Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds will never progress. The ability to shift ones perspective to a new is rewarding. Perspective is such an important thing - it is how we view the world. When I selected the poem Backside, my initial thoughts were much different than my current ones. My perspective changed in a sense. In my eyes, the poem was filled with pretty images of nature but the deeper meaning was not clear and I had many questions. Luckily, it is not unusual to misinterpret a poem's meaning. It usually takes extensive research and discussions along with a thorough and deep analysis in order to stumble across it's underlying meaning. It was through those means that I was able to unearth its core: the damaging acts of human existence are the cause of the destruction of nature.
A riddle can help sharpen the mind and open up new thought processes. They come in many forms whether its a puzzle, a game or in this matter, a poem. Finding Backside's meaning was much like solving a riddle: every element needed to be identified, an open-mind to a different perspective needed to be present, and the use of logic and serious thought was required. I had a question about every line. "Day falls into the leaves like sparkling fish/ And struggles, like the lowly mud."(Sagawa 3-4) - what are the struggles that she is talking about? "And the space that was chopped down/ Tickles the weeds there by its feet."(Sagawa 7-8) - what was chopped down? Why? Who is "its"? Frustration began to be the only thing I felt during this process because it felt like I would never understand its deeper meaning. The biggest question I had in the entire poem was about the last line: "And then people move forward."(Sagawa 11). Into what are the people moving forward? After reading and analyzing the poem over and over again, words like "shriveled, deridable despair."(Sagawa 6) and "writhing darkness"(Sagawa 10) became more prominent, altering the images in my mind from beaming and illuminated to dark and grim. It became clear that this is not a happy poem. The riddle had not been solved yet, but I felt I was getting closer to unlocking Sagawa's metaphors. Every word and aspect of every line had been identified, but I needed a get new perspective.
The impact another person's thoughts can have on your own thinking is incredible. After comparing and exchanging different perceptions of Backside with a wise former English teacher, the poem's meaning started to become more evident. As John Heywood said, "two heads are better than one". It seemed we had the same thoughts on several aspects of the poem such as the mood. The two of us could agree that the poem felt very melancholy. We discussed the role of symbolism and how some objects probably have a double meaning. She gave symbolism to things like colors, cigarettes and the setting of the sun; things that played a huge role in the significance of the poem. Together we united our reactions and thoughts of the poem while feeding off of each other's logic. One could feel the flow of creativity throughout the entire room as we sat for hours discussing a poem only eleven lines long. The meeting with my old teacher was the most helpful source I had throughout the entire final. With an elemental and superficial understanding of Backside when I first selected it, she helped me in continuing my understanding of a complex and deep poem.
The presence of great conflict lingers throughout the entire poem. Through extensive research on Sagawa's background and inspirations, it became clear as to why there seemed to be so much conflict between nature and urbanization. A move from her provincial home town, Hokkaido, to the metropolitan Tokyo formed her sensibility due to the extremely opposite environments. This tension in Backside is described in the means of subtle violence, as with the poem's opening line, "Night eats color,"(Sagawa 1). This is followed by a criticism of artifice - "Flower bouquets lose their fake ornaments"(Sagawa 2)- as if portraying nature's desire to free itself from the man-made. Towns are full of man-made artifacts, houses, streets, cars, lights, etc. From time to time, a tree, but trimmed into an artificial shape, or a garden, but imprisoned inside fences. Nature itself looks artificial. Tobacco, manufactured into cigarettes by man, is perceived as artificial, whereas that same drug in its authentic form would be considered natural. Mankind has transformed everything pure into a synthetic state. "Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes/ Caress the writhing darkness."(Sagawa 9-10). The human nation has created something like a cigarette, which harms the Earth and is the farthest thing from natural. The hands of humanity are now soiled with the toxicity of our harmful actions. We encourage, or caress in a sense, these noxious behaviors which we have established in the world.
The study of poetry is often a neglected aspect of literature and is stereotyped as insignificant and pointless. As I write the very last piece of my final and as the days left in this class begin to disappear, I have come to realize the purpose of this examination process and why it was so extensive. It was to show students how poetry is a work of art that isn't acknowledged enough. It was to get us out of our comfort zone by forcing us studying someone, somewhere and something we know nothing about. I read Backside over and over again, knowing it contained some secret knowledge that I had yet to discover, but never gave up. It made me think and it opened me up to wonder the astonishing possibilities of language. It re-engaged me with the world I take too much for granted. This poem has changed the way I look at and listen to the world. It compelled me to look at life through a different lens; a new perspective.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
An Interview with a Friend From the Past
During one of my first visits back at my old middle school, I had the opportunity of asking a dear teacher of mine several questions about a stunning yet complex poem. The walk from my high school to her classroom’s back door was slightly intimidating, fore I didn't understand the poem fully myself therefore wasn't sure how I was going to guide this interview. The chilled breeze filled my legs with goosebumps while my face felt like a furnace. As I approached the door, I saw my darling teacher, Ms. Humphrey, sitting at her desk working on her computer. Knocking on the door, I was welcomed into her classroom by her familiar raspy voice. Any insecurities I had about our meeting vanished, as I breathed in her musky scent as she hugged me. The little trinkets around her room had remained the same since I had been there, as well as new ones that she has added throughout the years. The desks were arranged for a Socratic seminar, in a circle that filled the whole room. She brought me over to her desk where she had been sitting and we both sat down.
The first thing we did was catch up on life and ask how each other was doing. But after the small talk had died down, I pulled out the poem and she began to read. She repeated the lines over and over, trying to connect the dots in her mind. The poem is filled with vivid imagery using words that are beautiful but don't make it easy to comprehend its meaning. She started throwing out ideas like the title backside meaning the backside of the moon and the line "Day falls into the leaves like sparkling fish"(Sagawa 3) meaning the setting of the sun. "What do you think of this poem? How does it make you feel?" were my first questions for her. Ms. Humphrey answered, "it confuses me. I can tell it's not a happy poem... it doesn't feel great. There is a depressing, melancholy, dangerous feel to it. I can tell there is a big conflict." We talked about our reactions; comparing them. The first times I read Backside, I felt very confused and knew there was some sort of conflict too. Instead of perceiving it as dangerous and depressing though, all I saw was the beauty in it's imagery. It became very clear to me how this poem is indeed not a happy poem, but a dark and somber one hidden behind exquisite illustrations.
After determining the aura and mood the poem emanates, we tried dissecting it to grasp the hidden true meaning. Together, we restated every line and came up with every possibility there was for its implication. The poem is a riddle and in the time I was sitting at her desk, we were determined to uncover its underlying message. One of us would share an analysis and the other would play off that with a different view. I asked her about the images she liked the most, what she felt the most connection to, and about the symbolism she saw. When the presence of humans are introduced, "Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes/ Caress the writhing darkness."(Sagawa 9-10), she saw symbolism that I hadn't seen before. "Cigarettes are not natural. Our fingers have been soiled with toxicity by our harmful actions. We take care of and encourage, or caress, these detrimental behaviors we have brought into the world," she said.
An hour had past since I had showed up, yet it felt like it had only only been ten minutes. I could have spent the entire day with her, reading the poem over and over again, evaluating every possible aspect. The bell sounded that indicated her student's lunch was over, so it was time for me to leave. The amount of knowledge I felt I had gained sitting at that desk with her was unbelievable. I walked into her classroom that morning with a very elemental understanding of a complex poem, and left feeling like I had the insight of a modernist poetry expert. We both didn't know what to expect from this meeting, but the two of us came to understand this poem on a much deeper level than before.
The first thing we did was catch up on life and ask how each other was doing. But after the small talk had died down, I pulled out the poem and she began to read. She repeated the lines over and over, trying to connect the dots in her mind. The poem is filled with vivid imagery using words that are beautiful but don't make it easy to comprehend its meaning. She started throwing out ideas like the title backside meaning the backside of the moon and the line "Day falls into the leaves like sparkling fish"(Sagawa 3) meaning the setting of the sun. "What do you think of this poem? How does it make you feel?" were my first questions for her. Ms. Humphrey answered, "it confuses me. I can tell it's not a happy poem... it doesn't feel great. There is a depressing, melancholy, dangerous feel to it. I can tell there is a big conflict." We talked about our reactions; comparing them. The first times I read Backside, I felt very confused and knew there was some sort of conflict too. Instead of perceiving it as dangerous and depressing though, all I saw was the beauty in it's imagery. It became very clear to me how this poem is indeed not a happy poem, but a dark and somber one hidden behind exquisite illustrations.
After determining the aura and mood the poem emanates, we tried dissecting it to grasp the hidden true meaning. Together, we restated every line and came up with every possibility there was for its implication. The poem is a riddle and in the time I was sitting at her desk, we were determined to uncover its underlying message. One of us would share an analysis and the other would play off that with a different view. I asked her about the images she liked the most, what she felt the most connection to, and about the symbolism she saw. When the presence of humans are introduced, "Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes/ Caress the writhing darkness."(Sagawa 9-10), she saw symbolism that I hadn't seen before. "Cigarettes are not natural. Our fingers have been soiled with toxicity by our harmful actions. We take care of and encourage, or caress, these detrimental behaviors we have brought into the world," she said.
An hour had past since I had showed up, yet it felt like it had only only been ten minutes. I could have spent the entire day with her, reading the poem over and over again, evaluating every possible aspect. The bell sounded that indicated her student's lunch was over, so it was time for me to leave. The amount of knowledge I felt I had gained sitting at that desk with her was unbelievable. I walked into her classroom that morning with a very elemental understanding of a complex poem, and left feeling like I had the insight of a modernist poetry expert. We both didn't know what to expect from this meeting, but the two of us came to understand this poem on a much deeper level than before.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Backside Research
Night eats color,
Flower bouquets lose their fake ornaments.
Day falls into the leaves like sparkling fish
And struggles, like the lowly mud,
The shapeless dreams and trees
Nurtured outside this shriveled, deridable despair.
And the space that was chopped down
Tickles the weeds there by its feet.
Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes
Caress the writhing darkness.
And then people move forward.
Poem Analysis: Backside is a poem that you read and immediately can sense its beauty. Her poetry contains the clearest and precise images, fore she gives human descriptors to inhuman objects. The effect of this is a touch of elegance throughout. But by enhancing these things with human activity, she also burdens them with human plight. To exist is to suffer, according to Chika Sawaga's poetry. Man and nature exist together in the same space, which is magnificent yet awful at the same time. In the coexistence of man and nature, the world becomes dark. Line 1 states- "Night eats color". Night symbolizes darkness of the soul, evilness and loss of faith. Color is symbolic for happiness, innocence, joy and nature. Sagawa is literally saying that the world's darkness is devouring and destroying the goodness of the Earth. Hands appear in the third to last line- "Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes/ caress the writhing darkness". These are the hands of humans in society. Society is stroking the atrocities in life as if they are it's pet. The fingers appear ghostly and blackened. Her image proposes that the stains are more than a blemish but a wound or scar. "Flower bouquets lose their fake ornaments," - line 2. The flowers that one can assume were once beautiful, are now wilted and presumed as 'fake'. The last line then gives a completely different aura to the poem. "And then people move forward." As Earth's creations tremble from abuse as their offenders turn the cheek and walk away, the poem ends with a debatable question. Is it people who are enduring the world, or is it the other way around?
Works Cited:
Sitar, James. "Chika Sagawa." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.
Kashima, Shoko. "Chika Sagawa." Chika Sagawa. The Other Voices, 23 June 2013. Web. 13 May 2014.
"Poems by Sagawa Chika -- Translation." Poems by Sagawa Chika -- Translation. Ed. HOW2. Kathleen Fraser, 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.
Newick, Zack. "'Backside' by Chika Sagawa - Asymptote Blog." Asymptote Blog. Zack Newick, 19 Nove 2013. Web. 13 May 2014.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Chika Sagawa: Backside
Backside
by Chika Sagawa
Night eats color,
Flower bouquets lose their fake ornaments.
Day falls into the leaves like sparkling fish
And struggles, like the lowly mud,
The shapeless dreams and trees
Nurtured outside this shriveled, deridable despair.
And the space that was chopped down
Tickles the weeds there by its feet.
Fingers stained with tar from cigarettes
Caress the writhing darkness.
And then people move forward.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Siddhartha Essay
Life is a gift according to the 20th century writer Herman Hesse. Hesse introduces various routes in life one can take, in his novel Siddhartha, that can either lead to a realization of one's true identity, or contribute to the individuals unfortunate downfall. The ultimate focal point Hesse highlights in Siddhartha is a journey one must take to establish their selfhood. Through his protagonist and story line, one can grasp the importance of this existential journey, accepting life's struggles and never dedicating one's life to a single intention. Herman Hesse wants his readers to believe that life has a purpose to all who believe so and that one is the sum of their actions, which accumulate to build the individual and their identity. Essentially, life is the choice between conformity and a meaningful, purposeful life. Herman Hesse's implementation of existential ideas exemplifies the importance of one's responsibility to determine their own essence and undergo an existential search for meaning.
Everyone is on a journey to find themselves. No journey is the same nor is there a "right" or "wrong" way to live one's life. It is the decisions that one makes in a lifetime that defines their identity and makes them who they are. From an existentialist point of view, the journey to find oneself is crucial. After Siddhartha lives among the Samanas, whom reject the needs of the self, for several years, he realizes that he is not getting any closer towards his goal of Nirvana. He realizes that in order to fulfill his wish of enlightenment, he must undergo a personal journey of self understanding. "And, he decided, It was the Self whose meaning and nature I wished to learn. It was the Self I wished to escape from, wished to overcome. But I was unable to overcome it, I could only trick it, could only run away from it and hide. Truly, not a single thing in all the world has so occupied my thoughts as this Self of mine, this riddle: that I am alive and that I am One, am different and separate from all others, that I am Siddhartha! And there is not a thing in the world about which I know less than about myself, about Siddhartha!" (Hesse 34). Because Siddhartha is now acknowledging his importance and actions, he is on a personal journey towards finding his true identity. Siddhartha did not conform with the surrounding society. He deserted his home to fulfill his wishes and left the Samanas because of his opposing beliefs. "I'll be my own teacher, my own pupil. I'll study myself, learn the secret that is Siddhartha," (Hesse 35). This illuminates the existential belief that one should not conform to society's wishes. It is one's own living which should determine their essence, not society. Siddhartha made many great strives towards finding himself, but along the way his initial motive began to become unclear to him. "Devoid of value, it seemed to him, devoid of value and meaning was this life he'd been living; nothing that was alive, nothing in any way precious or worthy of keeping, had remained in his hands. Alone he stood, and empty, like a shipwrecked man upon the shore," (Hesse 70). When one fails to make their own decisions and strive to create their own identity, their life will fail to have purpose.
A major belief of existentialists is to not dedicate one's life entirely to one goal. When a goal becomes one's sole purpose in life, the life becomes meaningless. From an existential perspective, Siddhartha made the mistake of doing exactly this. Reaching enlightenment by disregarding the self is his one and only objective. "Before him, Siddhartha saw a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of want, empty of dream, empty of joy and sorrow. To let the ego perish, to be "I" no longer, to find peace with an empty heart and await the miraculous with thoughts free of Self. This was his goal," (Hesse 13). A goal is supposed to be a source of motivation to achieve a certain state of being. When a goal dominates one's life they are completely focused on achieving this goal that they don't acknowledge their surroundings or the events that take place, all of which should effect the person as a whole. Towards the end of the book when Siddhartha has gained much wisdom, he explains this very thing to his old friend Govinda. "'When a person seeks,' Siddhartha said, 'it can easily happen that his eye sees only the thing he is seeking; he is incapable of finding anything, of allowing anything to enter into him, because he is always thinking only of what he is looking for, because he has a goal, because he is possessed by his goal. Seeking meaning having a goal. Finding means being free, being open, having no goal. You, Venerable One, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for, striving to reach your goal, you overlook many things that lie close before your eyes,'" (Hesse 117). Govinda could never find enlightenment because he was completely fixated on attaining this goal, therefore never allowing himself to experience the world. One cannot thrive as a person and gain knowledge if they are consumed with a goal, never taking in and growing from the occurrences in life. Siddhartha found that in the process of trying to reach his goal of reaching Nirvana, he actually got farther away from it. He found himself lost and depressed while living among the child people, despite his good intentions. "In pursuit of his goal, he allowed the city to suck him in, drifted with the current down its streets, paused in its squares, rested upon the stone steps along the river," (Hesse 47). A goal can never be obtained if it is the single intent for life.
In order to successfully undergo the search for oneself and truly understand the meaning of one's life, it is imperative that one accepts the struggles encountered. Siddhartha holds the knowledge that the trials in life should be accepted and used as a tool to improve oneself. "He saw their struggles, watched them suffer and turn gray over things that seemed to him utterly unworthy of such a price- things like money, petty pleasures, petty honors. He saw people scold and insult one another, saw them wailing over aches and pains that would just make a Samana smile; suffering on account of deprivations a Samana would not notice," (Hesse 61). Throughout the journey to discover one's true essence, there will be hardship and many trials. The struggles one comes across should be embraced fore it is through pain and struggle that growth is experienced. One can gain a great deal from the strife in life because the opportunity to grow stronger is given in the presence of pain. Siddhartha undergoes an immense amount of struggles throughout his journey, but he is brought joy from his strife in that he develops a greater sense of self. "Now he too felt for once in his life, late as it was, this strongest and strangest of passions, was suffering because of it, suffering terribly, and yet he was blissful; he felt somehow renewed, somehow richer," (Hesse 102). Pain, struggle and defeat shows a person more about who they are and what they're capable of than in times of ease. The knowledge gained from misfortune contributes greatly to the development of the self and one's identity. When Siddhartha's son does not want to be associated with his father, Siddhartha accepts this even though it pains him vastly. "With longing and bitterness, Siddhartha thought of his son, nurtured the love and tenderness in his heart, allowed the pain to gnaw at him, committed all the follies of love," (Hesse 110). Embracing the struggles in life, although they may be painful, ultimately allows for personal growth and gaining a deeper sense of the self thus constituting one's existence.
The ideas Hesse implement in his writing force his reader to look at life through an extremely prevalent existential lens. His writing provides the modern world with guidance on how to live a valuable life with purpose. By setting in place a protagonist who's mind thinks as an existentialist and exposing the faults along his journey, one can self reflect on their life and develop a lifestyle that is beneficial to the improvement of their identity. It is through Siddhartha's mistakes that the reader is able to be free and make the correct choices for a fulfilling, meaningful existence. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is a truly striking piece of art that thoroughly analyzes the decisions in life that play a role in one's happiness and quality of life.
Everyone is on a journey to find themselves. No journey is the same nor is there a "right" or "wrong" way to live one's life. It is the decisions that one makes in a lifetime that defines their identity and makes them who they are. From an existentialist point of view, the journey to find oneself is crucial. After Siddhartha lives among the Samanas, whom reject the needs of the self, for several years, he realizes that he is not getting any closer towards his goal of Nirvana. He realizes that in order to fulfill his wish of enlightenment, he must undergo a personal journey of self understanding. "And, he decided, It was the Self whose meaning and nature I wished to learn. It was the Self I wished to escape from, wished to overcome. But I was unable to overcome it, I could only trick it, could only run away from it and hide. Truly, not a single thing in all the world has so occupied my thoughts as this Self of mine, this riddle: that I am alive and that I am One, am different and separate from all others, that I am Siddhartha! And there is not a thing in the world about which I know less than about myself, about Siddhartha!" (Hesse 34). Because Siddhartha is now acknowledging his importance and actions, he is on a personal journey towards finding his true identity. Siddhartha did not conform with the surrounding society. He deserted his home to fulfill his wishes and left the Samanas because of his opposing beliefs. "I'll be my own teacher, my own pupil. I'll study myself, learn the secret that is Siddhartha," (Hesse 35). This illuminates the existential belief that one should not conform to society's wishes. It is one's own living which should determine their essence, not society. Siddhartha made many great strives towards finding himself, but along the way his initial motive began to become unclear to him. "Devoid of value, it seemed to him, devoid of value and meaning was this life he'd been living; nothing that was alive, nothing in any way precious or worthy of keeping, had remained in his hands. Alone he stood, and empty, like a shipwrecked man upon the shore," (Hesse 70). When one fails to make their own decisions and strive to create their own identity, their life will fail to have purpose.
A major belief of existentialists is to not dedicate one's life entirely to one goal. When a goal becomes one's sole purpose in life, the life becomes meaningless. From an existential perspective, Siddhartha made the mistake of doing exactly this. Reaching enlightenment by disregarding the self is his one and only objective. "Before him, Siddhartha saw a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of want, empty of dream, empty of joy and sorrow. To let the ego perish, to be "I" no longer, to find peace with an empty heart and await the miraculous with thoughts free of Self. This was his goal," (Hesse 13). A goal is supposed to be a source of motivation to achieve a certain state of being. When a goal dominates one's life they are completely focused on achieving this goal that they don't acknowledge their surroundings or the events that take place, all of which should effect the person as a whole. Towards the end of the book when Siddhartha has gained much wisdom, he explains this very thing to his old friend Govinda. "'When a person seeks,' Siddhartha said, 'it can easily happen that his eye sees only the thing he is seeking; he is incapable of finding anything, of allowing anything to enter into him, because he is always thinking only of what he is looking for, because he has a goal, because he is possessed by his goal. Seeking meaning having a goal. Finding means being free, being open, having no goal. You, Venerable One, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for, striving to reach your goal, you overlook many things that lie close before your eyes,'" (Hesse 117). Govinda could never find enlightenment because he was completely fixated on attaining this goal, therefore never allowing himself to experience the world. One cannot thrive as a person and gain knowledge if they are consumed with a goal, never taking in and growing from the occurrences in life. Siddhartha found that in the process of trying to reach his goal of reaching Nirvana, he actually got farther away from it. He found himself lost and depressed while living among the child people, despite his good intentions. "In pursuit of his goal, he allowed the city to suck him in, drifted with the current down its streets, paused in its squares, rested upon the stone steps along the river," (Hesse 47). A goal can never be obtained if it is the single intent for life.
In order to successfully undergo the search for oneself and truly understand the meaning of one's life, it is imperative that one accepts the struggles encountered. Siddhartha holds the knowledge that the trials in life should be accepted and used as a tool to improve oneself. "He saw their struggles, watched them suffer and turn gray over things that seemed to him utterly unworthy of such a price- things like money, petty pleasures, petty honors. He saw people scold and insult one another, saw them wailing over aches and pains that would just make a Samana smile; suffering on account of deprivations a Samana would not notice," (Hesse 61). Throughout the journey to discover one's true essence, there will be hardship and many trials. The struggles one comes across should be embraced fore it is through pain and struggle that growth is experienced. One can gain a great deal from the strife in life because the opportunity to grow stronger is given in the presence of pain. Siddhartha undergoes an immense amount of struggles throughout his journey, but he is brought joy from his strife in that he develops a greater sense of self. "Now he too felt for once in his life, late as it was, this strongest and strangest of passions, was suffering because of it, suffering terribly, and yet he was blissful; he felt somehow renewed, somehow richer," (Hesse 102). Pain, struggle and defeat shows a person more about who they are and what they're capable of than in times of ease. The knowledge gained from misfortune contributes greatly to the development of the self and one's identity. When Siddhartha's son does not want to be associated with his father, Siddhartha accepts this even though it pains him vastly. "With longing and bitterness, Siddhartha thought of his son, nurtured the love and tenderness in his heart, allowed the pain to gnaw at him, committed all the follies of love," (Hesse 110). Embracing the struggles in life, although they may be painful, ultimately allows for personal growth and gaining a deeper sense of the self thus constituting one's existence.
The ideas Hesse implement in his writing force his reader to look at life through an extremely prevalent existential lens. His writing provides the modern world with guidance on how to live a valuable life with purpose. By setting in place a protagonist who's mind thinks as an existentialist and exposing the faults along his journey, one can self reflect on their life and develop a lifestyle that is beneficial to the improvement of their identity. It is through Siddhartha's mistakes that the reader is able to be free and make the correct choices for a fulfilling, meaningful existence. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is a truly striking piece of art that thoroughly analyzes the decisions in life that play a role in one's happiness and quality of life.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Part II Siddhartha Reflection
Part II of Siddhartha has been the most interesting and enjoyable part of the book for me. Siddhartha takes more steps towards finding himself and reaching enlightenment. In the beginning of Part II, Siddhartha meets Kamala, who becomes his lover and eventually the mother of his son. But upon meeting Kamala, Siddhartha becomes immersed in a lifestyle far from his self-denying life he lived as a Samana. Siddhartha began to live a life of sex, drugs, alcohol and gambling. Kamala is his "teacher", of both love, this new lifestyle, the harsh realities of a self-centered world. As Siddhartha continues to experience the activities of a self-indulgent life, his sense of self becomes very unclear to him. All of the tangible possessions he owned and pleasures he indulged in become a blurry illusion to him, making him lose himself even more. The town captivated him and he lost all sight of the morals he used to follow fullheartedly. This all leads to Siddhartha running away from his lavish lifestyle to a tree by a river. He is in a huge abyss, fore he is emotionally and spiritually lost, and therefore even considers suicide.
By the end of this chapter, Hesse introduces the theme of water and the water cycle. Essentially, no matter where the water goes, where it ends up, what form its in, the water's origins remain the same. The implementation of the water cycle creates a perfect visual for the reader to really understand Siddhartha's crazy experiences; even though he feels very lost, he remains the same underneath it all. Siddhartha soon meets a ferryman, named Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the Siddhartha's mentor if you are looking at Campbell's Hero Cycle. Vasudeva distracts him from his abyss and teaches him how to listen to the river, because its waters will teach him many things. When Siddhartha is living with the ferryman, Kamala and their son are traveling to follow the Buddha and learn his doctrine. Kamala is bitten by a snake and dies, leaving Siddhartha with his son, Siddhartha. Young Siddhartha grew up with a lavish lifestyle and therefore shows much hatred toward his father for keeping him from his home; he eventually runs back to his old life. Siddhartha comes to a realization that he is getting treated by his son the same way he treated his own father, by leaving him and never coming back. He wants to protect his son and shelter him from harm, but he knows that personal experiences are what makes a person grow and find their own identity. That is essentially the message at the end of the book. One must find themselves by experiencing life in their own way and making their own decisions. I really enjoyed the second half of Siddhartha and I think it has an exeptionally great message.
By the end of this chapter, Hesse introduces the theme of water and the water cycle. Essentially, no matter where the water goes, where it ends up, what form its in, the water's origins remain the same. The implementation of the water cycle creates a perfect visual for the reader to really understand Siddhartha's crazy experiences; even though he feels very lost, he remains the same underneath it all. Siddhartha soon meets a ferryman, named Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the Siddhartha's mentor if you are looking at Campbell's Hero Cycle. Vasudeva distracts him from his abyss and teaches him how to listen to the river, because its waters will teach him many things. When Siddhartha is living with the ferryman, Kamala and their son are traveling to follow the Buddha and learn his doctrine. Kamala is bitten by a snake and dies, leaving Siddhartha with his son, Siddhartha. Young Siddhartha grew up with a lavish lifestyle and therefore shows much hatred toward his father for keeping him from his home; he eventually runs back to his old life. Siddhartha comes to a realization that he is getting treated by his son the same way he treated his own father, by leaving him and never coming back. He wants to protect his son and shelter him from harm, but he knows that personal experiences are what makes a person grow and find their own identity. That is essentially the message at the end of the book. One must find themselves by experiencing life in their own way and making their own decisions. I really enjoyed the second half of Siddhartha and I think it has an exeptionally great message.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Siddhartha Part 1 Reflection
In the first chapter of Siddhartha, The Son of The Brahmin, Siddhartha and his close friend, Govinda, are introduced. They have grown up learning the ways of the Brahmins, who are the highest class in the Indian caste system. It is clear that everyone in the village loves Siddhartha, but he although he brings joy to everyone's life, he doesn't feel much joy in himself at all. "...they had already poured the sum total of their knowledge into this waiting vessel; and the vessel was not full, his intellect was not satisfied, his soul was not at peace, his heart was not still," (Hesse 5). Siddhartha wonders if he has learned all that his father and other Brahmins can teach him. He decides to search for a new path that will lead to his enlightenment and chooses the life of the wandering ascetics, the Samanas. Siddhartha and Govinda leave their village in search of them. This leads to the second chapter, With the Samanas. Siddhartha and Govinda dedicate themselves to meditation, fasting, and other methods of rejecting the physical self. "Siddhartha had one goal - to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow to let the Self die," (Hesse 14). He brought pain to himself and endured it until he no longer felt it, but peace never came to him. After being with the Samanas for quite some time, Siddhartha realizes he is no closer to his goal than he was before joining them. Siddhartha and Govinda hear rumors about a man, Goatama, who has reached enlightenment and is teaching others the way to peace. The two leave the Samanas after Siddhartha hypnotizes the oldest master of the group.
In the chapter, Gautama Siddhartha and Govinda travel to Jetavana where the Buddha is staying. After listening to Gautama speak his doctrine, Govinda announces to Siddhartha that he is going to join the Buddha's discipleship. Siddhartha is happy for Govinda, but tells him he doesn't wish to join. As Siddhartha leaves, he runs into Gautama in the woods and he begins to question the Buddha of his teachings. He expresses his doubt that any teaching can ever provide the learner with the experience of Nirvana, and while Gautama's path may be appropriate for some, he must take his own path. As he leaves, the chapter changes to the Awakening. Siddhartha realizes that a change has overcome him and that he has outgrown all desire for teachers. He is know focused on himself, and unlocking his own secrets. "Truly, nothing in the world has occupied my thoughts as much as the Self, the riddle, that I life, that I am one and am separated and different from everybody else, that I am Siddhartha," (Hesse 34). "I will learn from myself, be my own pupil; I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha," (Hesse 35). This awakening leads to a change in Siddhartha's perception of the world. He before saw the world as a painful illusion, where as now he sees the value in the world. Unlike the Brahmins and Samanas who ignored the amazing diversity around them. This realization sets Siddhartha apart from everything he was before. He is no longer a Brahmin or a Samana nor did he follow Govinda in his decision. "This, he felt, had been the final shiver of awakening, the final pangs of birth. And at once he began to walk again, striding quickly and impatiently, no longer in the direction of home, no longer toward his father, no longer back," (Hesse 37). Siddhartha is more himself than ever.
Monday, April 21, 2014
One is the Sum
Franz Kafka believed that no life should be lived without purpose or sovereignty. He trusted this wholeheartedly, as well as other existential beliefs. The main point in existential theories is the idea that the meaning of life is found through free will, choice and personal responsibility. The individual and the individual alone, is the one who determines their final destiny. One has the power to alter their essence of nature as a whole and make choices based on their own instinct. This is the message Franz Kafka tries to portray in his parable, The Metamorphosis. The transformation from a human to an insect, symbolizes the protagonist's feeling of alienation in his own family and feeling trapped in his own life. His separation from all human contact leaves him in complete control of his own personal morals and decisions. In Kafka's The Metamorphosis, the protagonist, Gregor, lacks independence which results in his inability to choose a life for himself, thus enforcing the crucial existential idea of finding one's identity and giving life purpose.
Kafka urges his reader's to take their life by the reins and make their own choices fore that will essentially build their identity. In order to ensure the reader grasps this idea, Franz Kafka uses dark humor and various ironies. He uses irony to exhibit the danger of not giving life purpose in a metaphorical manner. A honorable professor and novelist, David Foster Wallace, emphasizes Kafka's humor in his essay Laughing with Kafka. Wallace explains how not many people understand Kafka's funniness and the employment of our journey itself being our sole purpose. "It's not that students don't "get" Kafka's humor but that we've taught them to see humor as something you get - the same way we've taught them that a self is something you just have. No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke - that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home," (Wallace 3). The whole meaning of existence is the meaning one gives it. The struggles endured throughout life are what makes the person and builds their identity. The purpose in life is not to reach a specific goal, but it is the journey and the acknowledgment of the events that happen to oneself while they are attaining the goal that is life's purpose. This is hugely demonstrated by Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. "'Once I've got together the money to pay off my parents' debt to him- that should take another five or six year- I'll do it for sure,'" (Kafka 3). Gregor's goal in life is to pay of his parents debt. What Gregor did wrong was making this goal his entire life's purpose. He was so focused on achieving this that the goal became his identity and lost all control of his life. Gregor's lack of independence and control in life is what metaphorically causes his death. In the story it is apparent that Gregor dies due to severe starvation, as well as the wound inflicted by an apple in his back. "However, another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor's back really hard. Gregor wanted to drag himself off, as if he could make the unexpected and incredible pain go away if he changed his position. But he felt as if he was nailed in place and lay stretched out completely confused in all his senses," (Kafka 18). Gregor is withering away from being starved when their is literally food in his back. The apple being a symbol of knowledge, creates this irony that he is pinned with the knowledge that he is going to die and that everything he has done for his family was pointless and wasted. His goal to work off every penny of his parent's debt never got achieved ultimately because he had no true purpose in life and by no means an identity. It is through dark humor and irony that Kafka was able to show how one's life means as much as one gives it to mean.
As well as humor and irony, Kafka implements the concepts of vampirism and communion to enforce the lesson of finding one's purpose and identity. The events that occur in a lifetime are a major factor that plays in everyone's identity. Communion is a celebration of life, whether there are struggles or not, with the community one is immersed in. "Generally, eating with another is a way of saying, 'I'm with you, I like you, we form a community together.' And that is a form of communion," (Foster 8). The ideals one bases their identity off of usually a influenced the people they choose to associate with. One gives their life a purpose because the people whom they share a bond with, can help achieve much more together than apart. Gregor does not share a connection with anyone not even his family due to his time consuming job, which leads to his isolation. He accepted his alienation. He chose to conform to society and eventually accept death. Gregor gave his life away to his father, whom is essentially a vampire. "A nasty old man, attractive but evil, violates young women, leaves a mark, steals their innocence- and coincidentally their" usefulness"... and leaves them helpless followers in his sin," (Foster 16). This relates perfectly to Gregor and his father. The mark instead of teeth marks is the apple embedded by the father in Gregor's back. The father steals, or "sucks", Gregor's life away until every bit of the usefulness he has been drained. He is now useless and helpless. "Gregor lay there limply," (Kafka 27). He has no control over his life, and never seeked to obtain a relationship with his family, or a communion, allowing the vampires to suck his life dry. These concepts are huge influences on the moral lesson of taking the initiative to be one's own self and continue looking for one's life purpose.
Truly, Kafka's modernist writing styles portray a widely universal message from an existential point of view. Finding one's identity and life purpose is hugely important in the understanding of literature. The writings by Kafka present the modern world with how to life a purposeful life with a identity true to themselves. By exhibiting a subordinate and helpless protagonist and practicing symbolism, humor and existential ideas he created a modernist text that teaches an important lesson his reader's can obtain. It is through Gregor faults, the reader gains the knowledge of the right choices to make in life and a path that will not lead to their demise.
Kafka urges his reader's to take their life by the reins and make their own choices fore that will essentially build their identity. In order to ensure the reader grasps this idea, Franz Kafka uses dark humor and various ironies. He uses irony to exhibit the danger of not giving life purpose in a metaphorical manner. A honorable professor and novelist, David Foster Wallace, emphasizes Kafka's humor in his essay Laughing with Kafka. Wallace explains how not many people understand Kafka's funniness and the employment of our journey itself being our sole purpose. "It's not that students don't "get" Kafka's humor but that we've taught them to see humor as something you get - the same way we've taught them that a self is something you just have. No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke - that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home," (Wallace 3). The whole meaning of existence is the meaning one gives it. The struggles endured throughout life are what makes the person and builds their identity. The purpose in life is not to reach a specific goal, but it is the journey and the acknowledgment of the events that happen to oneself while they are attaining the goal that is life's purpose. This is hugely demonstrated by Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. "'Once I've got together the money to pay off my parents' debt to him- that should take another five or six year- I'll do it for sure,'" (Kafka 3). Gregor's goal in life is to pay of his parents debt. What Gregor did wrong was making this goal his entire life's purpose. He was so focused on achieving this that the goal became his identity and lost all control of his life. Gregor's lack of independence and control in life is what metaphorically causes his death. In the story it is apparent that Gregor dies due to severe starvation, as well as the wound inflicted by an apple in his back. "However, another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor's back really hard. Gregor wanted to drag himself off, as if he could make the unexpected and incredible pain go away if he changed his position. But he felt as if he was nailed in place and lay stretched out completely confused in all his senses," (Kafka 18). Gregor is withering away from being starved when their is literally food in his back. The apple being a symbol of knowledge, creates this irony that he is pinned with the knowledge that he is going to die and that everything he has done for his family was pointless and wasted. His goal to work off every penny of his parent's debt never got achieved ultimately because he had no true purpose in life and by no means an identity. It is through dark humor and irony that Kafka was able to show how one's life means as much as one gives it to mean.
As well as humor and irony, Kafka implements the concepts of vampirism and communion to enforce the lesson of finding one's purpose and identity. The events that occur in a lifetime are a major factor that plays in everyone's identity. Communion is a celebration of life, whether there are struggles or not, with the community one is immersed in. "Generally, eating with another is a way of saying, 'I'm with you, I like you, we form a community together.' And that is a form of communion," (Foster 8). The ideals one bases their identity off of usually a influenced the people they choose to associate with. One gives their life a purpose because the people whom they share a bond with, can help achieve much more together than apart. Gregor does not share a connection with anyone not even his family due to his time consuming job, which leads to his isolation. He accepted his alienation. He chose to conform to society and eventually accept death. Gregor gave his life away to his father, whom is essentially a vampire. "A nasty old man, attractive but evil, violates young women, leaves a mark, steals their innocence- and coincidentally their" usefulness"... and leaves them helpless followers in his sin," (Foster 16). This relates perfectly to Gregor and his father. The mark instead of teeth marks is the apple embedded by the father in Gregor's back. The father steals, or "sucks", Gregor's life away until every bit of the usefulness he has been drained. He is now useless and helpless. "Gregor lay there limply," (Kafka 27). He has no control over his life, and never seeked to obtain a relationship with his family, or a communion, allowing the vampires to suck his life dry. These concepts are huge influences on the moral lesson of taking the initiative to be one's own self and continue looking for one's life purpose.
Truly, Kafka's modernist writing styles portray a widely universal message from an existential point of view. Finding one's identity and life purpose is hugely important in the understanding of literature. The writings by Kafka present the modern world with how to life a purposeful life with a identity true to themselves. By exhibiting a subordinate and helpless protagonist and practicing symbolism, humor and existential ideas he created a modernist text that teaches an important lesson his reader's can obtain. It is through Gregor faults, the reader gains the knowledge of the right choices to make in life and a path that will not lead to their demise.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Communion and Vampires
In the book, "How to Read Literature Like a Professor," Thomas C. Foster uses the theme to inform the readers that communion is a way of sharing more than just a meal, but life experiences. Because the act of eating together is so significant, whenever people eat or drink together, it is communion. Sharing meals is in a sense a ritual and can allow people to see similarities between others and ourselves in order to change relationships. A successful meal indicates the improvement and strengthening of relationships while a failed meal stands as a foreshadowing for events to come. "If a well-run meal or snack portends good things for community and understanding, then the failed meal stands as a bad sign," (Foster 11). However, everyone will die and everyone has death in common, therefore having communion becomes a celebration of life before death. "The thing we share is our death. Everyone in that room from old and frail Aunt Julia to the youngest music student, will die. Not tonight, but someday," (Foster 14). In literature, a meal scene signifies people coming together. The characters could be becoming friends, they could over come hang-ups or come together as a whole.
Vampires in literature are almost always about something other than the blood-sucking monster. In literature, an alluring, mysterious and dangerous character that survives by stealing the life of the innocent by corruption, whether they are a literally a vampire or not, is symbolically a vampire. "But it's also about things other than literal vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, a refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, just for starters," (Foster 16). The first thing that came into my mind when I read that was the father and mother of Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The parents ultimately sucked the life out of their son, Gregor, by forcing him to work off their debt while they live a lavish lifestyle. Thomas Foster wrote another sentence that related a lot the vampirish parents in Kafka's novella. "He wakes up in the morning- actually the evening, now that I think about it- and says something like, "In order to remain undead, I must steal the life force of someone whose fate matters less to me than my own,"" (Foster 21). That is how I picture the thought process and motive of the father. He must take Gregor's life away from him so he can alive. The father did that to his wife, then Gregor, and will soon suck the life out of his daughter, Grete. These two readings about the acts of communion and vampires by Thomas C. Foster were actually very fun to read and it's connections to The Metamorphosis are really interesting and have became very apparent.
Vampires in literature are almost always about something other than the blood-sucking monster. In literature, an alluring, mysterious and dangerous character that survives by stealing the life of the innocent by corruption, whether they are a literally a vampire or not, is symbolically a vampire. "But it's also about things other than literal vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, a refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, just for starters," (Foster 16). The first thing that came into my mind when I read that was the father and mother of Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The parents ultimately sucked the life out of their son, Gregor, by forcing him to work off their debt while they live a lavish lifestyle. Thomas Foster wrote another sentence that related a lot the vampirish parents in Kafka's novella. "He wakes up in the morning- actually the evening, now that I think about it- and says something like, "In order to remain undead, I must steal the life force of someone whose fate matters less to me than my own,"" (Foster 21). That is how I picture the thought process and motive of the father. He must take Gregor's life away from him so he can alive. The father did that to his wife, then Gregor, and will soon suck the life out of his daughter, Grete. These two readings about the acts of communion and vampires by Thomas C. Foster were actually very fun to read and it's connections to The Metamorphosis are really interesting and have became very apparent.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Existentialism, Empathy and The Metamorphosis
Existentialism is a philosophical theory that cannot be defined by a sentence or two. From my understanding of existentialism, it centers around an individuals power to give their own life meaning. One must be able to do so, despite the obstacles in their way, in order to live a meaningful life. It is not the world that gives a life meaning but the actions they take in their life that makes their life meaningful. By demonstrating no control, loneliness, abandonment and responsibilities, Kafka's illustrates a clear view of existentialism by almost making The Metamorphosis a "what not to do" for existentialists. Existentialism is trying to prove that the reason humans live life is to find their own identity and to be able to self reflect on their decisions and what has come from them. One is essentially the sum of their actions and choices in life. In Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor felt that his transformation into an insect had taken away the meaning and purpose of his life. The only thing Gregor had on his mind was work and business, and he therefore made his identity his job, so when he became unable to work his identity fell to its demise. This is a parallel to existentialism, as Gregor actually possessed the ability to give meaning to his new life the entire time, he was just unable to see that. Had Gregor been able to overcome his despair and alienation, he may have been able to live a new life, despite his transformation. The annexing of all of this led to Kafka presenting his reader with a protagonist that completely lacked an identity and who was controlled by everyone around him. Thinking existentially, because Gregor shut himself out of everything and made no choices for himself that built his self-hood, he is essentially nothing. Gregor needed a balance in his life. Existentialism also has a lot to do with the harmony and balance in one's life. One must pay attention to oneself and try to make themselves the best they can be (what Gregor failed to do as a human). However, if a person chooses themselves over society, he will lose society's support. But if a person chooses society over them self, he will lose his individuality.
Along with learning about Existentialism and how it connects to The Metamorphosis, we watched a video called "Empathic Civilisation" to try to tie empathy into everything as well. The video argues that we are all born into this world with empathy already programmed in us. "We are all soft wired, some of the primates all of the humans..." (Jeremy Rifkin). It explains how life is fragile and life will soon turn to death, and if we do not understand that, then nothing will come of anything. A big part of that revolves around our own freedom to make out own choices and to exist on this earth to our own liking. There is no template or rules that are followed to determine who we are and how we should be. In the video, Rifkin talked about a life that consists of empathic drive which is essentially the drive to belong in the world. "The first drive is the drive to actually belong. Its an empathic drive," (Jeremy Rifkin). Kafka brings this concept to his writings, including The Metamorphosis. His protagonists are helplessly isolated and alienated from the world, however, Gregor did choose to shut the door and keep to himself. He works hard his whole life for other people, and as selfless as he is, there is no balance in his life so that is why he ultimately finds himself as a bug. As an insect, Gregor now has the opportunity to live for himself. We cannot help but feel bad for Gregor Samsa. When the reader reads The Metamorphosis they can identify with his character. As we read Kafka, we feel isolated and helpless ourselves because of his modern ways of writing, and in turn makes us feel like the protagonist. We empathize with Gregor, because we are feeling the way he feels. We all empathize with others; that is what builds communities, nations, states, religions and many more as the video stated. The audience of the novella witnesses Gregor's big picture and his consequences for not living a life filled with meaning, an existential life. He failed to take responsibility for his existence and by reading about the unfortunate life of Gregor Samsa, we experience his suffering through empathy.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
The Metamorphosis Reflection
Kafka's The Metamorphosis embodies many themes, one being isolation. Throughout the writing, the reader watches Gregor Samsa become more isolated the longer he stays a bug. At the beginning of the story when the reader is introduced to Gregor, it is clear that Gregor is separated from everyone, isolated by first his bed, then his bedroom walls. "His room, a proper room for a human being, only somewhat too small, lay quietly between the four well-known walls"(Kafka 1). Gregor is trapped and is detached from his family and society. As the story progresses, the way Gregor was isolated before doesn't even compare to how he is treated in part three. Gregor is confined in his room because his family can't bare the sight of him. "She slammed the door shut with her foot. Gregor was now shut off from his mother, who was perhaps near death, thanks to him. He could not open the door; he did not want to chase away his sister, who has to remain with her mother"(Kafka 17). Gregor's family keep Gregor stuck in his room, isolating him from everyone. Gregor's sister, Grete, has become so frightened of him that she quickly opens and shuts his door to throw him food. Close to the end of the story, his sister and parents want Gregor gone from the apartment and from their lives. They have given up on him and want to fully alienate and isolate him. "He was only just inside his room when the door was pushed shut very quickly, bolted fast, and barred... it was his sister who had been in such a hurry... she cried out "Finally!" to her parents as she turned the key in the lock"(Kafka 24). Gregor's last breathes are when he is completely alienated and confined in his room. His family wants nothing to do with him so they cut off all interactions with him. Gregor's physical isolation from the outside world in his room really speaks to his general alienation from modern society, which expects him to work continuously and very hard.
Something that I really tracked throughout The Metamorphosis was dehumanization. Gregor Samsa's self-hood diminished as the story progressed. When Gregor was first turned into a bug, his family, excluding his father, believes that a part of him is still in the bug and that he is still apart of their family. His sister, Grete, leaves milk for Gregor because she assumes that his preference for milk while he was human continues now that he's a bug. "...a bowl stood there, filled with sweetened milk, in which swam tiny pieces of white bread. He almost laughed with joy, for he had an even greater hunger than in the morning, and he immediately dipped his head almost up to and over his eyes down into the milk.. the milk, which otherwise was his favorite drink and which his sister had certainly placed there for that reason..."(Kafka 9). This shows that Grete believes that some of Gregor remains the same. But as she recognizes that Gregor's preference of foods have changed, Grete gradually begins to think of Gregor just as an insect. An action Grete takes of removing all of Gregor's possession out of his room also further dehumanizes Gregor. "...and so she got the idea of making the area where Gregor could creep around as large as possible and this of removing the furniture which got in the way, especially the chest of drawers and the writing desk"(Kafka 14). Taking all of Gregor's belongings from him strips his old identity from him. His family is not thinking of him as Gregor Samsa, their son and brother whom they love. They see him as a giant bug who doesn't need any furniture at all. During the story, the father gives no indication that he regards Gregor as the same, and he treats him very poorly and in a mean manner. The father attacks Gregor as though he were a wild animal when he escapes his room. "From the fruit bowl on the side board his father had filled his pockets, and now, without for the moment taking accurate aim, he was throwing apple after apple.. a weakly thrown apple grazed Gregor's back but skidded off harmlessly. However, another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor's back really hard"(Kafka 18). Gregor is indeed treated as a wild animal, and his father does not consider that Gregor really is the bug. All of Gregor's human identity has vanished and he is becoming more and more inhuman. When humans are made to give up individuality and become categorized, labeled and stereotyped that is when human start to become inhuman and are dehumanized. This is what Gregor is showing as he got dehumanized; it is the ideas that modern society portray that dehumanize humanity.
Something that I really tracked throughout The Metamorphosis was dehumanization. Gregor Samsa's self-hood diminished as the story progressed. When Gregor was first turned into a bug, his family, excluding his father, believes that a part of him is still in the bug and that he is still apart of their family. His sister, Grete, leaves milk for Gregor because she assumes that his preference for milk while he was human continues now that he's a bug. "...a bowl stood there, filled with sweetened milk, in which swam tiny pieces of white bread. He almost laughed with joy, for he had an even greater hunger than in the morning, and he immediately dipped his head almost up to and over his eyes down into the milk.. the milk, which otherwise was his favorite drink and which his sister had certainly placed there for that reason..."(Kafka 9). This shows that Grete believes that some of Gregor remains the same. But as she recognizes that Gregor's preference of foods have changed, Grete gradually begins to think of Gregor just as an insect. An action Grete takes of removing all of Gregor's possession out of his room also further dehumanizes Gregor. "...and so she got the idea of making the area where Gregor could creep around as large as possible and this of removing the furniture which got in the way, especially the chest of drawers and the writing desk"(Kafka 14). Taking all of Gregor's belongings from him strips his old identity from him. His family is not thinking of him as Gregor Samsa, their son and brother whom they love. They see him as a giant bug who doesn't need any furniture at all. During the story, the father gives no indication that he regards Gregor as the same, and he treats him very poorly and in a mean manner. The father attacks Gregor as though he were a wild animal when he escapes his room. "From the fruit bowl on the side board his father had filled his pockets, and now, without for the moment taking accurate aim, he was throwing apple after apple.. a weakly thrown apple grazed Gregor's back but skidded off harmlessly. However, another thrown immediately after that one drove into Gregor's back really hard"(Kafka 18). Gregor is indeed treated as a wild animal, and his father does not consider that Gregor really is the bug. All of Gregor's human identity has vanished and he is becoming more and more inhuman. When humans are made to give up individuality and become categorized, labeled and stereotyped that is when human start to become inhuman and are dehumanized. This is what Gregor is showing as he got dehumanized; it is the ideas that modern society portray that dehumanize humanity.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Its a Bug's Life
As one door closes, another one opens. Analyzing the work of Dante Alighieri has come to an end, but now we explore the world of Franz Kafka, and his novel The Metamorphosis. Although I am only on page 7 out of 27 pages so far, I have already seen a lot of modernism and allegories in Kafka wove into his work. There are a couple themes I have been recording throughout the reading, including isolation and criticism on society. The story starts off when Gregor wakes up in his bed as a bug. From the beginning, the audience can start to visualize his bedroom and how everything is set up. "... to small, lay quietly between the four well-known walls."(Kafka 1). The bed, the walls of his bedroom and his house, all keeping him captive. Gregor Samsa is trapped. The view of Gregor is from the bird's eye view, which shows him as helpless, and puts the reader in the more dominant position. Aside from his room, Gregor acts very unusually for the fact that he wakes up as a bug. He doesn't think much about his new appearance, and his thoughts are mainly focused on him catching his train to work on time.
Just from the beginning of The Metamorphosis, the reader knows many things about Gregor Samsa. One knows that he is very much so, lonely. In Gregor's bedroom there hangs a framed photo of a women. She wears rich clothing and was torn out of a magazine; Gregor doesn't know her or even think about her, and so due to this fact the audience knows Gregor is very lonely. Gregor is surrounded by his parents, sister, and servants but he still feels empty and lonesome. Another thing we can gather from the reading is that Gregor is very selfless and has a kind heart. He spends his days working his life away at a terrible job in order to pay off his parents' debt. His parents don't work nor do they try to help Gregor pay off their debt, they just sit around in their house getting waited on by their servants. His parents suck, that is the best way I can put it. So far, I am really enjoying The Metamorphosis and am very intrigued as to what will happen to Gregor Samsa as the story continues.
Just from the beginning of The Metamorphosis, the reader knows many things about Gregor Samsa. One knows that he is very much so, lonely. In Gregor's bedroom there hangs a framed photo of a women. She wears rich clothing and was torn out of a magazine; Gregor doesn't know her or even think about her, and so due to this fact the audience knows Gregor is very lonely. Gregor is surrounded by his parents, sister, and servants but he still feels empty and lonesome. Another thing we can gather from the reading is that Gregor is very selfless and has a kind heart. He spends his days working his life away at a terrible job in order to pay off his parents' debt. His parents don't work nor do they try to help Gregor pay off their debt, they just sit around in their house getting waited on by their servants. His parents suck, that is the best way I can put it. So far, I am really enjoying The Metamorphosis and am very intrigued as to what will happen to Gregor Samsa as the story continues.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Franz Kafka Inventory
Birth/ Youth
Franz Kafka was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Australian Empire, in 1883. His two younger brothers, Georg and Heinrich, did in infancy when he was 6, leaving him the only son in his family along with three sisters. Kafka's father, Hermann Kafka, was a business owner and domestic tyrant who frequently abused his son. His mother shared her son's delicate nature despite her husband's violent personality.
Adult Life
Franz Kafka was admitted to the Charles University of Prague where he first studied chemistry and then switched to law. There he met Max Brod, who became a close friend of his throughout his life. Kafka earned his degree of Doctor of Law and served as a law clerk for the civil and criminal courts. For much of Kafka's adult life, he lived within close proximity to his parents. Most of his works, such as The Metamorphosis and The Trial are filled with the theme of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent-child conflict, characters on terrifying quests, and mystical transformations.
Max Brod
Influence
When Kafka died his name was only known to a small group of readers. It was only after his death and Max Brod went against the demands of his friends that Kafka himself and his work gained fame. His books became especially popular during World War II and they greatly influenced German literature. Kafka greatly influenced genres such as existentialism, which stressed the individual's unique position as a self-determining being responsible for their own choices.
Death
Franz Kafka suffered from many illnesses including clinical depression, social anxiety, migraines, insomnia, and other ailments, usually brought on by excessive stresses and strains. Kafka began to suffer from tuberculosis in 1917, and he began to require assistance and support from his family. As his tuberculosis worsened, Kafka went to receive better treatment in Vienna, where he died on June 3, 1924. His body was brought back to his homeland, Prague, where he was buried on June 11, 1924.
tuberculosis
Works Cited:
Shelokhonov, Steve. "Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com, 1990-2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Franz Kafka Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
"Franz Kafka - Biography." Franz Kafka. The European Graduate School, 1997-2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
Nervi, Mauro. "Kafka's Life (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. Mauro Nervi, 08 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2014
Franz Kafka was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Australian Empire, in 1883. His two younger brothers, Georg and Heinrich, did in infancy when he was 6, leaving him the only son in his family along with three sisters. Kafka's father, Hermann Kafka, was a business owner and domestic tyrant who frequently abused his son. His mother shared her son's delicate nature despite her husband's violent personality.
Adult Life
Franz Kafka was admitted to the Charles University of Prague where he first studied chemistry and then switched to law. There he met Max Brod, who became a close friend of his throughout his life. Kafka earned his degree of Doctor of Law and served as a law clerk for the civil and criminal courts. For much of Kafka's adult life, he lived within close proximity to his parents. Most of his works, such as The Metamorphosis and The Trial are filled with the theme of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent-child conflict, characters on terrifying quests, and mystical transformations.
Max Brod
Influence
When Kafka died his name was only known to a small group of readers. It was only after his death and Max Brod went against the demands of his friends that Kafka himself and his work gained fame. His books became especially popular during World War II and they greatly influenced German literature. Kafka greatly influenced genres such as existentialism, which stressed the individual's unique position as a self-determining being responsible for their own choices.
Death
Franz Kafka suffered from many illnesses including clinical depression, social anxiety, migraines, insomnia, and other ailments, usually brought on by excessive stresses and strains. Kafka began to suffer from tuberculosis in 1917, and he began to require assistance and support from his family. As his tuberculosis worsened, Kafka went to receive better treatment in Vienna, where he died on June 3, 1924. His body was brought back to his homeland, Prague, where he was buried on June 11, 1924.
tuberculosis
Works Cited:
Shelokhonov, Steve. "Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com, 1990-2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Franz Kafka Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
"Franz Kafka - Biography." Franz Kafka. The European Graduate School, 1997-2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
Nervi, Mauro. "Kafka's Life (1883-1924)." The Kafka Project. Mauro Nervi, 08 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
What Dreams May Come Reflection
After weeks of Dante's Inferno presentations and watching What Dreams May Come, it has become apparent to me the similarities and differences between their ideas of Heaven and Hell. After studying Dante Alighieri and the nine circles of hell he created, I've decided that Dante must have been very ill in the head and a very cruel person. The severity of the punishments he created and his hatred toward many types of people was over the top. Only people with cold hearts and evil souls could create the intense torture systems that Dante did. What Dreams May Come focused more on the beauty of Heaven and the powerful idea of soul mates rather than the levels and punishments in Hell. In Dante's Inferno there was much focus on the physical body and the pain the body feels. Hurting of the physical body was the main focus in every punishment and the sinners were in the same body as they had on Earth which made them recognizable to Dante and Virgil throughout their journey in Hell. In What Dreams May Come the body is very insignificant and the person's soul is what is focused on. When Chris enters Heaven he is greeted by a man recognizable as Albert, a medical mentor he had when he was an intern. Albert is actually Ian, Chris's son, but because the body is insignificant, the soul can choose to resemble the body of anybody they want. The reason Ian chose the body of Albert is because Chris always looked up and talked so highly of him; Ian always wanted his dad to think of him as a great man. Later on, Chris meets an Asian women named Leona in Heaven, who is actually is daughter, Marie. Marie chose to resemble this women in her afterlife because of a comment Chris made about how Asian women as the most beautiful and intelligent. Marie wanted to be what her father liked.
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The differences in the Hell in Dante's Inferno and What Dreams May Come is that in Dante's Inferno the sinner does not have the choice of their punishment and the Hell for every soul looks the same. In What Dreams May Come every Hell and Heaven is personalized. In Chris's wife's Hell she is trapped in a sea of faces with no mobility below her neck. Because her fear on Earth was being lost by Chris and just blending in with the rest of the world, her punishment fit that. The same is true with Heaven in the way it is a personalized place, but each person's is customized to their liking. In Dante's Inferno once a person is in Hell they are stuck there for eternity. In What Dreams May Come Chris moves from Heaven to Hell in a quest to save his soul mate, Annie. Annie ends up leaving Hell with Chris so they can live together.
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Friday, March 7, 2014
Cantos 19-28 Reflection
Over the course of this past week I presented my Canto and watched my fellow classmates' presentations on Cantos 19-28. I have genuinely enjoyed listening about each of the Cantos and learning more about their sin and punishment. I always looked forward to hearing about each contrapasso because for me, that is the most interesting aspect. I like the concept of punishments corresponding with the sin; I find it very intriguing. In Canto 20, the sin was using unholy powers to see ahead in life and their punishment is their heads are on backwards, so they can only see behind them. I think the contrapasso of this canto is so clever because since the sinner wanted and tried to see into the future, they are eternally looking where they have already been, or their past. Although many of the punishments in Dante's Inferno seem too cruel and harsh in my opinion, I find it very cool how Dante found a punishment that fit their sin symbolically.
As for my own presentation, I am very pleased with how it played out and I am proud of myself for not choking up while presenting (that seems to occur frequently when I speak in front of crowds...). After putting in hours upon hours of time and work, my presentation turned out what I hoped it to be as well as my visual representation. My favorite presentation I heard this week has to be Canto 28 presented by Paige. I think out of all the presenters should did the most thorough job and created the most complex and thought out visual demonstration. I thought the symbolism of the pottery clock she made was very clever and portrayed her canto well. The presentations on Dante's Inferno are almost over, which in a way saddens me because I have really enjoyed them.
As for my own presentation, I am very pleased with how it played out and I am proud of myself for not choking up while presenting (that seems to occur frequently when I speak in front of crowds...). After putting in hours upon hours of time and work, my presentation turned out what I hoped it to be as well as my visual representation. My favorite presentation I heard this week has to be Canto 28 presented by Paige. I think out of all the presenters should did the most thorough job and created the most complex and thought out visual demonstration. I thought the symbolism of the pottery clock she made was very clever and portrayed her canto well. The presentations on Dante's Inferno are almost over, which in a way saddens me because I have really enjoyed them.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Dante Presentations Reflection
During this past week students have begun presenting their projects on their assigned canto of Dante's Inferno. It has been really interesting to listen to the different sins and punishments of the canto's before mine and getting to see everyone's interpretations of them. One that really stood out to me was the presentation about people who hoarded and focused all of their attention on finding material objects. I thought the contrapasso of people having to carry their possessions on their back and lugging it around because they were never able to recognize what the important things in life were was very clever of Dante. The best part of the presentations for me have been the visual representations. Most of them have been very creative and clever, like making a tree with a barbie doll to represent canto 13 or interpreting canto one as wall street. They have all given me ideas on what I want to do for my visual and how I want to improve my presentation.
After listening to some of the presentations and learning about all the different sins, it makes me think about the sins that I am guilty of. The sins people in Dante's hell committed are sins that millions of people commit every day. Essentially, every person in the world would be in some level of Dante's hell. I do not agree with Dante on most of his placement decisions, such as putting homosexuals in hell because it is "unnatural". I look forward to listening to more presentations so I can learn more about the sins and their contrapassos. I present my canto on Monday, so I am especially looking forward to get my presentation over with. I am nervous to present, but I think overall it will go well.
After listening to some of the presentations and learning about all the different sins, it makes me think about the sins that I am guilty of. The sins people in Dante's hell committed are sins that millions of people commit every day. Essentially, every person in the world would be in some level of Dante's hell. I do not agree with Dante on most of his placement decisions, such as putting homosexuals in hell because it is "unnatural". I look forward to listening to more presentations so I can learn more about the sins and their contrapassos. I present my canto on Monday, so I am especially looking forward to get my presentation over with. I am nervous to present, but I think overall it will go well.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Hell
We started the new assignment of Dante's Inferno on Thursday and since then we have been researching and typing till no end. Everyone is assigned a different canto, which is similar to a chapter now-a-days. Every canto belongs to a different circle of hell, and a ring inside that circle. There are different sins that lands people in certain levels of hell and punishments that coincide with every sin. The canto I am researching and presenting about is canto XVI. This canto's sin is the act of sodomy, relationship with one of the same sex, and their punishment is to forever walk under the rain of fire. The sin falls under the seventh circle of hell in ring 3, "violence against God".
For the assignment we must paraphrase every line, write a paragraph on every icon and allusion mentioned, create a visual interpretation, and make a digital presentation for our chosen canto. So far I have paraphrased every stanza in the canto which has given me a much clearer understanding of its allegorical meaning. I still have a long ways to go until I become close to finishing this assignment but I have great confidence that I can knock this out of the water by my presentation date. I am excited to continue revealing the underlying meaning behind my canto and gain more knowledge on its significance. The visual interpretation should be fun to create and I am excited to see what I come up with to display the canto's deeper meaning.
For the assignment we must paraphrase every line, write a paragraph on every icon and allusion mentioned, create a visual interpretation, and make a digital presentation for our chosen canto. So far I have paraphrased every stanza in the canto which has given me a much clearer understanding of its allegorical meaning. I still have a long ways to go until I become close to finishing this assignment but I have great confidence that I can knock this out of the water by my presentation date. I am excited to continue revealing the underlying meaning behind my canto and gain more knowledge on its significance. The visual interpretation should be fun to create and I am excited to see what I come up with to display the canto's deeper meaning.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Looking Back on the Week
As the tragic hero unit came to a close, the last of the groups presented and a closing lecture was given. I really enjoyed the presentations given by all the groups and was fascinated by how the story lines of all the movies could be so different but still follow the tragic hero cycle precisely. The lecture by our teacher really made me realize how Aristotelian tragedy connects so much to today's society. There are movies being made everyday that exemplify the tragic hero. Like the Greeks that went to the theater to see tragedies like Oedipus Rex to grow as a human being, society today goes to movie theaters and watches a contemporary tragedy that hopefully makes us leave as slightly changed people. This unit has really furthered my awareness on how literature truly is a huge component in society and how it has changed the world.
Now that tragedy, a some what depressing topic, has come to an end, we are taking a turn for an even darker subject... hell. I am a little excited to read more about the scary place in Dante's Inferno, but I have a feeling this class will be dreary which kind of brings down my mood. So far we have only written an "inventory" on what our personal hell would be like. I wrote about how every soul would be punished differently according to their sin. I also created the hell to have no escape; once you are put there, there is no getting out. It was fun in a way that we could be like God inventing a place that punished bad souls. I don't know what our assignment will be for the Dante's Inferno unit but for the most part I am excited.
Now that tragedy, a some what depressing topic, has come to an end, we are taking a turn for an even darker subject... hell. I am a little excited to read more about the scary place in Dante's Inferno, but I have a feeling this class will be dreary which kind of brings down my mood. So far we have only written an "inventory" on what our personal hell would be like. I wrote about how every soul would be punished differently according to their sin. I also created the hell to have no escape; once you are put there, there is no getting out. It was fun in a way that we could be like God inventing a place that punished bad souls. I don't know what our assignment will be for the Dante's Inferno unit but for the most part I am excited.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Personal Hell
I believe that hell is a place that souls are sent to in order to pay for the awful acts they've committed. My hell basically looks the same as the "typical" hell, consisting of fire and a dark, scary demon. There is no way out of this hell since the souls sent to my hell do not deserve redemption. Only the very worst of the worst people get sent to this hell to get punished for their terrible sins.
1. What do you have to do to get into your hell? In order to get into my hell one would have to crossed the boundary of morality. They basically have no good intentions and commit the worst of the worst acts. Someone in my hell could have betrayed the ones they love like committing adultery. Murderers who kill intentionally would be in my hell too. If you murdered someone unintentionally like in a car accident you would not be in my hell because you didn't want or mean to kill someone. One individuals that carry out truly atrocious acts are planted in my hell.
2. What are the punishments? In my hell, the punishment would be only having the feeling of misery and never getting to experience the feeling of happiness. You would be trapped in the fiery pit of hell with a demon flying over always watching you. Every soul that enters my hell gets the punishment of their greatest fear. If the person's strongest fear was drowning, they would have the sensation of drowning until the end of eternity. If they feared spiders, they would forever feel spiders crawl under and on top of their skin.
3. What does it look like? My hell looks like a dark and fiery pit under the universe. It seems like it would be scorching hot but it is the coldest place you can image. Your skin will always hurt due to the burning icy air. The sounds of screaming and gnashing of teeth surround every soul in the flaming pit. Everything is overcome by darkness. There is no end, no way out, and absolutely no hope for returning.
4. Can anyone escape (if yes, who? if not, why not?) Nobody can escape my personal hell. It is really hard to get sent to my hell and only the worst people who commit the lowest acts are sent here. Since the acts committed are so horrendous, there is no escape from this hell. They will pay for their wrong doing by being trapped in my hell for eternity.
5. What would be a symbol to represent your hell? The symbol that represents my hell is this infinity sign. This symbol is the perfect representation because the people in my hell are stuck there for infinity. There is no escaping this hell and their torture will endure for eternity. The infinity sign has no end just like there no end to the suffering of the people in my hell.
6. Who is in your hell? The people in my hell are the most nauseating and villainous individuals in the universe. They have committed acts that have surpassed the borderline of morality. Leaders like Hirohito, Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are in my hell. They were all ruthless rulers that killed millions of people with intention. The shooters that murdered many people in shootings like Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and James Holmes in the Premier of The Dark Night. Ignorant rednecks that believe that men are superior to women and whites are superior to people of race are in my pit of hell. I am a very big feminist and the imbeciles that believe in inequality have a reserved spot in my hell.
1. What do you have to do to get into your hell? In order to get into my hell one would have to crossed the boundary of morality. They basically have no good intentions and commit the worst of the worst acts. Someone in my hell could have betrayed the ones they love like committing adultery. Murderers who kill intentionally would be in my hell too. If you murdered someone unintentionally like in a car accident you would not be in my hell because you didn't want or mean to kill someone. One individuals that carry out truly atrocious acts are planted in my hell.
2. What are the punishments? In my hell, the punishment would be only having the feeling of misery and never getting to experience the feeling of happiness. You would be trapped in the fiery pit of hell with a demon flying over always watching you. Every soul that enters my hell gets the punishment of their greatest fear. If the person's strongest fear was drowning, they would have the sensation of drowning until the end of eternity. If they feared spiders, they would forever feel spiders crawl under and on top of their skin.
3. What does it look like? My hell looks like a dark and fiery pit under the universe. It seems like it would be scorching hot but it is the coldest place you can image. Your skin will always hurt due to the burning icy air. The sounds of screaming and gnashing of teeth surround every soul in the flaming pit. Everything is overcome by darkness. There is no end, no way out, and absolutely no hope for returning.
4. Can anyone escape (if yes, who? if not, why not?) Nobody can escape my personal hell. It is really hard to get sent to my hell and only the worst people who commit the lowest acts are sent here. Since the acts committed are so horrendous, there is no escape from this hell. They will pay for their wrong doing by being trapped in my hell for eternity.
5. What would be a symbol to represent your hell? The symbol that represents my hell is this infinity sign. This symbol is the perfect representation because the people in my hell are stuck there for infinity. There is no escaping this hell and their torture will endure for eternity. The infinity sign has no end just like there no end to the suffering of the people in my hell.
6. Who is in your hell? The people in my hell are the most nauseating and villainous individuals in the universe. They have committed acts that have surpassed the borderline of morality. Leaders like Hirohito, Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are in my hell. They were all ruthless rulers that killed millions of people with intention. The shooters that murdered many people in shootings like Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and James Holmes in the Premier of The Dark Night. Ignorant rednecks that believe that men are superior to women and whites are superior to people of race are in my pit of hell. I am a very big feminist and the imbeciles that believe in inequality have a reserved spot in my hell.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Reflection of the Week
This past week has been a chaotic but entertaining one to say the least. It was quite funny to see and listen to other groups come up with last minutes improvisations to cover up minor but important details and a very different, stressful situation when my group was in the middle of a poster-life-threatening crisis too. I never knew an accidental blob of black paint on white paper could cause so much fear and distress. Shards of glass get scattered, a box-jellyfish is assembled and before we know it our poster is 3/4 finished with only five minutes of class remaining. With an IRS badge thrown here and a Will Smith photo slapped there, a breath taking poster was created before our eyes. I am incredibly proud of my team for putting in the work to produce the finished product that we did. I didn't know exactly how we were going to pull it off, but I'd say we did a mighty fine job.
Through this period of intense pressure and the on the verge of tears moments, my group gained a greater sense of unity, dedication, and overall appreciation for our films and our partners. There is no better feeling than the relief of completing a difficult task with your best effort put forward. I can honestly say we gave everything we had into this assignment and the loss of sleep we all experienced was worth it. I feel our presentation went very well. Every group member had their aspect of tragedy down to the t. It has been exciting to see the other groups' creative and unique ideas and compare them to my own groups'. I look forward to continue watching the presentations of the last of the groups in the class.
Through this period of intense pressure and the on the verge of tears moments, my group gained a greater sense of unity, dedication, and overall appreciation for our films and our partners. There is no better feeling than the relief of completing a difficult task with your best effort put forward. I can honestly say we gave everything we had into this assignment and the loss of sleep we all experienced was worth it. I feel our presentation went very well. Every group member had their aspect of tragedy down to the t. It has been exciting to see the other groups' creative and unique ideas and compare them to my own groups'. I look forward to continue watching the presentations of the last of the groups in the class.
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