my esse

"There is no morality, no knowledge and no hope; there is only the consciousness of ourselves which drives us about a world that whether seen in a convex or concave mirror is always but a vain floating appearance."  At first glance, the English seem to be superior in all respects and appear to maintain a strong moral code, while the Africans are supposedly savage and inferior; however, through the lens of Marlow, Conrad emphasizes the cruel and unruly nature of the English, and the ironically self-restrained and pure characteristics of the Africans.  Conrad’s perpetual juxtaposition of the English and Africans ironically illustrates his hatred of colonial oppression.

Exploring HOD through Karl's interpretation (Pre-Essay Quote)

"There is no morality, no knowledge and no hope; there is only the consciousness of ourselves which drives us about a world that whether seen in a convex or concave mirror is always but a vain floating appearance."  Conrad and Marlow have different perspectives.  Marlow's is demonstrated through the text, while Conrad's is demonstrated by the way he shapes the story.

Psychological Perspective of Colonialism

For my essay, I am going to explore the symbolism of colonial imperialism from a psychological perspective.  I will analyze Marlow's behavior and speech patterns, and his descriptions of the Congo.  I will also explore Kurtz's painting, as it closely ties into the major theme of colonial oppression.  I will also analyze the effects of colonialism with respect to the Africans, as it puts the Africans and bystanders in an extremely vulnerable position.  Because of being in a vulnerable position, people more readily are induced to express their subconscious.  

Marlow's Psychological Journey

In the Heart of Darkness, Conrad's utilization of Marlow's diminishing consciousness reflects the lack of civilized behavior and the presence of savagery in the Congo.  Marlow exhibits a strong moral code early on, and attempts to maintain it as he journeys through the depths of the Congo; however, his experiences lead him to question everything he believes as he absorbs the monstrous conditions as a result of British colonization.  Conrad suggests that an individual's beliefs are essentially a reflection of his surroundings because when Marlow is around civilized behavior, he has no problem upholding his morals; however, in the Congo, his understanding of humanity is strained, questioned, and challenged.  Therefore,
the longer he spends in the Congo, the less he can connect to the rest of the world outside of the Congo.

Heart of Darkness #6

Through the painting, Marlow emphasizes the sinister intentions behind the British colonization of Africa.  The black and sombre background represents the unchartered and backwardness of Africa prior to colonial rule.  On the other hand, the stately woman, who has a sinister appearance and attempts to tame the darkness with her lit torch, reflects Marlow's impression of British colonial rule.  Marlow frowns upon the British's willingness to colonize for economic desires rather than philanthropical purposes.  He also believes that the "light" is misleading and phony, as light is usually a symbol of something positive; however, in this painting, he uses light to depict that the British have the potential to benefit the people of Africa, yet they choose not to as a result of the economic motives.

Heart of Darkness #2

Marlow begins his tale of a journey to the heart of darkness with an account of London in order to connect the English colonization in Africa and London in Roman times.  While both colonizations are seemingly different, Marlow demonstrates the similar desires for dominance and power of the Romans in London and the English in Africa.  By introducing the works with accounts of England in "very old times," Marlow indicates the ill effects of colonization that took place in London, and foreshadows the effects of colonization in Africa that Marlow will soon discover.

blogpost #8: tone

Tone reflects the speaker's attitude toward the subject of work. In "To His Coy Mistress," Marvell uses a three-part structure, each consisting of different tones in order to convey the theme of carpe diem.  In lines 1-20, Marvell speaks to his mistress in the condition:  "Two hundred to adore each breast, But thirty thousand to the rest." Marvell employs a high-spirited tone, which expresses the magnitude of his love for his mistress, without considering the withering effects of time.  In a perfect, timeless world, he could afford to be patient; however, lines 21-32 play a pivotal role in the poem, as these lines serve as a reality check for the mistress. Although he states that he would be patient in their relationship in a timeless world, Marvell uses the second part to emphasize the constraints of time:  "The beauty shall no more be found."  Marvel, using a rather ominous tone, stresses that, unlike his conditional world where beauty would be preserved, their youth, beauty, and fertility cannot be taken for granted.  In the final part, lines 33-46, Marvell employs an urgent tone.  In the previous part, he had made his claim that the boundaries of time were actual; however, in the third part, he takes what he said in the second part and says that they should make the best of their relationship before time runs out.  While lines 33-46 is the only part that concretely stresses "carpe diem," both of the other parts have just as important a role in demonstrating it.  Lines 1-32 serve as a introduction to the final part, as they serve as a build-up for his theme of carpe-diem that is fully expressed in the last 14 lines.

blogpost #7: diction

Well-chosen diction is essential for properly conveying a theme.  Similarly, diction goes hand-in-hand with an author's feeling of the subject that he is writing about.   Shelley feels very strongly against those who support a gentle perspective of time, which is why he uses bombastic language compounded with a mocking tone in his poem "Ozymandias."  Shelley obviously felt that using bombastic and mocking diction would be the best approach to conveying his perspective of time: that everything, including the "king of kings," ultimately crumbles to the all-powerful forces of time.

blogpost #6: Personification/Figurative Language

In E.E. Cummings' "Ponder," he uses personification in order to demonstrate the deteriorating nature of time.  Throughout the poem, Cummings explores time's crumbling effects using a variety of literary devices; however, his utilization of personification truly stimulates his perspective of the forces of time. The words "Them Greediest Paws" expresses the avaricious nature of time. In giving time a life-like and objective attribute to time, which is subjective and therefore has no attributes, he clearly delivers his outlook to the reader in a more relatable and vivid fashion.

Blogpost #5

In "To An Athlete Dying Young," Housman uses poetic sounds in order to perpetuate a tragic yet comforting mood.  Housman's utilization of iambic tetrameter, AABB rhyme scheme, melancholy and consoling diction, and arrangement of words all play a role in appealing to the reader's emotion.  Thus, by using poetic sounds, Housman enables the reader to make a deeper connection to the poem.  Without poetic sounds such as rhyme, diction, and syntax, Housman would not have been able to appeal to the reader's emotions.  Subsequently, the reader would become disconnected without poetic sounds, as the poem would appear to lack complexity and be dull.

blog post #4: symbol

Symbols play an essential role in literary texts for several reasons. They prevent the oversimplification of an author's works.  Not only do they preserve and carry the meaning of the text, but symbols also enhance literary texts because they allow for a greater connection between the reader and the text itself.  In having a symbol, the author is essentially implanting an idea into the reader, encouraging the reader to analyze the text more carefully, and allowing the reader to get a better understanding of the text.  Symbols are also personalized and maintain different meanings for different people, so there is always room for interpretation.  Not only are they personalized, but symbols be anything, such as characters or setting.  Therefore, symbols are very useful to authors and the reader as long as they are used properly.

Blogpost #2: Characters : Contrast how character is revealed in ‘Prufrock’ vs. in a novel like Pride and Prejudice.

In both Prufrock and Pride and Prejudice, the base of the character is revealed through the setting.  In Prufrock, the character maintains a sense of absolute futility throughout the play.  The poem is set to the pot-WWI era, a time period that maintained a similar sense of hopelessness due to the catastrophic nature of the war.  In Pride and Prejudice, the setting and characters are intertwined, as the patriarchal notions of the setting are interjected into some characters.  Therefore, the setting is a reflection of how a character will act.

Blog post #3: Setting

In Prufrock, Austen, and Shakespeare, each setting similarly is a contributing factor to the background of the story.  Without a setting, a literary works is essentially incomplete.  A setting is key to understanding the motives of the author, and even the characters themselves.  A setting may also provide insight on what a character might do next.  In Prufrock, the setting is post-WW1.  Therefore, taking the setting into consideration, the reader can understand Prufrock's excessively grim diction and use of literary devices.  In Shakespeare, the setting is in a very religious time period.  Therefore, many of the characters actions can be foretold when taking the setting into consideration.  For example, Hamlet's decision to spare Cladius' life when he was praying was based on a religious belief of the time period.  In Austen, the setting is in 19th century English society, which explains the patriarchal aspect of society.  In Austen, the setting would explain things such as Mr. Collins proposal to Liz, Charlotte Lucas' decision to get married, and Mrs. Bennet's outlook on life.

Blog post #1

Austen and Shakespeare similarly build their plot around the internal and external conflicts of and between characters; however, at the same time, both authors use a different plot structure.  In Pride and Prejudice, the plot revolves around both internal and external conflicts between the characters.  Both the external ideals of 19th century English society and interpersonal relationships between characters play a huge role in determining the direction of the novel.  Similar to Pride and Prejudice, Hamlet's plot revolves around the internal and external conflicts afflicting Hamlet.  While both works correspondingly build their plot around the conflict of their characters, they follow a different sequence in delivering their plot.  Hamlet follows the conventional narrative, using exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.  Pride and Prejudice, however, strictly emphasizes the development of interpersonal relationships and the surrounding society.  Because Austen's scope is more narrow in the sense that she focuses on multiple characters in depth, she only loosely follows a conventional sequence.

Hamlet Esse Comments

This essay reflects my growth as a writer.  In my previous essay, I had a fairly general focus; however, in this essay, I had a very clear and narrow focus.  In doing so, I was able to write a better essay.  While I spent less time on this one, I spent a lot of time thinking out my ideas which helped me save time and provide a solid structure to my essay.  I look forward to mastering the techniques of devising a college level essay over the year, as I am starting to grasp how to properly write one.

To last, or not to last

The possibility of becoming truly eternalized has sparked an enduring debate among poets.  A.E. Housman and Percey Bysshe Shelley’s stance on the conception of time demonstrates the polarization of this debate: Housman believes that memories can withstand the withering effects of time, while Shelley believes that time crumbles everything in its path.  Both poets attempt to validate their own theory by examining the relationship between a significant person and time.  In Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young,” a young star athlete’s life is ended abruptly; however, using gentle and comforting language, he affirms that the athletes memory will far outlive his own tragically ended life.  In “Ozymandias,” Shelley uses bombastic language compounded with a mocking tone to demonstrate that even the king of kings’ works could not escape the deterioration of time.  

Poetry Comparison #2

In Ozymandias and To His Coy Mistress, both Shelley and Marvell indicate the supremacy of time in relation to mankind through different situations.  In Ozymandias, Shelley uses a desolate and empty setting to demonstrate that time has withered away the memory of the "king of kings."  In To His Coy Mistress, the speaker uses the crumbling effect of time as a resource in persuading his mistress to fornicate with him. Both authors essentially mock people for their inability to grasp the essence of time.  The mistress and the king of kings evidently do not understand the boundaries of time, as the king believes his memory will withstand time and the mistress is relatively prudent.

Performance choices

Johnny, Carlin, and I decided to perform the scene where Rosencranz and Guildenstern attempt to pry information from Hamlet.  I was playing Guildenstern, and tried to act exceedingly happy after first conversing with Hamlet.  Then, as Hamlet began to verbally attack me, I began to act very defensive and weak.

Poetry Comparison

In both Ozymandias and (ponder, darling these busted statues), the overwhelmingly dominance of time is a major theme; however, both authors demonstrate the power of time in different ways.  In Ozymandias, Shelley uses irony to express that nothing lasts forever: "Nothing besides remains." (12).  Shelley indicates that time ultimately crumbles everything, even the king of kings.  The tone is almost mocking because the king truly believed that he would be eternalized; however, Shelley proves that time is the dominating force over all of mankind through his bombastic language..  In (ponder, darling these busted statues), e.e. cummings essentially parodies the forces of time. While he makes a similar point to the one made in Ozymandias, his poetry lacks bombastic language that would generally be included in a poem regarding time.

Discussion 4

Both Laertes and Polonius object to Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet because they are concerned with her well-being.  They perceive Hamlet as having gone mad.  Not only do they believe that Hamlet has gone mad, but they also believe that Hamlet's royal background will negatively affect Ophelia.  While they share similar objections, they expressions of these objections are different.  While Polonius is demanding, tedious, and condescending in his persuasion, Laertes is more kind and serves as a great brother.  Obviously, Laertes has a more respectful view of women in general, while Polonius's sexist notions suggest his condescending view of women.