Joseph Conrad mixes the imagination of boredom with the "interference," of reality. When at a task people are prone to separate themselves with their imagination in order to keep their personal interests intact. He creates the transition from the experience of being alone and what we do with our imagination and then how the motions of people bring us back to reality. Where are our own personal interests and desires in this mix of reality and imagination and where did they stem from? Is a question that sparks to my mind when reading this.
"They had simply to be equal to their tasks; but I wondered how far I should turn out faithful to that idea conception of one's own personality every man sets up for himself secretly."
It's interesting to see how Conrad conveys the mind of a writer on pg. 117 when he states, " and he told me the story roughly in brusque, disconnected sentences. I needed no more. I saw it all going on as though I were myself inside that other sleeping-suit." He announces voice and perspective and how if told properly can move the person into another persons perspective.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Paste
Henry James sets the story about the truth of an object and it's attachment to the living even after they are no longer alive. It's obvious that James is a prose writer, he creates a dissattachemnt from the story alotogether by creating a lack of personal point of view. He lets his ideas about truth, honor, class and respect shine through the voice of the characters. He constantly and quickly shifts through time leaving no space inbetween days, creating almost a looming anxiety about the truth of the pearls and the dead women whom they belonged to. When I read "Paste," I get a sense of opening a humming box full of light and the light slowly getts brighter and brighter, and the humming gets louder and louder until the truth is seem and comes to a sudden halt. He screams the voice of the society while simultaneously allowing his perspective to be seen only through the eyes of the characters in relation to their social filter.
Parker's Back
Flannery O' Conner keeps a steady pace that inclines the suspense of his story over time. He starts the story off with the present moment and why the main character is unhappy and then it floats into his past and gives back story as to why he got his tattoos. The sentence structures are very vague and just for what the characters feel, and by not creating an exact emotion and leaving it vague, it leave the feeling open to the reader, allowing them to be more emotionally involved.
"Hungry people made Parker nervous. He has always had plenty to eat himself. He grew very uncomfortable. " There is no description leaving the how uncomfortable he felt open to the readers interpretation, the visual is here left open to be created by the reader, perhaps creating their own feelings of how they would feel uncomfortable in a situation, unconsciously placing themselves in Parker's place.
Matched with the description of the setting, which is also open to the readers interpretation with the characters seemed emotions creates almost a conversational tone between the character and the reader in order to unconsciously compare themselves to the main character, allowing the reader to either pity or love Parker and his life.
"Hungry people made Parker nervous. He has always had plenty to eat himself. He grew very uncomfortable. " There is no description leaving the how uncomfortable he felt open to the readers interpretation, the visual is here left open to be created by the reader, perhaps creating their own feelings of how they would feel uncomfortable in a situation, unconsciously placing themselves in Parker's place.
Matched with the description of the setting, which is also open to the readers interpretation with the characters seemed emotions creates almost a conversational tone between the character and the reader in order to unconsciously compare themselves to the main character, allowing the reader to either pity or love Parker and his life.
Hills Like White Elephants
Ernest Hemingway sets up a vauge setting and story in order to hold an undertone of conflict amongst the two characters. By never stating directly what the source of conflict was he leaves the interpretation about the issue in the hands of the reader. Hemingway creates a dry/warm atmosphere with short and seemingly caring coversation. He makes the reader question if the characters are actually in love by using short and airy dialogue.
"I'll love it. I love it now but I just can't think about it. You know how I get when I worry." - Matched with the very last sentence. " I feel fine," she said "there's nothing wrong me with. I feel fine."
These two sentences can move the reader into many different forms of interpretation. Why can't the American think about it? Whatever "it," is so overtly discrete it creates the wonder the drags through the passage.
The repetition of "I feel fine," sounds like self reassurance, along with "there's nothing wrong with me." The added "me," at the end makes it a hyper personal statement separating her emotions from the American, making it very clear how she truly feels.
"I'll love it. I love it now but I just can't think about it. You know how I get when I worry." - Matched with the very last sentence. " I feel fine," she said "there's nothing wrong me with. I feel fine."
These two sentences can move the reader into many different forms of interpretation. Why can't the American think about it? Whatever "it," is so overtly discrete it creates the wonder the drags through the passage.
The repetition of "I feel fine," sounds like self reassurance, along with "there's nothing wrong with me." The added "me," at the end makes it a hyper personal statement separating her emotions from the American, making it very clear how she truly feels.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Paper Pills - Sherwood Anderson
Anderson's writing is completely symbolic and metaphorical. It's interesting how she sets up the story and informs the reader about the entire story and how it ends. Then after going into explicit detail about how the story unfolds and the end result. This creates a type of aware pensiveness which draws in the reader to find the how and just the ending. She perfectly sets up the story about the the Doctor/Old man and who he was and how he was viewed amongst other people and how he influenced his wife.
At first glance the reader is lead to think that the wife dies literally but on page 3 it states " he worked ceaselessly, building up something that he himself destroyed." What he destroyed is the old person he wife was before she met him with the sweet and rare deliciousness of his hands - or influence. Anderson plays with time by using the seasons, and planned out sentence structures in order to not create a uniform time stream of events. Sherwood ended it with clarity that if not paid close to could throw off the reader. Fall - marriage, Spring - she dies; metaphorically, but then Anderson moves back into the Winter where the Doctor read her all of his notes and thoughts, but don't forget it took her a year to die and Sherwood states, "After the tall girl came to know Doctor Reefy it seemed to her that she never wanted to leave him again. She went into his office one morning and without her saying anything he seemed to know what happened to her." Sherwood is playing with ambiguity. The tall dark girl would have never understood the doctors thoughts if she was never presented with the two men - one who talks of virginity and secret desire and the other who lustfully took her every moment.
Lastly, the titles Paper Pills is almost a pun as to say that the Doctor killed his wife with and overdoes of knowledge.
At first glance the reader is lead to think that the wife dies literally but on page 3 it states " he worked ceaselessly, building up something that he himself destroyed." What he destroyed is the old person he wife was before she met him with the sweet and rare deliciousness of his hands - or influence. Anderson plays with time by using the seasons, and planned out sentence structures in order to not create a uniform time stream of events. Sherwood ended it with clarity that if not paid close to could throw off the reader. Fall - marriage, Spring - she dies; metaphorically, but then Anderson moves back into the Winter where the Doctor read her all of his notes and thoughts, but don't forget it took her a year to die and Sherwood states, "After the tall girl came to know Doctor Reefy it seemed to her that she never wanted to leave him again. She went into his office one morning and without her saying anything he seemed to know what happened to her." Sherwood is playing with ambiguity. The tall dark girl would have never understood the doctors thoughts if she was never presented with the two men - one who talks of virginity and secret desire and the other who lustfully took her every moment.
Lastly, the titles Paper Pills is almost a pun as to say that the Doctor killed his wife with and overdoes of knowledge.
Nanny Dearest
Woody Allen cleverly mixes high style with the particular serious situation in order to create a high contrast comedy. He mocks high society by highlighting a situation that didn't have to be taken as seriously and dramatically measures that the solution to his problem is to kill the nanny. Allen plays with wording by making a word that would be seen as concrete, perhaps in it's context of science and moves the word into a space of everyday use. For example he uses the word "quantum particles," and "skull," and then uses the words to express action as if it was the words normative use. It's interesting how the characters don't change because of their environments imposition; they are sure of their ways, behavior and language. The particular use of the vernacular can make it hard to understand and their are possibilities that the audience won't understand and will have to perhaps look up the word, which suggest that they have the time and resources to expand their vocabulary.
He uses serious sarcasm to make his intentions seem more innocent and selfless than they actually are. For example when he talks about the baby sitter with beauty over qualification on pg. 55 he states
" I adjusted to the creatures personal style more flexibly than my wife did and ever attempted to help her relax with an occasional back rub..."
The humor in this sentence is written beautifully because Harvey honestly tires to project himself as innocent in this matter, when in actually the undertone of his actions scream to his make perversions.
He uses serious sarcasm to make his intentions seem more innocent and selfless than they actually are. For example when he talks about the baby sitter with beauty over qualification on pg. 55 he states
" I adjusted to the creatures personal style more flexibly than my wife did and ever attempted to help her relax with an occasional back rub..."
The humor in this sentence is written beautifully because Harvey honestly tires to project himself as innocent in this matter, when in actually the undertone of his actions scream to his make perversions.
Muakami
This first person narrative by Marakami sets up the reader with a character who is nonchalant and very with his existence. Murakami tries to insert a sense of ambiguity when the main characters wife Kumiko calls but personally fails to completely draw in the reader with complete subjectivity. Murakami informs the reader by inserting past bibs of conversation between the husband and wife, also with the husbands reflections which seem to be his only interest and excitement. The husband seems sure of himself and his life situation with his wife and his pretentiousness.
The time line is slow paced and the structure serves no interest to continue. Murakami does use great paratatic and hypo-tactic sentences. There is a high stress of desire and passion on the wife's behalf and complete boredom,knowledge, and apathy that drags out through the entire passage. It is clear that it is solely the husbands choice to live the sad life he leads, and Murkami strains this passage with complete imagery using words that are obscure but exact dually to express the characters feelings.
The time line is slow paced and the structure serves no interest to continue. Murakami does use great paratatic and hypo-tactic sentences. There is a high stress of desire and passion on the wife's behalf and complete boredom,knowledge, and apathy that drags out through the entire passage. It is clear that it is solely the husbands choice to live the sad life he leads, and Murkami strains this passage with complete imagery using words that are obscure but exact dually to express the characters feelings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)