Commas Yeah!

Online Learning

Online classes are a great way to learn more skills for a better future.  Online classes are great because it lets you learn at your own pace.  You don't have a set schedule that you have to adhere to, unlike normal classes.  Some of the benefits are that you can get online and do an assignment after work, or while you are at work.   It does have some downsides though.  You have to be diligent in your studies or they don't get done.  If you don't have the will power to keep up with them, you have a hard time with keeping up in the class.  I think the technology that benefited me the most is learning to write a blog.  I have never done that before and it was a pleasant experience.  It will still stay up and I will continue to update it on a regular basis.  Thank you everyone for your comments and help.
Image take from http://phys.org/news168788004.html

Reflection On the Course

I have really enjoyed English 102 over the last semester.  It is has been a great learning experience.  I think the best thing that I learned was reading analytically.  It has changed the way I process text, in a good way.  It will help me with future text and other classes, as well.  Future papers will benefit from this knowledge greatly.  It will take my writing to another level, and make the classes that I take in the future easier.  The readings in the class have affected me in mixed ways.  I really enjoyed Winter's Bone, but the other readings weren't as enjoyable to me.  Bartelby wasn't was somewhat dry, while Up in the Air, was just downright slow.  I think I've met the outcomes, for the most part.  I really wish I could have spent more time working on the class material, but other time constraints came into play.  My writing process was very unorganized at the beginning of the class. The have taken a turn towards the organized side, over the course of the semester.  My biggest hurdle that I had to overcome, was organization of my thesis.  I had trouble making statements, and not really wanting to take a stand.  I overcame that by listening to the advise of the instructor.  Making a clear point, that can be argued, is the biggest advice that I needed to hear.  The class was great instruction towards a future of learning and thinking analytically.  Thank you Instructor Cline.  

  

The tale of two tales

Really Rough Draft.  

Chad Anderson          

English 102

Instructor Laura Cline            

22 April 2012

The Tale of Two Tales

                Up in the Air, has two different versions, the movie and the book.  Both are good tales in their own right, but they are fundamentally different in the points they are trying to get across.  They were written at different times in different social and political climates.  Both works show those attitudes in their style of storytelling.  The book written in 2001 is a third person narrative of adventure in the life of a traveling businessman struggling  with ambitions that never pan out, relationship problems, and an obsession with getting one million sky miles; while dealing with a life threating disease that he ignores.  The movie filmed in 2009 is a romantic comedy trying to place value on stability, commitment, and family life.  They both have underlying subtext lined throughout, but they don’t have the same agendas whatsoever.  They do share one basic point, the main character, Ryan Bingham, is a selfish, egocentric, yet well-spoken individual.  The two stories were written differently, because of economic downturns starting in 2005, the outlook on businessmen based on those economic downturns, theatrical changes that emphasize a softer main character and supporting characters, and a change in commitment views and family life.

            The economy before 2001, the year the book was written, was going through a huge boom in large part due to the starting businesses on the Internet.  The U.S. and other countries were utilizing a new tool that revolutionized the way companies did business.  All you had to do to start a company was make a web page and hope it did well.  Business was booming, jobs were plentiful and money was being spent.  This all came to an end after the book was written, the dot-com bubble burst which sent the economy into a downward spiral that last to this day. 

            The writing of the movie was severely affected by this downturn in the economy.  One instance is the difference in that in the movie Ryan Bingham places his job in high regard.  He wants to keep his job from being taken over by the advancement of videoconferencing.  In the book Ryan doesn’t care about his job whatsoever.  In fact he has a quit date that he hasn’t even told his boss about.  This is significant because of the joblessness of the American people at the time the movie was written.  The writer, Jason Reitman, didn’t want to portray someone that wasn’t grateful for having a job, because so many people didn’t have one in the first place.  He also wanted to make Ryan look stronger in the eyes of the audience.

            Businessmen in 2009 weren’t highly regarded, because of the state of the economy.  They had driven the U.S. into a hole too big to fill, even though the government dumped huge sums of money in the form of bailouts to the lending and financial institutions.  Lots of innocent people lost their life savings to faceless businessmen, investing their money unwisely.  The movie’s goal was to portray a human side to businessmen; even the ones that fired people for a living.  This is where the character Natalie comes in to play.  She is the character that questions the lifestyle that Ryan is living.  She tries to implement the videoconferencing style to CTC, the company where Ryan works.  Even though she is trying to streamline business, she is the character that in the end shows the most humanity.  Ryan does his job with cold calculation, while Natalie doesn’t know what she is getting in to.  She finally quits after a suicide, which derails the program she was trying to put in place.  This shows the human aspect of the characters that are working in a company that’s whole goal is to keep the job of firing people faceless. 

            Family values have always been a big issue, but they have a big influence in the writing of the movie.  In the book, Ryan doesn’t want a family, and really doesn’t want to deal with the family he has.  He is living a lifestyle in both the book and movie that is lonely and isolated.  It’s only in the movie that he has some regrets towards the end for living that lifestyle.  In the book he has no intention of having family or even a girlfriend.  In the movie his isolation is encompassed by the slogan for his lectures, “What’s in Your Backpack” (Reitman).  His slogan sums up the fear of commitment and settling down that he has.  He is living a live void of all possessions that most people hold high in value.  He is lacking any real connections with people in the world that most people live.  They strive for stable lives and personal relationships.  This is something that Ryan doesn’t even attempt to try.  He is escaping from a life that he is afraid to be involved with.  This point is what the movie tries to bring across.  A good example is when he is outside the restaurant talking to his sisters after the rehearsal dinner, he asks his sister who is walking her down the aisle.  She says that her fiancé’s uncle is doing the honor.  The reason he isn’t doing the honors, is because he is never around.  In the book it is altogether different; Ryan is the one that saves Julie from running away from her wedding.  He is the one that talks her into going back to her fiancé and going through with the wedding.  It is a reverse of the tale between the movie and book. 

            While the movie focuses on relations with other humans, the book is more of a rant telling all of the selfish thoughts of Ryan Bingham.  They are both works that are worth your time.  Although completely different they are both trying to enlighten your sense of the business world.  In the end, both works should be enjoyed separately because they don’t have anything to do with each other.  In this manner the reader or viewer truly enjoy the product of the creators vision.     

Up in the Air thesis paragraph

                Up in the Air, has two different versions, the movie and the book.  Both are good tales in their own right, but they are fundamentally different in the points they are trying to get across.  They were written at different times in different social and political climates.  Both works show those attitudes in their style of storytelling.  The book written in 2001 is a third person narrative of adventure in the life of a traveling businessman struggling  with ambitions that never pan out, relationship problems, and an obsession with getting one million sky miles; while dealing with a life threating disease that he ignores.  The movie filmed in 2009 is a romantic comedy trying to place value on stability, commitment, and family life.  They both have underlying subtext lined throughout, but they don’t have the same agendas whatsoever.  They do share one basic point, the main character, Ryan Bingham, is a selfish, egocentric, yet well-spoken individual.  This paper will discuss the differences and similarities between both works, and why the political climate, social changes, and economic instability shaped both works.  

IMAGE FROM
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2009/12/30/paper-money-and-the-constitution/money-toilet-paper/

A Shallow Whirlwind

Up in the Air is a mediocre novel about a middle aged businessman's journeys to attain one million frequent flyer miles.  This novel written in mostly third person, is really slow.  It goes through the daily life of Ryan Bingham, which is basically him traveling from one place to the next firing people.  The novel starts with an itinerary, that goes through countless cities and airports.  Some days he takes three flights just to get to a destination he had already visited.  His life is one big whirlwind of family obligations he forgets, job meetings he blows off, and life ambitions that don't pan out.  The book is mostly a rant reminiscent of a businessman's Catcher in the Rye.  It doesn't have the teenage angst, but it has what angst is substituted for later in life, selfishness.  He tirades on about how special his life and observations are.  It always seems to go back to the one million miles.  He has people around him that need him, but he is focused, obsessed.  A prime example is when the brides maid's car broke down, she needed the miles to get to his sister's wedding.  He down right refused.  With all this going on he is constantly juggling the stories of previous and present women.  He has more than a few.  The only one he really seems to have any sort of attachment to, is his ex wife.   Too bad she got away, or more like he pushed her away.  It was a very passive aggressive move, but nonetheless he succeeded at his goal.  He put distance between him and her literally and figuratively.  The story really doesn't pick up until page 222, when he is confronted by the publisher that he has committed plagiarism.  This dumbfounds Ryan.  He is convinced the world is out to get him at this point.  A huge paranoia stemming from a briefcase that mysteriously appears, a covert company that is supposedly playing tricks on him, and his present employer that is watching his every move on behalf of the airline company.  He is hitting a hole that is really hard to come out of. All of these situations, and the way he deals with them make it hard to sympathize with the character.  He is an egotistical, selfish man with a pill problem.  On the last page, the author finally sheds some light on why he is acting this way,  he has a brain tumor.  I really think that was a cop out ending.  It wasn't all that great of a book.  If leaving one unsatisfied was the author's intention, he did a great job.

Mid-term Is the Best Term

Dear Readers,
Since English 102 is about half way done, my teacher asked me to write a letter describing some different aspects of the class learning experience.  I've had some challenges, mostly learning to write and think analytically.  Thesis sentences have been a huge hurdle to overcome as well.  Lots of time has been spent on that one aspect, but they still elude me.  A huge success for me is still passing the class, at this point in time.  I guess I can attribute my success to the reading that has been assigned.  I wasn't that fond of Bartleby, but it has its place in literary history.  Winter's Bone was a jaw dropper, that still effects my sense of sympathy towards the character's situation.  I've been in a weird space mentally lately, and that made me appreciate the story that much more.  Getting into the lighter reading of Up in the Air, is a welcome change though.  The analysis of these readings is definitely different from the opinion pieces I've wrote in the past.  It's a change that I like.  I needed to get in the habit of reading material and trying to see the underlying meaning.  I look forward to making my thesis sentences better.  I am also going to try and stay ahead in the work load.  My goal is to bring my average up to an "A", and keep it there for the rest of the semester.  Hopefully, I will keep truckin' along the road that leads to success.
Over and Out,
Chad Anderson

Is it a Man's or Woman's Job?

Chad Anderson

English 102

Instructor Laura Cline

25 March 2012

Is it a Man’s or Woman’s Job?

Winter’s Bone is a very dramatic story about a young teenager, Ree Dolly, and the hardship she goes through to provide for her family.  Her mother is mentally ill, and her father is missing.  As the story unfolds Woodrell tells of her surroundings that are full of drug addicts and other miscreants.  She barely has enough food for the two other children her parents left her to deal with.  She soon finds out that there is something that is being hidden from her.  She knows that her dad is a meth cook.  She also knows that the people he is dealing with aren’t a nice bunch.  She is surprised to find out that her father has put up the house and all their land for bond.  He is missing and no one seems to know where he can be found.  This leaves Ree with care of a crazy mother, and two siblings with the possibility of losing the house.  This knowledge sends her on a search for her father.  After she is given the runaround and beaten senseless, she finds out he has been killed because he talked to the police. In Daniel Woodrell’s book Winter’s Bone,  Ree Dolly embodies mature gender roles that take place when a father and mother figure isn’t present in the family home, both traditional and non-traditional.

            “"Gender" refers not to male and female, but to masculine and feminine - that is, to qualities or characteristics that society ascribes to each sex” (“Gender”).   Men make the money for the house as well decide where it is spent.  Women clean the house, and raise the children.  Although, gender roles are changing from generation to generation, the place where Ree lives is still living by pre woman’s rights movement standards.  She shows in many ways how she stays within these roles, and crosses the boundaries of traditional gender roles throughout the book.       

Ree is placed in a situation of emotional maturity because of two main factors; the absence of her father, and her mother being ill.  Her father was a meth producer that was in trouble with the law on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, as Nick Reding points out in his book Methland, “What set meth apart was not only the idea that one could make it in the bathtub, but the people that were doing it were poor or working class rural whites” (Reding pg.16).  His last offense was the same as the one before, cooking crank.  This one would have landed him in jail for at least ten years.  Even if he wasn’t killed, he would have been absent from the home leaving her family, making Ree take care of two kids and her mother while poor and with no income.  Her mother being mentally ill is also another factor that plays a very big role in her servitude.  She is barely coherent most of the day. Woodrell writes, “Mom’s morning pills made her into a cat, a breathing thing that sat near heat and occasionally made a sound” (Woodrell pg. 6).  Her mother’s lack of mental stability and her father not being around place a huge burden on Ree.  She is forced to be both parents in one.  Because of the time she has to spend around the house, she is forced to drop out of school lowering her chances of getting a higher education.  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has this to say about women in rural areas: “By any indicator of human development, female power and resources are lowest in rural areas… Rural women make up the majority of the world's poor. They have the world's lowest levels of schooling and the highest rates of illiteracy” (“Gender”).  The absence of her father and mother, plus the economics of her region play a big factor into the roles that Ree has to play in her life.  She has many duties that transcend her gender, as well as her age.   

Many of Ree’s actions fall under traditional gender roles.  She is the matriarch of the family, even at the age of sixteen.  In an article about the gender roles and how they are changing it states, “Working mothers still do twice as much housework as their husbands…” (Morin, Megan Rosenfield).  The circumstances Ree lives in don’t fit this exactly, but it tells what is expected of a working mother in today’s society.   Woodrell goes through the trouble to paint the picture of her doing many household duties.  He writes of her doing the dishes, laundry, cooking, and maintaining cleanliness around the house.  She is also in charge of making sure the children do their homework and get to school.  Another example of the traditional duties is her teaching the children how to cook.  She is very kind about it, making them watch and explaining why she is doing different things.  As well as all those household duties, she has undertaken the job of teaching manners. Harold is eying a deer that is strung up at the neighbor’s house. He asks if they should ask for some, they are very hungry and almost out of food.  Woodrell writes, “She looked at Harold, with his easy smile, black hair riffling in the wind, then snatched his nearest ear and twisted until his jaw fell loose and he raised his hand to swat at hers.  She twisted until he bore up under the pain and stopped swatting.  “Never. Never ask for what ought to be offered”” (Woodrell pg. 5).   Teaching manners is usually a job that a mother takes pride in doing.  Since he mother is absent in spirit she has to take on that role.  As well as tending to the children, she has to care for her mother as well.  A good example of her caring disposition is the way that she cares for her mother’s hair.  This shows the kindness that she still has for her mother, even though she is absent from her family life. 

Ree also has non-traditional roles that make her the Patriarch of her household as well.  The FOA of the United Nations says,” Men prepare land, irrigate crops, and harvest and transport produce to market. They own and trade large animals such as cattle, and are responsible for cutting, hauling and selling timber from forests” (“Gender”).  Ree doesn’t fall under all of these guidelines, but she does in many situations take on the male gender role. She chops the wood, because there isn’t enough.  Luckily the neighbors let her use their splitter because there isn’t any fuel in the chainsaw.  She is also left with the task of teaching the children how to shoot and hunt.  This is a job that is usually carried out by the father of the household.  Gathering food and providing for the family.  She shows the children how to skin the squirrels as well.  Men of the household usually care for the finances.  One example of her choosing the spending of the family is when Ree and Clair are at the grocery store.  Claire suggests getting “sprinkle cheese”.  Ree says “ Nope. Once the boys start likin’ it they’ll want it all the time.  It’s too expensive. It cost more than meat” (Woodrell pg. 123).  She didn’t want to get the cheese because that meant she’ll have to buy it every time she goes to the grocery store.  This is preemptive logic for hard times.  She is also the spokesperson for the home.  When the Sherriff comes to the house he tries to talk to her mother.  Ree stops this because she knows her mother won’t respond.  He intern talks to her about her father being missing, and having a court date coming up.  Even Thump Milton’s wife thinks that   a man should handle the business of communication between families.   When Ree goes to Thump’s house his wife states within a few minutes, “Ain’t you got no men could do this” (Woodrell pg. 60).  Ways in rural America are still as they were in the 1960’s, men do the talking about family business.  Her talking to the bail bondsmen enforces this idea.  She is taking on the entire burden placed on the family, due to her father’s disappearance. 

There are other examples of women pushing the boundaries of gender roles as well.  Claire and Thump’s wife make two fine examples.  Claire is at home with her child most of the time.  She is a bonded servant, to her husband.  The prime example of her pushing the boundries is her getting away from her husband to help Ree go to Arkansas.  This only after Ree has a talk with Claire about her passivity.  Woodell writes, ”It’s just so sad, man, so fuckin’ sad to hear you say he won’t let you do somethin’ and then you don’t do it” (Woodrell pg. 35).  Claire finally pushes her boundaries after this said.  It makes her come to her senses about not always having to do what the husband tells you to do.  Thump’s wife became an enforcer.  She took charge when Ree showed up the second time, and proceeded to beat Ree into a state that made her bowels loose.  She was also entrusted with the dirty work of bringing Ree to her dad’s body.  When they got there and Ree couldn’t cut off her dad’s hands, Thump’s wife took over and did it for her.  These are both things that would be taken care of by males in most situations. 

Woodrell tries to make the story complex with the transfer of roles, while still keeping true to the prevailing societal norms.  It goes to show that even in a social structure where men are the predominant force there are still roles that overlap to women in certain situations.  Ree’s situation is one of enduring hardship and pain.  She was left to take care of a family while she is still in her youth.  It is true that in the earlier years of mankind she would be considered a woman, but times have changed greatly.  Civilizations are always changing, as is the culture of those civilizations.  Things that are normal in West Africa will be looked on with scorn in Switzerland.  The common sentiment in Ree’s region is that a child shouldn’t be placed with the burden of a whole family, but she still holds on strong to her implied duties.  Her strength in the story is ever present; she overcomes every obstacle that is placed in front of her.  This strength is an example of what women are made of.  They persevere through lots of hardship and keep going in spite of the pain.  The points in this essay are definitely a side note to the prevailing subject, meth use, but it is one that should be addressed.  Women all over the world are being treated horribly and that should not be the case.  Hopefully, in the future this will be something looked upon as one of those relics of civilization’s past.   

Works Cited

Reding, Nick. Methland, The Death And Life Of An American Small Town. Bloomsbury USA, 2009. Print.

Morin, Richard, and Megan Rosenfield. "With More Equity, More Sweat." Washington post 22 03 1998, n. pag. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/gender/gender22a.htm>.

"Why Gender?." Gender. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na, 2011. Web. 19 Mar 2012. <http://www.fao.org/gender/gender-home/gender-why/why-gender/en/>.

Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone. New York: Back Bay Books, 2006. Print.

Image taken from:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=woman+in+the+kitchen&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=643&gbv=2&tbm=isch&imgrefurl=http://samababy.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/food-what-inspires-you/woman-cooking/&tbnid=oYwgFuKexB-mGM&docid=vg-IOQiU8H_P3M&ved=0CEMQhRYoAA&dur=1949 

Methland

Methland is a book about the deterioration of rural society, due in part to the rise in use of a drug called Methamphetamine. The article states that other factors come into play such as economic downturns, and loss of jobs, but these factors only add to the use of the drug.  The main point of the article is that the drug creates a prolonged state of euphoria, increased work habits, heightened sexual pleasure and drive, and weight loss.  This makes it a super drug that really didn't have a bad image until the 1980's.   When it was first made in the 1890's it was hailed as a cure all for many different diseases.  It was also used widely by warring parties in World War II to make common soldiers perk up and face nasty situations that were otherwise unthinkable (Reid pg. 45). Until the 1980's it was mainly a prescribed drug used by factory workers and truck drivers. When things went south in the economy it transferred to many everyday citizens that lost their jobs and realized they could make it themselves for a huge profit.  Nick Reding describes a scene where a meth cooker has a huge paranoia episode and dumps flammable and toxic chemicals down a drain in his mother's basement.  He proceeds to light a cigarette which ignites the house in flames.  He makes several trips back into the house, in the process literally melting the skin off his body.  This is only one gruesome tale in one city.  Think of all the other small towns in the U.S. that have similar ones to tell.

Methland is a good book for the essay on Winter's Bone, because it gives insight into the epidemic and background of the meth problem in the rural U.S.  It is has many similarities between the two.  Ree's dad burned down one of his meth labs, the same thing happened to Jarvis.  Teardrop suffered paranoia in the story somewhat the same way Jarvis did as well.  Teardrop also burned a good portion of his face too.  These examples are just some of similarities between the two.  

Methland  also gives you insight into the economics of some of the small towns that are the epicenter of the epidemic.  Reid states, "What set meth apart was not only the idea that one could make it in the bathtub, but the people that were doing so were poor or working-class rural whites" (Reid pg.16).  It exemplifies the situation that Ree was born into.  It is sad that she was born into a society that thrives on a drug that creates violence, paranoia, and lots of other atrocious behavior.

Works Cited:

Reding, Nick. Methland, The Death And Life Of An American Small Town. Bloomsbury USA, 2009.     

Image Source: http://www.salinesheriffmeth.org/news.cfm

Winter's Bone, Horrible hardship and bad decisions

Winter's Bone is a good read that has some recurring themes throughout the story. To me the ones that stuck out the most were gender roles, and abuse.  Most of the women in the story have defined roles.  Although Ree doesn't have a choice, she is taking care of the children that her mother can't take care of properly.  She has to cook, clean, and teach Harold and Sonny.  Although most of the other women in the story are not the stereo typical house wife of the 60's, they do take second place to men.  A good example is Ree's interaction with the woman at Thump Milton's house.  Ree goes to get some information, and the woman say's right away, "Ain't you got no men could do this?"  She later says that Thump doesn't really talk a lot, especially to women (Woodrell).  It seems as though time has stood still, and men in this part of the country still have the beliefs that were intact until the women's rights revolution.  One would guess old ways are the good ways.  

The other theme that is ever present is abuse.  It comes in so many forms: drugs, physical, and verbal.  Ree is constantly bombarded by all three.  Her uncle Teardrop is a good example,  he does all three to her.  He is a drug abuser that does meth, drinks heavily, and smokes weed.  At every meeting he snorts meth, then offers it to Ree.  He also abuses Ree verbally on several occasions, yelling at her and calling her insulting names.  He physically abuses her too, to the point of hitting her and throwing her off the front porch of her house. His actions are most likely a product of his meth addiction, but it still doesn't excuse that type of behavior. That is only her Uncle, there are too many other examples in the story that do all the same things to list in this post. 

One thing that I admire about Ree is her coping mechanisms and strength.  When she is stressed she puts on the soothing sounds of distant oceans, despite her snowy and dismal surroundings.  Woodell's excels at describing the very dismal and dreary setting. He leads you full bore into the depressing times and scenery that Ree is going through with vivid continuity.    

I really look forward to the a conclusion of this tale.  It seems that everybody except Ree knows what happened to Jessup.  Hopefully, she will get to keep the house and woods, so some good can come of the horrible situation that she is enduring.  

Works Cited: 

         Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone. New York:

 Back Bay Books, 2006. Print 

Photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/31219617@N05/3324576873/

An Analysis of “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville

An Analysis of “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville
“Bartleby the Scrivener” is a very descriptive tale of a lawyer and his clerks.  The lawyer, the narrator of the story, is never named but all of his clerks have very interesting nick names that are used throughout the story.  Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut are his office helpers in this story.  They are very temperamental and moody, but the narrator doesn’t seem to mind them, in fact he seems to embrace them.   He sets a scene that takes place on Wall Street, in a law office of ordinary circumstances.  In walks a new clerk, introduces himself and becomes one of the office workers.  His name is Bartleby; he is the hero of Melville’s story in his refusal to participate in a workplace that represents the sad, dreary atmosphere of a bureaucratic, industrialized society.

The narrator, a simple man, prefers the path of least resistance.  ”I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best” (Melville).  He doesn’t get much attention for his work.  There aren’t any high profile criminal cases that he works on.  His life is that of men’s finances and wills.  This thankless job is one that pays well, but doesn’t have much personal satisfaction.  He is the boss, and the office workers are his minions. 

While the narrator is content with his life’s ambitions, his helpers seem displeased.  One way they show this is in their behavior.  Turkey and Nippers, both have temperamental attitudes that vary in time with their onset.  Turkey has his during the morning times, Nippers has his during the afternoon.  Just like at the DMV, moodiness is common place in this work environment.  Menial tasks seem to grind away at their souls leading to swings in the characters’ behaviors depending on the time of day.  Depression is one manifestation when one is not happy with their situation, and usually follows with moodiness.  It seems as though the office workers don’t like the tasks they have to do, but because of financial obligations they have to do those tasks.  This in turn leads to them being unhappy with the job, and bouts of regular moodiness. 

Bartleby has an entrance that is stellar in the eyes of the narrator.  ”At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. “As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents no pause for digestion. He ran a day and night line, copying by sun-light and by candle-light….But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically” (Melville).  The narrator loves the quality and the quantity of his work, but it seems even in the beginning Bartleby realizes the nonexistent value of the job.  He too most likely has financial obligations that he has to worry about, so he plods along as if he were a robot attaching caps to a tube full of tooth paste. 

  Bartleby worked hard for a while, but one day the narrator asks him to review some papers with him.  The narrator states himself that “it is a very dull, wearisome, and lethargic affair.”   Bartleby replies with his famous statement, “I would prefer not to” (Melville).  This statement would become the single most used phrase that Bartleby speaks throughout the whole story.  From the beginning he doesn’t want to participate in the work place’s useless tasks.  One can’t assume why he took the job in the first place, but from the beginning he states calmly that he doesn’t want to do menial duties that the lawyer asks him to do.  Is he too good for them?  Is he looking to make the narrator and the other office workers mad?  These questions are hard to answer, because Bartleby really doesn’t speak much in the story.  Maybe he is the embodiment of the narrator’s feelings towards his work, but Melville leaves most of Bartleby’s character up for interpretation by the reader. 

Once Bartleby has cemented his position, the narrator looks to others for help.  He asks Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut if Bartleby’s position is ludicrous.  The three of them, being entrenched in the daily office work, as well as dependent on the money, agree with the lawyer.  Any person that has a superior that they are dependent on will agree with most anything they say.  In the end, someone has to do the work so the narrator and the other office helpers take Bartleby’s share of the unpleasant responsibilities. This is a shift of responsibility is somewhat unusual.  Most employers would terminate an employee that is blatantly defiant.  The narrator has a special place in his heart for Bartleby, because of his industriousness and gentle attitude.   

The same situation happens over and over again.  Bartleby is assigned a menial task, then he utters the same phrase “I would prefer not to” (Melville). His refusal is consistent with his determination to not do these duties.  It is Bartleby showing his boss that he will not be brought down to a basic level.  He is above these things that his overseer asks, tells, and then demands.      

Bartleby determined to not work resigns himself to looking at the brick wall through the window.  The office is like a cage holding Bartleby captive.  His glare out the window shows his longing for better places, but is obstructed by the wall outside, much like the Berlin Wall holding people captive in a place they didn’t want to be.  It is a symbol of the drab surroundings, and the wall that he will hit if he tries to get loose.

Bartleby’s apparent lack of industriousness towards the end of the story infuriates the narrator.  He believes that this was meant to happen.  His work is of so little worth that someone is supposed to come in and show him what is apparent even to him.  In the end, the narrator runs away from this realization.  He decides to leave the place that is occupied by the reminder of his situation.  He abandons the place where Bartleby is holding his proverbial ground.  Because of Bartleby’s attachment to the office he ends up in real captivity.  This is the narrator locking away his feelings of disappointment towards his work. 

Melville paints a picture of Bartleby dying a lonely death, giving us the example that those who stand up for their beliefs will have the same fate.  Hopefully, no one ends up in the situation that Bartleby and his bureaucratic boss are living through.   They both have issues with what they are doing in their lives; the narrator is fine with his station and worth.  Bartleby is a different story; he isn’t happy with it and decides to show his displeasure in a passive aggressive way.  Bartleby’s actions aren’t justified by the way that he was treated, but he does show that displeasure can be shown by doing absolutely nothing.

Works Cited

Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street."  Bartleby. N.p., 2011. Web.

            25 Feb 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/129/>.

Bartleby's Stubborn Ways

Bartleby is about a lawyer and his clerks.  They all have their quarks, but none with as many Bartleby.  Here is a passage from the story that was set apart in my mind, 

"But when this old Adam of resentment rose in me and tempted me concerning Bartleby, I grappled him and threw him. How? Why, simply by recalling the divine injunction: “A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.” Yes, this it was that saved me. Aside from higher considerations, charity often operates as a vastly wise and prudent principle—a great safeguard to its possessor. Men have committed murder for jealousy’s sake, and anger’s sake, and hatred’s sake, and selfishness’ sake, and spiritual pride’s sake; but no man that ever I heard of, ever committed a diabolical murder for sweet charity’s sake. Mere self-interest, then, if no better motive can be enlisted, should, especially with high-tempered men, prompt all beings to charity and philanthropy. At any rate, upon the occasion in question, I strove to drown my exasperated feelings towards the scrivener by benevolently construing his conduct.

 Poor fellow, poor fellow! thought I, he don’t mean any thing; and besides, he has seen hard times, and ought to be indulged"(Melville).

The narrator in the story is having a moral dilemma, concerning a clerk named Bartleby. He has over stayed his welcome at the office.  Bartleby is living there paying no rent and providing no work in exchange for the living situation.  Does one throw the offending gentleman out on the street?  Most would say yes; I will throw a person that is mooching off me and my business out on the street. 

The narrator is wrestling with doing the right thing, which just might be killing him.  Love thy neighbor, is the phrase that saved Bartleby. This thought process really comes from the narrator being so fed up with the worthlessness and stubbornness of Bartleby.  He is convinced, by Bartleby's actions, that he doesn't deserve to live. If only the narrator wasn't Christian, this tale would end up being a bloody horror story.  Steven King could have written a screen play worthy of Hollywood attention.  

The feeling passes and the narrator down grades the wrath to rationalization and pity. This is true human values, judging other people's actions, then coddling them with your pity.  Bartleby's indifference to work and responsibly are something that should have been dealt with earlier.  This whole moral dilemma could have been avoided if the narrator would have been more forceful from the beginning.  If you give a person and inch, they'll take a mile.  Bartleby knew that the narrator wouldn't act quickly so he abused the situation. He finally had to take more drastic measures for the situation to be resolved, that could have been taken care of earlier by more direct interactions. 

      Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Bartleby. N.p., 2011. Web. 19 Feb 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/129/>.  

Image taken from:http://www.halloween24.com/party-supplies/decorations/man-with-knife-shower-curtain-with-sound.html

 

Hunger Games Summary and Analysis

Summary vs. Analysis of Hunger Games

A novel by Susan Collins

So this post is going to be a summary and then an analysis of Hunger Games by Susan Collins.  Summary is the basic plot outline of a story.  An analysis is what the writer intended the reader to take away from the story.  It is a break down of the different scenarios in the story and their underlying meaning. 

        Hunger Games is a story of a girl, Katniss Everdeen, living in a post apocalyptic society.  She is very talented with a bow and arrows.  Her father dies in a coal explosion, so she has to break the law and hunt for her family's survival.  It is a day to day struggle.  She has a best friend, named Gale, that joins her in this illegal hunting. He too had a father die in the same coal mine explosion. The District they live in, number 12, is ruled by a higher District called the Capitol.  It runs all of the Districts from 1 through 12.  They rule with violence and intimidation.  

          Every year there is a bloody contest held between children, called the Hunger Games.  It is in honor of the squashing of a rebellion that happened 74 years ago. Two kids from each district are chosen to join the games.  They have to fight to the death, only one is the winner.  On the day of the "Reaping", Kantniss' sisters name is called.  She immediately volunteers herself, in place of her sister, as the victim to this horrible game.  Another is chosen, a boy by the name of Petta.  He is a soft spoken boy, whose parents own a bakery.  Katniss and Peeta will be the tributes from District 12, fighting a battle for their lives and each other's as well. Peeta and Katniss are shuttled off to the Capitol to prepare for the games.  They are afforded every luxury, a thing they are not used to enjoying.  Their mentor Haymitch, a previous Hunger Games victor, gives them advice about how to stay alive in the ring.  All of the contestants of the games are interviewed before they fight.  Petta drops a bombshell and professes his love for Katniss.  This is a total shock to her, having never even talked to him before the games.  

The next day the games start.  Katniss immediately takes off for her own survival.  She ends up being chased up a tree, where she sees that Petta has taken up with the bad folks, called careers.  They are the people that have trained to be in the games their whole lives.   She narrowly escapes from the clutches of the nasty group. 

Again, she is cornered by the careers, but this time Petta is her savior.  She narrowly escapes while Petta has a nasty fight with one of the careers.  He ends up in a ditch badly injured. Katniss finds him and nurses him back to health over a couple of days. The whole time she is faking her feelings for Petta.  At first she kissed him for medicine and other things that are needed for survival.  Then it blossomed into real feelings.  The Game Makers announce one night, during the games, that this year there will be two winners.  Of course everybody wanted Petta and Katniss to win.      

They finally get through most of the other opponents, then with three left, the Game Makers send evil animals after them.  Katniss and Petta make it away from all of the animals unscathed.  Then, the Game Makers announce that there can only be one winner.  They both choose suicide over killing one another.  As they attempt to do that, via poison berries, the Game Makers tell them that they will both win this year, because of their love for each other.  After it is all over, Katniss admits that most of the things she did weren't for love, they were for survival.  This truth breaks Petta's heart.  The book ends with Katniss and Petta back in their district awaiting a tour of all the surrounding country, where they have to act like they are in love to keep them and their families safe.

Analysis

  Hunger Games although well written, is mostly for entertainment.  It isn't the deepest book out there.  It's basic premise is how the Capitol uses fear, violence, and psychological warfare, to keep the population in line.  It does make for a good read though. 

    Susan Collins writes about the struggle between the ruling class, the Capitol, and the poor.  Excess abounds in the Capitol, while most other districts suffer famine, disease and other hardships. The Games are the biggest example of violence and psychological tactics used to quell rebellion.  It places all children in danger of facing a brutal death.  Parents fear every year that their kids' names will be called, resulting in massive heart ache and anxiety.  It is shown in every district.  There are mandatory viewings of the brutal murders of children by all the citizens.  Then after they are done killing each other, the victor is paraded around to all the districts, to show that the one who kills for the capitol will get everything they want.    

If your family is facing food shortages, you can get a food allowance, but you name has to be put in the drawing another time.  This greatly increases your chances of getting called during the Reaping.  This equates to, if one is hungry the food is there, but it comes at a price.

The Capitol also has Guards and fences, that encompass the district.  Walls have been used in many different civilizations as a psychological and physical intimidator.  Some walls were more to keep people in than out.  The Berlin Wall comes to mind.  This was also the case in the Hunger Games' society.

Torture was also very readily used by the Capitol.  A prime example is an Avox.  They are servants that had their tongues cut out for transgressions they had committed.  They were then made to serve the Capitol as indentured servants.  The city squares also had whipping blocks and stocks for public humiliation.  Those are prime examples of psychological and physical abuse.    

These tactics aren't anything new to civilization, they've been used in the past and present. Governments are always looking for the best way to keep the balance between function and survival.  If it means a human being has to suffer, for the greater good, so be it.  I know this is a pessimistic outlook on our own and other governments, but it is the reality we all live in.

Image taken from http://ricklax.com/archive/200810

Swift's Modest Proposal

     Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publik," is just that modest.  Swift speaking mostly to the rich, while making fun of them, proposes eating one-year-old babies will solve the economic and societal problems of 18th century Ireland.

     Thieves, beggars, and joblessness abound.  An economic crisis is happening.  What else can you do?  A child under the age of six is useless.  They cost more to feed than they are worth.  Why not cut them off at the pass.  Swift uses the evidence: " the charge of nursing a beggars child... will be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentlemen would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child..."(Swift).  That's a profit of 8 shillings off the bat.  That's the definition of capitalist incentives.  You may think this is crazy, but any economics professor would say the argument is logical.

                                                   

     Although his argument is obviously satire, he poses a good one.  His evidence isn't exactly solid, but it makes sense.  The economics he uses and his delivery are spot on.  He uses snide comments and veiled offensive comments to take shots at the rich.  The essay really brings the plight of the poor to the surface.           

     Rather than see them as a nuisance, he tries to make them seem like objects for the taking.  This proves his point that the rich are taking advantage of the poor.  Why not eat the kids.  I think with a little lemon and rosemary, they will be quite delicious.   

Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal." Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, 2008. Web. 

           3 Feb 2012. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1080/1080-h/1080-h.htm>.
Image taken from: http://mrtopp.com/2010/06/16/feeding-baby/

This is a short webcam address to the masses.  Hope you like the enthusiastic attitude!

Find out what makes a good reader here.

         Nabakov has some pretty simple definitions of what makes a good reader.  In his essay "Good Readers and Good Writers," he outlines that one needs to have "imagination, a dictionary, memory, and some artistic sense."  These are basic tenets, the bare minimum of being a good reader.   

         In my opinion a good reader has to be aware of the details.  Details are what makes up the bedrock of a great story.  To be able to recognize those minute details, is essential for a good reader.   Any good reader will immerse themselves into the story making it real in their mind, letting it take them to where the author transports them.  

         Personally, I like to even imagine the smells that surround any particular scene.  Play it out as if I'm standing there observing it.  Mull over the colors, lighting, and scene layout of the particular setting.  

          I think all of us are aware of the show Reading Rainbow, if not, you have to check it out.  It is a classic that will stand the test of time.  The opening song is exactly what should happen to a good reader.  Dragons should appear out of thin air, and butterflies swirl overhead; making your imagination purr.  

 

I think I make up the part of the minority, that is a good reader.  I try to immerse myself in any story I happen to get my hands on.  Reading is a passion of mine, so it would be a waste of my time if I didn't want to go twice as high.   

           

Here's Chad!

Here is a short slide show of some of the places I've traveled over the past two years.  They range from Alaska to Central America.  If you have any questions about where they are just let me know.
Copyright Led Zeppelin "Immigration Song"