Sunday, November 20, 2011

Weblog Entry 11

          Throughout “The Things they Carried”, there were numerous mentions of the weight or burden of the intangible. By experiences of the soldiers during the war, effectively expressed how the intangible things are often heavier and harder to deal with than objects. I think the main factors that proved this point were love and imagination.

           Love of a burden for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, who was the main character. This negative aspect of love was not present in the start but Lieutenant Cross was able to realize this by the end of the story. His love for Martha had always been a fantasy. He was aware of the fact that his love wasn’t returned but he still worried about her relationships with her men and her virginity. He regretted about the things he had done in the past and wished to change them for the better. His constant obsession for her and his knowing of the truth that his obsession will not have a positive outcome proves that his love is a burden. Also, when one of his men died, he realizes that he had been neglecting his role as a leader because of his “love life”. This was not only a burden for him but also his men. In the text it says “and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her.” This shows his guilt or the heavy weight in his heart for his lack of responsibility. By the very end, he thinks to himself, “He would dispense with love; it was not now a factor.”

            Anyone imagines about their fate in war, and it can really change the way people think and see things. In the story it describes that “Imagination was a killer.” When Strunk was chosen for the tunnel duty, the rest of his “buddies” had to just sit and wait, half expecting a scream, but hoping for him to come back with all four limbs. As they waited for him, all sorts of thoughts went through their heads about possibilities and different situations. They were scared and worried and their imaginations added to the effect. It can really control you. Like the situation in the story, if the imaginations were unpleasant, it can really come to pressure and burden people since there is always something at the back of people’s minds that makes them uncomfortable and worry until they break down emotionally.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Weblog Entry 10

In Gryphon, describe three ways Baxter intertwines the conventional and unconventional and for what purpose this interplay is used.
From reading "Gryphon", in class we came to a conclusion that Mr.Hibbler represented normalcy and Ms. Ferenczi represents the unusual. The first time the concentional and unconventional clash is when Ms. Ferenzci is about to start her lesson as a substitute teacher. On of the students stop her and tell her that "Mr. Hibbler always starts the day with the Pledge of Allegiance." However, Ms. Ferenzci responds, "No, no allegiance-pledging on the premises today, by my reckoning." She avoids the usual classroom atmosphere to fit her own. This is the first account of the children being steered away from their habitual schedule in school.

The second accout of the clash is when the children are learing arithmetic. When one of her students make a mistake by saying that six times six is sixty-eight, Ms. Ferenzci doesn't stop to correct him. When the children point it out, she replies by saying, "But, and I know some people will not entirely agree with me, at some times it is sixty-eight." This totally confuses the children as it is not what they had been taught by Mr.Hibbler. The children are taught the "substitute fact" that six times six is sixty-eight. I think Ms. Ferenzci wanted the children to think outside of the box and be open minded to learn and try things new to them. The children are facinated by the new fact.

The last example is when Ms. Ferenzci shares her view on death to her chidlren. Before she starts arithmetic, she tells the children, "There is no death," and that the students "must never be afraid. never. That which is, cannot die. It will change into different earthly and unearthyly elements," Afterwards, the children "absentmindedly" did their arithmetic problems. What she had told them was completely different to their beliefs. When she comes back in december, she tells the fortune of a student called Wayne. When Wayne finds out that he is destined to die soon, Ms. Ferenzci breaks the news to him in an unusual matter. She says, "But do not fear" and "It is not really daeth. Just change". Her reactions to his destiny is very different to what the ideal reaction would've been and it not only takes Wayne off guard but probably the rest of the class. Their idea about death was not the same as the Ms. Ferenczi's.

I think Baxter's main purpose of this interplay was the show the effects of what new ideas or imaginations can do to order in one's mind. Everytime Ms. Ferenczi had an input of her mind and ideas in the class, the children first opposed to the idea but came to partially agree with it, which causes them to become creative. It sets them out of the cage of normalcy that Mr.Hibbler and other teacher in their past have locked them in.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Weblog Entry 9

In a story about the Das Family and their taxi driver while on vacation, do you believe Jhumpa Lahiri constructed a hopeful story? Or otherwise?
Although there is no wrong or right answer to this response, I think Lahiri has constructed a story that is the opposite of being hopeful. Since Mrs. Das was the main cause of the important problems stated in the story I think she is responsible for the unhopeful story and its negative ending. Firstly, Mrs. Das’s dark intention of befriending Mr. Kapasi and her true personality is relieved. Before Mrs. Das requests Mr. Kapasi for a remedy to her malady, she acts in a friendly manner towards him, and all along, I think she was interested in Mr. Kapasi for her own benefit. When Mr. Kapasi finally gives his words of wisdom, “She opened her mouth to say something but as she glared at Mr. Kapasi sine certain knowledge seemed to pass before her eyes, and she stopped.”. At this point, it shows that Mrs. Das is showing her disappointment to his remedy because it is an answer that she did not want. This indicates that she has not learned her lesson yet because she is unwilling to accept the truth but wants to be comforted about her actions, which does not deserve it. When the Das family becomes aware that Bobby has gone missing, no one but Mrs. Das seems to care. Mr. Das says and asks “I don’t know. Ronny, where’s Bobby?”. This line tells me that Mr. Das doesn’t care about where his son may be and passes on the responsibility to his young Ronny. Mrs. Das states “God, let’s get out of here,” and “This place gives me the creeps.” It indicates the place never set a good impression on her. Lastly, when it says “Mr. Kapasi’s address on it fluttered away in the wind. No one but Mr. Kapasi noticed.” It resembles the relationship between Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das. Mr. Kapasi was just a piece of paper that could be disposed anytime for Mrs. Das except for the times when he was useful to her. Overall, I think the story shows an example of a family that is held together by something other than love, such as guilt in the case of Mrs. Das or obligation in the case of Mr. Das as it seems like he thinks it’s necessary to place the role of a father, not have the heart of one.