You're Ugly Too

"'Just kidding,' she said. 'I was just kidding.' But he gazed at her, appalled and frightened, his Magic Marker buttocks turned away now toward all of downtown, a naked pseduowoman with a blue bracelet at the wrist..." (page 370)

Throughout the story, Zoe continually tells stories and jokes. However, no one else gets them or thinks they are funny. Zoe thinks her jokes are ironic (more lighthearted), however everyone else thinks that they are sarcastic (more cruel). In this sense, Zoe is misunderstood. I feel as if the fact that people do not understand Zoe and her sense of humor makes her feel insecure about who she is. She covers up her insecurities by more jokes. She was also self-concious. This is noted when she walks by the mirror and looks at herself. The people in which she continually interacts with are not like her at all, which further add to her insecurity.

The Drunkard

"I'm the one that ought to be pitied, with my day ruined on me, and I after being made a show for the whole road." (page 351)

The boy at the beginning of the story reprimands his father for getting drunk. The actions of his father are not respected and his father makes a fool of himself. However, the son ends up getting drunk and embarrasses the father. This is ironic. The father is embarrassed because of the way his son is acting, which is similar to how the son felt about the father at first. Later on, the mom approves of her son being drunk because it prevents the father from drinking. This is ironic because normally a mother would not approve of her child getting drunk and behaving the way in which he did.

The Lottery

"Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, body work any more, live that way for a while." (page 268)

One thing that I noticed throughout the story was the modern nature but traditional and ancient customs. Old Man Warner is the most traditional man in the community. In the quote above, he mentions how if the lottery is done away with, they would not be able to function as a society. It would be like they are going back to an ancient time like cavemen. However, the mere fact that they are society that sacrifices individuals by stoning them is an ancient act in and of itself. The people in the village don't really give a legitimate reason for why they continue to do the lottery. It started because they believed that sacrificing a human would produce good crops. However, the author doesn't say why the people continue to do that so it could either be that they still believe it or they don't want to break tradition.

Popular Mechanics

"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."

Personally, I was confused by the short stories ending. I understood the main premise of the story of the two parents arguing and debating over the child. The final lines give an insinuation that the baby is physically hurt at the end. This questions if either parent got the baby at the end. The fact that the parents are fighting and can't talk efficiently shows how immature they are. Obviously the issue over the child is important, but they aren't treating it the right way by arguing in such a manner. I just don't understand what happens to the baby. The ending is very climatic and it doesn't explain anything. This makes me wonder if the ending isn't positive or happy at all. The author purposely makes the ending a mystery for a literary purpose, even though I don't know what that is.

Miss Brill

"But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying." (page 186)

6. Locate the climax of the story, how is it resolved?

The climax of the story occurs when Miss Brill is at the park and she over hears the boy saying that she is basically worthless. The boy says "because of that stupid old thing at the end there." and also, "why does she come here at all- who wants her?". At this point, Miss Brill is completely crushed. Throughout the story, she is constantly watching people and longing to talk to people. She is different, but she longs to be included. Miss Brill puts on her ermine and expects that people will notice her and talk to her. Once she hears the boy say that she is a "stupid old thing" and asks "who wants her?" she has given up trying. The resolution to the climax is Miss Brill giving up on trying to connect with the community.

Once Upon a Time

"And it was true that from that day on the cat slept in the little boy's bed and kept to the garden, never risking a try at breaching security." (page 236)

3. To what extent does the story explore the motives for the behavior of the wife and husband, the husband's mother, the servants, and the people who surround the suburb and the house? what motives can you infer for these people? What ironies do they display in their actions.

Throughout the story, the motives of the characters were not real emphasized, or I didn't notice them at least. In this story, there are so many dangers in the world that the family lives entirely in fear. The parents and everyone in the neighborhood build walls and fences around their homes out of fear. The increased security does not add anything to the neighborhood but just makes them all live in fear of what may happen. However, in adding safety measures, they create more problems. They still had fear despite the safety measures taken. Also, bad things happen despite their precautions towards their environment in which they live. In this mere fact, there is irony. Because they lived in fear, they created a danger to their child.

A Worn Path

"She lifted her free hand, gave a little nod, turned around, and walked out of the doctor's office. Then her slow step began on the stairs, going down." (page 270)

3. Discuss the way the characterization of Phoenix contributes to the theme.

Phoenix's character does helps to develop the theme of the story. The gradual development of Pheonix shows how she is able to over come her obstacles and move forward in her life. Phoenix shows that one's attitude towards the burdens in life develops one's character. Phoenix did not choose to focus on the fact that she did not have money, but she simply used it to move forward. Phoenix never saw a problem with the obstacles she had to overcome. Phoenix strongly desires to get medicine for her grandson and she does not let anyone stand in her way. Unfortunate things like the thorn bush, barbed-wire fence, the armed man, and rude nurses are not important and she passes them with a simple look. This is another example of not letting obstacles stand in her way. She continually tries despite the fact that she is losing her memory. Throughout the entire story, no matter what the obstacle, Phoenix does not let it come between anything. 

Eveline

"No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry of anguish!" (page 222)

6. To what extent is Eveline's refusal to board the ship based on her judgement and will? Has she decided not to go?

The most important part of this question is whether or not Eveline has decided to go. Personally, I do not think that she decided to not go. When one makes a decision, they generally think about it beforehand and spend time determining what decision to make. However, Eveline does not do this. Throughout the entire short story she describes how her life in Dublin is "hard work" and she was not respected by individuals in the community. When describing running away to Buenos Aires with Frank, she speaks of how she would be happy. The new life in Buenos Aires would be different and new, and Eveline seems to like this. However, at the end, she clutches the iron bars and does not board the ship. The fact that Eveline chooses not to board the ship is merely an instinctual reaction. She seems to become afraid and her gut instinct was telling her not go to Buenos Aires.

Bartleby

" 'No: at present I would prefer not to make any change at all.' " page 671


In class today, someone brought up the point that the story of Bartleby was really difficult to read and follow through because Bartleby's character was so boring. And although Bartleby is so blah, he is the real motivation behind everything that happens in the story. All of the employees in the office revolve around Bartleby. The conversations revolve around the fact that Bartleby isn't doing something. The actions and thoughts of the characters also revolve around Bartleby. So, even though he doesn't really do anything because he simply "prefers not to", he is the real driving force behind the entire story and the characterization of the characters in the story. So, as annoying as it is, Bartleby's lack of action produces a story.

Bartleby

"I would prefer not to." (page 653)

This annoying phrase is repeated throughout the entire story. Everytime he was asked to do something, he gave the same response. I still don't understand why he said this over and over. It was really difficult to read this book and relate to his character or any character because of how annoying Bartleby's character was. I wish that I understood his reasoning behind the way he reacted to things so that I could sympathize for his character a little. The narrator sympathized for Bartleby at the end of the chapter because he has a sense of peace when Bartleby dies. I feel like Bartleby partially would "prefer not to" do things because of people specifically asking him to do that. He didn't want to conform to what other people had been asking or telling him to do, so he just "preferred not to". Maybe, Bartleby just wanted to be an individual so much so that he did everything that he could in his power to do so. However, it didn't really turn out very well for him.

Hunters in the Snow

"Frank roused himself. 'Kenny,' he said. He bent down and put his gloved hand on Kenny's brow. 'You shot him,' he said to Tub.

'He made me,' Tub said.

'No no no,' Kenny said." (page 193)

Throughout the story, Kenny, Tub, and Frank continually showed their stupidity. From the very beginning of the story, the three men are doing something not very intelligent. While Kenny is bleeding to death in the back of their truck, Tub and Frank leave him there as if he is nothing but an animal they shot on their hunting escapade. They only care about the face that they are cold, not that Kenny is bleeding to death. I think that Tub and Frank are just really negative, mean people. Also, the fact that Frank is in love with a 15 year old girl makes them even weirder and more not-likable. Seriously, like these men have absolutely nothing going for them, so I guess it doesn't really matter that they have no common sense or morals what so ever. Honestly, the stupidity of these characters in the book just made me mad and not like any of the characters in this story.

Everyday Use

"Maggie will be nervous until her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scares down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. She thinks her sister has held life always i the pal m of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her." (page 173)

Throughout the entire story I realized how different all of the characters in this short story were from each other. I feel that the differences in characters was important to the theme. Dee was the self- centered one who always cared about how she looked. Dee was also the only one in her family that was really educated. I still am confused as to how she became educated though. But, despite all of the great things that went her way, she took everything for granted. Thus, people saw her as very selfish and mean, so they didn't really like her. Maggie was my favorite one in this story. Maggie was very shy. Even though Maggie wasn't very intelligent, she really tried to do her best in all aspects of her life. Because of Maggie's lack of success, she never felt good enough. Beings sister's with Dee made her feel even worse about herself. Mama was very observant. She knew everything about Maggie and Dee and she was very loving towards them. Mama was also very old-fashioned, compared to Dee who was very worldly, and consumed solely on that premise. All of these character traits help to shape the story and the themes in the story. 

A Rose for Emily

"One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair."

This story creeped me out. The mysterious tone of the story was definitely added by the reader's continuous questioning and unknowing attitude throughout the course of the story. I don't really understand the end of the story. The beginning of the story starts off with Emily always being gossiped about and considered "poor Emily" because of her father and the life she lives. Yet, at the end of the story she has killed her husband and sleeps with his dead body? I don't understand that at all. I also did not get why everyone attended her funeral if she is a murderer. I also think it is interesting that the beginning of the story starts the reader off with a semi-normal attitude toward Emily, but at the end, the reader is very shocked and creeped out by Emily.

Interpreter of Maladies

"No one but Mr. Kapasi noticed. He watched as it rose, carried higher and higher by the breeze, into the trees where the monkeys now sat, solemnly observing the scene below."

I didn't really understand where this story was going at first. However, over time I began to understand the conflict in the story. Mr. Kapasi was very lonely. He had become used to his wife's coldness towards him. Because of his loneliness in his job and in his relationship he begins to wonder about a life with Mrs. Das. He planned out the relationship they would have and obsesses over little details about what could be and when her letter would come. At the end, his fairy tale of being with Mrs. Das disappears, just like the address. Also, the suspense and curiosity of what would happen with Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi the entire time kept the story interesting. The misunderstanding in Mrs. Das' understanding of what kind of interpreter Mr. Kapasi is lead to Mrs. Das assuming that Mr. Kapasi has everything figured out. Mrs. Das looks for Mr. Kapasi to have the answers to her problems, but this is not the case at all. In the end, nothing works out and Mr. Kapasi is still just as lonely as he began.

How I Met My Husband

1. Describe the plot structure in the story. How is the arrangement of the plot elements effective? At Which points were your expectations as a reader overturned?

"So I said yes, and I went out with him for two years and he asked me to marry him, and we were engaged a year more while I got my things together, and then we did marry."

The plot structure of "How I Met My Husband" is very consistent until the end. The story plot consists of Edie continually telling of her life as a hired girl, telling details of important events that lead up to her meeting her husband. The chronological order of the events makes it easy to follow and imagine vividly what occurred. However, towards the end, and especially the last paragraph, we find out that the reader does not marry Chris, but the mailman instead. It was at this point at the end when my expectations as a reader were overturned. I feel like the author purposely made the entire plot seem as if Edie would marry Chris, seeing as he was the only main male in the story. Yet, if she did not care for or like Chris, she would have never come across the mailman. The author purposely sets up the story to make the reader assume that Edie will marry Chris, but as we all find out, this does not happen.

A Rose for Emily

1. How is the issue of chronology related to the larger thematic design of the story?

"When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old manservant--a combined gardener and cook--had seen in at least ten years."

In order to create suspense for the reader, Faulkner changed the normal chronological order of the story. The reader is continually questioning and curious as to what will happen next based on the chronological order of the story. The already eerie mood of the story is further added to by this suspenseful order. The climax is at the very end of the story. A story written in the regular order would not have created so much suspense and curiosity in the last part and most specifically the last paragraph of the story. The reader is able to put themselves in the same situation as the people in Jefferson and find out the surprise at the same time as everyone else. This simple fact also adds to the thematic design of suspense and curiosity in the story. Without a reverse chronological order in the story, the mood would be completely different.

Death, be not proud

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;"

Question 2

Why should death not be proud? List the speaker's major reasons.

The speaker is talking to death and telling death that it is not powerful. Death cannot control his life or be a  constant fear in his life. Death does not last because there is more to life after death. There is a Heaven or some sort of afterlife that conquers death. Death is not mighty and powerful but weak. Fate is in control, not death. The speaker tells death to stop "flexing" because it cannot determine death when fate is in the picture. There is no need to be afraid of death when death is like sleep. Sleep is pleasurable. When there is a life after death, death cannot be the end of everything. The speaker is not afraid.

Delight in Disorder

"A sweet disorder in the dress, kindles in clothes a wantonness."

Question 3

Consider the relationship of form to structure in this poem. How does this contribute to the meaning?


Instead of a neat world, the speaker prefers things to be in chaos and imperfect. In this way, the world in which the speaker is a part of is unique. The speaker strives to be different in a world that looks upon disorder in a negative way. Imperfections make life more interesting. In this way, the author has created an non-rhyming, different length sonnet which further adds to the disorder and imperfections that are purposely being stressed. In the larger sense, I think the speaker wants the reader to understand that one should embrace the disorder in life. Not everything has to be perfect and precise. The structure of the poem exemplifies this point very well.

Edward

"O I have killed my father dear, Mother, Mother."

Question 4
Does the repetition of each question and answer simply waste words or does it add to the suspense and emotional intensity?


Question 4 asks about the repitition and how the poem would be affected if the lines were not repeated. If you were to take out these lines, the poem would lose some of the creepy tone that comes from the repetition. Not only that, but the questioning on both sides would be lost. By repeating the questions, Edward's mother forces her son to admit the truth of his actions and make him feel guilt. In the end, it is the guilt that Edward feels that makes him curse his mother and tell her she is condemned to hell. Did his mother know all along? Did she tell Edward to kill his father? Regardless, he is troubled when it comes to admitting his wrongdoings and he seems to be upset.

That Time of Year

"As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away,"

Question #1


What are the three major images introduced by the three quatrains? What do they have in common?


The three major images introduced by the quatrains are those of death. The first image deals with fall turning into winter. Next, twilight is turning into night. Lastly, the fire turns to ashes. All of these images deal with something ending or dying. Fall fades to winter, twilight turns into darkness of the night and when the fire is put out it becomes ashes. Comparatively, these quatrains are all personifying death. The diction of the poem makes it seems as if the speaker is getting old and is nearing death. Due to the age of the speaker, his lover is spending all of her time with him because she knows that he will be gone soon. The poem signifies loss. Loss of seasons, nature, and love.

"To his coy mistress"

"But at my back I always hear
Time's a winged chariot hurrying near;"


This poem's tone has a sense of urgency. The speaker wishes and desires to have enough time to love his lover slowly, however there is not enough time to do this. The speaker is basically saying "life is short and we need to enjoy it while we can.". Instead of wasting time with people and other things, they need focus on loving each other completely while knowing that they have limited time. Time wont slow down for the two people and the speaker is very aware of this. Therefore a tone of urgency is created in the speaker. To me, the tone of urgency kind of creepily became an urgency to have sex with the woman instead of truly love her. The lover in this poem represents the idea that people cannot just wait to do what they want to do in life. Due to the fact that life is short, every moment needs to be treasured.

"Hazel Tells LaVerne"

"an how i can be a princess
me a princess" 

I enjoyed this poem. It was pretty humorous at some parts. The poem begins with the speaker at her job, cleaning a bathroom. When the frog appears and starts talking to the woman, she immediately disagrees with the talking frog and says "an how can i be a princess/ me a princess". The woman is aware of her current state of living, her job, her education, and possibly her looks. All of these things are contributing factors to the woman's disagreement with the frog. Although the lack of punctuation and vernacular language make the woman seems as if she is uneducated, the poem itself could have a bigger meaning. This woman understands that a slimy, green frog cannot give you what you want or desire and it definitely cannot make someone a princess. The necessity of people to desire to be something they are not is an ever present theme in society. This woman knows that even if the opportunity arises, a little frog cannot turn her into something she is not. She is smart enough to stick to her belief of this, regardless of whether she wants to be a princess or not.

"Getting Out"

"Taking hands 

we walked apart, until our arms stretched
between us. We held on tight and let go"


In Cleopatra Mathis's "Getting Out," the tone of the speaker is very reflective and reminiscent. The speaker describes a failed marriage. After reading the poem, I noticed the paradox in the last line "We held on tight and let go." To me, I feel like this line is a good description of the poem as a whole. The entire poem reflects on the marriage and how the bad times outweighed the good times. Although the two loved each other, there love wasn't enough to sustain their relationship and it fell apart. Although the couple loved each other, neither of them could stay in the relationship any longer. The desire to "hold on tight" was present for both parties, yet the truth of letting go was eminent. The vivid imagery really controls this poem and moves the theme forward. 

"Crossing the Bar"

"I hope to see my Pilot face to face, When I have crossed the bar."

This poem is a metaphor for dying and going to Heaven. To "cross the bar" is symbolic of dying and leaving the earth to reach Heaven. However, unlike most people, the speaker speaks of death in an accepting way. The attitude of death is calm and not fearful, especially through this line "and may there be no moaning of the bar". The speaker wants to "cross the bar" with "no sadness of farewell". Although he is leaving and dying, he is going to go to heaven to meet his "Pilot faces to face" and this is the reason as to why there should not be sadness. The speaker is too happy to be going to Heaven to meet God and to praise God for all of his works.   Overall, the speaker has a very accepting and positive view of death. The metaphor of "crossing the bar" serves as the theme of the poem.

"My mistress' eyes"

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"

I had to read this poem twice to understand what Shakespeare is talking about in all aspects of the poem. At first, he describes all of these beautiful things and then follows this by saying his mistress is not like this at all. Shakespeare uses all of these similes to compare the mistress to well-known things, such as the mistress' eyes being nothing like the sun, or wire hairs being the same type of hair that the girl has, or the lack of rosiness in her cheeks. All of these similes contribute to the imagery and tone of the poem. The tone, even though the speaker is describing the flaws of his mistress, is very content with his mistress. The last lines of the poem describe how even though she is not perfect or similar to well-known beautiful things, she is rare. Her rareness is what makes the speaker love her.

next of course god america i

This poem thoroughly confused me. I had a hard time following the poem because of the lack of punctuation. The lack of punctuation is what I first noticed about the poem. I also noticed different songs like the "Star Spangled Banner" and "My country tis of thee" being apart of the poem. I don't understand their purpose, but I did pick up on their presence in the poem. I thought that the language that Cummings uses is confusing such as "deafanddumb" and "by jingo be gee by gosh by gum". I don't really know what he is talking about at all. The "heroic, happy, dead" people could be soldiers. Although, the point about the soldiers "rushing like lions to their roaring slaughter." was interesting. I guess soldiers with pride of their country would be rushing to be killed. The line that confused me the most was the last line, "He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water." To me, this just seemed like useless information that was randomly placed at the end of the poem. I know that it is not random or useless, but I don't understand what it means. Perhaps the speaker is giving a speech and he is pausing to drink water. I cannot relate this statement with the rest of the poem though. I hope E.E. Cummings isn't another Emily Dickinson poet.

Ozymandias

"'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains."

I feel pretty confident about this poem. This poem describes the king, Ozymandias. He was a king of a great land. He controlled everything and was pretty powerful. A statue was made in his "honor" so that everyone could see this marvelous king. However, now this statue is nothing more than ruins. This statue is surrounded by sand and nothing else. The emotions on Ozymandias face are forever stamped yet the statue is nearly destroyed. I find this poem ironic because of the power that Ozymandias had at one point. It seems to me like this king was very vain and he took advantage of all of the power and wealth that he had as a king. But now, his power is gone, his life is gone, and the statue to honor him is gone as well. I think this is symbolic of the destruction and downfall of those who have power and abuse it. Look at this "king of kings" now, he's a midst sand and a desert and nothing else.

APO 96225

At first, I did not understand this poem. But, after reading the questions and rereading the poem, it made a little more sense. The central purpose of this poem is describing the relationship of a son overseas and the reaction it omits from his parents and most specifically his mother. I felt like this poem was an accurate representation of a lot of people during the era of war and especially the war in Vietnam. Through the diction of the poem, the reader is able to see the truth that the poet is presenting. Often, people leave out major details to protect their loved ones from the harsh reality. When the mother asks her son to "tell us everything", he follows his mothers request and writes the gory details that he had been leaving out in his previous letters. Following this response, the soldiers father tells the son to not write any more letters like that because they upset his mother. I feel like this was the mentality of many people during the Vietnam war and just any war in general. People want to know what is going on. Especially when loved ones are involved, people want to be aware and knowledgeable. However, when the truth comes out, people would rather have not known in the first place because the truth can cause pain or disturbance. In the end, the soldier goes back to writing vague letters, and I don't blame him. Is it better to hold back than to say the entire truth?

Sorting Laundry

When I first started reading this poem, I thought it was going to be a love poem looking back and reminiscing on good times that she had with her significant other. Certain pieces of the laundry had a specific memory tied with them. I also thought it was somewhat ironic that all of the good memories of laundry and her lover turned into bad memories. Therefore, the tone of this poem is very bittersweet. The author made an implication that the speaker found another women's belongings tied into her husbands clothes. In lines 40-43, the speaker says "broken necklace of good gold you brought from Kuwait, the strangely tailored shirt left by a former lover..." I assumed that this former lover is the woman that the main had an affair with. The imagery in this poem really makes it possible to see a women folding laundry and discovering this hidden secret. All of the diction, relating to laundry, helps the reader to understand what exactly the theme of the poem is. In the end, the speaker comments that no amount of laundry can fill the empty side of the bed where her husband or lover used to be. So, yeah, I was completely wrong with my first insight about this poem.

Barbie Doll

I liked this poem for the mere fact that I could actually understand it. Well, at least I hope so (It's not Emily Dickinson, so that's a positive thing). In this poem, the author goes through the life of a girl. This girl was born into a world were she was told she had to behave and look a certain way. When she was older, she was faced with the insecurity of having a big nose and fat legs. Eventually, all of these "imperfections" led to her suicide. I think that all of this poem is ironic. The title "Barbie Doll" is especially ironic because the girl in the poem is not like Barbie. She is not fake and plastic and perfect. However, all of these materialistic, surface characteristics are the reason that she committed suicide. I also assumed that this was the poet's way of speaking out against the wrongs in our society. Our society is too focused on girls having look and behave in a particular way and this poem draws attention to this situation.

Emily Dickinson's lovely poetry

I am not a fan of Emily Dickinson. "I taste a liquor never brewed" is another one of Dickinson's poem that capitalizes random letters and has a bigger meaning that I don't understand at this point in time. I did pick up on certain things that may relate to the theme of the poem. Throughout all four stanzas, the speaker continually uses words that are associated with nature such as "air", "dew", "summer days", "bee", "butterflies", "snowy", and "sun". All of these words are somehow related to outside or nature in a way. The questions that follow the poem state that an extended metaphor is being used, so it is possible that Dickinson is referring to being "drunk" on nature or the outside. This theory would support the title of the poem, seeing as nature isn't a type of liquor that is brewed, but the speaker seems to enjoy a lot of aspects of nature. Also, in lines 13 and 14, the image of "saints" and "seraphs" is presented. Through the phrasing of the poem, it seems as if the saints and seraphs are accepting of this "drunk" person because they "run to the windows" and "swing their snowy Hats". Or this could mean something completely different. Who knows, it's another Dickinson poem.

Bright Star

"Bright Star" was a confusing poem at first. Although at the beginning of the poem the speaker makes it seem like he wants to be like the star, the entire poem lists reasons as to why the speaker does not wish to be like the star. Essentially, the speaker cannot be like the star because the star is not human. The star simply gazes and watches.  As a human, the speaker cannot enjoy simply watching from afar. The speaker does not want to be removed from the world, he wants to be in the world. The world has many things to offer him and he cannot sit back and watch it all happen. Therefore, the star is a very unrealistic object to want to emulate. I was very confused by the last lines of this poem. It seems as if the poet is speaking of a person or possibly a lover. I assume this based off of the line "awake forever in a sweet unrest, still, still to hear her tender-taken breath." (lines 12-13). I think that  if the last lines to refer to a lover, this is another reason as to why the speaker cannot be like the star, he wants to be with his love.

Dreamed Deferred

In the poem "Dreamed Deferred" by Langston Hughes, a rhetorical question is asked to begin the poem. "What happens to a dream deferred?". Although the question is not requiring a response, the question is a simple question that many people can relate to. What happens to an aspiration or a goal that somehow gets messed up? From this point, the speaker begins to ask more rhetorical questions and also uses an alliteration (dream deferred, does it dry up?) Also, an anaphora is used through the question "Does it". Furthermore, several similes are created in the rhetorical questions. Talk about using literary devices... Yet, all of these literary techniques contribute to the poem as a whole. The questions engage the reader and make the reader contemplate the question. Also, the similes that Hughes uses have a deeper meaning. For example, the first simile "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" (lines 2-3) means more than a dried up raisin. The raisin stands for the dream being changed over time. All of the similes that Hughes uses have this same purpose. Mainly, through using several different, easy to follow, literary devices, the reader truly is able to imagine and discover what the speakers point is throughout the entirety of the poem.

So long, farewell, it shouldn't be that bad to say goodbye.

In "A Valediction: forbidden mourning", I originally had no idea what this poem was talking about. I did not know what a "valediction" was, so I looked up the definition. After finding out that a valediction is a type of goodbye, I assumed that this poem was about saying goodbye to someone. The easy ABAB rhyme scheme made the poem easy to follow along with and the questions below the poem further added to helping me understand the poem. However, I don't really understand all of the metaphors that are created through this poem. I know that the metaphors are there, but I cannot dissect their meaning. In the first stanza, the speaker says that the parting of the two people should be like "virtuous men mildly passing away" (line 2). The goodbye that the two lovers are faced with should not be a big ordeal, essentially. Then, in line 7, the speaker goes on to say that crying over the parting of the two individuals should not evoke tears because "crying destroys their joy". The happiness that the couple shares should not be taken away by the distance they are now faced with. Now, towards the end, I know that the compass is a metaphor for something, but I did not understand what the compass stood for or what it was symbolic of. Regardless of whether I understood all of the metaphors or not, I did see the purpose for the use of metaphors. The metaphors make the reader see the beauty in the love that these two people share. Through the use of metaphors, the speaker states what they mean but in a discrete way. By comparing their goodbye and their love to other things, the speaker is able to convey the point. Their goodbye should not be mournful, but optimistic instead.

Not fond of their siblings...

In "The Joy of Cooking", the speaker uses her sister's tongue and brother's heart to describe their personalities. Although it is somewhat weird to connect body parts to personality traits and the refer to "cooking" them, it does create vivid imagery for the reader to picture. Obviously, from the title and the words the poet uses, the reader can assume that the speaker is not too fond of her brother and sister. Due to her sister's tongue that is "scrubbed and skinned" (line 2) and the statement "it probably will grow back" (line 7), the reader can also infer that the sister is not afraid to say what she thinks and she probably curses (and refrains from biting her tongue...pun intended.)  All of these characteristics that the speaker states about her sister are negative. Also, the fact that the speaker gets enjoyment out of "cooking" her siblings body parts is somewhat maniacal. In the second stanza, the speaker talks about her brother. The speaker doesn't seem to be to enthralled with her brother either. The brother's heart is seen as boring, dull, and careless. (line 11) Furthermore, the fact that his heart "barely feeds two" can make the reader assume that he is somewhat self-centered. Through the imagery of "cooking" siblings negative personality traits, the reader is able to understand the speakers point in the poem.

Confusion with The Panther

In "The Panther" I couldn't really find any meaning in the poet's words. The diction used is all diction of confinement. The image of a panther behind bars, sort of like a zoo, is able to easily be imagined. However, I don't understand what the panther stands for, if it stands for anything at all. Also, the point that the poet makes in the last stanza is referring to the closing and opening of the panther's eyes. Only at times does the panther open his eyes and he sees an image. The image has to stand for something. It seems as if the "image" is entering into the heart of the panther, but I'm not sure what exactly this means. Maybe the image is a sense of hope or desire of the panther. Even though the panther is captive, it still has hope for something more, even if that hope goes away quickly.

I wouldn't want to live in London

The poem "London" was depressing. Throughout the entire poem, the unity of the lines is apparent through the dark diction such as "woe", "fear", "cry", "runs in blood", "Harlot's curse", "plagues" and "hearse". Whatever is going on in London, I would not want to be there during this time...

The first stanza discusses how the city of London is full of unhappy people. Then, the second stanza adds to the first by describing how in every aspect of the peoples lives, there is some sort of unhappiness. Now, the third stanza starts to describe the different types of people in the society. The chimney-sweepers, the church, and the soldier are all presented to the reader. Again, the theme of unhappiness is apparent through each character.The last stanza refers to the destruction of a family through a prostitute.

The only thing I am completely sure of in this poem is the evidence of unhappiness of the people in the city. I'm still confused as to what is going on and why the people are so unhappy and what exactly is driving the people to this universal unhappiness.

Vanity found in the Sea

In "The Convergence of the Twain" the poet is describing the tragedy of the Titanic. A lot of personification is used throughout this poem. The fish and sea creatures "query" and "gaze" at the objects that now occupy their home in the sea. Through the personification of the fish, I was really able to imagine what Thomas Hardy may have been trying to convey to the reader.

I found the word "vanity" to be an important one in the first stanza of the poem. Mostly all of the people on the Titanic were vain, pompous, rich people. Yet, all of their belongings are now alongside the sea-worms and fish. To the passengers, all of their belongings meant everything to them. Their belongings defined who they were and where they stood in society. The passengers and the ship itself represented the high class in society, but now it is nothing but a part of the sea. I feel like this is somewhat ironic. These people were so focused on the pleasures and objects of life and in the end, it got them no where.

I inferred that the last stanza is referring to God when talking about "The Spinner of the Years". I also inferred that this was the way of the poet speaking of the  inevitability of the sinking of the ship. When such vain people and extravagant objects located all throughout the ship are put together, there is no real purpose other than pleasure. Two different worlds are created. A world for God and a world of materialism. The Titanic was a world of materialism.

Metaphorical funeral

In Emily Dickinson's "I felt a funeral, in my brain" poem, she takes us into a metaphor of a funeral taking place in her brain. After I read the questions that went along with the poem, I then noticed that the sense of sight is missing from the poem. The most prevalent sense that Dickinson focuses on is the sense of hearing. When I first read the poem, I initially thought that maybe Dickinson was describing the world of someone who has become blind. It made sense to me because 1.) the funeral taking place would be for the sense of sight that was lost 2.) the person who has become blind is trying to make sense of the world around them by hearing things.

After discussing this poem in class, however, it makes way more sense to describe how the funeral taking place represents a person slowly loosing their mind. Especially in the last stanza when Dickinson describes "a plank in reason, broke" the fact that someone is loosing their mind justifies the lack of reasoning. The plank in reason that is breaking is all that makes sense to the person. There is no reason anymore, just the nonsense of a person who has lost their mind and the person is just slowly withering away.

Even though I was way off in my first interpretation of the poem, I was able to see the importance of the sensory language throughout the poem. The point of the poem is able to be conveyed to the reader through these sensory descriptions. In result of this, a reader can really imagine that a "funeral" is taking place in this person's brain.

Spring and Sin

The poem "Spring" starts off with a lot of alliteration. "When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush." The alliteration helps to evoke the sense of imagery strongly present throughout this entire poem. The first stanza is very descriptive with terms that are associated with spring. Through the description, imagery is also created. For example, the use of vivid words such as "the glassy peartree leaves and blooms." paint a picture in ones mind of a lovely pear tree in the springtime.

The second stanza and third stanza get a little more in depth. Rather than explicitly stating terms that are associated with spring to create imagery, a different type of imagery is created through comparison. The words "In Eden's garden", "Before it could, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning" helped me to see a comparison to something Biblical or spiritual. In my own opinion, I felt as if Hopkins was comparing the season of spring to a world before sin. Usually spring is associated with new life, new beginnings and so on. Similarly, before the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, life was perfect and new. Fall and winter are commonly seen as the cold months of dormant plants and no production of anything new, while the season of spring brings new opportunities to the world. Before sin, our world was full of everything wonderful and great. It seems as if spring is a representation of this perfect world full of opportunities.

Poetry according to Perrine

When first reading Perrine's thoughts on interpreting poetry, I didn't really agree with him or understand what point that Perrine was presenting. I enjoy personal interpretation when reading things. In my opinion, literature or even poetry is enjoyable because of the freedom to think and interpret for oneself. I always became frustrated when a teacher would grade a question that dealt with interpretation and then mark it wrong. I think that interpretation is open to more than just one specific thing. When reading a story, an author does write for a purpose, however, the reader is entitled to think what they want to think, right? I do understand what Perrine means though. When one has to really analyze poetry or any type of literature, there are certain things that make interpretation right and wrong. We, as readers, cannot just think that anything and everything is correct. Some poems can have multiple meanings, but that doesn't mean that we can interpret anything we want from them. 


When I  re-read the poems and picked up on how they were to be correctly analyzed, I began to see what Perrine meant. (especially with the Emily Dickinson poem) Yes, it is true that a garden can be inferred and imagined from the words written, but analytically there is much more than just a garden. It makes sense to see that Dickinson is describing a sunset. The meaning of the poem to be a sunset is much more compatible and appropriate with every single word and detail. I think that this is a good example of how to analyze and interpret poems throughout this next quarter. There can be a lot more to poem beyond the surface. It is easy to say that a poem may be describing a sunset, but through analyzing every single detail, the correct interpretation becomes apparent to the reader. Also, from reading Perrine's thoughts, I have come to see that looking past literal interpretation is sometimes important in poetry. I think it will be difficult to correctly interpret and analyze poems in this way. It seems as if it if will take really observant, attentive people to pick up on the details and learn to connect and interpret in this way...

The end (Never Let Me Go- 20)

"I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how I think it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever" (page 282)


Even though I was disappointed with everything that had happened in the last couple of chapters, overall I really did enjoy this book. It was very insightful and in the end it had a really good message about friendship and love. Kathy and Tommy really showed how innocent and good friendship can be and how good friends are there for each other. Throughout the entire book, Kathy and Tommy showed how important friendship was, and even though they didn't get their happy ending, they still had a really great friendship. I also really liked the first person point of view for the narrator. It was a lot different after reading Brave New World. I was able to connect to Kathy and really understand the type of person she was. I don't think I would have liked this book as much if it were told in a different perspective. Also, the concept of cloning and inhumane practices arose in this book as well and it has a lot to teach people who live in today's society. Life isn't something that we can just throw away and practice on. We can't clone people. We are all apart of God's creation and I think that people forget about how valuable life is sometimes.

Disappointing (Never Let Me Go- 19)

"'We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls.  Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all'" ( page 260).  

The whole climax of this book really confused me. I didn't think that Miss Emily would be helpful at all but I guess in a way she kind of was. I found it weird with this whole cloning concept. The author made it very apparent that it was an inhumane practice. I thought that Tommy and Kathy would be at least considered for a deferral, but that didn't happen either. I guess that it is a good thing though because I really don't see how three years would change anything. This book is realistic in the sense that endings aren't always "happily ever after." and I think that Ishiguro made this very apparent. However, in the end, I was surprised that Kathy was very nonchalant to everything that had happened. Seeing as she was a carer for so long, she was used to the practices and the concept of death. However, the type of character that she seemed to be throughout the novel was not one who stood by and watched as everything happened. Kathy was a really smart girl and she knew what was going on. But in the end, she just accepted everything that had happened to her. I guess there wasn't really anything she could do anyway. 

Well that was upsetting (Never Let Me Go- 18)

“So that feeling came again, even though I tried to keep it out: that we were doing all of this too late; that there'd once been a time for it, but we'd let it go by, and there was something ridiculous, reprehensible even, about the way we were now thinking and planning.” (page 241)

I am upset. So, I've been waiting for Tommy and Kathy to finally get together. But, it's too late now. Tommy has had his third donation now and he is about to give his fourth. I have a question too, how many donations to they give? And how are they not  dead after the third or fourth? I really am upset that it's too late for Kathy and Tommy. Even if Madame agrees to give Kathy and Tommy a deferral to be together longer, how is Tommy going to survive very long? Wouldn't normal people be basically lifeless at this stage? I just hope that there is a somewhat happy ending for this book. I can't take another depressing ending like Brave New World. As long as Kathy doesn't kill herself, I think I can manage. 

I'd like to say that I'm actually getting into this book, I didn't think I would. But the fact that I was upset when I found out about Kathy and Tommy, showed me that I like this book. Who knew.

Forgiveness (Never Let Me Go- 17)

"'Kathy, ' she said, 'I don't really expect you to forgive me ever. I can't even see why you should. But i'm going to ask you to all the same.'" (page 231)

When Ruth and Kathy are together and Ruth is dying, Ruth apologizes to Kathy and says "The main thing is, I kept you and Tommy apart, and that was the worst thing I did." (232)  I feel so bad for Kathy! I wanted Tommy and Kathy to be together this entire book and Ruth was always in the way. But now, Ruth is admitting that she was just with Tommy to keep Kathy away from him. Ruth's selfish character was very apparent throughout this entire book and this is why I am very surprised that she is actually apologizing for what she did. But, I guess death can make you think about things in a different perspective and I believe that this is what happened to Ruth. I applaud Ruth for what she did. I know that it probably took a lot of strength for her to tell Kathy she was wrong and that it was all her fault. Now, Ruth wants the best for her friends and she wants Kathy and Tommy to enjoy the time they have together. 

The Kathy and Ruth friendship roller coaster (Never Let Me Go- 16)

"Tommy's been telling me about his big theory. He says he's already told you. Ages ago. But now, very kindly, he's allowing me to share in it too." (page 193)

There is an external conflict between Ruth and Kathy in this chapter. As always, Ruth seems to be upset about something that Kathy has done. However, this time it is a little different because it is jealousy that is feeding the anger that Ruth has towards Kathy. Ruth is jealous that Tommy told Kathy about the idea he has about the artwork in the gallery. Out of anger and jealousy, Ruth tells Tommy about how Kathy laughed at Tommy's farm animals. Obviously, this hurts Tommy. Tommy has always been able to turn to Kathy with everything. Kathy was Tommy's go to girl and now he feels betrayed by her reaction to something he was proud of. Now, a conflict may occur between Kathy and Tommy. I'm actually upset about this. I wish that Kathy and Tommy would have gotten closer, especially because of the friendship and bond that became even more apparent when they went to Norfolk. However, I don't think that anything will get better from here because of the foreshadowing at the very beginning of the book. It was very apparent that the relationship between Tommy and Kathy and Kathy and Ruth wasn't the same as it used to be, and maybe this is the reason why.

Art reveals their souls (Never Let Me Go- 15)

"Suppose two people say they're truly in love, and they want extra time to be together. Then you see, Kath, there has to be a way to judge if they're really telling the truth. That they aren't just saying they're in love, just to defer their donations. You see how difficult it would be to decide?" (page 175)

Tommy and Kathy have come up with this idea that through the art work they created at Hailsham, their souls are able to be revealed and thus the true love between two people is also revealed. I don't necessarily think this is true. Personally, I know that if they were truly clones, they wouldn't have souls because the are cloned! But, that is beside the point. I think that maybe it is possible that someone from the art gallery is trying to prove that these clones have souls through their art work. I don't think that the true love would be able to be told throughout the art work as well though. I think that if people were trying to save these students from being donors and then dying they would do more to keep the two together. Especially because a deferral only keeps the couple together for 3 years. But, I think that maybe there are more people behind the art gallery, like Madame, that are working to find out how to save these people from the life they are destined to.

Who loves who?! (Never Let Me Go- 14)

"They'd heard of this Hailsham couple, the guy had only a few weeks left before he became a carer. And they went to see someone and got everything put back three years. They were allowed to go on living there together, up at the White Mansion, three years straight, didn't have to go on with their training or anything. Three years just to themselves, because they could prove they were properly in love." (page 153)

This idea of deferrals is kind of confusing to me at this point, but I have a feeling that it will be significant to the outcome of the story. Chrissie and Rodney tell Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy about the idea of deferrals and they question the three to see if they know anything about it. It really mad me mad how Ruth acted like she knew about this when she didn't at all. She is so rude to Kathy and Tommy sometimes just because she wants to fit in with the veterans. It really makes me not like Ruth's character at all. Throughout the past chapter when Tommy buys Kathy her lost record of the Judy Bridgewater song, I really have a feeling that Tommy and Kathy will somehow fall in love with each other. I predict that if anyone will get this "deferral" it will be Tommy and Kathy and not Tommy and Ruth. At least I hope it isn't Ruth because I do not like her right now.

Also, during the trip to Norfolk, the idea of everyone's clone being a nobody was very interesting to me. I am curious as to how these models become clones. It would make sense that the people in charge of cloning would pay these nobodies who need the money so that they would do this. If this is the case, then Ruth is right. Most of the "models" who the students are clones of would logically be "trash".

Aha!!! (Never Let Me Go-13)

"The basic idea behind the possibles theory was simple, and didn't provoke much dispute. It went something like this. Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life. (page 139)

I just had an "aha! moment" and I felt the need to blog about it. So, my last blog was about the porn magazines and I was really curious as to why Kathy was so curious about the faces of the individuals on the people in the magazines. Well, in this chapter we find out that they are clones from other people and they sometimes look for "possibles" that may be the person they were cloned from. So, I think that Kathy was searching for her possible clone in the magazines. Personally, I think the whole clone thing is really bizarre. If in fact they are clones, then this just proves that these people like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy can't have souls. They are just beings with organs and maybe this is why they can't have children. I'm starting to get really curious as to what is going on and I really just want to be able to finish this book so everything will make sense for once!

Looking at faces (Never Let Me Go-12)

"In fact, I hardly saw the contorted bodies, because I was focusing on the faces. Even in the little adverts for videos or whatever tucked away to the side, I checked each model's face before moving on." ( page 135)


Okay, this chapter not only weirded me out, but it also made me think that there is a lot more to Kathy and Tommy than the reader has knowledge of. While going through porn magazines, Kathy mentions not noticing the naked, contorted bodies, but focusing on the faces. I'm no expert on porn magazines, but I know it's not typical to stare at the faces while there are other things to look at. I am really curious as to why Kathy is looking at the faces. Maybe she notices something different about normal people's faces compared to the faces of those who go to Hailsham and are donors and carers. Also, Tommy notices a lot about Kathy. I really don't like Ruth with Tommy at all. It seems as if Ruth doesn't really care about Tommy like I originally thought. It seems as if Ruth only wants to fit in with the other veteran students and she is using Tommy to do so. Tommy sees something in Kathy that he knows is different and he cares for Kathy. Kathy and Tommy's friendship is a special one and I'm curious to see if it will lead them to discover more about the outside world. Also, when chapter 11 ended, Kathy mentioned their trip to Norfolk. I predict that they will discover something that relates back to what Miss Lucy told Tommy. I'm sure flashbacks and foreshadowing will be
 present in the next chapters...

Also, I have noticed that the Cottages are a lot like college or high school. There are "veterans" who could represent the upper class-men in college or high school. Also, the desire to fit in and be like everyone else seems to be a common theme, especially with Ruth. I think more similarities will arise in the chapters to come.

Evidence, the Gallery, and more questions (Never Let Me Go-11)

"Then she said: 'Look, there are all kinds of things that you don't understand Tommy, and I can't tell you about them. Things about Hailsham, about your place in the wider world, all kinds of things. But perhaps one day, you'll try and find out. They wont make it easy for you, but if you want to, really want to, you might find out.'" (page 109)

I thought there weren't going to be any more mysteries!! Now, I'm confused again. So, at this point, the reader knows that there is more secrecy in Hailsham. Certain things, especially art, are important to the students lives beyond Hailsham. The art serves as a type of evidence and a lot can come from said artwork. I am so confused! I don't like how Ishiguro says all of these things and then it makes sense 10 chapters later! However, just as the reader is confused, so are Kathy and Tommy. The author puts you right into the story with Kathy and Tommy and makes you think with them as to what all of this information might mean. Just as I am frustrated with my lack of knowledge as to what the heck is going on with Hailsham, I am really mad at Ruth. Ruth is kind of self-centered and she uses Kathy to talk to Tommy for her own sake. She wants to get back together with Tommy but she makes Kathy actually convince Tommy to do so. Even though Kathy knows that figuring out all of this mystery surrounding Miss Lucy and Hailsham is more important that Ruth and Tommy's relationship, she acts as if she doesn't care about what Tommy has just revealed to her.Tommy and Kathy both know that there is something weird that is happening. I'm wondering if Miss Emily or one of the other teachers will be like Miss Lucy and tell the students about the truth. I'm hoping that this is the case or else I'm going to be confused for the next couple of chapters.

It's a love story...(Never Let Me Go- 10)

"But Ruth and Tommy never did anything gross in front of people, and if sometimes they cuddled or whatever, it felt like they were genuinely doing it for each other, not for an audience. (page 95)

So, in this chapter we find out that Tommy and Ruth are together. Also, we have discovered that sex is apart of this book too. Similar to Brave New World, sex isn't viewed as a way to create human life, seeing as they cannot have babies, but it is just another thing to be apart of (no big deal, I guess...). However, it seems as if Tommy and Ruth have something that all the other teenagers in this story do not have. The author makes a point to show that Tommy and Ruth seem to truly care for each other. Ishiguro also makes it appear that everyone else enjoys the public displays of affection just so that they can show off. Furthermore, the other kids seem to brag about who they have had sex with and it is almost as if having sex is what makes these teenagers feel accepted. I am guessing that the emotion and love that Tommy and Ruth have will progress in the chapters to come. I am curious to see what will happen later on when the kids are done at Hailsham. What comes next?

Finally, we get an answer!! (Never Let Me Go- 9)

"'Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adult, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do.'" (page 81)

I am so happy that every thing makes so much more sense now! It seems like all of the questions I have had since the beginning of the book have been answered. To be honest, I'm not really surprised about this revelation. I knew that there was something really strange about Hailsham and there was a big secret that the children did not know about. However, I was really surprised at the kids reaction to this news. I guess they didn't have much of a reaction to this because they don't know anything other than the life they live at Hailsham. They are unaware of the outside world and what they will miss out on. There is a extreme difference between the way Miss Lucy felt about this and the way the kids reacted to the news. Not only did this chapter answer many questions that I had from the beginning of the book, but it also explained the motivation of the teachers at Hailsham. This fact shows why Miss Lucy had always been so different and sad sometimes. This explains why Madame was crying when she saw Kathy hold the pillow as if it were her baby.  The motivation behind these characters behaving this way was all because of the fact that these children will not be able to have a normal life. There is still one thing that I am very curious about. How did these children get to Hailsham and why are they destined to live their lives this way. Who did this to these children?

There is a similarity between Never Let Me Go and Brave New World in this revelation. In Brave New World the characters didn't really have control over their lives. The people were raised in a society and forced to behave a certain way.They were no longer apart of their world. In this book, these children have no control over their lives. They have been told what their purpose is and there is no way that they can stop this. Just as I did when reading Brave New World,  I really do feel bad for these people. They cannot escape the life that they were created to fulfill.

Gone to Norfolk (Never Let Me Go- 8)

"'Yeah,' I said. 'Gone to Norfolk.'" (page 75)

Recently, the concept of "Norfolk" has been continually brought up among the children. However, it is a part of their vernacular. The kids joke about Norfolk and it being a place of mystery and intrigue solely because of the lack of knowledge about it. This sort of thing would only make sense to the kids at Hailsham. My own opinion on the use of vernacular is that it creates a "different world" atmosphere to the novel. The people at Hailsham are obviously different, but the fact that they have little phrases and ideas that are specific to Hailsham separate the place even more from other places in the world. I'm not exactly sure if Ishiguro meant to contrast the two worlds this way, but the differences became even more apparent to me through the use of the Norfolk phrase. Also, the way that Norfolk is referenced, it is also a symbol. Norfolk is so unknown and mysterious to the kids. It is almost as if every question and every doubt is found in Norfolk. I find it ironic that the kids know so little about Norfolk, but it would appear as if no one else would know about Hailsham. It's almost as if Hailsham and Norfolk are related because of the mystery looming from each place. I think that Norfolk is a place where the kids can go in their imaginations and know that it is new and different. It is a place of comfort in their minds because it makes them feel as if they are not alone and as if there is a reason for everything.

"Baby, baby, never let me go." (Never Let Me Go- 7)

"And what I imagine was a woman who'd been told she couldn't have babies, who'd really, really, wanted them all her life. Then there's a sort of miracle and she has a baby, and she holds this baby very close to her and walk around signing: 'Baby, never let me go...' partly because she's so happy but also because she's so afraid something will happen, that the baby will get ill or be taken away from her." (page 70)

I found this excerpt of the book to be extremely vivid and a great time to mention imagery. This entire book is full of imagery. Ishiguro does a really good job of making sure that there are enough details to paint a big picture of every little thing that has occurred. I can imagine what Hailsham is and what Kathy would look like when she was rocking her pillow and saying "baby, baby, never let me go." Imagery is an important part of this entire book. Without the imagery, it would be extremely hard to follow what Ishiguro is saying. Not only would it be hard to follow, but it would not make any sense. I noticed that throughout the first couple of chapters I was having a really hard time getting into the book. I couldn't imagine what kind of place that these children lived in and it just didn't make sense to me. I had more questions than anything. However, once I was able to imagine what Hailsham would be and what the character would be like, it was a lot easier to read the book. This is why imagery in a book is so important. Without imagery, the story is incomplete and boring. Imagery allows the reader to interpret and imagine, which is extremely important in a book like Never Let Me Go. 

Just say it already!! (Never Let Me Go- 6)

"As it was, an opportunity did come along for her, about a month after the Midge episode, the time I lost my favourite tape." (page 64)

I have noticed a common theme that the author has used when ending each chapter or section in the book. The style in which Ishiguro is using is very suspenseful. Ishiguro makes the reader want to continually read more. He ends one section by starting to tell the beginning of an important story which will be explained in the next section. By writing the book in this style, it is easy to see how every little detail and every anecdote that Kathy relays to the reader is connected in a way. Also, the style makes the relationship between the narrator, Kathy, and the reader a very personal one. It is almost as if Kathy is personally telling the story to the reader and keeping us informed as to why she says a certain story and how it connects to the bigger picture. I really enjoy this style that Ishiguro is using. Not only does it help the reader understand the story line better, but it also draws the reader in. It makes me not want to stop reading the book. Especially when Kathy ends a chapter in a suspenseful way that will be further explained in the preceding chapter.

Why so scared? (Never Let Me Go- 5)

"Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders. We hadn't been ready for that. It had never occurred to us to wonder how we would feel, being seen like that, being the spiders." (page 35)

After finishing this chapter and being introduced to Madame, I've figured out that there is something different about these students at Hailsham. I still have no idea what exactly it is, but I do know that there is something different. Ishiguro uses a metaphor here to compare the students to spiders. He notes that just as people are afraid of spiders, Madame is afraid of the Hailsham kids in this same way. However, this metaphor is different because Kathy, the narrator, is expressing how she never thought that she would be in the situation where she was the spider and someone is afraid of her. I wonder if the students at Hailsham are just as oblivious to their differences. From all of the clues that the author has presented  to the reader thus far, I can assume that there are definitely some differences between people like Madame and people like Kathy. Effectively, Ishiguro uses this metaphor to show how Madame is reacting to these kids. By comparing hear reaction to that of seeing a spider, it creates a pretty vivid picture in ones mind. It also allows for the reader to start to speculate about the life at Hailsham and who these kids really are. I know that I'm starting to get really curious.

The nonexistent last names (Never Let Me Go- 4)

"Little things, like Alexander J. and Peter N. walking across the courtyard with him towards the fields, the three of them chatting quite naturally; a subtle but clear difference in people's  voices when his name got mentioned. " (page 21)

Why doesn't anyone have a last name? The book starts off with the introduction of Kathy as "Kathy H." Then, we move on to the introduction of the teachers like "Miss Emily" and "Miss Geraldine". The quote above shows the names Alexander J. and Peter N.. At first, I didn't think anything of the missing last names. However, now I am starting to get curious as to why people only have one letter that represents their last name. I  am guessing that there is more meaning behind the lack of full last names. I am interested to see what exactly this means because at this point in the book I honestly have no idea what this could mean. I am beginning to really question what Hailsham is and if it is a different place. Hailsham definitely seems mysterious at this point, and the missing last names just adds to the intrigue of this interesting place.

What is Hailsham?!? (Never Let Me Go- 3)

"Thinking back now, I can see we were just at that age when we knew a few thigns about ourselves--about who we were, how were were different from our guardians, from the people outside--but hadn't yet understood what any of it meant. I'm sure somewhere in your childhood, you too had an experience like ours that day; similar if not in the actual details, then insdie, in the feelings. Because it doesn't really matter how well your guardians try to prepare you: all the talks, videos, discussions, warnings, none of that can really bring it home. Not when you're eight years old, and you're all together in a place like Hailsham; when you've got guardians like the ones we had; when the garderners and the delivery men joke and laugh with you and call you 'sweetheart.'" (page 36)

Instinctively, I have a weird and almost creepy feeling about this Hailsham place. I feel like it relates to Brave New World in the sense that it seems like a completely separate place with different ideas and practices. However, I am still confused as to what exactly goes on at Hailsham. For example, the concept of "donors" and "carers" and "donations" are all euphemisms that Ishiguro has constantly used throughout the past three chapters. These words are obviously common words that the people who live in this society use. However, to the reader, these words are still unknown and a bit confusing. I think that Ishiguro is using these words and also continually using flashbacks to make the reader reflect and contemplate what is going on in the story. The author keeps leaving a lot of things unanswered. It is possible that the author is wanting the reader to form their own opinion on what may happen next and infer what exactly "donors" and "carers" may be. I am hoping that more of an explanation of these terms and Hailsham will unveil in the upcoming chapters.

Flashback (Never Let Me Go- 2)

"This was all a long time ago so I might have some of it wrong; but my memory of it is that my approaching Tommy that afternoon was part of a phase I was going through around that time-- something to do with compulsively setting myself challenges--and I'd more or less forgotten all about it when Tommy stopped me a few days later." (page 13)

In chapter 2, I found a literary device that was also used in chapter 1. The author uses a flashback continually throughout the chapter to retell a story that is somehow significant to the overall book. The flashbacks are sometimes short and sometimes really long. However, Kathy, the main character, always chimes in at some point and expresses how she felt at that time or what she was thinking. Also, it seems as if Kathy feels differently about a lot of things now than she did when she was younger and growing up at Hailsham. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley used this literary device to introduce the character John and show how different his world was from everyone else. By using the flashback to John's early life, the reader was able to see the differences in John's society and see how it may have an impact on the rest of the book. This summer, I read  a book called Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen, and the book starts off with a crucial flashback that helps the reader to understand the entire plot of the book. I feel like this may be what Ishiguro is doing as well. Flashbacks help the reader to further understand something that would otherwise be completely unknown. Most often, it relates to the developmemt of the plot or to help explain important characters. The flashbacks that have occured in Never Let Me Go so far have been in effort to explain the life at Hailsham and other characters (mainly Tommy). However, there is also a secret of some sort that keeps having to be discussed in private areas. I'm hoping that this will make more sense in the chapters to come.

It's nice to meet you Kathy H. (Never Let Me Go-1)

"My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That will make is almost exactly twelve years." (pg. 3)

Well, I've started the second book, and I can say I'm just as confused as I was when I began Brave New World. Immediately, we are introduced to Kathy and shown that this book is going to take place in the first person point of view. I have always liked books that take place in the first person point of view because they make it easier to relate to and connect with the main character of the novel. I feel like this may have been the purpose of the author when writing this book in the first person. Kathy must have a big role in the book for the author to want the reader to connect to her in a different way than the other characters.  Also, right from the start we are introduced to Kathy's job as a carer. I'm still confused after finishing the first chapter as to what a carer is. Also the concept of a donor is brought up and it relates to the carers. I am interested to see what exactly this means and if it has a vital role in the story line of the novel. In addition to this, I am curious to see if the type of world they live in is different from the world we know. I wonder if their world in Never Let Me Go will be similar to the world in Brave New World. The place called Hailsham seems very different and almost mysterious at this point. I am guessing that this place is important to Kathy and the rest of the characters in the book.

"O Brave New World"

"The Savage stood looking on. 'O brave new world, O brave new world...' In his mind the signing words seemed to change their tone. They had mocked him though his misery and remorse, mocked him with how hideous a note of cynical derision!" (Brave New World, page 210)


I was going back through all of my blogs and trying to figure out what to write about for my final blog. Then,  I realized I never commented about John continually saying the phrase "O brave new world". I know this is an allusion to The Tempest. However, I am going to comment on something other than just the allusion aspect of this quote.  Every time I read this line coming from John's mouth I found it ironic. From the very beginning John thought so much about this new world. John continually asked his mother questions about this "other place" and he always longed to be able to be apart of it. Yet, when John finally got the chance to be apart of this dream world, he didn't understand it at all and grew to despise every little detail about this society. I think this is similar to how people view a lot of things today. When something new is mentioned and described to people, often people are drawn and attracted to it. However, a lot of the time it turns out that it was better in theory or in thought. The concept of something new is exciting. Similarly, this is a theme that was established in Chapter 17 of the book. The New World society was based on new things. Old things were done away with because they were less exciting and they could not produce the happiness and prosperity of the society in which they lived. In result, the "perfect society" was one seriously messed up world. (In my opinion anyway).

Maybe this was another theme of the novel that the author was trying to relay back to the reader. We need to treasure everything that life hands us. Just because some things are less exciting or older doesn't mean they aren't as wonderful. By being open to a diversity of things, we open our eyes to a lot more and become better, well rounded individuals. In this way, maybe people can change and we can avoid living in a crazy, selfish world. Maybe there is hope for us all.

Overall Reaction

"Slowly, very slowly, like two hundred unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left.  South-south-west, south, south-east, east...."  (Brave New World, page 259)



I definitely wasn't expecting the book to end this way. In fact, I thought it was a really weird ending. I had decided that John was the protagonist of the book because he had done the most to change the society in which he had been placed in. However, looking back, he really didn't do very much. And, in the end, he killed himself because he didn't know what else to do with the life he was living. He was tormented and tortured to the point where he didn't want to live anymore. I figured that out of all of the people in the book, John would be the one character that would find purpose and meaning in his life. John was the only one who had a different upbringing and this is why I concluded that he would change a lot more than what he actually did.

Also, I figured that there would be more of a direct and meaningful ending. Maybe there is and I'm just missing it. I'm sure we will talk about it in August. Throughout the entire book, it seemed like the author was trying to prove a point about society. I assumed that the ending of the book would really make you think about life and the meaning of life. 

Well, that's one way to solve problems (Brave New World-18)

"'Savage!' called the first arrivals, as they alighted from their machine. 'Mr. Savage!'
There was no answer. 
The door of the lighthouse was ajar. They pushed it open and walked into a shuttered twilight. Through an archway on the further side of the room they could see the bottom of the staircase that led up to the higher floors. Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet." (Brave New World, page 259)


The resolution to the book comes when John isolates himself in a lighthouse and actually ends up killing himself. Although, this was a strange ending to the book and not exactly the best way to solve the conflicts that arose in the book, I thought it was pretty symbolic. At then end of the novel, John found himself fighting against himself to find truth and purity in the world in which he was living. However, the world around him thought he was a freak and a sight to be laughed at and ridiculed. This is similar to a theme of the book. Throughout the entire story, there was a fight between some character and the rest of the society in which they were living. Ultimately at the end, the fight was between John and everyone else. He was the only one in the world in which he lived that was looking for the right ideals and values. Unfortunately, he could not find them and he ended up hanging himself. It didn't necessarily solve the problems that arose from the course of the novel, but it did show the theme of contrasting views that was apparent in every chapter of the novel.

The beauty of religion. Finally! (Brave New World-17)

"'We are not our own any more than what we possess is our own. We did not make ourselves, we cannot be supreme over ourselves. We are not our own masters. We are God's property. Is it not our happiness thus to view the matter? Is it any happiness or any comfort, to consider that we are our own? It may be thouught so by the young and prosperous. These may think it a great thing to have everything, as they suppose, their own way--to depend on no one--to have to think of nothing out of sight, to be without the irksomeness of continual acknowledgment, continual prayer, continual reference of what they do to the will of another. But as time goes on, they, as all men, will find that independence was not made for man--that it is an unnatural state--will do for a while, but will not carry us on safely to the end...'" (Brave New World, page 232)


This chapter surprised me. I never thought that actual religion would come into the novel. However, it is interesting to see how the Controller is aware of religion but refuses to implement it into society. Mustapha Mond tells John that if the people in the New World were to have religion, happiness would be not be reachable. The New World society is built upon stability. The society is built upon gratification of one self. However, the possibility of God and an actual purpose in life is a foreign concept. If religion were to be apart of the New World, the people would no longer feel in control of their own lives. Thus, the stability on which the society is built is lost. If people were to feel loss and to feel actual pain and suffering, a need for something greater (God) would be necessary. However, since no one (except John) feels this, religion is an inconceivable idea. 


The society as a whole now makes sense to me. Everything goes back to how the people are conditioned at the very beginning of their existence. Because they are created and trained in an non-human way, they don't  act like humans created by God who have the free will. Instead, they act like how they are programmed to act. They aren't given the gift to be an individual and therefore they cannot think about God's will for our lives.

What is happiness? (Brave New World-16)

"'The world's stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get. They're well off; they're safe; they're never ill; they're not afraid of death; they're blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; they're plagued with no mothers or fathers; they've got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about; they're so conditioned that they practically can't help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything should go wrong, they're soma.'" (Brave New World, page 220)


I'm beginning to wonder if Aldous Huxley purposefully made this book to show what an extreme version of our world would be like. The Controller, Mustapha Mond, stated how their society is a society based on consumerism. The society is full of citizens who want new things, thus old things are done away with.  Working to create "social stability" is the sole purpose and in doing so, "happiness" is created. However, this happiness isn't the happiness that we all know of. "Happiness" is the instant gratification of whatever they can find that is new to them. Whatever makes the people feel good is what will make them happy. (Hello Hedonistic Society- my blog #3!!!)


Although our society isn't as extreme, we are very consumer driven. If something can satisfy our desires, it is automatically more attractive. Having more and consuming more makes people happy. Our world is so focused on producing materials and consuming materials. In fact, it is the basis of our economy. Supply and demand. If they supply it, we want it. It may be that the author didn't mean to compare the New World society with the society we live in today. Regardless, I think it is very true. The selfish and pleasuring society presented in the book and our daily lives is evident. It is almost scary to think of all of the awful things that could come of a society based on the wrong ideals...

John to the rescue! (Brave New World-15)

"'Free, free!' the savage shouted, and with one hand continued to throw the soma into the area while, with the other he punched the indistinguishable faces of his assailants." (Brave New World, page 213)


I think I have finally established the protagonist. All along I thought that the protagonist would be Bernard, but it turns out to be John. John takes his rebellious attitude toward this society and puts it into action. He throws away their soma in effort to fix some of the problems with their world. He knows the danger that soma causes, seeing as it killed his mother, and he wants to show how happiness does not lie in soma or sex. John sees how soma is used for escaping every human emotion that people are supposed to experience. However, people in the New World do not experience any of these emotions. Instead, they remain like children and babies rather than deal with pain and suffering. By John taking action, he becomes the protagonist. John seems to be the one  character who will actually do something and start to change the messed up world that everyone lives in. It will be interesting to see what John can do. Especially because at the end of the chapter he was taken away by the police. Even if John is unable to carry out and produce change in the New World, he will still be the one character who initiated a type of change in the society.

A different outlook on death (Brave New World-14)

"They met his eyes and simultaneously grinned. One of them pointed with his eclair butt.
'Is she dead?' he asked.
The Savage stared at them for a moment in silence. Then in silence he rose to his feet, in silence slowly walked towards the door.
'Is she dead?' repeated the inquisitive twin trotting at his side.
The Savage looked down at him and still without speaking pushed him away. The twin fell on the floor and at once began to howl. The Savage did not even look round." (Brave New World, page 207)


I feel bad for John in this chapter. All his life, John has been surrounded by a completely different society. His mother constantly told stories of the glory of this "other place" and John longed to be able to see this place for himself. However, now that he is in this place with his dying mother, he wants nothing more but to be anywhere but in the "Park Lane Hospital for the Dying". In an unfamilar place, John is given anything but comfort. Instead, he is given a drugged mother who continually calls her son, Pope, a name of one of her former lovers that John absolutely hated. (The author is using an apostrophe here. To further add to the dying state of Linda, the author uses an apostrophe to show how her mind is completely gone.) The nurses in the hospital could care less about Linda's lifelessness, instead they focus only on the children and conditioning them properly to handle death. Now faced with the death of his mother, John doesn't know what to do or where to go. This whole chapter was an example of how different the Reservation society is from the New World society. Death is just a five letter word to the people in the New World. However, to John, death is real and sad. John is grieving, but unfortunately, he is alone. John is now stuck in a world where he doesn't belong, doesn't understand, and has no one else to turn to.

First comes love, then comes...rejection? (Brave New World-13)

"There was a moment's silence; then, in a very low voice 'I love you more than anything in the world,' he said.
'Then why on earth didn't you say so?' she cried, and intense was her exasperation that she drove her sharp nails into the skin of his wrist." (Brave New World, page 192)


Poor John. So much for loving Lenina. I kind of expected this to happen. The different societies in which they were raised made it impossible for the two characters to ever be actually capable of loving each other. Love for John means pure and real emotion whereas Lenina thinks sex is true love. The author creates a mood of emotion in this chapter. The chapter begins by the reader seeing the conflict that Lenina is facing in her feelings for John. In result of her conflict, she goes to see John. John confesses his love for Lenina. In result, an atmosphere of enthrallment is created. However, this mood is quickly changed when John becomes infuriated with Lenina and he calls her a "whore". Effectively, the reader's attention is captured by creating this mood. The authors diction and imagery create a scene that is easily pictured. By creating these different moods, the reader is also able to better understand the characters. The true personality of both characters in this chapter is further identified. It could also be said that John and Lenina are foil character's. John and Lenina are completely different. Their personality, actions and their values are opposites. In this way, they are foil characters to each other. In result of this, the reader is truly able to distinguish the differences between the two  characters of this novel.

Emotional Roller-coaster (Brave New World-12)

"It was the sort of idea that might easily decondition the more unsettled minds among the higher castes--make them lose their faith in happiness as the Sovereign Good and take to believing, instead, that the goal was somewhere beyond, somewhere outside the present human sphere; that the purpose of life was not the maintenance of well-being, but some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge. Which was, the Controller reflected, quite possibly true." (Brave New World, page 177)


From the very beginning of this book I had always thought that the people of this different society were almost like robots. They are trained from the very beginning of their life to act and behave a certain way. They didn't seem like individuals because they are all prompted to behave similarly. However, throughout the last few chapters and especially in chapter 12, I have noticed something contrary to my initial thinking. All of these people have emotions. Most of the people deal with their emotions by drowning their sorrows or other feelings in soma.  I guess this is why I never really noticed the emotional state of these beings in previous chapters. They all just sort of deal with their emotions by drugging themselves. However, in this chapter, it became extremely evident that these people are actual people and not just some trained robot. For example, Bernard is "pale, distraught, abject and agitated" and he weeps when his attempt at a party fails miserably. Lenina is an emotional wreck when she is going through the possibilities of whether John may like her or not. Bernard feels jealous of Helmholtz's feeling of happiness and achievement. All of these little emotions further prove how human these people are. They are trained to believe certain things and act a particular way, but in the end they are individuals. They are able to think for themselves. The mind is a powerful thing. I think that if these people were to really use their brains and follow their emotions instead of what they have been trained to believe, their society would be completely different.

Life...it's overrated anyway...(Brave New World-11)

"'Of course,' Dr. Shaw went on, 'you can't allow people to go popping off into eternity if they've got any serious work to do. But as she hasn't go any serious work...'

'All the same,' John persisted, 'I don't believe it's right...'

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. 'Well, of course, if you prefer to have her screaming mad all the time...'

(Brave New World, page 155)

John is introduced to this "brave new world" but is actually appalled. John sees this new world as a inhumane and immoral place (I thought the same thing, John!). It doesn't help that John is viewed and regarded as a savage rather than an actual human being. However, most people in this "new world" have a different outlook on life.This simple fact becomes more evident in this chapter when John is the only person who is against his mother, Linda, taking an excessive amount of soma. The doctors are perfectly fine with this even though they know it will kill her within a month or two. Then the doctor explains to John that human beings are things that should be “used up until they wear out.”. This is sort of the epitome of what this "utopian" world is like. There isn't really a point to their life. They live their daily lives, pleasure themselves, and then eventually die. There is no regard or value in life. This concept is similar to Bernard calling Lenina "a piece of meat". People, and especially non-working people, are viewed as a type of material. People become unimportant and disposable when they cannot contribute to society any longer.

Ironically, I see a similarity with this in today's world. Although it isn't as extreme, the value of human life is somewhat taken for granted. Unless you can make a name for yourself, you aren't seen as good enough. We live in a society that is so media influenced that being yourself and being an individual isn't even valued anymore. People are so consumed with themselves and so focused on making sure that they have a good life that they forget to live their own lives. People forget the value of life and the purpose as to why we are living in the first place. Instead we focus on trivial, unimportant things. Unfortunately, this is similar to the "brave new world" that John is discovering.