AP Literature Final AP Exam

The Trial (Importance of Physical Experience)

" Camus' ironic sense of comedy is included in the prosecutor's tirades. For the prosecutor, the facts of the crime are "as clear as daylight." Recall that when Meursault fired the shots, he was mesmerized by the daylight. But the sun itself was not clear; it was thickly clotted by Meursault's mental state

Marlow's Early Life and New Employment

"'Oh, I never see them,' he remarked; 'and, moreover, the changes take place inside, you know."--Marlow is annoyed by the blunt and intrusive doctor--Conrad includes this cryptic message to foreshadow the depths of darkness that will be unraveled once Marlow begins his quest. This is significant because it hints at insanity coupled with greed.

Realizations in Prison & Final Acceptance (Meaning vs Meaninglessness)

"But," I reminded myself, "it's common knowledge that life isn't worth living, anyhow---This paradox might be true because life, as eventful as it may be, will ultimately cease and the aspirations, legacy, and soul of the fatality will decay in the soil of their grave. This is significant as Camus finalizes the magnitude of the absurd--Meursault is convinced that he has not sinned: a man of God has no business in his cell. He committed a criminal offense, not a sin, and God's laws should have no dimension in civil matters.

The Early Stages of Marlow's Voyage

"We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms"--By comparing to a ghost that is a figment of this surreal imagination, Conrad conveys the perspective of the relentless yet frightened foreigners gliding through unknown forces and land. --"broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once"--"By depicting the lost and frightening path down the canal, Conrad asserts an overwhelming anxiety of navigating through the dark and hostile path. The simile of feeling like you are lost in a "desert" connotes the never-ending exhaustion of looking for answers in an absurd place. Conrad asserts the surrealism of a man cut off from reality and the layers of deception that perhaps protected him from what he did not know.

White (HoD)

"When the sun rose there was a white fog, very warm and clammy, and more blinding than the night"--Conrad adds the visual imagery of the white fog that hides the view and truth of the ominous jungle just as the white chamber of civilization blinds itself from the darkness of its primitive soul. -"The pilgrims had opened with their Winchesters, and were simply squirting lead into that bush." Marlow is distressed as he fights for his survival. This is significant as Conrad asserts the disaster of colonialism as the so called "civilized" colonialists are not as civilized as they seem

Religion (ITTOTB)

-- a powerful force in lives of novel's characters & in the politics of the Dominican Republic --Patria starts out wanting to be a nun, gives this up to get married, loses her faith after her baby is born dead, and then regains it with a vision of the Virgin Mary --Patria's shift into resistance coincides with that of the priest Padre de Jesús and other Catholics, after they witness a massacre during a religious retreat. -- regime responds with a full-on war against church, but one of the most inspiring parts of the novel is when the Catholic church finally stands up for its people and fights Trujillo in its own way. --Religion is a driving force for character development and involvement in the revolution

Courage vs Cowards (ITTOTB)

-- sisters are all aware of their cowardice as they perceive it, and while they sometimes fight for courage, in some cases they simply accept their cowardice --Minerva serves as face of revolution and most outward and vocal example of courage, whether she is publicly criticizing Trujillo or hitting him in the face --Dedé struggles with a hesitance to join the revolution in fear of losing her family and jeopardizing her relationship with her husband. She allows herself tinier victories, like listening to revolutionary radio stations in secret --Dede takes on the courage of supporting her sisters so they do not lose themselves in despair --Patria provides an example of courage through action, as she allows her home to become the motherhood of the revolution;

Courage vs Cowards 2 (ITTOTB)

--María Teresa shows courage through the compassion and love she shares with the people around her, even while in jail. --All the sisters personal stories contribute to their courage --in prison, the girls remain courageous as they go on a hunger strike and cruxifications , they are tried but maintain their goddess-like personalities --Scene where the families daily lives are shifted to the revolutions their tables and furniture serve as setting for the bombs they make --ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, its the silence over that by the good people --Fidel success in cuba gives the butterflies courage

Dedé (ITTOTB)

--becomes an oracle for the butterflies, living in the house, raising their children, and telling their story to the world --her story is told in third person when everyone else is in first person; suggests she is different from the others not in the sense that she is not as brave but she is more practical. -- only survivor, still seems trapped by the memory of her sisters and their growing fame, but she also lives to see the freedom they helped bring to the Dominican Republic. --The sisters fight for freedom and they go down as martyrs, yet Dede is still imprisoned by the impact of her sisters death. --Dedé represents the individual (and often feminine) desire for personal freedom. She feels confined emotionally, especially in her marriage. Her personal struggles highlight intrinsic yearning for freedom and autonomy within humanity.

The Orphan Archetype (loss of innocence--Frankenstein)

--being forced to grow up quickly, hardened by trauma and neglect. --initially, Victor abandoned the creature because he deemed him as a terrifying demon, but instead he had only abandoned a newborn child.

Myth of Sisyphus

Although condemned to rolling an enormous boulder up a hill, only to watch it tumble back down, Sisyphus adjusted. His mind was his own, although his body was forced to repeat again and again, throughout eternity, the same action--Prisoners in Algiers are never told when they are to be executed; thus Meursault has no opportunity to adjust for an eternity of punishment as, for example, Sisyphus had---One must "play the game" if he is to live within society. But in order to do this, one must give up being absolutely true to himself and acting according to his conscience. Society cannot afford to harbor strangers or outsiders who live by other rules. Society demands obedience---He will watch and measure his life's meaning as he faces what he hopes to be a howling mob. If he is so hated and such a threat to that mob of people, he will be able to laugh at their fear of him. He does not fear their hatred

Dark (HoD)

Darkness symbolizes the bleakness of reality and human nature--It is employed through the dark sky and through the moral and ethical corruption in the Congo--Title: heart of darkness is Africa, where barbarism and savagery is present, but psychologically, the heart of darkness is within all of us--hidden and disguised in the form of civilized one

Italian Sonnet

English Sonnet: quatorzian (3 Sicilian quatrains) Shakespearean Sonnet: ABABCDCDEFEFGG divides into two parts: the first eight lines (octave)-rhyme scheme abbabba (poses a question/problem); final six lines (sestet) : cdecde, cdcdcd, cdccdc (comments on situation, answers the problem,

In the time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez,1994 --Born in New York City in 1950, Julia Alvarez's parents returned to their native country, Dominican Republic, shortly after her birth. Ten years later, the family was forced to flee to the United States because of her father's involvement in a plot to overthrow the dictator, Trujillo.

The Shooting (Sun and Heat)

The heat is the prominent symbol of humanity's meaninglessness to the universe--Regardless of an individual's emotions or events, the sun will mercilessly engulf you with its intensity or adequately convenience you with its company--As the chapter progresses, the tone shifts from content to distressed when the Arabs approach--The heat suggests violence through the metaphor-"sand was as hot as fire" and the visual imagery - "it was glowing red"--Just as the Sun and its heat are indifferent to humanity, Meursault is indifferent to death or killing a man as he asserts: " one might fire, or not fire" and it would still be "absolutely the same thing."

The Magistrate

The magistrate begins by stating he is interested in Meursault-- but not for his true self but for the fact that he does not feel guilt or remorse for what he has done He asks Meursault to believe in God so it can strengthen his meaning in life The Magistrate contests that everyone else has wept at the magistrate's performance with the crucifix, the symbol of Christ's suffering. As he did not at his mother's funeral, Meursault does not weep now.

Meursault's Life (Passivity vs Activity)

defines himself and his own destiny. And, at this moment in his life, Meursault cannot succumb to the rituals of frantic, emotional breast-beating because of his mother's death--Salamano's grief over the dog is a contrast to Meursault's lack of grief over his mother's dying and, in both cases, there are uncertainties. Salamano does not know if his dog is dead, found and housed by someone else, or merely lost; Meursault isn't sure when his mother died. But he listens to Salamano, not because he was concerned about the dog but because, he says, he wasn't sleepy anyway.

Existentialism

often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice---attempt to direct our attention to ourselves as individuals--first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made--believe the greatest victory of the individual is to realize the absurdity of life and to accept it--Mankind has free will. Life is a series of choices---Freedom means that whatever happened prior to now do not influence what your next choice in life will be, we are free to make any choice we want.

Alliteration

"lives" and "life" to connote the significance of the poems attempt to capture the subjects immortal beauty, a connection between morality and immortality---silence swallowing her speech: mimic the stillness of the air and the subject's inability to express their thoughts outloud

Volta

"the turn"change in thought (shift in tone) the beloved is ideally beautiful, unattainable, cruel in rejecting poets love love is a torment, the lover suffers from extreme of feeling the God of love is harsh/love is a religion, the eyes are the window to the soul immortalize the beloved

The rabbits (ITTOTB)

(symbol); symbolize those who feel entrapped in a patriarchal and government oppressive society. While the rabbit's hesitation to be free represent those who choose comfort and safety under dictatorship and injustice---In the beginning of the novel, Alvarez demonstrates how Minerva is trapped in a patriarchal setting where the men dominate the decisions of a woman. --Alvarez incorporates tension in the plot by highlighting Minerva's impatience to achieve her father's permission for her every move. --Unlike the rabbit, Minerva has an extreme desire to be free from the patriarchal system of her society. --As the novel progresses and Minerva has lost her innocence, she not only feels entrapped by the limitations of being a woman in her society, but also by the dictatorship and injustice of the government --This is evident when she says "after I got to Inmaculada and met Sinita and saw what happened to Lina and realized that I'd just left a small cage to go into a bigger one, the size of the whole country." (Chapter 2, Pg.27)

FRQ 2

****By/through + level three strategy A to B, author (verb for analysis) that + big question answer EXAMPLE: "Through characterization of the setting and the narrator, Joyce Carol Oates portrays the angst of a young woman balancing the expectations of society against her own desires for a taboo romantic love with her friend."

The martyr archetype (Frankenstein)

---enlightened martyr seeks to do what is best for the greater good; willing to subjugate themselves to tremendous suffering if it aligns with their beliefs. Often killed as a result of their beliefs or a sacrifice for the betterment of society ---the monster believes that committing suicide is the is a mean of ridding himself from society's sins and proposing redemption for all forms of life. ---when society has gave their back to such individuals, they come to believe that the only path to redemption is to permanently abandon society.

Women (ITTOTB)

--Alvarez shows how the resistance against women in politics can even be propagated by the women themselves, as both Mamá and Patria initially express sentiments that women are inferior to men, or else are somehow "purer" and so shouldn't dirty themselves with politics. --complex idea= female revolutionaries have to go down as martyrs for movement to mean something --when men are oppressed its a tragedy, when women are oppressed its tradition

Manolin (OMAS)

--An adolescent Cuban boy who has fished w Santiago since he was a child, Manolin is Santiago's devoted apprentice. -- cares for Santiago in his old age, & encourages him in his fishing even though Manolin's parents have forced Manolin to seek out a "luckier" employer. --He is Santiago's only human friend, and looks up to Santiago as a mentor and father-figure. Manolin exemplifies traits of fidelity, selflessness and compassion. He accepts hard work happily, never complaining.

The Mast (OMAS)

--At the end of OMAS, exhausted Santiago removes his mast from his skiff, & haltingly drags it up the beach to his shack by resting one end of the cross on his shoulder. -- position in which Santiago carries the mast exactly mirrors the position in which Jesus Christ was forced to drag his cross on the way to his crucifixion. --The mast becomes a symbol for the cross, and cements the parallel that Hemingway sets up between Santiago's ordeal and Christ's.

Lions (OMAS)

--Both in his bed in the village & in his boat, Santiago dreams of lions on beaches of Africa, which he saw when he was a boy on a ship that sailed and fished the coast of Africa. -- lions symbolize Santiago's lost youth as well as his pride (a group of lions is called a "pride"). Santiago's love for the lions, which are fierce predators, also mirrors his relationship with the marlin, whom he loves but whose death he feels is necessary to his survival. -- lions as also symbolize Santiago's affinity with nature. Now that Santiago is no longer young, and has lost his friends, family, and strength, he sees lions only in his dreams. --Santiago's dreams of the lions at the end of the novella suggest that in triumphing over the marlin, he has undergone his own rejuvenation.

Justine (Frankenstein)

--Justine's character is a very passive, seldom vocal character in the novel. She is tossed back and forth between her family and the Frankensteins, until she is ultimately framed for the murder of William Frankenstein. Justine defies the expectations of one wrongfully accused of manslaughter, remaining tranquil and peaceful.

Class and Perspective (ITTOTB)

--Mirabal sisters upper-class status was the driving force of their successful revolution --Julia Alvarez shared a similar class with the sisters, her family was exiled due to involvement with the rebellion, her family lived in fear and terror just like the sisters. --Sisters grew up in a working class family,their childhood built their discipline and hardwork their class does not allow them to escape their oppression- like when minerva gets her law degree but can't practice --By implementing the perspectives of the sisters, Alvarez diverts the main attention from Trujillo although his regime is the backbone of the book.

Family (ITTOTB)

--Papá is imprisoned, Mamá- fights to have him released and nurses him in his last years. --Minerva also overcomes her anger and delivers money to Carmen, Papá's mistress, and her four children, enrolling the children in school. --When Minerva and María Teresa are imprisoned, along with Manolo, Leandro, Pedrito, and Nelson, rest of the family visits them and continually pressures the authorities to release their family members. --When people are in trouble, strength of family ties saves them. --Dedé, who feels guilty because her fear allowed her to survive, devotes a great deal of energy memorializing her sisters; takes care of some of her nieces/ nephews when their parents die.

Portrait of Trujillo (ITTOTB)

--Part of Trujillo's "personality cult" involves associating himself w/ God - his slogan is "God and Trujillo," he is referred to as country's "Benefactor," & people think of him as constantly watching over them, whether benevolently or malevolently. --In Mamá's house there is even a portrait of Trujillo next to a picture of Jesus. This especially affects the religious Patria, who thinks of Jesus as divine justice and Trujillo as earthly power. --Ultimately Trujillo's propaganda works - he does become a kind of "god" - but it is an evil god, and even the church rises up against him.

Conflict (OMAS)

--Santiago reckons w/ his inner conflict through transferring his qualities on to the fish --"then he was sorry for the great fish who had nothing to eat' (Hemingway 75) --Hemingway personifies the fish with his own qualities

The Sharks (OMAS)

--Santiago's fiercest antagonists. -- Although Santiago manages to kill most of them, they tear apart marlin's body and leave Santiago devastated. --While marlin is portrayed as both an adversary and a noble companion to Santiago, the sharks are portrayed as purely vicious. -- shovel-nosed sharks can also be seen as symbolizing destructive forces of nature and of the people of Jerusalem, whose petty jealousies and rivalries led to the crucifixion of Jesus. --the sharks can symbolize literary critics, whom Hemingway saw as "feasting" on the creations of true artists w/o actually creating anything themselves.

Man and Nature (OMAS)

--Santiago's injured hands recall Christ's stigmata (the wounds in his palms) --when the sharks attack, Santiago makes a sound like a man being crucified; --when Santiago returns to shore he carries his mast up to his shack on his shoulder, just as Christ was forced to bear his own crucifix; --Santiago's final position, resting on his bed, resembles Christ's position on the cross. --Santiago resembles Christ in that he transforms loss into triumph, faces the inevitability of death without complaint, and transcends it. --Christ literally is resurrected, while Santiago regains Manolin as an apprentice, providing both the companionship he had lost and the chance to pass his knowledge on to the next generation --we believe in religion because of faith as it is energy and comfort for the soul --Similar to to Christ, no one believed old man is a good fisherman except the boy, like no one believed Jesus was the Messiah --Old Man goes out 3 days fishing, Jesus took 3 days to resurrect --when the old man falls asleep after his encounter "he slept face down on newspaper with his arms out straight and palms of his hands up" (pg. 47), Jesus dies in the same position on the cross --Apostle Judas betrayed Jesus to Romans; Jesus was crucified and buried a guarded tomb

Santiago (OMAS)

--an elderly widowed Cuban fisherman whose "luck" seems to have run out—he hasn't caught anything in 84 days. -- humble in his dealings w/ others, yet takes great pride in his work and himself, & is frustrated & embarrassed by his failures. --views his aging body as a kind of betrayer, & fondly remembers his younger days, when he was exceptionally strong and a successful fisherman. --greatest joys are the time he spends w/ his former apprentice, Manolin, and time he spends talking about baseball-- the "great DiMaggio." -- Besides Manolin, Santiago considers his only friends to be the sea, the fish, and the stars. --In his conquest over the marlin, ^ exhibits exceptional determination & endurance in face of physical and psychological pain. --Although he loses marlin to sharks, entire struggle constitutes a spiritual triumph in which Santiago emerges as a Christ figure.

Isolation (Frankenstein)

--apparent Romantic individualism in Walton and Victor also leads to their isolation. -- Victor isolates himself from his family and friends, there is ultimately no one to stop him from creating his monster. Walton is isolated in two ways: first, his ship is completely alone in the Artic. Second, even though he is surrounded by his crew, he laments to his sister that he lacks a friend on board the ship

The Shadow archetype (Frankenstein)

--comprised of repressed desires, ideas, weaknesses, instincts, and shortcomings --the monster is Victor's shadow self, a product of his greedier, darker side and as a result the monster is condemned from society as he is the embodiment of Victor's suppressed emotions

Maria (ITTOTB)

--in prison, Mate realizes she's pregnant; plans to abort it so SIM don't take it~Loses baby when the SIM do something to her...she won't say what; We read note Mate wrote telling what SIM did; they gave her electric shock until Leandro agreed to do what they wanted --she remains herself even when skin deep into the revolution, she is mixed with child-like excitement and bravery of adult. --through her diary entries we see her character development --María Teresa is the romantic of the butterflies. She joins the revolution when she meets her eventual husband, Leandro. She is imprisoned with Minerva and is tortured during her sentence. Her chapters are written in the form of her journal entries that she writes throughout her life.

Post child archetype (Frankenstein)

--isolated from others, inability to understand and convey appropriate communication and emotions --the creature is further isolated from mankind after he experiences first hand the prejudice in society --by portrayingthe creature as a child, the readers notice that the creature's plight is the fault of Victor

Magic Realism (ITTOTB)

--literary or artistic genre in which realistic and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream and fantasy --Diff in how DEDE sees the three sisters and how the public sees them which contributes to developing Magical realism in the story. --public- legend and inspiration ; dede- loss and grief --Her concern here is to create the Mirabal sisters in a realistic way that accounts for the struggles they experienced and the obstacles they overcame. --in legend, martyrs lose their humanity,but magic realism allows for character to fill in th silent gaps of icons.

Patria (ITTOTB)

--oldest and most religious, wanted to become a nun chose to have a family, --Loss of her newborn baby made her question her belief and question trujillo as he is god on earth ; faith restored by virgin mary --originally resists the underground movement, but she joins Minerva after witnessing the massacre in Constanza. --her babby's death is seen in the girls perspective before hers --symbol of freedom and transformation

Rain (ITTOTB)

--represents disaster, pain and heartache --often predicts tragedy which is a big motif throughout in the time of the butterflies --After Minerva slaps Trujillo, the unruly dictator, towards the end of chapter six, the storm comes, symbolizing the trials ahead.

Minerva (ITTOTB)

--symbol of strength and adversity --cares for her children; but puts revolution first. --She is so steadfast in her principles that she refuses to accept a pardon from Trujillo when she is imprisoned because she believes she has done nothing that needs to be pardoned.

Maria Teresa dairies (ITTOTB)

--symbolize freedom of speech --when she has to hide her diaries, it suggests how freedom of speech is free to an extent --this is where she writes about the torn out pages --highlight María Teresa's bright, warm, and funny character

The Magistrate & Meursault (Meaning vs Meaninglessness)

After he says he does not believe in christianity: Meursault's silence transforms the magistrate, whom Meursault once thought looked like a most intelligent man, into a madman. Waving a silver crucifix, he rants that he believes in God Almighty and that even the worst of sinners (presumably, Meursault) can obtain forgiveness---he becomes truly criminal to the magistrate when he admits to a disbelief in God. In despair, the magistrate says that if he ever doubted that God existed, his life would have no meaning; it is as though he is accusing Meursault of trying to convert him to being a non-believer, asking Meursault if he wishes the magistrate's life to have no meaning. --"all men believe in God, even those who reject Him" : paradox makes "sense" because as beliefs are shaped by society, the concept of God and religion is an unbreakable bond. Those who reject it are simply "lost" and will come to find themselves again.

The Trial (Meaning vs Meaninglessness)

Being intelligent is an admirable trait in society, but Meursault is confused as to why it serves as a negative connotation when referring to criminals. The prosecutor claims that if he was an ordinary, uneducated man, the fact that he fired four shots in madness would be plausible; however, such conspiracies remain absurd to Meursault, who thinks such emotions are meaningless.-----Meursault's sentence was on the basis of moral justice. It is ironic that if he had wept or experienced fits of madness in fear of losing his life, the prosecutor would have lost his trial. If Meursault had gone along with society's game of who fits in and who does not, he would not have been executed.

The Shooting (Passivity vs Activity)

Camus characterizes Meursault as an observer. A man that inspects life through physical sensation rather than emotional contribution--When describing the act of the murder, Camus employs a passive connotation through the phrases- "the trigger gave" and that he "shook of [his] sweat. " His indifference is almost as though he is observing a murder rather than committing it--Meursault performs "activity" by the event of the Arab's muder. Throughout the novel, Meursault commonly made decisions casually without the possibility of grave consequences.

The Misunderstanding

Camus was very much intrigued with the irony of a mother and a daughter murdering a rich stranger, who, by chance, is their son and brother--Unlike Meursault, however, the mother and daughter kill themselves in fits of madness and guilt when they discover the identity of the dead man, whereas, in contrast, Meursault does not fully comprehend his own murder of a stranger---. Camus embedded this story to explore the significance of absurdism. There was no definite reason (besides perhaps greed) that the rich son should have died, just like there was no reason Mearsault killed the Arab

Conrad's Impressionist Style & Meaning

Conrad connotes the unknown and engulfing feeling of burliness to convey that just as Marlow cannot fully see what is ahead, the readers cannot fully visualize the scene; therefore, both audiences must rely on the sensations and amplifying emotions that are resurfacing. ---This is seen through the visual imagery of air that is "thick" and "sluggish", blinding Marlow from his fate and his layered deception.As Conrad continues to depict the scene, he does not add a break to his writing, with long sentences and paragraphs, the readers are granted a sense of astounding uneasiness. Yet, he does not let such lengthy paragraphs slow down the tempo of the story as he quickens the pace when describing the enveloping nature. --Nonetheless, through the scene, the readers feel like they are in a hypnotic state as they are entrapped in the enthralling impressionist style of Conrad's writing.

Framed Narrative

Conrad's frame narrator, like the reader, learns that his ideas about European imperialism are founded on a number of lies that he has wholeheartedly believed. By the end of the novel, Marlow's tale significantly changes the narrator's attitude toward the ships and men of the past--Heart of Darkness begins not on a steamboat fighting its way upriver in the Congo, but on the deck of a "cruising yawl" --much "about" a man's witnessing horror as much as it concerns the same man's struggle to put his experiences into words. The way that Marlow tells his tale, therefore, is as much a part of the novel as the tale itself. --The narrator's values and assumptions are challenged — although indirectly — by Marlow's story, and the reader is meant to perceive these two points-of-view as two different understandings of man's relationship to the natural world and the people in it.

Elizabeth (Frankenstein)

Described as a submissive, gentle character from the beginning, Elizabeth has always been a soft spot for her fiancé, he acts as if she is his possession. Elizabeth has become another inert victim in this game of insanity and male-centered mayhem.

Formalist Lens (ITTOTB)

Focuses on elements of the text itself (such as symbols, character development, structure, etc) Magic realism, historical fiction (breathes life into the mirabal characters.)

The Chaplain

He helps criminals connect with God after they have committed their sins but now Meursault does not weep or feel remorse in the presence of God Instead, he is a catalyst that progresses Meursault's psychological development as it through him he has found ground and becomes the Absurd Hero. Through the Chaplain: the absurd hero embraces the struggle and the contradiction of living without purpose. His final acceptance of the absurd is triggered when he violently expresses that all men are condemned to die

Real victory (OMAS)

Hemingway is not simply writing of a worn out man striving to kill a fish for the prize but the idea & lessons of the adventure & obstacles--glory depends upon one having the pride to see a struggle through to its end, regardless of outcome. Even if old man had returned with marlin intact, his moment of glory, like marlin's meat, would have been short-lived-- glory & honor Santiago accrues comes not from his battle itself but from his pride & determination to fight--victory over the inevitable is not what defines a man--it is a man's struggle against the inevitable

Take It to the Next Level: (FRQ 1)

In this stanza, Oliver must put forth the logical circumstances towards the family's burdens. Through the uneasy rhythm, Oliver asserts the tug of war between logic and sentiment, whether they sell the tree and in turn their memories of their heritage, or keep the Black Walnut tree, safely nurturing the struggles and bliss of the family's ancestors as their memories of a fruitful past continuous to blossom. The quickening of pace adds to the engulfing tension the speaker and the mother feel as they continue to ponder the gravity that poses in their home. In this stanza, the tone of contemplation is introduced to allow the theme of perseverance to advance, as the subjects shift to understand their true feelings and the meaning of their lives.

Living Authentically vs Bad Faith

Living "authentically" refers to the acceptance of freedom granted by the absurd and means to be in control of your life's meaning-To live in "Bad Faith" means to deny the absurd and accept the meaning of life as out of your control.--If Meursault murdered the Arab and consorted to society's rules by showing regret or emotion, he would be living in "bad faith", because he was truly indifferent to the event.--After Meursault killed the Arab, he did not live in "bad faith" because he accepted the truth and did not lie to himself about his crime --Ironically, we pause and consider that had Meursault "played the game," had he wept during the trial, wrung his hands, exhibited any emotion or remorse, the prosecutor's case would have failed.

Friendship (OMAS)

Manolin provides physical support to Santiago in the village, bringing him food & clothing & helping him load his skiff-- also provides emotional support, encouraging Santiago throughout his unlucky streak. --once he encounters the marlin, Santiago refuses to accept defeat because he knows Manolin would be disappointed in him. -- flying fish are "his principal friends on the ocean," & marlin, through their shared struggle, becomes his "brother." He calls stars his "distant friends," and thinks of ocean as a woman he loves. --Santiago talks to himself, talks to his weakened left hand, and imagines Manolin sitting next to him. --In the end, these friendships—both real and imagined—prevent Santiago from pitying himself-- he has the support to achieve what seems physically impossible for an old man

Margaret (Frankenstein)

Margaret's character has perhaps the most passive role of all. She is useful to us as an audience because without her, there is no reason for Walton to relay his story. Yet, we never meet this character nor do we know if she really exists, if she ever reads the story and gets the letters, or if she has anything to say about it. She is the most distant and passive female character in the novel and also the most necessary to the novel as a whole

The Helmsman's Funeral and Arrival at the Inner Station:

Marlow feels regret and sadness towards the helmsman he had lost--As he loses the helmsman, Marlow mourns him as his worker. This is perhaps more close to a relationship you can get with Marlow as he admires work and integrity more than anything else. -"'I tell you,' he cried, 'this man has enlarged my mind.'"--Marlow is a little puzzled as this clown looking man expresses his admirations towards Kurtz--Like the public is victim to the deception of nobility through colonialism, this innocent and oblivious young man falls into the hands of Kurtz's eloquence that shadows him from the true intentions and extent of greed and despair that encompass Kurtz's mind.

Contradiction and Ambivalence

Marlow insists that Fresleven, the Danish captain he replaced, was completely harmless, but he also describes how the man ended up in a violent dispute over hens and died at the end of an African's spear---Despite the filth and chaos that reigns at the station, the accountant maintains an immaculattwiely clean suit and perfectly coiffed hair.

Pointlessness of Colonialism (HoD)

Marlow witnesses off the West African coast, where a French warship fires pointlessly at an invisible enemy. Another image appears later, at the Central Station, when Marlow watches as frantic Europeans pointlessly attempt to extinguish a burning grass hut-- a French warship fires pointlessly at an invisible enemy. Another image appears later, at the Central Station, when Marlow watches as frantic Europeans pointlessly attempt to extinguish a burning grass hut.

Adam (Frankenstein)

Mary Shelley brings in allusions to Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, biblical story of the fall of humanity--As God created one and only Adam, Victor creates unique monster- main difference is that Victor abandons creature upon his creation while God guided Adam--like Adam,Monster is curious about world and desires a mate.--Victor is also like Adam: he shuns his creation and is ashamed of what he has done like how Adam was ashamed of eating the forbidden fruit.

Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)

Mary Shelley was the daughter of a writer who advocated for gender equality & a political philosopher questioned of justice, rights, and social inequality--Like how Walton did not have the early opportunity to have an education, Shelley's step mom thought it unnecessary to educate her.

Maman's funeral

Meursault's behavior seems out of sync w/ social expectations: drinking coffee and smoking at a funereal vigil seems disrespectful. he is superficial, thinking of woman's crying and sitters' silence as irritants rather than as empathetic expressions grief.--Meursault did not visit his mother often because its inconvenience outweighed his mother's happiness --When asked his mother's age, he could not give a definite answer: proving their distance and his incapability to form intimate relationships.

The trial (chance v choice)

Meursault's old friend Céleste will defend Meursault by saying that the murder of the Arab was just an accident, a stroke of bad luck. Likewise, Raymond will defend Meursault by stating that "chance" and "mere coincidence" are to blame--for if it was the doorkeeper who is the blame for Meursault's drinking coffee; he is guilty of defaming Meursault's character, which the prosecutor is attempting to do also. And, if the doorkeeper is guilty, then Raymond, by extension, is guilty for suggesting that Meursault write the letter, and Marie is guilty for suggesting the comic movie that she and Meursault attended together. But, remember that in each case, Meursault was given a choice; he could have said no. He must now assume the responsibilities for his actions

The Stranger

Meursault, a man who does not entertain feelings, is a foreigner to himself, to society, & to his family--as he dares to challenge society's views on justice & morality, his existence may finally be noticed---magistrate seems to have lost interest in this queer, hard-hearted man who denies the existence of God.--To them, Meursault becomes a non-person; neither man is hostile toward him. Ironically, Meursault says that he felt that sometimes he was "one of the family."---Meursault is a man of few words, but he finds himself, at the present, eager to speak out, to add more to his lawyer's defense. This he has been advised not to do and so he remains silent. To him, it seems as though he has been excluded from the trial entirely and that his fate is to be decided with his having little to do with the matter.

third person limited

Narrator sees the world through only one characters eyes and thoughts; broad view but limited; more objective than 1st; don't have equal access to every one " the shift in perspective from______ to _____adds to the text by____

Transition (FRQ 1)

Oliver has the speaker and the mother list the sensible reason as to why they should sell the tree. They face the weighing assertions for the solution to their struggles, the logical option towards their creeping worries.

Example Interpretation (FRQ 1)

Oliver personifies the binding force of familial love to "move" in their love, establishing visual imagery of light gliding through their veins, in order to remind the subject of the warmth of heritage that guides them to their roots. The light is also compared to an "edge. " This edge symbolizes their family lineage, as Oliver notes it is as "quick as a trowel." This metaphor to a gardening tool that is used to care for the roots and dig suggests that the speaker and the mother have the tree as a token to dig through their memories and uncover the hard work and bliss of their diligent ancestors. The imagery of "digging and sowing" suggests that as such tools and work is needed to care for the tree and nature, its roots compensate as security of love, legacy, and culture.

Ernest Hemingway (OMAS)

Renowned for his novels and short stories, Hemingway became such a public figure during his life—and constructed such an extensive mythology around himself—that it is sometimes difficult to separate the legend from the reality.

Youth and Age (OMAS)

Santiago and Manolin, represent the old and the young, and a beautiful harmony develops between them--Manolin, for example, has energy and enthusiasm. He finds food and clothing for Santiago, and encourages him despite his bad luck. Santiago, in turn, has wisdom and experience--Santiago's age is also important to the novella because it has made him physically weak. Without this weakness, his triumph would not be so meaningful to him--Santiago finds solace and strength in remembering his youth, which is symbolized by the lions on the beach that he sees in his dreams--Lions signifying triumph as he still dreams of lions after he lost the fish.

Resistance to Defeat (OMAS)

Santiago never gives in to defeat: he sails further into the ocean than he ever has before hoping to land a fish, struggles w/ marlin for three days & nights despite immense physical pain & exhaustion, and- after catching marlin, fights off sharks even when it's clear that battle against them is hopeless--Whenever the situation gets difficult--he turns to tactics of resistance to defeat: he recalls memories of his youthful strength; he relies on his pride by demanding that he prove himself a worthy role model for Manolin or by comparing himself to his hero Joe DiMaggio

Dictatorship scenes (ITTOTB)

Scene: Trujillo controls everything the citizens of the island do by integrating spies in every corner --Scene: those who work under him are brainwashed while others succumb to his superior ways to get a taste of power, pigs who are ignorant --the different perspectives sheds light on the extent of Trujillo's oppression as he suppresses the sisters voices in several ways, blocking minerva from doing what she wants, imprisoning Mate, taking away Patria's son, etc..

Glare

Similar to the heat, the "red glare" that "were lapping the hot sand in little, flurried gasps" symbolizes the preference of physical experience over emotional despair--Meursault connects this glare to that of his mother's funeral; Camus illustrates Meursault's observation of physical details over emotional stressors to characterize his practicality and sensory analysis.

The Absurd Hero

The absurd hero embraces the struggle and the contradiction of living without purpose. Camus defines the absurd hero's absolute dedication of life through the idea that: because there is no truth or coherence in the universe, the absurd man cannot hold values--at the end, Like Sisyphus, Meursault is finally in control of his mind, and the so-called punishment of society for his disobedience is irrelevant. This is unsurprising because, amidst his turmoil, Meursault strengthened his indifference and came to the realization that to accommodate to society's rules means to limit the depth of one's soul. Through absurdity, Meursault prioritized self-value and is free from the chains of social laws.

Realizations in Prison & Final Acceptance (chance v choice)

The fact that the verdict was read out at eight P.M. rather than at five, the fact that it might have been quite different--Meursault's mind is exceeding his practical imagination as a means of comforting him through the fact that if the trial was not constructed as it was, his destiny would have taken a different path. He questions the truth of his consequences and pairs them with the concept of chance--I'd been right, I was still right, I was always right. I'd passed my life in a certain way, and I might have passed it in a different way, if I'd felt like it.— he conducted his own essence

Satan (Frankenstein)

The monster is also like Satan--cast out of heaven--Monster lives in hell (what world has become after he is rejected). He is also like Satan in being fallen; Victor hoped to make him beautiful and magnificent. Instead, he is hideous, a lesser version than creator wished-- Monster's fallen state can also be seen—from Victor's perspective—in violent revenge---also capable of kindness and compassion. He feels De Laceys' love and essential goodness; he saves the life of the drowning girl.

Nature and Setting

The ominous engulfing darkness that confidently surrounded the vast unknown lands affect Marlow so much that he leaps out. The dark forest is filled with unknown secrets, a companion that both terrified yet helps the vessels of greed. --Conrad's use of figurative language in stating that Marlow feared his "heart [would] fly out" demonstrates the intense anxiety Marlow felt as he made his way along the river. Marlow's description of snags as "infernal" and "sly" shows that the man has come to deeply resent the environment around him. He has personified it as a sneaky and evil being whose sole desire is to make Marlow's life miserable.

FRQ 1

Thesis: In the poem, "_____", author conveys the speaker's (situation of the poem) by (contrasting, shifting, juxtaposing, illuminating, etc.) _____ to ____ in order to say (Big Question Answer with a while, yet, although, despite, etc.) ie: (2019) In the poem The Black Walnut tree, Mary Oliver conveys the speaker's inner turmoil of choosing financial gain over-sentimental memories through the value of the Black Walnut Tree, by shifting from a logical alternative to an emotional prospect in order to say that while the one may be engulfed in a world of financial needs, the warmth of heritage is life.

Dictatorship (ITTOTB)

Trujillo set up a "personality cult" around himself, calling himself the nation's "Benefactor" and rewriting history books so that the peak of history was his birth --He renamed the country's capital "Trujillo City," statues of him were erected everywhere, and churches had to post the slogan "God in Heaven, Trujillo on Earth." --first chapter, before the Mirabel family comes under any suspicion, their relaxing evening outdoors is ruined when Papa accidentally says Trujillo's name in a less than flattering way. All of a sudden, "the dark fills with spies who are paid to hear things and report them down at Security."

Assertion (FRQ 1)

What is being conveyed in the first stanza/section of the poem? What tone is developed and for what purpose? IE: Mary Oliver begins by introducing the speaker and the mother's big decision on whether or not they should sell their Black Walnut Tree, in order to contemplate if its sentimental worth should be sold to pay their mortgage.

Meursault's Life (Meaning vs Meaninglessness)

When Meursault goes out on the balcony, he observes the people below him. Sundays, for them, seem to have a routine: young men going to the movies, a waiter sweeping sawdust, a tobacco seller bringing a chair out onto the pavement, and the empty streetcars going by. This has happened many Sundays---when Marie asks him if he loves her, Meursault answers, honestly, that he supposes that he does not; he says, "that sort of question [has] no meaning, really." The sea, the sun, the waves, kisses, sex — Meursault can touch and feel, but love is too abstract, too ambiguous, and too all-encompassing to ponder.

Safie (Frankenstein)

When Safie arrives at the cottagers' from Arabia, she must be tutored to learn English. As the monster continues his observances of the happy family, Safie's lessons become his own as well--inconsequential to the novel whether Safie herself learns the language, as long as the lessons being taught to her are influencing and furthering the monster. She is a means to his educational end, becoming yet another passive, action-channeling female character.

Albert Camus

a French-Algerian journalist, playwright, novelist, philosophical essayist, and Nobel laureate.; often described as an existentialist writer, though he himself disavowed the label--

The Russian sailor

a cheery and innocent young man who is brimmed with curiosity and devotion to the fallen God that is Kurtz--serves as an archetype of the wise fool b/w although he managed life for himself w/ no guidance, he is entrapped w/in the fluency and passion of Kurtz. This also proves that the deceptive nature of Kurtz presents him as an allegory figure like Satan in Paradise Lost--Considering the fact that he had nothing to trade, the idea that Kurtz took the ivory by force and managed to manipulate tribes into worshiping him constructs a new, dark perspective of Kurtz for readers--Like the public is victim to the deception of nobility through colonialism, this innocent and oblivious young man falls into the hands of Kurtz's eloquence that shadows him from the true intentions and extent of greed and despair that encompass Kurtz's mind.

Meursault

a man who will not lie about himself, a man who cannot accept the formulas by which his society convinces itself it is happy-- tells us that he is a man incapable of regret. To regret includes a rethinking & contemplation about past actions — these do not exist w/in Meursault. He is a man of present moments and considers only briefly immediate future and if future will contain pleasure. He has never looked backward and contemplated past, and so the entire trial has been an enormously new experience for Meursault.

epistolary (Frankenstein)

a novel told through a series of documents, often letters--Allows for a more intimate & subjective view of character's feelings w/o interference of author--adds dimension by forming different perspectives— multiple points provided allows reader to form a more reliable interpretation of novel---inclusion of Walton in Frankenstein serves to provide reader w/ a mirror to Victor Frankenstein. --Both Victor and Walton are young, self-centered, and proud men---they are embodiment of fierce individualism promoted during Romantic era, and this is force that drives Victor's desire to create life and Walton's desire to sail through the Artic.

Kurtz

a petty tyrant, a dying god, an embodiment of Europe, and an assault on European values--a complicated man whose influential intentions are plagued by his yearnings for power and reign as he deceives both the natives through his presentation as a God and society through his contradicting eloquence--an archetype of a "villainous genius" in which he twists and mends others' trust for his own gain. Conrad illustrates Kurtz as a token of colonialism's layers of deception, in order to convey that while men like Kurtz look enlightening on the outside, they are twisted and fraudulent on the inside. --Like the brickmaker, Kurtz is showy with his talk but ultimately doesn't have much reason, since all his ideas are morally bankrupt.

Frame Narrative (Frankenstein)

a story within a story--provides complexity & gives context to separate characters actions:(Walton's letters to his sister), before moving to main narrative (Victor's story) and then contained w/in this is Monster's story of survival and how he learns from the De Lacey family----we don't entirely trust what we are being told by any one particular individual (a risk-taking explorer with a one-track mind, a sometimes mad scientist who breaks nature's laws and a hideously deformed and murderous Monster).

The Magistrate & Meursault

after the arab's killing: Instead of his telling us about his internal feelings, which he seems to ignore or lack, he describes, in bare outlines, the boredom of the police official's questioning and the repetition of giving again and agdain his name and address and occupation--The interview ended, Meursault admits that he does not feel total regret for what he has done; what he feels is "less regret than a kind of vexation."

The shooting (chance v choice)

although the beaming sun warned Meursault to look back, his decision to progress towards the Arab is solely based on chance--as Meursault fired four shots into the the Arab's body, the fact that there was no purpose to the killing or that it would have been any other body is based on chance--This is ironic because the concept of chance determines the absurdity of life as Meursault's choice to approach the Arab resulted in his demise and heavily influenced his future--Throughout the novel, Camus asserts that an individual's past choices does not determine their future decisions--while the Prosecutor claims Meursault's indifference to his mother's death is the instigator to his killing of the Arab, Camus argues that the blinding glare is the purpose of Meursault firing.

Prometheus (Frankenstein)

an allusion--Prometheus was one of the titans, the god of fire, and according to myth was an extreme trickster. He tricked Zeus--created humanity from clay and stole fire from the gods for humanity--Zeus sentenced Prometheus to be bound to a rock where an eagle would come everyday and eat his liver--Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, are seen as forethought and afterthought. ---Epimetheus gave the animals large bodies, teeth, and claws. This made humanity almost defenseless against these creatures, so Prometheus gave man the ability to be intellectual and be able to have big thoughts.

Romanticism (Frankenstein)

an intellectual movement born from opposition to Enlightenment views that emphasized reason, knowledge, and science--focused on feelings, love, & imagination--monster's experience of coming into world w/o any knowledge of social norms & behavioral expectations reflects Romanticism's curiosity about how innate human nature is gradually shaped by society and culture-- monster is a Romantic hero b/c of rejection he must bear from normal society.

third person omniscient

an unknown narrator, tells the story, but this narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts and feelings of only one character; equal access to all characters; can feel impersonal;

Realizations in Prison & Final Acceptance

as his death comes closer, he is learning to be empathetic.; physical responses during what he fears might be his last moments on earth. The sound of a steamer reminds him of his anonymity; not a single person on the boat knows or cares about Meursault's fate, and it is at that moment that he understands the odd behavior of his mother as she approached death.;

Feminism (Frankenstein)

author characterizes each woman as passive, disposable and serving a utilitarian function. Female characters like Safie, Elizabeth, Justine, Margaret and Agatha provide nothing more but a channel of action for the male characters in the novel. --Events and actions happen to them, usually for the sake of teaching a male character a lesson or sparking an emotion within him.

Conrad's Message

being consumed by exploration and letting your passion blind you from truths of deception--At the coast, Marlow hears secondhand of Kurtz's genius, but as he draws closer to his destination, he realizes that Kurtz, once deemed "an emissary of light," may have immersed himself in, or even become, the heart of darkness.

The Modern Prometheus (Frankenstein)

both penalized for pursuing revolutionary ideas that were considered unconventional--gift of life is seen throughout both the myth and the novel and has good intentions in the beginning, however both end up facing darker consequences of birth and rebirth--Electricity is a symbol throughout both novel and myth in that it is not only symbolizing birth but also destruction and idea that with too much energy/ power can be uncontrollable, similarly to fire in myth of Prometheus. --As Prometheus dared to give humanity the gift of fire, Victor attempts to provide the secret of immortality. Stealing from the Gods resulted in eternal punishment ---Prometheus suffered everyday by the beak of an eagle eating his liver. ---Victor suffered detrimental guilt and gloom that engulfed every hint of happiness and passion Prometheus suffered everyday by the beak of an eagle eating his liver. Victor suffered detrimental guilt and gloom that engulfed every hint of happiness and passion

The absurd

can be defined as a metaphysical tension or opposition that results from the presence of human consciousness—with its ever-pressing demand for order and meaning in life—in an essentially meaningless and indifferent universe--As a child, about the only thing Camus ever learned about his father was that he had once become violently ill after witnessing a public execution--Meusault: One of these was that he'd gone to see a murderer executed. The mere thought of it turned his stomach. But he'd seen it through and, on coming home, was violently sick.

Madness (HoD)

closely linked to imperialism in this book. Africa is responsible for mental disintegration as well as physical illness--both Marlow and the reader begin to sympathize with Kurtz and view the Company with suspicion--thus linked not only to absolute power and a kind of moral genius but to man's fundamental fallibility: Kurtz has no authority to whom he answers but himself, and this is more than any one man can bear

Heart of Darkness

contain the signature elements of Conrad's writing: faraway settings; dramatic conflicts between human characters and the brutal forces of nature; and themes of individualism, the violent side of human nature and racial prejudice--complex meditation on colonialism, evil, and the thin line between civilization and barbarity

The Prosecutor

contests that Meursault is guilty solely on the fact that his indifference and passivity makes him capable of killing--symbolizes essentialist of society who believe that a man who denies God is the epitome of evil Camus employs irony in the character of Prosecutor who contests Meursault buried his mother with "crime in his heart" because he never wept at his mother's funeral, smoked cigarettes, and even had sexual activity the next day-- all signs that he is "incapable" of morality--Camus portrays irony in fact that if Meursault "played the game," had he wept during the trial, wrung his hands, exhibited any emotion or remorse, the prosecutor's case would have failed. The prosecutor attempts to convict Meursault of his crime in terms of ethical justice he expresses that it is his sacred obligation to convict Meursault because he is a non-believer refusing to convert his ways.

The Intended

devoted to an image of Kurtz instead of the man himself: She praises Kurtz's "words" and "example," assuming that these are filled with the nobility of purpose with which Kurtz began his career with the Company--is like many Europeans, who wish to believe in the greatness of men like Kurtz without considering the more "dark" and hidden parts of their characters.

Women

female characters are reflections of men during the heart of darkness--both women exhibit a fundamental similarity: They exist not so much as characters in their own right, but as reflections of the man they share. --Both exist primarily to symbolize Kurtz's status and wealth. The mistress's regal posture, beauty, and excessive jewelry declare to all her countrymen the fact of Kurtz's brilliance and power. Likewise, the Intended can only state and repeat Kurtz's vague claims to genius, to the extent that Marlow becomes irritated. --Separated from Kurtz, the mistress surrenders herself to the gunfire of the Pilgrims, and the Intended becomes a chattering, deluded fool. The two women exist only to proclaim Kurtz's greatness; when that role is removed, they lose their purpose and their usefulness.

The Marlin (OMAS)

giant, 18-foot fish that battles with Santiago in the middle of the ocean for three days and three nights.; --Santiago hooks marlin on his first afternoon but marlin refuses to come to surface & instead pulls Santiago farther from land. --Santiago admires marlin's beauty & endurance, & considers it a "noble" adversary, telling the fish that though he loves it, he must kill it. --marlin is presented as Santiago's worthy opponent. Struggling against it brings out his best—courage, endurance, & love. --b/c Santiago comes to see marlin as an alter-ego—he identifies marlin as male & imagines fish is old— marlin represents Santiago -- his struggle w/ marlin is in fact a struggle w/ himself. not a struggle of strength but rather of endurance, and a refusal to accept defeat. --Santiago's struggle w/ marlin is a struggle to face and overcome his own weaknesses as much as it is a struggle to subdue the great fish. --In the process, by refusing to give in to the fish or the weakness of his mind and body, Santiago transcends those weaknesses.

Marlow

he is a guide for the readers and is contaminated by his memories--As he tells his tale, Marlow seems at peace yet reminiscent towards memories of the dark and hollow civilization. Before he begins to recount the basis of the Heart of Darkness, Marlow's posture radiates the aura of a Buddha. This is significant because it suggests a path of enlightenment or realization derived from a quest. --He believes in moral worth and hard-work

Nuanced Inference (FRQ 2)

ie: Oates uses polysyndeton in this moment to highlight the building anxiety in the narrator, just as all the "ands" stack up, so do her hopes and desires that her feelings will be returned. Additionally, Oates's direct address to "you" continues to lend an intimacy to the experience as the narrator has "exposed" her heart, yet fears the likelihood of it being "broken".

Inference (FRQ 2)

ie: She knows this girl so well because of their friendship, but she also recognizes that her feelings have gone much further than just friendship. Her fears of rejection and her exposed vulnerability, make this a moment of intense anxious desire.

Syntax/quickening of pace

ie: author employs several commas to exemplify the unsettledness of the situation and the landlady's sinister actions (most prominently seen in the fifth stanza)

Simile

ie: click doors like shutters on her camera eye:correlates the landlady's sharp eye as her eyes blink rapidly ie: And like a lover must know all, all, all: compares the landlady to a lover, accentuating her desire to set a foot in their lives and make her presence known

The Hollowness of Civilization

imperialism robbed Europeans of moral substance-- Conrad characterizes the Manager as an empty vessel of greed in which feeds on the works and findings of the innocent. He is the counterfeit of a devil and therefore of great use to the colonialists.--For instance, Marlow refers to the chatty brickmaker he meets at the Central Station as a "papier-mâché Mephistopheles" who has "nothing inside but a little loose dirt, maybe." --Marlow argues that what Europeans call "civilization" is superficial, a mask created by fear of the law and public shame that hides a dark heart, just as a beautiful white sepulcher hides the decaying dead inside.

Metaphor

impersonal as trains: speaker compares the boarders to trains to connote mechanical and detached demeanor

Marlow's outlook on colonialism

pens his story by describing his belief in the "idea" of colonialism, yet he goes on to tell a long story about the horrors of the Belgian mission in the Congos--He finds it repulsive that Europeans mistreat African laborers at the stations along the river. However, Marlow fails to see Africans as equals--When he laments the loss of his late helmsman, he describes the man as "a savage" and "an instrument," yet he insists that the two men had "a kind of partnership."

first person POV

pros: understand main character better cons: unreliable, only one perspective

Pride (OMAS)

santaigo wondered pride was responsible for shark attack b/c pride caused him to go out into ocean beyond usual boundaries that fishermen observe but pride is not cause of his difficulties--it is instead a motivating force that spurs him to greatness. It is his pride that pushes him to survive three grueling days at sea, battling marlin and then sharks--He does not let pride define him & balances his pride to where it is appropriate. When Manolin told him he is the best fisher man, he humbly disagreed. --Santiago achieves the crucial balance between pride and humility—that "[humility] was not disgraceful and it carried no true loss of pride."

Second Person POV

showcases vulnerability and other exagerated responses, can make reader feel apart of story

Freedom and Imprisonment (ITTOTB)

sisters also feel trapped by the expected course of their lives, including boarding school and then marriage, as well as by their religious and familial duties. --The sisters themselves find freedom only in death, but their martyrdom helps bring about Trujillo's downfall. --Complex idea of survival masked with burdens; is it better to die as a martyr or to have to live and tell its story. --the first revolution is when you change your mind

Butterflies (ITTOTB)

symbol of freedom, flight, and the ability to rise above tragedy.

Fire (Frankenstein)

symbolize mankind's sins and destruction; double edge sword: it can sustain life by heating food, providing warmth, and ensuring protection from wild animals. But fire also causes pain, death, and destruction, as shown when Monster uses fire to destroy De Laceys' cottage---Monster also intends to use destructive power of fire to destroy himself, thereby eliminating any memory of him from world. --fire symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge:Frankenstein: fascinated by science and idea of creating life from death.-- uses electricity to pursue knowledge that no one else has discovered- helps bring his monster to life.

Light and Darkness (Frankenstein)

symbolizes enlightenment, hope, knowledge or learning, & discovery.; Victor tells Walton that he hoped his discovery would "pour a torrent of light into our dark world." --When Victor returns home to Geneva after his brother William's murder, it is during a dark, stormy night that he sees Monster--vision convinces him that Monster is linked to murder; his darkness (ignorance of Monster's involvement) is dispelled by light ( flash of lightning that reveals Monster). --darkness symbolizes emptiness and despair, as shown by descriptions of Victor's dark depressions. It is into darkness that the Monster disappears

Anacahuita tree (ITTOTB)

symbolizes the centrality of the community to its members and the importance of place in Dominican lives---Through all of the revolutions Dedé has been through, the anacahuita tree remains strong and solid--it symbolizes her home and the character of her people

Consonance: Example

the consonance of "shake" "summer" and "short, establishing a smooth rhyme scheme that mimics that of the sound of the winds that interferes with summers beauty

HoD Controversies

the proverbial choice between the lesser of two evils. As the idealistic Marlow is forced to align himself with either the hypocritical and malicious colonial bureaucracy or the openly malevolent, rule-defying Kurtz, it becomes increasingly clear that to try to judge either alternative is an act of folly: how can moral standards or social values be relevant in judging evil?

Imagery

the visual imagery of rough winds suggests how the subjects beauty is greater than summer as summer has its flaws

Agatha (Frankenstein)

the young cottager's daughter Agatha's purpose, as a kind and gentle female, is to exhibit and embody all virtue and sensitivity. These are the first lessons learned by the monster; he has never seen such tenderness before now. Agatha most moves him in her interactions with her blind father and through her inactive and tender nature, serves to teach the monster his first lessons on healthy human relationships and love

Romanticism and Nature (Frankenstein)

view nature as a source of bountiful creation and healing comfort, and a force of frightening power and terrible cruelty--- see conflict b/w natural world and forces of modernization and scientific progress which characterize Age of Enlightenment of the late 1700s. --Nature is Victor's only comfort when he is at his lowest, and most despairing, horrified by his creation and quaking at thought of the monster's revenge. --Victor finds solace in enduring stability of mountains and restful quiet of Lake Geneva-- puts his suffering into perspective, and reminds him that, while his suffering is temporary, natural world is eternal

Colonialsim (HoD)

was justified on grounds that not only would it bring wealth to Europe, it would also civilize and educate the "savage" African natives--novel pays more attention to damage caused by colonization to souls of white colonizers than the physical death & devastation to black natives-- pointlessness of "civilizing" natives is apparent when white men in the ships at the West African coast aimlessly fire at an "enemy" that is invisible-- pilgrims demonstrate true savagery that is greater than the natives when Marlow observes the meaningless acts of labor to purposely put the natives through trouble and danger by blasting a hole through a cliff for no reason-- --men who work for the Company describe what they do as "trade," and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of "civilization."

Kurtz's African mistress

wears bold colors, stripes and fringes, brass rings that climb up her ankles, and jewelry that Marlow can only describe as "barbarous" and "bizarre.--The mistress strikes Marlow and the other men as scandalous and un-Christian, whereas the very phrase "the Intended" bears Victorian connotations of modesty, chivalry, and propriety

The Magistrate & Meursault (Sun and Heat)

when Meursault is taken to the examining magistrate's office, he notes, first of all, the intense heat in the room and that it seems to be flooded with light. Already we have seen how sensitive Meursault is to heat and light and so this visit begins badly--the office is becoming more stiflingly hot and big flies are buzzing on Meursault's cheeks. It is a scene of punishment — by the heat, the flies, and by the magistrate. Meursault realizes that such odd behavior is far more typical of a criminal, and Meursault, enduring silently, is the criminal.

Joseph Conrad

wrote short stories and novels which combined his experiences in remote places with an interest in moral conflict and the dark side of human nature--At the age of 16, Conrad left Poland and traveled to the port city of Marseilles, France, where he began his years as a mariner.