Lit Analysis #4

Plot: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway centers around an American young man named Ferderic Henry serving as an ambulance driver for the Italians in WW1. In the beginning of the novel Henry spends much of his time with his friend, a doctor named Rinaldi. The men stationed with Henry spend most of their time drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and eating. One day, Henry goes to the local hospital and meets a nurse named Catherine. The pair joke about love and getting married one day. Later on, a grenade blows up and injures Henry’s knee. He is transferred to a hospital away from the front and waits to have surgery. Catherine is also transferred to work at the same hospital and her bond with Henry grows stronger and stronger. Around the same time Henry is close to being released to the front, Catharine tells him she is pregnant. They both pledge they will have a life together after the war. Henry goes out to bring ambulances to troops with some men but the mission fails. He is captured by police but escapes and swims away in a river thinking of Catharine the whole time. He reunites with Catherine and the pair is forced to flee to Switzerland overnight in a row boat so that Henry does not get arrested for abandoning the army. The pair live a quiet, happy life in the mountains for a few months. When it is time for Catherine to have the baby many things go wrong and both she and the baby die. The novel ends very abruptly with their death and Henry walking back to his hotel.

Theme: I believe this novel emphasizes the question “Is it better to have loved and lost or to never have never loved at all?” Before Henry met Catherine he was a simple man with a grim outlook on both the war and his surroundings. At the height of his and Catherine’s relationship, Henry is ecstatic and filled with feelings of love and joy he had experienced. However, these new highs come crashing down probably far below a low he had ever experienced before when she dies. Hemingway alludes to Henry’s numb state in the end of the novel but does not go into detail about how Henry feels. This leaves the reader to infer what happens next. Judging by the fact the only thing that kept Henry sane on the front was the thought of reuniting with Catherine, I think Henry might now contemplate suicide because he feels as though he now has nothing to live for.

Tone: The authors tone throughout the novel is pretty somber. From the description of war life to the troubles Henry and Catherine face there are only short stretches of happy stress free living. Much of the novel consists of wishing for the future. A future free of fighting, death and love barriers. Although there is optimism in both characters, Hemingway writes a pretty pessimistic story.

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

“I’m not brave any more darling. I’m all broken. They’ve broken me.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

“When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Literary Techniques:

Diction: Hemingway purposely uses simple word choice and short sentence structure to create an atmosphere of disillusionment in the novel.

“There isn’t always an explanation for everything.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

First Person Narrative: Because the story is written in the first person, it makes the events much more real. The “I”s used helps the reader feel like they are there experiencing the events too.

“Keep right on lying to me. That's what I want you to do.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Allusion: Obviously many historically relevant things are mentioned throughout the novel because it revolves around WW1. However, Henry himself makes a few allusions that date even farther back.

“Napoleon victories; any Napoleon. I wished we had a Napoleon”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Juxtaposition: The juxtaposition of happiness and sadness, of love and pain is evident all throughout the novel. Hemingway contrasts life’s highs (love) with life’s lows (death and destruction) frequently.

“And you'll always love me won't you?

Yes

And the rain won't make any difference?

No”

― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Simile: Similes are used at various times during the novel in the character’s dialogue.

“You look healthy as a goat.”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Hyperbole: Hyperboles are used on the story to emphasize and exaggerate certain things. Hemingway’s characters can be very dramatic so the use of hyperboles is appropriate.

“But millions of fools like you don’t know it”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Symbolism: Symbolism is used a great deal throughout the novel. One of the most prevalent symbols used in this story is alcohol. The ever present liquor represents the escape all the soldiers wish they could make. The flowing wine, brandy, etc. are used to help forget the present devastation.

“Wine is a grand thing," I said. "It makes you forget all the bad.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Characterization

1.       Hemingway uses direct characterization when describing Henry’s friend Rinaldi. In the beginning of the novel, he flat out states that Rinldi is a drinker who like to have a good time and mess around with Henry. Another use of direct characterization is the description of Catherine’s friend the nurse. The nurse tells the two she disapproves of them and hates Henry and Henry describes her as cold and bitter. Indirectly, Catherine is characterized when she tells Henry about the baby. She is very nervous and apprehensive so the audience is able to infer that she is very distraught at the thought of Henry leaving her. Henry is indirectly characterized when he rows all night to Switzerland. This shows his determination and strength in stressful situations.

2.       For the most part, Hemingway’s syntax and diction remains the same no matter what character he is talking about. However, the dialogue between Henry and Catherine is a little more dramatic than the rest of the novel.

3.       I believe Henry is a dynamic character because love changes him. He goes from numb to ecstatic to back to numb at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel we see his feelings for Catherine growing stronger and stronger as his views on love begin to change. Meeting Catherine gave him an even greater yearning to leave the war forever and live a life of peace. Love consumed him and ultimately destroyed him.

4.       I came away from this novel as if I was a part of Catherine and Henry’s tangled love affair. In the end, when Henry was waiting for Catherine to have the baby, I was stressing and worrying probably as much as Henry was. When Catherine and the baby were pronounced dead I could not help but feel lonely and betrayed by the world. It was as if I felt Henry’s pain when he did.

 

Tale of Two Cities Lecture Notes

·         Dickens wrote and played a part in amateur play  “The Frozen Deep”

                          -plot line and characters similar to Tale of Two Cities

·         Cheated on his wife with Ellen

                           -Ellen similar to Lucy

·         Dickens warns society by mentioning a revolution

·         Novel initially published in monthly parts

                            -concerned with building suspense for readers

·         Dickens would write as he though; no formal plan

·         Fascinated by London’s poverty, loved Paris

What's the story?

I believe Dickens wrote Great Expectations for a variety of reasons. On a surface level we could say Dickens wanted to entertain his audience, to engage society. However, if we look a bit deeper there are themes and literary techniques used that suggest that Dickens was trying to make a statement about social class and society. Dickens juxtaposes the rich and the poor frequently throughout the novel. An example of this is when a very poor Pip falls in love with high class Estella. The majority of the novel’s plot revolves around Pip trying to better and improve himself so he will fit in with the rich. Irony is used in the novel because Pip has such great expectations for when he is older and richer, however as time passes he learns that life is not that much better. Pip learns the important lesson that money does not always guarantee happiness. Lastly, imagery is used excessively throughout the novel to detail and exaggerate the setting as well as different character’s qualities.

Lit Terms #4

interior monologue: Literature. a form of stream-of-consciousness writing that represents the inner thoughts of a character.

Inversion: reversal of the usual or natural order of words;

Juxtaposition: an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

Lyric: (of poetry) having the form and musical quality of a song, and especially the character of a songlike outpouring of the poet's own thoughts and feelings, as distinguished from epic and dramatic poetry.

magic(al) realisma style of painting and literature in which fantastic or imaginary and often unsettling images or events are depicted in a sharply detailed, realistic manner.:

metaphor (extended, controlling, & mixed):

a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.” Compare mixed metaphor, simile (  def 1 ) .

metonymy: a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”

Modernism: ( sometimes initial capital letter ) a deliberate philosophical and practical estrangement or divergence from the past in the arts and literature occurring especially in the course of the 20th century and taking form in any of various innovative movements and styles.

Monologue: a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.

Mood: a state or quality of feeling at a particular time:

Motif: a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

Myth: traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.  

Narrative: a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.  

Narrator: a person who gives an account or tells the story of events, experiences, etc.  

Naturalism: the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual.

novelette/novella: a tale or short story

omniscient point of view: having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.

Onomatopoeia: the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk,  or boom,  by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.  

Oxymoron: expression with contradictory words: a phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, e.g. "wise fool" or "legal murder"

 Pacing: a rate of movement , especially in stepping

 Parable: moral or religious story: a short simple story intended to illustrate a moral or religious lesson

 Paradox: something absurd or contradictory: a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true

Lit Terms #3

Exposition: beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and/or characters, in a detailed explanation.

 Expressionism: movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling(s).

 Fable: a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth.

 Fallacy: from Latin word “to deceive”, a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound.

 falling action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax

 farce: a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue.

 figurative language: apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech ex. metaphor

 flashback: literary device when novel flashes back to previous events

 foil: a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent.

 folk tale: story passed on by word of mouth.

 foreshadowing: in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; “planning” to make the outcome convincing, though not to give it away.

 free verse: verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme.

 genre: a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content.

 gothic tale: a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence.

 hyperbole: an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point.

 imagery: figures of speech or vivid description, conveying images through any of the senses.

 implication: a meaning or understanding that is to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author.

 incongruity: the deliberate joining of opposites or of elements that are not appropriate to each other.

 inference: a judgment or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to facts already available.

 irony: a contrast or incongruity between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected to happen and what actually happens, or what is thought to be happening and what is actually happening.

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

1. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?

http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

In order to reach enlightenment Siddhartha practices self-denial throughout his entire journey. He rids himself of material items and all of his riches in order to reach enlightenment. Buddhism states that desire is the basis of all suffering so he is trying to deny himself even the feeling of “want”. In the beginning of his life he is very self-indulged due to the fact that he is a prince however, he gets sick of this and searches for greater meaning in his life.

2. 8. Which of the following is not a belief espoused by the Buddha?

 A) the world is an eternal chain linked together by cause and effect

 B) life is pain

 C) it is possible to eradicate pain

 D) when we die, we experience either eternal bliss or damnation

The answer is D because Buddhism does not focus on the afterlife. Buddhism centers on the now rather than thinking about the later.

3.            A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. (The River in Siddhartha)

 

jneff.wikispaces.com/file/view/Open+Question... 

In order to answer this essay question completely I would need to reread the text so I could elaborate on all that the river represented.

 

4. Examine Hesse's treatment of time lapses in this novel, focusing on the close-up technique for extending short spans of time, and the "telephoto" effect for foreshortening long spans of time.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/siddhartha/study-help/essay-questions

In order to answer this question I would probably have to read the book again because I don’t remember Hesse’s use of time very well. I think he might have extended short spans of time in order to give them a greater sense of meaning and amplify their importance.

 5. The main purpose of the first-person point of view in the passage, “I am no longer what I was, I am no longer an ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahmin” is to make clear?

  a. The change in Siddhartha’s physical lifestyle, in order to follow his spiritual one

 b. Show Siddhartha’s anger at the corruption present in his father’s position

 c. Reveal the frustration in Siddhartha’s journey toward enlightenment

 d. The views and beliefs of his family and his religion

 e. Draw attention toward the excitement that Siddhartha feels now that he has less responsibility

http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/?loggedout=true

The answer is A.

Hacking My Education

This doesn’t particularly pertain to English class but by the end of this course I hope to get a better sense of what I want to do with my life. I hope to narrow and sharpen my interests and fall onto a path that will lead me to success and happiness. I am optimistic that the tools and experiences in this course may help me on my journey of self discovery.

On my blog I want demonstrate that I am able to speak and write eloquently. I want to come across intelligent and ambitious. I also want to show that I am able to work with many different tools and people in order to achieve and end product.

Before the end of senior year I want to experience an almost endless amount of things. There are so many places I want to travel and people I want to meet I could not possibly condense it to just a short paragraph. However, I can say one of the top things I want to experience is the process of expanding my collaborative working group and introducing it to new people.