Blood Wedding 3

From the diary of the Bride:

Dear Diary,
I'm getting married tomorrow. So much good will come from this, I'm sure of it. But I can't help thinking about Leonardo. He's so much more of a man than my husband-to-be, and... No! What am I writing? I will not run off with Leonardo! I have a good life right now, and I am not going to shame myself and my family by leaving my husband, despite how dry he is. Leonardo just has so much life to him, like it's practically flowing out of him. He asked me to leave with him last night. It's so very tempting, just him and me, alone... No! I can't forsake my husband! What would his mother say? Oh, who am I fooling? I know I will run off with him. I shouldn't though. I must be mad for even considering it. But I can't help it. It's decided then. During the wedding, we will sneak out, undetected, and make for the river, which we will follow into the woods. This will probably be the last time I write in here. To anyone who reads this, this is goodbye.

Blood Wedding2

A writer usually attempts to create a bond of trust between writer and reader. How and to what extent have at least two writers you have studied been able to elicit your trust?
In Blood Wedding, the author attempts to create a bond between the reader and the bridegroom by showing him as a good, honest man. This contrasts with the image of the bride, who runs away with another man during her wedding, making her look very bad in the readers eyes. She is not nearly as trustworthy as the bridegroom. Same with the mother, who appears to be a little crazy and judgemental.
In Wild Duck, a bond is formed between the reader and Hedvig. She appears to be so innocent, and the reader sympathizes with her because she does not know she is going blind. The reader also trusts Gregers, because he talks of his good intentions throughout the book, so the reader knows he is a good man, even though they do not turn out like they should. Ibsen's methods work very well, because the circumstances he created in the story help portray the extremes of the situation.

Blood Wedding1

Stylistic techniques:
The author creates a motif of knives to show how he feels about death. He uses a knife because knives are usually very small, so even the smallest things can kill someone. He also uses a very dynamic speaking style. The characters' dialogue ranges from one word to multiple paragraphs, although they average at about one sentence. This makes the plot seem to go by very quickly, and it cuts away most of the detail in the dialogue. The author also has the characters speaking in poetry, although it does not make much sense in the plot. There is also a motif of nature in the story. The land where the bridegroom lives is barren, while the bride is from a place rich in plant life. Where the characters are from seems to reflect how they act. The bridegroom is very dry, while the bride seems to be very passionate, although not much so about the bridegroom.

Wild Duck 5

A dramatist often creates a gap between what the audience knows and what the characters know. With reference to at least two plays, discuss how and to what effect dramatists have used this technique.
Ibsen uses dramatic irony in his play Wild Duck to help create a feeling for characters. The daughter of Hjalmar and Gina, Hedvig, is said to be be going blind, but she does not know it. Having her go about as if she were a normal child creates a feeling of pity for her, and makes the reader think how the parents could go on without telling her. There is also the other way around, where the characters know something the reader does not. At the beginning of the story, the reader knows nothing, and it starts in the middle of everything. The characters also make reference to many things the reader has not heard of before. This makes the reader pay more attention to what does happen, as the events of the past are slowly revealed.
Sophocles, on the other hand, did not mean to make that form of information gap in his play Oedipus the King. At the time, everyone knew the story of Oedipus, so he could only exaggerate the gap between what the characters knew and what the audience knew. He does this by having the characters use lots of foreshadowing, while someone laughs at it. Such as Oedipus when Tiresias tells him he would be as blind as him. The audience knows it is true, and watches as Oedipus mocks him. The use of dramatic irony emphasizes Oedipus' human trait and downfall.

Wild Duck 4

Compare how writers in your study have explored the theme of love and friendship, and with what what effect.
In Ibsen's Wild Duck, he shows that love and friendship should be based on honesty, with no secrets. He shows the ideal couple, Mr. Werle and Mrs. Sorby, getting happily married. Mrs. Sorby talks about how happy they were once they had nothing between each other. They contrast with Hjalmar and Gina, who had a secret. He juxtaposes them to contrast the feelings of those in an honest relationship and those without.
In Sophocles' Oedipus, he shows Oedipus as being rude to almost everyone around him, making the people think lower of him. His relations with the characters in the play are good only because he is king, which is not the ideal ground for a good friendship. His marriage with Jocosta was also tainted with secrets, and the whole prophecy could've been avoided if they had been more open, which also shows what Sophocles thinks about love and friendship. His lack of openness with people gave him strained relationships with everyone, and he suffered for it.
They both have similar views about love and friendship. Openness is key with becoming friends with people.

Wild Duck 3

Diary entry of Hedvig:
Dear Diary,
Mommy and Daddy have been arguing more lately, mainly about that Gregers man renting the room. I don't see why Mommy doesn't like him. He seems nice enough. Apparently Daddy and him were friends before I was born. Any friend of Daddy's is a friend of mine. I love my Daddy. He's always working for us, no matter how hard it is. I try to help him as much as I can, but he doesn't seem to want my help. He's always talking about my eyes. I don't really understand what he means, my eyes feel fine. But Daddy knows best. Someday I wish I can be just like him, and know all the answers to everything like him.

Wild Duck 2

Point of view/characters: There is no point of view. The story is just a glimpse into a scene, with no activity with the audience, which was the way theater was during that time period. The reader gets to know the characters fairly well, but Ibsen never really outright describes a character. They are described over time, usually behind the character's back, although the reader gets an idea about their personality by how they talk and to who they talk. The characters' credibility differs from character to character, although most of the information the reader knows is not very reliable. Most of the characterization is from gossip, so the reader's opinion is manipulated. Most of the gossiping is negative, which puts the characters in a bad light, all except Hedvig, who is shown to be innocent and carefree. She is going blind, but does not know it, and her parents are keeping it from her. Ibsen makes it this way to bring up the question whether or not it is good to know the truth, even if it is bad.

Wild Duck 1

"Defiance becomes our duty in the face of injustice." Referring to at least two works you have studied, explore the ways in which writers have attempted to persuade us to accept a certain view.
In the play The Wild Duck, the son Gregers is shown as being a man with high moral standards, who cares about other people, and tries to make his way in life the old-fashioned way. He contrasts directly with his father, who is shown as a lonely old man who only cares about himself, and will betray others to save his reputation. The father is meant to be the injustice that the son becomes defiant of. When he asks his son to join his company, he says no, because he doesn't want to be a part of his corrupt business. This shows that the author agrees with the statement defiance is our duty in the face of injustice.
In the play Oedipus, he portrays the god's prophecies as injustice, and Oedipus and Jocosta are very defiant of them. In the end, however, the actions they took to keep them from coming true actually help the prophecy come to pass. This shows that the author thinks defiance in the face of injustice is not always a good thing.

Oedipus 4

Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer's work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the readers attention?
In the tragedy Oedipus emotional moments are established in the form of violent acts accompanied by shouting and ranting. Oedipus gouges his eyes out when he figures out Jocosta is his mother, after he sees that she hanged herself. These acts of extreme violence are used to exaggerate their feelings, while drawing the reader in. There is also a lot of shouting. Oedipus keeps shouting how he is the lowest thing in the world, and how he should be banished and killed. The use of these vivid images and despairing tone help create a feeling of pity for Oedipus, which contrasts with how he was portrayed earlier in the book. The loud dialogue also makes the reader pay closer attention to the words.
In the book The Crucible, the author creates moments of emotion through the use of dramatic irony. The reader knows that Abigail is a fraud, but none of the people with power think so. As the reader reads about all the innocent people getting convicted of witchcraft, he/she becomes angry at her. This involement of the reader emotionally really makes the book more interesting to read.

Oedipus 3

Themes and ideas:
Using the example of Oedipus, the author shows that going out of your way to avoid something often makes it happen. Oedipus leaves his family because he was told he would kill his parents. However, they were not his real parents, and he ended up finding his real parents and killing them. They also went aout of their way to avoid something. When Oedipus was born, they were told he would kill them, so they sent him away, which made him think they were not his parents. If he had known, he would not have killed them.

Oedpius 2

"What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?" To what extent do you find this statement applicable in at least two plays you have studied?
This statement is true in many plays that I have read. In the tragedy Othello, the story starts with two men going off to a house to tell someone their daughter has been stolen. There are no boring parts where the characters are just doing nothing. They cut right to all the action and drama. The same applies to Oedipus the King. The play starts with a plague, and only a few pages into it, Oedipus gets into a fight with a blind prophet, and he is told that he murdered the former king. Oedipus says the seer was told to say that by next to the throne Creon, who he then curses and threatens to exile him. Nothing boring at all so far. Inside Oedipus recalls that he may have killed the king in a rage when his cart hit him. Nothing boring is present in either of these two plays. Something does happen in between events in the plays, but they are not mentioned. So yes, drama is life with the dull bits cut out.

Oedipus 1

Point of View/Characters: The play Oedipus the King is told in third person limited so far. The reader is able to hear everyone speak, but can't see into anyone's thoughts. From the first section the reader gets a general idea of the characters. Oedipus is shown as being very proud, jealous, and quick to anger. The crowd, even though it is not a single character, is shown to be easily swayed, as long as there is proof to back up what they are being told. The seer Tiresias is shown to look out for himself, and is not very altruistic. The author shows the seer and the king as opposites, to widen the gap between them. The author also makes the reader have mixed feelings about Oedipus. He is shown in the first part to be like a graceful and merciful god, while later is is shown cursing the blind seer and accusing him of conspiring to steal his throne. This makes the reader sympathize with the seer, especially since he is blind.

Poetry 2

To Watch You Leaving
by Jocelyn Galvano-Pickett
To Watch You Leaving . . .is to know such pain, it's jagged edges tearing into my soul. As a stake from the garden tears into the warm, dark earth.To Watch You Leaving . . .knowing all the while that never again will I fit myself, warm with sleep, against your solid back.Nor hear your steady breathing. Or feel the beating of your heart.To Watch You Leaving . . .aware in every moment of every day that my dreams, my future; once tied with silken ribbons to yours, will never come to be.And the mornings once so silent and hopeful, us gazing at the mountains and so gently awaiting forever - are now but small pieces of my past.To Watch You Leaving . . .your heart a tight fist of anger and your dry eyes betraying nothing of you. I cry for both of us, my love, because you will not.To Watch You Leaving . . .is to know that I've lost my place on this earth. My station. My heart's home. That I will wander, forever a nomad. Alone and afraid. And in my troubled dreams watch you leave, again and again.For the balance of my days.

Both this poem and Pablo Neruda's poem talk about the feeling of losing love, and the feeling afterwards. Galvano-Pickett uses imagery to make the abstract feeling of love more tangible. Neruda, however, used the imagery to show a lack of clarity for the feeling of love. Although their ways are different, they have a similar effect. Both create a feeling of emptiness and isolation.
In both of the poems, the speaker still loves the person they're speaking about, but the speaker in Neruda's poem is trying to forget his love, the speaker in Galvano-Pickett's poem seems to be dwelling on it her love a lot more, talking about how in her mind she will be watching him leave again and again. This is probably because the break-up happened more recently in Galvano-Pickett's poem than in Neruda's poem. The speaker in seems to have come to terms with what happened a little more, and has put most of it past him, although there is still some degree of longing for the way things were.

Poetry 1

The poem is about a man's attempts to hold on to the woman he loves. She does not want to be with him, because she is sad. The speaker cannot express how he feels for her, and ends up shutting out the world.
The speaker is a man who is trying to express his feelings about his love. He is speaking to his lover, who does really understand what he is trying to say.
The poem was written to show the author's opinion on love. The author thinks that love is confusing, and never really works out for either side.
The author uses imagery to show this. First he starts with passion, which is usually present in most serious relationships. But then the woman starts getting tired of it and sad, while the man tries to keep her with him, usually without success. Then the man feels lonely, and starts to become isolated. But he still loves her, and continues to try and express how he feels. The images used explaining his feelings for her are incoherent and abstract, with some contradicting ideas, such as "Something with the wings of a bird, something of anguish and oblivion".(I don't know how to cite this.) Using wings, which could be meant as an angel, and oblivion, or hell, are total opposites, which shows how the speaker both loves and hates love or her. The increasingly confusing images of love show that after a relationship, the man becomes unsure of himself, and if he even loved the girl at all. And in the end he becomes hardened to love, "my heart closes like a nocturnal flower". The experience was not good for the man, and ended up ruining him.

We Journal 3

Topic C: Zamyatin creates a fairly believable view of the future world. He is commenting on the communist society in Russia, and how everyone is being controlled by the totalitarian government. The society in the book is not really that far off from the society in Russia. Most of the people in both societies worship their leader mindlessly, and both groups are closed off from the rest of society. In the book We, the author does not give much hope. near the end of the book, everyone is subjected to The Great Operation, which gets rid of people's imagination, making them basically lifeless slaves. But he also wrote that the green wall was destroyed, which could show some hope for the future, where everyone could live in the woods with freedom. The author does a good job showing the hazards of a totalitarian society. He shows the people being treated like animals, doing everything at the same time, giving without receiving, like in a communist society.

We Journal 2

Topic B: The character D-503 is involved in a struggle with the society. He questions the accepted ideas of the society, and creates a general feeling of confusion, and he becomes very alone. During the novel D-503 slowly starts to become unsure of himself. He describes it using the math term root negative one. The more he mentions the irrational number the more he starts to question the ways of society, creating in him a sort of internal conflict. Part of him wants to believe what he was told, while the other part tries to reason with everything he was told. The conflict creates a rift between D-503 and the rest of the people. He becomes very removed from society, getting up before he was supposed to, taking sick days and skipping work, and staying up after hours. His descriptions of his feelings are very confusing, because he doesn't really understand what is happening to him. All his descriptions often have phrases such as I don't know anything anymore, showing his internal conflict. He describes his mathematical world as an island floating out alone, while before was chained to a spot, always there, always right. But his soul that he has makes him question, which undermines the hold the propoganda has on him.

We Journal 1

Topic A: "But our Table of Hours! Why, it transforms each one of us into a figure of steel, a six-wheeled hero of a mighty epic poem. Every morning, with six-wheeled precision, at the same hour and the same moment, we-millions of us- get up as one. At the same hour, in million-headed unison, we start work; and in million-headed unison we end it. And, fused into a single million-handed body, at the same second, designated by the Table, we lift our spoons to our mouths. At the same second, we come out for our walk, go to the auditorium, go to the hall for Taylor excercises, fall asleep..." (Zamyatin, 12).

This passage shows that the people of the society in We have a very structured society. Everyone has to do the same thing every minute of every day. The character's description of the table of hours makes it sound like the best thing the world has ever known, which shows a certain level of conditioning. The theory behind this society is all of human nature must be controlled in order to destroy personal wants and feelings. If people were like computers, they would just do what they were told without question, which is what D-503 is doing. Not only does he follow the table of hours, but he praises it, saying it's for the good of One State, which is all he thinks about. The passage also gives an idea about some of the day to day things that are done in the society, such as work and walks. This shows that everyone has a job that they have to do for free, they're required to get excercise and sleep to be physically fit, and do Taylor excercises, which are named after the one who started the idea for the society. The book has not said exactly what they are, but they must be some sort of propoganda used to brainwash the people into trusting the ways of society. Although nothing is really happening while the character is writing this passage, it shows good insight on the ways of society and the people's views on it.

Stranger thesis

Camus uses the motif of blindness to show Meursault's blindness to his emotions.

Camus uses the concept of being blinded to show Muersault's inability to identify his emotions.

Camus uses the concept of being blinded to emphasize Meursault's journey from being lost to finding himself, which shows that one must be lost before they can be found.

Stranger 6

At the end of the text Meursault comes to the conclusion that his and everyone else's lives are meaningless. People will keep on living and dying. He emphasizes the fact that death is inevitable, and his execution doesn't really matter, because he was going to die anyway.
Camus doesn't necessarily want the reader to come to the same conclusion as Meursault. He keeps mentioning the fact that everyone has a choice, and it's up to them to decide what they want to believe. Meursault just states his opinion and lets the reader interpret it as he/she sees fit.

Stranger 5

Camus creates two different parts to emphasize the turning point in the book, and to show Meursault's chage in the story. One of the ideas that is apparent in both parts of the story is Meursault's way of thinking. In the first part he never really talks about his opinions and feelings for other people. He only mentions them if he notices them. Camus makes Meursault very isolated and inconsiderate in the first part. In the second part Meursault starts to think about his life while he's in prison, where he really is isolated. He starts mentioning things that he remembers from earlier, when before he wouldn't have mentioned it. Meursault realizes that he isn't inconsiderate, but he only talks when he has something important to say. Prison life actually makes Meursault a better person. He gives up smoking, and really starts to understand himself. By comparing Muersault's different views in the first and second part, Camus creates growth and change in Meursault's character.

Stranger 4

Quotes to show how Meursault changed between the first and second parts

1. "There are some things I never like to talk about"(Camus, 72). This passage shows that He is starting to admit his feelings. Up until this point in the book he never even mentions the things he doesn't like to bring up.

2. " As I imagined the sound of the first waves under my feet, my body entering the water and the sense of relief it would give me, all of a sudden I would feel just how closed in I was by the walls if my cell" (Camus, 76). Meursault chooses to use more imagery than before, showing he's changing. It could also show that he had been taking everything for granted before.

3. "I would have waited for birds to fly by or clouds to mingle, just as here I waited to see my lawyer's ties[...]" (Camus, 77). Again with the more complex literary devices. He uses a simile to compare life in prision as living in a hollow stump.

Stranger 3

Wine and pain

"I'd drunk close to a liter of wine and my temples were burning"(Camus, 31).

The Heat

"All around me there was still the same glowing countryside flooded with sunlight" (Camus, 16).

Meursault's passiveness

"[...] she took my arm with a smile and said she wanted to marry me. I said we could do it whenever she wanted to" (Camus, 42).

Stranger 2

Idunnoism

1. God created the universe, and is is watching over the earth.

2. Life is not meant to seek pleasure, but to spread the word about God.

He created us, and we can show thanks by telling others.

3. Nothing is predetermined, in a sense, but God knows what everyone will choose to do.

4. Do what you know is right, even if everyone else thinks your wrong.

If you don't stand up for yourself, you will be mistreated.

5. Make good impressions. If you look bad, everyone will assume everyone who believes what you do is the same. It's hard to spread the word if it's associated with bad people.

6. You are only as great as you say you are.

If you tell yourself that you can't succeed, you probably will not. Getting in the right mind set is key.

7. God can be reached by anyone through prayer.

Stranger 1

Summary: Meursault appears to be very uncaring and lifeless, as if he's just going through the motions of his life instead of living them. He doesn't seem to care when his mother dies, and he doesn't seem to love the girl he's with in chapter 2.

Personal Reaction: I can relate to Meursault a little. He doesn't really show his emotions at all, like me. I thought it was strange how he kept saying what he liked and what he didn't. He seemed a little childish.

Analysis: Camus could've used Meursault to symbolize something or an idea. He has a pattern and a way of thinking that doesn't change. He always says if he likes or dislikes something, and he doesn't go into detail about his personal experiences.

Research: When the book took place France had already been taken over by the Germans in World War 2., and Algiers was in Vichy France, a government set up by the germans. In november, 1942, the the Americans launched an attack on Northern Africa, where Algiers is located.

Journal 9

The last two chapters of Their Eyes Were Watching God helps develop the theme that all good things come with a price.
When Tea Cake saves Janie from the mad dog, he gets bit in the process. Later, it gets infected, he becomes delirious and tries to kill her, and she has to shoot him. Janie was spared from the mad dog, but by saving her, Tea Cake unknowingly sacrificed himself.
The love Tea Cake had for Janie was also something that had a price to it. He loved her too much and couldn't bear to lose her. When he became infected he got it in his head that she didn't want him because he was too weak. He figured if she couldn't be loyal to him, she couldn't be loyal to anyone, and tried to kill her. In a way, Tea Cake's love for Janie was his undoing.

Plot Diagram:
A guy named Fred moves to a new town because he is a suspect for a crime. He meets a girl named Megan, who he falls in love with. She supposedly loves him, but she is actually an undercover cop trying to get evidence to put him in jail. After a few months, Megan has enough evidnce to put him behind bars and arrests him. He is sentenced to life in prison for his crime. The idea that she fell in love with him was too good to be true.

Journal 8

In Chapter 18, Hurston uses the setting to show that hardships help unify people. Before the hurricane Tea Cake and Janie had doubts about each other. When the hurricane came Janie said she didn't care if she died, as long as she was with him, and Tea Cake thought she didn't really love him. The hurricane made Janie realize how important Tea Cake was to her, because she almost lost him. Not only do hardships help unify friends, they also help make new ones. "Common danger made common friends. Nothing sought a conquest over the other"(Hurston 164). The hurricane made everyone try to work together to survive. People who would normally hate each other would get over petty disagreements, which would help make them friends.

Journal 7

When Janie meets Tea Cake, she decided to run off with him. By choosing to run off with Tea Cake she has to leave behind everyone she knows and start a new life. She decides to leave because she has nothing to live for. She just runs the shop, which reminds her of how bad Joe was. Tea Cake would get her away from all of the bad memories. Janie running away shows that she cares more about love and feeling than material possessions and wealth.

Pastiche: "Janie, Ah knows Tea Cake isn't uh looney, but he aint go no money either. You sho marryin' him is yo best choice?"

"I don' know, Pheoby. I likes him, but maybe you'se right. I should know better than tu go off with a strange man. I should just quit while Ah'm ahead."

"Ah'm glad you could see it ah way. Now you go tell dat man to leave befo' he causes anymo' trouble."

That night Janie kept on thinking about Tea Cake. Was he who he said he was? Would he steal my money first chance he got? What if he was telling the truth? What if he really does love me? Tea Cake haunted her all until the blazing face of the sun peeked over the horizon.

Tea Cake showed up on her porch early as usual. "You ready to go fishin'? Ah got de worms." His smile started to fade when he saw the hardness of her face."What's wrong? Yuh don't likes fishin' no mo'?"

"It's not that, it's just...I don't want tuh see you no mo'."

Tea Cake started laughing, but then realized she wasn't joking."But why? We was doin' so well."

"Ah know, but I can't take dat risk. I can make it here fine by mahself. Jus' git on outta here." She turned away and slammed the door on him without a second look.

After that Tea Cake tried to get her to change her mind, but after a few days of futile knocking and hollering at her house, he gave up and left her there. Left her to live out the rest of her life in fear. Doubt started to burrow into her body, and got deeper and deeper as time went on. She was always alone, always doubting, always questioning. She started to lose faith in herself, in everyone, in her dreams.She didn't know what was right and what was wrong. Her doubt made her very secluded. It trapped her in the town of Eatonville. She only talked to the people she knew. Everyone else was a potential risk. Joe had taught her that.The only thing she trusted was her money. It was always there, it never changed. It was dependable. Not like that Tea Cake. Janie hadn't seen Tea Cake ever since he left. She was always wondering if leaving him was the right choice. She may never know.

Journal 6

Janie and Tea Cake had been doing almost everything together, and people were getting worried about her. "Tea Cake and Janie gone hunting. Tea Cake and Janie gone fishing. Tea Cake and Janie gone to Orlando to the movies. Tea Cake and Janie gone to a dance"(110). Hurston uses repetition to emphasize the time Janie spends with Tea Cake. Most of the characters in the book are stunned and a little annoyed by how much time Janie and Tea Cake spend together. By listing almost everything they do together, Hurston tried to give the reader the same feeling as the characters in the book.

Janie tries to tell herself Tea Cake is no good, but finds it hard to do. "He was a glance from God"(106). Hurston uses a metaphor to emphasize the quality of Tea Cake. The metaphor suggests he is a once in a lifetime sort of person who should not be overlooked. It was as if God had sent him. Tea Cake is rich in love, but poor in material posessions, just like religious people who give up everything they have to serve God. Tea Cake is also the exact opposite of Joe Starks, which is probably another quality that attracts Janie.

Pheoby is skeptical about Janie's marriage plan with Tea Cake, but Janie tries to reassure her."Ah'm older than Tea Cake, yes. But he done showed me where it's de thought dat makes de difference in ages"(115). Hurston uses this passage to help foil Tea Cake and Joe Starks. Joe obsessed over age, proper etiquette, and material posessions, while Tea Cake goes outside the box and has no money. Tea Cake spends everything he has on Janie to try to win her heart, while Joe bought her things long enough so she couldn't say he didn't do anything for her. Tea Cake also has more faith in women than Joe did. Joe didn't let her do anything, while Tea Cake is taking her out hunting. Joe and Tea Cake are almost the exact opposite.

Motif: "He could be a bee to a blossom-a pear tree blossom in the spring"(106).

Conflict:All next day in the house and store she thought resisting thoughts about Tea Cake. She even ridiculed him in her mind and was a little ashamed of the association. But every hour or two the battle had to be fought all over again"(106).

Journal 5

"After that night Jody moved his things and slept in a room downstairs. He didn't really hate Janie, but he wanted her to think so. He had crawled off to lick his wounds. They didn't talk too much around the store either. Anybody that didn't know would have thought that things had blown over, it looked so quiet and peaceful around. But the stillness was the sleep of swords"(81).

Hurston uses syntax and word choice to make this passage seem very black and white. There are no fluffy words to help sugar coat the meanings. Joe and Janie do not really talk anymore, and Hurston emphasized the simplicity of the fact by using very simple words and many very matter-of-fact statements in a row.

The tone of the passage seems very ominous. Hurston describes the scene as quiet and peaceful, but suggests that the silence was foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen.

Hurston also uses consonance in the sentence "But the stillness was the sleep of swords"(81), to emphasize a feeling of foreboding. Repetition of the "s" sound adds a feeling of suspense to the sentence, which adds depth to the passage.

Journal 4

Then George started wondering about jealousy. Jealousy, the slimy creatures which take the form of whatever we desire that live in the depths of the earth. The sneaky ones who resides in a house of dreams without a path to it, and without a door. Why should jealousy have a path if they knows the way to everyone? They sit under all of us in the house that all desire. Sit poised and ready, waiting for a spark to go off between beings, where they then breed. Been waiting there since the beginning of time and beyond. He was likely to see one of their green scales around very soon. He felt worried too. Poor Gary! He aint got to deal with it by himself. He went to his door to ask to help, but Gary declined. He didn't know what he wuz talkin' bout. Just 'cause his neighbor got a promotion doesn't mean he wanted one! He'd be all right when the boss gave him his. He wasn't jealous in the least. That's what he told himself. But Jacob said the boss was laying him off next week, so he knew. But if he hadn't told him, the next week would tell the truth. All Gary's co-workers, even those in the marketing department, were giving him funny looks as they passed him in the maze of cubicles, shaking their heads. Everyone was waiting for the moment that the boss would pass the judgement they had heard. Everyone but Gary. Suspense, the unopened door, was in front of the town.

Journal 3

Personification: " So she went on thinking back to her young years and explaining them to her friend in soft, easy phrases while all around the house, the night time put on flesh and blackness"(10).

Parallel Structure:"Dis love! Dat's just whut't got us uh pullin' and uh haulin' and sweatin' and doin' from can't see in de mornin' till can't see at night"(23).

Imagery:"The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn"(31).

Nanny had just caught a boy kissing Janie, and was trying to scold her for it."Nanny's head and face looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by storm"(12). This passage uses a simile to help characterize Nanny. The author compares Nanny to an old tree because they both have a sense of strength about them, but the strength cannot be used. The passage makes Nanny seem strong, but her strength is wasted on Janie, who ignores all Nanny's advice.

Nanny is telling Janie how much she tries to keep her safe and how she won't be with her forever. "Every tear you drop squeezes a cup uh blood outa mah heart"(15). Hurston uses a hyberbole to emphasize Nanny's love for Janie. By exaggerating Nanny's desire to make Janie safe and happy, it shows just how much time and effort she put into making things work for Janie. The passage also hints that because Nanny's daughter did not turn out the way she wanted, she would work even harder for a second chance.

Journal 2

Oh, Lawd, hear us now, an' deliva' us from de white folk! We knows we kin do anythin' with Yuh on aw side! We knows we look diff'ent den dose whites, an' we talk diffen' den dose whites, bu' Yuh kin see pas' that! Yuh knows we feel like dem! Yuh knows we think like dem! Yuh knows we has chillun like dem! So we needs mo' den we got! We gotta rise up an' deman' mo' respect! We gotta deman' mo' lan'. We gotta deman' mo' rights! When we do dis, den we'll be on aw way tuh equality!

Journal 1

I perceive Janie as a woman who doesn't care what other people think about her. She is full of self confidence, and will do what she thinks is right. She seems a bit too overconfident though, and she doesn't seem to think that she could hurt someone's feelings. She does have a good friendship with Pheoby, but she still tells her whatever is on her mind. Janie's also very demanding. She tells people to get her things if she wants them in a pretty blunt way. When Phoeby came over Janie straight out asked when Pheoby was going to give her the food she had. She can seem pretty rude but she has good intentions.

The narrator seems to be a person who picks their words with care. He/she must be patient and calm. The narrator also seems to know everything about all the characters.