Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 3-68)
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
The firemen all burn books for a living.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
The books are compared to birds because of their cover. As they are burning, they resemble a bird’s shape.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
Montag loves his job, and really enjoys doing what he does.
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
Montag meets a seventeen year old girl name Clarisse McClellan.
5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
It could mean that once you have burned books, the guilt, feelings, or consequences will stay with you forever, and the thought that you burned books will stay with you forever.
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag’s wife possibly because Clarisse is more important to the story’s plot and story then Montag’s wife is.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
She had an overdose on sleeping pills, and fell into a deep irregular sleep.
8. Describe the help that she receives.
Two men replaced her stomach, and took out all her blood and replaced it with new blood.
9. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
Yes it was unusual because the two men weren’t doctors and just machine operators. Also, they just walked in then quickly walked back out, without so much as an introduction or such.
10. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
Clarisse’s house is more plain, with little of the modern technology, while Montag’s house is very modern, and has a lot of gadgets.
11. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
She doesn’t have any recollection of what occurred and feels terrible. She thinks the terrible feeling is her having a hangover.
12. What does Mildred do all day?
13. Describe the setup of Montag's TV room.
There are three walls with “TVs” installed, and one normal wall.
14. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21?
15. How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
Clarisse thinks differently then other people, and has thoughts about the world for what it really is, and doesn’t take the world for what people tell her it is.
16. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
The mechanical hound is a killing machine that is used to kill various things – the people there, for fun, throw cats and mouse’s in there to watch them die.
17. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
The hound expresses a dislike for Montag, and acts coldly towards him.
18. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
They consider her that because she thinks differently, and probably doesn’t like talking about the stuff that “normal” people like talking about.
19. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
Montag takes books.
20. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
21. What technology does Mildred use to go to sleep?
She uses the seashells in her ears.
22. Who is Mildred's "family"?
Mildred’s “family” are the people in the parlour.
23. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Clarrise is dead, which, as explained by Mildred, was caused when a car ran over her.
24. What is unusual about the way Mildred told Montag about Clarisse?
It seems like Mildred was content with Clarisse’s death, and didn’t mind about it too much. Normally, when anybody dies, even if you do not know the person, people would still be sad about it, instead of acting like nothing happened like Mildred was when she told Montag about Clarisse.
25. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
Beatty says that knowledge is slowly being lost, by saying school is shortened, discipline relaxed, etc, which is true, because as the world becomes older, people are worrying less about the fine details and are just passing life as it goes. Beatty also says that the bigger the population, the more minorities there are, and explains that people don’t want to offend other people of different various races and descents, even though there are an extreme number of those people around. He also says that if somebody doesn’t like a particular book, they burn it, meaning that whatever what someone doesn’t like, they just simply get rid of it. This is true for today’s society because we don’t really completely solve the problems we are faced with anymore, we just ignore them, such as our problems now with global warming, etc.
Kelson Fung, 25 February 2008
On Part II: "The Sieve and the Sand” (Pages 71-110)
T/F=True or False
26. When was the last liberal arts college shut down?
Half a century ago it was shut down.
27. T/F: Professor Faber thought Montag’s call was some sort of trap.
True, he was very suspicious of Montag.
28. Why did Faber’s fear dissipate when Montag was standing outside his door?
He realized that Montag wasn’t there to burn his house, and that Montag was in possession of books.
29. What did Montag want from Faber?
Montag wanted Faber to educate him about the world and books – about what the world is really like.
30. T/F: Faber reminded Montag that people who are having fun are reluctant to become rebels.
True.
31 How did Montag finally get Faber to consider really helping him?
Montag started ripping out pages of the Bible, as well as coming up with ways in which he could help.
32. T/F The Queen Bee analogy underscored Faber’s cowardice.
False, Faber, I believe, is actually quite brave, and the queen bee analogy doesn’t suit him well.
33. What to items were exchanged before Montag left the professor’s house?
Montag received a headphone in which he could use to communicate with the professor from a distance.
34. What is the volcano’s mouth?
The volcano’s mouth is the incinerator
35. T/F Montag pulled the plug on the living room fish bowl.
False, he pulled it on the parlour
36. T/F Faber objected to Montag’s poetry reading.
True, he called Montag a fool for revealing himself.
37. Which lady was affected by the original intent of the poetry?
Mrs. Phelps was crying after Montag had read the poem.
38. T/F In the late hours of the night, Faber refused to console Montag for foolishly reading poetry to the poor, silly women.
False, Faber did attempt to consol Montag.
39. Listening to Captain Beatty play his harp and needle Montag had what effect upon Guy?
40. What interrupted the poker game?
The alarm call of the Fire Department interrupted the game.
41.Captain Beatty drove the Salamander to whose house?
He drove the Salamander to Montag’s residence.
Kelson Fung 3 March 2008
Part III: Burning Bright (page 111-166)
42. How has Beatty given Montag hints that he is under suspicion?
Beatty went to Montag's home when he pretended to be sick and gave him a lecture about books and how people would be better off without them.
43. Who must have brought the books back from the garden?
Mildred was suspected to have brought the books back from the garden.
44. Who (3) TURNED IN AN ALARM AGAINST Montag?
Mildred and possibly her friends turned the alarm on Montag and reported that he had books.
45. What happened to Montag’s green bullet?
Montag burned the bullet up with the flamethrower.
46. Why did Montag burn Beatty's body?
He burned Beatty because he had made fun of Montag and repeatedly taunted him and told him to do it.
47. What is Montag’s plan to escape?
Montag wanted to run to Faber's house.
48. How much money did Montag give Faber?
He gave him one-hundred dollars.
49. How many scents can the mechanical hound remember?
The hound can remember ten-thousand scents.
50. Why did Montag want Faber to turn on the air conditioning and sprinklers?
So his scent wouldn't be left behind, as a way of protecting Faber, and to insure there won't be a trail leading to him.
51. Interpret “Twenty million Montag's running, soon, if the cameras caught him.”
It means that if the camera caught sight of him, he would be on t.v.'s all over the town.
52. Why did the search for Montag veer inland?
It was because Montag hid his scent and was able to successfully escape.
53. Who died in Montag’s place?
A random pedestrian who was walking around was killed and was put off as Montag to the public.
54. What did Granger mean by “Welcome back from the dead.”
It means he is welcome, and supposedly he was supposed to have died, so he says this as a joke of sorts.
55. When Granger and other like minded people are stopped by authorities, why isn’t any incriminating evidence found?
No evidence is there because they have the knowledge hidden in their minds--they carry no physical books, but instead, the books are in their heads.
56. Do you have a sense that there are other “book chapters” in other towns. What proof do you have?
Possibly, because all the towns seem to be kept separate, and one town never seems to have information about another.
57. What does Granger mean by his quote “You’re not important. You’re not anything.”?
It means that one person is insignificant.
58. Explain the last implications of the events in the last 4-5 pages.
Granger and everybody were talking about how they want to change the world back to what it used to be, and how after something dies, like the town, it'll rise back up soon again and become better.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Fahrenheit 451 Journal
Journal for pages from one to sixty-eight.
“It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.”
(p. 3)
I thought it was interesting that the speaker would present burning of books as a pleasurable thing. Normally, burning something would be a corrupt act to commit. This sentence alone shows how the world in this book is different then the real world. It shows that the firemen in the book actually enjoy burning books, and proves society is so used to burning books already, that they think nothing of it.
“You never wash it off completely.” (p. 6)
Although he is talking about the smell of kerosene and how you can never wash the smell off completely, this particular statement could have some abstract and hidden messages. Instead of referring to the actual smell of kerosene itself, it could be referring to what it actually means to smell like the gas; that once you commit yourself to burning books, even if you stop, and your past will never go away completely. The fact that you burned books will stay in your mind forever.
(Page 10-11) In these pages of the book, Montag is continuing his conversation with Clarisse. At the end of their talk, Clarisse inquires whether or not Montag is truly happy. Montag doesn’t give a straight answer, and seems nervous and continually thinks about the question and Clarisse.
I think Montag is nervous at Clarisse’s inquiry of whether or not he is happy because he doesn’t really have the knowledge of that himself. These pages of the story and those before have led me to believe that Montag lived a superficial life of sorts.
“This machine pumped all of the blood from the body and replaced it with fresh blood and serum.” (p. 15)
This sentence really shocked me a bit. The fact that they can do that, however, is an obvious sign that this book’s setting does not take place in the present, but in the future, since they don’t do that in hospitals in the real world. The fact that they can just drain all the blood out of a person and then put new blood back inside is greatly disturbing.
“Don’t you remember?” (P.19)
After the incident that occurred last night, where she was found by Montag to be half-dead and had to have help from the hospital, she seems to have no recollection of anything that happened on that day. It is interesting that she has no idea what happen because if someone were to be hurt and sent to the hospital, it would be hard not to know anything about that at all. There is an incredible lacking of information, unlike hospitals in real life.
“Montag touched the muzzle. The hound growled back” (p. 25)
The mechanical hounds and its apparent hatred towards Montag could be a hint of a conflict that will take place in the rest of this book. However, since it seems the Hound acts normally around others but hostile when around Montag, this could mean that Montag may be different from the other people. Since Montag met Clarisse, a girl who has been born thinking differently then others, he has been having second thoughts at the life he lives in. This hints that Montag may do something that will completely change the course of this story.
“Your laugh sounds much nicer than it did.” (p. 29)
I think this is interesting that she would say that because this would mean that previously, Montag’s laugh wasn’t nice. This change from not nice to nice means that in Montag’s time spent with Clarisse, he has changed for the better, in Clarisse’s point -of-view. However, since Clarisse in this world is put off as different, then her point-of-view that Montag is now nicer then before could be a sign that Montag is in a way becoming like Clarisse, and seeing things differently instead of just black and white.
“And then, Clarisse was gone.” (p. 32)
It was shocking that Clarisse would disappear so suddenly. After all the talking Clarisse had with Montag, she managed to get him to see things differently. In a way, Clarisse was an escape from the world around him for Montag. After she was gone, Montag expresses dis-ease that she is gone, showing that he misses her, but doesn’t really know it yet.
“At the last fire, a book of fairy tales, he’d glanced at a single line.” (p. 34)
By reading the book, even though it was just a glance, he had committed a crime. I assume that his glance at the book was not all an accident, but some of it was his curiosity that drove him to do it. Clarisse’s various inquiries and statements towards Montag seems to be taking effect on his mind and views on life, and Montag is starting to question the things around him.
“The woman on the porch reached out with contempt to them all and struck the kitchen match against the railing.” (p. 40)
The fact that people in this world are willing to lose their lives over books is amazing. This shows the censoring of books from them is completely idiotic, since people are willing to give so much for them. After all, not everything is worth losing your life over.
“”McClellan. Run over by a car. Four days ago. I’m not sure. But I think she’s dead.” (p. 47)
Clarisse dying could have a major impact on the story, even though Mildred is not sure whether or not she died, Montag believes that she is deceased, which still may be significant. Clarisse influenced Montag drastically, and now that she’s gone, Montag is left to think for himself.
“Every fireman, sooner or later, hits this.” (p. 53)
This could mean that Beatty knows about Montag and the books. He could mean that every fireman will eventually hit a stage where their curiosity entices them to learn about books. He also explains that they don’t explain the facts to the new firemen nowadays, meaning that Beatty probably knows a lot, but has decided to agree to the censoring of books even though he knows all the facts and the details that are now hidden from the public.
“’What’s this?’ asked Mildred, almost with delight. Montag heaved back against her arms. ‘What’s this here?’” (p. 56)
Mildred finding out about the book could prove disastrous towards Montag. Although she is showing signs that there is indeed a book behind Montag’s pillow and Beatty is in full view, it seems as though Beatty already knows that Montag has a book, and is just ignoring that fact. It seems that Beatty is trying to change Montag’s view of the world, and trying to explain to him just exactly why books are censored and why he should have them.
“The poor girl’s better off dead.” (p. 60)
Beatty showing this almost definitely shows that he knows more then he is putting out to everybody. It’s almost as if he is the one that killed Clarisse in the first place. If not, he at least knows about he death in detail, and is trying to cover up her significance from Montag by saying her family and she is weird. By saying all these negative things about Clarisse, he is attempting to succeed in changing Montag’s opinion back to what is “normal” – the opposite of what Clarisse tried to do.
“Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing!” (p. 62)
“The moaning, she ran forward, seized a book, and ran toward the kitchen incinerator.” (p. 66)
Mildred’s reaction to the books was to be expected. She was completely shocked and immediately tried to eliminate every single one that Montag had. Mildred may, in the end, give Montag away to somebody purposely, since she seems to not care about Montag and just the elimination of those books. It is apparent she knows the dire consequences of having books, and fears it greatly.
“We’ll star over again, at the beginning.” (p. 68)
This shows that Montag is intent to really get to know the books before going back to his usual life, if he will in the first place. Montag is now extremely curious, and is truly starting to question the world around him and ask why things happen, instead of just letting them happen around him. He is amazingly set on learning about books before putting them down. Since he has already read a book, it is too late to go back for Montag, and he will probably end up going all the way and questioning the government itself.
Kelson Fung 22 February 2008
Journal for pages from seventy to one-hundred and ten.
“Is it true, the world works hard and we play?” (p.74)
Montag saying this sentence shows to me that he truly is starting to realize what is happening in the world around him instead of being confused and lead by society and popular culture. He is showing that he’s starting to question the world, and wondering how they can all be so happy while other people somewhere else is in grief.
“Lord, there were a lot of lovely books once, before we let them go.” (p.81)
I noticed that Faber said that “we” had let them go; instead of saying the government took it away or the like. This could mean that society willingly chose to give up all the books, and weren’t even forced to at one point. This is interesting because if everybody wanted to give up books, then there is little chance of getting them back again.
“I need you to teach me.” (p.88)
Montag has been acting unusual. He is showing an increased interest and thirst for knowledge of the world around him, and is not worried about risking anything in the process – even going as far as ripping up the bible in which he had so desperately clung to against all objections from Mildred.
“You reading up on firemen theory?” (p.97)
I found this inquiry interesting simply because it proved that not all books were banned from the world of Fahrenheit 451. It peaked my interests and led me to think what other books had the world been allotted to read. However, although this proves not all books are banned, I highly doubt that the books that are actually allowed are of no use as a provider of true information to the public.
“You were so recently of them yourself” (p.103)
Faber is trying to think of ways to calm Montag’s anger down. Montag is incredibly mad at everybody’s ignorance of the world around them, and by telling Montag that he was them not too long ago, he is showing that it is easy to lose sight and get distracted. He is using Montag’s own personal experiences to convince him to ease his own anger.
“We’ve stopped in front of my house.” (p.110)
I really didn’t see this coming. But this happening means that everyone, more importantly, Beatty, knows what Montag has been doing. People know that Montag has been reading books, and haven’t been taking action against him until now. This leaves me many questions as to what is going to happen next.
Kelson Fung 29 February 2008
Journal for pages from one-hundred and ten to the end.
“You’re under arrest.” (p. 117)
It was really surprising when Beatty first told Montag that he was under arrest. I had first believed that Beatty was a close friend of Montag’s, and was pretty nice overall, but it turns out he would turn on him and arrest him without hesitation. However, although this is clearly odd in our world, in the fictitious world of Fahrenheit 451, this may be perfectly normal, seeing as their society is overall cruel and unusual when presented to someone in the real world. The society in the book and the constant popular culture around it is most definitely influencing everybody’s minds to be this cruel.
“A shotgun blast went off in his leg every time he put it down…” (p. 121)
I could really feel the “shotgun blasts” that Montag was described to have felt after reading this sentence. I think Ray Bradbury described the pains that Montag were experiencing at the moment brilliantly with more then enough detail for the readers.
“The police, of course. They see me.” (p. 127)
Although Montag had committed the crime of murder, I highly doubt that the police would find him this quickly. I think that the police really aren’t there, and Montag is just imagining things due to a combination of his fatigue as well as his current state of confusion.
“A carful of children, all ages… from twelve to sixteen…” (p. 128)
This sentence celery indicates that no person over the age of sixteen was in the vehicle at the moment. I found it odd the children sixteen and under can be driving around in the streets, putting aside the fact that they’re completely reckless, at night alone. It hints that this world might have a lot of issues inside, which is hidden in the first parts of the book.
“…Instinctively such a high speed might turn the car upside down and spill them out.” (p. 129)
This means that if the fact that running Montag over with a car did not present a possibility of danger to the people driving the vehicle, they wouldn’t have stopped in the first place. This shows how greedy and self-centered the people in this book are and how they care about no one except themselves. It really gives an example of truly how everyone in that society is, like Beatty, for example, when he was arresting Montag.
“Tonight, this network is proud to have the opportunity to follow the Hound by camera helicopter as it starts on its way to the target-“ (p. 133)
I found it odd that the television network that was broadcasting this manhunt on Montag was actually proud that they would show a Mechanical Hound hunt and kill a man. I found it sort of funny that they treated it almost like a game or a sport of sorts, the way they presented it. This could mean this is just another way they are hiding true facts away from the public, and in this case, they are hiding the severity of death from them, and replacing it with thoughts that it is fun.
“Police suggest entire population in the Elm Terrace area do as follows: Everyone in every house in every street open a front or rear door or look from the windows” (p. 138)
Although it is a bit subtle and vague, this shows exactly how much control the government has over everybody. They have enough control to be able to command everybody to look outside of their homes and everybody would actually do as they commanded. It also shows how significant the voice of the government is, to be able to reach every single person in the area.
“It’ll change the chemical index of your perspiration.” (p. 147)
I think that it’s interesting that people would have this kind of technology when they’re underground and going against the government. This shows signs that there is a rebel group in hiding, and there may be more, and they’re actually intelligent enough to put up a fight against the government and censorship and popular culture.
“The chase continues north in the city!” (p. 148)
I found it a bit humorous that even though the police and the news know very well that Montag has successfully escaped that they would lie just to give a dramatic ending to their show and to give a satisfactory ending to leave no one curious in the end. This shows that lying is a thing they use very often, and little of what they say is ever the truth.
“All we want to do is keep the knowledge.” (p. 152)
This shows the throughout the book that there were intelligent people that were aware of what was happening after all. These people just don’t want to put up a quick fight, and just wants to remain into hiding waiting for a right time where everybody will actually want to listen to them, or agree to what they think. They’re doing exactly what intelligent people would do in a situation like this.
“It’s strange, I don’t miss her…” (p. 155)
This shows probably that Montag never really loved Mildred, that it was an empty marriage between the two. This leads me to think if weddings and love is set up by the government too to disguise information from everybody, or if the public sets them all up so that there would be no strays that think differently.
Kelson Fung 7 March 2008
“It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.”
(p. 3)
I thought it was interesting that the speaker would present burning of books as a pleasurable thing. Normally, burning something would be a corrupt act to commit. This sentence alone shows how the world in this book is different then the real world. It shows that the firemen in the book actually enjoy burning books, and proves society is so used to burning books already, that they think nothing of it.
“You never wash it off completely.” (p. 6)
Although he is talking about the smell of kerosene and how you can never wash the smell off completely, this particular statement could have some abstract and hidden messages. Instead of referring to the actual smell of kerosene itself, it could be referring to what it actually means to smell like the gas; that once you commit yourself to burning books, even if you stop, and your past will never go away completely. The fact that you burned books will stay in your mind forever.
(Page 10-11) In these pages of the book, Montag is continuing his conversation with Clarisse. At the end of their talk, Clarisse inquires whether or not Montag is truly happy. Montag doesn’t give a straight answer, and seems nervous and continually thinks about the question and Clarisse.
I think Montag is nervous at Clarisse’s inquiry of whether or not he is happy because he doesn’t really have the knowledge of that himself. These pages of the story and those before have led me to believe that Montag lived a superficial life of sorts.
“This machine pumped all of the blood from the body and replaced it with fresh blood and serum.” (p. 15)
This sentence really shocked me a bit. The fact that they can do that, however, is an obvious sign that this book’s setting does not take place in the present, but in the future, since they don’t do that in hospitals in the real world. The fact that they can just drain all the blood out of a person and then put new blood back inside is greatly disturbing.
“Don’t you remember?” (P.19)
After the incident that occurred last night, where she was found by Montag to be half-dead and had to have help from the hospital, she seems to have no recollection of anything that happened on that day. It is interesting that she has no idea what happen because if someone were to be hurt and sent to the hospital, it would be hard not to know anything about that at all. There is an incredible lacking of information, unlike hospitals in real life.
“Montag touched the muzzle. The hound growled back” (p. 25)
The mechanical hounds and its apparent hatred towards Montag could be a hint of a conflict that will take place in the rest of this book. However, since it seems the Hound acts normally around others but hostile when around Montag, this could mean that Montag may be different from the other people. Since Montag met Clarisse, a girl who has been born thinking differently then others, he has been having second thoughts at the life he lives in. This hints that Montag may do something that will completely change the course of this story.
“Your laugh sounds much nicer than it did.” (p. 29)
I think this is interesting that she would say that because this would mean that previously, Montag’s laugh wasn’t nice. This change from not nice to nice means that in Montag’s time spent with Clarisse, he has changed for the better, in Clarisse’s point -of-view. However, since Clarisse in this world is put off as different, then her point-of-view that Montag is now nicer then before could be a sign that Montag is in a way becoming like Clarisse, and seeing things differently instead of just black and white.
“And then, Clarisse was gone.” (p. 32)
It was shocking that Clarisse would disappear so suddenly. After all the talking Clarisse had with Montag, she managed to get him to see things differently. In a way, Clarisse was an escape from the world around him for Montag. After she was gone, Montag expresses dis-ease that she is gone, showing that he misses her, but doesn’t really know it yet.
“At the last fire, a book of fairy tales, he’d glanced at a single line.” (p. 34)
By reading the book, even though it was just a glance, he had committed a crime. I assume that his glance at the book was not all an accident, but some of it was his curiosity that drove him to do it. Clarisse’s various inquiries and statements towards Montag seems to be taking effect on his mind and views on life, and Montag is starting to question the things around him.
“The woman on the porch reached out with contempt to them all and struck the kitchen match against the railing.” (p. 40)
The fact that people in this world are willing to lose their lives over books is amazing. This shows the censoring of books from them is completely idiotic, since people are willing to give so much for them. After all, not everything is worth losing your life over.
“”McClellan. Run over by a car. Four days ago. I’m not sure. But I think she’s dead.” (p. 47)
Clarisse dying could have a major impact on the story, even though Mildred is not sure whether or not she died, Montag believes that she is deceased, which still may be significant. Clarisse influenced Montag drastically, and now that she’s gone, Montag is left to think for himself.
“Every fireman, sooner or later, hits this.” (p. 53)
This could mean that Beatty knows about Montag and the books. He could mean that every fireman will eventually hit a stage where their curiosity entices them to learn about books. He also explains that they don’t explain the facts to the new firemen nowadays, meaning that Beatty probably knows a lot, but has decided to agree to the censoring of books even though he knows all the facts and the details that are now hidden from the public.
“’What’s this?’ asked Mildred, almost with delight. Montag heaved back against her arms. ‘What’s this here?’” (p. 56)
Mildred finding out about the book could prove disastrous towards Montag. Although she is showing signs that there is indeed a book behind Montag’s pillow and Beatty is in full view, it seems as though Beatty already knows that Montag has a book, and is just ignoring that fact. It seems that Beatty is trying to change Montag’s view of the world, and trying to explain to him just exactly why books are censored and why he should have them.
“The poor girl’s better off dead.” (p. 60)
Beatty showing this almost definitely shows that he knows more then he is putting out to everybody. It’s almost as if he is the one that killed Clarisse in the first place. If not, he at least knows about he death in detail, and is trying to cover up her significance from Montag by saying her family and she is weird. By saying all these negative things about Clarisse, he is attempting to succeed in changing Montag’s opinion back to what is “normal” – the opposite of what Clarisse tried to do.
“Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing!” (p. 62)
“The moaning, she ran forward, seized a book, and ran toward the kitchen incinerator.” (p. 66)
Mildred’s reaction to the books was to be expected. She was completely shocked and immediately tried to eliminate every single one that Montag had. Mildred may, in the end, give Montag away to somebody purposely, since she seems to not care about Montag and just the elimination of those books. It is apparent she knows the dire consequences of having books, and fears it greatly.
“We’ll star over again, at the beginning.” (p. 68)
This shows that Montag is intent to really get to know the books before going back to his usual life, if he will in the first place. Montag is now extremely curious, and is truly starting to question the world around him and ask why things happen, instead of just letting them happen around him. He is amazingly set on learning about books before putting them down. Since he has already read a book, it is too late to go back for Montag, and he will probably end up going all the way and questioning the government itself.
Kelson Fung 22 February 2008
Journal for pages from seventy to one-hundred and ten.
“Is it true, the world works hard and we play?” (p.74)
Montag saying this sentence shows to me that he truly is starting to realize what is happening in the world around him instead of being confused and lead by society and popular culture. He is showing that he’s starting to question the world, and wondering how they can all be so happy while other people somewhere else is in grief.
“Lord, there were a lot of lovely books once, before we let them go.” (p.81)
I noticed that Faber said that “we” had let them go; instead of saying the government took it away or the like. This could mean that society willingly chose to give up all the books, and weren’t even forced to at one point. This is interesting because if everybody wanted to give up books, then there is little chance of getting them back again.
“I need you to teach me.” (p.88)
Montag has been acting unusual. He is showing an increased interest and thirst for knowledge of the world around him, and is not worried about risking anything in the process – even going as far as ripping up the bible in which he had so desperately clung to against all objections from Mildred.
“You reading up on firemen theory?” (p.97)
I found this inquiry interesting simply because it proved that not all books were banned from the world of Fahrenheit 451. It peaked my interests and led me to think what other books had the world been allotted to read. However, although this proves not all books are banned, I highly doubt that the books that are actually allowed are of no use as a provider of true information to the public.
“You were so recently of them yourself” (p.103)
Faber is trying to think of ways to calm Montag’s anger down. Montag is incredibly mad at everybody’s ignorance of the world around them, and by telling Montag that he was them not too long ago, he is showing that it is easy to lose sight and get distracted. He is using Montag’s own personal experiences to convince him to ease his own anger.
“We’ve stopped in front of my house.” (p.110)
I really didn’t see this coming. But this happening means that everyone, more importantly, Beatty, knows what Montag has been doing. People know that Montag has been reading books, and haven’t been taking action against him until now. This leaves me many questions as to what is going to happen next.
Kelson Fung 29 February 2008
Journal for pages from one-hundred and ten to the end.
“You’re under arrest.” (p. 117)
It was really surprising when Beatty first told Montag that he was under arrest. I had first believed that Beatty was a close friend of Montag’s, and was pretty nice overall, but it turns out he would turn on him and arrest him without hesitation. However, although this is clearly odd in our world, in the fictitious world of Fahrenheit 451, this may be perfectly normal, seeing as their society is overall cruel and unusual when presented to someone in the real world. The society in the book and the constant popular culture around it is most definitely influencing everybody’s minds to be this cruel.
“A shotgun blast went off in his leg every time he put it down…” (p. 121)
I could really feel the “shotgun blasts” that Montag was described to have felt after reading this sentence. I think Ray Bradbury described the pains that Montag were experiencing at the moment brilliantly with more then enough detail for the readers.
“The police, of course. They see me.” (p. 127)
Although Montag had committed the crime of murder, I highly doubt that the police would find him this quickly. I think that the police really aren’t there, and Montag is just imagining things due to a combination of his fatigue as well as his current state of confusion.
“A carful of children, all ages… from twelve to sixteen…” (p. 128)
This sentence celery indicates that no person over the age of sixteen was in the vehicle at the moment. I found it odd the children sixteen and under can be driving around in the streets, putting aside the fact that they’re completely reckless, at night alone. It hints that this world might have a lot of issues inside, which is hidden in the first parts of the book.
“…Instinctively such a high speed might turn the car upside down and spill them out.” (p. 129)
This means that if the fact that running Montag over with a car did not present a possibility of danger to the people driving the vehicle, they wouldn’t have stopped in the first place. This shows how greedy and self-centered the people in this book are and how they care about no one except themselves. It really gives an example of truly how everyone in that society is, like Beatty, for example, when he was arresting Montag.
“Tonight, this network is proud to have the opportunity to follow the Hound by camera helicopter as it starts on its way to the target-“ (p. 133)
I found it odd that the television network that was broadcasting this manhunt on Montag was actually proud that they would show a Mechanical Hound hunt and kill a man. I found it sort of funny that they treated it almost like a game or a sport of sorts, the way they presented it. This could mean this is just another way they are hiding true facts away from the public, and in this case, they are hiding the severity of death from them, and replacing it with thoughts that it is fun.
“Police suggest entire population in the Elm Terrace area do as follows: Everyone in every house in every street open a front or rear door or look from the windows” (p. 138)
Although it is a bit subtle and vague, this shows exactly how much control the government has over everybody. They have enough control to be able to command everybody to look outside of their homes and everybody would actually do as they commanded. It also shows how significant the voice of the government is, to be able to reach every single person in the area.
“It’ll change the chemical index of your perspiration.” (p. 147)
I think that it’s interesting that people would have this kind of technology when they’re underground and going against the government. This shows signs that there is a rebel group in hiding, and there may be more, and they’re actually intelligent enough to put up a fight against the government and censorship and popular culture.
“The chase continues north in the city!” (p. 148)
I found it a bit humorous that even though the police and the news know very well that Montag has successfully escaped that they would lie just to give a dramatic ending to their show and to give a satisfactory ending to leave no one curious in the end. This shows that lying is a thing they use very often, and little of what they say is ever the truth.
“All we want to do is keep the knowledge.” (p. 152)
This shows the throughout the book that there were intelligent people that were aware of what was happening after all. These people just don’t want to put up a quick fight, and just wants to remain into hiding waiting for a right time where everybody will actually want to listen to them, or agree to what they think. They’re doing exactly what intelligent people would do in a situation like this.
“It’s strange, I don’t miss her…” (p. 155)
This shows probably that Montag never really loved Mildred, that it was an empty marriage between the two. This leads me to think if weddings and love is set up by the government too to disguise information from everybody, or if the public sets them all up so that there would be no strays that think differently.
Kelson Fung 7 March 2008
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Romeo and Juliet Journal
Summary for Romeo and Juliet, and the two quotes/responses.
The story takes place in Verona, Italy, early in the morning. There are several characters, including the servants that work for the family the Capulets, who are called Sampson and Gregory. There are also two servants that work for the family the Montague’s, called Abram and Balthasar. Walking around, they bump into each other, and while engaged in a verbal confrontation, Benvelio and Tybalt, a Montague and a Capulet, respectively, enter the scene. They join in the arguing, and in the end, a physical fight breaks out between the Montague’s and the Capulets, which is then stopped b Prince Escalus. It is then revealed that Romeo is infatuated with Juliet.
“Everyone is sick of the fighting except Tybalt” (Page Thirty-Four [34] Line 14)
This shows that not everyone really wants to fight for their “side”. Since it says that everyone is sick of the fighting with the exclusion of only Tybalt, this shows that the servants for the Capulets as well as the servants for the Montague don’t really like fighting with each other all the time. It either shows that, or simply just shows they don’t enjoy physical confrontations with each other.
“I’ll keep trying to teach you till I die” (Page Forty-One [41] Line 20)
This quote from what Benvolio said reveals and finally confirms the fact that he does not like Romeo being in love with Juliet, event though it was already to be expected. This shows he wants to stop his love with her, and would not give up easily.
-Kelson Fung, November 13 2007
Plot, Summary, Etc. for Romeo and Juliet
Scene 1
Characters:
There are two servants of the Capulet house, (Sampson and Gregory) and two servants of the Montague house (Abram and Balthasar), as well as Benvolio, Tybalt, a Capulet and Montague, respectively, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, the Prince Excalus, and, in the end, Romeo.
Plot:
The two servants of the Capulet house are walking across town and start joking around with each other, and talking amongst themselves. Two Montague servants then arrive, and start a confrontation with them. The confrontation escalates to the two feuding families entering an all out fight, which is then ended by Prince Escalus, who announces death to whoever “disturbs the peace” again next. In the end, Romeo tells Benvolio of how in love he is with a girl, and how he is having trouble in successfully wooing her.
Setting:
This scene takes place in town square, of Verona, Italy.
Scene 2
Characters:
The characters in this scene include Capulet, Paris (kinsman of the Prince, Escalus), a servant, Romeo, and Benvolio.
Plot:
The plot is that, in the beginning, Paris asks Capulet if he could marry Juliet or not. Capulet doesn’t let him, and argues that Juliet is too young for marriage yet, and says she is not even fourteen yet. Capulet then invites him to a party, where Juliet will be, as well as other girls, and gives a servant the paper with the invitation. Romeo gets a hold of the paper, and, proving he can read it to the servant, also finds out of the party that will be thrown. Romeo decides to go to the party because Benvolio wants him to compare Rosaline, the girl whom Romeo is infatuated with, with other girls, in an attempt to change his mind.
Setting:
The scene takes place in a street near the Capulets’ house.
Scene 3
Characters:
The characters are Juliet, Lady Capulet, the nurse, and a servant.
Plot:
In the beginning, Lady Capulet is talking to the nurse about Juliet, and the nurse tells a story of a humorous incident that occurred with Juliet when she was three. Lady Capulet then speaks with Juliet a marriage with Paris, and tries to convince her to marry him by telling her of all his good qualities, but Juliet seems to be unwilling to do so in the end.
Setting:
The Capulet’s house.
-Kelson Fung, November 19, 2007
The story takes place in Verona, Italy, early in the morning. There are several characters, including the servants that work for the family the Capulets, who are called Sampson and Gregory. There are also two servants that work for the family the Montague’s, called Abram and Balthasar. Walking around, they bump into each other, and while engaged in a verbal confrontation, Benvelio and Tybalt, a Montague and a Capulet, respectively, enter the scene. They join in the arguing, and in the end, a physical fight breaks out between the Montague’s and the Capulets, which is then stopped b Prince Escalus. It is then revealed that Romeo is infatuated with Juliet.
“Everyone is sick of the fighting except Tybalt” (Page Thirty-Four [34] Line 14)
This shows that not everyone really wants to fight for their “side”. Since it says that everyone is sick of the fighting with the exclusion of only Tybalt, this shows that the servants for the Capulets as well as the servants for the Montague don’t really like fighting with each other all the time. It either shows that, or simply just shows they don’t enjoy physical confrontations with each other.
“I’ll keep trying to teach you till I die” (Page Forty-One [41] Line 20)
This quote from what Benvolio said reveals and finally confirms the fact that he does not like Romeo being in love with Juliet, event though it was already to be expected. This shows he wants to stop his love with her, and would not give up easily.
-Kelson Fung, November 13 2007
Plot, Summary, Etc. for Romeo and Juliet
Scene 1
Characters:
There are two servants of the Capulet house, (Sampson and Gregory) and two servants of the Montague house (Abram and Balthasar), as well as Benvolio, Tybalt, a Capulet and Montague, respectively, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, the Prince Excalus, and, in the end, Romeo.
Plot:
The two servants of the Capulet house are walking across town and start joking around with each other, and talking amongst themselves. Two Montague servants then arrive, and start a confrontation with them. The confrontation escalates to the two feuding families entering an all out fight, which is then ended by Prince Escalus, who announces death to whoever “disturbs the peace” again next. In the end, Romeo tells Benvolio of how in love he is with a girl, and how he is having trouble in successfully wooing her.
Setting:
This scene takes place in town square, of Verona, Italy.
Scene 2
Characters:
The characters in this scene include Capulet, Paris (kinsman of the Prince, Escalus), a servant, Romeo, and Benvolio.
Plot:
The plot is that, in the beginning, Paris asks Capulet if he could marry Juliet or not. Capulet doesn’t let him, and argues that Juliet is too young for marriage yet, and says she is not even fourteen yet. Capulet then invites him to a party, where Juliet will be, as well as other girls, and gives a servant the paper with the invitation. Romeo gets a hold of the paper, and, proving he can read it to the servant, also finds out of the party that will be thrown. Romeo decides to go to the party because Benvolio wants him to compare Rosaline, the girl whom Romeo is infatuated with, with other girls, in an attempt to change his mind.
Setting:
The scene takes place in a street near the Capulets’ house.
Scene 3
Characters:
The characters are Juliet, Lady Capulet, the nurse, and a servant.
Plot:
In the beginning, Lady Capulet is talking to the nurse about Juliet, and the nurse tells a story of a humorous incident that occurred with Juliet when she was three. Lady Capulet then speaks with Juliet a marriage with Paris, and tries to convince her to marry him by telling her of all his good qualities, but Juliet seems to be unwilling to do so in the end.
Setting:
The Capulet’s house.
-Kelson Fung, November 19, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Scarlet Letter
Annotations for The Scarlet Letter pages 3 to 142.
“In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf, --but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life, except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,--at the head, I say, of this dilapidate wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass…” (p. 4)
I find it really good how he shows us examples that relate to his own past, to give us a clearer example of what he is trying to say. I also find it really odd how his sentences can be so long and still make sense and can just go on and on and on. It’s like when the sentence, you think, stops; he continues the sentence with more details and more in-depth explanations. He also has a really good way of stringing multiple sentences and putting them together into one big sentence.
“…I must be content to call affection” (p. 9)
I find it weird how he can be so blunt with emotions such as this. He can be so specific with so little words, and on the other hand, he can also use sentences of extreme length and still have it be functional. His pure straightforward attitude towards his comment makes it striking all by itself. The way he can just say it without even holding back is shocking to me.
“The boy, also in due time, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, spent a tempestuous manhood, and returned from his world-wanderings, to grow old, and die, and mingle his dust with the natal earth.” (p. 11)
This is surprising, because of the dark mood he sets, and the straightforward aspect and look that the author puts on life. He uses a somewhat depressing tune, and sets the mood to a gloomy feel. This shows that the story will also be sad in mood, sense he is speaking with such negativity towards life even before the story in the introduction.
“It might be difficult—and it was so—to conceive how he should exist hereafter, so earthly and sensuous did he seem; but surely his existence here, admitting that it was to terminate with his last breath, had been not unkindly given; with no higher moral responsibilities than the beasts of the field, but with a larger scope of enjoyment than theirs, and with all their blessed immunity from the dreariness and duskiness of age.” (p. 19)
I find it really amazing how Nathaniel Hawthorne, even while just explaining simple concepts, can be so elaborate in pointing out his views and opinions on it certain things in a straight-forward but still subtle way. He writes really descriptively and effectively uses metaphors and such to enhance his writing. He has a really nice way of explaining his ideas using very colorful vocabulary.
“Nature,--except it were human nature,-the nature that is developed in earth and sky, was, in one sense, hidden from me…” (p. 27)
This simile really caught my attention because it’s so beautiful. The statement is really deep, if you think about it, and you can see that he means a lot from just those simple words. The repetition of the word nature also caught my eye, because normally, in writing, when you repeat a word several times, it means that the writer wants to emphasize that the word, or words, is important.
“After my fellowship of toil and impracticable schemes with the dreamy brethren of Brook Farm; after living for three years within the subtle influence of an intellect like Emerson’s; after those wild, free days on the Assabeth, indulging fantastic speculations, beside our fire of fallen boughs, with Ellery Channing, after talking with Thoreau about pine-trees and Indian relics, in his hermitage at Walden; after growing fastidious by sympathy with the classic refinement of Hilliard’s culture; after becoming imbued with poetic sentiment at Longfellow’s hearth-stone,--it was time, at length, that I should exercise other faculties of my nature, and nourish myself with food for which I had hitherto had little appetite.” (p. 27)
I find it completely shocking that he can use sentences of that incredible length, fill it with complicated words, and still have it be grammatically correct all at the same time. His vocabulary is so complicated and deep, that I have a very hard time of understanding him. His sentences are of extreme length and detail. His writing surpasses a lot of what I have seen throughout my previous years in school.
“Now it was that the lucubration’s of my ancient predecessor, Mr. Surveyor Pue, came into play. Rusty through long idleness, some little space was requisite before my intellectual machinery could be brought to work upon the tale, with an effect in any degree satisfactory.” (p. 46)
His use of words and metaphors and similes are at such a high level that I keep finding situations in which I have to constantly concentrate to even have the slightest idea of what he is talking about. I find it really hard to understand the book, and have to be constantly looking up words in the dictionary.
“…With it’s delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom…” (p. 50)
It’s surprising that Nathanial Hawthorne would put something beautiful and colorful (the rose bush), next to something dark, sad, and gloomy (the jail). This sets a really dark atmosphere for the story, and shows that the rest of the story will be as ironic and sad.
“The door of the jail being flung open from within, there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and grisly presence of the town-beadle…” (p. 54
The descriptive words he uses, such as “flung” and “grim and grisly” really catch my attention. Using those words, he can succeed in describing something simply and effectively. In other areas of the book, he also uses words like this, in many different shapes and forms. He manages to stay away from “normal” adjectives, and goes towards those that are more indirect and more metaphorical.
“He was small ins stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in h is features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mould the physical to itself…” (p. 62)
His excellent ability in describing things never ceases to amaze me. He describes settings, and in this case, people, so well, that I can actually see the features that he is describing. He makes it as though I am actually there and looking at the person.
“While this passed, Hester Prynne had been standing on her pedestal, still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger; so fixed a gaze, that, at moments of intense absorption, all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish, leaving only him and her.” (p. 65-67)
This really got me a feeling that he was building suspense, and I felt suspense also. He really effectively uses words to show how fixed their gazes are at each other, and causes feelings of anxiousness in the reader, just like how Hester must have felt at the very moment. He uses the words “stranger”, and “intense absorption” in a creative way to put an image into the reader’s head of what is actively going on in the story.
“I will not speak!” answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. “And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!” (p. 71)
This really makes me anxious on how Hester could just refuse to give the men an answer. She is willing to put a lot, maybe even her total humiliation (her scarlet letter) onto the line into protecting her daughter. This probably shows, either she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up being miserable, or she knows something that she isn’t willing to tell anyone. This hints that the story may be a lot deeper then what is just seen from the surface.
“Thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any” (p. 77)
This really shocked me because she just said that, even though they got married, she never fell in love with him, and never even faked that she did. So this makes me wonder why they got married in the first place. I also think why would he marry her if he probably knew it wouldn’t work out in the end.
“…they branded it afresh into Hester’s soul…” (p. 89)
I found that really sad and I could actually feel the emotional distress that Hester must’ve been feeling. The word “branded” really gave a clear description of how people treated Hester, and I could relate to that. The statement alone got me thinking a lot about truly how Hester must’ve been feeling, and just how easily people form stereotypes of her.
“O Father in Heaven,--if Thou art still my Father,--what is this being which I have brought into the world!” (p. 99)
This shows how bitter and sad Hester is towards this whole situation. It shows that she is really depressed because of all that is happening to her. She is actually so sad, that she would actually speak this way, and question God (who I assume is the “Father” whom she is speaking about) and even question God’s power with the phrase “if Thou art still my Father”. This shows she’s truly distressed, and stressed out from the other people around her.
“Yea, forsooth” (p. 107)
That word is really strange to me, “forsooth”. I think it’s archaic. At first glance I thought it was even an insult. Looking it up in the dictionary didn’t really help. The definition it gave was vague. “Often used ironically”. I don’t know. I think I should ask Mrs. Bosch about this one…
“’I am mother’s child,’ answered the scarlet vision, ‘and my name is Pearl!’” (p. 113)
When she said this she seemed proud to be the daughter of Hester, even though everyone doesn’t like her, or her mother. She also seems to not care what anybody says of her. She seems that she likes to help her mother, and doesn’t want her to be sad, even though she acts so mischievous at times.
“In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.” (p. 109)
This made me think of how everyone would never see Hester for what she really was, but instead, only see the letter that she wore. This means that she is thought of only from her stereotypes, and never from what she truly is. Her real self is always “hidden” behind her scarlet letter.
“Were it God’s will.” (p. 125)
This makes me think that whatever the puritans do, they can always justify it by saying that God wants them to do it. Whenever they get questioned, they could just say God wills it, or something like that. This would technically give them a way to get out of any defiance from anybody, using God as a workaround.
“… Warm love of souls… all of which invaluable gold was perhaps no better than rubbish to the seeker.” (p. 134)
I thought that this would be the only part in the story that had a warm feeling, but I realized I was wrong when I read the “rubbish to the seeker” part. I found it funny how I got “tricked” by the book. This shows that the entire book was really depressing, and I’m constantly looking for a happy spot in the book.
-Kelson Fung, October 15, 2007
Annotations for Scarlet Letter, Pages 140-220
“It mattered little, for his object, whether celestial, or from what other region.” (p. 145)
This quote’s dialogue seems very good in explaining just how little it mattered, no matter how important it was. The word “celestial” particularly caught my eye because it’s not a word that is used often. It gives me the image of something magical, and something really important, so to say even if it were celestial, it still wouldn’t matter, really surprises me, almost in an ironic sense.
“… buried close to their young pastor’s holy grave.” (p. 148)
I wonder how it could be “holy” and still a something as dark as a grave at the same time. I think that it’s because he’s a pastor, and a pastor is something religious, and so making him holy. This in turn makes it so that when he dies, his grave is holy, although this is just an inference in my behalf. I’m not sure if it really is because he was a pastor, or even what a pastor really is, but I think it has something to do with what I think it is.
“He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood.” (p. 150)
This is really ironic, as well as confusing. How can he speak the very truth, and yet still be telling it in a very false way? I know how some people can tell the truth, but somehow change it, or leave out certain words and stuff to change the certain meaning, but I’m really confused on how he can turn the total truth into a total lie. This also proves that he’s really intelligent, to be smart enough to do something like this.
“Carried away by the grotesque horror of this picture…” (p. 157)
Nathanial Hawthorne’s amazing ability to use blunt and striking words never cease to amaze me. His use of grotesque was the absolute perfect way you could use that world, by describing on how the Reverend and the minister was feeling at the time. He really gave me an image in my head on how they Reverend and the minister looked—shocked, and scared, and walking away slowly with dropped jaws.
“There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes…” (p. 160)
This part in the book completely surprised me. Although this was really to be expected, the part where he (Nathanial) said that it was witchcraft that was in her eyes, and not something else, really took me off guard. I know how bad witchcraft was to the puritans of that age, and this shows to me that Pearl is starting to become, slowly, very evil. This shows that she is up to absolutely no good, and if let to go about in her ways, she will eventually cause some really big trouble.
“The letter was the symbol of her calling” (p. 168)
This really makes me wonder, what exactly IS her calling. Could it be the adultery she had (maybe) committed, or could it be something else? I think this just means that, it’s a symbol of what she had already once done, and not a symbol of what she does, or likes doing, but just of what she is, and will forever be because of that one time she had done it. Just makes me wonder a lot, just from the overall vagueness of the sentence.
“… Roger Chillingsworth as on that night, abased by sin, and half maddened by the ignominy, that was still new, when they had talked together in the prison-chamber.” (p. 173)
This, in it’s own little way, shows that he has somewhat of a conscience, and feels remorse for past crimes, otherwise he wouldn’t feel shamed or maddened by the “ignominy” for his sins. This also shows he’s not ENTIRELY evil, or bad, but just part of him is.
“”Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes…” (p. 176-177)
This really scared me because it seems like he suddenly snapped inside his head. It seems he all of a sudden went completely insane from the pressure or something, and just snapped and can’t take it anymore. It seems he’s about to do something completely drastic, and makes every all of a sudden still, and bent according to his will.
“… what does this scarlet letter mean…?” (p. 186)
This shows that Pearl never really knew why her mother had the letter on her chest, nor what it signified that her mother had done to earn the letter to be placed onto her. This also shows that she will maybe do something drastic after she finds out, or become angry at either her mother or society, and will maybe do something to plot revenge. Once she gains the knowledge of exactly why her mother has the letter and what the letter signifies, she might be burdened with that knowledge.
“Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?” (p 193)
This hints that Pearl had heard the story of Cain, and possibly even the story of Hester, but she is not aware that that is which the stories are about. She might not be aware that the stories are really about her and Cain, so she asks her so with such happiness and playfulness. This also shows that although Pearl knows more then is really expected, she does not know enough to do anything harsh or reckless.
“Heaven would show mercy.” (p. 205)
This shows that Hester is really religious, and believes that heaven is good, even after all that it has caused her with the scarlet letter. This shows that the puritan beliefs and the culture around her really effect the way she thinks. This is almost ironic, because she is believing in something that has hurt her and caused her pain emotional and mentally over the years.
“Thou wilt love her dearly” (p. 215)
This shows that Hester really cares about Pearl and wants the best for her. This also proves that Hester will love Pearl no matter what happens. She just wants her to lead a normal, comfortable life, not unlike most other parents do for their children, even though her situation is much different from the average parent’s.
-Kelson Fung, October, 22
“In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf, --but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life, except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,--at the head, I say, of this dilapidate wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass…” (p. 4)
I find it really good how he shows us examples that relate to his own past, to give us a clearer example of what he is trying to say. I also find it really odd how his sentences can be so long and still make sense and can just go on and on and on. It’s like when the sentence, you think, stops; he continues the sentence with more details and more in-depth explanations. He also has a really good way of stringing multiple sentences and putting them together into one big sentence.
“…I must be content to call affection” (p. 9)
I find it weird how he can be so blunt with emotions such as this. He can be so specific with so little words, and on the other hand, he can also use sentences of extreme length and still have it be functional. His pure straightforward attitude towards his comment makes it striking all by itself. The way he can just say it without even holding back is shocking to me.
“The boy, also in due time, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, spent a tempestuous manhood, and returned from his world-wanderings, to grow old, and die, and mingle his dust with the natal earth.” (p. 11)
This is surprising, because of the dark mood he sets, and the straightforward aspect and look that the author puts on life. He uses a somewhat depressing tune, and sets the mood to a gloomy feel. This shows that the story will also be sad in mood, sense he is speaking with such negativity towards life even before the story in the introduction.
“It might be difficult—and it was so—to conceive how he should exist hereafter, so earthly and sensuous did he seem; but surely his existence here, admitting that it was to terminate with his last breath, had been not unkindly given; with no higher moral responsibilities than the beasts of the field, but with a larger scope of enjoyment than theirs, and with all their blessed immunity from the dreariness and duskiness of age.” (p. 19)
I find it really amazing how Nathaniel Hawthorne, even while just explaining simple concepts, can be so elaborate in pointing out his views and opinions on it certain things in a straight-forward but still subtle way. He writes really descriptively and effectively uses metaphors and such to enhance his writing. He has a really nice way of explaining his ideas using very colorful vocabulary.
“Nature,--except it were human nature,-the nature that is developed in earth and sky, was, in one sense, hidden from me…” (p. 27)
This simile really caught my attention because it’s so beautiful. The statement is really deep, if you think about it, and you can see that he means a lot from just those simple words. The repetition of the word nature also caught my eye, because normally, in writing, when you repeat a word several times, it means that the writer wants to emphasize that the word, or words, is important.
“After my fellowship of toil and impracticable schemes with the dreamy brethren of Brook Farm; after living for three years within the subtle influence of an intellect like Emerson’s; after those wild, free days on the Assabeth, indulging fantastic speculations, beside our fire of fallen boughs, with Ellery Channing, after talking with Thoreau about pine-trees and Indian relics, in his hermitage at Walden; after growing fastidious by sympathy with the classic refinement of Hilliard’s culture; after becoming imbued with poetic sentiment at Longfellow’s hearth-stone,--it was time, at length, that I should exercise other faculties of my nature, and nourish myself with food for which I had hitherto had little appetite.” (p. 27)
I find it completely shocking that he can use sentences of that incredible length, fill it with complicated words, and still have it be grammatically correct all at the same time. His vocabulary is so complicated and deep, that I have a very hard time of understanding him. His sentences are of extreme length and detail. His writing surpasses a lot of what I have seen throughout my previous years in school.
“Now it was that the lucubration’s of my ancient predecessor, Mr. Surveyor Pue, came into play. Rusty through long idleness, some little space was requisite before my intellectual machinery could be brought to work upon the tale, with an effect in any degree satisfactory.” (p. 46)
His use of words and metaphors and similes are at such a high level that I keep finding situations in which I have to constantly concentrate to even have the slightest idea of what he is talking about. I find it really hard to understand the book, and have to be constantly looking up words in the dictionary.
“…With it’s delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom…” (p. 50)
It’s surprising that Nathanial Hawthorne would put something beautiful and colorful (the rose bush), next to something dark, sad, and gloomy (the jail). This sets a really dark atmosphere for the story, and shows that the rest of the story will be as ironic and sad.
“The door of the jail being flung open from within, there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and grisly presence of the town-beadle…” (p. 54
The descriptive words he uses, such as “flung” and “grim and grisly” really catch my attention. Using those words, he can succeed in describing something simply and effectively. In other areas of the book, he also uses words like this, in many different shapes and forms. He manages to stay away from “normal” adjectives, and goes towards those that are more indirect and more metaphorical.
“He was small ins stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in h is features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mould the physical to itself…” (p. 62)
His excellent ability in describing things never ceases to amaze me. He describes settings, and in this case, people, so well, that I can actually see the features that he is describing. He makes it as though I am actually there and looking at the person.
“While this passed, Hester Prynne had been standing on her pedestal, still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger; so fixed a gaze, that, at moments of intense absorption, all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish, leaving only him and her.” (p. 65-67)
This really got me a feeling that he was building suspense, and I felt suspense also. He really effectively uses words to show how fixed their gazes are at each other, and causes feelings of anxiousness in the reader, just like how Hester must have felt at the very moment. He uses the words “stranger”, and “intense absorption” in a creative way to put an image into the reader’s head of what is actively going on in the story.
“I will not speak!” answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. “And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!” (p. 71)
This really makes me anxious on how Hester could just refuse to give the men an answer. She is willing to put a lot, maybe even her total humiliation (her scarlet letter) onto the line into protecting her daughter. This probably shows, either she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up being miserable, or she knows something that she isn’t willing to tell anyone. This hints that the story may be a lot deeper then what is just seen from the surface.
“Thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any” (p. 77)
This really shocked me because she just said that, even though they got married, she never fell in love with him, and never even faked that she did. So this makes me wonder why they got married in the first place. I also think why would he marry her if he probably knew it wouldn’t work out in the end.
“…they branded it afresh into Hester’s soul…” (p. 89)
I found that really sad and I could actually feel the emotional distress that Hester must’ve been feeling. The word “branded” really gave a clear description of how people treated Hester, and I could relate to that. The statement alone got me thinking a lot about truly how Hester must’ve been feeling, and just how easily people form stereotypes of her.
“O Father in Heaven,--if Thou art still my Father,--what is this being which I have brought into the world!” (p. 99)
This shows how bitter and sad Hester is towards this whole situation. It shows that she is really depressed because of all that is happening to her. She is actually so sad, that she would actually speak this way, and question God (who I assume is the “Father” whom she is speaking about) and even question God’s power with the phrase “if Thou art still my Father”. This shows she’s truly distressed, and stressed out from the other people around her.
“Yea, forsooth” (p. 107)
That word is really strange to me, “forsooth”. I think it’s archaic. At first glance I thought it was even an insult. Looking it up in the dictionary didn’t really help. The definition it gave was vague. “Often used ironically”. I don’t know. I think I should ask Mrs. Bosch about this one…
“’I am mother’s child,’ answered the scarlet vision, ‘and my name is Pearl!’” (p. 113)
When she said this she seemed proud to be the daughter of Hester, even though everyone doesn’t like her, or her mother. She also seems to not care what anybody says of her. She seems that she likes to help her mother, and doesn’t want her to be sad, even though she acts so mischievous at times.
“In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.” (p. 109)
This made me think of how everyone would never see Hester for what she really was, but instead, only see the letter that she wore. This means that she is thought of only from her stereotypes, and never from what she truly is. Her real self is always “hidden” behind her scarlet letter.
“Were it God’s will.” (p. 125)
This makes me think that whatever the puritans do, they can always justify it by saying that God wants them to do it. Whenever they get questioned, they could just say God wills it, or something like that. This would technically give them a way to get out of any defiance from anybody, using God as a workaround.
“… Warm love of souls… all of which invaluable gold was perhaps no better than rubbish to the seeker.” (p. 134)
I thought that this would be the only part in the story that had a warm feeling, but I realized I was wrong when I read the “rubbish to the seeker” part. I found it funny how I got “tricked” by the book. This shows that the entire book was really depressing, and I’m constantly looking for a happy spot in the book.
-Kelson Fung, October 15, 2007
Annotations for Scarlet Letter, Pages 140-220
“It mattered little, for his object, whether celestial, or from what other region.” (p. 145)
This quote’s dialogue seems very good in explaining just how little it mattered, no matter how important it was. The word “celestial” particularly caught my eye because it’s not a word that is used often. It gives me the image of something magical, and something really important, so to say even if it were celestial, it still wouldn’t matter, really surprises me, almost in an ironic sense.
“… buried close to their young pastor’s holy grave.” (p. 148)
I wonder how it could be “holy” and still a something as dark as a grave at the same time. I think that it’s because he’s a pastor, and a pastor is something religious, and so making him holy. This in turn makes it so that when he dies, his grave is holy, although this is just an inference in my behalf. I’m not sure if it really is because he was a pastor, or even what a pastor really is, but I think it has something to do with what I think it is.
“He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood.” (p. 150)
This is really ironic, as well as confusing. How can he speak the very truth, and yet still be telling it in a very false way? I know how some people can tell the truth, but somehow change it, or leave out certain words and stuff to change the certain meaning, but I’m really confused on how he can turn the total truth into a total lie. This also proves that he’s really intelligent, to be smart enough to do something like this.
“Carried away by the grotesque horror of this picture…” (p. 157)
Nathanial Hawthorne’s amazing ability to use blunt and striking words never cease to amaze me. His use of grotesque was the absolute perfect way you could use that world, by describing on how the Reverend and the minister was feeling at the time. He really gave me an image in my head on how they Reverend and the minister looked—shocked, and scared, and walking away slowly with dropped jaws.
“There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes…” (p. 160)
This part in the book completely surprised me. Although this was really to be expected, the part where he (Nathanial) said that it was witchcraft that was in her eyes, and not something else, really took me off guard. I know how bad witchcraft was to the puritans of that age, and this shows to me that Pearl is starting to become, slowly, very evil. This shows that she is up to absolutely no good, and if let to go about in her ways, she will eventually cause some really big trouble.
“The letter was the symbol of her calling” (p. 168)
This really makes me wonder, what exactly IS her calling. Could it be the adultery she had (maybe) committed, or could it be something else? I think this just means that, it’s a symbol of what she had already once done, and not a symbol of what she does, or likes doing, but just of what she is, and will forever be because of that one time she had done it. Just makes me wonder a lot, just from the overall vagueness of the sentence.
“… Roger Chillingsworth as on that night, abased by sin, and half maddened by the ignominy, that was still new, when they had talked together in the prison-chamber.” (p. 173)
This, in it’s own little way, shows that he has somewhat of a conscience, and feels remorse for past crimes, otherwise he wouldn’t feel shamed or maddened by the “ignominy” for his sins. This also shows he’s not ENTIRELY evil, or bad, but just part of him is.
“”Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes…” (p. 176-177)
This really scared me because it seems like he suddenly snapped inside his head. It seems he all of a sudden went completely insane from the pressure or something, and just snapped and can’t take it anymore. It seems he’s about to do something completely drastic, and makes every all of a sudden still, and bent according to his will.
“… what does this scarlet letter mean…?” (p. 186)
This shows that Pearl never really knew why her mother had the letter on her chest, nor what it signified that her mother had done to earn the letter to be placed onto her. This also shows that she will maybe do something drastic after she finds out, or become angry at either her mother or society, and will maybe do something to plot revenge. Once she gains the knowledge of exactly why her mother has the letter and what the letter signifies, she might be burdened with that knowledge.
“Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?” (p 193)
This hints that Pearl had heard the story of Cain, and possibly even the story of Hester, but she is not aware that that is which the stories are about. She might not be aware that the stories are really about her and Cain, so she asks her so with such happiness and playfulness. This also shows that although Pearl knows more then is really expected, she does not know enough to do anything harsh or reckless.
“Heaven would show mercy.” (p. 205)
This shows that Hester is really religious, and believes that heaven is good, even after all that it has caused her with the scarlet letter. This shows that the puritan beliefs and the culture around her really effect the way she thinks. This is almost ironic, because she is believing in something that has hurt her and caused her pain emotional and mentally over the years.
“Thou wilt love her dearly” (p. 215)
This shows that Hester really cares about Pearl and wants the best for her. This also proves that Hester will love Pearl no matter what happens. She just wants her to lead a normal, comfortable life, not unlike most other parents do for their children, even though her situation is much different from the average parent’s.
-Kelson Fung, October, 22
Friday, September 21, 2007
Of Mice and Men: Assignment
My personal annotations of the book Of Mice and Men, chapters one through four.
“I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.” (p. 7)
The fact that George would say that to Lennie, plus the fact that the statement is probably true, is evident that George is really close to Lennie. The reason being is because, even though George is mentally aware that he could probably get along with his own life a lot better then right now, when he’s with Lennie, he still stays with him, showing that they care about each other a lot and has a lot of trust towards each other. It shows that George cares about Lennie so much he would probably stick with him no matter what happen.
“”I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. No, you stay with me.” (p. 13)
This shows that George really cares about Lennie, even though he curses at him and sometimes falsely shows that he hates him and wants him to go away. It also shows that, in a way, George needs Lennie just as much as Lennie needs him, so they can be together, no matter what they go through. It also shows that George would never abandon Lennie.
“Well, I think Curley’s married… a tart.” (p. 29)
This is evident that the people around the ranch gossip a lot, and probably have nothing else to do in their spare time but talk to each other about things. With the constant spreading of information from one person to another, there are bound to be misunderstandings and various untrue gossips that are told from time to time. From these gossips, there are also bound to be some stereotypes and opinions that might not be entirely true.
“Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog…” (p. 36)
Carlson making this comment shows that he believes that once something, or even someone, gets old, they are no longer worth anything anymore. This event, in which Carlson proposes that Candy’s old dog be shot because it’s old and not useful is strong evidence of this belief. Since Carlson has this belief, perhaps maybe the people around him have this belief, and it may even be a widely accepted opinion.
“I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple.” (p. 45)
Carlson is trying to make a point to Candy that the dog is no longer useful and should be “put out of its misery”. Even though he may only be trying to persuade Candy to kill the dog, because he personally doesn’t like the dog, but it may lead a hint to something else. It shows that Carlson has a belief that old and crippled things don’t deserve to live any longer, and killing them would just be putting them out of their misery. Since Candy himself is old and crippled, this is a really strong indication of Carlson’s and possibly even the others’ view on Candy.
“We could live offa the fatta the lan’.” (p. 57)
This shows the dream that Lennie and George both hold for the future. It shows that they both want to get some land so they could live by themselves peacefully and have no one bother them. They want to have nobody to tell them what to do, and to just mind their own business. This is important because they both plan on actually getting the land in the future, so they have something to work and stride for together.
Lennie, reluctant to fighting back to Curly while he was confronted by him, eventually took George’s advice and fought back, although still unwilling too. He crushed Curly’s hand with ease, then said, “You tol’ me to, George,” miserably while sulking to the corner of the room. (p. 63-64)
Even though that Lennie is strong enough to crush Curly’s hand very easily, and could possibly even kill him with relative ease, he is really reluctant to harm anybody, even when commanded to do so by George. Even after he did crush Curly’s hand, he let go and didn’t continue his retaliation, and even showed an incredible amount of regret and sadness in crushing his hand. This shows that, even though Lennie is really strong, he is unwilling the use his strength to harm other people. It also shows that Lennie is very capable of causing immense amounts of harm to other people with little or no effort.
“Ain’t nobody goin’ to suppose no hurt to George.” (p. 72)
Lennie seems to be very protective of George, and won’t let any harm come to him. This shows that he really likes George, and has a really strong bond with him. This also, in a way, shows that George is really kind to Lennie and cares for him for Lennie to be so protective of him. It might be because Lennie would be all alone if he didn’t have George, and doesn’t want to not have him too.
“I was jus’ playin’ with him… an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me… an’ I made like I was gonna smack him… an’… an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.” (p. 87)
Lennie, even though not consciously on purpose, killed the puppy given to him by Slim, because he felt threatened by the dog, since it seemed to him the puppy was going to bite him. He accidentally killed the dog with one smack, which shows that his strength is actually enough to kill small animals with ease, even though in no case he does it on purpose. It also shows that every time that Lennie gets threatened in one way or another, he loses control of himself very easily and ends up either killing or seriously injuring the thing that threatens him, proving that he is very dangerous if messed with.
-Kelson Fung, September 21th, 2007
My annotations of quotes and events in chapters five and six of the book, Of Mice and Men.
In this chapter, Lennie unintentionally explains that he always kills what he pets, because they’re soft and when they “attempt to harm him”, he accidentally hits them, or something else to stop them. Then, Curly’s wife offers him to touch her hair, since she
it’s really soft because she brushes it everyday. (p.85-90)
This foreshadows that Lennie will accidentally do something to harm Curly’s wife, as he has done to other things and people in the past. It hints at the conclusion that Lennie will eventually unintentional kill her, because he might feel threatened by her in some way. It also shows that Lennie will get in trouble for causing harm to her, and would be forced to come up with a way to escape.
“And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (p.91)
I chose this quote from this chapter, particularly because of the reason that it can be so straightforward with the fact that Lennie had killed a person. Also because that it shows that Lennie has indeed killed her. It is shocking that Lennie would do that, although his purpose was just to stop her from yelling.
“George moved slowly after them, and his feet dragged heavily” (98)
This quote shows that George was really sad, not with what Lennie had done, but that Lennie would have to face the consequences for what he had done. It shows that he was really sad that the people would try to kill him and possibly give him a torturous life. It even hints at the fact that George was sad that he would lose Lennie.
“… George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (p.106)
The fact that George would kill Lennie was very shocking. They were really good buddies, and were going to stick with each other no matter what. They trusted each other as if they were family, and maybe even more then that. They cared for each other, and they needed each other. Yet, the quote shows the George didn’t want to kill Lennie. It shows that he was, indeed, reluctant to do it. This shows that George didn’t kill him as punishment for killing Curly’s wife, but instead for his own good. He didn’t want Lennie to suffer torture, or being killed by the other guys, or even a stranger, so he killed him himself to prevent Lennie from further suffering.
-Kelson Fung, September 27th, 2007
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