Senior English Reflection

This year I truly learned how to write, I have finally honed in on how to write an essay. I learned that I need my thesis first before I do anything else, then I need to wire my bodies and then my conclusion then my intro. Dr. Forman, you have helped me learn how i need to approach my essays. This year in english I really felt like I was in much more of a college environment. A lot of tasks were for us to handle a much more lay back but yet more productive environment. I really also enjoyed the use of the ipads because of the ipad I would get alot more work done then in the years before.      

New Second body

As a senior, I am no longer a part of the standard Buckley student club. A senior is something entirely different; from the first time we walked on campus wearing jeans on a Monday to college t-shirt day, seniors stand out. However it is not obvious at first. It is not until second semester that reality hits, and a senior begins to feel that he no longer belongs. Meursault goes though similar feelings in The Stranger. When he enters the courtroom he is confused as to why everyone is staring at him: “ I noticed then that everyone was waving and exchanging greetings and talking, as if they were in a club where people are glad to find themselves among others from the same world. That is how I explained to myself the strange impression I had of being odd man out, a kind of intruder” (91). Like Meursault, I too have become the odd man out. I find myself watching other high school students studying for tests and rushing to class just as I used to, and I feel separate, in a league of my own. 

new first body

When Meursault is first in prison he passes the time without realizing how quickly it has elapsed. Meursault settles into a routine rather quickly. He uses his memories as a way to pass time, and he learns to live his new life as a prisoner. He is shocked to find out how five months have passed: “For me it was one and the same unending day that was unfolding in my cell and the same thing I was trying to do”(87). I associate with Meursault because in September I came back to school, looking forward to being a senior, like it was any other year. After being at Buckley since Pre–K, I had become accustomed to my routine. Camus uses the phrase “the same unending day” when he describes Meursault’s time in prison before the trial, and I relate that to all my years at Buckley. I am not criticizing; it was just habitual to me. Now, suddenly, I am close to the end and I don’t know where the time has gone. Like Meursault time has passed and I still feel like it’s the beginning, the same unending day.   

New Essay Idea

Just as Meursault detaches himself from the world in the second half of the book, I find myself disconnecting from Buckley.

Second Body

Meursault is a detached human being. He has no emotion as a protagonist in the book. At his highs and his lows there is no point where emotion is expressed, he almost hides nothing. The height of this is at the very beginning of the novel, during the funeral Meursault is completely detached from the entire situation. However this does not take away from the climax. Although as the story progresses the situation slowly progresses into a different direction.         

updated essay outline

I think i am going to focus camuse's writing style. How it is so informal and very lay back he tires not to dance around the subject matter at hand. However this does make Camues seem detached from his writing, It makes it seem as though he does not comprehend the death in the story.

The Stranger Essay Prompt

I think im going to talk about the nature that Meursault uses repeatedly through out the novel. However, I also think talking about how much easier Meursault is to follow vs the other books we have read before. 

Conrad vs Kafka vs Camus

Camus seems to be a much more direct writer he speakers his mind clearly and he is very easy to follow when he writes it seems like less of a journey and more of a lecture on the other Hand Kafka and Conrad's writing does take the reader on a long interesting journey with twists and turns forcing the reader to analyze the situation. Because of camus's more direct approach the reader is not forced to analyze as much. This gives me the feeling that camus's story will be less interesting the Conrad and kafka's.

Open Vs Genesis

    Genesis is written to be chanted to at a crowed. Open is written from Andre Agassi's point of view. Because its written from his point of view its very easy to understand and follow as well. This makes the two works very similar. Although the subject at hand is very different in both books and the style there are written in very as well. The both have the similarity in that they are both easy to digest and understand.
   Genesis "And God Said, 'let there be light,' and there will be light". It is very straight forward there is no uncovering or digging required. The same in Open "The finish line at the end of a career is no different from the finish line at the end of a match." The is nothing to uncover what is said is what is meant. Although these two works have almost nothing in common it is odd that there can be similarities found in both with the style in which they were written.    

Darwin Vs Genesis

Genesis was much easier to follow, What I mean by that is, it was meant to be read aloud to a large group of people. On the other hand Darwin is much harder to follow the main picture is a lot less clear however, he does not mention anything new, man evolved from a creature and survival of the fittest. However on the other hand, with Genesis each stanza is a new life lesson. Where as Darwin just goes on about the same subject matter. Darwin does not believe in God making his work highly controversial. However Genesis is a lot less and is used and followed world round and has a lot less controversy.    

Bug or Human or Both?: Gregor's Metamorphosis

Gregors Metamorphosis
Steven Simantob
March 4, 2013
Dr. Forman

Gregor was introduced to us as a very average German citizen. He was a travailing salesmen who provided for his family. However the rug was pulled from underneath him when he was transformed into a "Vermin." Gregor's was the bread winner for his lazy family. Gregor's would always put his family members before himself. Moreover once he was transformed Gregor's was also forced to fend for himself, for example when his family cleared his room he was forced to give up his prized photo. He fought for it as though it was his last pice of humanity inside of him. Oddly enough Gregor's still wants the best for his family even though they treat him awfully, almost as though there is no human left inside of him. "And yet his sister was playing so beautifully" (Kafka 45). He his human enough to care for his sister and still want to provide for her and send her to school. Yet his family still treats him like a vermin like they always have and forces him out of the room like he is nothing. It makes it quite clear that his family was just using him to provide for them. Once he no longer could provide for his family they wanted absolutely nothing to do with Gregor's they wanted him to die and when he did just that they felt absolutely no remorse in there eyes he was a vermin all along.      

The End...

The ending was very surprising yet disappointing. I really don't like how his own sister the one who actually took care of him now refers to him as it. So in my opinion I really don't like the ending. The way his family has treated Gregors is simply despicable. The ending car only be described as aggravating.  

Hod essay analysis

I was very pleased with my heard of darkness essay. I feel like my writing really improved on this essay. I feel like this is due to the fact that I did not over Annalise the essay when I would go in to correct it i think I have found my downfall because of this essay. I feel like I am one step closer to college level writing. I feel like my essays have only been improving and I look forward to writing my next.

P35

Gregors seems to slowly realize that his family all along was taking advantage of him, now that he is sick he can not work or support the family. One of the best examples of this is Gregors father is saving his money. The family is also discussing moving all the furniture out of the house to make it more comfortable so gregors can have his own space however this causes problems amongst the family.

Page 25

Gregors is almost lifeless, he is unable to work and is almost forced to be bedridden. However Gregors does have someone to take care of him. His sister. It its clear that his sister cares very much for him however with Gregors being bed ridden he cant work or make money for the family. It is unclear how the sister feels about the metamorphosis.

In class discussion

I feel as though at first zach brought up most discussions however the role was quickly passed on to Alexa. From that point on Alexa and zach had control Alexa would present the middle ground and zach would take the conversation to the extreme Danny would also present the middle ground Jonah did not really say much however when he did speak his thoughts were clear and precise

The metamorphosis

Gregors wakes up and realizes he is a giant bug, he seems to be not concerned in any way when he wakes up. Its almost as though he wakes up and acts like this is completely normal, Its almost as though this situation has happened to Gregors before. However his manager is at the door and he does not no what to do, he has never dealt with this situation before.    

Done

Steven Simantob

English

Dr. Forman

 February 10,13

Civilization in the Darkness

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells the story of what it was like for the main character, Marlow, to experience imperialism in Africa. Marlow experiences many feelings during his trip: from horror to astonishment to understanding. Much of what happens in the novella can be looked psychoanalytically. In Freud’s work, “Civilization and its Discontents,” he discusses man’s libido and his tendencies towards aggression. Freud states that culture and civilization can bind members of a community to one another. He also explains that men are no gentile creatures looking for love, but are aggressive and savage in nature. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, without the barrier of civilization and culture man will allow his aggression to overpower his imposed nature.

The first division that arises in the book between civilization and aggression is when Marlow first reaches his company in Africa. The evidence of society is the decaying machinery on the path leading up the hill when Marlow reaches the company station: “I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, a stack of rusty nails” (19). Like the civility of the white man, the machinery is eroding away.  Juxtaposed with the examples of civilization, are the natives, who are being held as criminals.  Marlow is struck by how unlike enemies they seem. Freud explains that man has a powerful temptation to use aggressiveness on his neighbor when civility does not act as a barrier. In this case, as the white man’s gentility disappears he takes the black man captive. Evidence of society still remain in representation on the white man’s garments: “I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots” (21). Marlow’s reaction to the way the chief accountant is dressed is relief. Since Marlow represents civilization, he feels like he just found his kindred spirit. Unfortunately the accountant’s dress is just a façade; before he and Marlow part ways, the accountant tells Marlow how much he hates the savages “hates them to the death.” Freud says that culture has to call up reinforcements against aggression in men. The way the accountant is dressing is a form of reinforcement, but it can only do so much to hold back his aggression.

 As the story continues, Marlow gradually comes to represent Freud’s civilized society. Marlow is on the steamboat and he is heading towards Kurtz. On the way there, the steamboat penetrates into the heart of darkness. It’s almost like Marlow is transported to prehistoric earth: It’s quiet, there is a curtain of trees, and Marlow’s surroundings seem heavy and motionless. Marlow comments about the men on the shore and his suspicions of them being inhuman. Marlow is offering commentary on Freud’s belief that man, when given no other option, will give in to his urges: “In circumstances that favour it, when those forces in the mind which ordinarily inhibit it cease to operate, it also manifests itself spontaneously and reveals men as savage beasts to whom the thought of sparing their own kind is alien.” Marlow comprehends why the white man would give up his social responsibilities and succumb to the darkness. Furthermore, Marlow completely understands how it could happen to him, and acknowledges that the barriers of society would not be enough to hold back the urges: “He must meet that truth with his own true stuff – with his own inborn strength. Principles won’t do. Acquisitions, clothes, pretty rags – rags that would fly off at the first good shake” (44). While Freud suggests that man erect barriers as possible reinforcements to hold aggression in check, Marlow emphasizes that once man is in the heart of darkness these small barriers are not enough. For Marlow to maintain his civility, he holds ground on the steamboat worried for the worst.

            Opposing to Marlow, Kurtz has been swallowed by the darkness; he exemplifies Freud’s example of the aggressive man. When Kurtz first arrived in Africa he was more like Marlow, he came to his job and was a civilized white man. However in a seventeen page report that he left behind, it becomes clear that he fell to the ways of the natives with there midnight dancing and there unspeakable rights. While his report began from the point of view that the white man must appear as deity, his report with the phrase: “exterminate all the brutes!” (62). Marlow explains how Kurtz slips into the dark side by explaining when all you have is silence and no one to point you in the right direction, you have to rely on yourself to avoid the devil. Unfortunately the wilderness grabbed ahold of Kurtz: “the wilderness had patted him on the head, and behold, it was like a ball – an ivory ball; it had caressed him, and – lo! – he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favorite” (59). Kurtz lost all remnants of civilization and became one with the wilderness and the natives. His bond with the native community allowed him to turn his aggressive nature towards the white man. Kurtz portrays Freud’s aggressive man with a powerful desire for aggression and the need to act as a savage beast.

Even by the end of the novella, Marlow gives into his true nature; confirming Freud’s belief that all men are not gentle and friendly but powerful and instinctual. Freud acknowledges that primitive man is probably better off then civilized man because civilization requires more sacrifices. Heart of Darkness demonstrates this theory as the white men remove the barrier of civilization and culture and choose to succumb to their true nature.            

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1902. Charlottesville: Feedbooks,  2012. E-book.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2001.

Murfin, Ross C. Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Print.