Final blog!

I have learned how to develop an argument and thesis. I love the group discussions and your availability, it has been a tremendous help when I have came to see you in your office. The We paper was the easiest for me because I knew what I wanted to say and how to back up my argument, I've had more problems partially because I'm all written out and am having a serious writer's block. I love every lesson that you apply our text to the culture in which it is written in. I love that about your classes.

I definitely feel more prepared to write papers. :D

Men's and Women's role in society.

When I read this, I thought:

"Sexism"

This idea of what makes a woman happy is completely barbaric, and I think that Lehman wants to show the ridiculousness of the average woman. 

When he personifies men as scum of the earth, he also sort of allows readers to see this sort of what women see men as. What society sometimes portrays men as.

I really think the poem is a wake-up call and a satirical poem.

"If I were a Boy"

I really, really love the fact that Beyonce sort of announces in her song that (some) men  treat their women poorly, and if she were a man she'd treat women better, :D Can't get much clearer than that.

"Sold"

Again, about how a man sells everything he has in order to be with a woman. He'd give his own heart to have her, so we have to reoccurring "roles of men and women in society".

I just find it interesting how each person took the roles into different angles.

"The Flea"

John Donne is describing a common bond between two lovers. I believe the flea represents a child maybe, because the author claims the flea was innocent. The wife kills the flea because other people don't like it and it may be because the child happened before the marriage. So, we have this idea of the parents not 1) liking the marriage 2) liking this "flea". Since the flea is small and "innocent" it could be interrupted as a child or that of child essence. :D

I don't feel that I can really interrupt poetry very well... I am not sure that I did this correctly. I am sorry.

Meriah <3

Poetry Experience

I was quite the poet myself in middle school, granted they were never about anything important. Just about the way I felt, which in turn turned out to be a lot of self-pity and hatred for everything out there. Now that I think about it, it makes me laugh.

I rather enjoy reading poetry, sometimes out of the obvious fact some are short and simple, but can hold such meaning.

I love Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, e.e. cummings, and Shel Silverstein are among my favorites.

"The Road Not Taken", "Pocahontas" are two I can remember the names for.


A poem is a stanza based piece of literature. It speaks in less words than a novel, but still tells the same story.

Research Question

In an earlier post I mentioned Faustus selling his soul for 24 years of Mephistophilis' servitude. I really would like to pursue the concept of why would someone sell their soul for 24 years of nothing. So, my research question would be something to the effects of How can twenty-four years be comparable to a life in hell? This is definitely not concrete, and I would love feedback on what other options I have at this point.

I do plan on seeing you at some point before the final is due in order to get a better grasp on the paper. I appreciate your feedback!

Class Discussion

I brought up in class the idea of misery loves company. Mephistophilis, throughout the entire play , is plagued by the concept of whether or not to let Faustus continue practicing dark magic. Mephistophilis argues that he is in hell every day, that each day he is not allowed in heaven is a day in a hell. What does this mean for the Devil? Having experienced heaven and being forced to live in hell you would think Faustus would listen to him. However, he doesn't and I believe that Mephistophilis doesn't push the concept of whether or not it is morally right because he is so wrapped up in his own misery, he'd enjoy taking someone down with him.

However, the play has yet to unravel, so maybe Mephistophilis will step up, who knows?

Scenes 4 and 5

Scene IV Analysis:

Wagner, Faustus' servant, obtains his own servant. Why is he getting a servant? How does one obtain a servant whilst a servant? Clown, as referenced in the play, is poor and needs something to eat. Wagner offers to fill his hunger if the Clown guarantees Wagner his soul. As bizarre as this comes to me, I feel that Wagner is just trying to follow Faustus, trying to be like him. This can result in disaster as the story moves on.

Scene V Analysis:

In order for Faustus to gain a servant he must give his body and soul to Lucifer. I believe that this can easily be in comparison to other countries/people/regions who have gained slaves through an immoral concept. What does this mean for Faustus in the end? He can only be guaranteed to serve his life in hell after 24 years, is that truly worth all the worldly goods?

Priorities today.

During the renaissance period there weren't as many issues or vices plaguing the country. During this period religion was the most important thing, clearly in modern society it is going to come at a lower level of importance. Today's society is obsessed with material things.

American Society:

1. Money.
2. Technolgy.
3. Reality television.
4. Education.
5. Social life.
6. Communication.
7. Religion
8. Family.
9. Magic

Modern society would put so many things above religion because it comes easier and aids them physically and in the now. Our society thrives on the now.

Current Course Thoughts.

There aren't many aspects of the course that I hate you have much control over. As always, I really enjoy having one-on-one time available to see you, and you always quickly respond to e-mails. One thing I don't particularly care for in the course is the peer reviews. I cannot stand them, I fell that I am often faced with a group that 1) has low standards or 2) doesn't want to piss anyone off. Because of this, I quite frequently receive little to no help in the revision process and feel as though we have wasted an entire class period on nothing.

Other than the classes not being longer (not your choice, I know), I never feel that there is much we can improve on. I do think our discussions bring about good ideas for our papers and I find myself actually learning aspects of the piece we are discussing I had not originally known/saw.

I really enjoy the class and hope this was helpful!

Setting and Point of View for "The Little Mermaid"

Setting, which is the time, place, and social setting of a story, is crucial to the story. So many paragraphs (probably the majority of the story) are spent describing where the Mermaids are, who they are around, and the time of day it is. Though we rarely are told what time period this story takes place we are given thorough account of what the mermaids see and live in. If we took out all the accounts of setting in our story, to me at least, we would lose the point.

The imagery projected by the paragraphs of setting description often reference to the mood of the story, whenever their is a dramatic mood switch, as seen when the mermaid goes to the witch to ask for help, the mood is described through the setting. Since the setting is murky, dark, and morbid it reflects how the mermaid feels and how the witch may act towards the mermaid.

Point of View, the way the story is told, is third-person limited omniscient. While the narrator is not directly involved with any character he often restricts himself to knowing how the youngest mermaid is feeling or doing. When she becomes human he focuses, not on the other mermaids or life under the sea, instead worries about the little mermaid. She is overall the main character, which according to the book, if the narrator focuses on mainly one character in a short story it is most commonly referenced as limited.

Overall this story was rather interesting, I loved how in the end she had the chance to get her immortal soul even though the Prince did not love her in the way she wished he did. By being nice she got the chance to gain her soul through good deeds.

It may not have been the fairytale Disney spun off for us, but it definitely had a unique quality.

BAM!

"Bartleby, the Scrivener" and "The Birthmark"

Each character in Bartleby seemed to, in some way, be very static characters. If taken out, there wouldn't have been to terrible of a loss. Their descriptions did not aid us in the story. At least, that is how I saw it. The characters in comparison to "The Birthmark" were very bland, overdone.

Whereas in "The Birthmark" I felt the characters where not just words on a page, this led me to like the story dramatically more. I didn't quite understand the point in the characters when reading "Bartleby, the Scrivener".

Alas, I am not fans for Hawthorne's characters very often, nor Melville's. In comparison Hawthorne's made my mind grind more than Melville's.

:D

Racism

Around every corner, behind ever ignorant joke lies some hint of racism. We may try and say I'm not racist, but most of us are. What matters is how you approach every day situations. Since I've moved to South Dakota I have never experienced such a denial of said racism. I have never felt so much anger towards a group of people because of how they feel about others, but I just can't help myself when it comes to being here.

I grew up in the South, clearly a place that knows racism and knows it well. The key difference from the people home and the people here are that they recognize that they are racist, hell they'll tell anyone and everyone that they are. What does that mean? It means while it is ignorant to be racist, they acknowledge what they are doing and saying whereas South Dakotans are oblivious.

It's not okay, and we can't stop it until we take a look at ourselves and accept the fact we may be a tad bit racist.

Thoughts about my paper.

Overall the process was fairly easy, I was actually surprised at the ease that was writing my paper. I never really liked peer review because I always feel that students try and just rush through it, not hurt anyone's feelings, and they tend to not give me many helpful hints. To me, it's a waste of time.

However, I do adore the conferences we are required to have with you. I do wish they could be longer, however, I know since you have three classes it is a little harder to have anything longer than ten minutes. I think you give us a lot of helpful hints and you allow us to ask you some questions on how you would like to see our paper written.

Overall, those are the things I have the most things to say about.

Adios.

Metamorphosis.

I'm not going to lie reading this I thought our main character may have ingested some sort of drug and was in a dream state. As the story progressed I noticed how the author took all communication away from the bug. To me in his bug state he represented the loneliness one would expect when they put work ahead of their family, personal lives, and pretty much everything in between.

Our main character's main priority throughout the story was his job. He couldn't get to his job, he wasn't going to be able to make money. He wasn't even concerned as to why he was a bug! It just seems to me that he failed to look at the real situation and as a result died a bitter death.

If he had worried more before he was a bug about personal relationships he would not be in this situation.

That is all!

Works Cited

Kumar, Krishan. "The Ends of Utopia." New Literary History 41.3 (2010): 549-69. Project Muse. Web. 31 Jan 2011.

Rozin, V.M. "Esoteric Ideas on the Transformation of Man and Society in Comparison with Utopian and Social Projects." Russian Studies in Philosophy 46.2 (2007): 37-44. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan 2011.

Zamyatin, Yevgeny. We. Random House Inc. (2006):. Print.

Paper Topic regarding We

In my paper I would like to talk about the perfect society idea. In the paper I would like to address the problems with a perfect society contained within the book and how it failed epically.. My three main points would be:

1) How controlling everyone in their society was their pitfall.
2) How by forcing everyone to think the same way they lacked diversity.
3) And finally, how today's society could lead to the one projected in We.

Hopefully, it will look a lot better on paper.

Alas, we will see.

Toodles.

Concluding We.

In the final pages of We I am forced to say goodbye to D-503. The soulful, sinful beast that represents the common beast in today's society. I strongly believe that We was a novel meant to make your mind stretch, calculate, form some sort of understanding that nothing is finite. Not even the universe. These records are clear and precise in showing readers that in a perfect world there are serious problems.

For one:
Not everyone will want to be perfect.
For two:
Souls enable one's clear and mathematical thinking.
For three:
Even in our darkest hours we still have our creative mind.


We, as individuals, cannot be ripped away from ourselves. Not our imagination it is what makes us who we are.

Alas, it is late.
Adios.

Brought to tears...

The novel We is a motivating piece of literature, motivating in the sense that it motivates me to realize how bloody brilliant the society we live in today is. Out of everything the Ciphers have to go through in the book the worse, at least for myself, was when they are forced to be happy. If you go to get the Great Operation then you will be happy. Rid of your imagination. My entire life I have grown up with the notion that the more creative you are the more of an individual you are. Never in a million years could I imagine losing all of that for the benefit of the "people".

The Benefactor rips away people's inalienable right to do as they please. If I were forced to give away my identity. It's very scary for someone who thrives on her individuality to read about people getting it ripped away from them.

Adios,
Meriah

Reader Response to We

Every time I turn the page in We I am brought to a new meaning of innovation, mathematical craziness that encompasses D-503. In my experience this novel explores the problems that come with a "perfect society". In each excerpt or journal entry D-503 continues to grow weary. He becomes obsessed with I-330 almost to the point of pure disgust. He cannot establish from what is reality and what isn't. In my experience D-503 is thinking irrationally because he is not used to having attachments to a person. Not even O.

I believe I-330 challenges him to be different, and that overthrows his logic to be normal.

In the end I believe D-503 will literally be sick from obsessing so much over someone so unimportant.

How We can relate to our literature definitions.

Style: I believe Zamyatin uses short, concise sentences in order to relay back to us as readers that D-503 is not a thinker of his own. He uses basic, simplistic sentences and often refers back to math as a solution.

Tone: Zamyatin keeps a very serious tone throughout the novel. He does not try and lighten the mood with frivolous jokes or any type of incident that may make the reader laugh. Sometimes when D-503 is with I-330 he takes a more dramatic tone.

Irony: When D-503 talks about I-330 he hates her, he goes on and on about hating her, yet very ironically he finds himself falling in love with her.

Plot: The whole point of the novel so far is to explain how even in a perfect world there are clearly marked imperfections. When D-503 interacts with I-330 and deceives what he believes is the all mighty it is part of the plot.

Characterization: When D-503 explains and describes himself and others he leaves out clear details so that you can picture someone, but he rarely includes much so that you can picture them as an individual. This is to make them seem much like robots.

Setting: This novel takes place in a futuristic world where people are told what to do, freedom is rare, and those who try and rise against are clearly eliminated. It is a place filled with glass so that it appears you are always looked after.

Point of view: Since the novel is written in first person I really feel we get a sense of how their world operates, and what an average person feels like in this society. We clearly embarks a new way of thinking into someone who has never lived in this type of world.

Symbol: When D-503 talks about the irrational thoughts he always calls the the square root of -1, this always make me wonder how he was brought to think this way. It symbolizes his society, the irrational thoughts, anything that fails to make itself mathematically understandable.

Theme: Part of We's main theme is to capture a world in which freedom is hated, where if you are abnormal society will punish you, this is all about the conspiracies that lie in our society today.

My Introduction

Hello my fellow companions! So, this is where I write something that will completely blow your mind, too bad I'm not that great at blowing minds. To introduce myself, my name is Meriah Reavis, I am from Hamptonville, North Carolina, 1500 miles away. I grew up in a town much larger than those that are in the Mid-West, and tend to miss home a lot more than I lead on.

I write run-on sentences like it's my job. I have two jobs, during the summer break I work at McDonald's where I make and prepare burgers. While I am in Vermillion, I am a Community Advisor for First Richie in North Complex. I am an Elementary Education major, I don't actually plan to teach incredibly long since I wish to get a Master's in Higher Educational Administration.

I am very thorough, well-organized, love to work, bitter, cynical, and a tad bit of the overbearing side. However, this is what encompasses me, and I hope this has been a fair enough introduction!

Until we meet again I bid you good tidings.
Meriah.