Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman centralizes around past occurrences rather than those in the present. By having Willy, the main character, constantly reminiscing of the past Miller poses the idea that the past and its actions affect a person's present state.
Using Willy's delusions of the past Miller reveals human's tendencies to linger on the past as a way to avoid present hardships. Willy finds it easier to remember the high times in life rather than dealing with the less happy state of of his life during old age. Humans tend to do the same. Miller warns against this and suggests that it doing so may lead to a person's own demise, just as it did with Willy. It was a character of his past, his uncle, who encouraged suicide.
Willy's past actions prove not only to affect his own present state,but others as well.This cause and effect cannot be helped and usually not intended. Willy did not intend to ruin his son's life with his affair in the past, but nonetheless it happened. Miller seeks to stress the importance of past actions by utilizing Willy and Biff's situation. He suggests to the reader that taking great care for one's current actions may improve a person's own future as well as the future of another.
Although the past occurs and then continues on, it still eaves a lingering impression on a person. Miller understands this idea and portrays it in his play. With Willy's hardened nostalgia the play becomes Miller's plight to humanity to pay attention to the pastas well as the present. He utilizes Willy's pathetic and desperate state to conjure readers' sympathy towards the subject matter, which in turn heightens his/her awareness. It is then that a reader will attempt to heed Millers' message.
In this playMiller confronts a person's actions and its affect on the future by using Willy's past, his son's past,and his own reminiscence of it all.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Josh Groban <3 [[ If God could sing ]]
Weeping
Josh Groban
(feat. Ladysmith Black Mambazo)
I knew a man who lived in fear --It was huge, it was angry,--It was drawing near.--Behind his house a secret place--Was the shadow of the demon--He could never face. --He built a wall of steel and flame--And men with guns to keep it tame--Then standing back he made it plain--That the nightmare would never ever rise again--But the fear and the fire and the guns remain. --It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleeping--But as the night came round --I heardIts lonely soundIt wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping. --And then one day the neighbours came--They were curious to know about the smoke and flame--They stood around outside the wall--But of course there was nothing to be heard at all"My friends," he said, "We've reached our goal--The threat is under firm control--As long as peace and order reign--I'll be damned if I can see a reason to explain--Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain." --It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleepingBut as the night came round I heard--Its lonely sound--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping. --Say ah, say ah, say ahSay ah, say ah, say ah
[Ladysmith's solo]
It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleeping--But as the night came round I heardIts lonely sound--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.Say ah, say ah, say ahSay ah, say ah, say ah [to end]
Josh Groban
(feat. Ladysmith Black Mambazo)
I knew a man who lived in fear --It was huge, it was angry,--It was drawing near.--Behind his house a secret place--Was the shadow of the demon--He could never face. --He built a wall of steel and flame--And men with guns to keep it tame--Then standing back he made it plain--That the nightmare would never ever rise again--But the fear and the fire and the guns remain. --It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleeping--But as the night came round --I heardIts lonely soundIt wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping. --And then one day the neighbours came--They were curious to know about the smoke and flame--They stood around outside the wall--But of course there was nothing to be heard at all"My friends," he said, "We've reached our goal--The threat is under firm control--As long as peace and order reign--I'll be damned if I can see a reason to explain--Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain." --It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleepingBut as the night came round I heard--Its lonely sound--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping. --Say ah, say ah, say ahSay ah, say ah, say ah
[Ladysmith's solo]
It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow--He tells the world that it's sleeping--But as the night came round I heardIts lonely sound--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping--It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.Say ah, say ah, say ahSay ah, say ah, say ah [to end]
Thursday, November 15, 2007
music album
Often times, analytical poems do not bode well with me. They sound beautiful, but the second I am told to brutally analyze the piece, the beauty is lost. However, I have come to acknowledge that poetry is found in song lyrics such as those on the album assigned to the class. This heightened my understanding for poetry analysis. I am slowly realizing that analyzing the poems, if done correctly, could offer a different meaning and insight into the poem.
Mr. Hughes’s choice of music generally sounds as if it comes from the same group of like artists. Their Beetles influence, for me, is impressive and gives the albums more of a classic hard edge devoted to the classics. Yet, the bands never fail to insert their own personality into their music.
Although its melody and beat resembles the classic bands, great consideration has to be taken to the words being sung in order to actually appreciate the poetry behind it all. Every song present in this album has lyrics that spout the speaker’s desperation and regret for lost love. The listener can feel his despair, and they cannot help but cheer for his hopeful happy ending. Yet, a happy ending does not come. Nonetheless this poetry is filled with emotion, which is tied with the emotions of its listeners. Poetry can be much stronger than any novel, if written correctly.
Poetry thrives on literary devices to add eloquence and meaning into the piece. Its ambiguity is never due to negligence, but is incorporated as a way to emphasize the poem’s purpose. When one has to think about the meaning of a poem, one will learn and appreciate it that much more. In these lyrics so many devices could be found. That is the beauty to poetry.
These men who are the speaker in most of these songs portray their desperation so well. The listener feels the love the men once had, and they feel sorry for its loss. By the end of the songs the listener cannot help but feel a sense of determination to make their relationship work, no matter its condition. The repetition was especially touching for me because it made the man more vulnerable, as if he is repenting his wrongs by doing a simple load of laundry, yet it is not enough. Vulnerability is not often found in a man, and yet every one of these speakers is filled with it, giving them a lot of character.
In return of listening to these songs, I have come to see poetry as a form of art rather than a droning off unmeaning piece of ambiguity meant only for looks. No, poetry strikes emotion and teaches the reader/ listener many things.
Mr. Hughes’s choice of music generally sounds as if it comes from the same group of like artists. Their Beetles influence, for me, is impressive and gives the albums more of a classic hard edge devoted to the classics. Yet, the bands never fail to insert their own personality into their music.
Although its melody and beat resembles the classic bands, great consideration has to be taken to the words being sung in order to actually appreciate the poetry behind it all. Every song present in this album has lyrics that spout the speaker’s desperation and regret for lost love. The listener can feel his despair, and they cannot help but cheer for his hopeful happy ending. Yet, a happy ending does not come. Nonetheless this poetry is filled with emotion, which is tied with the emotions of its listeners. Poetry can be much stronger than any novel, if written correctly.
Poetry thrives on literary devices to add eloquence and meaning into the piece. Its ambiguity is never due to negligence, but is incorporated as a way to emphasize the poem’s purpose. When one has to think about the meaning of a poem, one will learn and appreciate it that much more. In these lyrics so many devices could be found. That is the beauty to poetry.
These men who are the speaker in most of these songs portray their desperation so well. The listener feels the love the men once had, and they feel sorry for its loss. By the end of the songs the listener cannot help but feel a sense of determination to make their relationship work, no matter its condition. The repetition was especially touching for me because it made the man more vulnerable, as if he is repenting his wrongs by doing a simple load of laundry, yet it is not enough. Vulnerability is not often found in a man, and yet every one of these speakers is filled with it, giving them a lot of character.
In return of listening to these songs, I have come to see poetry as a form of art rather than a droning off unmeaning piece of ambiguity meant only for looks. No, poetry strikes emotion and teaches the reader/ listener many things.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Symbolism Prompt
In The Metamorphosis Kafka allows the beetle to be more than an insect, but a symbol signifying humanity as a whole.
Kafka uses Gregor’s character to represent humanity and all of its faults. Gregor is transformed into a bug as a way to further demonstrate to the readers the symbolism prevalent in the novel. As a bug Gregor is forced into solitude and loneliness, just as humans are pushed into their own solitude. Even with his family Gregor remained alone. Society structures itself in such a way that independence is not only encouraged but forced; Kafka recognizes this fatal flaw and points it out using Gregor as its device.
Kafka also utilizes Gregor as a tool to reveal the humanity’s cruelties, especially those formed from the solitude pressed upon society. Gregor’s family’s abandonment of Gregor after his metamorphosis represents the lack of attachment humans have with one another, and it grows worse. This solitude and unattached tendencies encourages humans to be cruel to one another, just as Gregor’s own family was cruel. His family would not even look at him, let alone help him in his dire situation, thus demonstrating humanity’s cruelties.
The many symbols present in Kafka’s novel contribute meaning and purpose to the novel. Without such devices, the novel would be simply an abstract story lacking any literary merit. Instead, Kafka’s acquired credibility allows him to unveil humans’ faults. He reveals his pessimism for humanity to his readers through his symbols. Symbols force the reader to think, and therefore appreciate all that Kafka has to say.
Through his own life experiences Kafka realizes that humans are prone to be lonely and in turn become cruel to one another as a way to maintain their solitude. This understanding is portrayed in his novel through Gregor’s character and by doing so provides the novel with purpose.
Kafka uses Gregor’s character to represent humanity and all of its faults. Gregor is transformed into a bug as a way to further demonstrate to the readers the symbolism prevalent in the novel. As a bug Gregor is forced into solitude and loneliness, just as humans are pushed into their own solitude. Even with his family Gregor remained alone. Society structures itself in such a way that independence is not only encouraged but forced; Kafka recognizes this fatal flaw and points it out using Gregor as its device.
Kafka also utilizes Gregor as a tool to reveal the humanity’s cruelties, especially those formed from the solitude pressed upon society. Gregor’s family’s abandonment of Gregor after his metamorphosis represents the lack of attachment humans have with one another, and it grows worse. This solitude and unattached tendencies encourages humans to be cruel to one another, just as Gregor’s own family was cruel. His family would not even look at him, let alone help him in his dire situation, thus demonstrating humanity’s cruelties.
The many symbols present in Kafka’s novel contribute meaning and purpose to the novel. Without such devices, the novel would be simply an abstract story lacking any literary merit. Instead, Kafka’s acquired credibility allows him to unveil humans’ faults. He reveals his pessimism for humanity to his readers through his symbols. Symbols force the reader to think, and therefore appreciate all that Kafka has to say.
Through his own life experiences Kafka realizes that humans are prone to be lonely and in turn become cruel to one another as a way to maintain their solitude. This understanding is portrayed in his novel through Gregor’s character and by doing so provides the novel with purpose.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Metamorphisis Writing Prompt
Conflicts fall heavily in characters as a way to demonstrate the conflicts humans must also face, as described in Steve Soderbergh’s movie Kafka. In this movie, Kafka’s inner struggle between obedience and rebellion is one that enhances the movie’s deeper meaning and purpose of warning the public.
Kafka’s obedience toward authority represents the many citizens who live ignorant, even if they are unaware of this ignorance. Just as Kafka is not aware of the horrors occurring in the castle, so are citizens unaware of every action their government is doing. Both Kaka and the people rely on what authorities tell them, and blindly hope that it is the truth. Soderbergh uses Kafka’s character to symbolize the ignorance everyone in society has, and the choice they must make: ignore the idea that a person does not know everything that is occurring around him/her, or fight back.
Kafka’s search for the truths about his authorities reveals he has more courage that most individuals in the world. Soderbergh suggest that the truths the government hides may be so horrible that knowledge of them is not worth it. Kafka journeys to find answers to his bosses’ many mysteries, yet when he does discover the truth he subjects to it. Soderbergh concludes the movie with Kafka silently dealing with the truth, as a way to warn readers of the possible futility of rebelling against the lies anyway.
Using Kafka’s struggle between living ignorant and living with the truth, Soderbergh poses the same question to his readers. He makes the reader wonder whether they enjoy living their lives believing all the government has to tell them, or should they break free and discover the truth. He does warn that such truths mean to be kept hidden and their discovery may be unsettling, but perhaps a reader sees this as being worthwhile. This inner conflict makes the movie more than a tale of conspirators, but one that makes every reader evaluate his/her own intelligence.
In this movie Soderbergh awakens citizens of their ignorance. Then, by utilizing Kafka’s own struggle he forces people to confront their unintelligence or ignore it, but recognize it nonetheless.
Kafka’s obedience toward authority represents the many citizens who live ignorant, even if they are unaware of this ignorance. Just as Kafka is not aware of the horrors occurring in the castle, so are citizens unaware of every action their government is doing. Both Kaka and the people rely on what authorities tell them, and blindly hope that it is the truth. Soderbergh uses Kafka’s character to symbolize the ignorance everyone in society has, and the choice they must make: ignore the idea that a person does not know everything that is occurring around him/her, or fight back.
Kafka’s search for the truths about his authorities reveals he has more courage that most individuals in the world. Soderbergh suggest that the truths the government hides may be so horrible that knowledge of them is not worth it. Kafka journeys to find answers to his bosses’ many mysteries, yet when he does discover the truth he subjects to it. Soderbergh concludes the movie with Kafka silently dealing with the truth, as a way to warn readers of the possible futility of rebelling against the lies anyway.
Using Kafka’s struggle between living ignorant and living with the truth, Soderbergh poses the same question to his readers. He makes the reader wonder whether they enjoy living their lives believing all the government has to tell them, or should they break free and discover the truth. He does warn that such truths mean to be kept hidden and their discovery may be unsettling, but perhaps a reader sees this as being worthwhile. This inner conflict makes the movie more than a tale of conspirators, but one that makes every reader evaluate his/her own intelligence.
In this movie Soderbergh awakens citizens of their ignorance. Then, by utilizing Kafka’s own struggle he forces people to confront their unintelligence or ignore it, but recognize it nonetheless.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
A novel, movie, bugs, and bad morals
Kafka’s The Metamorphosis was a novel that seemed to have little meaning in its tale of a human changed into a large insect. Since it has no substance as a story, all of its meaning must be hidden in metaphors, symbols, and other literary devices. Otherwise, I cannot see any use for the novel. Its exact literary purpose was hard to discover at first, one needs to use a little more creativity and thought than expected. The movie Kafka did help me understand the meaning of the novel a little more. I began to understand the situation Kafka was coming from when he wrote the novel. The themes of The Metamorphosis were given light and more meaning behind them. It helped in relating Kafka with his work. He was living in just as much solitude as Gregor. Obviously Kafka wanted to portray this loneliness and futility that he himself felt in his novel, and I realize he did just that, but with purpose.
The simplicity of the story makes it so that there are countless morals that could come out of it. For the movie, I believe the most important could be that people are always ignorant of what the real truths, whether they like to admit it or not. A person should never trust everything that is dictated to them. This usually applies to the government. However, the novel focuses more on the solitude of humanity. Humans cannot manage to get close enough to each other no matter how hard one try. It is tied into human’s nature, and makes it so that every human is truly always alone, or has the eminent probability of becoming alone at one point. No matter how much love people have for each other there is constantly the possibility of betrayal and so 100 % trust does not exist anywhere. Kafka realized this constant loneliness and used the novel to try to explain it.
Kafka thought families were not immune to this possibility of betrayal. If anything he stressed that it was worse in families. Although Gregor supported his entire family they were extremely quick to disown him after his metamorphosis. Even worse they tried to comfort themselves by the excuse Gregor no longer was alive inside the hideous beetle, even though they made no effort to figure out if it was true or not. Institutions are the same, only they have no obligations toward an individual. The three men rooming in the apartment instantly rejected Gregor, but not being family members they had no real obligation to do otherwise anyway.
I do not have the talent of the ingenious AP committee, but I will try and create a suitable AP question. One that would make them proud…
Symbols are often used in literature to mean something greater than a physical object the author describes. Select a novel or play of literary merit in which an object, person, or place symbolizes a greater meaning. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the symbol and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.
I doubt this will not be used on an AP test anytime soon. Still, I am not heartbroken.
The simplicity of the story makes it so that there are countless morals that could come out of it. For the movie, I believe the most important could be that people are always ignorant of what the real truths, whether they like to admit it or not. A person should never trust everything that is dictated to them. This usually applies to the government. However, the novel focuses more on the solitude of humanity. Humans cannot manage to get close enough to each other no matter how hard one try. It is tied into human’s nature, and makes it so that every human is truly always alone, or has the eminent probability of becoming alone at one point. No matter how much love people have for each other there is constantly the possibility of betrayal and so 100 % trust does not exist anywhere. Kafka realized this constant loneliness and used the novel to try to explain it.
Kafka thought families were not immune to this possibility of betrayal. If anything he stressed that it was worse in families. Although Gregor supported his entire family they were extremely quick to disown him after his metamorphosis. Even worse they tried to comfort themselves by the excuse Gregor no longer was alive inside the hideous beetle, even though they made no effort to figure out if it was true or not. Institutions are the same, only they have no obligations toward an individual. The three men rooming in the apartment instantly rejected Gregor, but not being family members they had no real obligation to do otherwise anyway.
I do not have the talent of the ingenious AP committee, but I will try and create a suitable AP question. One that would make them proud…
Symbols are often used in literature to mean something greater than a physical object the author describes. Select a novel or play of literary merit in which an object, person, or place symbolizes a greater meaning. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the symbol and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.
I doubt this will not be used on an AP test anytime soon. Still, I am not heartbroken.
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