works as a dispatcher." (Camus 25) "Celeste's dripping with sweat." (Camus 26) "Marie" (Camus all over the place :D)
Meursault doesn't depict any inclinations toward or against religion, but Camus incorporates allusions to biblical things to foreshadow a later revelation that Meursalt may have.
Names
Quotes: "Marie had gone." (Camus 21)
"Maman died today" (Camus 3)
"The old people's home is at Marengo," (Camus 3)
"You see, Monsieur Meursault," (Camus 29)
"Masson tried to make him laugh." (Camus 55)
Camus uses repetition of the letter "M" in peoples name to perhaps create a connection? Also, during the beach trip, there is Masson, Meursault, Marie, and Raymond interacting actively with each other. Raymond breaks the pattern of "M" to perhaps create a disagreement between the "M" people.
Colors
Quotes: "I loocked at him and saw a tall, fine featured man with deep-set blue eyes, a long gray moustache, and lots of think, almost white hair." (Camus 64)
Routine
-Quotes: "They haven't changed their route in eight years." (Camus 27)
"I worked hard all week." (camus 34)
"She had positioned herself right next tot he curb and was making her way with incredible speed and assurance, never once swerving or looking around." (Camus 43)
Camus uses the motif of being entrenched in a daily routine. Routines entail lack of change, lack of need for change, and lack of want for change. By putting the motif of routine in the novel, Camus sets up a sense of dissatisfaction with routine, and that routines aren't always the things to follow, because of the later loss of the old man's dog.
Religion
-Quotes: "While not an atheist, Maman had never in her life given a thought to religion." (Camus 6)
names of bible: "Emmanuel, who works as a dispatcher." (Camus 25) "Celeste's dripping with sweat." (Camus 26) "Marie" (Camus all over the place :D)
Meursault doesn't depict any inclinations toward or against religion, but Camus incorporates allusions to biblical things to foreshadow a later revelation that Meursalt may have.
Names
Quotes: "Marie had gone." (Camus 21)
"Maman died today" (Camus 3)
"The old people's home is at Marengo," (Camus 3)
"You see, Monsieur Meursault," (Camus 29)
"Masson tried to make him laugh." (Camus 55)
Camus uses repetition of the letter "M" in peoples name to perhaps create a connection? Also, during the beach trip, there is Masson, Meursault, Marie, and Raymond interacting actively with each other. Raymond breaks the pattern of "M" to perhaps create a disagreement between the "M" people.
Colors
Quotes: "I loocked at him and saw a tall, fine featured man with deep-set blue eyes, a long gray moustache, and lots of think, almost white hair." (Camus 64)
The Stranger Journal #2 (World Views Tenants)
My World View
Morphism
1.Humans must give the world meaning in his/her own life - The world doesn't present special meanings to life on its own.
2.Experiences shape a person's character - Losing family members, making friends, and living, forces decisions and shapes personalities, creating learning.
3.People often do things under the delusion of self-importance - "No good deed goes unpunished" - Humans always have an ulterior motive
4.There is no predetermination in life - Anything can be changed (personal position, love, friendship, perceived destination, etc.
5.Religion clouds rational thinking - Not anti-religion, but popular beliefs in churches and religions are many times outdated, or unreasonably distorted.
6.Ultimate goal for people (still is unreachable) = bettering ones' self - Reaching Nirvana, or communion with God is not the goal in life. The goal is to reach a "Jesus morality", not "Jesus spirituality".
7.Happiness in life comes from discovering truths of ones' self - Learning what you ultimately believe is a long endeavor that brings happiness, which is why so few actually are aware of their individual belief.
Morphism
1.Humans must give the world meaning in his/her own life - The world doesn't present special meanings to life on its own.
2.Experiences shape a person's character - Losing family members, making friends, and living, forces decisions and shapes personalities, creating learning.
3.People often do things under the delusion of self-importance - "No good deed goes unpunished" - Humans always have an ulterior motive
4.There is no predetermination in life - Anything can be changed (personal position, love, friendship, perceived destination, etc.
5.Religion clouds rational thinking - Not anti-religion, but popular beliefs in churches and religions are many times outdated, or unreasonably distorted.
6.Ultimate goal for people (still is unreachable) = bettering ones' self - Reaching Nirvana, or communion with God is not the goal in life. The goal is to reach a "Jesus morality", not "Jesus spirituality".
7.Happiness in life comes from discovering truths of ones' self - Learning what you ultimately believe is a long endeavor that brings happiness, which is why so few actually are aware of their individual belief.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Stranger Journal #1
Summary
Meursalt recieves new of his mother's death. He takes leave on work and travels to her elderly's home to take vigil and attend the funeral in Marengo. Meursalt takes a bus back to Algiers and falls asleep. After waking up the next day, Meursalt goes for a swim down at the harbor. He happens upon Marie Cardona, a crush. They go on a date to see a Fernandel movie. The next morning, Marie has left, and Meursalt proceeds to carry the day through his apartment. He watches the street below and the sky above, and the people moving through the scene.
Personal Reaction
Mersault's behavior, narration, and attitudes intrigues me and also angers me. His passiveness in life is bothersome because it is against my expectations for people to act in different situations. A death in his family doesn't manage to stir any more complex feelings inside him besides "For now its almost as if Maman weren't dead." (Camus 3), and this lack of connection to someone so close angers me because it is the opposite of how I would react. However, despite my anger towards his family behaviors, his actions towards other people intrigues me. On his date, he realizes that he gave a bad kiss, that he only treated her as an object, which is very revealing about his character. His and "Watching and noticing" of people during his people watch is very close to me, so I am curious to how he turns out through comparison to me.
Analysis
By creating the character of Meursalt; one who is detached from complex feelings and emotions, always focusing on the outside, Camus is trying to give the reader a new post to think and view from. Throughout the first two chapters of Camus' The Stranger, the actions of Meursalt follow a certain predictable flow. He is always observing people to detach from his own emotions and feelings. "What struck me[Meursalt] most about their faces was that I couldn't see their eyes, just a faint glimmer in a nest of wrinkles" (Camus 10). Camus omits eyes and replaces them with a "glimmer" to show that their is no importance in humans, that all people are just machines.
Research
Algiers, in 1942, was the headquarters of the Allied forces of WW2 in Northern Africa, as a Mock government of France in Algeria.
Meursalt recieves new of his mother's death. He takes leave on work and travels to her elderly's home to take vigil and attend the funeral in Marengo. Meursalt takes a bus back to Algiers and falls asleep. After waking up the next day, Meursalt goes for a swim down at the harbor. He happens upon Marie Cardona, a crush. They go on a date to see a Fernandel movie. The next morning, Marie has left, and Meursalt proceeds to carry the day through his apartment. He watches the street below and the sky above, and the people moving through the scene.
Personal Reaction
Mersault's behavior, narration, and attitudes intrigues me and also angers me. His passiveness in life is bothersome because it is against my expectations for people to act in different situations. A death in his family doesn't manage to stir any more complex feelings inside him besides "For now its almost as if Maman weren't dead." (Camus 3), and this lack of connection to someone so close angers me because it is the opposite of how I would react. However, despite my anger towards his family behaviors, his actions towards other people intrigues me. On his date, he realizes that he gave a bad kiss, that he only treated her as an object, which is very revealing about his character. His and "Watching and noticing" of people during his people watch is very close to me, so I am curious to how he turns out through comparison to me.
Analysis
By creating the character of Meursalt; one who is detached from complex feelings and emotions, always focusing on the outside, Camus is trying to give the reader a new post to think and view from. Throughout the first two chapters of Camus' The Stranger, the actions of Meursalt follow a certain predictable flow. He is always observing people to detach from his own emotions and feelings. "What struck me[Meursalt] most about their faces was that I couldn't see their eyes, just a faint glimmer in a nest of wrinkles" (Camus 10). Camus omits eyes and replaces them with a "glimmer" to show that their is no importance in humans, that all people are just machines.
Research
Algiers, in 1942, was the headquarters of the Allied forces of WW2 in Northern Africa, as a Mock government of France in Algeria.
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