I feel that in the beginning of McMurphy and the Nurse's battle, McMurphy is ahead. His hardy, excited attitude is something the Nurse was not expecting and isn't used to. It takes her by suprise and she doesn't know how to deal with it. McMurphy "gets her goat" onn several occassions and she seems to start to crack, but just at the peak of her fury she calms herself down. McMurphy is still swinging hard. He takes every opportunity he can to disrupt the ward's order, but something about the nurse has changed. She is stronger. The way Chief dissapointedly describes the series of events after her near-crack shows that the Nurse has some terrifying steel core that she has set back into place. Her head hasn't jerked in awhile, she has full control again and she knows it, and even though McMurphy might think he's doing everything she hates,the Chief realizes that she has fixed herself and is now unbreakable.
The entrance of McMurphy into the life of Chief has definitely made Chief more curious in the ongoings of the patients. He is usually exceptionally observant, but now he really has a reason to listen, a call to battle. McMurphy knows that chief is deaf from the beginning and this kind of forges an automatic silent tie between them, they understand the same things about the Big Nurse, the ward and the institution as a whole. McMurphy makes Chief stronger, bigger, he makes him brave.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest #1
So far, after reading the first 60 pages, I have come to the conclusion that Chief Bromden is the antihero, Mcmurphy is another antihero and Big nurse is the villain.
Chief Bromden is crazy. He's very quiet and doesn't fit in with anyone else at the ward. He is not what we would define as socially normal, or normal for an insane asylum at least. He does everything in a very strange way, but generally the reader is on his side. He see's the cruelty and hate in the ward, and will do something about it eventually, as the reader would feel morally obligated to do. The same goes for McMurphy. Is is rambunctious, causes a scene and does everything in a very crude, careless way, therefore he would not usually be depicted as the clean, polite hero everyone has been waiting for. But he is in the ward and he wants to fix what we can see needs to be fixed (the system, Big nurse, not the patients). He see's the inhumanity, the hatred contained in that building, as do most of the patients, but McMurphy is our antihero because he is going to take action. Big Nurse is most obviously the villain. Besides the swift cruelty and hatred that she carries, the way Chief describes her appearance is enough to let you know she is the villain. Chief says she is cold and her face is laced with hate. He describes her as being able to grow as huge as a room with her anger.
Chief Bromden is crazy. He's very quiet and doesn't fit in with anyone else at the ward. He is not what we would define as socially normal, or normal for an insane asylum at least. He does everything in a very strange way, but generally the reader is on his side. He see's the cruelty and hate in the ward, and will do something about it eventually, as the reader would feel morally obligated to do. The same goes for McMurphy. Is is rambunctious, causes a scene and does everything in a very crude, careless way, therefore he would not usually be depicted as the clean, polite hero everyone has been waiting for. But he is in the ward and he wants to fix what we can see needs to be fixed (the system, Big nurse, not the patients). He see's the inhumanity, the hatred contained in that building, as do most of the patients, but McMurphy is our antihero because he is going to take action. Big Nurse is most obviously the villain. Besides the swift cruelty and hatred that she carries, the way Chief describes her appearance is enough to let you know she is the villain. Chief says she is cold and her face is laced with hate. He describes her as being able to grow as huge as a room with her anger.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Final Great Gatsby
1. Why did the author not reveal Great Gatsby's past until later on in the book?
Fitzgerald delayed telling the reader about Jay's past because in the beginning, Jay was being developed as a wise, collected, mysterious character. Describing his sad, problematic and even in some ways pathetic past right off the bat would leave no veil of sexy mystery over Gatsby and would change his aura as percieved by the reader. He would be leass intrigueing, so the act of unveiling him had to be suspended until the climax.
2. Why did the author make Tom's character have his hulking physique?
It explains his past in football and that he already peaked and has been headed downhill since college. Lumbering, bulky bodies have long been associated with stupidity and slowness, which is mirrored in Tom's mind. Because Tom is cast as the villain of the story, the menacing "cruel" body he possesses helps the reader point him out as the villain from the beginning, or at least be intimidated by him
3. How was Jordan an important part of the book?
Jordan was a less important side character, but still played a role in the story. She was obviously Nick's love interest, and tied the group together with her relationships with all of them. She was an interesting woman to have to compare Daisy to. They are very different, and this comparison helps develop Daisy's character, who is more important to the story.
Fitzgerald delayed telling the reader about Jay's past because in the beginning, Jay was being developed as a wise, collected, mysterious character. Describing his sad, problematic and even in some ways pathetic past right off the bat would leave no veil of sexy mystery over Gatsby and would change his aura as percieved by the reader. He would be leass intrigueing, so the act of unveiling him had to be suspended until the climax.
2. Why did the author make Tom's character have his hulking physique?
It explains his past in football and that he already peaked and has been headed downhill since college. Lumbering, bulky bodies have long been associated with stupidity and slowness, which is mirrored in Tom's mind. Because Tom is cast as the villain of the story, the menacing "cruel" body he possesses helps the reader point him out as the villain from the beginning, or at least be intimidated by him
3. How was Jordan an important part of the book?
Jordan was a less important side character, but still played a role in the story. She was obviously Nick's love interest, and tied the group together with her relationships with all of them. She was an interesting woman to have to compare Daisy to. They are very different, and this comparison helps develop Daisy's character, who is more important to the story.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Jelly Roll Morton
The music is very smooth and flowing, while being upbeat and danceable. This would be conducive to a good 1920's artistocrat part atmosphere.
Gatsby #2
1. Mayor Wolfsheim represents a part of Gatsby's life that is hidden from the outside world. He develops the more misterious side of Jay's character.
2. The story of Gatsby and Daisy's past together allow us to see the void that he has in his soul, the place where Daisy used to be. There was always a sort of apparent undercurrent of longing in Gatsby's manner, and this new bit of history explains it.
3. Hearing the rest of Gatsby's past, we understand that he was not of outstandingly wealthy upbringing, and had been cheated out of money in the past. Gatsby has also stumbled on to a great bit of luck throughout his life, and although his life seems effortlessly successful, he has gone through a great deal of trouble getting there.
4. Knowing Gatsby's history changes the readers oopinion of him in many ways. First of all, the shroud of attractive mystery is almost completely lifted. With that hidden dangerous aspect of Gatsby present, he seems more in control of things. He seem to be less of a man and more of a perfectly omniscient creature. This is the case with all characters. Once we know their past and there is no longer a sexy mystery to them, they lose attractiveness, because their past is never as interesting as we might imagine. In this unfolding of history, Gatsby looses some of his fatherly charm and becomes more personable, more human. I'd hate to say I like him less, because there was nothing that I learned about his past that was particularly unnattractive, but I don't find as much interest in him.
2. The story of Gatsby and Daisy's past together allow us to see the void that he has in his soul, the place where Daisy used to be. There was always a sort of apparent undercurrent of longing in Gatsby's manner, and this new bit of history explains it.
3. Hearing the rest of Gatsby's past, we understand that he was not of outstandingly wealthy upbringing, and had been cheated out of money in the past. Gatsby has also stumbled on to a great bit of luck throughout his life, and although his life seems effortlessly successful, he has gone through a great deal of trouble getting there.
4. Knowing Gatsby's history changes the readers oopinion of him in many ways. First of all, the shroud of attractive mystery is almost completely lifted. With that hidden dangerous aspect of Gatsby present, he seems more in control of things. He seem to be less of a man and more of a perfectly omniscient creature. This is the case with all characters. Once we know their past and there is no longer a sexy mystery to them, they lose attractiveness, because their past is never as interesting as we might imagine. In this unfolding of history, Gatsby looses some of his fatherly charm and becomes more personable, more human. I'd hate to say I like him less, because there was nothing that I learned about his past that was particularly unnattractive, but I don't find as much interest in him.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Great Gatsby (hero, antihero, villain)
In reading the first three chapters I will make these (probably incorrect) predictions. I predict firstly that Tom will be the villain. Tom has a mistress and has made up an elaborate lie about his wife's religion as a reason why he cannot divorce her. He is courteous and all, but i get the feeling that his "hulking" physique might be a sort of reflection of his dominating and possibly malevolent personality. I feel that Gatsby is the hero. He seems like he runs the show. He throws these huge parties, yet, instead of getting frunk with the rest of his guests, he takes a almost fatherly stance and wattches thes crowd. He knows what he is doing and understands the social climate and how to manipulate it. Jordan Baker will become the antihero. She is dishonest and reckless "She was incurably dishonest. She wasn't able to be at a disadvantage...(pg. 58)." Jordan has all tthesse flaws that are unattractive in society, but she seems to have good intentions and Nick obviously likes her, and will probably end up loving her.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Bua
Bua's style depicts a lot of distorted, crooked, shadowy, angular, heavily dimensional figures. He consistently uses a lot of dimension and curves and sharp angles where they wouldn't naturally occur and a sort of distorted crookedness.
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