Thier Eyes Thesis

Because Janie starts to follow her transcendentalist values, she is able to make decisions that truly make her happy because the same things that may make other female members of the Eatonville community happy are not the same things that make Janie happy.

Thier Eyes Quote #4

In Chapter seven, Janie finally gets sick of the way Joe verbally abuses her. Every chance Joe gets, he is always trying to point out how old Janie is getting when in reality, Janie is still somewhat young and still beautiful and Joe is the one getting fat and old. He’s insecure with himself so he tries to divert the attention to Janie. Joe has a huge ego and prides himself on the belief that every other man is jealous of his beautiful wife and his social status. One day Janie get fed up and reacts to one of Joe’s comments by pointing out how Joe’s fat and aging body. She cuts him down from his pedestal in front of a bunch of Joe’s friends and shatters his ego. This is a huge turning point in the relationship between Joe and Janie.

Thier Eyes Quote #3

There is a key turning point in Janie’s journey to self-reliance in chapter 4. The event that set this change in motion was the death of Janie’s grandmother. With the woman who had done all of the thinking for you gone, Janie was left to think for herself. The beginning of chapter four shows how unfair and dysfunctional Janie and Logan’s marriage. Then Joe Starks comes along and offers Janie a life of luxury. Janie decides to leave Logan, who symbolizes a life of abuse and unfairness/ unhappiness, and marry Joe Starks who will give Janie money and social status.

There Eyes Quote #2

"[Janie] was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid." (page 11).

Here, Hurston is showing the transcendental qualities that Janie has. The way Janie appreciates nature is just one example I have noticed so far. Janie also seems to have given up a life of luxury, to a life of poverty. Janie also said that "[The members of her black comunity] don't know if life isn't a mess of corn-meal dumplings, and if love is a bed-quilt". This shows that Janie, as opposed to the women of her community, tries to appreciate life for more than what she was tought growing up. When she admires the tree in full bloom in the same way that Thoreau admired different aspects of nature. Thoreau spoke about the epic battles that the ants took place in "Walden Pond". Janie referrs to the bee sucking the nector from a flower as a marrage between the flower and the bee. They are both greatly fascinated by these different aspects of nature, and they both appreciate the events in the same way that others may appreciate certain objects of luxury such as a brand new BMW.

1. "Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly." (page 1).

This quote talks about dreams, and how people choose to persue or not persue thier dreams. The begining of this quote says that all people can see theier dreams. The author then says that some people let thier dreams sail away, while others let thier dreams slip away from them. The author said that other people leave thier dreams un attained forever even though they are within reach. Then the author talks specifically about women and how they persue or dont persue thier dreams. Some women force themselves to forget about thier dreams because they care too muc habout what other people think about them. So women instead to do what they are soposed to. The author wants people to realize thier true dreams and to persue them untill they are trully happy.

Huck Finn #6

“I think they are a pack of flat-heads for not keeping the palace themselves ’stead of fooling them away like that…”

Here Huck is arguing with Tom about genies. Tom was telling Huck how if you rub a bottle and a genie comes out he has to do anything you say, even build u a castle made out of diamonds before the next sunrise. Huck thought this was stupid how the genies didn’t keep the castles and do favors to themselves. Twain could be speaking out about slavery, and how we make people do all of our work for us without any compensation. The role of the slaves and the genies are the same. Huck feels that tits unfair for the genies to do all the work. This shows is a metaphor that tells me Huck thinks slavery is unfair, possibly this could come up later in the story.

Huck Finn #5

“And she took snuff, too; of course that was alright, because she’d done it herself”

Here Huck is talking about how much he wanted to smoke from his pipe at that moment. He wanted to but the widow told him that its an unclean practice and she should stop. Huck notices that she is contradicting herself because she takes snuff. He doesn’t say this out loud because he didn’t want a flogging but he doesn’t like how people can tell you what to do and what not to do regardless of whether they know anything about it or actually experienced it themselves.

Paper #3 Choice

I choose to do paper topic number 1 for my third essay. This will be about a situation that I witnessed at proctor that was handled poorly.

Huck Finn #4

“I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, I wouldn’t done that if I’d ‘a’ knowed it would make him feel that way.”

Here, Huck feels bad about messing with Jim’s head. Huck is truly sorry for making Jim feel this way. This shows Huck’s compassion toward Jim, and Jim, being a slave, this also symbolizes Huck’s compassion toward all slaves. Here, Huck is treating Jim as an equal unlike everyone else in his society treats slaves. Most other people in Huck’s society would treat Jim like an animal and not even think about Jim’s feelings.

Huck Finn #3

“Jim said he reckoned the widow was partly right and pap was partly right”—p. 73

In this quote, Huck and Jim were debating weather or not to ‘borrow’ the fruits. Huck can’t decide if it’s morally right to borrow from this stranger. To help make up his mind Huck gives the points of view of his two mentors, Pap and the Widow. He makes his decision based on finding a happy medium between the two beliefs. This shows how Huck’s morals were affected by being raised by both a psycho drunk and a god-fearing widow. The two extreme personalities that helped raise Huck sort of cancel each other out. In the end, he decides to not borrow all of the fruits and to leave some behind.

Huck Finn #2

“I think they are a pack of flat-heads for not keeping the palace themselves ’stead of fooling them away like that…”
Here Huck is arguing with Tom about genies. Tom was telling Huck how if you rub a bottle and a genie comes out he has to do anything you say, even build u a castle made out of diamonds before the next sunrise. Huck thought this was stupid how the genies didn’t keep the castles and do favors to themselves. Twain could be speaking out about slavery, and how we make people do all of our work for us without any compensation. The role of the slaves and the genies are the same. Huck feels that tits unfair for the genies to do all the work. This shows is a metaphor that tells me Huck thinks slavery is unfair, possibly this could come up later in the story.

Huck Finn #1

“And she took snuff, too; of course that was alright, because she’d done it herself”

Here Huck is talking about how much he wanted to smoke from his pipe at that moment. He wanted to but the widow told him that its an unclean practice and she should stop. Huck notices that she is contradicting herself because she takes snuff. He doesn’t say this out loud because he didn’t want a flogging but he doesn’t like how people can tell you what to do and what not to do regardless of whether they know anything about it or actually experienced it themselves.

Emily Dickinson: The Transcendentalist

Would you label Emily Dickinson as a Transcendentalist, why or why not?

After reading the poems from our reading assignment that were written by Emily Dickenson it became clear to me that she shared many transcendental beliefs with Emerson and Thoreau and other Transcendentalists. In the first poem I read by her (XX) she was discussing being drunk off of nature, which ties in with the love of nature aspect of transcendentalism. In the second poem labeled XXI, she described her letter to the world, which was to promote the “news that Nature told”, she told people to love nature in that poem. These are just a few of the Transcendental aspects found in Dickinson’s poems.

Essay #2

I choose essay question #3 about Hawthorne's tone in his stories and how he goes about achieving this tone.

Walt Whitman #2

"The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab and my loitering.
I too am not a bit tamed, I to am untranslateable , I sound my barbaric yaws over the roofs of the world" (Whitman 83)

Here, Whitman is explaining that he has not become domesticated, and dependant on industry and society. He is responding to the accusations of the spotted hawk. The spotted hawk is a metaphor for Emerson and Thoreau's Transendental beliefs, which tells him to get outside and enjoy nature and not confrom to society through gabbing and loitering. He too, is wild just as nature is and he is also capable of experienceing it.

Walt Whitman #1

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) " (Whitman 83)

Here, Walt Whitman is relating himself to Ralph Waldo Emerson's beliefs that were portrayed in "Self-Reliance". Whitman admits that he contradicts himself, but he feels that it is ok. This is similar to Emerson's statements in "Self Reliance" such as "To be great is to be misunderstood" (Emerson 19). Whitman follows Emerson's advice and writes today what he feels. And writes to-morrow write what he thinks then, even if it contradicts what he said today.

Black Veil #2

““How strange,” said a lady, “that a simple black veil, such as any woman might wear on her bonnet, should become such a terrible thing on Mr. Hooper’s face!””

Here, Hawthorne is pointing out that a simple black veil commonly seen on women can create such a controversy. It’s not as big a scandal as everyone makes it out to be, it is just a little bit strange. People don’t understand that he is trying to convey a message. The message is that all people are wearing a veil to hide their secrets.

Black Veil #1

“I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil!” (Hawthorne 62)

In this quote Hawthorne is talking about the Metaphorical veil that everyone wears. Hooper says that everyone wears this veil to hide their secret sins. He thinks that people forget that god sees everything. People think that if no one witnesses their sins on earth then they will be fine in heaven, which just isn’t the case.

Hawthorne Post # 2

““That old woman taught me my catechism,” said the young man; and there was a world of meaning in this simple comment.” (Hawthorne 67)

This sentence illustrates Brown’s whole world, as he knew it, being turned upside down. The people who had raised him and taught him how to live his life had not been practicing what they preached. His whole upbringing under the church was all a big hoax put on by people who worship evil. All of Brown’s roll models, growing up, were in fact the opposite of what he had admired them for. Even though Goodman Brown may not have realized it, this statement proves the illegitimacy of his entire life.

Hawthorne Post #1

“My Faith is gone!” (Hawthorne 69)

When Hawthorne wrote this in Young Goodman Brown he was using a literary technique called a double entendre. This means that this statement means two separate things. By capitalizing the word Faith, Hawthorn was referring to Brown’s beloved wife. Faith was gone in that Brown had lost his wife to the evil forces. The other meaning of this statement was referring to Brown’s religious faith. He had lost faith in the church because he had witnessed all the members of his church community on their way to go worship the devil.

Thoreau's Journal #2

Thoreau's Journal p. 35, March 21

“These are But few of my chances, and how many more things may I do with which there are none to be compared!”

Here Thoreau is discussing all of the opportunity there is to accomplish something in the world. He lists many famous accomplishments that have been achieved in the past, that he says he is capable of. Then he then points out that he is capable of accomplishing things that haven’t even been talked about or accomplished by others. Thoreau is giving a sort of motivational speech by preaching that you are capable of achieving the highest feats.

Thoreau's Journal

Thoreau's journal, p. 35, March 21

“Thanks Fortune, we are not rooted to the soil, and here is not all the world.”

In this quote Thoreau is explaining that people aren’t meant to stay in one place their whole life like a plant. People aren’t supposed to pick one spot in the world and stay there eternally. In Thoreau’s opinion, we are meant to g out and explore the world. We should experience life in all different settings. Thoreau explains that people can live many lives in a lifetime.

Paper Topic Chioce

I have decided to do essay number two on the comparison of Emerson and Thoreau and thier transcendentalist values.

Henry David Thoreau's Reading Quote #2

Henry David Thoreau’s “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts”

Here Thoreau is discussing artistic talent. He says being able to make a something beautiful is a great talent like painting a picture or carving a statue. But to be able to make one’s environment beautiful or to be able to make a day more special than others is true talent. Taking advantage of everyday, being able to make everyday a new beginning and more special than the rest is the most difficult talent to maintain.

Henry David Thoreau's Reading Quote

Henry David Thoreau’s “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”

“The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred millions to a poetic or divine life.”

Here Thoreau is explaining that nearly all people don’t get to experience the intellectual stimulation that he experiences. Most people drift through life concerned with material items and dedicate their life to working in industrial environments. These people never wake their inner genius as Thoreau calls it. He feels that if people stopped caring about material objects and other mainstream ideals, they would be able to experience this “intellectual exertion” he is fortunate enough to experience.

Emerson's "Nature"

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature” p. 20

Another Quote that I liked from Emerson’s “Nature” was when he wrote, “It is this which distinguishes the stick of timber of the woodcutter, from the tree of the poet.” Nature is what you make of it. Unfortunately today, to many people look at nature and just see natural resources. Not enough people look at nature and appreciate its beauty.

Reading Quote from Emerson's "Nature"

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature”

Although I didn’t like this piece as much as Emerson’s “Self Reliance” there were some parts that I liked. “Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic to a mourning piece.” Here Emerson is preaching one of the reasons why he thinks nature is so special and important. This makes sense to me, nature reflects back to you however you are feeling. There is so much involved in nature, depending on your mood you can focus in on the things that stand out to you depending on your mood.

Emerson Reading Post #2

Ralph Waldo Emerson “Self Reliance” p. 18

Another quote I likes from Emerson’s piece was when he said, “Must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness”. This shows that Emerson was not preaching for all people to be perfect (unlike many other religions). Emerson was advising people to figure out for themselves what they think is right and how they should go about their ways. He doesn’t want society to scare people from doing things just because that is the opinion of the populous.

Quote From Emerson

Ralf Waldo Emerson From “Self Reliance” p. 17

One quote that I read in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” was very interesting to me. “Accept the place the divine province has found for you”. Emerson is trying to tell the reader or anyone that before you go trying to be somebody your not, accept who you really are. Once you have done this you will be more successful as a person because you will be more in tune with yourself.

What I Want to Get Out of Class

There are many thing that I want to get out of this years English class. I want to improve my essay writing and learn how to make my points stronger and more clearly. I also want to become a better reader and learn how to interpret literature better so it makes more sense to me.