For this week, I'd like to discuss chapters 18-26 on the blog. I think I'll save discussion of the test case for when we convene as a class. I think you are doing a great job with connections to other novels, and I'd like you to continue doing this and analyzing HOW authors use the elements Foster discusses. But I'd also like you to response to 2-3 of the comments that have already been posted by other bloggers. I don't want you to merely agree or disagree with what people are saying, I'd like for you to createa kind of dialogue within the blog instead of each person's post standing alone.
Next week I will still post on Monday, but we will take a break from reading and posting until the following week so you can catch up on reading or go on vacation or focus on other things for the 4th of July. Then we'll jump into our discussion of Their Eyes Were Watching God.
As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. My personal email is williamsholly@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable leaving a question on the blog.
Chapter 20 talks about how seasons are symbolic and how they affect the novel. The novel that first popped into my head was Ethan Frome. We read Ethan Frome as a class last year in Honors English III. The entire novel was set in winter. The author, Edith Wharton, did this to emphasize almost everything that happened in the novel. Winter is cold and unforgiving just like Zeena. Winter is bleak just like Ethan Frome's chance at having a happy life with Mattie. Winter also symbolizes death like when Ethan and Mattie try to commit suicide. Winter is also dismal like the life Zeena, Mattie, and Ethan have after the accident. The whole novel of Ethan Frome is helped with the symbolic nature of the seasons.
Chapter 22 talks about how characters are blind for a reason. The story that immeadiatly comes to mind is the Bible story of Samson in the book of Judges. Samson was a judge over Israel. To keep things short he basically took a vow to live for the Lord and part of that vow was to not cut his hair because that was the source of all of his strength. As an adult he started killing many Philistines (which were enemies of Israel) and the Philistines paid a woman, Delilah, to find out what made him so powerful. Well after several attempts he told her and the Philistines cut off his hair. They then BLINDED him and took him prisoner. Eventually his hair grew back so his strength did likewise and he knocked down a building by pushing away the support columns, killing himself and thousands of Philistines. Him being blinded was symbolic in two ways. First, he was blinded by his love for Delilah. He thougth that she loved him back not knowing that she was a spy. Even after several attempts by her to weaken him, he still loved her and trusted her. Second, he lost his sight of God. He let a woman take away his greatest gift from God which was his strength. I believed the author of Judges included this story to show that Samson was no different than us in the sense that we all sin and to show that God forgives (Samson gets his strength back).
Excellent, Terry! Those are two very appropriate examples and you explain them very well. I especially like your analysis of the Samson story in the Bible. Many Biblical stories are parables that use symbolism to teach us particular lessons, and you really captured that in your analysis.
WOW! This book has literally taught me how to read – no kidding. I will never read the same from here on out. I will always be trying to incorporate other stories that I have read into the novel that I am reading and looking between the lines to see what the author is “hiding.”
Terry Burgess made a great comment about Chapter 20, “…So Does Season.” However, I think that you could also incorporate Chapter 19, “Geography Matters…” into this example. “Ethan Frome” is, as Terry stated, set in the winter months. But what he didn’t mention was the location/setting of the story. The story can be set in the winter in Florida and it won’t have the same impact as it does in this case, where “Ethan Frome” was set in Starkfield, Massachusetts. Sorry Terry – no harm intended – I just thought that it would be necessary to include both chapters into your example (and since we have to respond to other students’ comments).
I also thought that the Interlude, “One Story,” starting on page 185, was a great way for Foster to explain how everything relates to everything else in literature and how there’s only one story. He gives excellent analogies to support his reasoning. He states, “On one level, everyone who writes anything knows that pure originality is impossible. Everywhere you look, the ground is already camped on. … Think of it as this way: can you use a word no one else has ever used?” I know that we are supposed to be relating what Foster says to other works that we have read, but I thought that this was an excellent point and analogy to make us all realize that we aren’t original in our literature work and writings. We might not necessarily be copying what someone has said before, but we might be building off of their viewpoints.
In conclusion, this was a very different and extraordinary nonfiction work by Thomas Foster. As I previously stated, reading for me will no longer be looked upon the same way.
The chapters that stood out the most for me where Chapters 21 and 22. These chapters were a little harder to relate to things I have read in the past.
In Chapter 21 entitled “Marked for Greatness” reminded me of quite a few stories. But the most significant to me were the stories of my childhood. The fairytales and fables that that lulled me to sleep so many times when I was younger are the epitome of what Foster discusses in this chapter. As children, we looked up to the ugly duckling and Cinderella; both of which were the odd balls. Most children stories revolve around being able to make children see that the odd balls are odd for a reason. Authors dream up odd characters to prove the point that not everyone is made to blend into the world as it is. Odd characters often challenge the status quo and inspire children to be themselves.
Chapter 22, “He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know “, relates very strongly to the play “ Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. The main character, Willy Loman, is blinded by his addiction to living the American Dream. He has worked his whole life to achieve the American Dream and he is blind to the fact that he is one of millions who do the same. His Sons, Biff and Happy, try their best to remove the veil of denial from their father’s eyes, but it was no use. Willy Loman believed that he was somebody, he was a salesman who would be remembered for the things he achieved during his life. The idea that all of his work was for nothing and would be forgotten easily was a reality that Willy just couldn’t accept.
I was in Mrs. Hall’s Honors English III first semester so I didn’t get to read Ethan Frome. The novel sounds very interesting and it seems like it would be a good read.
Excellent point and relation Brittany to "Death of a Salesman." Throughout that chapter I was more focused on the literal fact of someone being blind, not "blind" as Willy was. He was trying to live up to what his father wanted him to experience as the "American Dream." So many people try to experience this and think that it will be the greatest thing ever, until reality sinks in and they realize that they are kind of living the "American Dream," just from a different perspective. Many people, as you stated Brit, become like Willy, and therefore, have formed another form of the "American Dream" - a reality that all isn't well in America.
This book has been very helpful and I have learned a lot of things to look for when I read anything from now on. I never would have guessed that so much went in to writing a book.
Chapter 19 entitled "Geography Matters..." is about the geographical location of a novel having an effect on it as a whole and how the characteristics of the location add to the novel and give it a deeper meaning. The first novel that popped into my mind was "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. This novel was about a group of boys that were stranded on an island and then, after succumbing to their barbaric tendencies, trying to form their own type of government. In the process, some of the boys were killed and they all end up going on a savage hunt that results in them burning the island down. In this novel, the location, or geography, of the setting of this novel is a small island in the middle of nowhere, which the author never clearly states, really adds to the overall plot. It is important because it isolates the boys from any contact with other human society or the "adult" world. They are allowed to do whatever they want without any rules or having to face the immediate consequences of their action. By being cut off from the rest of the world, they are given total freedom and with it, a sense of power that overwhelms some of them to the point of giving in to their savage instincts. It is also a bit ironic that the boys run into all this trouble on a tropical island which are usually meant to be stress free and very beautiful, yet they cause turmoil.
Chapter 23 entitled "It's Never Just Heart Disease..." is about how heart conditions and diseases in works of literature are never as simple as they appear and they almost always have a deeper meaning. The novel I thought of when I read this chapter was "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel, Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne's secret lover, has a some type of heart disease that is slowly killing him and wasting away his body. His eyes become darker and more sunken in and his body becomes more pale, weak,and fragile. However, what his disease really symbolizes is his burdened conscience resulting from his affair with Hester and him having illegitimately fathered a child and how they are slowly eating away at his soul. This emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body. Also, the guilt he feels from having done this drives him to inflict self-punishment, usually in the form of whipping himself. This, along with the fact that he is an intelligent and emotional man give him the inspiration to write his awe-inspiring sermons.
I think that Josh Davis is wrong about chapter twenty three and Arthur Dimmesdale when he says," This emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body". I do not believe that the emotional and spiritual turmoil literally manifested into his physical deterioration. The self inflicted injuries did that. THe emotional and spiritual turmoil effected only his soul, leading him to confess to adultery.
One area where I disagree with both Trent Brock and the author is about this whole "One Story" nonsense. I do not believe in the least that every story and piece of literary work comes from other stories. In ancient times, when there was no connection between different between civilizations, literary work flourished independently in different cultures (Europe, Asia, Africa, Native American, etc.). How could there only be "One Story" when these cultures and many more developed with their own distinct writing styles and view points. Here are some more modern examples. How does Harry Potter relate to the Bible, Twilight to a biography of Robert E. Lee, or No Man's Land to a fairy tale?
ok forgive me for being so late in response to this past weeks discussion. I had a hecktic week and couldn't get to a computer til now.
The book has really opened my eyes to "reading between the lines". I find myself actually thinking about what something could be standing for not only in my reading but in movies I watch and even video games which I did not expect, but if you think about it a video game is a story as well as a novel.
I couldn't understand much about the geography chapter (which I hope we can straighten out in class) but I did relate quite well to the "he's blind for a reason" chapter. In most of the books that I read for fun, the main character or a protaganist in the book, is blind to something that he is doing or to the suffering of another in the story. It takes some growing and dramatic occurances before they are given their sight back by a miracle and are able to see their ways. I love how I knew that, and could agree with, that the blind characters could see more and understand more than the characters who could see shapes and color.
The other chapters I liked reading were the ones discussing the topic of irony. Most people that I know don't like irony,but I can find irony in almost anything I read and it's great fun to pick that out when no one else would have thought of it. Reading these two (I think unless there was suppose to be a third that I didn't relize was talking about irony) chapters gave me some few pointers on finding deeper irony in books. Even the novels that one would think didn't have irony in them, I can find something that is ironic at least to me. In a book called "How to Disappear" when a girl who has a wild imagination but doesn't get the attention she wants because of her little brother's nabbing attention wants to have her brother disappear she finds a mysterious friend who sends her notes in the form of comics. In these comics she is seeing herself and this friend drawn and playing games but when a comic comes showing nothing, she thinks she will disappear. But instead her brother diappears and she is left alone. I know that there is not too much irony in that. I find it ironic that when she gets her wish she fights her hardest to find the comic artist and get her brother back. Irony would have it that the comic drawer isn't in his right mind either but was just as lonely and thought that if the girl didn't want her brother than maybe he could have the boy as a friend and not be lonely. So out all of this they end up friends and the girl gets her brother back and it's just ironic to me how it all played out and why her brother disappeared in the first place.
I know I probable need work on the finer details of reading between the lines but this book has helped and I find myself actually using my new knowledge.
Wow Josh, i didn't even think of Rev. DimmesDale when reading that chapter. But you are right about his heart condition getting worse as the burden of his secret gets harder for him to bare. his heart condition shows that his heart is already weak and his affair with Hester is making his heart heavy. however, his guilt for allowing Hester to publicly carry the burden alone does prevent him from being a coward. His Cowardice finally ends in his final momnents when he confesses to the town that he is Pearl's father. once this burden is lifted, it's as though his heart doesn't know how to react and the shock causes his heart to stop and he dies in the same place where Hester admitted her sins and was forced to where the scarlet letter.
Also, i agree with Terry about the the chapert titled one Story. sure there are authors that have writings that resemble each other; but i don't believe that any author sets out to make a story just like his/her favorite piece of writing.
I have to disagree with Terry for disagreeing with me. It is true that Dimmesdale did inflict punishment on himself, like whipping himself, but these were mainly flesh wounds. They really had no deep, damaging effects on him. His heart condition, however, was what was really killing him. His condition was only made worse because of the fact that he had a very heavy conscience for committing adultery. Your emotions can actually physically manifest themselves in your body because, think about it, when you are really sad or depressed, your body feels physically tired and drained. So, yes, I would say my previous statement,"His emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body" is relevant.
I was impressed, though, by Terry's allusion to Sampson in the Bible, and the whole being blind theme. Not only was he physically blinded, but he was also emotionally and spiritually blinded. Good job. Also, Brittany did a good job with this chapter. I never would have thought about Willy being blinded by the American Dream. He gets so caught up in trying to attain the "perfect" life by America's standards that he is "blinded" and he is not able to see what is happening in his family right before his eyes. You also did a good job.
Well Terry - think about it this way just like Foster puts it: I want you to use a word in a sentence that no one has ever used before. Can you do it? Probably not. In some sense, every work feeds off another work. I also did some research and found a website that connects Harry Potter to the Bible. Have a look... http://www.harrypotterforseekers.com/articles/hpandthebible.php
As for the Robert E Lee biography and Twilight... I have never read Twilight so I can't really tell you much about that...sorry.
Hey guys. I haven't been able to post anything the past few weeks. I have been having some family issues and there have been many things happening lately. This is the first time I have actually got to get on a computer. I wanted to let you, Mrs. Hollifield, know I will have my postings up for all the chapters this coming week for you to look at and read. Again I am sorry for taking so long on this assignment and I will have my postings up soon. Thanks.
Mrs. Hollifield, I just got done writing my blog for this week and when I went to post it the website said that it couldnt be more than 4,096 characters. So I'm not sure what's happening to it. I have it saved and I can email it to you if you. I'm not sure what to do about this but I guess I'll work on it some more later.
Great discussion this week! I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the comments about Dimmsdale you made, Josh. Very appropriate. I'm glad you're connecting physical decay with metaphorical decay. I think we all have to consider carefully what Foster is trying to say in the chapter about one story. He is not saying that authors intentionally set out to copy their favorite stories. The stories we grew up with stick with our subconscious. We simply can't write anything that is completely new. Just like there isn't any music out there that hasn't been influenced by some other formerly written style. I once did a unit on creation myths with my 9th grade honors class. It was really interesting how many of them had flood stories. Trent, I'll have to check out that Harry Potter site you referenced. Indeed I could already see Harry being set up as a Christ figure, someone who has been through a fight with the forces of evil and has been marked. Sure, he's not supposed to BE Christ, but Harry is certainly a savior for the wizarding world. I also really like how you are all looking beyond the literal with these elements. Like the blindness idea and Brittany's comments about Willy Loman. Not only was HE blind, but he made everyone else around him blind (Linda, Happy). They refused to see what was right in front of them. And remember Tiresias from the Odyssey? A blind prophet? Oh, the irony. Courtney, I occasionally have trouble with the character limit on the blog because I get long-winded. Just divide comments into 2 separate posts. No big deal. I look forward to reading your ideas. Thanks to everyone for doing a great job with the Foster text. I am excited to apply these ideas with Hurston's novel!!
As everyone else has already pointed out, this book is pretty interesting. Foster says a lot of things that I agree with and some that I don't. Like Terry I don't believe in "his whole one story nonsense." I don't think that everyone who has ever written a book related it to something else, and also like Terry said how do the very first stories relate to each other. There were already tons of stories when the "new world" was discovered so how could he explain the stories of the natives being related to everyone elses.
I would also like to say that Trent seems very dedicated to this book. It's good to see that someone can appriciate school work that much and try to connect it to their everyday life instead of just assignments. I think that when you can do that it's a sign of really learning something instead of just memorizing it for the moment.
One of the chapters that I really liked was chapter 19, Geography Matters. As Foster says, geography really does make a difference. There's a book by Stephen King (I think it's called the Talisman) about a little boy whose father was killed and whose mother is dying. He meets a stranger that tells him all about this other world and how his mothers "twin" is the queen and she is also dying. He tells him that the only way to save his mother is to travel to the other world (to get a special talisman) and to go to the other side of it, which is like going from one end of the country to the other. He only has a few days to do it all in before she dies, and he thinks that it's worth a shot. So at this point in the story you have a little boy, about 9 years old, in a strange world by himself, trying to save his mother. In the other world there aren't modern day things like electricity or cars. If this novel had been in a different setting, like just our world, it would have been completely different. If the talisman had been in our world then he could have just hopped in a plane and gotten it really quickly, but since there isn't any such thing as a plane it takes him much longer. There aren't cars so he has to do all of his traveling on foot and it's harder for him to escape danger. Like any other Stephen King novel it leaves you anxious to find out if the character is going to make it out alive or get caught somewhere they shouldn't be. Stephen King is just one of those authors who knows how to lay out his setting in a good way. Another novel that this chapter made me think of was Twilight. If Bella hadn't moved to Forks, a small, dark, rainy town then being with Edward wouldn't have been possible. If the story had been set in California or Florida then Edward and his family wouldn't have been able to go outside or keep up their charade of being human. So as Foster said, setting matters.
Another chapter that caught my eye was chapter 24, ...And Rarely Just Illness. This chapter made me think of Ethan Frome. In this book Ethans wife is always sick. When they first met it was because his mother was dying and she was a nurse so she came to take care of them. His wife didn't become ill for the first time until after marrying. Ethan never really liked her, he only married her so that he wouldn't be lonely. That fact alone tells you that there's going to be trouble. Zeena seems to become ill just to get attention because none of the doctors that she goes to know what's wrong with her. When she became seriously ill and couldn't do the house work anymore her cousin Mattie came to take care of everything. Mattie and Ethan fall in a strange kind of love and when they can't be together they try to commit suicide together. That didn't turn out to successful either and Mattie became paralyzed and Ethan crippled. After all of Zeena's illness she ended up having to take care of Mattie. Zeena's illness is very ironic and could even be considered symbolic. Her illness and symptoms were fake and were constantly changing just like her life was about to start doing. Once she started working out being sick to her advantage Mattie came along to ruin it all. Zeena's fake illness could symbolize her fake love with Ethan. Now that I have looked back on it this novel has just as much irony to the illness as anything else. I think that this one novel could relate to almost all of the chapters in Fosters work.
I'm glad we're done with this book and ready to move on to the other novels. I've learned alot and i think from now on i will interpret what i've read to the novels i read. I'm sorry i posted kind of late, i was out of town. I agree with Terry's comments. I also thought about Ethan Frome and it's season in the book. I also like the Samson comparison. I also agree with Josh's comments about "lord of the Flies" where geography matters. Because the story wouldn't have been what it was if it wasn't in that certain place.
I would also like to make a comment on geography matters. I think that the setting of a story is one of the most important things in a book because without it there really couldn't be a story. Take any book. Like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Without the Mississippi river and all the little towns, the story couldn't have been that. It if was somewhere up North, then there really wouldn't be a reason to run from slavery. Or if it wasn't by the Mississippi river, then they would to have travelled some other way. It would have been a complety different story. The time the book is set is also important. Because nowadays we don't have slavery, and we have to know and set our minds that time period.
In the chapter "...And Rarely Just Illness", i thought about the book Ethan Frome again. I agree with Courtney's comment and how her "fake illness" could symbolize their "fake love". Zeena was always ill. She always had some kind of problems and always complaining. I think her illness stands for the way she was and the way it made her that way. Zeena was cold and distant, especially to Ethan. He didn't like being around her. She was cruel sometimes and heartless. Nobody likes to be around a person whose ill. She was like an illness. Just hurtfull and pleasant. Without her illness, she would have had to be a different character in the book or at least have a different personality. I enjoyed reading this book. It made me think of a lot of stories that i've read and try to compare them and understand what the author is telling us. I look forward to reading Hurston's novel.
Chapter 24 (...And Rarely Just Illness) made me think about the book Fever 1793, which I read quite a while ago. It deals with Mattie's and her family's struggles as they cope with the Yellow Fever epidemic that has encompassed thier town of Philadelphia. This disease meets all of the "requirements" Foster listed for a prime literary disease. It is picturesque because a person that recieves Yellow Fever gets a yellowish tint in their skin, and their eyes also become a shade of yellow. It was somewhat mysterious in orgin, in the begining, and it does somewhat have a symbolic possibilities.
Chapter 22 (He's Blind for a Reason You Know) made me think about Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and how he too, was blinded by the American Dream. This is similar to what Brittany said about how Willy is also blinded by the American Dream. They both let it over take their lives, and in the end it swallowes them whole.
In Chapter 18 "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism" Foster basically states that when a character is sumberged into water and brought back up, they are either a new person or being reborn. Automatically, I thought of Born Blue by Han Nolan. Janie is the daughter of Linda, a heroin addict. Janie's first memory of her childhood was her drowning. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in an unfamiliar place, a foster home. There, she meets Harmon Finch who soon becomes a brother figure to her and discovers her new found talent, singing. After drowning, she got another chance and a new found identity. As Foster states in Chapter 19, "As you know by now, there's rebirth when there's a renaming, right?" Janie too renames herself. She wanted to be someone else so she named herself Leshaya. If it wasn't for her drowning in the opening of the novel, she would have never gotten the chance to discover her talent or learn to be as strong as she is.
Chapter 19 "Geography Matters..." states that location plays a great role throughtout a novel. It adds scenery, stereotypes, a societys standards, opposing forces, and etc. For example, in The Great Gatsby two contrasting places included the West Egg and the East Egg. Although both were located in Long Island, they represented different things. The West Egg was for the newly rich and was considered the less fashionable Egg. While the East Egg was where the old money resided. People here inherited their welath and therefore, didn't appreciate it as much as those who worked for their money. People in the East Egg believed that no one in the West Egg, despite how much money they have will ever amount to anything. Also, in Ethan Frome, environment was a powerful force in Ethan's fate. It is located in Starkfield, MA, a cold town that was best described as sluggish. Like the town itself, Ethan was poor and isolated as well. The characters in the novel thrive on their surroundings. Born in Starkfield, Ethan was trapped and couldn't escape his fate despite all attempts.
Along with Brittany and Amanda, I agree that Willy and Gatsby were both blinded by the American Dream. I believe the American Dream is a touch overated. Willy's belief in the American Dream is evertually what defeats him. No matter how hard he worked or how hard he pushed his sons to achieve the dream, he would never get the chance to actually obtain it. For Gatsby, not only was he blinded by the American Dream but he was also blinded by Daisy's "love." He tried so hard to rekindle their old romance with his lavish home, extravagent parties, and other expensive things. In the end, he too fails. I'm not saying that the dream is impossible but while some may achieve it, others just dwindle on it. Their blindness to the dream is what eventually sent them both to their graves.
Also along with Courtney and Christina, I agree that Zeena's "illness" played a significant role in the novel. Her "illness" is what made her her. As Christina said, without her illness, she would have been a different person. Maybe she would have been a little more kind and kept a warm and loving home rather than a cold one. Nonetheless, she was coldhearted, cruel, and always had the need for attention. I believe that her need was what made her sick or if she really was sick, then she must have exaggerated it. I thought it was ironic how in the end, she was the one who had to take care of Ethan and Mattie after their accident that left them handicapped for life.
Chapter 20 talks about how seasons and the weather that comes with the changing seasons are symbolic and how they affect a novel. In Mrs. Hall's class we read Ethan Frome as a class. This novels setting was the first thing that came to mind for me because it played such a key role. It was set in winter which helps brings out many symbols. Winter is cold and bland just like Ethan and Zeena's relationship. It symbolizes death as Terry said when Ethan and Mattie try to commit suicide by sledding down the hill. Every element of the novel was helped out with the simpleness of the winter setting.
Chapter 22 "He's Blind for a Reason, You Know" made me automatically think of the novel Death of a Salesman. The main character Willy Loman was so blinded by his want of the "American Dream". Nothing else mattered to him except for that desire not even his family. His family suffered severly from his addiction more so his sons Happy and Biff. He was so blind that he could not see how bad this hurt his family, even as he died.
Trent I agree 100% with you on your statement about the Interlude "One Story". Every author is influenced by something. It dosen't matter if they addmit to it or not they are! Everything they read is influenced by something else then it influences them. It's a cycle. I disagree with Terry. With every work there is always a way something from another novel can be pulled from it. Im pretty sure the only way an author could not be influenced by something is if they stay completly secluded and isolated.
Brittany I was thinking the same exact thing on chapter 21 with the fairy tales. I was a big disney geek when I was little and like you said those important characters were always different and always stood out. I can look back now and see they were always the one that would be teaching the life lessons. These different characters like you said show that people are different and being odd is perfectly fine. They are inspirations to kids.
Trent, I believe you have hit the nail on the head. He teaches you that reading is a puzzle waiting to be solved. Foster teaches you how to get inside the authors head and see how these talented authors can incorporate so many different things to create something way more than just a book.
In relation to Trent and Brittany's conversation about Willy being "blind" i must say i was thinking literall also. I do that a lot. But now that i know what is going on in these author's heads i will be much more thoughtfull, observant, and carefull.
Chapter21 "Marked For Greatness" lets us in on the fact that a lot of the times authors impede their heroes or mark them as the title of the chapter suggests. The first thing that came to mind was Harry Potter's legendary scar. (Later to find out he actually references Harry potter. Yay. I called one.)It is a very common trait among heroes actually now that Foster mentions it. For a few quick example of my own, you can apply this theory to "The Phantom of the Opera". The phantom is marked by a hideous face. But the Phantom is also a wonderfull musician. I have read the "Eragon" series by Christopher Paolini. The main character Eragon is marked in a sword battle with a member of the antagonist's army. He contains a huge scar across his back. Throught the novel the scar keeps causing him unrelenting pain that on occasion makes him pass out. Yet he overcomes this and is the hero of the novel. When i read i will always take notice of an impediment.
In Chapter 25, "Don't Read With Your Eyes", Foster explains that you have to take the perspective and mindset of the time (historically) or even the character ( put yourself in his shoes kind of deal.)I will relate this to Earnest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" since this is one of the few chapters that he doesn't reference it in. From an outside view I'ts an old man, a sailboat, and a fish. The fish gets eaten by sharks and his bad luck has continued. When you look at it through Santiago's eyes the fish being eaten by sharks really destroys Santiago himself. There is no top of the line fishing equipment, no top of the line boat, no fish finder. So when he reels this great fish in, it is truly a great feat. Also, the fact that he truly prides himself on his ability and know-how adds to his let down. Look at this story from his eyes and you can truly understand his pain.
As an end note this book was excellent. It's one I will never forget, and probably end up reading again at some point in college. Thank you for selecting it Mrs. Hollifield, i feel a though i have already learned a lot from your class..... Let's see how these next novels go :/ lol
I agree with Terry on chpater 20 with Ethan Frome and I would also have to agree with Trent on incorporating chapter 19 with chapter 20. Setting plays an important role in a story/novel. Just like with Ethan Frome. It was set in the winter in Starkfield, Massachusetts and would have been much different if it were in Florida or Texas, or just anywhere other than Massachusetts.
Chapter 21 as I guessed it, Harry Potter. As soon as Foster said scars that's the first thing that popped in my head. His scar resembles that he remained alive after Lord Valdimore entered his home and killed his parents. It also brought me back to when I was younger and watched Disney movies. I never would have thought there were messages the character(s) were trying to tell us. Just like Dumbo with his big ears or the ugly duckling as Brittany was saying. It told us as kids to just be ourselves no matter what our physical appearance may be.
In chapter 22 I would agree with Josh on this. The Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale had a "heart problem" because he was keeping his secret affair from everyone about him and Hester. His physical appearance changed through out the entire novel as his heart kept getting worse and worse because he would whip himself as a punishment. He finally confesses his secret affair because of emotional and spiritual stress on his human soul. He couldn't bear to keep it from the people anymore.
I have enjoyed this book and it has taught me so much about reading and what to look for. Although some chapters didn't catch my eye like the others I still enjoyed learning from it :)
As I read on in "How to Read Like a Professor" I discovered many new topics that Foster made very appealing to me. I just couldn’t put the book down. Foster discusses subjects from baptism to seasons of the year and even irony.
Chapter 19- Geography Matters… In chapter nineteen Foster discusses the importance of setting. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain uses setting to develop the plot and characters in the novel. The novel is set around the Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri; it also takes place around several locations along the river through Arkansas. In the novel Twain uses the setting of nature as structure for the story. In fact nature almost becomes one of the characters. The most prominent force of nature in the novel was the Mississippi River. The river was not only Huck and Jim’s escape route, but perhaps it became their biggest enemy because it was always unpredictable. Nature is the strongest factor in the novel because in a completely different geographical setting the story would have had not only a different outcome, but Huck and Jim might never have found friendship and freedom. Twain changes his tone when describing the Mississippi River from wry and sarcastic to flowing and daydreaming. This change in tone illustrates his own appreciation for the beauty and significance that nature holds for him. Obviously, the river was an integral part of the story for both Jim and Huck to get away without being caught.
Chapter 26- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies In chapter twenty-six we learn an extremely important saying “irony trumps everything.” Pretty much saying we need to look for irony in everything we read. Last year in Mrs. Hall’s class we read “The Devil and Tom Walker.” This piece had irony worked in all through it. The main character, Tom Walker, keeps a big Bible on his desk buried under the mortgages and foreclosures, and he keeps another smaller one in his coat. However, when the Devil comes, neither one is within his reach. Another ironic moment is when Tom ends up calling the Devil himself when he is arguing with a customer. Tom claims that he hasn’t cheated the customer and says, “The Devil take me if I have made a farthing” (359). Then there were three knocks on the door. Tom himself knows what it is like to be poor, but he shows no sympathy for the poor when he is rich.
Chapter 24, "It's Never Just Heart Disease", brings to mind Arthur Dimmesdale from "The Scarlet Letter". Dimmesdale has a physically deteriorating heart disease. As the story goes on, his disease seems to take over his entire body. On the outside Dimmesdale seems to become darker, gloomier, and weaker. This is actually caused by the weight of his guilty conscience slowly bringing him down. Hester, the main character of the story, has committed adultery and is taking all the punishment and blame for the affair. Dimmesdale slowly breaks down and his guilt gets the best of him.
As I had mentioned in my previous blog, I am a fan of the "Twilight" series. I used the field in the first book as a symbol for happiness in Bella's life. This field also represents an element of irony. In the second book, "New Moon", Edward leaves Bella to prevent any further harm to her. Bella is heartbroken and ultimately torn apart. The only happiness she has in life has just walked away and left her to fend for herself. She gets lost in the woods for hours in search of this hope-restoring field. When she finds what she's looking for, or for that matter when she doesn't find what she's looking for, Edward, she collapses in agony and pain. The field has now come to symbolize all of Bella's excitement about life lost in a matter of seconds.
Before reading this book I would have never made the connections that I have. This book opens the eyes to all readers to explore the words deeper and find their finer meanings.
30 comments:
For this week, I'd like to discuss chapters 18-26 on the blog. I think I'll save discussion of the test case for when we convene as a class. I think you are doing a great job with connections to other novels, and I'd like you to continue doing this and analyzing HOW authors use the elements Foster discusses. But I'd also like you to response to 2-3 of the comments that have already been posted by other bloggers. I don't want you to merely agree or disagree with what people are saying, I'd like for you to createa kind of dialogue within the blog instead of each person's post standing alone.
Next week I will still post on Monday, but we will take a break from reading and posting until the following week so you can catch up on reading or go on vacation or focus on other things for the 4th of July. Then we'll jump into our discussion of Their Eyes Were Watching God.
As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. My personal email is williamsholly@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable leaving a question on the blog.
Chapter 20 talks about how seasons are symbolic and how they affect the novel. The novel that first popped into my head was Ethan Frome. We read Ethan Frome as a class last year in Honors English III. The entire novel was set in winter. The author, Edith Wharton, did this to emphasize almost everything that happened in the novel. Winter is cold and unforgiving just like Zeena. Winter is bleak just like Ethan Frome's chance at having a happy life with Mattie. Winter also symbolizes death like when Ethan and Mattie try to commit suicide. Winter is also dismal like the life Zeena, Mattie, and Ethan have after the accident. The whole novel of Ethan Frome is helped with the symbolic nature of the seasons.
Chapter 22 talks about how characters are blind for a reason. The story that immeadiatly comes to mind is the Bible story of Samson in the book of Judges. Samson was a judge over Israel. To keep things short he basically took a vow to live for the Lord and part of that vow was to not cut his hair because that was the source of all of his strength. As an adult he started killing many Philistines (which were enemies of Israel) and the Philistines paid a woman, Delilah, to find out what made him so powerful. Well after several attempts he told her and the Philistines cut off his hair. They then BLINDED him and took him prisoner. Eventually his hair grew back so his strength did likewise and he knocked down a building by pushing away the support columns, killing himself and thousands of Philistines. Him being blinded was symbolic in two ways. First, he was blinded by his love for Delilah. He thougth that she loved him back not knowing that she was a spy. Even after several attempts by her to weaken him, he still loved her and trusted her. Second, he lost his sight of God. He let a woman take away his greatest gift from God which was his strength. I believed the author of Judges included this story to show that Samson was no different than us in the sense that we all sin and to show that God forgives (Samson gets his strength back).
Excellent, Terry! Those are two very appropriate examples and you explain them very well. I especially like your analysis of the Samson story in the Bible. Many Biblical stories are parables that use symbolism to teach us particular lessons, and you really captured that in your analysis.
WOW! This book has literally taught me how to read – no kidding. I will never read the same from here on out. I will always be trying to incorporate other stories that I have read into the novel that I am reading and looking between the lines to see what the author is “hiding.”
Terry Burgess made a great comment about Chapter 20, “…So Does Season.” However, I think that you could also incorporate Chapter 19, “Geography Matters…” into this example. “Ethan Frome” is, as Terry stated, set in the winter months. But what he didn’t mention was the location/setting of the story. The story can be set in the winter in Florida and it won’t have the same impact as it does in this case, where “Ethan Frome” was set in Starkfield, Massachusetts. Sorry Terry – no harm intended – I just thought that it would be necessary to include both chapters into your example (and since we have to respond to other students’ comments).
I also thought that the Interlude, “One Story,” starting on page 185, was a great way for Foster to explain how everything relates to everything else in literature and how there’s only one story. He gives excellent analogies to support his reasoning. He states, “On one level, everyone who writes anything knows that pure originality is impossible. Everywhere you look, the ground is already camped on. … Think of it as this way: can you use a word no one else has ever used?” I know that we are supposed to be relating what Foster says to other works that we have read, but I thought that this was an excellent point and analogy to make us all realize that we aren’t original in our literature work and writings. We might not necessarily be copying what someone has said before, but we might be building off of their viewpoints.
In conclusion, this was a very different and extraordinary nonfiction work by Thomas Foster. As I previously stated, reading for me will no longer be looked upon the same way.
Trent, great point about Starkfield. How about that name - STARKfield??!!? Definitely suggests a barren, bleak, and unforgiving place. Excellent!!
The chapters that stood out the most for me where Chapters 21 and 22. These chapters were a little harder to relate to things I have read in the past.
In Chapter 21 entitled “Marked for Greatness” reminded me of quite a few stories. But the most significant to me were the stories of my childhood. The fairytales and fables that that lulled me to sleep so many times when I was younger are the epitome of what Foster discusses in this chapter. As children, we looked up to the ugly duckling and Cinderella; both of which were the odd balls. Most children stories revolve around being able to make children see that the odd balls are odd for a reason. Authors dream up odd characters to prove the point that not everyone is made to blend into the world as it is. Odd characters often challenge the status quo and inspire children to be themselves.
Chapter 22, “He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know “, relates very strongly to the play “ Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. The main character, Willy Loman, is blinded by his addiction to living the American Dream. He has worked his whole life to achieve the American Dream and he is blind to the fact that he is one of millions who do the same. His Sons, Biff and Happy, try their best to remove the veil of denial from their father’s eyes, but it was no use. Willy Loman believed that he was somebody, he was a salesman who would be remembered for the things he achieved during his life. The idea that all of his work was for nothing and would be forgotten easily was a reality that Willy just couldn’t accept.
I was in Mrs. Hall’s Honors English III first semester so I didn’t get to read Ethan Frome. The novel sounds very interesting and it seems like it would be a good read.
Excellent point and relation Brittany to "Death of a Salesman." Throughout that chapter I was more focused on the literal fact of someone being blind, not "blind" as Willy was. He was trying to live up to what his father wanted him to experience as the "American Dream." So many people try to experience this and think that it will be the greatest thing ever, until reality sinks in and they realize that they are kind of living the "American Dream," just from a different perspective. Many people, as you stated Brit, become like Willy, and therefore, have formed another form of the "American Dream" - a reality that all isn't well in America.
This book has been very helpful and I have learned a lot of things to look for when I read anything from now on. I never would have guessed that so much went in to writing a book.
Chapter 19 entitled "Geography Matters..." is about the geographical location of a novel having an effect on it as a whole and how the characteristics of the location add to the novel and give it a deeper meaning. The first novel that popped into my mind was "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. This novel was about a group of boys that were stranded on an island and then, after succumbing to their barbaric tendencies, trying to form their own type of government. In the process, some of the boys were killed and they all end up going on a savage hunt that results in them burning the island down. In this novel, the location, or geography, of the setting of this novel is a small island in the middle of nowhere, which the author never clearly states, really adds to the overall plot. It is important because it isolates the boys from any contact with other human society or the "adult" world. They are allowed to do whatever they want without any rules or having to face the immediate consequences of their action. By being cut off from the rest of the world, they are given total freedom and with it, a sense of power that overwhelms some of them to the point of giving in to their savage instincts. It is also a bit ironic that the boys run into all this trouble on a tropical island which are usually meant to be stress free and very beautiful, yet they cause turmoil.
Chapter 23 entitled "It's Never Just Heart Disease..." is about how heart conditions and diseases in works of literature are never as simple as they appear and they almost always have a deeper meaning. The novel I thought of when I read this chapter was "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel, Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne's secret lover, has a some type of heart disease that is slowly killing him and wasting away his body. His eyes become darker and more sunken in and his body becomes more pale, weak,and fragile. However, what his disease really symbolizes is his burdened conscience resulting from his affair with Hester and him having illegitimately fathered a child and how they are slowly eating away at his soul. This emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body. Also, the guilt he feels from having done this drives him to inflict self-punishment, usually in the form of whipping himself. This, along with the fact that he is an intelligent and emotional man give him the inspiration to write his awe-inspiring sermons.
I think that Josh Davis is wrong about chapter twenty three and Arthur Dimmesdale when he says,"
This emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body". I do not believe that the emotional and spiritual turmoil literally manifested into his physical deterioration. The self inflicted injuries did that. THe emotional and spiritual turmoil effected only his soul, leading him to confess to adultery.
One area where I disagree with both Trent Brock and the author is about this whole "One Story" nonsense. I do not believe in the least that every story and piece of literary work comes from other stories. In ancient times, when there was no connection between different between civilizations, literary work flourished independently in different cultures (Europe, Asia, Africa, Native American, etc.). How could there only be "One Story" when these cultures and many more developed with their own distinct writing styles and view points. Here are some more modern examples. How does Harry Potter relate to the Bible, Twilight to a biography of Robert E. Lee, or No Man's Land to a fairy tale?
ok forgive me for being so late in response to this past weeks discussion. I had a hecktic week and couldn't get to a computer til now.
The book has really opened my eyes to "reading between the lines". I find myself actually thinking about what something could be standing for not only in my reading but in movies I watch and even video games which I did not expect, but if you think about it a video game is a story as well as a novel.
I couldn't understand much about the geography chapter (which I hope we can straighten out in class) but I did relate quite well to the "he's blind for a reason" chapter. In most of the books that I read for fun, the main character or a protaganist in the book, is blind to something that he is doing or to the suffering of another in the story. It takes some growing and dramatic occurances before they are given their sight back by a miracle and are able to see their ways. I love how I knew that, and could agree with, that the blind characters could see more and understand more than the characters who could see shapes and color.
The other chapters I liked reading were the ones discussing the topic of irony. Most people that I know don't like irony,but I can find irony in almost anything I read and it's great fun to pick that out when no one else would have thought of it. Reading these two (I think unless there was suppose to be a third that I didn't relize was talking about irony) chapters gave me some few pointers on finding deeper irony in books. Even the novels that one would think didn't have irony in them, I can find something that is ironic at least to me. In a book called "How to Disappear" when a girl who has a wild imagination but doesn't get the attention she wants because of her little brother's nabbing attention wants to have her brother disappear she finds a mysterious friend who sends her notes in the form of comics. In these comics she is seeing herself and this friend drawn and playing games but when a comic comes showing nothing, she thinks she will disappear. But instead her brother diappears and she is left alone. I know that there is not too much irony in that. I find it ironic that when she gets her wish she fights her hardest to find the comic artist and get her brother back. Irony would have it that the comic drawer isn't in his right mind either but was just as lonely and thought that if the girl didn't want her brother than maybe he could have the boy as a friend and not be lonely. So out all of this they end up friends and the girl gets her brother back and it's just ironic to me how it all played out and why her brother disappeared in the first place.
I know I probable need work on the finer details of reading between the lines but this book has helped and I find myself actually using my new knowledge.
Wow Josh, i didn't even think of Rev. DimmesDale when reading that chapter. But you are right about his heart condition getting worse as the burden of his secret gets harder for him to bare. his heart condition shows that his heart is already weak and his affair with Hester is making his heart heavy. however, his guilt for allowing Hester to publicly carry the burden alone does prevent him from being a coward. His Cowardice finally ends in his final momnents when he confesses to the town that he is Pearl's father. once this burden is lifted, it's as though his heart doesn't know how to react and the shock causes his heart to stop and he dies in the same place where Hester admitted her sins and was forced to where the scarlet letter.
Also, i agree with Terry about the the chapert titled one Story. sure there are authors that have writings that resemble each other; but i don't believe that any author sets out to make a story just like his/her favorite piece of writing.
I have to disagree with Terry for disagreeing with me. It is true that Dimmesdale did inflict punishment on himself, like whipping himself, but these were mainly flesh wounds. They really had no deep, damaging effects on him. His heart condition, however, was what was really killing him. His condition was only made worse because of the fact that he had a very heavy conscience for committing adultery. Your emotions can actually physically manifest themselves in your body because, think about it, when you are really sad or depressed, your body feels physically tired and drained. So, yes, I would say my previous statement,"His emotional and spiritual turmoil manifested itself in the physical deterioration of his body" is relevant.
I was impressed, though, by Terry's allusion to Sampson in the Bible, and the whole being blind theme. Not only was he physically blinded, but he was also emotionally and spiritually blinded. Good job. Also, Brittany did a good job with this chapter. I never would have thought about Willy being blinded by the American Dream. He gets so caught up in trying to attain the "perfect" life by America's standards that he is "blinded" and he is not able to see what is happening in his family right before his eyes. You also did a good job.
Well Terry - think about it this way just like Foster puts it: I want you to use a word in a sentence that no one has ever used before. Can you do it? Probably not. In some sense, every work feeds off another work. I also did some research and found a website that connects Harry Potter to the Bible. Have a look...
http://www.harrypotterforseekers.com/articles/hpandthebible.php
As for the Robert E Lee biography and Twilight... I have never read Twilight so I can't really tell you much about that...sorry.
Hey guys. I haven't been able to post anything the past few weeks. I have been having some family issues and there have been many things happening lately. This is the first time I have actually got to get on a computer. I wanted to let you, Mrs. Hollifield, know I will have my postings up for all the chapters this coming week for you to look at and read. Again I am sorry for taking so long on this assignment and I will have my postings up soon. Thanks.
Mrs. Hollifield,
I just got done writing my blog for this week and when I went to post it the website said that it couldnt be more than 4,096 characters. So I'm not sure what's happening to it. I have it saved and I can email it to you if you. I'm not sure what to do about this but I guess I'll work on it some more later.
Great discussion this week! I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the comments about Dimmsdale you made, Josh. Very appropriate. I'm glad you're connecting physical decay with metaphorical decay.
I think we all have to consider carefully what Foster is trying to say in the chapter about one story. He is not saying that authors intentionally set out to copy their favorite stories. The stories we grew up with stick with our subconscious. We simply can't write anything that is completely new. Just like there isn't any music out there that hasn't been influenced by some other formerly written style. I once did a unit on creation myths with my 9th grade honors class. It was really interesting how many of them had flood stories. Trent, I'll have to check out that Harry Potter site you referenced. Indeed I could already see Harry being set up as a Christ figure, someone who has been through a fight with the forces of evil and has been marked. Sure, he's not supposed to BE Christ, but Harry is certainly a savior for the wizarding world. I also really like how you are all looking beyond the literal with these elements. Like the blindness idea and Brittany's comments about Willy Loman. Not only was HE blind, but he made everyone else around him blind (Linda, Happy). They refused to see what was right in front of them. And remember Tiresias from the Odyssey? A blind prophet? Oh, the irony.
Courtney, I occasionally have trouble with the character limit on the blog because I get long-winded. Just divide comments into 2 separate posts. No big deal. I look forward to reading your ideas.
Thanks to everyone for doing a great job with the Foster text. I am excited to apply these ideas with Hurston's novel!!
As everyone else has already pointed out, this book is pretty interesting. Foster says a lot of things that I agree with and some that I don't. Like Terry I don't believe in "his whole one story nonsense." I don't think that everyone who has ever written a book related it to something else, and also like Terry said how do the very first stories relate to each other. There were already tons of stories when the "new world" was discovered so how could he explain the stories of the natives being related to everyone elses.
I would also like to say that Trent seems very dedicated to this book. It's good to see that someone can appriciate school work that much and try to connect it to their everyday life instead of just assignments. I think that when you can do that it's a sign of really learning something instead of just memorizing it for the moment.
One of the chapters that I really liked was chapter 19, Geography Matters. As Foster says, geography really does make a difference. There's a book by Stephen King (I think it's called the Talisman) about a little boy whose father was killed and whose mother is dying. He meets a stranger that tells him all about this other world and how his mothers "twin" is the queen and she is also dying. He tells him that the only way to save his mother is to travel to the other world (to get a special talisman) and to go to the other side of it, which is like going from one end of the country to the other. He only has a few days to do it all in before she dies, and he thinks that it's worth a shot. So at this point in the story you have a little boy, about 9 years old, in a strange world by himself, trying to save his mother. In the other world there aren't modern day things like electricity or cars. If this novel had been in a different setting, like just our world, it would have been completely different. If the talisman had been in our world then he could have just hopped in a plane and gotten it really quickly, but since there isn't any such thing as a plane it takes him much longer. There aren't cars so he has to do all of his traveling on foot and it's harder for him to escape danger. Like any other Stephen King novel it leaves you anxious to find out if the character is going to make it out alive or get caught somewhere they shouldn't be. Stephen King is just one of those authors who knows how to lay out his setting in a good way. Another novel that this chapter made me think of was Twilight. If Bella hadn't moved to Forks, a small, dark, rainy town then being with Edward wouldn't have been possible. If the story had been set in California or Florida then Edward and his family wouldn't have been able to go outside or keep up their charade of being human. So as Foster said, setting matters.
Another chapter that caught my eye was chapter 24, ...And Rarely Just Illness. This chapter made me think of Ethan Frome. In this book Ethans wife is always sick. When they first met it was because his mother was dying and she was a nurse so she came to take care of them. His wife didn't become ill for the first time until after marrying. Ethan never really liked her, he only married her so that he wouldn't be lonely. That fact alone tells you that there's going to be trouble. Zeena seems to become ill just to get attention because none of the doctors that she goes to know what's wrong with her. When she became seriously ill and couldn't do the house work anymore her cousin Mattie came to take care of everything. Mattie and Ethan fall in a strange kind of love and when they can't be together they try to commit suicide together. That didn't turn out to successful either and Mattie became paralyzed and Ethan crippled. After all of Zeena's illness she ended up having to take care of Mattie. Zeena's illness is very ironic and could even be considered symbolic. Her illness and symptoms were fake and were constantly changing just like her life was about to start doing. Once she started working out being sick to her advantage Mattie came along to ruin it all. Zeena's fake illness could symbolize her fake love with Ethan. Now that I have looked back on it this novel has just as much irony to the illness as anything else. I think that this one novel could relate to almost all of the chapters in Fosters work.
I'm glad we're done with this book and ready to move on to the other novels. I've learned alot and i think from now on i will interpret what i've read to the novels i read. I'm sorry i posted kind of late, i was out of town. I agree with Terry's comments. I also thought about Ethan Frome and it's season in the book. I also like the Samson comparison. I also agree with Josh's comments about "lord of the Flies" where geography matters. Because the story wouldn't have been what it was if it wasn't in that certain place.
I would also like to make a comment on geography matters. I think that the setting of a story is one of the most important things in a book because without it there really couldn't be a story. Take any book. Like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Without the Mississippi river and all the little towns, the story couldn't have been that. It if was somewhere up North, then there really wouldn't be a reason to run from slavery. Or if it wasn't by the Mississippi river, then they would to have travelled some other way. It would have been a complety different story. The time the book is set is also important. Because nowadays we don't have slavery, and we have to know and set our minds that time period.
In the chapter "...And Rarely Just Illness", i thought about the book Ethan Frome again. I agree with Courtney's comment and how her "fake illness" could symbolize their "fake love". Zeena was always ill. She always had some kind of problems and always complaining. I think her illness stands for the way she was and the way it made her that way. Zeena was cold and distant, especially to Ethan. He didn't like being around her. She was cruel sometimes and heartless. Nobody likes to be around a person whose ill. She was like an illness. Just hurtfull and pleasant. Without her illness, she would have had to be a different character in the book or at least have a different personality. I enjoyed reading this book. It made me think of a lot of stories that i've read and try to compare them and understand what the author is telling us. I look forward to reading Hurston's novel.
Chapter 24 (...And Rarely Just Illness) made me think about the book Fever 1793, which I read quite a while ago. It deals with Mattie's and her family's struggles as they cope with the Yellow Fever epidemic that has encompassed thier town of Philadelphia. This disease meets all of the "requirements" Foster listed for a prime literary disease. It is picturesque because a person that recieves Yellow Fever gets a yellowish tint in their skin, and their eyes also become a shade of yellow. It was somewhat mysterious in orgin, in the begining, and it does somewhat have a symbolic possibilities.
Chapter 22 (He's Blind for a Reason You Know) made me think about Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and how he too, was blinded by the American Dream. This is similar to what Brittany said about how Willy is also blinded by the American Dream. They both let it over take their lives, and in the end it swallowes them whole.
In Chapter 18 "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism" Foster basically states that when a character is sumberged into water and brought back up, they are either a new person or being reborn. Automatically, I thought of Born Blue by Han Nolan. Janie is the daughter of Linda, a heroin addict. Janie's first memory of her childhood was her drowning. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in an unfamiliar place, a foster home. There, she meets Harmon Finch who soon becomes a brother figure to her and discovers her new found talent, singing. After drowning, she got another chance and a new found identity. As Foster states in Chapter 19, "As you know by now, there's rebirth when there's a renaming, right?" Janie too renames herself. She wanted to be someone else so she named herself Leshaya. If it wasn't for her drowning in the opening of the novel, she would have never gotten the chance to discover her talent or learn to be as strong as she is.
Chapter 19 "Geography Matters..." states that location plays a great role throughtout a novel. It adds scenery, stereotypes, a societys standards, opposing forces, and etc. For example, in The Great Gatsby two contrasting places included the West Egg and the East Egg. Although both were located in Long Island, they represented different things. The West Egg was for the newly rich and was considered the less fashionable Egg. While the East Egg was where the old money resided. People here inherited their welath and therefore, didn't appreciate it as much as those who worked for their money. People in the East Egg believed that no one in the West Egg, despite how much money they have will ever amount to anything.
Also, in Ethan Frome, environment was a powerful force in Ethan's fate. It is located in Starkfield, MA, a cold town that was best described as sluggish. Like the town itself, Ethan was poor and isolated as well. The characters in the novel thrive on their surroundings. Born in Starkfield, Ethan was trapped and couldn't escape his fate despite all attempts.
Along with Brittany and Amanda, I agree that Willy and Gatsby were both blinded by the American Dream. I believe the American Dream is a touch overated. Willy's belief in the American Dream is evertually what defeats him. No matter how hard he worked or how hard he pushed his sons to achieve the dream, he would never get the chance to actually obtain it. For Gatsby, not only was he blinded by the American Dream but he was also blinded by Daisy's "love." He tried so hard to rekindle their old romance with his lavish home, extravagent parties, and other expensive things. In the end, he too fails. I'm not saying that the dream is impossible but while some may achieve it, others just dwindle on it. Their blindness to the dream is what eventually sent them both to their graves.
Also along with Courtney and Christina, I agree that Zeena's "illness" played a significant role in the novel. Her "illness" is what made her her. As Christina said, without her illness, she would have been a different person. Maybe she would have been a little more kind and kept a warm and loving home rather than a cold one. Nonetheless, she was coldhearted, cruel, and always had the need for attention. I believe that her need was what made her sick or if she really was sick, then she must have exaggerated it. I thought it was ironic how in the end, she was the one who had to take care of Ethan and Mattie after their accident that left them handicapped for life.
Chapter 20 talks about how seasons and the weather that comes with the changing seasons are symbolic and how they affect a novel. In Mrs. Hall's class we read Ethan Frome as a class. This novels setting was the first thing that came to mind for me because it played such a key role. It was set in winter which helps brings out many symbols. Winter is cold and bland just like Ethan and Zeena's relationship. It symbolizes death as Terry said when Ethan and Mattie try to commit suicide by sledding down the hill. Every element of the novel was helped out with the simpleness of the winter setting.
Chapter 22 "He's Blind for a Reason, You Know" made me automatically think of the novel Death of a Salesman. The main character Willy Loman was so blinded by his want of the "American Dream". Nothing else mattered to him except for that desire not even his family. His family suffered severly from his addiction more so his sons Happy and Biff. He was so blind that he could not see how bad this hurt his family, even as he died.
Trent I agree 100% with you on your statement about the Interlude "One Story". Every author is influenced by something. It dosen't matter if they addmit to it or not they are! Everything they read is influenced by something else then it influences them. It's a cycle. I disagree with Terry. With every work there is always a way something from another novel can be pulled from it. Im pretty sure the only way an author could not be influenced by something is if they stay completly secluded and isolated.
Brittany I was thinking the same exact thing on chapter 21 with the fairy tales. I was a big disney geek when I was little and like you said those important characters were always different and always stood out. I can look back now and see they were always the one that would be teaching the life lessons. These different characters like you said show that people are different and being odd is perfectly fine. They are inspirations to kids.
Trent, I believe you have hit the nail on the head. He teaches you that reading is a puzzle waiting to be solved. Foster teaches you how to get inside the authors head and see how these talented authors can incorporate so many different things to create something way more than just a book.
In relation to Trent and Brittany's conversation about Willy being "blind" i must say i was thinking literall also. I do that a lot. But now that i know what is going on in these author's heads i will be much more thoughtfull, observant, and carefull.
Chapter21 "Marked For Greatness" lets us in on the fact that a lot of the times authors impede their heroes or mark them as the title of the chapter suggests. The first thing that came to mind was Harry Potter's legendary scar. (Later to find out he actually references Harry potter. Yay. I called one.)It is a very common trait among heroes actually now that Foster mentions it. For a few quick example of my own, you can apply this theory to "The Phantom of the Opera". The phantom is marked by a hideous face. But the Phantom is also a wonderfull musician. I have read the "Eragon" series by Christopher Paolini. The main character Eragon is marked in a sword battle with a member of the antagonist's army. He contains a huge scar across his back. Throught the novel the scar keeps causing him unrelenting pain that on occasion makes him pass out. Yet he overcomes this and is the hero of the novel. When i read i will always take notice of an impediment.
In Chapter 25, "Don't Read With Your Eyes", Foster explains that you have to take the perspective and mindset of the time (historically) or even the character ( put yourself in his shoes kind of deal.)I will relate this to Earnest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" since this is one of the few chapters that he doesn't reference it in. From an outside view I'ts an old man, a sailboat, and a fish. The fish gets eaten by sharks and his bad luck has continued. When you look at it through Santiago's eyes the fish being eaten by sharks really destroys Santiago himself. There is no top of the line fishing equipment, no top of the line boat, no fish finder. So when he reels this great fish in, it is truly a great feat. Also, the fact that he truly prides himself on his ability and know-how adds to his let down. Look at this story from his eyes and you can truly understand his pain.
As an end note this book was excellent. It's one I will never forget, and probably end up reading again at some point in college. Thank you for selecting it Mrs. Hollifield, i feel a though i have already learned a lot from your class..... Let's see how these next novels go :/ lol
I agree with Terry on chpater 20 with Ethan Frome and I would also have to agree with Trent on incorporating chapter 19 with chapter 20. Setting plays an important role in a story/novel. Just like with Ethan Frome. It was set in the winter in Starkfield, Massachusetts and would have been much different if it were in Florida or Texas, or just anywhere other than Massachusetts.
Chapter 21 as I guessed it, Harry Potter. As soon as Foster said scars that's the first thing that popped in my head. His scar resembles that he remained alive after Lord Valdimore entered his home and killed his parents. It also brought me back to when I was younger and watched Disney movies. I never would have thought there were messages the character(s) were trying to tell us. Just like Dumbo with his big ears or the ugly duckling as Brittany was saying. It told us as kids to just be ourselves no matter what our physical appearance may be.
In chapter 22 I would agree with Josh on this. The Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale had a "heart problem" because he was keeping his secret affair from everyone about him and Hester. His physical appearance changed through out the entire novel as his heart kept getting worse and worse because he would whip himself as a punishment. He finally confesses his secret affair because of emotional and spiritual stress on his human soul. He couldn't bear to keep it from the people anymore.
I have enjoyed this book and it has taught me so much about reading and what to look for. Although some chapters didn't catch my eye like the others I still enjoyed learning from it :)
As I read on in "How to Read Like a Professor" I discovered many new topics that Foster made very appealing to me. I just couldn’t put the book down. Foster discusses subjects from baptism to seasons of the year and even irony.
Chapter 19- Geography Matters…
In chapter nineteen Foster discusses the importance of setting. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain uses setting to develop the plot and characters in the novel. The novel is set around the Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri; it also takes place around several locations along the river through Arkansas. In the novel Twain uses the setting of nature as structure for the story. In fact nature almost becomes one of the characters. The most prominent force of nature in the novel was the Mississippi River. The river was not only Huck and Jim’s escape route, but perhaps it became their biggest enemy because it was always unpredictable. Nature is the strongest factor in the novel because in a completely different geographical setting the story would have had not only a different outcome, but Huck and Jim might never have found friendship and freedom. Twain changes his tone when describing the Mississippi River from wry and sarcastic to flowing and daydreaming. This change in tone illustrates his own appreciation for the beauty and significance that nature holds for him. Obviously, the river was an integral part of the story for both Jim and Huck to get away without being caught.
Chapter 26- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
In chapter twenty-six we learn an extremely important saying “irony trumps everything.” Pretty much saying we need to look for irony in everything we read. Last year in Mrs. Hall’s class we read “The Devil and Tom Walker.” This piece had irony worked in all through it. The main character, Tom Walker, keeps a big Bible on his desk buried under the mortgages and foreclosures, and he keeps another smaller one in his coat. However, when the Devil comes, neither one is within his reach. Another ironic moment is when Tom ends up calling the Devil himself when he is arguing with a customer. Tom claims that he hasn’t cheated the customer and says, “The Devil take me if I have made a farthing” (359). Then there were three knocks on the door. Tom himself knows what it is like to be poor, but he shows no sympathy for the poor when he is rich.
Chapter 24, "It's Never Just Heart Disease", brings to mind Arthur Dimmesdale from "The Scarlet Letter". Dimmesdale has a physically deteriorating heart disease. As the story goes on, his disease seems to take over his entire body. On the outside Dimmesdale seems to become darker, gloomier, and weaker. This is actually caused by the weight of his guilty conscience slowly bringing him down. Hester, the main character of the story, has committed adultery and is taking all the punishment and blame for the affair. Dimmesdale slowly breaks down and his guilt gets the best of him.
As I had mentioned in my previous blog, I am a fan of the "Twilight" series. I used the field in the first book as a symbol for happiness in Bella's life. This field also represents an element of irony. In the second book, "New Moon", Edward leaves Bella to prevent any further harm to her. Bella is heartbroken and ultimately torn apart. The only happiness she has in life has just walked away and left her to fend for herself. She gets lost in the woods for hours in search of this hope-restoring field. When she finds what she's looking for, or for that matter when she doesn't find what she's looking for, Edward, she collapses in agony and pain. The field has now come to symbolize all of Bella's excitement about life lost in a matter of seconds.
Before reading this book I would have never made the connections that I have. This book opens the eyes to all readers to explore the words deeper and find their finer meanings.
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