Quote 1
"She tailed painfully up the steps. Shapeless, breathing heavily" (268).
Dilsey is climbing up the stairs to wait on Mrs. Compson. Dilsey is the servant of the Compson family. This scene shows her old because she is having a hard time doing her duties. However, it also shows how she has sustained throughout time. She is old with age because of time but time has not torn her down like the other members of the Compson family. The factor that is different between her and the family is that she does not dwell on the past. She does her job to take care of the family and doesn't ponder about her memories. Dilsey is the figure that survives the deterioration of the family.
Quote 2
"I've seed de first en de last... I seed de beginning, en now I sees de endin" (297).
Dilsey has witnesses the downfall of the Compsons without being directly affected. Dilsey has been with the Compson family since their children, Jason, Caddy, Benjy, and Quentin were little. Dilsey had to deal with the family falling apart. She has a sense of the time that has past. Unlike the other characters, the sense of time is sequential and is a normal way of life. Benjy does not have a sense of time and has multiple flashbacks. Quentin also has flashbacks but he is trying to stop time and forget the sense of time. Jason has flashbacks as well but only to justify his anger. Dilsey is the character that truly understands that life moves on with time.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
The Sound and The Fury: Book 3
Quote 1
"By the time I got the car stopped and grabbed her hands there was about a dozen people looking. It made me so mad for a minute it kind of blinded me" (188).
Jason is always angry in the novel, whether it be in the past or present. He always tries to blame things on other people and never himself. He is also obsessed with Caddy, but not like his brothers, he is obsessed about how she ruined his life. She was the reason why he didn't get the job Herbert promised him. Jason is capable of many things because of this anger. This hatred "blinded" him because when he is mad, the emotion acts for itself. He is no longer in control when he is furious. Because he is always mad, it portrays the message that he is rarely in control of his life.
Quote 2
"Once a bitch, always a bitch, what I say" (180).
Jason believes that people will always remain in fault. This is the first line Jason says in his part. It basically describes his personality. He is spiteful and believes that people will not change. He blames his job opportunity loss to Caddy because Herbert promised him a job as a banker but Caddy ruined it. Jason now has to look after Caddy's daughter, Quentin. Jason thinks Caddy's bad qualities have all transferred to Quentin because after all, Caddy was horrible and so is Quentin. He doesn't even consider the fact that Quentin is terrible is because she was raised by a terrible person like Jason. The reason why Jason has gone through so much misfortune is due to Caddy and he goes through more misfortune because of Quentin.
"By the time I got the car stopped and grabbed her hands there was about a dozen people looking. It made me so mad for a minute it kind of blinded me" (188).
Jason is always angry in the novel, whether it be in the past or present. He always tries to blame things on other people and never himself. He is also obsessed with Caddy, but not like his brothers, he is obsessed about how she ruined his life. She was the reason why he didn't get the job Herbert promised him. Jason is capable of many things because of this anger. This hatred "blinded" him because when he is mad, the emotion acts for itself. He is no longer in control when he is furious. Because he is always mad, it portrays the message that he is rarely in control of his life.
Quote 2
"Once a bitch, always a bitch, what I say" (180).
Jason believes that people will always remain in fault. This is the first line Jason says in his part. It basically describes his personality. He is spiteful and believes that people will not change. He blames his job opportunity loss to Caddy because Herbert promised him a job as a banker but Caddy ruined it. Jason now has to look after Caddy's daughter, Quentin. Jason thinks Caddy's bad qualities have all transferred to Quentin because after all, Caddy was horrible and so is Quentin. He doesn't even consider the fact that Quentin is terrible is because she was raised by a terrible person like Jason. The reason why Jason has gone through so much misfortune is due to Caddy and he goes through more misfortune because of Quentin.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The Sound and The Fury: Book 2
Quote 1
"It was Grandfather's and when Father gave it to me he said I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire; it's rather excruciating-ly apt that you will use it to gain the reducto absurdum of all human experience which can fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76).
Quentin destroys his watch because it is really no use to him. The watch signifies the actual time. Each second passing by is the past. However, if you do not know the time or cannot see the seconds ticking by on the watch, you do not really know how much time has passed or whether it is the present or the past. Quentin does not like knowing the time because it reminds him of how much time has past. He specifically asks the man at the clock store not to tell him the time. The actual time is different from individual time. Time is perceived differently for different people. Time seems to pass by really quickly when you're distracted or occupied. But when you have nothing to do, time seems to drag on. Mr. Compson gives this watch to Quentin but he tells Quentin that it can "fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76). Therefore, this watch is of nothing use because it does not measure an individual's perception of time.
"I could hear mine, ticking away inside my pocket, even thought nobody could see it, even though it could tell nothing if anyone could" (85).
Quentin wants to escape the sound of time. At first, he tries to ignore time. In contrast, he actually has a great sense of time because he'll feel like it's noon. He says he hears time ticking away like a clock. However, he broke his watch as an attempt to stop time. Quentin wants to leave the world because life is meaningless to him. He cannot escape the sound of the ticking clock in his life so the only way to truly escape is to end his life.
"It was Grandfather's and when Father gave it to me he said I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire; it's rather excruciating-ly apt that you will use it to gain the reducto absurdum of all human experience which can fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76).
Quentin destroys his watch because it is really no use to him. The watch signifies the actual time. Each second passing by is the past. However, if you do not know the time or cannot see the seconds ticking by on the watch, you do not really know how much time has passed or whether it is the present or the past. Quentin does not like knowing the time because it reminds him of how much time has past. He specifically asks the man at the clock store not to tell him the time. The actual time is different from individual time. Time is perceived differently for different people. Time seems to pass by really quickly when you're distracted or occupied. But when you have nothing to do, time seems to drag on. Mr. Compson gives this watch to Quentin but he tells Quentin that it can "fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76). Therefore, this watch is of nothing use because it does not measure an individual's perception of time.
"I could hear mine, ticking away inside my pocket, even thought nobody could see it, even though it could tell nothing if anyone could" (85).
Quentin wants to escape the sound of time. At first, he tries to ignore time. In contrast, he actually has a great sense of time because he'll feel like it's noon. He says he hears time ticking away like a clock. However, he broke his watch as an attempt to stop time. Quentin wants to leave the world because life is meaningless to him. He cannot escape the sound of the ticking clock in his life so the only way to truly escape is to end his life.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
The Sound and The Fury: Book 1
Quote 1
"Caddy smelled like trees" (44).
Caddy is the mother figure in Benjy's life. She takes care of him and plays with him more than his own mother. Caddy impacts Benjy's life greatly so Benjy often gets flashbacks of Caddy. Benji associates Caddy with the smell of trees. The smell of trees represents the Caddy Benjy wants her to be. When Caddy is with Charlie, Benjy cries because he doesn't like Charlie. However, Charlie doesn't like Benjy either and keeps telling Caddy to get Benjy's nigger. When that doesn't happen, Charlie kisses Caddy in front of Benjy. Caddy and Benjy escape and Caddy washes her mouth with water and soap. After she is done, Benjy says, once again, "Caddy smelled like trees" (48). Once Caddy washed away her sins, she became the Caddy Benjy knew and was familiar with.
Quote 2
"'It's froze.' Caddy said. 'Look.' She broke the top of the water and held a piece of it against my face. 'Ice. That means how cold it is'" (13).
Benjy is the idiot because he is obviously, mentally retarded. However, William Faulkner conveyed a lot more in Benjy's character than the label "idiot". Benjy knows what is happening around him, but he does not understand why it is happening. He relies on Caddy to translate what is happening in the real world into his world. Without her, he can only smell things and see shapes without knowing what they mean. Benjy is the character with the strongest sense of right and wrong. He acts like Caddy's conscience when she does something with a guy, "Hush. I won't anymore" (48). Benjy cries whenever something is wrong or out of order.
"Caddy smelled like trees" (44).
Caddy is the mother figure in Benjy's life. She takes care of him and plays with him more than his own mother. Caddy impacts Benjy's life greatly so Benjy often gets flashbacks of Caddy. Benji associates Caddy with the smell of trees. The smell of trees represents the Caddy Benjy wants her to be. When Caddy is with Charlie, Benjy cries because he doesn't like Charlie. However, Charlie doesn't like Benjy either and keeps telling Caddy to get Benjy's nigger. When that doesn't happen, Charlie kisses Caddy in front of Benjy. Caddy and Benjy escape and Caddy washes her mouth with water and soap. After she is done, Benjy says, once again, "Caddy smelled like trees" (48). Once Caddy washed away her sins, she became the Caddy Benjy knew and was familiar with.
Quote 2
"'It's froze.' Caddy said. 'Look.' She broke the top of the water and held a piece of it against my face. 'Ice. That means how cold it is'" (13).
Benjy is the idiot because he is obviously, mentally retarded. However, William Faulkner conveyed a lot more in Benjy's character than the label "idiot". Benjy knows what is happening around him, but he does not understand why it is happening. He relies on Caddy to translate what is happening in the real world into his world. Without her, he can only smell things and see shapes without knowing what they mean. Benjy is the character with the strongest sense of right and wrong. He acts like Caddy's conscience when she does something with a guy, "Hush. I won't anymore" (48). Benjy cries whenever something is wrong or out of order.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
A Farewell to Arms: Book 5
Quote 1
"She was unconscious all the time, and it did not take her very long to die" (331).
Catherine just gave birth; however, the baby dies. Frederick stays by her side as the doctor is sewing her wounds. This quote shows that death does not have to be dramatic. Even though it was painful for Frederic to see his loved one die, it was good that Catherine was freed from her agony quickly. It would've been more painful for both of them if the process dragged on.
Quote 2
"But after I got them to leave and shut the door and turn off the light it wasn't any good. It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain" (332).
In the end, death will triumph everything, leaving ones in isolation. After Catherine dies, Frederick wants to be alone with Catherine. But he finds out that this is not comforting because it was like "saying good-by to a statue". All the life has been drained out of her and she is now just a body. Frederick is heartbroken and this scene shows how much he loved her because he didn't love her for her body, he loved her for her. We continually see this repetition of rain symbolizing as isolation and loneliness. Catherine has told Frederick, many times, that she had a phobia of the rain but it would be okay if he was with her. Catherine has also said, "...sometimes I see me dead in it" (126). She is referring that she will die alone and in a sense she does because Frederick doesn't die with her. However, Frederick stayed by her side the entire time she was dying and his love remained pure. Catherine kind of foreshadows what happens to Frederick when she says, "And sometimes I see you dead in it" (126). The reader does not know about Frederick's death but the reader does know that, "[Frederick] walked back to the hotel in the rain". Frederick is not dead but he is in solitude without Catherine. There is a parallel between the rain and death because before, the rain tore the couple apart but death is a more powerful factor. Death is unavoidable and part of nature, just like rain. But in the end, death is the one who leaves Frederick in the rain alone.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
A Farewell to Arms: Book 4
Quote 1
"It is hard to leave the country but in no way impossible" (238).
Frederick has gotten off the train in Milan and heads towards a wine shop. There, he has a conversation with the proprietor. The proprietor mentions that if Frederick is in trouble, he could stay there and that it is hard to leave the country but not entirely impossible to leave. This gives a glimmer of hope that no matter how difficult leaving the country is, it is still doable. This gives a parallel to real life where you have to believe that no matter how the odds are against you, you always have that chance, no matter how slim, to succeed.
Quote 2
“It’s cheerful rain” (278).
Isolation is an illusion brought upon a time of chaos. In the beginning of the book, Catherine displayed her fear of the rain, “I’m afraid of the rain” (125). The rain symbolizes isolation as it separates Catherine and Frederick during the war. When Frederick has to go back to the front, leaving Catherine all alone, the rain is present in the background “The retreat was orderly, wet, and sullen” (188). However, when Catherine and Frederick leave the war zone, there is happy rain. This cruel rain has lost its power of tearing them apart outside of the war. Catherine and Frederick believe that they will be together and the fear of solitude has vanished.
Monday, October 13, 2014
A Farewell to Arms: Book 3
Quote 1
"I am very tired of this war. If I was away, I do not believe I would come back" (165).
Frederick was talking to the major and the major stated that he was exhausted of the war and if he could leave, he would never come back. Throughout the book, Frederick discusses the war with many people. The major says an "elephant in the room" thought. The major says out loud the possibility of running away. This puts Frederick and the major at the same level because later on, Frederic does plan to run away from the army with Catherine.
Quote 2
"'I'm sorry he makes you so uncomfortable' I was asleep all the time, she said. You've been talking in your sleep" (197).
In this passage, Ernest Hemingway portrays the idea that true love has the potential to flourish in a time of chaos. The interactions between Frederick and Catherine has been set in a time of war. The actual disorderly army plans, "...nothing had been done about organizing them for defense" (183) shows the chaos the war has put people in. Frederick and Catherine manages to fine each other during this disarrayed event. Their love grows as Frederick believes he can as psychic connection with Catherine. Even in Frederick's sleep, he worries about the baby disrupting Catherine's sleep. This shows the strengthening of their love not only physically, but also emotionally and mentally.
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