Dear AP students:
One last blog entry. And it's very simple. First, let's hear about the the possible themes of The Metamorphosis? What could we say is the meaning or message of the story?
Second, Gregor isn't the only character that undergoes a change in this story. Who else does? And what does that change have to do with any possible theme?
Third, did anybody notice that at the beginning of the story, the weather was rainy, and then weather seems to be absent from the story as the setting is all indoors, but that at the end of the story there was finally sunshine and the characters ventured outside? What's that all about?
See you tomorrow. Make sure you study all the blog entries, to include the student comments.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Symbols and Coping: Entry # 8
Dear AP students:
I hate to say it, but vacation is time is almost over. How sad, uh?
Yes, of course I am being sarcastic! I am actually looking forward to seeing all of you once again. We will get to revel in each other's witty company and write essays and read more great works of literature!! Who could ask for more?
In the meantime, while these last golden days come to a finish, I hope you are working on your holiday break assignment, and that perhaps you've read an additional book of literary merit. Remember, I'll ask for the homework assignments on Tuesday, so be ready.
Regarding The Metamorphosis, let's take a look at a few things. First, let's discuss symbols. I think there are a few symbols that we need to examine in order to help us understand the meaning or theme of the story. Here's a list of them:
a. The violin
b. The three nameless boarders that show up in the latter part of the story.
c. The framed picture of the woman wearing a fur boa that hung on Gregor's bedroom wall.
d. The military uniform worn by Gregor's father.
e. The furniture that's removed from Gregor's bedroom.
f. The apple that hits Gregor in the back.
Does anyone care to comment on significance of these symbols? What do they mean? How do they contribute to the theme of the story? Are there other symbols?
Next subject, there is no great hero in this story. A bug that everyone finds disgusting can't be a hero, right? Without a hero there no great quest involving the slaying of a dragon or the rescue of ta damsel in distress, correct? That seems to be true for so many 20th century stories, which are full of irony. Characters in 20th century literature seem to be ordinary people who must live their lives in quiet desperation. Instead of doing dramatic things like brandishing a sword and rescuing people like a classic warrior, they merely "cope" with whatever dangers lie present. By "coping", I mean they try to deal successfully with their problems/tragedy or death by adapting emotionally to adverse circumstances--in doing so, they find ways to eliminate the stress or conflict brought about by the problem. Think of Heart of Darkness; in that story there are a number of characters who cope with either Africa/wilderness or with the onslaught of Imperialism. Nobody successfully tames either the jungle or Imperialism, especially Marlow, who remains a bystander to a great extent. But they do survive by adapting...yet, they do it in different ways.
That seems to be the case in The Metamorphosis. Characters seem to cope with the problems
they are forced to encounter. The question is...how do they each cope? How does the father cope? How does the daughter? How about Gregor? Or do you think they do more than just cope?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Absurdity and Feminism # 7
Dear AP students:
We have previously discussed the strong element of absurdity in The Metamorphosis, but what struck me while taking in all this absurdity was the complete lack of absurdity in the non-fiction book Mountains Beyond Mountains, our book for the Common Senior Experience. In that book, we see the what-appears-to-be sense of hopelessness in Haiti. Here is a country that is extremely poor, wracked by disease, earthquakes, corrupt governments, and can't even handle all the money and supplies donated by the world community--and this has been the case for so long that many people have forgotten that Haiti even exists . And yet, Dr Paul Farmer trudges on in spite of all this apparent hopelessness. And the reason we read the book is to demonstrate that one man can make a difference--we as reader, and as Olympian students and teachers seem to ignore the absurdity in favor of fifuring out how we can help. Farmer and Tracy Kidder don't look at the absurd nature of Haiti's situation, which I think would be very easy to do. On the contrary, Mountains Beyond Mountains preaches hope in the face of extreme adversity, and the idea of never giving up. I suppose a novelist could take that situation and write a story that contains strong elements of absurdity--and maybe someone already has.
If Farmer and Tracy Kidder were writing an absurdest story they could also throw in an element of alienation to compliment the absurdity. We would read about how Farmer felt extremely alienated being a lone white American in a land of people speaking a different language and possessing different cultural values. He could very well represent himself in such a story as a bug like creature or outsider not fitting in. But his real story is far different--he learns the language, develops friendships, and even marries a Haitian woman. A very remarkable story! However, I think Farmer and Kidder, if they were writing a fictional story, would probably feel comfortable writing a story detailing the absurdity of U.S. foreign policy in Haiti, perhaps like Conrad did for European imperialism in Heart of Darkness. The abusridty would be found in the behavior an dattitudes of government officials. They would be portrayed as incompetent and mayb eeven a bit evil, right? Maybe in order to write a good absurdist novel you need a villain, like a big powerful country, business, or military force? What do you all think?
But enough sermonizing. Let's get back to the The Metamorphosis. Let's view it through another lens--that being the lens of "Feminisim." If we read the story through a Feminist lens, what do we see? How are the women portrayed? Do we see traditional roles? Do we see women being controlled by a patriarch? Do we see equality for women? Are the women characters treated with respect and allowed real personalities? I think we need to take a good look at his sister, and see what she represents. So go ahead and contribute your thoughts.
We have previously discussed the strong element of absurdity in The Metamorphosis, but what struck me while taking in all this absurdity was the complete lack of absurdity in the non-fiction book Mountains Beyond Mountains, our book for the Common Senior Experience. In that book, we see the what-appears-to-be sense of hopelessness in Haiti. Here is a country that is extremely poor, wracked by disease, earthquakes, corrupt governments, and can't even handle all the money and supplies donated by the world community--and this has been the case for so long that many people have forgotten that Haiti even exists . And yet, Dr Paul Farmer trudges on in spite of all this apparent hopelessness. And the reason we read the book is to demonstrate that one man can make a difference--we as reader, and as Olympian students and teachers seem to ignore the absurdity in favor of fifuring out how we can help. Farmer and Tracy Kidder don't look at the absurd nature of Haiti's situation, which I think would be very easy to do. On the contrary, Mountains Beyond Mountains preaches hope in the face of extreme adversity, and the idea of never giving up. I suppose a novelist could take that situation and write a story that contains strong elements of absurdity--and maybe someone already has.
If Farmer and Tracy Kidder were writing an absurdest story they could also throw in an element of alienation to compliment the absurdity. We would read about how Farmer felt extremely alienated being a lone white American in a land of people speaking a different language and possessing different cultural values. He could very well represent himself in such a story as a bug like creature or outsider not fitting in. But his real story is far different--he learns the language, develops friendships, and even marries a Haitian woman. A very remarkable story! However, I think Farmer and Kidder, if they were writing a fictional story, would probably feel comfortable writing a story detailing the absurdity of U.S. foreign policy in Haiti, perhaps like Conrad did for European imperialism in Heart of Darkness. The abusridty would be found in the behavior an dattitudes of government officials. They would be portrayed as incompetent and mayb eeven a bit evil, right? Maybe in order to write a good absurdist novel you need a villain, like a big powerful country, business, or military force? What do you all think?
But enough sermonizing. Let's get back to the The Metamorphosis. Let's view it through another lens--that being the lens of "Feminisim." If we read the story through a Feminist lens, what do we see? How are the women portrayed? Do we see traditional roles? Do we see women being controlled by a patriarch? Do we see equality for women? Are the women characters treated with respect and allowed real personalities? I think we need to take a good look at his sister, and see what she represents. So go ahead and contribute your thoughts.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Existentialism: Entry # 6
Dear AP students:
Let's discuss a concept we have briefly touched upomn while reading Catcher in the Rye. Let's analyze The Metamorphosis from the Existentialist perspective.
According to one web site, Existentialism can be defined as follows:
"The term "existentialism" refers to a literary movement of the mid-twentieth
century which holds that man has complete freedom to determine his own fate. The
actions he chooses in fact determine his existence. Existentialists believe that
a particular individual is not the way he is because God made him that way, or
because he is part of a great human community with common characteristics. He is
the way he is because -- that’s how he is. He is an individual; he is unique and
independent. His destiny is his own, his choices are his own to make, and he
should make the choices that are right for him. No general rules apply. It is
this singular individuality, in fact, that allows him to exist at all."
"Existentialist literature deals extensively with the theme of alienation,
because existentialists believe that each individual human being is
fundamentally alone. One’s essential lack of communion with others makes the
individual ultimately responsible for his or her own decisions. For this reason,
the existentialist avoids doctrine and ideology..."
"Existentialism disavows a sense of "pattern" in the universe, a
grand scheme in which we all play a part. There is no ultimate meaning, they
argue; all people have to forge their own meaning for themselves, and therefore
one person’s decisions have no cosmic interrelationship with another’s."
Absurdity also plays a significant role in Existentialism because an Existentialist recognizes the absurdity in a world in which there is no pattern or logic. However, an existentialist does not bemoan the fact that the world is full of absurdity. They believe there is a certain nobility in struggling aganst this absurdity. Think of the myth of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was punished by a King to spend the rest of his life pushing up a boulder to the top of a hill...but each time before he reached the top the boulder would fall back down to the bottom...all was in vain. The Existentialist recognizes that Sisyphus continues to struggle alone against this absurd situation and finds this struggle a noble act, and not a situation that should discourage him.
So, as seen from the lens of existentalism, what do we see in The Metamorphosis that says anything about choice or freedom of an individualm, or lack thereof?
Let's discuss a concept we have briefly touched upomn while reading Catcher in the Rye. Let's analyze The Metamorphosis from the Existentialist perspective.
According to one web site, Existentialism can be defined as follows:
"The term "existentialism" refers to a literary movement of the mid-twentieth
century which holds that man has complete freedom to determine his own fate. The
actions he chooses in fact determine his existence. Existentialists believe that
a particular individual is not the way he is because God made him that way, or
because he is part of a great human community with common characteristics. He is
the way he is because -- that’s how he is. He is an individual; he is unique and
independent. His destiny is his own, his choices are his own to make, and he
should make the choices that are right for him. No general rules apply. It is
this singular individuality, in fact, that allows him to exist at all."
"Existentialist literature deals extensively with the theme of alienation,
because existentialists believe that each individual human being is
fundamentally alone. One’s essential lack of communion with others makes the
individual ultimately responsible for his or her own decisions. For this reason,
the existentialist avoids doctrine and ideology..."
"Existentialism disavows a sense of "pattern" in the universe, a
grand scheme in which we all play a part. There is no ultimate meaning, they
argue; all people have to forge their own meaning for themselves, and therefore
one person’s decisions have no cosmic interrelationship with another’s."
Absurdity also plays a significant role in Existentialism because an Existentialist recognizes the absurdity in a world in which there is no pattern or logic. However, an existentialist does not bemoan the fact that the world is full of absurdity. They believe there is a certain nobility in struggling aganst this absurdity. Think of the myth of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was punished by a King to spend the rest of his life pushing up a boulder to the top of a hill...but each time before he reached the top the boulder would fall back down to the bottom...all was in vain. The Existentialist recognizes that Sisyphus continues to struggle alone against this absurd situation and finds this struggle a noble act, and not a situation that should discourage him.
So, as seen from the lens of existentalism, what do we see in The Metamorphosis that says anything about choice or freedom of an individualm, or lack thereof?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Families # 5
Dear AP Students:
Let's talk about the role of families in novels/novellas. Family members and the relationship between family members can often play significant roles in novels--oftentimes the motivation of the main character can be traced bakc to how he/she gets along/doesn't get along with a family member. That kind of conflict makes for great literature!!
We can't talk about families in literature without consider the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's quote: he said "All happy families resemble one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
There is certainly a strange family dynamic going on in The Metamorphosis. They certainly don't seem like a happy family--but that could be because of Gregor Samsa! Or maybe in spite of him!
Before we discuss Gregor Samsa's family, let's review some of the families we've read about so far this year.
In Frankenstein, we see the strong role the mother and father of Victor play in the story. The mother is a loving, caring person who sacrifices her life to take care of Victor's adopted sister. She sets an example of selflessness, one that Victor does not consider when he makes his own creation. And the father raises Victor in a nice house and provides him with affection and security. As you can see, the family members are used by the author to contrast with Victor's treatment of the monster.
In Catcher in the Rye, we see some kind of tension between Holden and his parents. We never see the parents, even when he visits his house in Manhattan. But it's obvious from Holden's narration that he realizes he has let his father down by getting kicked out of several prep schools. It's that classic type of tense relationship between father and rebellious son we often see in books and movies in Post WWII American literature. The father represents the establishment that Holden finds phony. Then there is the relationship between his older brother, who he considers a phony, and the one between he and his sister Phoebe, a character who serves as his foil. And of course there's that key relationship he had with Allie, made more significant by Allie's death. This relationship, in fact, drives the story by providing one of the key influences on Holden's life.
Of course, in Brave New World, the concept of family has been been eliminated by the government.
And then there's Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Without Lady Macbeth whispering in his ear we wouldn't have a story. We needed her and her evil, and we needed Macbeth to be willing to listen to her
Regarding family in The Metamorphosis....what can we say about the way Gregor thinks/acts regarding his family? What about the way the family treats him? What about the relationship between Gregor and his father in particular? What is going on there? Are there any budding psychologists out there that want to analyze that relationship and tell us what that relationship might symbolize from a Freudian perspective? (another perspective that can help us understand the story--go ahead and do some internet research on the Freudian perspective and comment on it for us) And how does the relationship between Gregor and his sister change during the story?
Let's talk about the role of families in novels/novellas. Family members and the relationship between family members can often play significant roles in novels--oftentimes the motivation of the main character can be traced bakc to how he/she gets along/doesn't get along with a family member. That kind of conflict makes for great literature!!
We can't talk about families in literature without consider the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's quote: he said "All happy families resemble one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
There is certainly a strange family dynamic going on in The Metamorphosis. They certainly don't seem like a happy family--but that could be because of Gregor Samsa! Or maybe in spite of him!
Before we discuss Gregor Samsa's family, let's review some of the families we've read about so far this year.
In Frankenstein, we see the strong role the mother and father of Victor play in the story. The mother is a loving, caring person who sacrifices her life to take care of Victor's adopted sister. She sets an example of selflessness, one that Victor does not consider when he makes his own creation. And the father raises Victor in a nice house and provides him with affection and security. As you can see, the family members are used by the author to contrast with Victor's treatment of the monster.
In Catcher in the Rye, we see some kind of tension between Holden and his parents. We never see the parents, even when he visits his house in Manhattan. But it's obvious from Holden's narration that he realizes he has let his father down by getting kicked out of several prep schools. It's that classic type of tense relationship between father and rebellious son we often see in books and movies in Post WWII American literature. The father represents the establishment that Holden finds phony. Then there is the relationship between his older brother, who he considers a phony, and the one between he and his sister Phoebe, a character who serves as his foil. And of course there's that key relationship he had with Allie, made more significant by Allie's death. This relationship, in fact, drives the story by providing one of the key influences on Holden's life.
Of course, in Brave New World, the concept of family has been been eliminated by the government.
And then there's Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Without Lady Macbeth whispering in his ear we wouldn't have a story. We needed her and her evil, and we needed Macbeth to be willing to listen to her
Regarding family in The Metamorphosis....what can we say about the way Gregor thinks/acts regarding his family? What about the way the family treats him? What about the relationship between Gregor and his father in particular? What is going on there? Are there any budding psychologists out there that want to analyze that relationship and tell us what that relationship might symbolize from a Freudian perspective? (another perspective that can help us understand the story--go ahead and do some internet research on the Freudian perspective and comment on it for us) And how does the relationship between Gregor and his sister change during the story?
Monday, January 2, 2012
Surrealism and Kafkaesque Entry # 4
Dear AP students:
Two terms I want you to be acquainted with are "Surrealism" and "Kafkaesque".
Some of you have probably heard the term "Surrealism" or "Surrealistic". You've probably heard someone say somethings like "the scene seemed surrealistic" when describing a weird encounter or setting. Surrealism refers to a literary and/or artistic movement beginning in the 1920's that tried to represent the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery and juxtaposing ideas that seem to contradict each other. As they developed the surrealists believed in advocating the idea that ordinary and depictive expressions are vital and important, but that the sense of their arrangement must be open to the full range of imagination, just as you might experience things in a dream. To quote one source, "beside the use of dream analysis, the Surrealists emphasized that 'one could combine inside the same frame, elements not normally found together to produce illogical and startling effects.'" If you are an Art History buff, you might call to mind the art work of Salvador Dali as a perfect example of Surrealism. Dali is the arist of the painting at th etop of this entry.
Some people lump Franz Kafka in with the surrealists because of his use of devices such as a man experiencing life as a bug (sounds like something from a dream, doesn't it?).
What do you think? Does The Metamorphosis fall into the category of Surrealism? Does it feel Surrealistic to you?
Second, the term "Kafkaesque" is one of those terms that's frequently used as a popular and effective cultural allusion. The term is a reference to the type of stories that Kafka usually wrote--by that people mean stories that are nightmarish, bizarre, or illogical. If you were to say that someone leads a Kafkaesque lifestyle that would probably not be taken as a compliment, unless that person prided themselves in being bizarre (and there are probably some of you out there that might take pride in believing you are Kafkaesque!!!) Do any of you have an experience in your life that felt Kafkaesque? How about a book you have read? Or a movie?
So it is the beginning of the new year, and with that comes the desire to have new year's resolutions. Our attempt to become better people!! To celebrate the new year I want you to play the role of Gregor Samsa, and think of what one of his new year's resolutions might have been had he had the good fortune of morphing back into a human being. For example, he might have thought/wrote..."I Gregor Samsa resolve to get a new and better job. I am tired of being a salesman. I hate going to my office, and I hate my boss. And I don't think I make enough money to support my family and send my sister to school. I will start looking in the want ads today !!" Give it a try by including your own Samsa new years resolution as a blog entry.
Two terms I want you to be acquainted with are "Surrealism" and "Kafkaesque".
Some of you have probably heard the term "Surrealism" or "Surrealistic". You've probably heard someone say somethings like "the scene seemed surrealistic" when describing a weird encounter or setting. Surrealism refers to a literary and/or artistic movement beginning in the 1920's that tried to represent the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery and juxtaposing ideas that seem to contradict each other. As they developed the surrealists believed in advocating the idea that ordinary and depictive expressions are vital and important, but that the sense of their arrangement must be open to the full range of imagination, just as you might experience things in a dream. To quote one source, "beside the use of dream analysis, the Surrealists emphasized that 'one could combine inside the same frame, elements not normally found together to produce illogical and startling effects.'" If you are an Art History buff, you might call to mind the art work of Salvador Dali as a perfect example of Surrealism. Dali is the arist of the painting at th etop of this entry.
Some people lump Franz Kafka in with the surrealists because of his use of devices such as a man experiencing life as a bug (sounds like something from a dream, doesn't it?).
What do you think? Does The Metamorphosis fall into the category of Surrealism? Does it feel Surrealistic to you?
Second, the term "Kafkaesque" is one of those terms that's frequently used as a popular and effective cultural allusion. The term is a reference to the type of stories that Kafka usually wrote--by that people mean stories that are nightmarish, bizarre, or illogical. If you were to say that someone leads a Kafkaesque lifestyle that would probably not be taken as a compliment, unless that person prided themselves in being bizarre (and there are probably some of you out there that might take pride in believing you are Kafkaesque!!!) Do any of you have an experience in your life that felt Kafkaesque? How about a book you have read? Or a movie?
So it is the beginning of the new year, and with that comes the desire to have new year's resolutions. Our attempt to become better people!! To celebrate the new year I want you to play the role of Gregor Samsa, and think of what one of his new year's resolutions might have been had he had the good fortune of morphing back into a human being. For example, he might have thought/wrote..."I Gregor Samsa resolve to get a new and better job. I am tired of being a salesman. I hate going to my office, and I hate my boss. And I don't think I make enough money to support my family and send my sister to school. I will start looking in the want ads today !!" Give it a try by including your own Samsa new years resolution as a blog entry.
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