Wednesday, March 21, 2012

the stranger

"I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn't dissatisfied with mine here at all," (41).

This quote shows how Meursault doesn't make any effort to live life to the fullest. He states that he isn't "dissatisfied" to his lifestyle, but he can't make any conclusions because he still has many years to grow and experience life. He takes his life for granted and doesn't apprecitiate the time he lives without suffering. This passage is very important to Meursault's journey in the novel, because not only does this foreshadow Meursault's personal life journey but also foreshadows death.

Monday, March 19, 2012

The stranger

One of the main topics in the stranger is the light/darkness motif. In the first chapter, the mother's death description within the room contrasts the darkness within the funeral home. The narrator describes this scene as: "Darkness had gathered, quickly, above the skylight"(8). Even though the sun skylight is lighting up the room with death, the darkness overwhelms the atmosphere of the novel and sets the tone for the upcoming chapters.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Genesis


Genesis, unlike Darwin's theory, is very poetic and repetitive. The short 'stanzas' of the writing creates the mood of transition from the beginning of time. Everything God says is portrayed: '"Let there be light," and there was light'. Also, at the end of the lines the repetition of time allows the reader to realize that time hs begun and is being counted. The repetition of the last couple words, counting the days, the work is written as ritualistic, or an on-going process. Throughout the work, God commands the world to form and is expressed through short sentences to realoly emphasis the idea of control. At the end of the work, God proclaims that everything is created for man...talking to Adam and Eve.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Darwin


"It is, no doubt, extremely difficult even to conjecture by what gradations many structures have been perfected, more especially amongst broken and failing groups of organic beings..there are, it must be admitted, cases of speical difficulty on the theory of natural selection;"

Darwin discusses in his Recapitulation and Conclusion how he's expecting people to criticize his theory of evolution. He summarizes his argument and then acknowledges the other side of the argument to address his thoughts more clearly. Darwin is aware of the criticism and demonstrates his view through rhetoric to emphasize his point strongly. Also, throughout the final chapter of his book, he uses examples to argue his point and then backs up these points by using his own logic.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

2nd

Not only does society drill individuals to portray perfection, but avoiding pressure is just as impossible. The average person sees (number of) advertisements per day. Advertisements manipulate the mind to remember slogans, colors, ingredients, etc. Although subliminal message are now illegal in commercials, unnoticeable pictures still inhabit the mind to see persuasive messages. In fact, some colors and messages still move so quickly that one cannot recall how they remember the certain phrase or commercial at all. Advertisements distract the individual from manifesting their own identities and instead remove the different imaginations one is born with. [graphic novel] [graphic novel analysis].