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Journal #12 - Anitgone

Anouilh creates a contrast between ugly and beautiful within the play. When Antigone argues with Creon, she admits that she is ugly, and then speaks of how ugly her father was. However, she moves on to speak about the beautiful thing that her father became. She talks about how, in his doubt and uncertainty, Oedipus was ugly, but through his search for the truth. through his suffering in the end, he became beautiful. She essentially says that Oedipus' tragedy was beautiful and that her tragedy will be beautiful as well. Anouilh creates tension by describing tragedy as beautiful. Tragedy is closely related to death, so Anouilh essentially calls death beautiful. However, this is counter-intuitive to many viewers, who see death as the terrible thing that takes away life. 
Anouilh also creates a contrast between dull and color. Antigone is portrayed as the main vessel for this contrast. She constantly speaks of her want for life in its full color, and implies that her current life is dull and unfulfilled. However, her view of life in color conflicts with Creon's own view. Antigone sees "color" as all of the experiences of life, which include happiness and sadness. However, Creon sees life as only happiness, and thus their two views clash in the play.

Journal #11 - Anitgone

At the beginning of the play, the Chorus is depicted as a neutral character. He does not take a side, and merely gives his observations of the characters and events. The Chorus had a more explanatory role. However, later in the play, the Chorus takes a role similar to that of Fate, if Fate was a character with all the powers that fate has. He tells of how the spring is wound, and will release at the slightest disturbance, and then explains that the release will be inevitable. The Chorus takes on a tone of confidence, speaking what he knows to be true. He tells of the coming events and leaves no room for prediction. He dictates that a string of events will happen. The Chorus then explains that this is what tragedy is. Tragedy does not have hope, because there is no room for hope. He explains that one cannot hope because one knows what will inevitably happen. The chorus defines tragedy as the lack of doubt.

Journal #10 - Anitgone

In the 48 hours leading up to the Nurse catching Antigone, the siege on the city of Thebes had ended. This siege was due to a powerful struggle between the two brothers meant to rule the city after Oedipus' death. The younger brother, who tried to take the throne due to his right to rule, left the city and came back with foreign princes to lay siege on Thebes. The rebels were destroyed, along with the two brothers, and Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law, took the throne. He viewed Polynices, the younger brother, as a traitor and did not allow the burial of his corpse, and ordered the execution of anyone who attempted to bury him. Thus the conflict arises, when Anitgone, Polynices' sister, arrives at night and holds gives him a burial ritual, and then comes home to be caught by the Nurse.


Anouilh gives an account of these events through a the Chorus, a character that is similar to a watcher, but knows and understands all that is transpiring. This way of introducing the characters and giving background information on the play forces the watcher to take the point of view of the Chorus. Since the Chorus is similar to the watcher in the way that they are both observing the play, the watcher is able to relate with the Chorus. However, the Chorus takes on a neutral tone, describing the characters and events as how they actually looked.
The watcher takes on the perceptions of the Chorus. For example, the watcher would see Creon as a strong king who struggles with the difficulty of leadership, which is how the Chorus describes the king. Due to this, the watcher will take into account that the king is stressed and must obey the obligations of his position, and therefore sympathize with him even as he orders his niece to be killed.

Topic Sentence - Blood Wedding

In Blood Wedding, the Neighbor enjoys taking part in rumors and gossip, and this aspect shows how the Neighbor is subtly manipulative, specifically in terms of the Mother.

Journal #9 - Blood Wedding

Typical Gender Roles
In Blood Wedding, Lorca reinforces typical gender roles many times throughout the play, but seems that he does not agree with them. This role is shown by the Mother's advice to her son, telling him to be firm and dominant in his relationship with the Bride. She also complains about not having a girl to sew clothes and lace with. Furthermore, the Father and the Bridegroom reinforce how men are the workers of the household with their ownership and nurturing of the vineyards.


Fate and the Cycle of Life
This the is represented in the play when the Maid is talking to the Bride. The Bride speaks about how she suffers and her mother suffered before her due to the expectations placed on them, and the Maid denounces this as fate, implying that one cannot control what happens. Also the Bride's suffering in the face of marriage shows her awareness that marriage represents the next step in her cycle of life.


Deception
Lorca creates a line between those that deceive and are aware, and those that are ignorant. Examples of characters that are ignorant include the Bridegroom and the Father, while the deceiving characters are the Maid, Bride, and Mother. One can see this from the naive personality of the Bridegroom, and the denial from the Father when he finds that his daughter had run away. However, the Maid and Mother know more than the Bridegroom and Father on the situation, but keep it to themselves, and in this way can be considered as deceiving. Also the Bride herself deceives everyone by hiding her true feelings.

Journal #8 - Blood Wedding

There are three major sets in Blood Wedding: A simple room in a house among vineyards where the Bridegroom and Mother live, the house of the Bride, and the nighttime forest.
The play begins in the house of the Bridegroom and Mother. Lorca's description of the room is simply "the room is painted yellow" (5). This description itself implies bright colors and a positive feel. This color tone depicts the coming happiness of a marriage, however is a mask of what is truly about to happen. The happy color tone would contrast with the sadness and scandal that the Neighbor and the Mother converse about. This contrast helps the reader notice the foreshadowing present in the first act.
The second set takes place in various parts of the house of the Bride. The house itself has descriptions of decorations in the form of flowers and other typical ornaments. However, second act takes place during the night, and it seems that the shading is presented as more dark. Indeed, in spite of the various decorations, Lorca writes the Bride's cave as having "somber, silvered tones" (58). This change in the feel of the set foreshadows the coming storm that will transform the plot. This set triggers the reader to sense and predict the dark storm. In a way, the reader knows that something terrible will happen.
The third act takes place in the black, nighttime forest. The forest is covered in shadows, and this darkness that is depicted portrays the tragedy that consumes the Bridegroom and Leonardo. It seems Death is associated with the darkness, depicted in one part as a dark shadow resembling a raven. The dark feeling of the set helps create the mood of the act, giving the reader an almost anxious feeling leading up to the deaths of the two characters.

Journal #7 - Blood Wedding

Lorca uses youth in Act II to highlight his criticism. The Bride, a still youthful figure, is miserable during the events leading up to the wedding. She seems to be unhappy with being forced into the marriage, which marks her passage out of youth and into womanhood. However, her unhappiness is resisted by the society, as seen when the Maid condemns her for throwing down her bridal crown. Her want to be youthful is represented by her resistance of marriage and of society. Lorca in this way criticizes society itself for essentially forcing its ideals on people, the same way the Bride would be condemned if she walked away from the wedding.

Journal #6 - Blood Wedding

Two of the characters that appear miserable in the play are the Bride and Leonardo. The both share the same misery of having dated, but not working out for reasons that are not specified. But, their desire for each other did not fade, even after Leonardo gets married. Leonardo expresses his misery through anger when he hears of the upcoming marriage of the Bride. He takes his frustration out on his Mother-in-Law, Wife, and a little girl. The Bride expresses her misery in a similar way, acting harsh to her maid during the events leading up to the marriage. Although she says that she wants the marriage, her actions repeatedly show she is unhappy about, as seen when she throws her bridal crown on the floor.
The frustration between Leonardo and the Bride seem to stem off of the difference in wealth between their two families, and may have prevented their relationship. Also, the ideals of the society prevent them from fulfilling their desires for each other, since Leonardo already has a Wife, and the Bride is in the process of getting married. It is looked down upon when they run off together, and ultimately, Leonardo is killed for it.

Journal #5 - Blood Wedding

Lorca mentions typical ideals for women. The conflict in the plot and the characters' reaction to it point out the typical ideal of chastity that women were held to and the dominance of marriage in life. However, it seems that Lorca rejects it, characterizing the Bride and Leonardo as unfaithful in a way. This is the basis of most of the conflict. Through these characterizations, Lorca could be promoting promiscuity and criticizing the way that marriage is the dominant event in every person's life. This can also be criticism of the structure of family itself.
However, there's are points that also accept these ideals. The fact that the tragedy is a product of the unfaithfulness of the Bride and Leonardo could serve the purpose that following the ideals is a road to happiness.

Journal #4 - Blood Wedding

A symbol that is prevalent in Scene 1, Act 1 of Blood Wedding is the knife. In this scene, the knife is seen by the mother as the bringer of death. She depicts it as a serpent, something to be feared. She then goes on to criticize guns, hoes, and  other objects that can be used as weapons against man. This mania that she is put in by the idea of a weapon shows her fear of death, and how all humans have a natural fear of death. However, in this situation, she fears the death of her son.
Another symbols that appears in this scene is that of flowers. The mother describes her (deceased) son as being a geranium and her husband as a carnation. This metaphor represents the blooming life in people, and shows how this life can be abruptly cut short, much like how the bud of a flower can be snipped away. Lorca's use of flowers to exclusively describe males is itself an interesting decision. Although flowers represent life, they are also linked to femininity, and the representation of males as flowers clashes with this stereotype, and may be part of Lorca's own struggle against gender roles in his life.

Journal #3 - The Wild Duck

In The Wild Duck, there are three characters at fault for the events that transpire. the first, most direct character would be Gregers. He is the character that acts as a catalyst for the plot. He pushes Hjalmar into discovering the truth, which ultimately leads to the death of Hedvig. The second character is Gina, who is the one who spins the lies around Hjalmar that are ultimately torn down. The third, most insidious character Old Werle. He is the man who set a trap for Old Ekdal back when he was still wealthy. Due to this, it is not doubtful that he also placed Gina in Hjalmar's arms, in fear of a illegitimate child. Old Werle can be considered as the origin of the problems that surface in this play.
The truly innocent character of The Wild Duck is Hedvig. Hedvig is portrayed as the young innocent that happens to be caught up in the events of the play. The heat of the arguments avoid her, and she is left in the dark. She does not understand her father's sentiments when he tries to push her away after discovering the truth. "There's no one who knows her, and no one who knows where she's come from, either" (164).
The characters of Gregers, Gina, and Old Werle share equal blame for the events. Without at least one of these characters' actions, the events would not have transpired. However, other characters share the blame, too. Hjalmar's reaction to the events ultimately causes Hedvig to commit suicide, while Mrs. Sorby's delivery inadvertently brings light to the possibility that Hedvig is an illegitimate child.
In spite of this, none of the characters take the blame for the events, except for one. Hedvig is the only character that moves to take the blame. After Hjalmar's reactions, she believes that she is the cause of the problem that begins tearing the Ekdal family apart. With pushing from pushing from Gregers, she decides to shoot herself to solve this problem.

Journal #2 - The Wild Duck

In The Wild Duck, Ibsen uses the motif of decay  to parallel the decaying of eyesight and of the relationships in the Ekdal family. Hedvig's eyesight is in the process of decaying, and as her vision gets worse, so does the situation in the her family. Hjalmar describes Hedvig as "the greatest joy of our lives, and also our deepest sorrow, [...] there's the gravest imminent danger of her losing her sight" (147). This serves as a parallel to the sorrow that Hjalmar feels when he discovers the truth about his family. He sees his comfortable life decaying around him and the truth coming out, and feels great despair that his life has been a lie.
The motif of disease manifests itself in Gregers. Relling describes Gregers as having an "acute case of moralistic fever" (178). This "disease" is one that stems off of the guilt Gregers feels for the ruining of the Ekdal family. He feels that to redeem himself, he must strive for truth, and once he sees the lies that surround Hjalmar, he makes it a goal to "free" Hjalmar. However, his "disease" is actually the very thing that pushes the Ekdal family further into ruin and decay.
The motif of illness becomes prevalent in the conflict between Rellings and Gregers. Rellings tells Gregers that "most of the world is sick" (202). He explains that life is a complication for people's health, and that the only remedy for this is their life-lie. This lie a single general lie that encompasses their life, making their life worth living. This lie is present in Hjalmar, who finds his importance by believing that he is an inventor, and also in Molvik, who justifies his bad demeanor by coming to the realization that he is "demonic". Ibsen also shows what happens to a person when they break through these lies. He shows that the person, when confronted with the truth, becomes embittered, as in the case of Hjalmar, or undergoes a quest for redemption, as in the case of Gregers.
Through these three motifs, Ibsen portrays truth as what it really is: a bitter fruit.

Journal #1 - The Wild Duck

Hjalmar Ekdal
He is an example of a character who has false conceptions of themselves, and also of others. He imagines himself as the ground on which his families stand. He believes that he is the "breadwinner" of the family and that without his support, the family would crumble. However, this description of himself is false, as he does not take care of all of the household matters, but rather, Gina does. She cooks and cleans and seems to be the primary photographer in their studio, constantly reminding Hjalmar of scheduled portraits while he stalls by going hunting in the loft. This shows that he also has a misconception of Gina, who he believes to be dependent on him. But Gina proves that she is independent, especially when it is shown that she is the one who tabs up the financial costs and gains of the household. She also is able to spin a web of deception that filters Hjalmar's view of his family.


Gregers Werle
Gregers is able to see the truth of the situation in The Wild Duck. He looks past Gina's web and sees the possibilities. Because of his morals and ideals, he tries to reveal the truth, tearing apart Gina's lies and not caring about the consequences. He sees himself as a hero, but most would consider that he is not. However, he is a man who believes that the means justifies the ends.


Relling
Relling a character that is able to see past all of the facades of the other characters. He sees Molvik's despair, Hjalmar's longing , and Gregers' heroism. These traits are hidden by facades that the characters put up, like Hjalmar's conception of independence. However, instead of meddle with these facades, Rellings decides to leave them be. He realizes that if the character's facades are taken down, then they will not have much to live for.

Journal #3 - Brave New World

In the novel Brave New World, a motif that is prominent throughout the book is the fear of nature. In the last third of the book, this fear of nature is represented in the World Controller's words. He explains the disgust of nature and the past society's acceptance of it by saying "A man grows old [and] from which, as from an illness, he hopes to recover. Vain imaginings! That sickness is old age; and a horrible disease it is" (209). This quote shows is just one of the many examples of a fear of nature in this novel. However, in the words of the World Controller, nature is referenced differently than previous motifs. The World Controller speaks of nature as a way to control the population by manipulating their fear of the unknown. The One-State conditions people to be disgusted by nature and in doing so can control their habits and actions and also unite them. Huxley uses this motif to show that a common enemy unites and also binds.

The setting of the World Controller's office seems to reflect on how assuming and uniform the society is. While looking around his room, one would see "books in the shelves, at the sound-track rolls and reading machine bobbins in their numbered pigeon-holes [and] a massive volume bound in limp black leather-surrogate, and stamped with large golden T's" (197). This is a description of how any study in the One-State would appear, and the volume, which is actually a biography of the society's "deity" suggests the ignorance of the society, since many people are ignorant of who their "deity" actually is. With this, Huxley warns about how human choose to be mindless and enjoy being mindless.

The frenzied speech of John the Savage contrasts with the "normal" speech of the society. John is often aggravated due to his displacement in this society, and therefore yells at any people that are watching to leave him alone. He swears and speaks in an unorthodox way, even referring to God. When confronted by his ex-love, he yells "Strumpet! [...] Oh Linda forgive me. Forgive me, God. I'm bad. I'm wicked" (225). However, the society speaks in a calm manner, not easily aggravating, speaking to John with a cool tones that one would use to relax someone. Huxley uses this contrast in the language of these two forces in the novel to show that John could never fit into the society with his views on life, which color the way he speaks.

Journal #2 - Brave New World

In the novel, Bernard’s emotions are repeatedly expressed. Every time Bernard gets angry or annoyed, which is uncommon in this society, his partner Lenina offers him some soma, a drug with no side-effects that instantly makes you happy. He refuses, “preferring his anger” (100). This repeated expression of his negative emotions and his repeated refusal to let these emotions go show the struggle that Bernard has with the society. His unique viewpoint of the society due to his being an outsider allows him to question the principles of the society. He holds on to his emotions and refusing to take soma because if he gives in, then he loses his individuality. Huxley urges the reader to take the standpoint of Bernard, emphasizing the importance of individuality by having the reader encounter the same questions that Bernard does during his struggle against the uniform society he faces.

The second third of the novel takes place in a Savage Reservation, where the last few remnants of the old civilization still exist. This setting juxtaposes with the previous setting of the futuristic civilization. The differences between the two civilizations are highlighted, and this contrast helps identify the problems of the futuristic society that Huxley warns about. With this juxtaposition, he shows the road that civilization undergoes to reach the futuristic civilization. He also has the old civilization take the form of the Native Americans of the old. This representation of old society, symbolized by “the Savage”, dramatizes nature’s role in the futuristic civilization: as the great unknown that is to be feared.

I noticed that the language when speaking of the savages seems to become more frenzied, and this reflects the context that they are repeatedly put in. As John finds his mother sleeping with a man, he runs “across the room and stabbed [the man]—oh the blood!—stabbed again, as Popé heaved out of his sleep, lifted his hand to stab once more, but found his wrist caught, held and—oh!—twisted” (124). The savages are repeatedly implied as being violent and hateful by Linda and John’s stories. Their customs of the savages are strange and primitive, quick and terrible, and also dramatizes nature’s role in the futuristic civilization as something to be feared.

Journal #1 - Brave New World

In Brave New World, there are varying motifs like the word pneumatic and sleep-taught phrases that define the society. Pneumatic is an adjective that is used to describe both women and furniture, meaning curvy in shape. The use of this word to describe these things shows that sex is placed at the same level as furniture, a product. This placement resembles the idea that this society is a whole, uniform being. The fact that everyone belongs to everyone else, as shown by turning sex into a commodity, means that there really is no individuality in this society. Sleep-taught phrases appear in every chapter as "common-sense". These phrases are repeated to the population as they are sleeping, to the point where the phrases become etched into everyone's memory, much like old nursery-rhymes, except much more significant. For example, children are taught in their sleep that "ending is better than mending," which is used to cause consumerism by giving them thee mindset of always buying new clothes (54). These phrases symbolize the way that the government dictates what society should be. Each phrase has a purpose, like keeping social classes apart and increasing consumption of products in the market. Through sleep-taught phrases, the government is able to carefully control every aspect of society.

The book takes place in the future, primarily Great Britain, but is not limited to just Great Britain. The continent or country is not very significant, but rather the actual building or area. The beginning takes place in a building that can be described as a hatchery, except for humans. This place by itself tells of the way that society is in the novel. In the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, as it is called, one learns of the way a human is conceived and "born", from a test tube. One learns of the process of making batches of identical humans, up to 96 of the same baby, a processed way of having twins. One also learns of the steps taken place each of these groups into social classes. This whole process shows the predetermination of groups by the government, and also shows the lack of individuality the society has.

The language itself is not strange. But there are some peculiarities, like strange names that are given to new products. The most interesting peculiarities would be the taboo subjects that are in this society's language. For instance, father hold comical connotations, because babies are not born anymore, and anyone being a father or relying on a father is absurd. Mother is worse. The word mother holds connotations of absolute disgust, for the idea of having a baby is unimaginable in this society. This disgust is reflected by the Director explanation to children that "the parents [of children] were the father and the mother. [...] These are unpleasant facts, I know" (32). These new taboo subjects might contradict the idea of individuality, if one does not have parents to care for them and take care of themselves, but in this novel, the youth are all still cared for by government agents. These taboo subjects actually show the sacrifices that humanity must make in order to obtain happiness. To obtain happiness, society needed to dispel any obligations to anything, and therefore eliminate things like war. If one does not have anything to love and fight for, there need not be any war. This is also supported by the way in which every civilized person indulges in free love. With free love, there is no strong feeling to be with someone, and therefore that person has no significance. There is no obligation.

Journal #5 - The Stranger

I believe that the philosophy that I follow most closely is existentialism. I do believe that in the end, civilizations fall and the universe collapses, and that there will be no breath left to speak about the achievements of humanity, and therefore every action one makes can be considered absurd. However, I don’t submit to this. Although there may be no actual purpose to life, I believe that life should be lived with the max amount of happiness obtained. If one should retain life, one might as well make the most of it. Life can be considered a sort of a gift, where it gives us the happiness and sadness, the experiences. In this way, I also believe in hedonism, but I will focus on existentialism.

1. You are the choices you make. There is no predetermined personality for you, but rather, it is created through the choices you make in life. This is important because it puts emphasis on the individual and that a higher entity did not create the essence of the individual. Due to this, many existentialists do not believe in a higher being.

2. Your existence precedes your essence. This is related to the previous principle, but is more direct. The being that you are right at this moment constitutes your essence. This also puts emphasis that there is not a entity determining who you are.

3. You are responsible for your choices. You must take the full responsibility of your choices, no matter what the outcome. This emphasizes the individual and self-justice. It acknowledges that the world will not dish out justice, but rather that justice comes from yourself, or in a related way society.

4. Freedom. This is an important principle, defining existentialism directly. It means that one has the ability to make any choice that comes by them, but that these choices must be made through one's values. It again emphasizes the individual and also acknowledges that the world will be indifferent to your choice. Responsibility is built directly off of this principle.

5. Live authentically. This means that you do not act as your genes determine or society determines, but rather you act as yourself. This is related to freedom, and also implies that morality is relative, and that someone acting as themselves, even if making "wrong" choices, is living in the right way. Also, one must follow their own beliefs in accordance with this.

6. You give meaning to your experiences. There is no predetermined meaning that you must take out of an experience. This means that meaning is  relative throughout humans, and that there is not a universal meaning. This principle is important because it is the way you build your character.

7. Do not rely on rationality. In a way, rationality is a limitation because when you rationalize something, you often bring in society's values and do not completely rely on your own. This emphasizes freedom to make your own choices based off of your own values.

Journal #4 - The Stranger

At the end of the novel, Meursalt realizes that he cannot do anything about the indifference of the universe. He also realizes that the universe is indifferent. During the events leading up to this epiphany, Meursalt merely could not find the point in doing things, thus his lack of motivation. His statements of indifference represent the subconscious conflict he has with the absurd. However, at the close of the story, with immense time with himself and a looming death, the idea of the absurd surfaces into his head, and he confronts it directly for the first time. Meursalt loses all hope in this chapter and is then able to accept his death, and in a way becomes "enlightened".
Camus does not want the reader to give up hope and accept that all life ends, but rather, I think that he wants the reader to become aware of the absurd, enabling them to go through the process themselves. I think he more introduces the reader to a concept than he does try to influence the conclusion the reader gets.

Journal #3 - The Stranger

Camus splits The Stranger into two parts in order to make evident the process in which Meursalt develops. In the first part of the novel, Camus uses short sentences that are very to the point. With Meursalt as the narrator, the activities and events that take place in Meursalt's life are given to the reader in a very matter of fact way, without much speculation or hidden meaning.

"After them, the street slowly emptied out. The matinees had all started, I guess. The only ones left were the shopkeepers and the cats. The sky was clear but dull above the fig trees lining the street." (22)

This is contrasted in the second part with Meursalt suddenly voicing his thoughts to the reader, speculating on his life. The infinite time that he has to himself allows him to examine who he is, and this is reflected by the longer syntax that Camus uses.

"My ears had never heard so many noises or picked up so many sounds. One thing I can say, though, is that in a certain way I was lucky that whole time, since I never heard footsteps." (113)

Also, in the mortuary where Meursalt kept vigil for his Maman, the roof was a skylight, allowing the sun to cast its light onto the room. In the last prison cell that Meursalt stays at, there is also a skylight with sunlight filtering in. In the first part, this light causes for Meursalt to become sleepy and inactive, but in the second part, Meursalt becomes thoughtful under his skylight. This could represent the idea that although Meursalt changes, the sky he is under does not change.