CoreyStruss

"And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—
[They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”]
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
[They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”]"

Yikes. To me, these couple of lines basically symbolize growing old to the point of no return. Eliot uses a few words that send chills down my spine, like descend and thin. This quote really puts an image in my head of a thin, balding old man, who has to way to turn back the years he has lost. People gossip about him and he just casts a blind eye to it. It makes me not want to ever grow old, because there is the possibility I will become like this: A love-lost old man, shunned in the eyes of society, who has lost all he has and will never be able to reclaim it.

Posted by at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Foster - Chapter 12 and Interlude

"One of the pleasures of literary scholarship lies in encountering different and even conflicting interpretations, since the great work allows for a considerable range of possible interpretations."

I am a firm believer that an author should show symbolism, but leave it up for a reader's interpretation when it comes to definite fact. That is what makes a book enjoyable. When each reader gets to express their opinion's on the "why", there will most always be a conflict. This conflict is why we study literature. We are always trying to find the true answer for what the author meant when he/she said such and such. But really, the only answer that can be found is in the author's brain.
There are exceptions to this, however, like in Animal Farm. Napolean and Snowball take command and become comparable to Soviet Totalitarian leaders. But then, some symbolism in books is up for reader interpretation, and we will never know exactly what they mean. We may think we know where the author was getting at, but it will never be definite unless he/she tells us exactly they meant.
So, back to my main point: In a piece worthy of literary study, the symbolism will be implied, but never definite.

Posted by at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Foster (19,20)

"Geography is setting, but it's also (or can be) psychology, attitude, finance, industry -- anything that place can forge in the people who live there."

Geography tells a lot of what will happen in a story, without even reading it all the way through. Sometimes, geography can even lead to foreshadowing. Like the author said, geography can change the way a person thinks. The first thing that comes to mind is Star Wars. Luke Skywalker - a young moisture farmer who lives in the vast wastelands of Tatooine. He is a peasant, and therefore acts like one. His psychological train of thought is to act like a poor guy with nothing better to do but scavenge for his next meal. When he changes geography and heads to Corellia to meet Han Solo, his mindset changes. After seeing that his life can be better if he relocates himself, his attitude towards life changes. . . He sets goals for himself. . . he trains to make himself better. . . because of the change in his geography, he becomes a different person.

Posted by at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles."

I think it is safe to say that any man from the early 1900's would agree with this quote. The general perception of women from 1916 was that they were housewives, with nothing to worry about in their lives, except for a few trifles here and there. As one reads Trifles, they come to realize that Mrs. Wright's fate was determined because of the so-called trifles that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters' were worrying about. For instance, they were worried about Mrs. Wright's quilting techniques, which at first, seemed to be a little fruitless. But, as the play carried on, it unveiled some clues about the murder. I feel that Susan Glaspell meant for the title of the play to have an ironic twist in the end.
My peer Mike Poiarkoff blogged about a quote that Mrs Peters' had, when she said "I know what stillness is...". After reading his blog, I felt like I knew Mrs. Peters' personality better. I realized that she was recalling a past event and got lost in thought. I felt remorse for her from when her baby died. Mike's blog helped me with all this.

Posted by at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

"There was another silence, while Marjorie considered whether or not convincing her mother was worth the trouble. People over forty can seldom be permanently convinced of anything. At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide."

For some reason, I just love this paragraph. The last sentence just boggles my mind. I think that F. Scott Key makes a perfect analogy to two things in it. When we are young and restless, we tend to stand on a pedestal and blame all the ones except for us. We are out in the open, like we are on "the hills", susceptible to mistakes. Yet, we always find a scapegoat. We always find some other reason as to why things happen. When we are older and wiser, that is when we have those "cave-like" walls around us. We are sheltered in, so that the only ones to blame for something is ourselves. Fitzgerald used this sentence to its fullest effect, when Mrs. Harvey and Marjorie were bickering, as Bernice overheard everything.

Posted by at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Freedom of speech redefined by blogs.

"In another generation, these students would have simply been users of a computer," Dr. Jerz said. "Now, they are co-creators of the Internet."

"That is both good and bad."

This is a really good quote to summarize how blogging is changing the face of the Internet. Internet users can be compared to torrents. Users of the Internet at first were like leeches. They just absorbed the information that it had, and began to use it in their everyday life. Now, they are like seeders. They are now willing to put their own idea's and thoughts on the Internet, ready and available for anyone to see. I understand how Dr. Jerz says that there is a good and a bad side to it. The positives include;
- Having your own work ready and available for potential employers to see on the Internet.
- Gaining Internet popularity with your ideas.

Then, there are the negatives, mainly putting something on the Internet that you could regret putting up there. For instance, one could post pictures of them partying and having a great time on Facebook, but have an employer see the pictures, and not get the job.

All in all, I guess you just have to be careful with what you are posting. I go by this one rule: If the stuff you are posting isn't suitable for your mom to see, don't post it! GOOD THING MY MOM IS BLIND TEEHEHEHEHE JK! ^^

Posted by at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)