RENT-Your Eyes:
Your eyes
As we said our goodbyes
Can't get them out of my mind
And I find I can't hide
From your eyes
The ones that took me by surprise
The night you came into my life
Where there's moonlight I see your eyes
How'd I let you slip away
When I'm longing so to hold you
Now I'd die for one more day
'Cause there's something I should have told you
Yes there's something I should have told you
When I looked into your eyes
Why does distance make us wise?
You were the song all along
And before this song dies
I should tell you I should tell you
I have always loved you
You can see it in my eyes
Mimi
Towards the end of the musical RENT, the protagonist, Roger, watches his love die, and sings this song as a reaction. "Your Eyes" is about the regret in not openly showing his love for her, while Pablo Neruda's poem is of accepting that he is no longer with her. Roger repeatedly expresses that he will "die for one more day", and that his song for her is dying. Through his figurative dying alongside Mimi's death, the speaker emphasizes the regert and hindsight that one has on their deathbed. In "Tonight I Can write the saddest lines", the speaker is focusing on HIS feelings towards this loss of love. He does this by constantly referring back to "I" and "My" and "Me". In "Your Eyes", the speaker also uses "I" and other personal pronouns to show that he is under more burden than she is, even though she is the one dying. The main difference between these two works is that "Your Eyes" shows that it is about regret while "Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines" is about accepting the loss.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
XIII Journal 1
1. This poem is about the despair that is inevitable in stifling emotions. A person, man, has a sexual experience with his love, then he goes into his way of lifting her spirits when she is sad. In the distance that the couple share, a sadnress lingers. He can't express himself and thus, even though he wants to, his inability of expression has negative consequences. Another way of viewing this poem is as a euphemism of sex.
2.The reader can assume that it is a man speaking to a women, as shown by the dominating positions the speaker takes over his love. This man is a sensitive but incapable lover. He lives in a mental solitude since his loss of his woman. The man is speaking to his woman, with his 'stories to tell yo u on the shore of evening".
3.The author writes this poem to warn of love from personal experience. The tone is reminiscent and almost regretful. He shows us what NOT to do. "only a few drops are left trembling." His examples of desire, shown through the imagery of the animals and water, set a path that he regrets having walked. The end of his painful relationship, the "close[s] like a nocturnal flower" is the final end of the nature imagery, and so the end of his advice. Through this poem, the author also illustrates the objectification of women, and the childish approach that men take towards women: to this man, women are for "marking" and are "toy doll[s]".
4.The overall 'glue' of the work is the letter 's'. It is always used when the woman is mentioned, but when he focuses solely on himself, he abandons 's'. Thus, this overwhelming odds of 's' vs. non's' complements his inability to decide. The author writes in a way that literally embodies the man's emotions and feelings towards her. "something ... something ... something ..." Every something is a piece of his inability to choose words to his feelings and thoughts. However, when he mentions his woman, he can immediately go to the word "doll". This comparison between "something" and "doll" emphasizes the objectification of women
2.The reader can assume that it is a man speaking to a women, as shown by the dominating positions the speaker takes over his love. This man is a sensitive but incapable lover. He lives in a mental solitude since his loss of his woman. The man is speaking to his woman, with his 'stories to tell yo u on the shore of evening".
3.The author writes this poem to warn of love from personal experience. The tone is reminiscent and almost regretful. He shows us what NOT to do. "only a few drops are left trembling." His examples of desire, shown through the imagery of the animals and water, set a path that he regrets having walked. The end of his painful relationship, the "close[s] like a nocturnal flower" is the final end of the nature imagery, and so the end of his advice. Through this poem, the author also illustrates the objectification of women, and the childish approach that men take towards women: to this man, women are for "marking" and are "toy doll[s]".
4.The overall 'glue' of the work is the letter 's'. It is always used when the woman is mentioned, but when he focuses solely on himself, he abandons 's'. Thus, this overwhelming odds of 's' vs. non's' complements his inability to decide. The author writes in a way that literally embodies the man's emotions and feelings towards her. "something ... something ... something ..." Every something is a piece of his inability to choose words to his feelings and thoughts. However, when he mentions his woman, he can immediately go to the word "doll". This comparison between "something" and "doll" emphasizes the objectification of women
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Handmaid's Tale Journal 1
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.
"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 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.
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