Journal #4

Hows does my philosophy affect my reading?

First of all, I respect everyone's religious beliefs and I believe that everyone is entitled to their beliefs, so I found it quite irritating when Mersault's lawer thrusted a crucifix at him, demanding him to put his trust in God. If you don't believe in God, that is your thing, and I don't think it is right to force beliefs on other people, especially when they clearly do not agree. I also respect that Mersault does not look towards the bigger picture, especially when it comes to marriage, and I find it even more interesting because I'm the type of person that believes the now will always affect my future.

Journal #4

Word Choice
- Either Camus uses a simple vocabulary, or Ward chose to translate it that way.
-Did not translate "Maman" and uses kilometers instead of miles.
Question: Is there an underlying reason for Camus' choice in lower level words?

Sentences
- Choppy sentence paragraph followed by a descriptive paragraph with fuller sentences
- No rhetorical questions
- Sentences, even choppy ones, are complete.
Question: Did Camus write with choppy sentences to annoy me? Haha, kidding, but I find it harder to read.
Actual Question: Why does Camus vary the sentence structure/length? Is he trying to emphasize something?

Images
- Uses "blood" to describe colors
- Images are used to describe his physical sense, never his mentality.
Question: Why does Camus often describe darkness next to brightness?
example: "From a distance I could see the small, dark mass of rock surrounded by a blinding halo of light and sea spray." (57)

Symbols
-The Sun and the heat
- Brightness vs Darkness
Question: What message is Camus trying to convey with the motif of the sun?

Figures of Speech
- Personification
Question: Why doesn't Camus use more figures of speech? Does the lack of it contrivute to our perception of Mersault?

Rhetorical Devices
- First sentence of pretty much all chapters is a statement of a short fact.
Question: Why does Camus choose state a concise fact at the beginning of every chapter?

Patterns
- Motif of describing things using "blood" or "red"
- Motif of the sun, of course
- Brightness vs Darkness
- Sun = Sleepy
Question: Why does brightness bring discomfort to Mersault?

Narrators
- First person
- We can't read into his thoughts as much as we normally would in a first person narrative
Question: Why does Camus write this in first person narrative, if he doesn't express Mersault's feelings at particular times?

Structure
- Chronological order
Question: Why does Camus pause to describe in fuller details of certain scenes, and not others?

Journal 3

The Sun:
"I was so tired and also because we hadn't opened the blinds, the day, already bright with sun, hit me like a slap in the face." (47)
- Mersault always seems to become sleepy when he sees the sun, which I find ironic.

"But the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back." (58).
- Possible personification/symbol for Mersault's instincts that usually are given into without a second thought, but are now stopped by his conscience.

Red:
"There was the same dazzling red glare." (57)
- This was right before Mersault committed murder, and is an example of when he actually invested thought into his life, deciding whether or not to shoot the trigger, instead of always going with his instincts.

Journal #3

Destinism

To live life means to strive for an ideal reality for yourself, and accepting that God has set that path for you, and it is up to you whether you want to continually find that path.

• To take in the richness and beauty of this world, one must find what makes them happy. (Happiness is what makes you rich and empowers you with success, not purely money. Money may be a component in happiness, but it's not the main goal.)
• God challenges you when he feels you have lost touch with your ideal reality.
  (These challenges are the choices we have to make in life, and most are based on judgement - drinking and driving, dropping out of school, taking IB...)
• Your destiny is predetermined.
  (It is up to the person to decide if they want to live out their destiny. Do I want to be a full IB diploma candidate, get into an Ivy League, and have a successful career? Or do I just want to drop out of high school and do some drugs in a dark alley?)
• The destiny is revealed through trial and error.
  (Life has it's ups and downs; challenging yourself and trying new things, seeing your limits and your strengths, will help further your ability to find your destiny.)
• There must be a degree of acceptance of God to find this ideal reality
  (A track runner can't win gold without a trainer, just as a person can't find his happiness and true self without a helping hand.)
• A person is able to speak directly to God through prayer.
  (His answers are not in words, but in action.)
• Your total reality is revealed in the afterlife.
  (The afterlife is created to give you a sense of peace, but it can only be acquired if you confess your sins and live life

Journal #2

Describe Meursault's actions/activities. How do you respond to Meursault's activities? Why would Camus create a protagonist like Mersault - what is he trying to accomplish?

"It occured to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed" (pg 24). Meursault is going to go back to work tomorrow and it is going to be completely back to normal, as if the weekend's events had absolutely no effect on him. It is kind of appalling to see how casual Meursault is when it comes to his mother's death, and at times, he feels annoyed at the situation. Perhaps he lacks a relationship of any kind with his mother, which can be seen when he is asked how old she is, and he doesn't know. Perhaps he lacks the ability to feel emotion, because the day after her funeral, he goes out on a date, and when Marie asks him about his mother, he casually brushes off the situation. When asked by both Marie and his boss, Meursault is quick to defend the fact that it's not his fault that his mother died. Camus creates a protagonist like Mersault to illustrate a man who seems as though he's living his life on the outside looking in.

Journal #10

How are the two translations different? What effects does this difference create?

The two translations are different in that one seems to be a lot more personal and detailed than the other. The second (well, my second, I don't know if it's your second...) seems to focus a lot more on the man talking to his boss, as it takes up the majority of the page, whereas on the first side, it was only a couple sentences: "I have fixed up with my employer for two days' leave; obviously, under the circumstances, he couldn't refuse. Still I had the idea he looked annoyed, and I said, without thinking: 'Sorry, sir, but it's not my fault, you know.'" (Page Uno). This creates the effect of two possible plots: first, it could be about the man, and his late mother, or, it could be about man and his job. Who knows. The fact that this difference can give the reader two completely different predictions creates different tones; the first seems to be a lot more impersonal and the second seems more emotional.

Journal #9

How does the structure affect the text: re-examine the opening and closing of chapters or the opening and closing of the novel?

The structure gives the text a full roundedness, if that's a word, in that the beginning and end tie together, giving it the closure that it needs and deserves.

and I really do want to finish this, but I have a million hours of homework left to do (hyperbole that is borderline literal) and this will have to be done later.

Journal #8

What is the significance of the title? What does Hurston suggest about the relationship between the characters and God

The significance of the title is the fact that these characters don't believe they have full control of their lives, that God plays a big role in determining certain outcomes. This is shown when Tea Cake worried that Janie regreted the move to the Everglades with a possible impending death, and she argued, "Naw. We been tuhgether round two years. If you kin see de light at day break, you don't keer if you die at dusk. It's so many people never seen de light at all. Ah wuz fumblin' round and God opened de door." (Hurston 159). God didn't necessarily put her and Tea Cake together, but gave her the opportunity to be with him by opening more possibilities. The title "They Eyes Were Watching God" refers to the fact that God controls nature as a way to test his people, and his people are fully aware of this, which is why they “watch” him to see what he has in store next. God had tested Janie with the open door and she took that opportunity. He is now testing the strength of the relationship between Janie and Tea Cake, which proved to be strong in the midst of a deadly storm.

Journal #7

How does Mrs. Turner's relationship with her husband affect her character? Discuss their roles in marriage, and compare them to other couples in the chapters.


Mrs. Turner is unique to the African-American community, in that she strives to be something that she can never be: white. Part of the reason why she is so dominant in her marriage may be due to the fact that she wants so badly to be something that's impossible for her to be. Unlike most marriages in this setting, Mrs. Turner is the dominent spouse in her marriage, where she does all the work while he sits around doing nothing. Mrs. Turner also has the courage to stand up to her husband and even physically slap him. "Mrs. Turner hit him the best she could with her hurt hand and then spoke her mind for half an hour." (Hurston 152). Whereas Janie cried silently when Tea Cake hit her, Mrs. Turner was able to fight back with her husband, similar to Sop-de-Bottom's wife, who often fought back just as hard when he hit her. The marriage between the Turners can be compared to the marriage between Janie and Logan, with opposite gender roles, where Mrs. Turner is the one yelling at her husband about not doing anything, just like Logan had yelled at Janie. This sense of dominance gives Mrs. Turner a better control of her life, a life she wished was different.

Journal #6

Literary Techniques

Page: 116
Device: Personification
Quote: "The train beat itself and danced on the shiny steal rails mile after mile"
So What? Janie was on her way to moving to Jacksonville to live with Tea Cake. Though she had been excited to marry her first two husbands, the feeling of marrying Tea Cake was different because for once, she fell in love before marriage. The lightheartedness of the way the train moved on the tracks reflects Janie's current state of mind. This personification leaves a light feeling of excitement of what's to come next for Janie. Had it been a more somber ride, the train probably would not have "danced on teh shiny steal rails".

Page: 119
Device: Hyperbole
Quote: "Everything that you could see was hanging. Her chin hung from her ears and rippled down her neck like drapes. Her hanging bosom and stomach and buttocks and legs that draped down over her ankles."
So What? This hyperbole exaggerates Mrs. Tyler, a woman that Janie met in Jacksonville. She was a 52 year old woman who had been left widowed. This hyperbole isn't just used to show how old Mrs. Tyler is, it is used to show how Janie feels compared to Tea Cake. Tea Cake is much younger than Janie, young enough to be frowed upon as a couple, and Janie feels insecure about the age gap. Compared to Tea Cake, she feels old, aging, and feels as if Tea Cake always wants better.

Page: 120
Device: Dialect
Quote: "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..."
So What? Usually, the dialect is kept to the dialogue, but in this case, the narration had a bit of dialect in it. The dialect was used in order to convey what Janie was feeling at the time - narration would not have been able to fully express her emotion, which is the only con of having a well-articulated narration in this type of novel. However, these are Janie's thoughts - it would be ridiculous to have her say them outloud. I thought that the way Hurston wrote this was the best way to show Janie's worry for Tea Cake, especially when you picture the quote written in a perfectly written way. The worry would not come across as strongly.

Journal #5

What motivates Janie? How has Janie changed?

Janie's biggest motivation is her search to find her happiness. Before Logan, Janie had assumed marriage would automatically cause you to fall in love with that person and be happy with them. "Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that is what marriage meant. It was just so." (Hurston, 30.) Janie's hope for the future was crushed by the realization that marriage does not mean love and so she left Logan for Joe, motivated by the need for love and happiness. However, Joe was not the key to her happiness as well, and Tea Cake becomes her third interest. Tea Cake is like a breath of fresh air compared to the previous two. He seems to really care about Janie and her feelings, and appreciates her as a person rather than a woman that must stay and be looked at as just a woman. Janie has changed since Tea Cake in that she's finally letting herself be truly happy, instead of holding it inside, trying to be the woman that she believed everyone wanted her to be. With Joe, Janie conformed to the mold that he had set for her, a mold that kept her from being happy. With Tea Cake, Janie does not care what others think for once, and cares how she feels instead. She is finally able to tune out the outside voices telling her no and letting herself say yes. Aw, I think Tea Cake and Janie are adorable! :)

Journal #4?

JEALOUSY...RAWRRRR here we goooooooo...
It's Othello, but I tweaked it to make it work.

Then Othello began to live in jealousy. Jealousy, that green-eyed wicked witch who lives under the house. The great one who waits to jump out from hiding like a snake waiting for its prey. What need has Jealousy for obviousness, and what guards can prevent it from coming out? The witch waits in wonder of what person awaits the change she brings. Waits innocently and vulnerably with her fangs pulled back, waiting for the right moment to strike. Been standing there along with the lying and spying. He was bound to find the witch's legs creep out from under the house any day now. He could not stop it. Poor Othello! He ought not to live by the words of Iago. Desdemona sent Iago to suggest Othello to believe otherwise, but Othello would not listen. Iago wuz all right with giving advice, but he was the one pulling on her legs. He'd be all right just as soon as the two-faced monster showed his true colors. The witch wasn't going to come out at all. That's what Othello thought. But Iago told Desdemona different, so she knew. And then if he hadn't, the next morning she was bound to know, for the witch could no longer be contained under the small white house. A witch that would not dare to set foot on those that could contain her and knew when to stay hidden. Just stayed under the house and waited. Rivalry, that conjurer of destruction, had changed a good man.

Journal #3

5 Literary Techniques from Chapter 4:

page number: 32
name of technique: Simile
quote for the book: "The morning road air was like a new dress"
so what?! This simile has a very important role in emphasizing what was going on at the time. Janie had met a new man, Joe, who was a stylish man that convinced her that he'd treat her the way she deserves to be treated, unlike the way that Logan, her husband, treats her. "You behind a plow! You ain't got no mo' business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You ain't got no business cuttin' up no seed p'taters neither. A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo'self and eat p'taters dat other folks plant just special for you." (page 29). Janie had finally gotten the courage to stand up to her husband and leave him. The morning road air was like a new dress because it was a fresh start. A new dress in a life in Southern America is refreshing, wanted and new, a breath of fresh air.

page number: 27
name of technique: Hyperbole
quote from the book: "The shirt with the silk sleeveholders was dazzling enough for the world."
so what?! This quote comes from the very first description of Joe, the man that would convince Janie to leave her husband for him later in the chapter. This hyperbole was used to emphasize the fact that Joe is a "cityfied, stylish dressed man" (page 27) and created the idea that he is a confident and well off. His confidence flustered Janie and his words captivated her enough to realize that she is better than the life she has now, and that this man, with his confidence radiating from his silk sleeveholders can give her the life she deserves.

page number: 28
name of technique: Dialect
quote from the book: "Joe Staks was the name...Where was Janie's papa and mama?"
so what?! This extensive narrative was written in the southern dialect rather than the well-articulated narration of the rest of the story. This paragraph was Joe's story, who he is and where he came from, as told in his voice, in third person, as if it were a narrative. Joe's story was written in this particular dialect because it is the most accurate way to tell it; it shows that even though he may be dressed like he's from the city, with dazzling sleeveholders, he is still a southernor and was still at the same level as Janie.

page number: 31
name of technique: Metaphor
quote from the book: "The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn."
so what?! This metaphor is written shortly after the scene where Janie confronts Logan about the meaning of their marriage. The next morning, Logan proved Joe's accusations right with his demands. "'You don't take a bit of interest in dis place. 'T'ain't no use in foolin' round in dat kitchen all day long.'" (page 31). This metaphor is a bit of a double metaphor, with the sun representing Logan and the barn representing Janie. Logan is a attacking Janie with red daggers as she sits back in the shadows of sadness, inferior to the demands that her husband puts on her. It sets a tone of the sadness and helplessness Janie feels in this marriage, whereas Logan feels in control with his demands that seem to come out as insulting attacks (that are represented by the "red daggers" in the metaphor.)

page number: 26
name of technique: Figurative Language
quote from the book: "Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her."
so what?! Logan hadn't literally spoken in rhymes to her, but what is meant is that he had spoken to her like he loved her, like she was his wife. Now, he spoke to her like she was his slave and therefore he no longer spoke to her in rhymes. When you think of "rhymes", you think of words that flow and make sense together.


Okay, so the "so what" kept making me think of Pink, and that song is stuck in my head now...

Journal #2

"How does the setting affect the text: atmosphere, characterization, motivation?"

The setting, which is in the American South in a time where African Americans were segregated from the whites after achieving freedom from slavery, highly affects different aspects of the text and knowing the setting can help the reader understand the text. In this particular setting, motivation for these women are to fit in the mold of a perfect African-American woman, a motivation by all in that time that had specific rules (especially with marriage) highlighted by our lovely Nanny. The setting highlights the atmosphere as well, with the poverty that these women live in where girls get raped and be forced into arranged marriages and therefore automatically sets a darker, somber mood for the text. The characterization of Janie is highly affected by the text in that the life of the American South for the average African-American woman differs that the beliefs of Janie, highlighting her unique thoughts.

Journal #1

"How does the narration differ from the dialect and what is the effect?"

The narration differs completely than the dialect. Whereas the narration is written in a highly educated, well written way, the dialect is written in what was the way African-American southern men and women spoke at that time. These men and women were uneducation, impoverished and labor workers, and spoke in the black slaves' version of english which had developed during the many years of slavery. The effect of this is to perhaps emphasize the southern dialect in contrast to the well-articulated narration, in a juxtaposition sort of way, to emphasize the narration as well through the contrast. Another reason could be that by using a well-articulated narration rather than a southern dialect, we are able to go more in depth with what Janie is truly thinking in a more structurally written way. The descriptions are easier to understand and visualize and we can better understand Janie.