Mrs. Dalloway is definitely a very interesting read. I really have enjoyed the concept of it and how exact Virginia Woolf laid out her plot. I do not think that anyone can deny her brilliance in being able to completely map out an entire scene and deal with the different character in such a perfect and effective way. It is absolutely fascinating to me that Virginia Woolf is able to delve into the different minds of the characters and how she completely perfects their voices. As I have been reading, I see that every character has its own unique voice. Once I got to sort of know the characters, I was able to see where Woolf brought the different character's thoughts out in the novel.
The character of Mrs. Dalloway is very interesting to me because it shows how many older people look back at their lives and see that they have made mistakes. She is a very realistic character and yet there is an aspect to her that is very different. I love her voice in the novel. One of my favorite quotes is, "It all seemed useless-going on being in love; going on quarrelling; going on making it up..." (60). She is so realistic even though I think she does not want to be.
Even though Mrs. Dalloway is a very difficult book to read, the way she uses stream of conscientiousness is amazing. Also, the way that she uses her words are absolutely beautiful. I love when she is talking about time, and what it means to the different characters, "The word 'time' split its husk; poured its riches over him; and from his lips fell like shells, like shavings from a plane, without his making them, hard, white, imperishable words, and flew to attach themselves to their places in an ode to Time..." (69). Who else could ever come up with such a beautiful way of expressing a concept? It is just amazing to me!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tradition and the Individual Talent
I was surprised about after reading this, that I actually understood it and found it somewhat interesting. It shocked me that the same man who wrote this also wrote The Wasteland, the world's most difficult piece to read.
I really liked how T.S. Eliot was saying that in writing, there is not really a "tradition". There is really no set standard on how to write, and the English language actually encourages uniqueness and individuality. Eliot says, "Every nation, every race, has not only its own creative, but its own critical turn of mind; and is even more oblivious of the shortcomings and limitations of its critical habits than of those of its creative genius". What I think Eliot is saying is that a writer is able to think and write critically and creatively; there are no limitations.
I also like whenever Eliot says, "To conform merely would be for the new work not really to conform at all; it would not be new, and would therefore not be a work of art." A writer or poet's central goal is to be different and to not conform to another writer. A writer should set their own standards of writing. If a writer can accomplish this difference in writing, then to me, that is what makes a great writer.
I also like how Eliot says that writing is no good unless it is critiqued and criticized. It is important for a writer to understand his shortcomings in order to improve. The writer should not be criticized but the writing.
There is one more quote that I found interesting. It says, "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality". What I think this means is that poetry is a way for a person to escape their own lives and create a world in which one can say whatever they want without offending anyone.
I really liked how T.S. Eliot was saying that in writing, there is not really a "tradition". There is really no set standard on how to write, and the English language actually encourages uniqueness and individuality. Eliot says, "Every nation, every race, has not only its own creative, but its own critical turn of mind; and is even more oblivious of the shortcomings and limitations of its critical habits than of those of its creative genius". What I think Eliot is saying is that a writer is able to think and write critically and creatively; there are no limitations.
I also like whenever Eliot says, "To conform merely would be for the new work not really to conform at all; it would not be new, and would therefore not be a work of art." A writer or poet's central goal is to be different and to not conform to another writer. A writer should set their own standards of writing. If a writer can accomplish this difference in writing, then to me, that is what makes a great writer.
I also like how Eliot says that writing is no good unless it is critiqued and criticized. It is important for a writer to understand his shortcomings in order to improve. The writer should not be criticized but the writing.
There is one more quote that I found interesting. It says, "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality". What I think this means is that poetry is a way for a person to escape their own lives and create a world in which one can say whatever they want without offending anyone.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Wasteland
After reading and re-reading and re-reading T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland I have come to the conclusion that I have no idea what Eliot is trying to say. On one hand, some of the language that T.S. Eliot uses is really very beautiful. When read aloud, I really love the way the words run so smoothly together. My favorite lines in the poem were in the beginning, "April is the cruellest month, breeding/ Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/ Memory and despair, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain/ Winter kept us warm, conveying/ Earth in forgetful snow, feeding/ A little life with dried tubers" (5). I love these lines and really the first entire stanza, but alas I really do not understand what he is trying to say. I could guess, but I feel like I would probably be very wrong.
Something else that I saw out of this poem that was very interesting to me were the different types of languages Eliot used throughout the poem. I never knew what any of it meant without looking at the footnotes or what language it even was. For some reason, I think that the way he uses the different languages is trying to show the world as a whole in some way. Really though, I am just confused about it.
I found the critical readings interesting and it began to sort of make me understand what The Wasteland was all about and where it came from. It was interesting to learn about why Eliot wrote about it and the background of it. It was also intriguing to see how it was published and how important it was for Eliot to make it the way it was. I can definitely see how European culture affected Eliot because of all the references he made throughout the poem.
Overall, I am very excited to learn about this poem in class. I just hope that someone understands it better than I did!
Something else that I saw out of this poem that was very interesting to me were the different types of languages Eliot used throughout the poem. I never knew what any of it meant without looking at the footnotes or what language it even was. For some reason, I think that the way he uses the different languages is trying to show the world as a whole in some way. Really though, I am just confused about it.
I found the critical readings interesting and it began to sort of make me understand what The Wasteland was all about and where it came from. It was interesting to learn about why Eliot wrote about it and the background of it. It was also intriguing to see how it was published and how important it was for Eliot to make it the way it was. I can definitely see how European culture affected Eliot because of all the references he made throughout the poem.
Overall, I am very excited to learn about this poem in class. I just hope that someone understands it better than I did!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Four Plays by Eugene O'Neill
What I found most interesting about Eugene O'Neill's four plays is the degree of uniqueness each one had. Even though a person could see a similar underlying theme, O'Neill really did create different worlds, different characters, and even different societies in all of his plays. Something else that I found really amazing was the different types of dialogue used in the different plays. There was at least one character (and usually more) that the reader had to read the part out loud very slowly and then try and figure out what in the world he/she were saying. Something else that I really did find intriguing was all of the intricate stage details in the four different plays. It was almost like reading a novel, because O'Neill was so specific of what was happening on the stage in every single scene. I guess I am just used to reading Shakespeare where the reader really cannot even begin to visualize what is going on during the play. In Emperor Jones, there were times whenever there were just pages and pages of nothing but what was going on the stage.
Even though all four plays had great merit and a reader really could dive into the material and look at the characters in depth, the play that I enjoyed reading the most was Beyond the Horizon. I guess what I really enjoyed about the play was the way O'Neill created the different characters. To me, the characters in Beyond the Horizon were more relatable to today. I know that I have had regrets about not doing something that I have always wanted to do. There is always that hope that someday a person might be able to go "beyond the horizon" and achieve the desired things they want. What Beyond the Horizon truly shows though, is that most times, a person is not able to complete their life ambitions. There is happiness most of the time, like with Robert always being satisfied, but there is never that feeling of completeness.
Also, I just wanted to end with saying that I really did not like Ruth. She was fickle and petty and pretty much displayed every evil quality that a person can possess. Even though Robert was kind of rude to his uncle and really immature in his decisions, I do not think that he deserved to die knowing that his marriage was a joke. I guess this story just really goes to show how much a life can change by a certain decision made.
Even though all four plays had great merit and a reader really could dive into the material and look at the characters in depth, the play that I enjoyed reading the most was Beyond the Horizon. I guess what I really enjoyed about the play was the way O'Neill created the different characters. To me, the characters in Beyond the Horizon were more relatable to today. I know that I have had regrets about not doing something that I have always wanted to do. There is always that hope that someday a person might be able to go "beyond the horizon" and achieve the desired things they want. What Beyond the Horizon truly shows though, is that most times, a person is not able to complete their life ambitions. There is happiness most of the time, like with Robert always being satisfied, but there is never that feeling of completeness.
Also, I just wanted to end with saying that I really did not like Ruth. She was fickle and petty and pretty much displayed every evil quality that a person can possess. Even though Robert was kind of rude to his uncle and really immature in his decisions, I do not think that he deserved to die knowing that his marriage was a joke. I guess this story just really goes to show how much a life can change by a certain decision made.
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