Scene Analysis-To Sir With Love

Scene Analysis Paper

Sometimes directors have more than one emotion in mind when they create a scene. This occurs in To Sir With Love, where the director attempts to create a sense of mixed emotions among the students over the end of the year, as well as show the soft side of Sir under his strict exterior. Through the close ups, music of varying tempos, and low contrast lighting, the director creates a mixed tone for the end of the year scene. Through the camera angle in the shot of Sir looking at the students, the reaction shots, and the zoom out on Sir at the end, the director emphasizes Sir's soft heart and his care for the school.
The director highlights that although the students celebrate the end of the year, they do not feel that they can rejoice completely, because they have to say goodbye to Sir. The scene emphasizes this through the close ups of every individual student's face. The shots focus on each face in a way that attempts to capture their emotions. In shot 17, after the girl finishes singing her song, the camera zooms in on her face. It lingers while she wipes away tears. The close up shots spend time to focus on the faces of the students as they deal with saying goodbye. This, as opposed to group shots, gives the scene a feeling of seriousness and a focus on the way the students feel about Sir.
The scene also plays up the sadness of the scene with the song, “To Sir With Love”. The scene opens with upbeat music and dancing. This shows the students' happiness for the end of the school year and their newfound freedom. However, when the girl begins to sing “To Sir With Love”, the tone of the scene completely changes. The music is slower and melancholy. The students immediately become serious and quiet in response to the serious song. The change in the style and tempo of music signifies mixed emotions about the end of the year-happiness at their freedom, but sadness at having to leave Sir.
Throughout the scene, the director uses low contrast lighting. In the opening shot, a dimly lit stage and students dressed in dark clothes appear. These low contrast shots of the band and students emphasize the fact that they do not feel completely joyful and carefree about the end of the year.
The director uses certain film techniques to develop the character of Sir as well. In shot 6, Sir's back faces the camera, and the students face the camera. Sir looks at the students as the girl sings. The shot of Sir in the foreground looking at the students gives the impression of him being a large figure watching over some smaller ones. This gives the impression of Sir feeling protective of his students. This develops his character of a kind person under a tough exterior.
The reaction shots of Sir to the song also add to the development of his character. Shots 21 to 27 focus on Sir struggling to control his emotions after the students give him the song and the gift. The portrayal of Sir as a man struggling to contain his emotion sheds light on Sir's soft heart and the affection he has developed for the students.
The final shot of Sir walking out of the room exemplifies the relationship Sir has with the students. The camera shoots a close up of Sir, who begins to lose composure. He then turns to leave. As he walks out, the camera zooms out on him, focusing on him over the heads of the students and zooming out until he exits the room. The camera lingers on Sir for as long as it can. Once Sir leaves the room, however, the camera does not follow him. This zoom-out shot symbolizes Sir's relationship with the students. When Sir loses composure, he reveals his true emotions for the students-he has come to love them like they are his own children. The camera zooms out on Sir, keeping him in focus as he leaves the room. This symbolizes how Sir and the students hang on to each others' presence for as long as they can. However, when Sir leaves, he does not look back and the camera does not follow him. This shows that Sir understands that while he loves the students, he has to let them go and that he cannot be in their lives forever.
The camera angles and editing techniques add important aspects of the plot to movies. To Sir With Love uses different camera angles, varying music styles and tempos, and low contrast lighting to emphasize the students' mixed feelings and to develop Sir's character as a sensitive, softhearted one. These techniques create a tone of happiness clouded by some disappointment over having to leave a person one cares about.

The Stranger Video

The Stranger Screenplay

The Stranger Murder Scene
Screenplay
Scene: EXT. A DRY FIELD-DAY

MERSAULT walks on screen left from under a bridge

Roll intro

MERSAULT walks through field(slow motion)

Roll Title

Profile shot of MERSAULT standing

CUT TO ARAB lying in field

ZOOM IN on ARAB

CUT TO shot of MERSAULT, ZOOM IN

(VOICEOVER) MERSAULT: There he is.

CUT TO shot of ARAB fidgeting

CLOSE UP of MERSAULT

(FLASHBACK) FADE THROUGH WHITE to shot of RAYMOND handing gun to MERSAULT

MERSAULT refuses gun

RAYMOND forces gun into MERSAULT'S hand

RAYMOND: If he says anything, let him have it

MERSAULT: If he doesn't say anything, it'd be pretty lousy to shoot him.

RAYMOND: Well, call him something, and if he answers back, let him have it.

(FLASH FORWARD) FADE THROUGH WHITE to close up of MERSAULT

(VOICEOVER) MERSAULT: Should I let him have it?

TILT DOWN to MERSAULT'S hand going into pocket

FADE into LONG SHOT of ARAB

ZOOM IN on ARAB'S face

ARAB lifts head, opens eyes and looks in MERSAULT'S direction

FADE into shot of MERSAULT stepping forward

CUT TO shot of ARAB'S pocket
CLOSE UP of MERSAULT'S face

CUT TO shot of ARAB lifting head and reaching for pocket

ZOOM IN on pocket as ARAB'S hand takes out knife

FOCUS on knife, catch light on blade

CLOSE UP of MERSAULT from different angle

FADE THROUGH WHITE into FLASHBACK of RAYMOND saying: If he says anything, let him have it.

FADE THROUGH WHITE into FLASH FORWARD-CLOSE UP of ARAB's blade in hand-then ARAB puts knife back in pocket

ZOOM out to long shot of ARAB

CLOSE UP of MERSAULT'S hand taking gun out of pocket

CLOSE UP of gun from opposite angle

CLOSE UP of MERSAULT'S face

CUT TO shot of gun

ZOOM OUT to shot of MERSAULT holding gun

FADE THROUGH WHITE to FLASHBACK-MERSAULT: Well, if he doesn't say anything, it'd be pretty lousy to shoot him

FADE THROUGH WHITE to FLASH FORWARD-CLOSE UP of MERSAULT'S face from different angle

MERSAULT looks up

ZOOM OUT to shot of MERSAULT from waist up

MERSAULT looks at gun and hesitates, starts to turn around-looks at gun, and turns back around to face ARAB

FADE THROUGH WHITE to FLASHBACK-RAYMOND: Let him have it.

FADE THROUGH WHITE to FLASH FORWARD

CLOSE UP of MERSAULT'S hand holding gun

FADE to OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT of MERSAULT facing ARAB, holding gun up.
MERSAULT fires gun(sound effect)
(Screen goes black)

MERSAULT'S VOICE: I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a field where I'd been happy. Then I fired four more times at the motionless body, where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace.

CUT TO CLOSE UP of gun firing four times

(Screen goes black)

MERSAULT'S VOICE: And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness.

(pause)

(roll credits)

To Sir With Love video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukONzCkxLkk

Scene Analysis Proposal

Movie: To Sir With Love
Scene: End of the movie, year-end dance where students thank Sir
Scene Running Time: 2:41
Description of the Scene: Scene begins with an establishing shot of the room-filled with teens-a band in the background. Camera focuses on a boy in a yellow suit. He stands up and announces that they'd all like to thank Sir for all he's done for them. Reaction shot of Sir whirling around in surprise to face the crowd. The boy says they'd like to thank him and give him a present. He turns to a girl, and the crowd calls her up on stage. She gets up, and sings "To Sir With Love." During song, camera focuses alternately on girl singing, close up of Sir, and close up of various students' faces, for the effect of enhancing their emotional reactions. Camera then focuses on a girl in crowd, who shyly walks up to sir, clutching a present. She holds it out shyly to sir. She stands and looks at him for a moment, and then he takes it. The song ends. Close up of the singer wiping tears from her eyes. Other girl walks back to crowd. Long shot of crowd cheering, chanting, "speech!" Close up of Sir's face. He stands unsmiling, turning gift over in hands, moving lips. "Well." he says. Close up of his face. Cuts to faces of individual students. Close up of every person in the room, individually, emphasizing their emotions. Silence. Cut back to close-up of Sir. Nods, bites lower lip, looks down. Sighs, looks up and smiles. Says, "I think I'd better go...and put it away." Holds back tears, quickly walks toward door. Camera zooms out as Sir walks, final long shot is of students turned to the door as Sir exits.

Anouilh Antigone Journal 4

Two Themes in Antigone and how they relate to other tragedies:

1. Hubris: Antigone has an idea in her head that she must die to avenge her brother's death. She later reveals that even she does not know why she wants to die. Antigone's unwillingness to change her position and her desire to stand her ground ultimately cause her own death and great pain for her family and those who love her.
-Medea has a theme similar to this. She takes her wounded pride too far-she feels that to get back at her husband, she has to hit him where it really will hurt him-by killing their sons. Her hubris prevents her from realizing the damage it will cause to her own life.

2. The power of illusions: Illusions lead a person to believe something strongly, but once that illusion is disputed, the belief still stays strong. Even though Antigone's belief about her brother has been dispelled, she stil has the steadfast belief that she ahs to stand up for this thing. She refuses to move past this idea that she has of dying because it is an illusion that she has had for a long time that dying is the right thing to do.
-Similarly, in Medea, she has a persistent Idea that killing her sons is the best way to damage her husband's life. But ebven after she deals with an internal struggle over whether killing them is the best way, her desire to get revenge upon Jason gets the best of her. Her illusion that revenge will make her feel better prevents her from seeing the truth-that killing the boys and living with the guilt will ruin her own life forever.

Anouilh Antigone Journal 3

During their fight, Antigone repeats the word "happy" many times. She latches onto this word after Creon tells her "And get married quickly, Antigone. Be happy"(41). Antigone then begins to question Creon's idea of happiness, and reveals that their contrasting versions of happiness are one of the things that has made her so angry. Using sarcasm, she asks Creon, "You tell me that life is so wonderful. I want to know what I have to do in order to be able to say that myself"(42). Antigone resents the fact that Creon wants her to be content with settling down, putting big problems aside, and just worrying about being "happy." She feels that he is belittling her and she resents it. Antigone uses the word "happy" with contempt and sarcasm, as if the type of happiness that Creon outlines for her is a thing that only frivolous people want.

An ambiguous term that Anouilh uses both in the beginning and the middle of the book is the word "understand." In the beginning, Antigone is angry that everyone is always telling her to "understand." "Understand! I don't want to understand!(12). Antigone says again during her fight with Creon, "I am not here to understand"(37). Antigone does not specifically state what she means by "understand." She refers to different situations in which she is expected to understand why she should or shouldn't do something. Antigone's ambiguous use of the word "understand" gives the impression that she uses that word as a way to say that she resents being ordered around and expected to obey orders like a docile little girl.

Character Journal

Medea is motivated by anger and revenge. Her anger at Jason for being unfaithful motivates Medea to take rash actions and kill all the people dear to her husband. This motivation has consequences for Medea, though. Because emotion is her primary motivator, good judgement tends to be left out of her actions, causing as much pain and loss for her as for the person she tries to hurt.
"Friends,/ I can think of several ways to bring their death about./ Which one shall I choose?"(45). Medea plots to get back at her husband by ruining his marriage through murdering him, his wife, and his father-in-law.
"It is the supreme way to hurt my husband"(58). Medea refers to how she is going to kill her sons as a way to hurt her husband. She knows that killing her sons will be the most difficult and painful thing that she will ever do, but in her anger she c an only think of getting revenge on her husband.

Anouilh Antigone Journal 2

4 Literary Techniques and Effects
1. Imagery-"Cold, black, beautiful, flowing water"(11). Antigone refers to water this way in frustration, after Ismene tells her to try and be a bit more understanding. Antigone's words display her passionate attitude towards life, and she is frustrated because her passion is always being suppressed.
2. Hyperbole-"A thousand arms will seize our arms. A thousand breaths will breathe into our faces"(Anouilh 12). Ismene describes what she imagines will happen if they disobey Creon and he sends his army to discipline them. While a thousand soldiers will most likely not be sent to stop two young girls, this hyperbole exaggerates Ismene's fear of disobeying rules.
3. Metaphor-"A little young for what, my kitten?"(Anouilh 14). The nurse responds to Antigone's self-pity by trying to console her with affectionate words. While the nurse sees this name as merely a term of endearment, Antigone resents being viewed as a frail, delicate creature because she feels she cannot achieve anything because of this image.
4. Simile-"I'm sallow, and I'm scrawny. Ismene is pink and golden. She's like a fruit"(17). Antigone compares her sister to a fruit to emphasize that she is healthy, available for being picked(presumably by a man), and attractive. Antigone contrasts herself to Ismene for a few reasons: One is to express her confusion that Haemon chose to marry her instead of Ismene, when Ismene is obviously more attractive. She also does this as a way to slyly find out Haemon's affections for her.

Anouillh Antigone Journal 1

The 1940s were a turbulent time for Europe. Half of the decade was consumed in the 2nd World War. After this, the continent was in a struggle between the containment and spreading of Communism. Anouillh's Antigone will most likely be influenced by this by modeling one person, most likely the oppressor, as a purpotrator of Communism, and another person, most likely the hero/heroine, as the country or party that attempts to fight against the growing power of Communism.

Antigone Journal 3

Casting of Antigone:
1. Antigone: Natalie Portman
"Don't fear for me. Set your own life in order"(63).
"Not ashamed for a moment,/ not to honor my brother, my own flesh and blood"(84).
Physical Appearance: Slender, average height, dark brown hair, tan skin, bright green eyes
Personality: Brave, passionate, highly morally correct, impulsive
Why: Portman can portray a variety of characters realistically, especially dramatic ones. Also, she has certain issues she is very passionate about, so that could translate to the stage.
2. Ismene: Kate Winslet
"[...]I'll beg the dead to forgive me-/I'm forced, I have no choice-I must obey the ones who stand in power"(62).
"Then don't, at least, blurt this out to anyone./Keep it a secret. I'll join you in that, I promise"(63).
Physical Appearance: Tall, large-boned, long, light blond hair, thin eyebrows, light blue eyes, fair skin
Personality: Sweet, loyal, timid, protective of family, sensible, obedient
Why: Winslet is good at dramatic characters and can get into character really well. Her physical appearance also fits the part.
3. Creon: Jude Law
"You, get out, wherever you please-/you're clear of a very heavy charge"(81).
"No? Believe me, the stiffest, stubborn wills/ fall the hardest[...]There's no room for pride, not in a slave, not with the lord and master standing by"(83).
Physical Appearance: Tall, muscular, sandy brown hair, tan skin, chiseled features, piercing blue eyes, handsome
Personality: Sarcastic, conniving, insecure, petty, cruel-but charming when necessary
Why: Mischievous face, looks like he could portray a villain well, can be very threatening when he needs to
4. Haemon: Dev Patel
"Father, I'm your son...you in your wisdom set my bearings for me-I obey you"(93).
"Far be it from me-I haven't the skill[...]"(95).
"Protect your rights?/When you trample down the honors of the gods?"(98).
Physical Appearance: Scrawny body, average height, not incredibly handsome, scared but kind brown eyes, dark skin, wavy, long dark hair
Personality: Deferential, awestruck, morally correct, humble
Why: Dev Patel is scrawny and innocent-looking, young, good at underdog roles
5. Sentry: Kevin Connolly
"First, myself, I've got to tell you,/I d idn't do it, didn't see who did-/Be fair, don't take it out on me"(70).
"She's the one. With my own eyes, I saw her/bury the body, just what you've forbidden./There. Is that plain and clear?"(79).
Physical Appearance: Short, stocky, brownish-red hair, small, nervous blue eyes, sheepish grin
Personality: Nervous, defensive, rude
Why: Kevin Connolly fits the physical description, and he also does well in the role of an insecure, nervous person
Leader: Clint Eastwood
"To us,/unless old age has robbed us of our wits,/you seem to say what you have with sense"(94).
"Still the same rough winds, the wild passion/raging through the girl"(106).
Physical Appearance: Old, reddish face, thinning white hair, thin, tall, fragile looking man, blue eyes
Personality: Observant, perceptive, dry, authoritative
Why: Clint Eastwood is great as the dry, perceptive old man who gives his approval distinctly to certain things and frowns on others.

Antigone Journal 2

Bloom's Taxonomy: Antigone
1.Knowledge:
-What does Antigone want that Creon refuses?
-Who buried Polynices?
2.Comprehension:
-Why is Creon angry?
-Why does Antigone want to bury her brother?
3.Application:
-Is Antigone's attitude of defiance to her uncle foreshadowing for her downfall?
-What is the significance of gender roles in this play?
4. Analysis:
-Does Haemon support Antigone out of love alone or out of agreement with her ideas?
-Is Creon's attitude towards women such because he is threatened by them?
5. Synthesis:
-Does Creon want to kill Antigone because she disobeyed or because he feels threatened by her confidence and power?
-Does Antigone feel disgusted by Ismene because she does not share her bold, courageous approach to life?
6. Evaluation:
-Is Creon's reason for refusing to bury Polynices justified?
-Does Antigone feel superiority over her sister, and what does this say about Antigone's view of gender roles?

Antigone Journal 1

Lit. Techniques
1.metaphor: "worth your breeding, Ismene, or a coward"(60)Antigone compares Ismene to an animal, implying that if she does not show courage, she is not up to the expected standard of her family.
2.foreshadowing:"Zeus hates with a vengeance all bravado"(65) The chorus foreshadows that something will happen to Medea when they refer to bravado-Medea is full of tough and angry talk, but we do not know if she will act as she says.
3.metaphor:"The culprit grates on your feelings,/I just annoy your ears"(74) The sentry implies to Creon that he should not be angry at him, but at the culprit, because he(the sentry) is just the bringer of bad news.

Medea Journal 3

Medea and Oedipus have extremely different ways of fitting the description of a tragedy.Medea's troubles are caused by the choices she makes, Oedipus' are caused by fate. Medea acts on planned revenge, Oedipus on his impulses. However, the self-induced downfall that these elements combine to lead to make both Medea and Oedipus tragedies.
Medea decides to kill all the people dear to her husband in order to spite him. She has the choice of not killing anyone and suffering in silence, but such is her nature, and the nature of the situation, that it is nearly impossible for her to not get angry and fight back. Because Medea's nature is such, she must make the choice to kill the people dear to her husband, which includes her sons. Medea's inability to see how much her choice harms her induces pity from the audience. The audience sees Medea's unshakeable anger at her husband, and the things that it drives her to do, and pities Medea's rage.
Oedipus' problems occur based on a prophecy. When he was a baby, a prophecy saying that he would kill his dad and marry his mom made his parents try to kill him. Now, Oedipus has come back and fulfilled the prophecy, but upon having realized that, Oedipus feels unbearable pain for the trouble and shame he has brought both upon himself and on his entire family. This agony that Oedipus feels over something that he cannot control evokes pity from the audience. The audience feels empathy for Oedipus' situation, as if they were in such a situation that they couldn't control, and thus pity is evoked.
Medea's tragedy is based on the revenge she plots against Jason. She becomes so obsessed with getting back at him for marrying someone else, she loses all perspective. When she does so, she fails to see that the person she is going to hurt most is herself, because she will have to live her entire life with the burden of having killed her sons. But she does not see that-she only sees the primary thing at hand-destroying her husband. This evokes fear from the audience not only because of Medea's bloodthirstiness, but because it opens up the idea that we could become so obsessed with revenge that we could take rash actions similar to Medea's without realizing what we are truly doing, and then have to live with it all our lives.
Oedipus' tragedy is based on the impulses he follows. Oedipus' reaction to his discovery is one of agony. He can't bear the thought of what he has done, so he screams and gouges his eyes out. He then asks to be banished. While these events are not tragic alone, the fact that Oedipus is sentencing himself to such a life of pain and lonliness evokes fear. We worry, upon reading this, that we could become so impulsive that in a fit of anguish we could do something like this that could be permanently damaging.
Oedipus and Medea have different ways of depicting tragedy, but both evoke fear and pity through the actions of their heroes.

Medea Journal 2

Medea evokes the gods frequently, as if she has a personal relationship with them. Jason, on the other hand, appears to have a more formal relationship with them. They are similar in that they both evoke them during times of despair.
Medea often calls on Themis and Artemis, goddess of justice and the guardian of women, respectively, in her chants of despair. "O mighty Themis and Artemis, Queen,[...]How dare they do to me what they have done!"(Euripides 38). Medea is disraught because her husband has left her. In her pain, she speaks to these goddesses. In addition to paying respect to their power, this repeated reference to these powerful female figures establishes the important role of women by giving them such roles of power.
Medea also calls on Zeus as the "keeper of vows"(Euripides 38) in many instances. For one, Medea cries to Zeus, wondering "O Zeus, what made you give us [...] but when we need to know the base metal of a man/no stamp upon his flesh for telling counterfeit?"(Euripides 49). Medea talks to Zeus as a means of support-in all instances, including this one, she appears to have infinite trust in him, believing that he does everything for a reason, even if she doesn't understand it.
The other main god that Medea evokes is Helios the Sun. He is her grandfather, and that aspect of having such a powerful person as her family member gives her a sense of security in the midst of unhappiness and insecurity. "[...]the sun/-my father's father-gave me/to keep me safe against my enemies"(Euripides 74). Medea says this as she carries her dead sons away from Jason in vindictive triumph. This sense of power is Medea's way of covering up her insecurities and guilt over killing her sons.

Jason, on the other hand, evokes the gods far less often. His main references to the gods are only for support when he truly needs it, as opposed to in his conversation.
The first reference Jason makes is to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. "[...]as far as I am concerned/it was Aphrodite and no one else in heaven or earth/who saved me on my voyage"(Euripides 50). Jason defends himself from Medea's wrath by telling her, much to her anger, that he does not give her any credit for saving him and sacrificing things that were dear to her. Medea has been hurling abuse at him. Jason knows that Medea has a right to be angry, but because he does not want to admit he is wrong, so he attempts to defend himself by dispelling her reasons for being angry. He feels that by telling her that she does not have as much influence on his life as she thought, she cannot feel as entitled to her wrath as she does then.
The other time Jason evokes a god is at the end of the play as Medea takes the bodies of their sons away in her chariot. Jason cries out to Zeus, the keeper of vows. "Zeus, do you hear how I'm at bay,/So I mourn and call on the gods while I may,/On the powers to witness how you have slain/My children[...]I'd rather they'd never been born to me/Than have lived to see you destroy them this day"(Euripides 77). In this situation, Jason at first calls out to the gods in despair, as if asking for support. However, Jason goes on to blame the gods for allowing his sons to die. Jason sets such store by the gods that he believes that they have the power to control anything. Only after experiencing the worst possible thing does Jason truly turn to evoking the gods. Only after this experience does Jason truly feel passion in the play, which drives him to call on the gods.

Medea Journal 1

The chorus in Medea and the chorus in Oedipus differ for a number of reasons. For one, the chorus in Medea is specified as being all women. This provides a recurring mention of women being important members of society, a possible theme for the play. In both plays, the main characters address the chorus like they are good friends. In Medea, however, the chorus actually suggests things to her, offering her advice. "If your husband has gone to adore/A new bride in his bed, why, this/Has often happened before./Do not harrow your soul. For Zeus/Will succor your cause. What use/To lessen your life with grief/For a lost lord?"(38) The chorus in Oedupus, for the most part, seems to take a less prominent, not interacting with the characters as much but instead giving observations of the situation. The chorus in Medea has a fairly interactive role, while the chorus in Oedipus is more of a foil to Oedipus and his plight.

Oedipus Journal 5

Sophocles evokes fear in the audience by the sheer absurdity of the situation. The plot, in which Oedipus marries his mother, is somewhat horrifying to all who read this book. This act evokes fear in its readers because, according to some psychologists, all people have an unconscious desire as a child to have sex with their mothers(if boys) or their fathers(if girls). In Oedipus, this unconscious desire is brought to the surface, portrayed through the life story of someone else. This open discussion of a subject that is completely unacceptable in real life, but which all people supposedly have the unconscious desire for, is difficult for people to understand. As a result, they become fearful. This fear is used to evoke empathy for Oedipus. This empathy leads to pity for Oedipus' situation.
The other main way that Sophocles evokes fear and pity in his audience is through Oedipus' guilt for causing his family so much pain. Oedipus could not have known about the prophecy, and upon fulfilling it did so without any intentions of doing anything harmful to anyone. However, having found out that he has fulfilled it, Oedipus cannot bear the agony of the truth, and blames himself completely for bringing this trouble upon his family. Sophocles uses Oedipus' terrible situation and his reaction to his agony(gouging his eyes out) as a way to evoke fear. He uses Oedipus' extreme guilt for something that wasn't really his fault as a way to evoke pity from the audience. Sophocles' evocation of fear and pity from the audience speaks to the audience in a way that simply telling the story cannot-he forces the audience to delve into their own minds, and draws out empathy by creating situations which the audience imagine themselves in.

Oedipus Journal 4

One of Sophocles' main images is one of eyes, sight, and lack of sight (or blindness).
"How terrible-to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees!" Sophocles' use of the image here is pretty obvious-sight is the revealer of truth. However, it sets up a key image as well as a key theme: the pain of revealed truth.
"You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!" Here, the Messenger describes what Oedipus said as he gouged his eyes out. This deliberate destruction of his eyesight symbolizes Oedipus' agony over learning the truth about his life, and his decision to live without his sight-because he feels that being able to see the truth has caused all his pain and problems, so he would rather live blind. This again builds on the theme that truth is sometimes more a cause of pain that a cause of relief.

Oedipus Journal 3

Jocasta acts as the voice of reason to Oedipus. She tries to convince him that everything that he is worried about is ridiculous, and provides him with explanations to convince him that he is overreacting. She presents a sensible point of view to Oedipus. However, when the truth about Oedipus' birth is revealed, Jocasta becomes frantic. She tries to cover it up before Oedipus realizes, but once he does, she goes completely mad. She cannot bear the agony of living in this state, married to her son.
Oedipus and Creon, on the other hand, seem more rash and likely to act on their emotions before acting rationally. Oedipus especially tends to act on his initial feelings. Once he finds out the truth, however, he is upset, but he is more prepared to accept it than Jocasta is. Ultimately, Sophocles portrays women as sensible, yet unable to stand shock, and men as rash and easily angered, but also more resistant to shock and extreme stress. Another role of Jocasta's character is to describe how Oedipus sees his wife not simply as an object, but as an equal.

Oedipus Journal 2

Oedipus' desire to grant the prayers of his subjects and get rid of the plague, as well as his feeling of responsibility in trying to avenge the murder of Laius, show that he truly cares about his people, and make him a proficient leader. However, Oedipus' leadership skills begin to deteriorate when he goes into a fury over the truth that Tiresias reveals to him about his past. Oedipus goes from being a strong, responsible leader with a single-minded goal, to being a raving man in denial over what Tiresias has told him. He becomes obsessed with blaming someone else for wrongdoing in an effort to squash his own fears that what Tiresias tells him is true.
Creon is a practical person. He hears what Oedipus accuses him of , and resents it, but first tries to get Oedipus to hear him out before getting angry and hurling accusations back at Oedipus. He does not wish to take power from Oedipus, and so he is able to think more clearly about what Tiresias says than Oedipus, who lets his emotions get in the way. However, he makes it clear that the city is partly his too, and he feels that Oedipus' power has gone to his head.
Tiresias, though all-knowing, does not want to use his knowledge to cause trouble. He prefers to hide the truth from Oedipus than tell him, knowing that it will cause Oedipus' downfall. However, he is not so noble-minded that he will stay quiet if he is insulted. When Oedipus accuses him of plotting against Thebes, Tiresias, in anger, tells Oedipus the truth. Overall, Tiresias wants his wisdom to be acknowledged, and though he does not intentionally cause trouble, he puts his own reputation before Oedipus' condition.

Oedipus Journal 1

Summary:Oedipus greets his people and assures them he is there to help them. The priest tells Oedipus that all the people come to tell him that the city is in grave trouble. He says that they have witnessed Oedipus' greatness, and that now they need him to show his power again to save them. Oedipus assures them that he is trying to do something about their plight by sending his brother-in-law, Creon to the oracle at Delphi to find out what they should do. Creon reports that Apollo of the oracle at Delphi has told him to cleanse the city of the murderer of Laius-the former king- and that this will help the city. Creon and Oedipus discuss who the murderer could be. Creon tells Oedipus how Laius was killed and why they couldn't catch the killer. Oedipus decides to go and find the killer to avenge the murder of Laius. The chorus comes in and chants, asking the news from the oracle. They sing of the events that have occured, wreaking havoc in Thebes. They chant for each God to do something different to rid their city of its troubles.

Literary Techniques:
metaphor: "[...]new blood of ancient Thebes"(159): Oedipus uses this metaphor to refer to the young men of Thebes, emphasizing both the youth and vigor of the men and the age of Thebes.
metaphor: "Boys too weak to fly from the nest"(160): The priest compares the boys' youth to baby birds in the same sentence that he describes old men to describe the range of people who have come looking for Oedipus' help.
imagery:"red waves of death"(160): gives an image of how great the problems of the city are-and how grand they seem to the people-red could also represent blood or death.
personification:"Black death"(160): gives death a feeling of being soulless and cruel, heartless
characterization: "Speak out, speak to us all. I grieve for these, my people, far more than I fear for my own life"(163): this line characterizes Oedipus as an altruistic man who wants to help his people, and who wants them to think him a very good king.
metaphor:"[...]root it out!"(164): Creon relates what he learned at the oracle-this metaphor indicates that the evil in the city is something deep-rooted, and something not on the surface or obvious.
metaphor:"hurled the flame of pain"(168):the chorus sings this to emphasize the power Apollo is supposed to have and how they are asking him to use it to help them.
hyperbole:"numberless deaths upon deaths"(169): The chorus uses this hyperbole simply the emphasize the sheer numbers with which people have died.
similie and characterization:"radiant as the kindness in your eyes!"(169)" The chorus uses this both to describe the help they need and a characteristic of the "golden daughter of the gods", kindness.
metaphor: "thunder death to nothing"(17O): The chorus pleads Zeus to use his ability to prevent death.

Dystopian Journal 3

Throughout BNW, Huxley uses a tone of submission, like all the characters are under the influence of some power greater than them, and they know it, but they don't fight against it. Huxley also uses repeated symbols of well-known vices such as soma(drugs) and sex being used in uncontrolled doses, another way to show that the citizens of the society do not have control over themselves. Huxley uses the lack of control and tone of submission to portray a state of passiveness among citizens to the society's actions. He tries to show how this passiveness endangers the rights of the citizens by showing the controllers of society misleading the citizens to believe that everything that they are taught to do is the correct and only way to do things. Huxley portrays this through the society's controllers, who have complete control over the citizens, but keep them passive by keeping them happy with drugs and propaganda that their society is perfect. Through the use of these symbols, Huxley attempts to inform people that if they remain passive and allow outer objects to control them, they can be taken advantage of as well, and have their freedoms taken away from them. Huxley's outlook on this situation does not leave much hope, however. He shows the people being taken advantage of by the controllers of the society. He also shows the people who try to rebel and take action against the society being punished, either by banishment, like Bernard and Hemholtz, or depression ending in suicide, like John. This represents Huxley's message that while taking action towards a controlling society is important, it is difficult and can be disheartening.
Word Count:278

BNW Thesis Statements

Figures of Speech:
Observations: -John the Savage can never escape suffering-in Malpais people exclude him, but in London people don't give him enough space-ironic
-Huxley uses the metaphor of an iceberg in water to describe the distribution of power in social classes.
Questions: -Why does Huxley include the irony of John's endless suffering?
-What is Huxley's purpose in comparing the equality of social classes to an iceberg?
Thesis:-Through the metaphor of an iceberg in water, Huxley attempts to show that a society has to have some underdogs in order to function, and that attempts to change this social structure are only harmful to the society's ability to function.

Rhetorical Devices:
Observations: -John's realizations upon coming to "civilization" are similar to the observations of Mustapha Mond.
Question:-Why does Huxley draw a parallel between the experiences of a society's complete outsider and those of the society's biggest insider?
Thesis:-Huxley compares the opinions of John, an outsider, and Mond, the controller of the society, in order to show that a person who runs a society, while having more knowledge than the citizens, is even more of a prisoner than the others. Huxley expresses that those who are considered the biggest insiders to groups are often the greatest outcasts of all.

Propaganda Picture-1947

http://www.kbjournal.org/files/images/lifebuoysoap.jpg
This poster from 1947 targets women-primarily housewives. It appeals to women because it touches on soft spots for most women: social standing with other women and desirability to men. This ad uses the picture of a fairly average yet attractive woman. It shows her in situations that women of this time period might commonly find themselves in, making it easy for women to relate to. The ad doesn't appear controlling or manipulative, because it is advertising a simple beauty product using a woman who is designed to seem nonthreatening and relatable to regular women. The slogan is fairly commonplace and not a prominent part of the ad. The complicated layout of the ad also distracts from the slogan. Therefore, the slogan is not very effective.

Brave New World: Symbol thesis statement

Symbols:
soma, constant emphasis on sex

Question: Why does Huxley use these self-induced practices that are not directly forced on citizens as examples of societal control as opposed to types of control that are forcefully imposed on citizens?

Thesis: Huxley uses the symbols of soma and sex, two concepts of self-induced pleasure that are, in reality, harmful, to show that if a society ingrains its practices of control into its citizens, the practices become such a part of society that the citizens begin to inflict them on themselves, unaware that they are a form of control.

Dystopian Journal 2

Lenina Crowne changes throughout the book, as a character who struggles against society. Lenina is a member of the society who epitomizes the ideal woman for this society. She is considered beautiful and charming, and sees multiple men. She does not question the way society is run, but is happy with it. When Lenina begins to see Bernard Marx, she begins to learn about Bernard's radical ideas of freedom and his active interest in the outside world. The members of society consider Bernard abnormal because of his tendency to want to be private about things, his reluctance to see multiple girls, and his resistance to soma. Lenina likes Bernard and wants a relationship with him. However, Lenina wavers between accepting Bernard despite his unconventional ideas and remaining loyal to her society, whose way of life she is familiar. Lenina faces the conflict of discriminating between beliefs that society has inflicted upon her and forming her own beliefs. Lenina's attempts to resist the conventional society include going to a savage reservation with Bernard and trying to understand why he finds the outside world so fascinating. However, Lenina finds that Bernard's beliefs are difficult for her to accept after years of conditioning by the society to believe that everything in the outside world is wrong. After visiting the savage reservation with Bernard, Lenina has tried to understand the ways of the outside world, but is overwhelmed by the extreme differences. By the end of the trip, Lenina has found the strange ideas, the opposite of everything she has been taught to cherish as important, to be too much for her to accept. She finds Bernard's ideas to be so intimidating that she does not know how to deal with them. She reverts to the thing that her old society gives as the answer to all problems: Soma.
Word Count:305

Final Thesis

Through Mersault's observations and interactions with others, Camus reveals that it is unfair to consider nonconformists defiers of societal norm, because often, they choose their nonconformity independent of societal influence.

Dystopian Journal 1

Dystopian Book: Brave New World

"He had emerged from that crimson twilight into the common electric glare with a self-consciousness intensified to the pitch of agony. He was utterly miserable, and perhaps(her shining eyes accused him), perhaps it was his own fault. "Quite wonderful," he repeated; but the only thing he could think of were Morgana's eyebrows"(Huxley 57).
The passage reveals that Bernard is different from the rest of society. The society runs by the two guiding forces that "everyone belongs to everyone else" and conditioning people to “love whatever they are forced to do.” This is emphasized by society's attitude to sexual activity, which is such an integral part of life that everyone feels perfectly comfortable with the freedom with which it is talked about. This section of the book finds Bernard attending Solidarity Service, a ritual where 12 people (6 males and 6 females) join to make themselves "one identity". Huxley implies that this is a sex ritual, where everyone has to be engaged with someone else. This emphasizes principle that everyone belongs to everyone else, because having sex with different people is not an option in this society, but an expectation, conditioned in them from a young age. The rest of the people involved in the Service, after the sexual activity is over, are enraptured by how “wonderful” it is, thus showing that society has successfully conditioned them to love what they are forced to do. Bernard knows that he is abnormal for not feeling the same way. He feigns enthusiasm, but cannot hide his ill ease for this ritual. All he can focus on is the disgust that he feels for the attitude that his society takes toward making every aspect of life so public.
Word Count:231

New Thesis

Mersault's refusal to conform to society's norms is not out of defiance to society, but an independent choice he makes on how to lead his own life.

Thesis Revision

Using foils and juxtaposition to characterize Mersault, Camus reveals that judging Mersault as an outsider to society due to his renouncement of expected moral standards is unfair because a defiance of conventional morals does not always indicate a rejection of society and their values.

The Stranger: Journal 8

Thesis: Camus reveals that judging a person by the emotions they display is meaningless because an absence of emotion does not necessarily indicate a lack of humanity. Though Mersault is emotionally disconnected, his active choice to live this way shows that he is as human as anyone who choses to live a life filled with emotion.

The Stranger: Journal 9

At the end of the text, Mersault comes to the conclusion that searching for a "deeper meaning" in life is futile. He believes he has found all the meaning he needs in his life by choosing to live it the way he wants-which happens to be devoid of emotion. Camus wants the readers to feel this way as well, and also to develop an understanding for Mersault's attitude. After coming to this realization, Mersault is at peace with himself and therefore is happer.

The Stranger: Journal 7

Camus creates 2 parts for two reasons: First, in order to create and build tension. Camus lays the groundwork for the story in Part 1, and much of the action happens in Part 2. Secondly, Camus compares Mersault's personality from Part 1 to Part 2. This is shown by two similar passages: the first at the end of Ch. 1 in Part 1, and at the end of Ch. 3 in Part 2. Both use long sentences describing a scene full of things that Mersault loves. However, in part 2, Mersault is looking back on these things, realizing that he has now been robbed of these "simplest and most lasting joys". Part 1 establishes these joys that Mersault loves but doesn't think are anything special. Part 2 shows Mersault's discovery that these simple joys are what gave his life meaning-the value that he put into things. Supporting this discovery is the scene where the chaplain tells Mersault that he must have wanted a religious life at some time. Mersault realizes that he has lived a more meaningful life than anyone who has been religious because he knows exactly what meaning his life has: He gave his own life meaning.

The Stranger: Journal 6

1. Word Choice: Camus uses short, simple words-especially during the action of a scene.
-Why does Camus keep his language so blunt, particularly during scenes that contain action?
2. Sentence: Camus' sentences are short and use everyday language, but are descriptive of the scene and the characters.
-How does Camus' simple sentence structure make his descriptions more effective?
3. Image: Camus uses descriptive language to appeal mainly to sight and touch.
-What is Camus trying to accomplish by focusing so much on physical images?
4. Figures of speech: Camus uses similes and metaphors sparingly. He reserves it for the climax of a scene-the most important part of it.
-What effect does Camus' occasional use of figurative language have on the action of a scene?
5. Symbol: Camus uses multiple symbols, but subtly works them into the story, making them believable as just literal objects.
-What is the effect of Camus' effort to make a reader work to find symbols in the story?
6. Rhetorical Devices: Camus does not use dialect, and in fact conveys most conversation through the use of speaker tags. He also juxtaposes Mersault, a character with little apparent emotion, to several characters with strong emotions and opinions.
-Why does Camus make the protagonist the least opinionated character, and does this have anything to do with his spare use of conversation?
7. Patterns: Camus uses several abstract concepts as motifs, including "reasons for doing things" and "wanting" or lust.
-What is Camus' purpose in using abstract motifs?
8. Narrator: The narrator never actually talks-Camus never quotes the narrator(ex.-I said "[...]"). However, the narrator is still heavily involved with the plot.
-What is Camus trying to convey by distancing the narrator from the story yet keeping him involved with the plot?
9. Structure: The story changes pace. Camus places more emphasis on time, place, and pace when action is happening.
-What is Camus trying to accomplish by changing the pace depending on the action of the story?

The Stranger: Journal 5

My personal philosophy interferes with my reading of books to the extent that it shapes my expectations for the book. This is how I form my opinions of books and their authors. When I read about a character, I follow their story hoping that they will prove that they are originally good, or reveal a truth about themselves. If the development of the character does not end up reaching at least some components of my philosophy(example: despite several chances, the person fails to show a change in character) I usually do not end up liking the character. While this does not necessarily mean that I will not like the book, I am more inclined to appreciate books where the character goes through some sort of positive change, in accordance with my philosophy.

The Stranger: Journal 4:

Sun:
Page 7: "The room was filled with beautiful late-afternoon sunlight." The mention of late afternoon brings to mind drowsiness, lethargy.

Page 12: "The sun was now a little higher in the sky: it was starting to warm my feet.
"Mersault talks about the sun in a pleasant way, as if the warming of his feet represents a feeling of peace.

Page 15: "The sun was beginning to bear down on the earth and it was getting hotter by the minute." Mersault says this as he is walking along with the procession to bury his mother. He speaks of the sun as an opressor, as if something is putting a great pressure on him that intensifies rapidly.

Page 34: "The four o' clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves." Mersault describes this scene while swimming with Marie. Its relaxed pace describes Mersault's feeling of pleasure with the whole situation.

Page 47: "[...]the day, already bright with sun, hit me like a slap in the face." Mersault, on the day that he has agreed to marry Marie, suddenly realizes the significance of the day to come and how Marie's happiness actually affects him.

Page 50: [...]I was absorbed by the feeling that the sun was doing me a lot of good."
The mention of the sun here draws attention to Mersault's mood improving with the day's progression-including the lighthearted mood of the people around him.

Page 55: "By now the sun was overpowering." Mersault sees the situation becoming extremely stressful.

Page 58: "The sun was starting to burn my cheeks, and I could feel drops of sweat gathering in my eyebrows. The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buriend Maman[...]throbbing under the skin." Here Mersault admits that the pressure of the fight with the Arabs is becoming too much for him, and relates it to the tension he felt on the day he buried his mother.

Dog

Page 28: "'He's always there.'Then he left, yanking at the animal, which was letting itself be dragged along, whimpering." Mersault observes the anger this man feels toward his old, mangy dog. The man's anger indicates that he sees something wrong with the dog. Because the man and the dog look fairly similar, perhaps he feels that the same thing is wrong with himself.

Page 39: "'He can damn well die!' And he started cursing the dog." Salamano's frustration and animosity toward the dog are because the dog is a metaphor for how Salamano sees himself-worthless.

Page 45: "But according to him, the dog's real sickness was old age, and there's no cure fro old age." Salamano is looking back wistfully at the years he has spent and the relationship had with his dog. He regretfully tells Mersault that old age is the main cause of th dog's problems. Salamano seems to be speaking from experience, as if he and the dog shared these problems.

The Stranger: Journal 3

Actualism
1. Everyone is originally good: No one in the world is born evil. A baby does not have the concept of "bad". Evil comes as a result of influence and experiences that shape a person.

2. Happiness can only be achieved where vanity is not: As long as someone worries about petty details concerning themselves, they cannot be free to focus on what is good in their lives. Therefore, they cannot be truly happy.

3. Each person makes their own life: Each person's life, while not completely controlled by the choices they make, is based on the way they choose to live it.

4. Nothing is guaranteed: We cannot control everything that happens in life. Nothing is for certain. Everything could change at any time.

5. Everyone has the need to feel and show emotion: Many people constantly remain stoic, both in public and to themselves. However, to live freely, a person needs to let go of emotions.

6. The greater a person's strength in their beliefs, the greater their strength of character: A person who strongly believes in something is unlikely to be affected by different opinions.

7. Ultimately, each person's goal is to find peace with their life: Whether consciously or not, it is each person's ultimate dream to find a place in their lives where they do not have to search for anything.

The Stranger: Journal 2

Mersault goes to keep vigil beside his dead mother. While doing so, he observes the setting in which his mother lived and, apparently, was happy. After observing vigil for two days, Mersault returns to his home, and returns to his daily activities as if nothing has happened. Mersault treats his mother's death with a sense of detatchment-he does what is expected of him, as if he keeps vigil only out of duty. When he observes his mother's friends, he describes them with an air of impatience and intolerance for their sorrow. His return home, where he carries on with his life normally, conveys a mood of indifference and even annoyance toward his mother's death in any way that it has impacted his life, including recieving sympathy. Camus most likely creates a protagonist like Mersault to convey his outlook on death: that it is just an event in life like any other, and that it should not be dwelled on. Camus creates his character to create and convey the tone of the book.

The Stranger: Journal 1

The first translation of The Stranger uses passive voice more frequently, while the second uses active voice almost constantly. Both translations are written in the first person point of view. The narrator of the first translation uses much briefer sentences to explain the encounter with their employer, where the second translation's narrator goes into more depth about his or her feelings toward the employer's reaction. These techniques, including the syntax of the pieces, establish the first translation as being written in a more formal style. The tone of translation 1 is businesslike, not dealing obviously with any emotions of the narrator. This gives the passage a feeling of detatchment, insensitivity. Translation 2, in more of a relaxed style, shows the narrator going into greater depth explaining his or her feelings toward the boss, and a few thoughts about how he or she feels about the death. While not giving the passage a sensitive feel, these techniques give the reader a better insight into the narrator's thoughts.

Journal 9: 2/17/09

The beginnings of chapters use imagery to orient the reader. Hurston never begins her chapters with dialect, but uses descriptive figurative language to give the reader a sense of what has occured before anything new happens. She often closes by integrating symbols into the setting. These usually serve as foreshadows of events or emotions that will show up in the following chapter. These concise but descriptive orientations of setting, characters, and plot give the reader a sense of belonging in the story.

Journal Entries: 2/16/09

Journal 7:
Mrs. Turner's husband is a spineless, wimpy man who cannot stand up to her. Because she is such a strong personality, her husband feels afraid of her and does not display any fondness for her. Because Mrs. Turner is the dominant spouse in the relationship, a role generally filled by the males in this story(as displayed by Tea Cake and the other men in their discussion about beating their wives), Mrs. Turner has become bitter that her husband does not play that role of dominant spouse, and subsequently does not provide the feeling of security and protection that the other women feel about their husbands. She resents this. According to her logic of "the more white you have in you, the higher up you rank", perhaps she feels that if she were more like Janie, that is, "higher up" on her own rating scale, her husband would have more affection for her. Her feeling is one of inadequacy.

Journal 8:
The title, when used in the text, signifies the realization that the characters come to during the storm: That they should always keep in mind that God is watching over them, and that he may test them at any time. That when they watch him and question him, it is of no use, because once God decides to do something, there is nothing anyone can do about it. Hurston suggests, in this passage, that the characters fear God's power and believe that God has his time for saying what he has to say, and that they have no business to interfere with it, but should stand by and watch in awe. "Ole Massa is doin' His work now. Us oughta keep quiet"(Hurston 158).

Journal 6: 2/12/09

Literary Device 1: Page 120
Personification
"The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long."
Explanation: This personification highlights the doubt Janie feels, upon thinking of Annie Tyler and her younger man, about whether Tea Cake is a faithful husband. Through the depiction of Janie's image of Annie Tyler's situation as pictures that hang themselves up in Janie's room, Hurston conveys that Janie has made a discovery that is not pleasant, but one that she cannot hide from: That Tea Cake may not be all that she thought.

Literary Device 2: Page 136
Metaphor
"A little seed of fear was growing into a tree."
Explanation: Janie's insecurity regarding Tea Cake is showcased here. The metaphor depicts how insecurity and fear quickly become jealousy through its comparison of increasing fear to a seedling growing into a tree.

Literary Device 3: Page 138
Motivation
"She wanted to hear his denial. She had to crow over the fallen Nunkie."
Explanation: Janie's motivation for clinging so tightly to Tea Cake is revealed. Although she loves him dearly, she is now becoming consumed by a fear that Tea Cake does not feel the same, and the need for reassurance that he does care for her as much as she for him. Everything she does is driven by the need to prove to herself that her fears are not true.

Journal Entry: 2/11/08

Janie's Motivation and Change
Throughout chapters 11 and 12, Janie is motivated by a desire to start afresh, not as the doll-like, timid wife of Jody, but as a person who lives life on her own terms. This desire motivates her to have a relationship with Tea Cake. This relationship is a new beginning for her, where she feels that she can 'realize herself all over'. Jody never allowed her to have her own way, so she means to do that now that he is gone, even if it means dating a man 12 years her junior. However, Janie's motivation changes after a few weeks spent with Tea Cake. He repeatedly leaves for days at a time, always coming back with a charmingly repentant air. Janie is too fond of him to stay upset, but her motivation for hanging on to Tea Cake begins to involve doubt. Doubt that Tea Cake really loves her and is not just taking advantage of a widow smitten with him and his charming ways. Her outlook towards her relationship with Tea Cake changes.From being the first happy relationship where she has experienced freedom, her relationship with Tea Cake has become a search for assurance from Tea Cake that he is serious about the relationship, and not just fooling around.

Journal 6: 2/10/08

Mimicking Hurston's Style:
With that, Julia stopped trying to trust. Trust, the warm, cozy blanket of sunshine that lays just behind a cloud of uncertainty. That complex wonder, with the resilience of an uprooted flower: simple to extinguish, nearly impossible to revive. What gains have trust from shining when storms appear? She retreats behind her clouds, her safe spot. She hides in the shadow of disillusionment, ignoring any coaxing and calling from her betrayer, all warmth gone. She would start to find little rays of trust peeping out from behind clouds. But a wave of memories pushed them back behind the clouds. That bold Mark! He might have had a little less nerve than asking her for her trust. She begged her friends to make Mark leave so she could forget him, but Mark wouldn't quit. That might work with true liars, but he was different. She would trust him again when she found out what he knew was the truth. He wouldn't give up on her. And so he persisted. Julia's friends began to see a change in her, and they understood. As if her words weren't proof enough, warm rays of sun began to again appear, as Julia once again extended her hand to Mark. The sun that had never dreamed to shine again emerged from her cloud, slowly, and not as warmly as she once did. She hovered near the cloud, ready to dart back at the slightest hint of rain. But Hope, that gleaming pearl of possibility, had returned, dazzling their lives with its brilliant luster.

2/5/09
Journal Entry 3: Their Eyes Were Watching God-Chapter 4

Literary Device 1: Characterization
Page 30
"Shucks! 'Tain't no mo' fools lak me. A whole lot of mens will grin in yo' face, but dey ain't gwine tu work and feed yuh when dad big gut reach over and grab dad little one, you'll be too glad to come back here."
Explanation: Hurston uses Logan's dialogue to show his opinion of Janie. Logan's reaction to Janie's behavior is a method of characterization. It highlights the things Jamie values in a husband, and, in a way, portrays her as superficial. Both her grandmother in previous chapters and her husband make it clear that she should be grateful that she is married to someone who is willing to take care of her, even if he isn't affectionate or romantic. However, Janie will only feel satisfied if her husband shows her what she believes to be care. Unfortunately for Janie, those who speak to her lovingly and give her affection are not certain to be good husbands to her, as she discovers later in the story.

Literary Device 2: Simile
Page 31
" Logan with his shovel looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs."
Explanation: This simile is particularly effective in conveying Janie's feeling of contempt for her husband. The simile mocks Logan and his physical appearance, which serves as a way for Janie to take her anger out on him for asking her to work.

Literary Device 3: Hyperbole
Pg. 31
"Youse mad 'cause ah don't fall down and wash up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got."
Explanation: The hyperbole illustrates the annoyance Janie feels toward Logan for expecting her to work. She implys through the exaggeration that nothing she does(in terms of work) is enough to please him.

Literary Device 4: Motif
Pg. 32
"From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom."
Explanation: Springtime and blooming flowers are recurring images in this story. They represent Janie's idealistic expectations of what life is like when one is in love. Janie believes that she is in love with Joe, and that because he has talked sweetly to her and promised her a life of ease, that her life will now only consist of pleasant experiences and happiness. She believes that Joe is the "bee" that will pollinate her "bloom"(her idealistic hopes) with happiness.

Literary Device 5: Personification
Pg. 33
"They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged."
Explanation: The personification of the sun in this passage foreshadows the experiences that lie ahead for Janie. She has been very happy, but hard times are bound to follow. These difficulties will be connected to Joe, who was the reason for her initial happiness. However, he will also be the one that spoils her happiness. Therefore, her happiness, like the sun, will disappear the same way that it emerged.

Journal Entries: Their Eyes Were Watching God

2/4/09
Journal Entry 1: Chapters 1-3
Hurston's narration of the story uses proper English. Figurative language including similes, metaphors, and personification are all frequently used to make clearer the feelings of the character or the atmosphere in general. Metaphors reflecting Janie's life are also commonly used. The dialect uses slang which one would hear in the place where the story is set. While the narration's language is clearer and more readable to people who are not used to the dialect, the dialect is more successful at conveying the emotions, characteristics, and values of the characters because it allows the author to show the person's character as opposed to describing it. The dialect also allows the reader to feel as if the character is talking directly to them, which allows for a better understanding of what the emotions the character is trying to convey.

Journal Entry 2: Chapters 1-3
The ideas and attitudes of the characters are influenced largely by the setting. Janie's grandmother, having been brought up in a society where black women carry the greatest weight as the lowest ranking members of society, wants to get Janie married to a man who can support her as soon as possible. Though black women are still not in a very favorable position in society, times have changed, and Janie has not been brought up in the same circumstances as her grandmother was. For this reason, she wants to marry for love rather than for protection and support. The setting, in this case the time period and the region of the country, influence the value Janie's grandmother places on having her granddaughter be in a better situation than she was, at any cost. These values motivate Janie's grandma to marry her to Logan as soon as she can, even though Janie is clearly against it. The setting also adds to the tone of the story. A community where everyone knows everyone else's business sets a tone of anxious anticipation to find out Janie's story at the beginning, and the time period where black women didn't have much power, as supported by Janie's grandmother, helps depict Janie's feeling of dismay at having to get married and discover that marriage is not what she had hoped.