Hannah's+Blog

=Section 1 Blog:= When I read this section, I empathized a lot with the main character, Janie. She finds herself ostracized from the majority of her neighbors, and the target of their hurtful gossip. And when I read chapter 2, the grandmother's flashback and her deep-seated love of her granddaughter was extremely sad to me. It is just a typical cycle that the older generations want to save the younger from the mistakes and grievances they suffered when they were young, but it is the nature of youth to forge our own paths and make our own mistakes. To me, this whole section is foreshadow, especially with the imagery of the trees, that Janie is going to lead her own life, and as we learned in the first chapter, it won't be easy.

The presentation of Logan Killicks as an arranged marriage for Janie, and the whole situation itself reminds me of the child brides in India. While the parents of these girls are trying to get the best life that they can imagine for their daughters, it is a custom that is antiquated and limiting. These underage brides may never get a chance to go and experience life or further themselves beyond the traditional female roles. <-Really sad movie about child brides!

=Section 2 Blog=

So far, I have really enjoyed this book! I like the simple language and the use of the vernacular, but contrasted with the beautiful metaphors and figurative language, it shows that Hurston was a much better writer than her generation appreciated. In this section, Janie has succumbed to her grandmother's wishes, and married, hoping that eventually she will come to love her husband. As I'm sure many divorcee's will attest, love and marriage don't really work like that. Her relationship with her husband is kind of hard to sympathize with, because Janie isn't really abused or neglected. She just isn't happy, and she deserves happiness. At the end of the section, she has decided to pursue the possibilities with Joe Starks. To me, Stark's name provides an interesting irony. He promises her a life of opulence and wealth, yet his last name is synonymous with barren, emptiness, or harshness. None of which are things that Janie is looking for. To me, this provides the readers with a foreshadow that perhaps Joe Stark isn't everything his honeyed words have promised a naive Janie. Hopefully I'm wrong!

This section was reminiscent to me of the book The Color Purple. Although Celie and Janie are very different protagonists, both are seduced by the ideas of wealth and glamour presented to them. They both eventually decide that they are worth more than they are getting also, which while certainly true in Celie's case, might have been a little hasty on Janie's part, although her decision to marry was hasty to begin with.!

=Section 3 Blog=

This section definitely broadened our perception of Joe Starks, although I still have a bad feeling about Janie's marriage with him. It was clear he was a big talker, but the fact that he has followed up with his claims and is on a path to power and grandeur comes as something of a surprise. I really pitied Janie when her husband dismissed the request for a speech, and when the other townspeople were talking about how they didn't understand why she just submitted to his commands like the rest of the town. The irony of this situation is the fact that the entire town is submitting to the mayor. While I don't necessarily think Joe Starks is a bad man or a bad husband, I believe Janie's spirit is too strong to continue to be overshadowed by her husband for too much longer.

My connection that I thought of from this section, especially when Joe cuts Janie off at the ceremony, is a scene from the movie "Because I Said So". The character played by Mandy Moore is on a date with the man her mother had selected, and the waiter comes over to take their order. Now, in the story, Mandy has a catering business and is an obvious foodie, so when her date cuts her off to order for her, she is pretty surprised. It was the sort of thing that irked her, and while not a big deal, the sort of thing that can make a person question the fundamentals of the relationship. And later, Mandy admitted, she really didn't like the food he had selected for her anyways. "And excuse me but truth be told I didn't like anything that you ordered for me on our first date except the calamari. And ok fine, yes, it was nice to not have to think for a change. But who wants someone that doesn't think?" Milly to Jason

=Section 4 Blog=

One of the things that stood out to me the most about this chapter was the passage of time. The stories of Janie's small town life are interesting and bursting with figurative language, but when I read the line on page 71, "She was twenty-four and seven years married when she knew.", I was shocked. The fact that so long had gone by and all she really had to show was some amusing anecdotes and stories about other people having fun was really sad to me, and it shows perfectly how people can get into a rut and time begins to slip away. Another thing I thought was really interesting, and that I kind of wasn't sure about was the scene with the buzzards. I don't get why "The Parsons" was known as the Parsons, and why when he asked the "chorus" what killed this man (three times), the answer was "Bare, bare fat." What??

My connection to this section is Daisy from the Great Gatsby. I tried to think about examples of unhappy marriages from things I've read, and she was the first to pop into my mind. Daisy married Tom Buchanan, and her life basically became full of frivolous nothing, with nothing truly important to fill it. This is similar to Janie, because she has become trapped in a life that she can't really participate in anything, and while her husband might be an important and imposing man, that doesn't make him a good husband.

=Section 5 Blog= This section was kind of an emotional roller coaster for Janie, and due to Hurstons enthralling style, me. I started out hating Joe for being so cruel and petty towards his wife, but then I couldn't help but pity him. Being scared of death and aging is such a typical realization and one can't help but sympathize. Then the inevitable occurs, and I was so happy Janie could finally do her own thing! We always knew she was smart enough to succeed independently, and now it is happening. However, the I still appreciated the introduction of Tea Cake, his exchange with Janie made me smile. I think Janie deserves happiness, and while it is nice to think of her being a strong single woman, even they get lonely.

When I was trying to think of a connection for Janie's relationship with Jody at the end, the first thing that came to mind was "Because of you" by Kelly Clarkson. Then I was like "nahhh, that's a terrible connection." But then I couldn't think of anything else. Then I read the actual lyrics, and I realized it actually is a pretty decent connection! Both Kelly and Janie feel like they have been oppressed, and they were trapped in a relationship that was not happy. Especially the line "I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh, every day of my life" reminded me of how Janie had to stop responding to her husband or having emotional responses to her husbands jeers.

code I will not make the same mistakes that you did I Will not let myself cause my heart so much misery I will not break the way you did You fell so hard I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far

Because of you I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk Because of you I learned to play on the safe side So I don't get hurt Because of you I find it hard to trust Not only me, but everyone around me Because of you I am afraid

I lose my way And it's not too long before you point it out I cannot cry Because I know that's weakness in your eyes I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh Every day of my life My heart can't possibly break When it wasn't even whole to start with

I watched you die I heard you cry Every night in your sleep I was so young You should have known better than to lean on me You never thought of anyone else You just saw your pain And now I cry In the middle of the night For the same damn thing

code

=Section 6 Blog= As I read, I felt as though I was one of the townspeople, warily watching the relationship between Tea Cake and Janie unfold, and waiting for him to betray her. When he left her alone in the house, and she reminisced about Mrs. Tyler, the story broke my heart. Since the book started kind of in the middle, and we knew Tea Cake doesn't stick around, I was expecting that to be the end. Then he arrives back, and I assumed it was to steal more money. Each time I was pleasantly surprised by his loyalty and return, as was Janie, and we both breathed a sigh of relief. However, I am still waiting for his betrayal, and when it occurs, remember you heard it here first!!

The connection that this section brought to mind is the modern day concept of "cougars". This is a term that has been found in the media more and more to define older women who date younger men. Surprisingly, no clever term is necessary for the much more common older-man-with-younger-woman, but this obvious sexism is excused with some sort of drivel about it being empowering and whatnot. Anyways, this idea basically shows that people still have conflicting views about "cougars" and their relationships, and I think the root of that issue has to do with the scenario that happened with Mrs. Tyler, and the idea that a younger man is only with an older woman for financial support, and will leave her for the younger model once her usefulness has evaporated.

=Section 7 Blog= So, reading this section, I really really really didn't like Mrs. Turner. She is more racist than most white people, and kind of filled with a self-hatred. I do pity to her to some extent, but mostly she makes me mad with her self-righteousness and bigotry. I don't like people who think they're better than everybody else, which epitomizes Mrs. Turner perfectly. The stories with Nunkie and Mrs. Turner's husband kind of worried me for Tea Cake's and Janie's relationship.. The idea of a husband beating his wife, and both of them believing it was for the best is very discomforting, but I guess it's a different time? One of my favorite parts was how Janie had to bring up Nunkie again, because that is such a typical thing for a woman to need to have that last little reassurance that she has won.

I really dislike these connections sometimes. Anyways, this is sort of a stretch for the character of Mrs. Turner, but bear with me. In the book Nature Girl by Carl Hiassen, who is a wonderful author and I highly recommend the book, there is a character Sammy Tigertail. He is half Seminole and half white, and at first was raised by his dad, but after his death, came to live on the reservation. He is always trying to do his best to be a faithful Native American, attempting to be an alligator wrestler and sympathizing with his ancestor's battles against the white invaders. Ultimately, however, he feels out of place in both worlds...so kind of the opposite situation as Mrs. Turner, but at the same time, neither know exactly where they fit in and aren't happy in the middle.

=Section 8 Blog= This section was so sad. Just the imagery describing people in the midst of a tragedy was so vivid, it was captivating to read. Humans have to come together to help one another in these natural disasters, and it's kind of scary to see people realize how small and helpless they are in comparison to nature's raw power. When I read the line "their eyes were watching God" (which somebody thoughtfully underlined in my copy!), it really made me understand the title, and it provided such a strong visual, especially with the recent catastrophe in Japan, where people look to in times of crisis. I was so broken hearted to think back to the beginning of the book. Tea Cake is gone from Janie's life then, and after they have been through so much together, and he seems so devoted to her, I can't imagine the situation that is going to separate them. My connection to this reading is a current event I mentioned earlier. I'm sure we've all heard about the tsunami in Japan, but the true stories coming out as the nation tries to rebuild itself are reminiscent of this Everglades Hurricane. People from around the globe are coming together to help Japan recover, and inspirational survival stories are coming out all the time. Just recently, a dog was found floating on debris off the coast, three weeks after the tsunami. This story was all over the news, and one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. Now, because of the media, the dog has been reunited with their owner. People will try to help each other and it's just kind of inspirational.

"He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear." (pg.27)

Death cloaks eternal Suffocating all the words Choking final breaths Floating silent through our life Speak before it is too late

“He did not know why this was so, but it seemed natural that it should be so.” (pg.66)

If you never ask You will never find out why Ignorance is bliss Or perhaps it’s something more Exchange fear for apathy

I ENJOY THE IRONY OF THE FIRST TWO LINES JUXTAPOSED WITH THE 3RD!

'"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past'"

Nicole lived in a world built on lies. They were nice lies, relatively harmless, and they kept the world spinning the way Nicole thought it should. But that’s what they were, when you took away all the good intentions and scientific jargon, all that was left was deception. Samuel looked down at his sister, a subtle smile curving up her full lips even in sleep. She looked so peaceful, and when her hair was down like that you couldn’t see any sign of the jagged scar marring the smooth skin of her temple. He took a deep breath and applied a cheerful grin. “Nicky! You going to sleep all day?” He called playfully. “Breakfast is getting cold!” She groaned and rolled away. “Come on Sam! Is the sun even up yet?” Samuel strode across the room and drew back the shade, illuminating the room with the brilliant light that poured in. Nicole shielded her eyes from the blinding sun and pulled the covers over her eyes. “Come on Nicky, seriously. We’ve got big plans for today. It’s a pretty special day.” Samuel said solemnly, and ignored her grumbled complaints. As he shut the door behind him, he took a deep breath that caught on the lump in his throat. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear some of the sorrow, he started down the stairs. His father looked up from the kitchen table, a hearty grin on his face, until he saw who was there, and stopped pretending. “How is she?” “The same. What do you expect?” Samuel said bitterly, sitting violently at the table. “Come on Samuel, try and be a little less of a killjoy. It is her birthday after all.” Samuel opened his mouth indignantly, then realized what the date was. It really was May 18th, how ironic. They had celebrated her birthday so many times the last 3 years, when the day actually arrived they were always uncertain of how to act. They both looked up to see Nicole coming down the stairs, still rubbing the lingering sleep from her bright blue eyes. “Goooood morning birthday girl!” Their father sang cheerfully, smoothly standing up from his seat to embrace his daughter. Her face broke into a happy grin as she sank into his arms. “Thanks dad! I’m glad somebody remembered.” Nicole scowled with such an unintimidating darkness that Samuel couldn’t help grinning. “Sorry Nicky, you know I remembered! I just wanted to wait until you were awake to tell you.” Sam said playfully. “Uh huh. No problem. Hey, where’s mom?” There was just a slight pause, a minute break from the well-rehearsed script, no matter how many days they went through this charade the reality of the accident never failed to set in with this inevitable question. Samuel felt suffocated for a second, hearing the distant voice of the somber doctor in his head, ‘I’m so sorry…” “Emergency call from work. She said she’s sorry for missing your day, and she’ll make it up to you.” The curt response from their father silenced Nicole, who might have otherwise questioned the brusque explanation for their mother’ absence. Their mother had never been the type of person who would miss either of her beloved children’s birthdays. Not if she could. The foreboding voice of the emergency room doctor floated back into Samuel’s head. Words that were meaningless at the time, but had gained definitions as research became necessary with so many trips to the hospitals and different doctors each giving their own explanation, ‘traumatic brain injury, damaged hippocampus and medial temporal lobe, anterograde amnesia, likely permanent, incurable.” As Samuel considered these words idly, remembered the icy numbness that seemed to fill his body entirely after he returned home from the hospital the first time and Google answered some of his questions. He had no idea what he was getting into then, when he agreed to this suggestion by that progressive doctor in California. The explanation seemed plausible then, the familiarity of their home being easier to transition than the sterility of a hospital, and going along with her memories before that last night, with the idea eventually the next day would happen for her too. As days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months that were slowly becoming years, Samuel could no longer help questioning how much longer they were expected to keep this up. One of the main themes in 1984 is the short memory of the general public, and how susceptible this makes them to deception and blindly believing what the media tells them. This quote immediately reminded me of that theme, and brought up the concept of amnesia. While the characters in this story have much better intentions than the sinister operatives of Big Brother, the idea of having total control over a person believes because of their inability to question things connects the two.

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever." (p.267) The days go by so slowly And we stay oh so silent Because nobody’s here to save the lowly In case these things get violent It’s better just to listen And hopefully learn to duck Or pray that they start missin’ Or you’re really out of luck Somebody might whisper about fighting back Just act like they were speaking Spanish And you better not even whisper back We won’t have to wait long for them to vanish Sure it’s not fair Especially if we’re all equal brothers But we’ve been trained not to care If some are more equal than others Just try to stay out of the way And never do any wrong Keep living quietly day by day And don’t worry, you won’t have to live long.

“But if the object was not to stay alive, but to stay human, what difference did it ultimately make?” (p.167)

Despite the blanket of darkness that was deepened by the trees and permeated the night with an ominous tenacity, the forest came alive at night. This was a fact that had been widely acknowledged by nearby villages for centuries, and the inhabitants religiously practiced the “It can wait til morning” adage. ‘However, sometimes it can’t’ Jakob thought. Although he fervently wished he could, the blackness of these woods might have offered an excellent cover for a mission that desperately needed covering, it provided the same service to those who might be following. Hopefully they weren’t as foolish as Jakob and his men. A bird squawked indignantly in the distance, a harsh noise in the numbing silence. Every twig could be heard as it snapped under their boots, and while it may have been his imagination, Jakob’s heart pounded thunderously. How could he have done this? He had no way of knowing what importance the boy’s life held, Jakob himself was not important enough to be given explanations for his orders. Death was a job, not a pleasant one by any means, but necessary to his way of life. ‘Not this time’ he thought fiercely. ‘This has gone far enough.’ And that was it really. While he had done horrible things in the name of his cause, a cause that could change with a rapidity that was almost hard to keep up with, this was asking too much. Suddenly, the forest was alive with noise, underbrush crashed under obedient feet and machine gun fire berated the air. Jakob reacted with an instant liquid speed, crouching low and grasping the shoulder of the boy next to him to pull him down simultaneously. He heard the cries of his men as the bullets tore into them, but that seemed far away, as he focused only on getting away, getting out of range. The boy seemed to float on his arm, a weightlessness brought on by the adrenaline. As the screams and the slaughter of the few loyal soldiers who had agreed with Jakob’s unease continued, Jakob contemplated. How could this boy’s life be so important? What makes one life more important than his own? Unanswerable questions that would probably never be revealed. He wasn’t important enough. All he knew now was that the boy must be saved, that was all that mattered. And perhaps, if he was successful, some of this unbearable weight might be lifted, the memory of previous crimes might grow less vivid and unforgivable, and life would have meaning once more.

This is basically a scene that came to mind when I thought about the meaning of that quote. Julia and Winston have made a decision to go against everything they've known and join the rebellion. They have finally found a reason to believe life can be better and that makes their resistance worthwhile. The boy in the story is supposed to be somewhat representative of innocence, purity, the good things in life, etc. (and this is completely out of character from my normal writing, so sorry that its terrible!)

Elemental Analysis: This book bears a remarkable similarity in some aspects to 1984, and I highly recommend it! There were multiple examples that could be linked between the two, and I've decided on a fairly obvious one. "Winston woke up with the word 'Shakespeare' on his lips" (pg. 31) This is just amazing diction, sorry I have to recognize that really quickly! But it is also a surprising allusion to one of the most famous literary masters of all time, an interesting choice for a culture that seems so creatively deprived as Air Strip One. I don't want to ruin the book, but 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature that books burn at, which should give you a small idea of the plot, and censorship is a common theme between the two worlds. The fact that Winston has at least a vague, probably censored idea of who Shakespeare is does give us some hope, as Bradbury gave us with Clarisse.

The coral paperweight is used as a symbol by Orwell to represent the past, a world that is now gone, preserved only in fading memories as the coral is preserved in the fragile glass. Also, coral could be symbolic of death, as this is obviously a dead specimen, still beautiful and reminiscent of life, but dead nonetheless. Winston's fascination with the coral shows that he is curious about the past and appreciates frivolous beauty.

@ I like this explanation of the coral Hannah, it is a very different take mine but I definitely see the connections - Jim A.

This is a movie that is very reminiscent of 1984. The basic plot is set in a futuristic society that has eliminated crime, because of a new police squad "Precrime" that uses clairvoyant beings to predict crimes before they are committed. Everybody believes it is foolproof, and just trusts what the "pre-cogs" say unquestioningly, however when an officer is shown to murder somebody and he doesn't even know the victim, he decides that something could be corrupting the system. This reminds me of 1984's "thoughtcrime" and the fact that the only evidence necessary is the thought-police's suspicions. Also, the fact that anybody will just accept the "pre-cogs" accusations is similar to the inhabitants of the Ministry of Love confessing to anything they can. "