Wild Duck Journal 4

Although she does not directly take responsibility, the whole conflict of the play is caused by Gina. Gina did multiple things wrong. To start, she let Werle "have his way with her" (183). We know that she is referring to sexual intercourse because later in the play, Gina admits to, "not knowing" whether Hedvig is Hjalmars or not (195). The only reason that would be a question  for Gina is if she had intercourse with multiple men. Sleeping with Werle in the firs place was wrong, but then Gina adds to it by not telling  Hjalmar that she not only had an affair with Werle, but may also possibly be bearing his child. The entire conflict of the play could have been either greatly reduced or exterminated if Gina had not hidden the truth. If she would have told Hjalmer in the first place what may have happened and what the possibilities are, then the conflict could have been averted. Gina lying to Hjalmar in order to maintain their marriage is a selfish thing to do. Although she is trying to protect her family, she is still lying to her husband in order for her to continue to be happy. Affairs, lies, and selfish reasons make Gina to blame for the conflict of the play.

Wild Duck Journal 2

In the play The Wild Duck, the character Greggers seems to perceive himself as a wise, and older man. Although he is not terribly young, he is not very old either. We know this because his father is still alive and because his friend Hjalmer is a father of a 14 year old. However, Greggers makes himself seem older by saying, "Nothing like the growth of a child to show us how old we're getting" (148). Although he is older than the child, he is not in his later years so he should not be making statements like this. It seems to me that these statements should be made when a person is Ekdal or Werle's age. Greggers also perceives himself as wise. He talks to Ekdal as if he is an equal, not an elder as he actually is. He talks to Ekdal like he knows Ekdal well and like he knows what would be best for him. He asks Ekdal, "How can a man like you-such an outdoorsman-live in the middle of a stuffy city, cooped up in these four walls" (150). It seems as if Greggers is telling Ekdal what is best for him. Ekdal is the one that should be giving advice to Greggers, not the other way around.

Wild Duck Journal 3

"Even time doesn't exist in there-with the wild duck" (162). This quotation, spoken by Gregers is significant because it is saying that when a person is unaware of the truth, when they do not actually understand what is going on, their entire life is unreal. Time is real, time is constant. Without time nothing exists. This says if you do not know the truth then the life you are living is unreal and meaningless.

"Don't you ever want to go out and see the real world all for yourself" (163)? This quotation, spoken from Gregers to Hedvig is a way of Gregers expressing to Hedvig that she is sheltered, that she does not know everything there is to know. Gregers is encouraging Hedvig to go out and explore, to be a detective and form her own opinions. Gregers wants Hedvig to be influenced by herself, not solely by Hjalmar.

"Yes, because its my wild duck"
"Yes, of course it is" (163). This exchange between Hedvig and Gregers clues the audience into the fact that Gregers knows more than he is revealing to the Ekdal's. The fact that the wild duck is in fact Hedvig's shows that whatever the lie is that is taking place has to do with Hedvig.

"The wild duck rules supreme in there, doesn't she" (164)? This question posed by Gregers could honestly be seen as a rhetorical question because Gregers will not get the answer to the question he is actually posing. Gregers is actually asking if the lie that entangles the Ekdal family is in fact controlling the family.

"And your thinking so is part of the sickness" (170). The sickness that Gregers is referring to would be the lie that Hjalmar is living in. Hjalamar's own thoughts and ideas are quite unimportant due to the lie that he is living in, therefore, anything negative that happens to the Ekdal's is just adding to the sickness unnecessarily

Wild Duck Journal 1

There seems to be a social boundary between Ekdal and Werle and his social group. It is shown in the play that Ekdal used to be "well up in the world," because they used to all "drink many a schnapps and bottle of beer together" (120). However some business deal went awry that caused Ekdal to be "sent to jail" (121). It is this deal that now causes a social divide between Ekdal and Werle's social group. Now, instead of being partners as they once were, Ekdal works for Werle as "someone who does copying on the outside when it's needed" (120). Ibsen also informs us about the boundary by showing others reactions to the boundary. For example, when Ekdal comes to the door, Petterson immediately tries to get rid of him by insisting that "the office closed over an hour ago" (120). The author does not simply explain all of this to the audience however. Ibsen simply lets us listen into a few small conversations and makes us draw all the conclusions. by showing rather than telling, Ibsen captivates his audience and makes them pay attention with great detail to the boundary between Ekdal and Werle's social group. Ibsen may do this in order to make the audience pay attention to a key component of the play, or he simply may do it to leave a certain amount of mystery in the play.

Antigone Journal 4

And there we are. It is quite true that if it had not been for Antigone they would have been at peace. But that is over now. And they are all at peace. All those who were meant to die have died: those who believed one thing, those who believed the contrary thing, and even those who believed nothing at all, yet were caught up in the web without knowing why. All dead: stiff, useless, rotting. And those who have survived will now begin quietly to forget the dead: they won't remember who was who or which was which. It is all over. Antigone is calm tonight, and we shall never know the name of the fever that consumed her. She has played her part (53).

This passage, at the end of the play seems to tie up the cultural connection of the play to WWII. I find it interesting how this passage is at the end of the play, and the passage is an allusion to the end of WWII. The passage leaves me with the feeling of a reflection on WWII as well as a reflection on the play itself. This passage is not only an allusion, but it is also ambiguous in the sense that it can be tied to either the play or WWII. The reflection of death, "And they are all at peace. All those who were meant to die have died" leads the reader to assume that since they were "meant" to die, that these deaths were inevitable. This is interesting because in a tragedy death is always inevitable, and in a cultural sense, once the Nazi's took power, death and destruction was inevitable there too. When talking about those who were killed, "those who believed one thing, those who believed the contrary thing, and even those who believed nothing at all, yet were caught up in the web without knowing why" the reader is left to assume that senseless and unnecessary deaths were taking place. This was definitely the case during the holocaust and this can be related to the play because in reality, no one needed to die, everyone could have lived if Antigone did not so desperately desire death. The final part that leads me to believe that this is an allusion to the end of WWII is the line, "It is all over. Antigone is calm tonight, and we shall never know the name of the fever that consumed her." This line reminds me of some questions many people of the world had when WWII was finally over. "the name of the fever that consumed her" can be interpreted as the reason Antigone did what she did, but it can be also interpreted culturally as the reason the Nazi's committed mass genocide. This line shows the absolute lack of understanding that people had as to the reasons the Nazi's did the horrendous things they did. The use of this passage by Anouilh ties up the play nicely, but its ambiguity also sums up what the end of WWII was like as well.

Antigone Journal 3

The most apparent contrast in pages 20-44 is the contrast of life vs. death. We see this contrast in the concept of the burial. We also see it in the consequences that Antigone is expecting to receive for her actions. Towards the end of the reading, Ismene also decided to face the consequnce of death. Anouilh creates the contrast between life and death by having Antigone and Creon be foils of one another. Creon cannot fathom as to why Antigone would risk her life to bury Polonices, and Antigone expects Creon to understand her desire to bury Polonices, even if it means her death. By having these two characters be foils Anouilh creates contrast not only between the two characters, but also between their main ideas and beliefs. Anouilh's decision to create this contrast was influenced by cultural happenings. The play was written during WWII, a time when much death and destruction was happening. Anouilh creates the contrast to portray the different views people had on the war. For example, Antigone thought that burying Polonices would be something worth dying for, just like many men thought that protecting their country would be something worth dying for. The contrast between life and death was intended by Anouilh to be a reflection on how people of the time period thought of the war.

Antigone Journal 2

48-Hour Timeline:

1. Polinices dies
2. Creon bans the burial of Polinices
3. Antigone and Ismene decide to bury Polinices since he was their brother
4. Antigone sneaks out
5. Antigone goes too see Haemon, dressed in much of Ismene's make-up and clothing
6. Gets into a quarrel with Haemon and storms out
7. After leaving Haemon, Antigone buries Polinices
8. Antigone returns home
9. Antigone speaks with the Nurse
10. Antigone speaks with Ismene, and during their discussion, Ismene decides that she does not want to partake in the burial of Polinices because she is afraid of torture and death.
11. Haemon comes to see Antigone
12. Antigone explains to Haemon that she wanted to look beautiful so she wore her sisters make-up and clothing. Antigone "wanted him to want her" (18).
13. Antigone explains to Haemon that she will never be able to marry him
14. Haemon leaves, stunned
15. Antigone and Ismene speak again. During their conversation, Antigone reveals that she had already buried Polinices

Antigone Journal 1

Staging

I envision the staging of this play to be quite simple. I believe that there are no elaborate props, settings, or groups of people.

The setting seems to be quite simple. I picture it being indoors, like the indoors of some sort of castle. However, I envision it being a casual setting. Perhaps, a smaller room with stairs leading down into a "pit" where there is a table and a few chairs and stool. The room is meant to give off a casual and personal feel to the reader. The arches on the other hand contrast that casual feel. The arches serve as a reminder that the setting is in fact in a castle, where royalty is present. Royalty typically has a serious side to it, because they are in fact in charge of ruling a country. The setting in the first few pages gives off a simple, casual feel, but also has subtle reminders as to who the characters actually are.

Another aspect to setting would of course be the time period in which the story would be taking place. Instead of it being a modern adaption as some plays are, I would have it be more realistic. By having the play take place ages ago, the play gains a certain level of seriousness and credibility. This credibility causes the audience to become more engaged. Of course, everything would have to be of the time period; the actors' clothes, the building, and the props would all have to be of the time period in order to ensure it being completely realistic.

I think that the chorus is actually just one person. I believe this because the stage directions refer to the chorus simply as "he" (5). The use of a one-man chorus stays with the overall theme of simplicity that is apparent throughout the first few pages of the play. The use of a one-man chorus creates casual undertones and relaxes the audience more than if there were a more elaborate, larger chorus.

We Journal 3

The Corruption of Morals and Values          

          The change to a completely structured schedule is apparent throughout the novel We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Through the Table of Hours, the One State is essentially taking the numbers’ freedom. The One State corrupts freedom by telling the numbers what to do and when to do it. By doing this the government can more easily control and monitor the numbers. Zamyatin inserts the Table of Hours as an allusion to the totalitarian tactics of the Bolsheviks, and as a warning of what those tactics may do to an individual’s freedom.

            Zamyatin creates a situation in which the government decays religion until the only thing to worship is the government itself. The One State accomplishes this by demonstrating “the superhuman power of the Benefactor” (48). By making examples of those who do not worship the Benefactor, the One State is essentially giving the ultimatum of worship the One State, or die. By doing this, the government gains the full support of all numbers. To some people church is more important than state, but by combining the two, the One Sate eliminates any competition. Zamyatin clearly disagrees with this tactic and is attempting to inform his readers just how immoral a totalitarian government can be.

            Zamyatin creates a society in which the numbers of One State have times designated for sex and have the governments’ permission to have sex with whomever they register to. The One State corrupts sex and love by removing the human element. By removing spontaneity and normal sexual restrictions the One State creates sexual corruption. By corrupting sexuality, the government in effects corrupts the connection between sex and love. By corrupting love, the One State is essentially strengthening their regime through getting people to focus less on love, and focus more on the government.

We Journal 2

      For my passage I chose page three of We. In this passage, D-503 is describing the setting, he describes the nature around him. D-503 focuses on the colorful and stimulating aspects of nature, such as "the sweet pollen", "the blue sky", and the "wild plains" (3). He also talks about the "sweet lips of every woman you meet" (3). This passage gives the reader the sense that D-503 and the rest of the One State are quite in touch with nature and are able to act freely. The fact that D-503 knows about all these things on the outside of the Green Wall is suggesting that the One State is lenient and allows its "numbers" to experience what is on the other side of the Green Wall.

Contrast: Taken in context, this passage serves as a contrast to what the reader was able to infer on the previous page. On the previous page, Zamyatin portrayed One State as a totalitarian government. A government that is very black and white, a government with strict rules that are simply not broken. This black and white government that is portrayed on the previous page is the exact opposite of what Zamyatin suggests in this passage. By having D-503 express his knowledge about things on the other side of the wall, Zamyatin is implying that the rules of the One State are not so harsh after all, that they are in fact more of guidelines than actual rules. However, Zamyatin does not portray this simply through what D-503 observes, he also uses the imagery of colors.

Imagery: Zamyatin uses the imagery of colors to characterize D-503. He gives the reader the idea that the black and white views and rules of the One State may not always be the same to D-503. By having D-503 take in colors and express his positive feelings towards them, Zamyatin is suggesting that D-503 is quite different from the other "numbers" of the One State. When the reader interprets this characterization, they may make the assumption that D-503 is more likely to rebel, due to his atypical "fascination" with colors in what Zamyatin suggests is a purely black and white society.

We Journal Comments

To Andrew:
I like what you said about how Zamyatin said "of One State" instead of "in One State". You were right in observing that that one word can make a huge difference in the connections between the people of One State and One State itself. Although this clue is subtle, it is very important and is helpful to the reader. However, I did not completely understand how the repetition of burning cheeks points to an inner struggle within D. Especially if the burning cheeks that are first mentioned are caused by what seems to be pride.

To Olivia:
I really liked how you viewed the "burning cheeks" in regards to that being possible foreshadowing. The possibility of "burning" referring to the Integral is a connection that I did not make, however it is a captivating idea. I agree completely with your observation of Zamyatin's use of the word "we". The fact that Zamyatin uses that word implies that the coutry is indivisible, almost as if it is not built up of individuals, but instead is built up of parts that cooperate with one another, working towards a common goal.

We Journal 1

       Yevgeny Zamyatin uses imagery in the first page of the novel to help characterize D-503. "Yes, to unbend the wild, primitive curve and straighten it into a tangent-an asymptote-a straight line" (2). This sentence describes in great detail what kind of man D-503 is. He is a man who s very straight forward, in some respects he reminds me of Meursault in the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus. Both D-503 and Meursault are straight forward and they get to the point. D-503 likes everything to be in order which is why Zamyatin writes, "to unbend the wild, primitive curve" (2). Wild and primitive are both antonyms of orderly, predictable, and organized which is how D-503 likes things. On the first page, Zamyatin is giving as a great insight into who D-503 is and how his character will act throughout the rest of the novel.
       Zamyatin also creates a serious mood on the second page that sets he tone for the rest of the novel. He does this not by inserting serious words, but by excluding cheerful words, words having to do with any sort of emotions, or any abstract thoughts. Zamyatin does this to explain to the reader not only what the main character, D-503 is like, but also what the setting is like. After reading page two the reader can infer that One State is not a very happy place and that the overall mood of the novel will in fact, be serious.

Stranger Journal 6

Throughout the whole absurd life I'd lived
Nothing, nothing mattered

It would all come down to the same thing anyway
Everybody knows life isn't worth living

I'm going to die
We're all going to die

People would forget me when I'm dead
Nothing, nothing mattered

If you don't die today, you'll die tomorrow
Nothing, nothing mattered

Stranger Journal 5

In the second part of the book I felt like Meursault was analyzing. I felt like he would notice or observe a character say or do something, such as a witness being interviewed. After he would observe this Meursault would then analyze what happened, give his opinions and feelings on the matter, and say what else he noticed. Thus differs from the first part of the book. In the first part of the novel, Meursault would simply take everything in and analyze it. After that he would make an expressionless remark of some sort. It seems as if Meursault is more engaged during the second part of the book, "There were times when I felt like breaking in on all of them and saying, 'Wait a minute! Who's the accused here? Being the accused counts for something. And I have something to say!'" (98) In the first part of the book Meursault would never express feelings about anything, and if he did they were either about sexual desires or indifference. Meursault showing emotion is a huge change between the two sections of the book and Camus illustrates this change by Meursault's analyzing and internal response to his observations. Camus is able to shove all this interpretation into one section because there are simply lots of characters for Meursault to analyze. There are judges, multiple witnesses, reporters, audience members, jury members, and lawyers. Each of these groups of people are mentioned multiple times throughout the section and Meursault takes the time to analyze each one of them. The numerous characters and the frequency of their appearances is crucial to Camus' attempt to show how Meursault is developing emotions as a character.

Stranger Journal 4

Camus portrays the spiritual world as something that is neither real nor unreal. He does this by having the main character, Meursault be atheist. And by having many other characters be quite religious and having them try to convince Meursault that he should become religious. Camus portrays the spiritual world as something that an individual has for a particular reason. He does not imply that it does not exist, in fact he implies that it could exist inside of you, it is something that an individual possesses. "That was his belief, and if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless" (69). However, almost contradicting himself, Camus portrays the physical world as meaningless. We can see this by Meursault repeating the phrase, "It doesn't matter." This is contradictory because it would be a highly religious person that would believe that, they would believe that life on Earth does not matter, and it is your eternal life in heaven that does. Meursault has the belief that nothing matters at all, not even a heaven. That makes him different from the religious people, but it also makes him different than the people who believe that life on Earth is important.

Stranger Journal 3

The title "The Stranger" is significant because it sums up Meursault. Dictionary.com defines a stranger as "a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest." That really defines Meursault because he truly is not a part of the community. He may conform and transform into a normal member of society when he is in the public's view, but when we hear his thoughts and analyze his actions we can clearly see that he is not what we would consider normal. We can see this when Marie is asking Meursault to marry her. Meursault responds to her proposal by saying, "it didn't make any difference" which is clearly not a response that a normal person in society would come up with (41). Marie recognizes this oddity and responds by calling Meursault "peculiar" (42). Clearly Meursault is a stranger in his own town.

When I think of the term "foreigner" I think of a tourist, I think of someone in an unfamiliar place, unaware of their surroundings, without a clue of what to do or how to act. The title "The Foreigner" also shows how Meursault is categorized in society. He is not one who does things for the same reasons as others. He may do the same actions, however he does not have the same reasons for his actions. In fact, we can assume that the sole purpose for many of his actions is simply to become apart of normal society. For example, he goes to Maman's funeral, he does not go to mourn as many would, he simply goes because he, I assume, feels obligated to go. This is not how a normal member of society would function. Many tourists or foreigners would likely find themselves going with the flow, or just trying to fit in. They would not know why they were doing what they were doing, they would do it just to appear normal, and that is precisely what Meursault is doing.

Stranger Journal 2

I chose to analyze Raymond Sintes. I think that Sintes is a great foil to Meursault. Meaursault is a man with a very few emotions other than annoyance, however Sintes is a man with many emotions. In this short chapter he reveales many emotions including jealousy, anger, and compassion. While Meursault and Sintes have their conversation, Meursault continues to have a small range of emotions. Meaursault shows very little sympathy towards Sintes, except for when, "he [Sintes] asked if I thought she was cheating on him, and it seemed to me she was; if I thought she should be punished and what I would do in his place, and I said you can't ever be sure, but I understood his wanting to punish her" (32). That "understanding" is the closest Meursault will get to sympathizing with Sintes. It is from the same quotation that we see that Sintes recognizes that lack of empathy in Meursault and Sintes attempts to pry it out of him by asking him directly what his feelings are. Meursault and Sintes are emotional opposites; Meaursault never even has emotions, while Sintes is full of emotions and his emotions are what control his actions. Camus uses the foil to further show the "disconnect" between Meursault and the rest of society when it comes to connecting emotionally to anything.

Stranger Journal 1

Cultural Journal: After reading the first two chapters of the novel, I began to see that the French are quite easygoing and fun loving. I saw examples of this multiple times. In fact, Meursault took the death of Maman in stride, and the day after Maman's funeral he was, "wondering what I [Meursault] was going to do and I decided to go for a swim" (19). We can also see that the French are very social, they spend time together at various events, "Almost all the moviegoers spilled out of the neighborhood theaters into the street" (23). Despite whatever troubles the French people may encounter, whether it be as a nation, or as individuals, we can clearly see that they will maintain their fun-loving, easygoing personalities.

Journal 1: I feel like Meursault does not care about life. He seems to be very neutral, whatever the situation. For instance, "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know," to most people the first thought in their head after learning that their mother had died would not be when she died, it would be that she actually did die (3). This shows that Meursault does not have a wide range of emotions at all. The death of a family member is something that invokes emotional distress and since Meursault showed almost none we can jump to the conclusion that his range of emotions is very small. We can also see this on the other side of the emotional spectrum. Meursault rekindles a flame with Marie and he does not seem to put any emotion into it at all. He describes the physical parts of their relationship, "She had her leg pressed against mine. I was fondling her breasts. Toward the end of the show, I gave her a kiss..." (20). This shows that although Meursault is able to connect on a physical level, he is in no way capable of connecting emotionally. A life without emotions, good and bad, is a life that is worthless. Emotions are what make life, life. Meaursaults lack of emotions explain why he seems to have no interest in his life whatsoever.

Eyes Journal 7

Theme Words:

• Wait
• Fear
• Hard work
• Jealousy
• Tired uh waitin'
• Remembrance
• Absence

Waiting: By showing how much time and suffering Janie goes through to find that "idealistic love", Hurston suggests that if you are truly committed to something and are willing to sacrifice enough, you will get what you are searching for.

Jealousy: Hurston shows us just how devastating jealousy can be to a relationship, it can cause on going problems that are never solved. As was the case with Nunkie and Mr. Turner in Janie and Tea Cake's relationship, jealousy can put a lot of strain on a couple.

Absence: Through Janie's loveless relationships, the conclusion can be drawn that the absence of something that one greatly desires will not discourage a person, rather it will motivate them even more to obtain whatever they may yearn for.

Eyes Journal 6

I. The purpose of this passage, as Hurston intended it to be, is to show that Janie has been waiting for her "perfect love", and perhaps Janie has been waiting just a little bit too long, for Janie feels as if she has wasted her time waiting around for this love.

II. Hurston uses the stark similarities between Janie's and Annie Tyler's situations in the first paragraph to show the beginning of the regret that Janie is starting to feel.

III. Hurston uses the beginning of the second paragraph to show that Janie truly believes that she is in a "worst-case" scenario.

IV. Hurston not only switches the point of view from third to first person in the end of the second paragraph, but she also lets us hear Janie's prayer, that way we can get a glimpse into just how desperate Janie is feeling.

V. In the last paragraph of the passage, Hurston continues to show Janie's distress by telling us how she "dozed off", implying that she cried herself to sleep.



To Jessica:
I really like how you pointed out the ambiguity of the words "thing" and "it".

I thought that Hurston really leaves the interpretation of those words up to the reader, but of course whatever the interpretation is it is bound to be of a fearful mood.

I thought that the "thing" that haunts Janie are her thoughts about her worst-case scenario: Tea Cake abandoning her.

To Olivia:
I think you interpreted Hurston's tone very well. I agree with you that at the beginning Hurston creates a very "somber" mood. I also like how you picked up the fact that the mood changes throughout the passage. In my opinion, I thought that the mood became more distressed.

To Cierra:
I really liked your analysis on the first sentence of the second paragraph: "The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long." You nailed it when you said that that sentence was filled with imagery. I thought that the imagery was a little more specific towards how Janie was feeling. I thought that sentence showed that Janie was afraid of Tea Cake leaving her, and that she could not get rid of that nagging fear.

Eyes Journal 5

They put her to bed and sent for her married daughter from up around Ocala to come see about her.  The daughter came as soon as she could and took Annie Tyler away to die in peace.  She had waited all her life or something, and it had killed her when it found her.
      The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long.  Anyhow, she wasn't going back to Eatonville to be laughed at and pitied.  She had ten dollars in her pocket and twelve hundred in the bank.  But oh God, don't let Tea Cake be off somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it.  And God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me.  Maybe Ah'm is uf fool, Lawd, lad dey say, but Lawd, Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin', Jesus.  Ah done waited uh long time.      Janie dozed off to sleep but she woke up in time to see the sun sending up spies ahead of him to mark out the road through the dark.  he peeped up over the door sill of the world and made a little foolishness with red.  but pretty soon, he laid all that aside and went about his business dressed all in white.  But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn't soon come back.  She got out of the bed but a chair couldn't hold her.  she dwindled down on the floor her head in a rocking chair.

Waiting/Time: Throughout this passage Hurston references to time and waiting a lot. Perhaps that is to emphasize the fact that when waiting for something, time seems to go by very slowly. The novel plays with time quite often; while Tea Cake was courting Janie time was flying by, but while Janie is playing with the notion that Tea Cake may be gone forever, time is going by slower for her and the torture she is enduring seems to last forever. Hurston uses time and waiting when it is involved with love. Drawing parallels between the two creates the effect of us almost using the two almost interchangeably.

 Prayer: In the middle of this passage Janie breaks her thought process to do what appears to be praying. However, Hurston does not make this dialogue so she is, in essence, giving the reader the liberty to decide whether it is a prayer or not. Jumping to the conclusion that it is prayer would not be very difficult because Hurston makes many references to religion. This passage clearly continues the motif of religion. By having Janie pray in such a time of crisis for her, Hurston is saying that we should rely on God in our times of difficulty. Hurston is likely saying this from experience because she was a very religious woman herself.

Thoughts vs. Actions: The second paragraph of this passage mostly consists of Janie's thoughts. It seems to me as if her thoughts are racing, almost as if she is in a panic. However, unlike the second paragraph, the third mostly consists of what Janie is doing, or what she is noticing in the physical world. The reason that Hurston would repeat what Janie is doing, just in different ways seems to me to be because she wants to be sure to create the mood that she feels is necessary for the reader to get. Hurston is trying to portray the mood as being dark and distressed, and to make sure the reader comprehends that she "doubles-up" her paragraphs that would relate to the mood.

Eyes Journal 4

So Eric started to ponder about Hate. Hate, the terrible feeling consisting of anger and loathing that resided deep within the mind. The overwhelming one who stayed in your soul like someone who broke your heart. What purpose does Hate have for manifesting itself in people, and what can we do to stop him? He lies in his lowly dungeon where evil is planned. Lies silent and rigid into the night with his eyes wide open, hoping for a persons heart to grant him entry. Been lying there before there were humans or an earth or time. The humans were likely to find some Hatred within their own souls eventually. The humans were vulnerable and unsuspecting as well. Poor children! The children  should not have to be born into a world of Hatred. The humans attempted to protest Hate, but Peace never prevailed. These protesters were good in theory, but they were unaware of the "real world". The humans would rid themselves of hate when pigs flew. The humans would never get rid of hate. That's not what they thought though. The media talked about "world peace", so they believed. And if they had never heard, they would have conceived it themselves, because people started to come together in the large place called Earth. People who would not have thought to come to Earth had they known. They just sat on Earth and waited. Hate, that evil wrath, had came over the globe.

Eyes Journal 3

In chapter 6 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Daisy Blunt is portrayed as a very feminine, beautiful woman. We know this because Hurston simply tells us. "She is black and she knows that white clothes look good on her, so she wears them for dress up. She’s got those big black eyes with plenty shiny white in them that makes them shine like brand new money and she knows what God gave women eyelashes for, too"(67). Hurston also goes even further in emphasising this by showing just how crazy the men of Eatonville go over her. "All the rest of the single men have crowded around Daisy by this time"(68). Hurston naming Daisy after a flower was no coincidence. Hurston gives Daisy her name, and gives her a particular set of qualities for a reason. The reason is shown multiple times throughout the rest of the chapter. Hurston uses flower metaphors to show the love, or lack thereof in Janie's marriage. "The bed was no longer a daisy-field for her and Joe to play in. It was a place where she went and laid down when she was sleepy and tired. She wasn’t petal-open anymore with him"(71). All the men love Daisy, and Janie's marriage is starting to become loveless so the best way for Hurston to make a connection between the two is through flowers. "She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man"(72). Although Hurston does not directly relate to daisies in this quote it is still quite apparent to the reader that she is referencing to flowers. Hurston characterizes Daisy as a woman who is loved by men, beautiful, and feminine, in order to relate to the lack of love in Janie's marriage through flowers.

Eyes Journal 2

For my passage analysis, I chose the third paragraph on page 45.


"Folkses, de sun is goin' down... All we can do, if we want any light after the settin' or befo' de risin', is tuh make some light ourselves" (45). In this paragraph Hurston mentions multiple times the setting and rising of the sun on the horizon. The setting and rising of the sun on the horizon also occurs countless times throughout the novel, therefore it is a motif. Hurston uses this motif in this paragraph to represent opportunity for Janie. Up to this point in the novel the real, natural sun has represented opportunity; but now there is somewhat of an artificial sun, the street lamp. The street lamp was purchased by Joe for the town. It is almost as if Hurston is trying to tell us that Joe is opening doors of opportunity for Janie, she could ride along with Joe and continue to gain power or wealth if those were things that she desired.


"De first street lamp in uh colored town" (45). This paragraph shows us some of the differences between whites and blacks, for example the whites have street lamps and the blacks do not. The street lamp that the blacks have is a symbol of them closing the gap of differences between the whites and blacks.

"And when Ah touch de match tuh dat lamp-wick let de light penetrate inside of yuh, and let it shine, let it shine, let it shine” (45). Hurston repeats the phrase "let it shine" for emphasis. In the paragraph it is almost as if Joe's speech is not a mayoral speech at all, but instead a sermon. He reminds me of a preacher telling his congregation to let Jesus shine in your life. Hurston makes many religious references throughout the novel, however in this case she uses repetition to make Joe seem more powerful. In his speech, Joe is setting himself apart from the regular townspeople, and using repetition on a reference to God, is a great way for Joe to do that.

The mood of this passage is excited. The townspeople are excited that they have something that is not only practical, but they also have something that no other black man has, something that only the whites have. To an all-black audience, closing a racial gap would be very exciting.

Hurston's tone is this passage is serious and intimate. In the passage she is trying to convey many important symbols. The best way for Hurston to make sure that the reader catches those symbols is to have a serious and intimate tone with the reader.

The purpose of this passage is to simply show that Janie has an opportunity. She can choose to indulge into Joe's lifestyle of wealth and power or she can continue to be the Janie that her grandmother raised. Hurston used this passage to convey to the reader that Janie has a choice to make.

Eyes Journal 1

In the first four pages of the novel, Hurston uses language that has to do with peoples' mouths. Hurston uses this language to show what people are saying, "And ah reckon they got me up in they mouth now" (5). This use of the word mouth is simply used to state what people are talking about; but Hurston uses mouths in an even more important way: to show people's emotions and thoughts. "nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody even thought to swallow spit until after the gate slammed behind her" (2). Hurston seems to think that by telling us what is going on in a persons mouth that we can tell what is going on in their head. "Logan held his tobacco real still in his jaw like a thermometer of his feelings while he studied Janie's face and waited for her to say something" (27). Hurston uses the human mouth as an excellent way to 'show rather than to tell', and it is because of this continual use of it that we can conclude that Hurston uses the motif of mouths as a sort of symbol of ones mind.

I have never thought of the happenings of someone's mouth as anything significant. However, Hurston shows us that that is not always the case. I know that in psychology you can tell how people feel by some of their outward movements, such as a nervous twitch; can the same be said for the mouth? Can you actually tell how a person feels by what goes on in someone's mouth? In today's society we do not think twice about the movements of someone's mouth. Was it different back in the 1920's? Did people back then actually  take into consideration someone's mouth while they were having a conversation with them? Also, I wonder if there will be additional meanings to one's mouth, other than speech and thoughts, later in the novel.

I noticed in the first few pages that Hurston made, what seemed to me, to be a few references about slavery. These references were quite subtle, and one may even be able to debate whether these have any link to slavery at all. "A mood come alive. Words walking without masters; walking altogether like harmony in a song" (2). This seems to be saying that once there is no master, that the slave then comes alive. Also, the "harmony in a song" made me think of a slave song. Back during slavery, slave songs were often a way to communicate with other slaves. Perhaps the "harmony in a song" means more than just the musical meaning, it could very possibly include the mental harmony that slaves had while they sung. This quote will make the reader think more deeply about slavery throughout the novel. After reading this quote, it will be apparent that Hurston has strong feelings regarding slavery, and that she may be inclined to potentially use more figurative language involving slavery.

Hurston seems to care about slavery a great deal. Was her life personally affected by slavery? Did she have a relative who was a slave? When this book was published in the 1930's was slavery still a topic on everyone's mind? Was it, perhaps even controversial for her to write about? I wonder if Hurston had any opinions on the differences between slave labor and the black labor that quite resembled slavery after the Civil War. It will be interesting to look for those differences as the book goes on.

Hurston spends a lot of time talking about Janie's transition to womanhood. While explaining it she uses many metaphors, some being more obvious than others. "For a long time she sat rocking with the girl held tightly to her sunken breast. Janie's long legs dangled over one arm of the chair and the long braids of her hair swung low on the other side" (14). In this implied metaphor Hurston paints the picture of a balance, with her long legs and her long braids on either side. However, the meaning is deeper than just the position she is sitting in. This balance seems to be the balance between childhood and womanhood for Janie. Also, in this implied metaphor are Janie's long braids, which throughout the novel symbolize her womanhood. In the end, Janie realizes that it will be impossible for her to be both a girl and a woman, that the balancing act is not possible, and it is at that time when she becomes a woman.

Hurston lingers on the transition from a girl to a woman. Was this transition especially hard on her in her younger years? Also, is the way that this transition occurred going to be relevant to Janie's love life later in the story? In today's society, by age sixteen a girl has long considered herself a woman. Were things different back then? Did it actually take 16 years before a girls first kiss?