Wednesday, June 2, 2010
TTTC Final Assessment/ Choice 2 Big Fish
A straight out story that tells of factual event after event isn’t true truth. What actually happened versus a version that has been exaggerated might provide the same information, but the emotion behind it and the level that it draws in the listener varies enormously. The novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and the movie Big Fish have similar storytelling techniques that can’t be called lies exactly. The stories aren’t the truth, but they retain the essence of what made the story important enough to repeat. Truth is evaluated in both of these works, and teaches the reader that a fact by fact story can make the recipient overlook what was important about it. The point of both of these works was to show how to tell a good story, and that sometimes the factual story is too small for its contents.
In both The Things They Carried and Big Fish the truth is stretched to become fantastic stories that draw the reader in with wild imagery. For instance in the book O’Brien describes himself in the boat with Elroy at the border between the U.S. and Canada. He sees all the people who he was connected to, or would be in the future and they were all heckling him and he gives in to the draft because he is afraid of the embarrassment if he does not go to Vietnam. “It was if there were an audience to my life, that swirl of faces along the river, and in my head I could hear people screaming at me. Traitor! they yelled. Turncoat! Pussy! I felt myself blush. I couldn’t tolerate it. I couldn’t endure the mockery, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule. Even in my imagination, the shore just twenty yards away, I couldn’t make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarrassment, that’s all it was. And right then I submitted.” (O’Brien 39) Later on he admits that summer that he had never been at the Tip Top Lodge with an old man named Elroy, he was home-playing golf while worrying about the draft. He may never have actually made the move to leave the U.S., but the purpose of the story was to show what he wanted to do and the conflict that had been racing through his mind the entire time. He was terrified of the thought of going to war and killing people, but he was even more afraid of the thought of letting people down and having his reputation ruined. That’s the root of his story, but if he told it for how it happened it wouldn’t have shown how life changing the decision was for him. It would’ve overlooked what was going on internally, and O’Brien just changed his surroundings during that period of his life in order to fit what was happening inside of him. Big Fish has a similar story involving the main character Edward and the town of Spectre right after he left home. He arrives in the town, and everything is so perfect that people no longer wear shoes because they know that they will never leave. This town represented a time in the protagonists life where he knew it was too early in his life to settle down, and that he needed more than what an unknown town could offer him. He turned down the perfect, peaceful community in order to go and experience life that would be a lot more painful that just settling down. He could have even had an internal fear of not living up to his potential, since he had a self proclaimed great ambition. The purpose of the stories in Big Fish were to show how he was a big fish himself, and by telling his stories a life that wouldn’t be as spectacular in truth is made much more grand and helps him live on for eternity. The Things They Carried had a similar purpose in that by writing all of his stories, he gives new life to people that have long since been dead, maybe even giving them a new grace to what their life was. There’s a lot more purpose to a story that had been transformed than a timeline of events can ever have.
There are however, differenced between the storytelling in both of these works. O’Brien changes complete situations and admits that they are false, but in Big Fish Edward’s experiences are stretched but based in a true situation, and he swears that all of them are true. In the chapter titled “The Man I Killed”, he relates his guilt by imagining what the life of this man was like, and that he may not have even wanted to be in the war himself, and an educated person just like the author himself. He says later that he didn’t even kill that man, but the fact that he felt guilty for the deaths of the Vietnamese people remained the same. You can’t trust the root of his story though, his can be something entirely fabricated, you can trust his emotion, but not the events. But if hadn’t put himself in the direct position of guilt, people would have difficulty understanding why he would feel personally responsible. He wanted the reader to understand what the value of life was to him, and how he felt for allowing it to happen. Then in the movie you find out at the end of the movie that Ed’s stories although having a mythical quality to them, were based off of one fact that was stretched to its limits. For example at the funeral you see the various characters, Karl was portrayed as a giant, but in real life he was just abnormally tall, the conjoined twins were not conjoined at all, and you find the other people to actually exist which authenticates the stories to an extent. He chooses to make them like a fantasy story in order to magnify the events that followed. Like he made Karl into a giant that ate everything in his hometown, but the important part was that he was the catalyst for leaving the town because it was too small for either of them. Both kinds of stories have their own value, but the bases of the stories differ greatly.
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Both The Things They Carried and Big Fish tell their stories to draw in the person who’s being subjected to it. They tell their stories in order for people to be carried on, and the importance of the events to be understood in the future. Their stories aren’t lies because they tell a truth truer than what the facts can portray. If Ed had not portrayed his wife as an uncatchable fish, and he had not listed all of the trials he went through to marry her, his pursuit of her wouldn’t be nearly as romantic or seem as hard as it was to him. Or with O’Brien and his story about Maryanne, if he had told it like “A soldier’s girlfriend came to Vietnam, but left him because she thought the Green Berets were better.” it wouldn’t give you any insight on what kind of change people go through because of Vietnam. Sometimes stretching the truth is necessary to show the roots underneath the story itself. They don’t tell the factual truth because it can never go as in depth as a story that’s twisted and shaped into a story that can portray the emotion that is occurring during the event. The narrator’s bias on the world and how they choose to tell their story to the audience in their own way shows the true importance of what had occurred because they are now able to interpret it for themselves; this is what makes the story bigger than what the facts were. When you live it, it’s hard to realize what significance a certain event will play throughout your entire life, but later on you can recognize something that might be symbolic and how it was life changing. In both works, the truth is not what happened, but what they felt as they went through their life, and that gives a better insight for a story than anything else.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thousand Cranes Final Project
Jessica Cadwell English Mod 5
Thousand Cranes Final Project #2
Haiku poems have an intricate history despite the simple structure of the haiku itself. They are a Japanese form of poetry that has become popular in Western civilizations as well, even with the differences in language. Some poets have become especially famous for their haikus such as the poets Basho, Buson, and Issa (Kizer 1). Haikus represent cultural and natural life, which relates to the novel Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata.
Haiku’s are a strict form of poetry that originated from a strict social system in Japan. It was important for higher classes to know poetry, and one type “renga” resulted. Renga was a linked verse where other authors would contribute to an original verse. However in the 1500’s it transformed into a freer form of poetry. This was called “haikai”, included was the “hokku” which included the essential seasonal aspect of the poem (Kizer 1). There are three pronounced masters of haikus. One of their poems is
“zo no me no waraikaketari yamazakura” by Buson. The translation is: “An elephant's eyes smile- Mountain cherry blossoms.” (“Famous” 1). The others also include elements of nature, and portray simple everyday things, and make them elegant through the structure of haiku.
A haiku poem has a strict structure that is inherent to the purpose of the poem. It follows a five-seven-five syllable structure. However it is hard to translate between Japanese and English because of the fluidity of the languages (“Haiku” 1). Commonly a haiku includes something to do with nature, or the seasons because that is important in Japanese society. A haiku also conveys a deeper unsaid meaning through simple and quick speech. So an involved reader is necessary to find a true meaning to a haiku, since it won’t be blatantly stated in the haiku. (Kizer 1). This style of writing can be constantly connected to the author’s in Thousand Cranes. Not only does he constantly reference nature and colors to set scenes, but to support the timeline of events to come, or to provide a fresh and purifying sense in the book like when he wrote:
“The western sun poured into it, and the street glittered like a sheet of metal. The trees, with the sun behind them, were darkened almost to black. The shadows were cool, the branches wide, the leaves thick…he could see the cranes and the kerchief vividly. He sensed something fresh and clean.” (45).
Kawabata refers to nature and color multiple times other than this, and uses it to tie into the main characters feelings. He also leaves certain things unsaid but are fairly easy to pick up on. Like in the previous passage that Kikuji, the main male character, finds purity in the Inamura girl and the nature of Japan. In fact, through his writing it is apparent that Kawabata finds that traditional Japanese values and customs were quite important to him, more so than any other subject. Japanese haikus focus largely on those same ideals most often focusing on nature tying in with other things. An example in the novel occurs when a storm comes in: “As he looked out over the garden, he heard thunder. It was distant but strong, and at each clap it was nearer… It was a violent rain.” (91). This rain storm was foreshadowing the mess of events about to unfold between the ruthless Chikako against Fumiko. Kawabata used nature as a metaphor to support his writing, which also occurs in a haiku. Haikus and Kawabata’s Thousand Cranes are quite similar in their usage of unwritten sentiments and nature.
Haikus are quite short, but have the capability of expressing large messages. However the reader must be able to recognize the symbolism within the subject to be able to fully appreciate the haiku. Haiku poetry has an extended past that reaches far back to high social classes in Japan, all the way to modern times where it has spread to Western countries and become popular. Haikus and the novel are similar because of the heavy symbolism achieved through the use of nature, colors, and culture to support the theme of the work as well as certain ideals. Both even serve as a preservation of tradition in Japanese society. Haiku poems are a quite successful and widespread form of literature.
Works Cited
“Famous Haikus.” Haiku Society. Haiku Society, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2009..
Kizer, Kevin. “A Brief History of Haiku .” Literary Kicks. Literary Kicks, 3 May 2001. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.
“What is Haiku?” Haiku Society. Haiku Society, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2009..
Jessica Cadwell English Mod 5
Haikus- Thousand Cranes Final Project
Drawing
To follow a curve
Waving in and out of view.
Is my only bliss.
Spring
The spring is calming.
Showers revive and renew.
Life starts fresh once more.
For these haikus, I decided I would want to follow the general nature guideline for one but for the other I would pick something that I highly enjoy and express it how I see it. Both of these haikus are true to my feelings on the matters discussed. The first haiku could also be about the sense of sight, not only the act of drawing. Both of these represent calming aspects of life to me, and that’s what I think haikus are about; Zen ideals and relieving tension with fluidity.
Thousand Cranes Final Project #2
Haiku poems have an intricate history despite the simple structure of the haiku itself. They are a Japanese form of poetry that has become popular in Western civilizations as well, even with the differences in language. Some poets have become especially famous for their haikus such as the poets Basho, Buson, and Issa (Kizer 1). Haikus represent cultural and natural life, which relates to the novel Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata.
Haiku’s are a strict form of poetry that originated from a strict social system in Japan. It was important for higher classes to know poetry, and one type “renga” resulted. Renga was a linked verse where other authors would contribute to an original verse. However in the 1500’s it transformed into a freer form of poetry. This was called “haikai”, included was the “hokku” which included the essential seasonal aspect of the poem (Kizer 1). There are three pronounced masters of haikus. One of their poems is
“zo no me no waraikaketari yamazakura” by Buson. The translation is: “An elephant's eyes smile- Mountain cherry blossoms.” (“Famous” 1). The others also include elements of nature, and portray simple everyday things, and make them elegant through the structure of haiku.
A haiku poem has a strict structure that is inherent to the purpose of the poem. It follows a five-seven-five syllable structure. However it is hard to translate between Japanese and English because of the fluidity of the languages (“Haiku” 1). Commonly a haiku includes something to do with nature, or the seasons because that is important in Japanese society. A haiku also conveys a deeper unsaid meaning through simple and quick speech. So an involved reader is necessary to find a true meaning to a haiku, since it won’t be blatantly stated in the haiku. (Kizer 1). This style of writing can be constantly connected to the author’s in Thousand Cranes. Not only does he constantly reference nature and colors to set scenes, but to support the timeline of events to come, or to provide a fresh and purifying sense in the book like when he wrote:
“The western sun poured into it, and the street glittered like a sheet of metal. The trees, with the sun behind them, were darkened almost to black. The shadows were cool, the branches wide, the leaves thick…he could see the cranes and the kerchief vividly. He sensed something fresh and clean.” (45).
Kawabata refers to nature and color multiple times other than this, and uses it to tie into the main characters feelings. He also leaves certain things unsaid but are fairly easy to pick up on. Like in the previous passage that Kikuji, the main male character, finds purity in the Inamura girl and the nature of Japan. In fact, through his writing it is apparent that Kawabata finds that traditional Japanese values and customs were quite important to him, more so than any other subject. Japanese haikus focus largely on those same ideals most often focusing on nature tying in with other things. An example in the novel occurs when a storm comes in: “As he looked out over the garden, he heard thunder. It was distant but strong, and at each clap it was nearer… It was a violent rain.” (91). This rain storm was foreshadowing the mess of events about to unfold between the ruthless Chikako against Fumiko. Kawabata used nature as a metaphor to support his writing, which also occurs in a haiku. Haikus and Kawabata’s Thousand Cranes are quite similar in their usage of unwritten sentiments and nature.
Haikus are quite short, but have the capability of expressing large messages. However the reader must be able to recognize the symbolism within the subject to be able to fully appreciate the haiku. Haiku poetry has an extended past that reaches far back to high social classes in Japan, all the way to modern times where it has spread to Western countries and become popular. Haikus and the novel are similar because of the heavy symbolism achieved through the use of nature, colors, and culture to support the theme of the work as well as certain ideals. Both even serve as a preservation of tradition in Japanese society. Haiku poems are a quite successful and widespread form of literature.
Works Cited
“Famous Haikus.” Haiku Society. Haiku Society, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.
Kizer, Kevin. “A Brief History of Haiku .” Literary Kicks. Literary Kicks, 3 May 2001. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.
“What is Haiku?” Haiku Society. Haiku Society, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.
Jessica Cadwell English Mod 5
Haikus- Thousand Cranes Final Project
Drawing
To follow a curve
Waving in and out of view.
Is my only bliss.
Spring
The spring is calming.
Showers revive and renew.
Life starts fresh once more.
For these haikus, I decided I would want to follow the general nature guideline for one but for the other I would pick something that I highly enjoy and express it how I see it. Both of these haikus are true to my feelings on the matters discussed. The first haiku could also be about the sense of sight, not only the act of drawing. Both of these represent calming aspects of life to me, and that’s what I think haikus are about; Zen ideals and relieving tension with fluidity.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Candide Final Project
Jessica Cadwell English
Final Candide Project Choice 6
The concept of theodicy can be supported and rejected in various ways. Theodicy itself is a type of defense or justification of God’s goodness and justice against evil. But how can we believe that God is there to protect us, and how can we believe the opposite, that God is nonexistent in the affairs of evil? Maybe it is not God’s purpose to prevent and fight evil; that responsibility may lie in our own hands.
In order to develop our own ideas about the concept of theodicy, looking at where evil originates is key. There are many different views on the origins such as evil exists merely as an opposite to God. Evil may be an absence of God’s presence, or maybe evil exists as a way to trial people living in a world abundant with temptation and vice. These ideas center on the key role of God, but what if God has nothing to do with the existence of evil? Evil exists when people have nothing to believe in, they choose to not follow moral standards or live to make the world a better place. This relates to the book Candide. More specifically, the impact of Pangloss’s philosophy that “all is for the best”. This philosophy prevented people from taking any action against injustice or the general terrible aspects of the world. Evil may exist because people do not take enough action to fight injustices. Maybe the problem that is inherent in this is that people depend on God to create a miracle and save them from evil, and that hope prevents them from taking the risk to fight against it themselves.
Another question to ask is whether or not there is always retribution for evil acts? This is a solid argument against the concept of theodicy. In this idea, God exists to bring justice against evil, but looking at our own world some people get away with their misdeeds. And sometimes even if a good event comes, it could equate to something unfortunate for others. There is a prime example in the book. It is when the Dutch skipper’s boat is sunken in battle and Candide recovers a sheep. Candide believes that the skipper has received his punishment as a sort of karma for stealing his sheep. But Martin asks whether it was just that others had to lose their lives as well for the punishment towards the skipper. (pg. 53) Life is not always fair and doesn’t always balance out accordingly. So is it right to support the concept that God is always good and just in the face of evil? God is not as relevant as other things when truly examining the battles between good and evil. What is most important is personal responsibility to not soil the world with their attractions to greed and war. Evil exists because people have the free will to make the wrong decisions. So the state of both good and evil is up to man and a belief in important ideals to follow is a necessary backup to the balance.
Up to this point a stress has been put upon the idea that God should not be viewed as playing a key role against evil. But for arguments sake, what if God is key, what would His intention be with the state of evil. Maybe He created, or let evil be as a way to test all people and show where their own true intentions and heart lie. God may let evil exist to show an obvious contrast betweens the things that are good and bad. For example, an ill-mannered person will be viewed much lower than a person who chooses to treat others with kindness. An example in Candide would be all of the societies he’s been in versus El Dorado. He had human waste dumped on him for not viewing the pope as antichrist in one place (pg.6), been conned out of money in Paris (pg.56), and endured the pursuit of many groups of people. In El Dorado kindness was commonplace, they were not tainted by the follies of the outside world, and were more concerned with being hospitable than anything else. This open and free society was the example of a place full of good against a world filled with evil and despair. Knowing the difference between good and evil is important in learning how to lead your life.
The concept of theodicy entails a large role of God’s position against evil. But what limits people and let’s evil grow is a dependence on God to solve all displays of terrible situations where evil is abundant. Personal responsibility to know the difference between right and wrong, to know how to follow your own personal beliefs, and to fight against something that you consider unjust. Problems don’t solve themselves, and that is the entire idea of Candide. A positive outlook that even bad situations will eventually lead to the best outcome is a lazy way to avoid dealing with the evil in the world. If evil were to be accurately addressed instead of ignored, there would be a lot less of it. The state of the world isn’t up to God; it’s up to the people who inhabit it.
Final Candide Project Choice 6
The concept of theodicy can be supported and rejected in various ways. Theodicy itself is a type of defense or justification of God’s goodness and justice against evil. But how can we believe that God is there to protect us, and how can we believe the opposite, that God is nonexistent in the affairs of evil? Maybe it is not God’s purpose to prevent and fight evil; that responsibility may lie in our own hands.
In order to develop our own ideas about the concept of theodicy, looking at where evil originates is key. There are many different views on the origins such as evil exists merely as an opposite to God. Evil may be an absence of God’s presence, or maybe evil exists as a way to trial people living in a world abundant with temptation and vice. These ideas center on the key role of God, but what if God has nothing to do with the existence of evil? Evil exists when people have nothing to believe in, they choose to not follow moral standards or live to make the world a better place. This relates to the book Candide. More specifically, the impact of Pangloss’s philosophy that “all is for the best”. This philosophy prevented people from taking any action against injustice or the general terrible aspects of the world. Evil may exist because people do not take enough action to fight injustices. Maybe the problem that is inherent in this is that people depend on God to create a miracle and save them from evil, and that hope prevents them from taking the risk to fight against it themselves.
Another question to ask is whether or not there is always retribution for evil acts? This is a solid argument against the concept of theodicy. In this idea, God exists to bring justice against evil, but looking at our own world some people get away with their misdeeds. And sometimes even if a good event comes, it could equate to something unfortunate for others. There is a prime example in the book. It is when the Dutch skipper’s boat is sunken in battle and Candide recovers a sheep. Candide believes that the skipper has received his punishment as a sort of karma for stealing his sheep. But Martin asks whether it was just that others had to lose their lives as well for the punishment towards the skipper. (pg. 53) Life is not always fair and doesn’t always balance out accordingly. So is it right to support the concept that God is always good and just in the face of evil? God is not as relevant as other things when truly examining the battles between good and evil. What is most important is personal responsibility to not soil the world with their attractions to greed and war. Evil exists because people have the free will to make the wrong decisions. So the state of both good and evil is up to man and a belief in important ideals to follow is a necessary backup to the balance.
Up to this point a stress has been put upon the idea that God should not be viewed as playing a key role against evil. But for arguments sake, what if God is key, what would His intention be with the state of evil. Maybe He created, or let evil be as a way to test all people and show where their own true intentions and heart lie. God may let evil exist to show an obvious contrast betweens the things that are good and bad. For example, an ill-mannered person will be viewed much lower than a person who chooses to treat others with kindness. An example in Candide would be all of the societies he’s been in versus El Dorado. He had human waste dumped on him for not viewing the pope as antichrist in one place (pg.6), been conned out of money in Paris (pg.56), and endured the pursuit of many groups of people. In El Dorado kindness was commonplace, they were not tainted by the follies of the outside world, and were more concerned with being hospitable than anything else. This open and free society was the example of a place full of good against a world filled with evil and despair. Knowing the difference between good and evil is important in learning how to lead your life.
The concept of theodicy entails a large role of God’s position against evil. But what limits people and let’s evil grow is a dependence on God to solve all displays of terrible situations where evil is abundant. Personal responsibility to know the difference between right and wrong, to know how to follow your own personal beliefs, and to fight against something that you consider unjust. Problems don’t solve themselves, and that is the entire idea of Candide. A positive outlook that even bad situations will eventually lead to the best outcome is a lazy way to avoid dealing with the evil in the world. If evil were to be accurately addressed instead of ignored, there would be a lot less of it. The state of the world isn’t up to God; it’s up to the people who inhabit it.
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