Coming Soon: The Lottery

Plot

I decided to choose "The Lottery" for my short story adaptation because I think much could be done in line with the theme and because it had a scary theme which I think would help to involve the audience. In terms of plot, I thought the way it was set up in the short story was adequate for a story, but for a movie, much would need to be added. I think that before the surprise ending of what the Lottery really is, there would need to be some background on the town itself and the individual characters as well. If I was making "The Lottery" into a movie, I would not begin the story with the lottery, but instead would follow the town and the workings of the individual families before the lottery. I think this would add more sympathy for the characters and the way in which they live. I also think this would allow the viewer to see the extent of the blind acceptance of this long-standing tradition. In terms of the lottery part of the plot, I think I would keep most of it the same. I would add more dialogue between the characters during this section, but keep most of the plot the same.

Point of View

While reading the short story, I liked the 3rd person omniscient point of view and I think I would keep this for the movie. Many movies may begin and end in a specific point of view, but the between is difficult to pinpoint exactly what the point of view is. This is how I would design this film. I would start off jumping from person to person like the whole town was telling the story, but would progress into the action and because of this, the point of view would be lost. This is common in most movies because the audience does not want to sit and listen to people telling the story, they want action. For this reason, I would have the point of view fade in and out, so that the audience doesn't get bored, but they still pick up on the theme of the whole town being in on this long-standing tradition. These changes may cause the audience to lose some of the theme of the blind acceptance, but I think for the most part, this theme would not be lost.

Characterization

I liked the indirect characterization of the characters in "The Lottery" and would keep it this way in the movie adaptation. Through conversations and actions, I would reveal small snippets of the characters personalities so the audience could meet the characters rather than being told about them. Some changes with characterization would be that the audience would get to meet the characters before the day of the lottery, so they would get to see them in everyday life. I think this would enhance the short story, because instead of just seeing the characters in a stressful situation, the audience would get to see them when they are normal. This would help to illuminate the theme of blind acceptance because it would show that in everyday life, these people are normal, but because of this tradition, they turn into monsters. I think this would add to the work also because the audience would be able to better relate to the characters as they go through everyday life rather than just believing these people are crazy killers.

Setting

In my adaptation of the short story, the setting would be much more complex. In the short story, the only setting is June 27th on a clear and sunny day and the town square. In the movie, there would be more complex and stereotypical settings of a small town. For example, a town court house in the square and a clock tower. The houses would also reflect stereotypes of small towns. This would add to the meaning because it would emphasize the small town and the people/society being cut off from other influences and technologies. They were very old fashioned in the story and I think setting could help to show this. I would also emphasize the fact that they are cut off from other people who could influence the town to stop the brutality in their tradition.

Theme

Because the themes of "The Lottery" were the main part of the story that caused me to like this story while also being scared by it, I would try to change the themes as little as possible. I would be sure to still convey the theme of blind acceptance of traditions and accepting what authority tells you to do. I found these themes to be true even today and I think they are very important to the story. I would do this by keeping it so mostly everyone accepts the tradition, even the victims family members. I would still include the scene where the Adams mention stopping the lottery, but like in the story, it will be a small detail which passes quickly. Through the plot and setting, I would convey the old-fashion ways of the town which also help to establish the theme. by only making slight changes to the story while adding much on, I think the themes and meanings could remain and even enhance the short story.

Shawshank Redemption- Movie v Short Story

Plot

The book version and movie version of "Shawshank Redemption" are extremely similar to each other, the movie varying only slightly from the book. For instance, the reasoning why Red and Andy are in prison, the manner in which Andy escapes, and the grueling situation with the sisters are a few of the details which remain the same between the two. One difference that I did find while watching the movie was that Red doesn't look back at his past time in jail before Andy came as often in the book. The movie is more focused on Red's relationship with Andy and the times that they spend together. Also one part of the plot which differs is in the book is that the wardens do not remain the same as they do in the movie. In the movie, Mr. Norton, the warden remains the only warden throughout the story while in the book, the wardens change throughout. Another difference between the movie and book is that in the book, Andy set up a false identity and put all of his money under this false person. Andy explains this by saying "outside these walls, Red, there's a man that no living soul has ever seen face to face. He has a Social Security card and a Maine driver's license. He's got a birth certificate. Name of Peter Stevens." In the movie, Andy describes the fake identity he set up, saying the exact same thing. The only difference is that instead of his friend setting it up from the outside, Andy sets this fake person up from the inside of jail and instead of it being his money, it it the warden's dirty money. I found this to be a nice addition to the plot.

Point of View

The point of view also remains the same between the movie and book. Red tells the entire story from his point of view and from stories he has heard and things he has assumed. I still found Red to be a trustworthy narrator because although he committed murder, he is honest as he was "the only guilty man in Shawshank." One difference is that the narration did stray slightly from Red's perspective as the action of the story took place, but it always returned to the booming voice of Morgan Freeman, who plays Red, telling Andy's story. Red also does not include the part at the end about the story being "all about me, every damned word of it." Although this part is left out of the movie, the main theme of the caged bird is not taken out, but more of that is to come later.

Characterization

While watching the movie, I found myself realizing that the characterization throughout the story is more indirect that direct. The characters are developed more through stories and happenings in the story rather than by Red just saying "they [the sisters] are to prison society what the rapist is to the society outside the walls." While some direct characterization is present i feel that the indirect characterization, such as the sisters brutally raping and beating Andy, has more of an impact on the viewer than the direct. I believe that for the movie, this works because the viewer will become more sympathetic and understanding when they see a brutal act going on rather than just hearing one being retold. One similarity in characterization is Red and Andy being foil characters. I feel that this is portrayed even more strongly in the movie because you can see how they work together and keep each other going. For instance, Andy's endless hope and Red's hopelessness. These two characters allow the story to be dynamic and interesting because of their contrasting views and attitudes.

Setting

The settings in the book and short story are also similar, but I felt that the movie was much more vivid and easier to follow the setting as expected with a movie. The remake of the movie from the book followed the setting in the book well. The exercise yard, showers/bathrooms, library, laundry room, and outside world followed the book in a precise manner. One additional setting in the movie is "Zihuatanejo." In the book, Red only speaks about this place saying "I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams," but he never actually makes it to the Pacific in the book as the story ends before the reader sees him reach his destination. In the movie, the Pacific and the beach at Zihuatanejo become a setting when Red reaches the Pacific and finds Andy. I believe that this setting added to the theme of freedom and a new life for Andy and Red.

Theme

For the most part I found the themes to be the same between the book and the movie. The movie not only followed the plot well, but it also portrayed the same themes. I found the biggest themes to be in the simile of the bird, comparing Andy to a bird who "is not meant to be caged." I found this theme of freedom to be very inspiring. Also, the theme of hope is still present in the movie, but the viewer gets to see Red and Andy's positive hope become a reality for the two. I also found some other major themes in the movie which I did not originally pick out during the short story. I found a theme of perseverance when Red said Andy "crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side." Although Red is speaking about Andy escaping through the sewers, I also saw this as him saying that Andy had to go through much unhappiness and dirty business, but in the end, he came out clean and happy. I also picked up on the theme of friendship in the most unlikely place with two unlikely people, as this is what Red and Andy's friendship is all about.

"You're Ugly, Too" by: Lorrie Moore

Alright so with this story I don't even know where to start. For me, this story was extremely odd and it seems to have no point to it, the ending especially. I was confused as to why she attempted to push the guy off of the balcony. Anyways one part of the story that was unique was the random italicized sections. When reading through this I took these sections as comments that her students or other people had to say about her. I felt that these helped to reveal Zoe's character and what people thought about her. I also found it odd that the two sisters, Zoe and Evan, kept such life altering secrets from each other. Zoe neglected to tell her sister that she might possibly have cancer and is having tests done to find out what the large growth was in her abdomen. Evan doesn't tell her sister that she is engaged until Zoe tells her she should get married. It seems to me that these two sisters are not as close as was originally portrayed with their weekly phone conversations. It seems that they like to believe they are best friends, but in reality they are not in touch personally and they don't really understand each other.

"The Drunkard" by: Frank O'Connor

I found this story to be very humorous. Could you imagine a young child, possibly 10, walking down the street drunk beyond belief and cursing at old women. To me, this seemed funny because it was so unexpected. Also, the fact that the father is getting a sort of "karma" was also funny to me. Every time the father relapses into his alcoholism, the family has to put up with the embarrassment and other problems that come along with his problem. For once, the father has to be lucid enough to be embarrassed himself. His drunk son who stole his beer in a bar is embarrassing him as he walks drunk down the street. If this isn't karma, then I don't know what is.

"The Lottery" by: Shirley Jackson

Today, lotteries are seen as something which should be looked forward to and are seen as positive. What's not good about winning loads of money? For this reason, when seeing the title of "The Lottery," the reader expects an excited and happy reaction when the winner of the "lottery" is revealed. Much to their surprise, Mrs. Hutchinson is very unhappy and distraught over her family winning the "lottery." All she can say is "It isn't fair, it isn't right." The reader realizes that the "lottery" is not winning money, but instead winning a horrible death for no reason at all other than because it is tradition. This is far from what is suggested by the title. Just as the title suggests no peril or death, the people convey this type of attitude. They have no remorse or hesitation is "rewarding" Mrs. Hutchinson with her prize. It almost seems that they show the same level of enthusiasm as a person would in presenting the winner of a lottery today with a big check.

"Popular Mechanics" by: Raymond Carver

When reading this story, I first concentrated on the parents literal fight over the baby. When looking more deeply, I saw that it was really about the destruction divorce has on the children in a family. This is the conflict of the story. Like the parents in the story are ripping the child apart and pulling the child back and forth, a divorce can affect a child like this emotionally as well. Custody battles and fights over a child's love can emotionally rip a child apart. I believe that this is essentially what this story is about. This story also satires the selfishness of parents who fight over their children. When the parents are saying "Don't... You're hurting the baby." and "I'm not hurting the baby the author shows the immaturity and selfishness of the parents. They are looking for what they want over the well-being and happiness of their own child. They would rather hurt their child rather than compromise with each other. The conflict is resolved by showing that eventually, the fighting will tear the family apart.

Shawshank Redemption - "Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying."

"Get busy living, or get busy dying." Possibly the best quote of the entire story!

"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"

"Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Plot

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption while a rather long short story is stuffed full with plot. Red, the narrator jumps back and forth from story to story, not one of them lacking in information or interest. Red's stories leading up to the surprise ending are full of details, whether it be Andy's fights with the sisters and being beaten "within an inch of his life," inside information on the wardens, or the successes and failures of prison escapes, Red knew it all. This knowledge of prison life from the time he entered to the time he was paroled allow Red as the narrator to help the story to progress and to effectively produce the story as an interesting page turner for all readers. The organization of the story allows the reader to get the information in the same manner that Red received information. His experience in receiving information often comes in bits and pieces, but he gives it to the reader as a whole so they may better understand the full situation.

"I was saying that I'd only ask three beers apiece for my co-workers, if that seems fair," Andy said. "I think a man feels more like a man when he's working out of doors in the springtime if he can have a bottle of suds. That's only my opinion. It would go down smooth, and I'm sure you'd have their gratitude" (page 46).

While reading this story, I spotted one major turning point within the plot. This was when Andy spoke up to the warden and said that he could help to fix his problem with the government taking away his money. The turning point occurs when Andy requests that his coworkers be given "three beers apiece." I found this as a major turning point because it is placing Andy on the same level as the prison guards and the warden in some ways. Although they do not see it this way, it gives Andy certain privileges that other prisoners are not allowed. Ultimately, it is because of these privileges (i.e. his own cell, building up the library, possible access to layouts of the building, and being protected from heavy searches of his room and from other inmates) that Andy is able to dig his way out of prison.

Point of View

"I'll tell you what I know and what I think; that's about all I can do, isn't it?"

-I find this quote to sum up Red pretty darn well. He constantly shares everything he knows, not leaving anything out. If this doesn't make for the perfect re-teller of a story, I don't know what does.

By telling "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" from the point of Red's perspective, the reader is given the full story from times before Andy was imprisoned and after. The perspective and views of many people are revealed through Red because he is "the guy who can get it for you." This also lets Red in on many happenings within the prison as he is well known and important in the prison. this perspective also allows the reader to know exactly what happened to Andy after he escaped. Red is also a credible source because he states when stories may contain some rumors and when his re-tellings were experienced first hand. Ultimately, Red is the best narrator because he was closest to Andy.

Throughout the story, the reader is led to believe that this story is about Andy and his freedom, but it is at the end that Red reveals the real reason behind telling Andy's story. He says that it is because "Andy was the part of [him] they could never lock up." In other words, this story was to express Red's fears and excitements about freedom and the challenges he would face. It was to express all of the things Red wishes he could have done and all of the people he wishes he could have stood up to. It is ultimately a story of freedom and being uncaged, therefore Red makes the perfect narrator as he expresses all of the rejoicing and happiness he feels within himself when Andy and hopefully himself are set free.

Characterization

Throughout this story, Red introduces many minor characters through direct and indirect characterization. For instance, the Sisters are introduced with a mixture of direct and indirect characterization. Red says, "they're (the sisters) are usually long-timers, doing hard bullets for brutal crimes." This shows direct characterization as Red is describing the sisters directly. While he states over and over again that the sisters are brutal rapists, it is not until he describes one particular situation when Andy stood up against the sisters threatening to bite off certain things, that the reader is shown the true brutality and personalities of the sisters. Red introduces the many wardens and other prisoners in the same fashion.

The two main characters in this story are Red and Andy Dufresne. These two characters help to illuminate the characteristics in each other. They are strong foil characters as Red is the "man who can get anything," while Andy "had a reputation for being a snob." Red was ready to make deals with people, he was talkative and friendly. Andy would rather be left alone to go about his own business. While both characters are open about the reasons they have been imprisoned, Andy is innocent, while Red is guilty. Also, Andy is positive and hopeful toward freedom. Red is scared of the outside world and even says that he is "an institutional man." These differences allow the two characters to get along and to illuminate each other's characteristics.

Setting

"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is set in a prison for the majority of the story. The different setting within the prison, the cell, the exercise yard, the library, the laundry room, the bathrooms, and the roof, reveal to the reader in some ways as to what is going to take place. For instance, the laundry room is often a place for the Sisters to rape inmates and Andy, so when this setting is introduced, the reader can suspect what is going to happen next. The library is a place where Andy is protected and in his comfort zone. The exercise yard is often where Andy's and Red's interactions take place. All of these different settings come together to produce the story as a whole.

The outside world while talked about often does not become part of the major setting until the end of the story after Andy escapes and Red is released. At this point in time, it becomes an essential part of the work as a whole. The outside world is seen by Red as a place of uncertainty and terror. It is a place where he is no longer "the guy who can get it for you." This change in plot also marks an important change in the character of Red. While he was afraid of nothing and hopeless of freedom on the inside, on the outside, he shows hope for a new life and freedom.

"I hope Andy is down there... I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

Theme

Theme is possibly one of the most difficult aspects of a story to narrow down.

One theme that I felt the narrator laid out clearly was the theme of rejoicing for

things being set free.

"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all... And the part of you that knows

it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where

you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure" (page 101).

This quote pretty much sums up the theme of this whole section. The whole story

leads up to Andy's freedom and the enjoyment it causes among all of the

prisoners.

This theme also leads into the second theme I found inspiring during

this story which is a theme of hope. I found this theme throughout the story. When

Andy shows hope in getting out of prison and he speaks of moving to Zihuatanejo,

Mexico, he expresses hope for the future and hope for freedom. His hope also

ignites some hope in Red as when he gets out of prison, Andy is the only thing that

keeps him from going right back. He has "hope to see [his] friend and shake his

hand." I found this theme of hope to be very inspiring. If these two men can show a

ray of hope in the most difficult situations, then I should be able to express hope

within my daily life.

"This second type of guy knows there's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst."

"Miss Brill" by:Katherine Mansfield

This story seemed to be very odd. Miss Brill would do the same thing every weekend (people watch), but she was turned down by a young couple and even made fun of this specific time. Toward the end of the story, I began to feel sympathetic toward Miss Brill because it was like she was in a never ending cycle and she seemed to be unhappy with her life. Not only was she unhappy, but she was also alone. I saw the fur animal like scarf as the only thing she had that was near and important to her. Yet, this was one of the things that the young couple put down and made fun of. When reading this, I realized that even when you speak badly about strangers, they will be affected by this. I felt sympathy for Miss Brill because of her sad life and because of how upset she got at the end when the highlight of her week was ruined because of a young couple making fun of her within earshot. At the end, when the narrator says that "she heard something crying," I saw this as Miss Brill crying, but she refused to admit that it was in fact she who's feelings were hurt.

"Once Upon a Time" by: Nadine Gordimer

I found this story to be very ironic. The parents, housemaid, and the husband's mother spent the entire story attempting to keep the home safe and to protect their family, but in the end, it was this protection that tore the family apart, killing the boy. It was also ironic that the narrator began the story talking about children's books and saying she has been asked to right one and ended the story with a tragic death of a young boy. Personally, I find the narrator to be extremely demented and scary. Maybe the worst part of the whole story is that this is her bed-time story. She even goes as far as to compare the young boys "adventure" to his death with Sleeping Beauty. I don't think I'll ever look at that fairytale the same again. I also noticed that in the last paragraph after the boy has been freed, the narrator refers to him as an "it." I took this as the narrator saying that the boy had been so mangled that he no longer looked recognizable and therefore, had become an it instead of a him. I found this entire story to be very disturbing and demented.

"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

When reading this story about an old Grandma whom I thought had Alzheimer's, I found myself getting caught up in whether or not the grandson was alive or not. I first questioned whether or not he was alive when Phoenix forgot why she was going into town and forgot all about her grandson until the doctor reminded her why she had come. This seemed suspicious because it seemed that if Phoenix couldn't remember what she was doing, she might be blocking out hurtful or painful events such as her grandson's death. I also found it odd that the doctor asked if Phoenix's grandson was still alive. I thought that maybe the doctor was asking to detect if Phoenix had come to terms with the death yet or if she was still holding on. Question 6 talks about the author's response to the question of whether or not the grandson is alive. The author responds by saying "Phoenix is alive." I realized after reading this question that it is not the grandson whom the story is focused on but Phoenix. The fact as to the grandson being alive or dead does not matter. The way I look at it, either way the grandmother is still doing a loving and caring act even if her grandson is dead.

"Eveline" by James Joyce

Throughout this story, Eveline evaluates her situation and is talking about leaving Dublin to start a new life with Frank. It is not until she is about to board the ship that Eveline finally decides not to go with Frank and to go back to her father. I think that while her judgement of abandoning her family and the two young children she had been put in charge of played a role in her choosing not to go, she was also somewhat stuck in Dublin because of her being afraid of change. Her judgement was somewhat twisted in this story because her father was verbally abusive to her and physically abusive toward her brothers and he was an alcoholic but she still felt obligated to him. Personally, I find this odd because I would think she would feel obligated toward Frank because of all that he had done for her. I believe that she did not really make a conscious decision to not go with Frank until she was sitting at station. Her "decision" wasn't really so much of a decision as it was her being unable to make a decision because she was paralyzed with emotions. I think that in the end, it was this paralyzes that cause Eveline to refuse to go with Frank.

"Hunters in the Snow" by: Tobias Wolff

This short story was successful in baffling me over and over again. It first baffled me when Tub shot Kenny and nobody acted like it was that big of a deal. The men decided to drive Kenny to the hospital and they dropped him down the driveway, put him in the trunk of the car, stopped to warm up, stopped a second time to warm up and had a whole meal, took his blanket away from him to keep themselves warm, and turned away from the hospital instead of toward it. All of these odd events led to the characterization of Tub and Frank. It is because of these events that the reader learns that Tub is a habitual eater and Frank is going to leave his wife for a 14 year old. Also, Tub's and Frank's relationship grows because of the events that unfold, but this is at the expense of Kenny's life. I found this all to be very odd, but it was included in the plot to express the character's personalities.

I was also slightly confused by the ending. When Frank and Tub took "a different turn a long way back" were they returning home or did they just accidentally go the wrong way? I also wondered if they had planned to let Kenny die all along because this is definitely how it seemed to me.

"Bartleby the Scrivener" by: Herman Melviller

I found this short story to be extremely frustrating and a very difficult read. I believe this was so because of the very little plot structure and action in the story. Because this part of the story was so boring, I tried to focus on the characters and how they developed, but even this was hard. What I did find was that the story was more focused on the lawyer rather than Bartleby as I originally thought. I also found it difficult to find any important change in any of the characters. To me, the lawyer seemed to be the same at the end as he was at the beginning. At the beginning, he was intrigued by Bartleby and was hesitant to fire him and ask him to leave. I found this to be the same at the end because although he had fired Bartleby, he still offered to help him in some ways and he even visited him in prison. This shows that he was still intrigued and felt sorry for Bartleby. I also saw no change in Bartleby as he "preferred not to" at the beginning and the end. Little was revealed about him and little was said by him, making him a flat character.

"Everyday Use" By: Alice Walker #2

While reading this story for the first times, I found Dee to be completely unsympathetic and I resented her for the way she treated her family like they were disposable trash. While re-evaluating the story, I did find some sympathy for Dee because I realized how sad and incomplete her life must be in the way she is leading it. She has no real family as she rarely sees her mother and sister. She also is trying very hard to be someone whom she is not and is trying to create a life that is not hers. In this way, I find sympathy for how sad and incomplete Dee's life is. I believe the mother's victory over Dee is a victory because it put Dee in her place and ended her control over Maggie and her mother. I believe that as shown on page 179 by Maggie's reaction to Dee asking for the old quilts, "I heard something fall in the kitchen, and a minute later the kitchen door slammed," Maggie would have been upset if the quilts had been given away. If the mother had not denied Dee, Maggie's confidence would have been smashed yet again. I saw emotional ambivalence in the final scene because although Maggie and the mother share an emotional moment, there is nothing said and it almost seems that everything goes back to normal when the narrator says "until it was time to go in the house and go to bed." It almost seems that the mother and Maggie put the whole event behind them, but I also believe that this event reshaped their relationship into one of strength and quality.

"Everyday Use" By: Alice Walker

In this story, the mother makes a dynamic change when at the end of the story, she chooses to stand up for Maggie and refuse Dee's demand. The mother's refusal to allow Dee to have the quilts marks a permanent change in her character. I believe this because she realizes that it is Maggie who truly loves her and understands her and her heritage, not Dee. I believe she had never done anything like this before because she always dreamed that her and Dee could eventually relate in some way. For example, on page 174 (second paragraph) she has the dream that one day she and Dee will go on a talk show and have an embrace in which they will both cry. These are all just hopeful wishing because she knows deep down that her and Dee have nothing in common. I believe she finally stands up to Dee because she realizes that she does not really care about her or Maggie and their heritage. She only cares about her appearance and what she believes to be "heritage." I also believe she realizes how important Maggie really is in her life and this is shown by the little side comments of how Maggie kindly offers that Dee can have the quilts and the way in which Maggie carries herself when she realizes Dee will get what she was promised. There are a few events in the story that foreshadow the mother's refusal to Dee. For instance, on page 180, paragraph 71 the mother asks what Dee would do with the quilts and italicizes you showing that whatever it is that Dee would do with the quilts would be odd and absurd.

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

I found Interpreter of Maladies to be somewhat odd but interesting. The way in which Mrs. Das treated her children and husband was extremely intriguing and the reason behind why she treated them this way was not originally given. Mrs. Das treated her children in a very uninvolved way. She tended to blow them off and at one point in time she even told her daughter to "leave her alone" because she was bothering her. This definitely does not seem like a way a truly loving mother would act. When Mrs. Das is speaking to Mr. Kapasi, the reader is given the reason that Mrs. Das acts in this way. I found it especially odd that Mrs. Das treats Mr. Kapasi, a stranger with more love and respect than her own husband. In this poem, I found some satire. I believe the narrator was satirizing American life and marriages in general. Through this story, the narrator is showing how many people get married just to get married, not because they are actually in love. It also satirizes the uninvolved with which some parents raise their children. They don't really take care of them and often blow them off as Mrs. Das did.

"A Rose for Emily" by" William Faulkner

At first, this story was extremely confusing for me. The jumping back and forth from past to present made the story confusing. Upon reading the story for a second time, I came to realize that the point of view is not really set and is coming from an unknown person or persons as it seemed. It seemed to change throughout the story which only led to my confusion. What I did come to realize is that part 1 begins with after Emily dies and transforms into a retelling of the situation with Emily's taxes. While at first, the taxes seemed to be unimportant in the story, I think it has a meaning. To me, the taxes were symbolic of how the later generations lost respect for Emily and failed to take care of her as the older generations had. I found parts two, three, four and five to be looking back and slowly progressing to Emily's death. These sections were especially confusing to me because it was unclear as to when the situations were taking place. The story is random and not in chronological order which causes confusing in what is happening and when it is happening.

"How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro #2

This story also has much suspense. There is suspense when Edie is waiting for the mail as the reader does not know whether or not Chris will write back. There are also many other parts of suspense such as when the quarrel between Alice Kelling, Mrs. Peebles and Edie. There is suspense in waiting for the outcome of this fight. The main suspense in this story is in waiting to find out who will be Edie's husband. The title is what first informs the reader that by the end of the story, Edie will have revealed her husband. First, the narrator allows the reader to believe that it will be Cris, the pilot. Near the end of the story, the narrator begins to lead the reader away from the belief that Chris will be Edie's future husband. This is hinted at on page 145 when Edie says "It never crossed my mind for a long time a letter might not come." This tells the reader that looking back, Edie realizes she was wrong about her belief that Chris loved her. It is not until the last page and last paragraph of the story that the reader is let in on who Edie's husband is. Here, the narrator reveals that it is in fact the mailman who becomes Edie's husband. For me, this was a huge surprise ending and the suspense was effective in making the story enjoyable.

"How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro

The point of view in "How I Met My Husband" is first person, but it is told from a much later time. This reminiscent story is shown through certain comments that the narrator makes throughout the story. For instance, on page 145, the narrator says "I didn't figure out till years later the extent of what I had been saved from." This shows that looking back on her experience, Edie is much more mature and understands the situation more clearly. Along with this example, there are many more that support the narrator looking back with more knowledge. Also on page 145 the narrator says "It never crossed my mind for a long time that a letter might not come." This shows that the narrator is looking back remembering how niave she was when she thought that Chris would write her back. Also supporting that the narrator is looking back are the past tense words used throughout the story such as "was" "when i went home" and many more show that the speaker is looking back.

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" By:Dylan Thomas

This poem, about death is telling those who are dying to fight death and to not give up easily. The speaker says to live your life to the fullest and to "rage" against death or "the dying of the light." In the line, "old age should burn and rave at close of day," the speaker is saying that when a person grows older, they are fighting everyday against death and should live out their last days and life so they can be happy. The different stanzas speak of different situations and people who are close to death. The speaker tells the people not to let in to death and "rage against the dying of the light." The light is symbolic of the end of life. When the "light" dies, the person's life has ended. In the end, the speaker incorporates his own personal experience with death, telling his father to "not go gentle into that good night." He prays that his father keeps fighting death.

"Delight in Disorder" By: Robert Herrick

The title of this poem essentially captures the entire theme of the poem. The speaker talks of all of the disorder in life and says how his art is disorder. The broken rhyme scheme and oxymoron's help incorporate disorder into the structure and language of the poem. The oxymoron's in the poem include "wild civility", "fine distraction," and "flow confusedly." I agree with the speaker of this poem. I would take disorder over perfection any day. The world is made for disorder as almost nothing is perfect. Their is disorder with nature, disorder in houses, and disorder when there are wrecks. Disorder is a natural event and without it, the world would not be the same.

"Edward" By:Anonymous

While reading this poem, I was unsure of what it was about at first. I believed that the central theme was death because at first, I thought Edward had killed all three of the things. Through discussion, I realized that this poem is a conversation between Edward and his mother and his mother is questioning him about his "sword" that "drip(s) with blood." He first says that he killed his hawk, but his mother calls him out on his lie. Next, he claims he killed his steer," but his mother also knows this is a lie. Finally Edward admits to killing his father. I found it odd that the mother was not upset or angry about her son killing her husband. Through this and discussion I came to the conclusion that Edward's mother knew that he was going to kill his father. She even went as far as to give him "counsels." I realized that the central theme of this poem was greed and death. The mother was greedy and wanted the money that she knew she would get from the death of her husband, but only if her son killed him. When she finds out that he killed her husband, she asks "what will ye leave to your children and wife." She knows that if Edward doesn't leave his wife and children anything she will get the money. This poem is centered around greed and death.

"Lonely Hearts" by: Wendy Cope

While reading this poem, I noticed that every stanza was the same length and every stanza alternated endings. I associated the uniform length of every stanza with how these types of dating searches would be submitted into a magazine. Every stanza was a separate ad submitted to a newspaper in search of a date. The endings of the stanzas alternated, ending with either "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" or "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" until the last stanza which ends with both of these lines. This repetition and uniformity lead me to realize that the author is satirizing people who write in to papers in search of dates. I was also lead to believe this because the speaker only chooses people who are usually viewed as outcasts to write about, such as "gay vegetarian," "executive in search of bisexual women," "straight and solvent, attractive Jewish lady," and "Libran, inexperienced." Even if the person is not an outcast, the speaker causes them to be viewed as an outcast or as an odd person because of their uncommon or unaccepted preferences. The speaker causes the people writing the ads to sound desperate by incorporating the questions and repetition between each stanza/ad.

"The Apparition" by: John Donne

When first reading "The Apparition," I was slightly confused. Through group discussion, I realized a few things. The speaker is speaking in the future tense. He is speaking to a girl who has not yet done anything wrong to him or left him. He tells her that when she does break his heart and leave him, her next lover will not be able to shield her from his "ghost." He says that "thee...in worse arms shall see." Through this phrase, he says that no man will be as good as he was and no man will understand her like he did. This seems to be a very emotional accusation for something that has not even yet happened. It seems to me that the speaker has experienced a relationship that ended badly sometime in his past and for this reason, he cannot trust anyone.

"My mistress' eyes" by: William Shakespeare

My original thought of this poem from about line 1 to line 12 all I could think was "if this was my boyfriend and he wrote this poem about me, first I would cry, then I would dump him!" The speaker basically just writes about how his girlfriends eyes aren't as bright as the sun, her lips aren't as red as corral, and black wires grow on her hair. Basically, he writes about how imperfect and flawed she is. Unlike most love poems, he does not use cliches, instead, he uses the opposite of cliches. The speaker writes a love poem to his lover, insulting her. By the end though, he redeems himself by saying "I think my love as rare/ As any she belied with false compare." Basically, the speaker is saying, I could say all these things about you that are untrue, but this wouldn't be expressing my true love and feelings. He is admitting that saying all of the normal cliches about women is unrealistic and just lies. He loves her enough to say that she is not perfect, but because of these imperfections, she is more rare than any other woman who is lied to by her lover. I find this to be slightly romantic. For a man to be able to share his true feelings and love with his own thoughts instead of the cheesy cliches is much more personal and heart felt.

"Crossing the Bar" by:Alfred, Lord Tennyson

In "Crossing the Bar," the narrator uses many symbols, such as "boundless deep," "the bar," "a tide," "the dark," and "Pilot." These symbols all represent different things dealing with the end life, death, and Heaven. I found this poem to be soothing because it portrays a peaceful death, with no morning, and moving on to the afterlife and God. In this poem, I found "the bar" which the speaker brings up twice to represent a point in time which when passed, a person can no longer go back. It is the point in which a person crosses from life to death. When the speaker said "I hope to see my Pilot... when I have crossed the bar," this became clear to me. I viewed the Pilot, whom the speaker "hope[s] to see...face to face," as God because of the capitalization of Pilot. I viewed the "twilight" and "evening bell" that the speaker sees before the "dark" as symbols of the white light that people often speak of seeing in near death experiences. It is God calling the speaker toward Him. The darkness is death itself. Finally, I saw "the tide" as a person's fate. The tide is always moving, smoothly and slowly. Likewise, the speaker has no control over his fate, but his ultimate fate, death is not a huge catastrophic deal, it is slow and peaceful.

"Getting Out" by: Cleopatra Mathis

While most poems that deal with divorces or break-ups have a tone of hatred and bitterness, "Getting Out" seemed to lack this. The speaker seems to build a tone of sadness and regret. She never speaks negatively of her ex, but instead she talks of his "yearly letter." To me, this showed that the speaker and her ex are still on good terms. She establishes her tone of regret by using no negative descriptions of her ex-husband and by saying things like "we gave up," instead of it was his fault and i hate him now as most people who have suffered a breakup do. She establishes her tone of regret when she talks about being "startled by men who look like you" and when they "cried the last day. Taking hands we walked apart." To me, this proved for sure that the speaker was not angry or holding a grudge because of her divorce. She seemed to still be in love in some ways with her ex-husband because whenever she sees men who resemble him, she only sees him. The speaker is definitely still in love with her ex-husband, but for reasons she does not give, their relationship could not withstand the problems they were facing.

"Batter my heart, three-personede God" by: John Donne

In this poem, the speaker is praying directly to God for forgiveness for his sins and betrothal to God's enemy, the devil. When the speaker asks God to "knock, breathe, shine... break, blow, burn," he is asking for all 3 components of the Trinity in order to bring him away from the devil. Through a paradox, the speaker tells God that he wants Him to break him down in order to build him back up. The speaker wants God to break down all of his evil acts. He says "I love you... but am betrothed unto your enemy." Here, the speaker is saying that although he loves God the most, he is most close to and "betrothed" to the devil. He tells God that unless He "ravishes" him, he will never be chaste and free of sin. He wants God to take everything away so that he can follow God and go away from the devil.

"next to of course god america i" by: E. E. Cummings

The form of this poem is rushed and there is little punctuation. The punctuation that is present serves an important purpose. The quotations at the beginning of the poem and the end of the first stanza serve to tell the reader that this part of the poem is a quote from an unknown speaker. The last line that is not in quotations serve to give the view of the speaker of the poem.

This poem serves to satirize patriotic people who speak out about their county and patriotism without really thinking about what they are saying. They don't actually care about people in the country and the speaker lets this view be known when he says "he spoke." He is proving the fact that the quoted speaker is like the people he is complaining about. He makes fun of people who try to say that they are patriotic people, but really they don't care about anyone but themselves.

"Much Madness is divinest Sense" by: Emily Dickinson

When I first read this poem, I was extremely confused (as is the case with ALL Emily Dickinson poems). Now, I realize that this poem contains multiple paradoxes. One that the speaker uses is "much madness is divinest sense." Here, the speaker is saying that in order to be sane, one must be mad. They must go against what the majority thinks and think for himself in order to be sane. This paradox functions to show the difference between what the speaker thinks and what society thinks. The speaker is telling the reader that in order to be sane, they need to go against the norm and think for himself. I agree with the speaker because if a person always follows society and the majority, they will never be able to think for himself.

"Barbie Doll" by:Marge Piercy

When I read this poem, it seemed to mirror closely the way in which I often view society and the way I sometimes feel. In this poem, the main purpose is to show how society negatively effects the body image of women. It is also to show how society requires women to conform to a certain "Barbie Doll" image. I have personally felt this strong "requirement" that society puts on all woman. They set standards for all girls to meet, but these standards are unrealistic. Like in the poem, often times women will change their personal appearance and image to fit societies standards. The speaker alludes to the young woman cutting off her nose and her legs. While most woman do not go so far as to have plastic surgery (although some do), they do go on diets, dress differently, and act differently in order to fit in to society. I agree with the speaker that this is utterly ridiculous and definitely not a happy ending for women who are forced to change.

"February" by: Margaret Atwood

February, by Margaret Atwood is one that at first, I was confused by, but now, I feel that I can relate to it in some ways. This poem has one main symbol, the cat, which the speaker uses to symbolize herself. At one point in time, the speaker says that "some other tomcat... has been spraying our front door, declaring war." Like the tomcat, girls often try to "mark" their territory and if another girl attempts to take over, they are declaring social war. After this, the speaker makes a shift from the cat to people in general. She seems to be somewhat pessimistic about love especially when she states that "it's love that does us in." She seems to have had some kind of a negative experience with love. The title of the poem, February somewhat validates this belief because February is a month associated with love, and she seems to dislike this month strongly. At the end, the speaker tells the cat to stop her greedy whining and to get up and have some optimism. This is a call to action for herself as well. She is telling herself to stop being so pessimistic and to go out and find love.

"Pink Dog" by: Elizabeth Bishop

This poem was confusing to me, but so far, I have my own thoughts of what it could possibly be about. I believe that the ill treated dog is symbolic of poor and homeless people around the time of Mardi Gras. Stanza 3 talks about people being afraid of the rabies that a stray dog may have and this is symbolic of people being afraid of the homelessness because of their sickly look. People avoid the dog/poor instead of helping them like they actually should. When the time for the carnival/ Mardi Gras comes along, the people of the city will either throw out the poor and needy or they will dress them up and hide them during the carnival. The last stanza says that the carnival is always wonderful. This seems to me to be from the point of a wealthy person who does not care about the trials of the poor and homeless. In the end, the speaker gives the "pink dog" a warning that they better dress up, or they will just be thrown out.

"Bright Star" by: John Keats

In this poem, the speaker uses many contradicting phrases in order to make his comparison between what he wants his life to be and what a star's life is. He states that he wants to be steadfast (staying in one place and never changing). In the same sentence, he says that although he wishes to be steadfast, he does not want to be left alone, lonely in the night. The next sentence, he states that he wants to be patient, but not sleepless like a star. Later in the poem, he ties his wishes for his life into that of a star. He says that he wants to remain forever with his lover, listening to the rise and fall of her breathing. He says that like a bright star, which lasts for millions of years, he also wants to live forever. He wishes to either live forever with his lover, or die at the peak of the relationship.

"Dream Deferred" by: Langston Hughes number 2

Back to the poem dream deferred again, but this time, I am going to focus on the tone of the poem. I think that the tone is one of urgency. The speaker is pleading with other African Americans so they will build up a drive to fight for their civil rights. He tells them they must do this before it is impossible to gain what they have always been dreaming about. This poem is a call to action for all people so that they will fight for rights and basic liberties. He is telling people that they must act now before their window of opportunity has passed and their goals will never be achieved. He believed that the most crippling event would be if the dream is deferred for so long that it eventually "explode(s)" and is completely gone. He says taht if this happens, African Americans will never be able to gain rights and they will be stuck in their current state of despair forever.

"Dream Deferred" by: Langston Hughes

I found the central purpose of this poem to be about dreams that are being put off and as a result, they usually come to an unhappy ending. I believe that the author, who grew up during the Harlem Renaissance, is speaking to other African Americans about what will happen to their dream of civil rights and freedoms if they keep putting it off. First, he asks "Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?." He is trying to state his point that if a person defers a dream, it will eventually shrivel up like a raisin and become no more. The original dream will eventually just die off like a grape dies and becomes a raisin. Next, he compares a deferred dream to a sore that runs. This simile is filled with imagery. When I picture a festering sore, I imagine oozing puss (for lack of a better term) which to me seems definitely negative! He is saying that eventually the dream will become infected and dangerous to the dreamer. He also expresses his belief that the dream will crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet. He is saying that eventually the dreamer will begin to sugar coat the dream. The only metaphor the speaker uses compares a deferred dream to a bomb; to him, this is the worst possible thing that can happen to a dream. It will become unrecognizable and will be unable to be retrieved or fulfilled.

"After Apple-Picking" by: Robert Frost

While reading this poem, I saw the whole poem as being symbolic of the speaker's life. In the third and fourth lines, I saw "two or three Apples (he) didn't pick," as being roads he never travelled or chances he never took. Although the speaker knows he has not experienced everything he is "done apple-picking" because he is tired. The speaker had worked so hard at life (apple-picking) and he is ready to die. I think that the "ladder...toward heaven" is symbolic of his good deeds that have gotten him closer to heaven. Sometimes, he "the ladder sway" and these are symbolic of his bad experiences and decisions in life that almost caused everything to be ruined. I feel that there may be a common theme throughout the many poems in this chapter. "Spring," "The Widow's Lament in Spring," "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain," "After Apple-Picking," and "Those Winter Sundays" all seemed to incorporate some kind of sadness or longing for death. They all seemed dark to me, including some kind of evil in life.

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" by: Emily Dickinson

To me, this poem (like most) was exceptionally difficult to comprehend. I have always found ambiguous writing confusing because it is hard to decide what another person was thinking when the wrote something if they don't directly tell you. I picked up on the comparisons to a funeral right away because these were easy to see (or hear since there was not any sight in the imagery). In the first stanza, I saw mourners processing through a church to the front. Next, I heard the mourners sitting down and waiting in the second stanza. In the third, I heard a casket being carried down the aisle in the church slowly and steadily. I then heard bells ringing; possibly during the funeral service. Finally, I heard the casket being lowered into the ground to its final resting place.

While these comparisons were understandable to me, the symbolism of it was only clear as mud. I had no idea where to even start. During class discussions I was given the idea that it is a mental breakdown which I now see. This became clear to me when on the 17th line the speaker says, "Plank in Reason, broke." To me, this sounds like a person who has finally lost all control and went insane.

"Those Winter Sundays" by: Robert Hayden

To me, this was one of the most understandable poems. I saw the central theme to be the father's hard work during the winter for the family and the families failure to thank him. This poem was more of a narrative poem rather than a figurative poem. I enjoyed it because I like reading stories that are more straight up with a definitive meaning.

I also enjoyed the plethora of imagery: "blueblack cold," "cracked hands," "fires blaze," cold splintering," and "chronic angers." All of these images brought the situation of the speaker and the father closer to me. It also caused me to have some sympathy for the father who worked hard in the extreme cold, with cracked hands until he had fulfilled his duties for his family. It also seemed that all the father did for his family was work. He never shared his love in other ways, which caused tension and indifference toward him. It seems that his work was the only way in which he knew to express his love, but nobody else realized this or thanked him.

"The Widow's Lament in Springtime" by William Carlos Williams

While reading "The Widow's Lament in Springtime," I felt that the speakers tone was one of sorrow and grief. This tone is first established in the title, when the speaker gives the reader an important piece of information; she is a widow. It is reinforced multiple times beginning with the first line when she speaks of "sorrow in (her) own yard" (line 1). She also incorporates words such as "grief" and "sink into the marsh" (lines 15 &28). Her choices of words are all extremely bland with no sense of happiness or relief.

In the beginning of the poem, the speaker addresses her yard which can be seen as her memories with her deceased husband. When she looks at her yard in springtime, it brings her sorrow. The "grief in (her) heart" is stronger than the memories she has of her husband. The speaker seems rather distressed and by the end of the poem, when she states that she wants to "sink into the marsh," (line 28) it seems that the speaker wants to fall into the ground to be with her husband. It seems that the speaker is not able to move on from her past, so her grief is the only thing that seems real to her.

"Spring" by Gerard Manley Hopkins

In "Spring," there are many symbols. When I first read this poem, I read it as the beauty of spring and descriptions of the beauty. On my first read, I found multiple symbols, one of them being "racing lambs" (line 8). I saw this to be white fluffy clouds floating hurriedly through the sky, symbolizing that spring is passing quickly. I thought that "Eden Garden" (line 11) symbolized the purity and beauty of spring and "sour with sinning" (line 12) was spring ending and a new season coming.

After having our class discussion I have also been given an insight on another meaning of the poem, one that is less literal. The spring is actually a person. At the beginning of their life, they are innocent and sinless, but like Adam and Eve, they too sin, ruining this "Eden Garden" (line 11) of holiness. Eventually, a person becomes "sour with sinning" (line 12). This poem is a sort of warning against sinful deeds and evil.

Perrine Poetry

Poetry has always been an area of confusion for me. Unlike other forms of literature which are for the most part cut and dry, poetry seems to be ambiguous and difficult to interpret. When reading Laurence Perrine's essay on interpreting poetry, I found his approach to determining correct interpretations helpful. I never understood how there could be one perfectly correct interpretation when the poet never interprets what he/she means himself/herself. Perrine says that anybody can be correct in their interpretation as long as they account for all the details and do not contradict any one and the best is that which is most economical. This helps me to more effectively interpret a poem because it incorporates more than just guessing at what the poet was trying to get across. This essay also helped me to better understand the 4 poems I read because it not only gave more than one interpretation, but it also backed up or invalidated the interpretations. It also invalidated my interpretations and showed me how I was wrong and what was the most correct.

One aspect of this essay that I found helpful was the analogy of a rock being dropped into a pool with limits being compared to symbols. This helped me to realize that although a symbol can have many meanings, it must be within reasonable limits. The poet may leave it up to interpretation, but the reader can not twist it so much that the symbol does not match the interpretation at all. While i found this helpful, I also found it slightly confusing. Who is to say how far is to far? Although "the pool... has borders," how does a reader know how far these borders extend? I find it difficult to understand poetry completely and once it is seen in one light, it is difficult to understand it as another person does. I believe that poetry will always be difficult for me to completely understand, but this essay helped me to see that I can never be completely incorrect.

Entry #20- I made it!!!!

'"Oh Jake,' Brett said, 'we could have had such a damned good time together.'

Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me.

'Yes,' I said. 'Isn't it pretty to think so?'" (page 251).

So I finally made it to the end, and honestly it was quit a let down. I thought that eventually Jake and Brett would end up together because her love for him would over power her wants. Obviously I was wrong. I thought that as a whole, The Sun Also Rises was not climatic. There never seemed to be much going on other than Jake's everyday life and his vacations he took. I thought the most exciting part of the whole book was the bull-fighting and the stories of the fights between Cohn and Romero.

Now to this particular quote. Brett has angered me once again! She sits there and tells Jake how much she loved Romero, but that she is going back with Mike. Then she has the audacity to say how much fun they could have had together, like she didn't have a say in that decision. She had many chances to be with Jake, but kept choosing to leave him. She acts like the world revolves around her, making everyone who gets to close to hr suffer.

Entry #19

I have noticed that Hemingway has some interesting ways of explaining things. He really likes his contradictory phrases and statements. Here's a few examples.

Juxtaposition- "It was all so slow and so controlled. It was as though he were rocking the bull to sleep" (page 221).

Alright now this is a weird comment. I have definitely never that of bull-fighting as rocking a bull to sleep. It seems to me to be more of a bull trying to attack and kill a crazy person who obviously doesn't fear for their life. I don't think I would even like to watch a bull-fight because the constant danger would make me so nervous. I know I definitely would not be describing it as a man rocking a bull to sleep if I ever did watch one.

Oxymoron- "'You wouldn't believe it. It's like a wonderful nightmare'" (page 226).

A wonderful nightmare. Now that is an oxymoron! Who would think to call a nightmare wonderful. Nightmares are feared by children everywhere and sometimes even adults. I remember when I was little I had a dream catcher in order to catch all my dreams and take away the bad ones. I know at that point in time, I would never have that a nightmare was wonderful.

Entry #18

"'I just couldn't stand it about Brett. I've been through hell, Jake. It's been simply hell. When I met her down here Brett treated me as though I were a perfect stranger. I just couldn't stand it. We lived together at San Sebastian. I suppose you know it. I can't stand it any more'" (page 198).

This quote really shows the effects of Brett's actions. She uses every man she meets, including Jake. When she can get something out of a man, she will be nice and friendly to him. As soon as she is down with him though, he better leave her alone. She made Robert Cohn's life a living hell for the time he spent with her by pretending like he had meant nothing. I think he at least deserved an explanation. He may have been hanging around them, but technically it was originally his trip with Jake; Mike and Brett intruded by asking to come, so they should have been kind to Cohn for allowing them to. I really do feel bad for Cohn now and I wonder what became of him after he left.

Entry #17

"'I'm a goner. I'm mad about the Romero boy. I'm in love with him, I think'" (page 187).

Surprise Surprise! Brett is 'in love' once again. I think that when she says she's in love she is really just infatuated with a man who has caught her attention. She had never even really talked to Romero at this point and she already knew that she was in love.

Secondly, I completely agree when she calls herself a goner. She is definitely not going to recover from her addiction to having affairs. When she can't even resist a man whom she absolutely hates (Robert Cohn) then obviously she has a big problem. I once again have the urge to scream at Jake for still being in love with her and admitting it.

Entry #16

"Everything became quite unreal finally and it seemed as though nothing could have any consequences. It seemed out of place to think of consequences during the fiesta" (page 158).

Wouldn't it be nice to never have consequences for any of your actions? You could do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. There would be no more worries. Apparently this is how the fiesta was, which really makes me want to go to a real one. It would be so peaceful to never have to work or go to school.This laid back lifestyle is what I would enjoy most and I think many people would agree. But, I also think that this lifestyle could get a little boring at times, never accomplishing anything. I also think that no consequences could end very badly. If there are no consequences then anyone could do anything they wanted and that might just lead to the end of everyone.

Entry #15

Stream of Consciousness- "Mike was unpleasant after he passed a certain point. I liked to see him hurt Cohn. I wished he would not do it, though, because afterward it made me disgusted at myself. That was morality; things that made you disgusted afterward. No, that must be immorality" (page 152).

Many times throughout the novel, the reader gets an inside look at Jake's thoughts. This is one of those times. We see the true side of Jake. He enjoys to see Cohn be tortured, but then feels bad for getting enjoyment out of it. Some kind of friend he is. At least he feels some kind of remorse for his inner thoughts. Before this section, I really did not like Cohn, but I'm starting to feel bad for him. The poor guy seems to have a miserable life and he obviously has no true friends.

I would like to throw in two random comments now...

First- I've decided that a stream of consciousness is like a blog. It lets you into the mind of someone else without leaving anything out.

Second- I found the quote of the book. "Probably I read the same two pages over several times" (page 151). I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely feel empathetic for Jake at this point in time!