Void

A Void turned out to be quite an interesting piece of work. I found it to be unique towards the fact that the letter "e" was not used throughout the writing. To do this, I think, would be extrememly difficult. As I continued to read the story, the non existance of the letter soon became unoticable. This made me think about how truly fascinating the english language is. Even though the story was scattered and was difficult to make sense of, the fact that he created it without a very important vowel really astounded me. I think that the author took things to a new level, and had to of been an intelligent man; he clearly wanted the reader to "think outside the box."

Translation

The author admitted the experiment were akin to child's play, but I like that he was able to respond confidently that the play was not without value. Something valuable can be gleaned from the process. Discovering that value becomes part of the process of uncovering the work offered by Perec and others. I suppose this becomes another form of translation, or at least another form the reader must attempt to interpret. Interpretation itself becomes a method of translation. As readers we are consciously reassembling words to pry meaning from a text. Who knows what is lost in that process? And how can one determine the accuracy of that process? Is the interpretation that most resembles the author's intention considered more accurate?

A Void & The Curse of The Maltese Falcon

As I read A Void, I noticed that a few words or phrases have been left in French. I found this distracting because the word lost meaning and complicated its context. After reading The Curse of The Maltese Falcon, this seemed even more significant than I thought. How Adair translated what Perec originally said completely changes the way we interpret the book in English. In order to produce an almost exact translation, he would have had to really study everything about A Void, beyond just the words written down. I wonder if leaving certain words in French helps keep the meaning that Perec intended, or changes it more so. Overall, I find A Void very hard to follow and understand. I grasp the sense of a constant void but I’m having trouble finding a greater meaning; what is Perec trying to say without actually saying?

A Void and Translations

Harry Matthews highlighted some ways that the Ouilpo translate and it brought up some interesting questions in my mind. I've always acknowledged the fact that when something is translated a little bit of the author's voice is lost. However, after reading Matthews I realized that the author's voice and style could be totally "lost in translation." Authors take great pains to choose diction that best suits their cause and there is a rhythm and flow that helps tell the story. When works are translated it can all be lost when it is translated very literally. I admire the way that the Ouilpo are so creative and have fun with language. It's very refreshing to see a literary group boldly breaking the rules, but with their works still making sense. I think there is a greater significance in Perec using the lipogram style to write A Void than I had earlier attributed. I had thought maybe he gave writing a lipogram a try in order to see if he could do it. But after reading more of the novel, I think that Perec is using the omission of an important vowel as a symbol of something missing in real life. He clearly wants the reader to think of the omission outside of the novel. He highlights this with his in-your-face references to the omission.

Perec and Matthews

The reading for the next class was another section from A Void by Georges Perec and the excerpt “The Curse of the Maltese Falcon: Translation and the Oulipo” by Harry Matthews. The excerpt by Matthews really brought to light the affects of translation from one language to another. His example in the excerpt using the line from Racine’s Phedre goes to show that translation can take many forms, whether it is direct translation, translation by omitting a letter or letters, translation by replacing a word with another word with the same number of letters, etc, at the end they are all still considered a form of translation. By doing so the original meaning maybe somewhat buried or skewed. As in the book, A Void, which has been translated, may have also faced the difficulties of keeping the original meaning or plot through the language difference. The excluding of a letter may have proved to be a challenge but as Matthews puts it, “[W]riting under constraint proved to be not a limitation but a liberation” (81).

Perec & Matthews

In reading Matthews, it really helped me to better understand the concept of the lipogram as well as the Oulipo group. In better understanding those two concepts, it helped me in reading A Void. I found that the book was getting easier to read as I went along. I don't know if that is because of the reading by Matthews or just the way the story goes. It was interesting to me to read what Matthews said about Perec not writing the book to produce an amazing story. This was something brought up in my group's discussion on Monday. I find it funny that someone would want to write a 300 page novel and not want it to be a great book. It's also even more ironic that so many people want to read this novel. The story isn't that fantastic, yet so many people have read and heard of this book just because it doesn't use the letter "e." It is astonishing to me how someone can write a whole novel with a plot without using that letter. I give Perec props for that, yet don't understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. I still found it to be a little distracting just knowing that "e" was never used. I didn't try to look for errors, but part of me feels that maybe subconsciously I was trying to find them.

Perec and Matthews

When I first started to read "A Void" I found myself trying really hard to find an e. I noticed I simply stopped really interpreting the novel and just looking for e's I knew weren't there, I just wanted to catch a bluff I suppose. I do, however, find this book very interesting so far. It is so unlike anything I have ever really read before. I like catching the references to other stories, and I find that this book reminds me of "1001 Arabian Nights". It seems to be this continuation of a story within these other stories. The story does seem to progress to an overall plot that is intriguing. In Matthews' article, I found when he said that himself and Perec needed to be constraint a bit in their writing to truly be free to express themselves and say what they need to say. Sometimes too much freedom can be overwhelming and you need a challenge to bring out your full potential. I also liked how he discussed translations being the same yet different, and the Socrates example was very interesting as well.

Perec and Matthews

While reading Perec’s A Void, one of the first aspects that struck me, after learning that he wrote his novel without the use of the letter ‘e’, was that the story was originally written in France. So, not only did Perec accomplish the feat of writing a coherent story sans ‘s’, the translator was able to complete the same task for the English readers. Obviously, Perec was aware of the predicament faced by those readers uneducated in French. What Matthews acknowledges in this chapter is that translations are limited, stating “a language says what it can say, and that’s that” (69). Some words simply embody the idea a writer is trying to convey. While translating, the translator more likely than not had to stretch certain synonyms, as the original, best fitting English word had an ‘e’. While accomplishing a lipogrammatic story such as A Void is quite impressive, Perec knowingly limited his audience as his knew translation of his novel would cause problems. Lipogrammatic stories and other works of the Oulipo serve mostly the purpose of challenging their writers into follow a very limited structure. These works, while creative in their approach, do seem slightly counteractive in the strive for innovation as they are essentially limiting format, audience, and essentially literature.

Perec and Matthews

I was a little confused when I started reading A void. I don't think I would have ever noticed that there were no e's in the book if I didn't look hard or were told ahead of time. I found it a little weird that Perec would be focus so much on other peoples works. I think as I get farther into the book it becomes easier to read, however, I find myself needing to focus a little harder on what I'm reading because I find that at some points its awkward to read. I feel that the way he wrote things could either be a positive or a negative. I feel that Perec went outside the box in his style of writing, that he took literature to a different place and really made it his own. On the other hand I feel that maybe he took too much time looking for words that didn't have the letter "e" rather than writing whatever came to mind. I look forward to finishing this book and seeing what Perec has to offer.

Perec and Mathews

Harry Mathews’ “Translation and the Oulipo: The Case of the Persevering Maltese” really helped me in understanding Perec’s “A Void.” It did not help me in understanding the story, which in section two is much easier to follow than in section one, but in understanding why Perec would write a book without using the letter ‘e.’ Mathews says that “The Oulipo supplies writers with hard games to play” (80). So, according to Mathews’ game theory, Perec wrote “A Void” not to produce the best story the world has ever seen, but to write an interesting story with a plot but without the letter ‘e.’ This “proved to be not a limitation but a liberation” (81). It seems that by writing in this style Perec did not have to conform to the guidelines of what a story was supposed to be. Was “A Void” then published because Perec thought people would really enjoy his story, or because he wanted to show his accomplishment and what the Oulipo could do?

Perec and Matthews

After reading the Matthews excerpt it became much more easy to understand Oulipo writing, and anything that came out of this particular writing style. I realized how hard it must have been for Perec while writing his book. Once I tried out the task of writing without a vowel I quickly realized that it pushes the writer (and reader) to look deeper into the text. While reading, I often find myself drifting off with my thoughts rather than intently taking in the words on the page. I think it would be damn near impossible to use this "skimming" method while trying to read Perec or anything classified as Oulipo. Like many of the different authors and writing genres we have encountered throughout this course I am able to find something intriguing in it. I had never before considered removing an actual character of the alphabet in effort to create meaning in a piece of writing.

Matthews and Perec

Last class we had to write what we did that morning and then write it without using the letter 'e'. This was one of the hardest tasks that I've ever had to do. I was unable to get it and that really frustrated me. I am the type of person that has to get the task done and cannot just give up, so doing this was a challenge for me. I still have a hard time thinking that he was able to write the entire book without using the letter 'e'. I know that this was his whole goal, but it still is kind of an unbelievable goal and almost impossible in my mind. In reading the second section of the book I still found myself looking for and 'e' as I was reading. I think that this kind of distracts me because I am not as connected to the book. I am starting to get that I will not find an 'e', so I'm concentrating on the plot and content of the book much more than the first section. In reading Matthews piece I thought a lot about French and the fact that I know absolutely nothing about the language. I found myself wondering about the language and wanting to learn more about it through this class.

Perec and Matthew

During class, we had to write what we did in the morning since we woke up without using the letter ‘E’. I could never write an entire book without using the vowel. Its interesting to think about how Perec’s, “A Void” was written in three different languages and all translated over to English. I feel like it would have a different meaning in each language then it would in the one it was written in. While reading “The Case of the Persevering Maltese: Translation and the Oulipo” by Matthew, all I could think about was trying to speak French. In high school, I took Spanish classes but my mom took French classes while she was in high school. Sometimes at home, I’ll speak a little Spanish but she’ll come back at me with French words. I would tell her what I said and she would say what she said but most of the time if we were trying to say the same thing, if you translated it, it would be a different meaning in the English language.

Perec and Matthews

This week we continued reading Georges Perec's novel "A Void," and also looked at the Matthews' piece, "The Case of the Preserving Maltese: Translation and the Oulipo." In Matthews piece he brings up the notion that English, as well as French are vast languages and pretty much anything that can be said in English can be said in French, and vice versa. One thing that Matthews brings up is the idea that although these two languages can be translated into the other, sometimes the meaning of the sentence or story can get lost in translation. This got me thinking about "A Void" and how it was translated from French to English and it got me to wonder if there were things that ended up getting lost from the original piece, whether it be because the translator wouldn't think English readers would understand something and therefore decided to change it so it would be more suitable for English readers.

Matthews and Perec

While reading through Matthew's piece,"The Case of the Persevering Maltese: Translation and the Oulipo," I could not help but them back to when I was in France myself and dealing with the translation of the English and French. There was a time when we were eating cotton candy and a french girl said to me, "Do you find your happiness?" I was confused until we had to discuss more what she was asking me. What she was really trying to ask was if I like the cotton candy. There were so many other times when they would try to speak English with me and through their efforts in translation I would just be lost as to what they were saying, and it was quite comical. To think that Perec's piece was not only written in French without the letter E, but then to have it translated, bringing home the same meaning as the french version, all still without using the letter E seems almost impossible to me.

Perec and Matthews (Oulipo)

Georges Perec’s novel “A Void” maintains the plot and structure of a proper novel while still operating under the lack of a fundamental building block, the letter “e”. Multiple times while reading the excerpt I found myself examining the words, trying to find a point where a mistake was made, and the forbidden letter would surface, but to no avail. If anything, this method of writing distracts the reader from the events that are occurring which makes the plot that much harder to follow. Harry Matthews mentions Perec’s endeavor in his essay “The Case of the Persevering Maltese: Translation and the Oulipo”, but describes it as a return to childlike challenges however no longer in the form of games, but instead as an obstacle to overcome in writing.

A Void

The whole concept of writing a novel without using the letter E is just mind blowing. The fact that Perec pulled it off is amazing. So is that fact that the translator even managed to translate it with out using the letter E. This work is crazy genius. After reading "The History of the Lipogram," I realized that this was a kind of avant garde trend. Sure, it is a little weird but I bet Perec did it just to see if he could. There were parts that I had trouble understanding, with references to things that I didn't understand, but I'm hoping that maybe later on in the novel it will make more sense. I really enjoy how this is kind of a suspense thriller as they characters search for Vowl. I think it's funny how Perec's story reflects his limitations of writing a lipogram. I'm excited to see where this goes.

A Void

At first I found A Void to be very difficult to follow because I couldn’t understand Perec’s references to particular people and events. However, I think the overall intent of the novel is rather interesting. I think it’s interesting, definitely intentional, that Perec named the character Vowl which is missing the vowel ‘e’… I often read it as if the ‘e’ were there anyway because I expected it to be every time his name came up. Also, I noticed Vowl had a slight obsession with the number 5 and after reading The History of the Lipogram, I realized ‘e’ is the 5th letter of the alphabet. But like other people asked, why would anyone take the time to write a novel this way? It seems far too difficult and time consuming. But obviously there’s rationale behind every author’s work and I wonder how writing a novel as a lipogram affects the way the reader comprehends the story and what they take away from it.

A Void

In George Perec's A Void, there were a few things that I was struggling with as a reader. First, I really find that Perec uses a several a lot of terms, or places and things, that are not something that most people would know about. While doing the reading I kept thinking of how frustrated I would be had I not lived with a family in France for a short period of time when Perec makes frequent refrence to places in France. Did others know what all the places were that were mentioned? I feel as though had I not known french or been there, there would have been know way I would have known what was being referenced. Other things that I really struggled with was how I felt as though he dragged on some points that didn't need to be dragged on, especially in the begining. I could not focus on what was going on the entire introduction even though I was reading, rereading slowly; I just couldn't seem to following. Other than the refrences and some parts dragging on, I really enjoy the idea of this piece and am looking forward to where the book will go.

A Void and Lipograms

When I was reading Perec's A Void I was greatly distracted at first. For about the first twenty pages I had to stop frequently and was easily distracted. The entire time I just kept thinking about how there was not an "e" to be found and I couldn't focus on the actual story, only the lack of the "e" from it. After those first few pages I became much more used to the text and was no longer distracted by the missing letter. By referencing other literary works Perec is even more creative by manipulating their language to describe the same situations. I really liked the novel so far and am looking forward to seeing what Perec does with language throughout the rest of it.

A Void & Lipograms

I found the readings for the next class to be very intriguing to me. It is astonishing to me that anyone could write a whole book of poems, that makes sense and everything, without including the letter "e." I can understand using lipograms in writing poetry, but a novel seems like a huge task to take on. The main question that popped in my head was why anyone would ever want to do such a thing. Talk about making a task that is already difficult even harder. Maybe Perec was just getting bored with writing and wanted to challenge himself. Lipograms give more of an artistic and problem solving approach to writing. I looked up "lipogram" in wikipedia just to find out some more information. There, they gave a paragraph that defined lipogram and then used that some paragraph, but omitted the letter "e." You could definitely see that the second paragraph had a very weird tone to it. It sounded very scholarly and too wordy for me, but it was an interesting observation and made me laugh to myself.

Lipograms

Writing itself often poses several constraints to the author. Whether it be subject matter, allotted time, or the permitted length, a writer always has to work with a certain number of roadblocks. Writers who take on the lipogrammatic format, however, willing take on an additional constraint. Constricting yourself from using one of the most commonly used letters in the English language or in Georges Perec’s case the most common letter, ‘e’, would assumedly prove to be just as difficult as it seems. The first question I asked when I was introduced to the lipogram is “Why”? Why would someone bother further constrict their writing, making it even harder for the audience to decipher? Other than boasting rights or just the challenge, is there any further meaning in pursuing this literary format? In A Void, the story seems to allude to the literary format, as friends are in search of their friend with the last name “Vowl”. The title alone implies that something is missing. With “e” being a crucial letter to the English language, the story also seems to imply that this missing friend is very important to his companions.

A Void and the History of the lipogram

The book we read this week was A Void by George Perec but translated by Gilbert Adair and also the chapter “History of the Lipogram” by George Perec. I found it rather interesting how the entire book was written with the letter e omitted. Furthermore, how the translated version was written without the letter e as well goes to show the skill and mastery of the form making it so captivating to the reader. Through this technique I found that reading the book was a bit harder because ordinary words were replaced with other less familiar words so to avoid using the letter e. I wonder if through the translation did the portrayal of the story, the people, and places still remain as the original or did it have to change slightly due to the language difference.

Lipogram

My question after reading The History of the Lipogram is, what does it mean to write one? What does it mean to omit a certain word or words for an entire work of art? When an author writes in a familiar form, such as the Shakespearean sonnet, the audience can usually infer certain meanings about the work. The structure of the writing means something. I am interested to discuss what can be inferred about lipograms. I did find it interesting to discover how controversial and stigmatized lipograms were throughout literary history. It seems the establishment found fault in the work and it would be an interesting research topic to uncover why this particular form induced such vitriol.

A Void

This week we are starting to read Georges Perec's novel 'A Void'. I was very interested to read this novel because of the interesting fact that it is entirely written without the letter 'e'. I was very intrigued by this and wondered how it would have been able to be done, especially when it is translated. I thought that the task of writing an entire book without using the letter 'e' was a great inspiration for this book. Also the idea for this book that they are trying to find Vowl is interesting. When I first started reading the book I found myself thinking that it was interesting the guy's name that they were trying to find was Vowl because it is only one letter away from vowel, but that would use the letter 'e'. I wonder if that was some part of his inspiration or just some random irony. Either way it makes for an interesting book. I've never heard of a lipogram and this was an interesting concept for me to learn about this week.

Georges Perec

For this week we were asked to read Georges Perec's novel "A Void" and "History of the Lipogram." While reading Perec's "History of the Lipogram," I thought it was a very interesting idea because the whole goal of that type of writing is to produce an entire work that excludes a single letter. Then we see this idea come to fruition when we read his novel. Perec was able to write an almost 300 page novel without the letter e being used once. Even writing this blog I see the letter e over and over again, which shows just how hard it is and the dedication it would take in order to achieve such a task. Although the letter e is never used, I still found my self looking for a letter e and of course it never appeared. I was a little apprehensive about reading this story because I wasn't sure if there would even be a plot, but Perec ingeniously wrote a novel that sucked me in right from the get go and I can't wait to see where he goes with the rest of the novel.

AVoid

This week we had to read “A Void” by Georges Perec’s. When I first heard about this book I thought it was impossible to write an entire book without using the letter ‘E’. When I started reading this book, all I could concentrate on was finding a word with the letter ‘E’ in it! But once I kept on reading, I realized I wasn’t going to find a word with the letter ‘E’. I thought the first half of the book was very interesting. The first chapter really got my attention which is the most important to me when I read because if I’m not interested in the beginning of the book, I won’t want to read it. It was weird having Perec use all different words in place of words that contained the letter ‘E’ in it. This was different because not many books are like this. I think the rest of the book will be very interesting to find out what happens.

Georges Perec

This week we were assigned readings from Georges Perec. I had never heard of Perec before and was excited as ever to read a new writers work. Perec's style of writing, using lipograms, was something completely new to me. I had never considered writing in a way that limits the writer. Not only does using lipograms change the way a story is written, it creates new challenges for the writer them self. After reading the history of the Lipogram I realized that writing without a single letter, especially when that letter is a vowel, can prove to be extremely challenging. I found the concept of removing a letter of the alphabet after each stanza of a poem interesting. To me, using this stylistic technique would turn the visual qualities of the poem while on paper into a work of art itself. I imagined looking at a poem written down on paper with ink. Slowly, after each line, the poem would have transformed until it contains no letters at all. I'm looking forward to discussing Lipograms in this weeks class.

"A Void" and "History of the Lipogram"

Georges Perec’s “A Void” and “History of the Lipogram” were the works we had to read for the next class. In “History of the Lipogram” Perec traces the history of what he considers to be a lipogram, and differentiates this from what he considers to be absurd attempts, excluding a certain sound or excluding a certain word. At first glance the lipogram didn’t seem like anything too special to me. But after reading the first section of “A Void,” it is amazing that Perec could write a story that has a plot, makes sense, and doesn’t use the letter ‘e.’ What is even more astounding is that this story could then be translated and still not include the letter ‘e.’ But it made me wonder how true the translated version is to the original French version. Were there any drastic meaning changes?

Georges Perec

Perec’s dedication to such an idea as creating a lipogram is admirable to say the least, while others describe it on the opposite end of the spectrum, rather to be foolish or worthless. The amount of work dedicated to not only creating a novel, but omitting a certain letter throughout the entire work would be quite the feat to boast of, but also can serve as a point of ridicule amongst certain individuals. In Perec’s “The History of the Lipogram” I was astonished to find how much ciphers of that type had been applied in the past and on what subjects they were used. Taking the time to go through such a work and remove letters from certain excerpts and then reprint it would be quite the task, not to mention it leaves many without a proper reasoning behind such actions.

Surrealism

Surrealism, to me, is the constant questioning of your perceived reality. Surrealism can appear to be normal on the surface, but if you dig deeper you can see the weirdness. In the story The Invention of Morel, we as the readers are along for a ride. As the main character is slowing showing us that maybe he is slipping into madness. There is just enough ambiguity to keep us all questioning what is really going on. Are the people real? Is he a ghost? Maybe he claims that he is dead, but then again he going crazy. I like all the possibilities, just like science fiction, surrealism has to offer. In class today we talked about how people use logic to find the "answer", but it wouldn't be such a bad idea to get away from that. Surrealism might allow for a person to see the world in a new perspective. Like in the Surrealist Manifesto, I got the feeling Brenton wants people to break out of the conventional ways of thinking. I enjoyed our readings for the week, they really made me think in a different way.

SciFi

I feel the Invention of Morel raises many questions about reality and our perspective on it. The main character in the book confuses reality. In the end the images that he acknowledged were fake became more real to him than anything else. Even the prospect of death did little to deter him from making the final leap toward unreality. It also delves into the classic argument about immortality and what it means to be human. Are these projections people? No, but nevertheless our character is able to relate to them. Morels obsession with the inventions also hints at humanities incessant desire to cheat death and live forever.

Scifurealism

Having watched Lost from the beginning I really saw the influence of The Invention of Morel on it. One passage that really struck we was "One explanation could be that no one believed him, that Morel was out of his mind, or (my original idea) that they were all mad, that the island was a kind of insane asylum" (84). A lot of people suggested that the whole series consists only in Hurley's mind and that connection ties strongly to the book while being disproved in the book as well. I really enjoyed the novel and the way that everything wrapped up without just being a drug addled vision.

Surrealism

The episode of Lost and The Invention of Morel show how Surrealism blurs the lines between conscious and subconscious and reality and fantasy. The second half of The Invention of Morel explains much of the confusion in the first part. The explanation, though clear and detailed, is not realistic. The episode of Lost we watched deals with the same concepts of confusion and illusion. Hurley sees someone from his past. The audience cannot, in this scenario as well as in The Invention of Morel, decide for sure whether or not this is simply a hallucination. Because there is physical evidence, we cannot assume insanity.

Surrealism deals with possibility. Both the show and the book, being 'science fiction' open themselves to possiblity in terms of physical and mental invention. They keep ends open and do not have black and white answers.

Surrealism

Without having watched “Lost” before, I was initially really confused watching this episode; I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. For a moment, I thought that the entire thing (people stranded on the island) was some sort of fiction that the guy was making up in his head. Much like “The Invention of Morel,” the stories were portrayed in such a real manner that it was very hard to tell what isn’t real. I think it’s interesting that both stories are set on an island. Why aren’t these stories set in natural settings of life? Would it be harder to distinguish what is real/absurd or not? I really enjoyed both of these stories because they portray a fiction so well that it very well could be true; they're more than just a fantasy... they might as well be real stories.

Sci Fi

I just wanted to add to Monday’s discussion and the views of the parallels found between this fiction life of Science Fiction and reality. I really think that there is so much to Science Fiction that separates it from all other forms of fiction due to the fact of science. The science in the world of Science Fiction pieces is all real. It is the same science we have in our actual reality. Never really looking into a piece of Science Fiction before in the past, I think this will change my outlook from here on out and have a different view on Science Fiction which will make it more enjoy for me having that element of realness.

The Invention of Morel, LOST, and "Manifesto"

After class on Monday I was so excited to finish The Invention of Morel. The book really caught my interest and I wanted to see how it ended and where the science part of science fiction came in. I was not disappointed! Now, I completely understand how the story is related to Frankenstein. Two scientists with projects that go awry and end up making their lives and the lives of their loved ones terrible. I can see how this story inspired the writers of Lost. There are many parallels between the episode 'Dave' and The Invention of Morel. The entire show deals closely with the idea of what is "real" or possible. Which I think is something that the entire science fiction genre strives to seek out. The "First Surrealist Manifesto" was interesting. I'm a fan of Surrealism, but I thought it was a little weird that Andre Breton had like a checklist of things to do to make your writing Surrealist writing. Think writing any genre is more complex than following a checklist.

Lost, Morel, Surrealist

After having watched the “Dave” episode of Lost and finished reading The Invention of Morel the similarity had to do with the aspect of hallucination or the imaginary realm. The main characters in both began to realize that the things or people that they were seeing were not really there. This idea then ties into the reading “First Surrealist Manifesto” by Andre Breton where he talks about the unconscious and its influence of the human mind that Freud mentions. Through this idea of surrealism, people are able to transcend beyond the realities of society and allow the thought to function freely without reason controlling our thoughts.

The Invention of Morel and 'Lost'

This week we have been talking about science fiction. we read part of The Invention of Morel for Monday and for tomorrow's class we read the reast of it. I found that the rest of the story took a bit of a turn. Just when you thought you knew what was going on it made a turn into something completely different. This was interesting because in the episode of Lost that we watched there were like flashbacks from John's past which seemed to explain things that were happening at that moment. Since I have watched Lost before and know the series well I understood the episode more than someone who does not know what was going on. I think that even if you don't know the series this episode had many similarities to the book and was a great way to relate the book to something that is so popular at this time. I am interested in hearing how the others in our class related to the story and show and to hear their reactions to the idea of reality in these.

Sci Fi

I really enjoyed "The Invention of Morel". It was such an interesting concept, it really was one of a kind. I liked how it didn't end like I expected it. I was convinced that the main character was in an insane asylum. I'm sure if I would have watched the episode of "Lost" before I finished the book I would have been really convinced that he was in there. I also really enjoyed the "Dave" episode of "Lost". The parallels were interesting; at the end of "The Invention of Morel" he mentions how the Chinese laundryman covers him with leaves as he watches Faustine which was confusing but it reminded me of then end of the "Lost" episode. "The First Surrealist Manifesto" was interesting, a little odd but overall good.

Science Fiction (ctd.)

The pairing of The Invention of Morel with the episode of “Lost” helped to emphasize the theme of science fiction this week. There were a number of parallels between the “Lost” episode and Adolfo Bioy Casares’s novel. The episode, especially, played with this idea of science and reality. Generally, we use science to define our reality. We take these truths that science establishes through evidence and decide what is “real”. However, when we think further into these ideas, how do we know that what we believe is true is in fact true. In theory, we can’t really prove anything. Science fiction twists our mind into thinking just that. It takes our typically “blind faith” in science and uses it against us, making us question what we normally don’t think twice about.

Lost, Invention of Morel, etc.

I have never gotten into watching the television show “Lost” but my friend is obsessed with it. When I heard that we had to watch this television show, I called her up and told her and she was jealous that we got to watch it. I didn’t think that I’d get into this show but after watching this one episode I wanted to watch more! I found this episode that we had to watch and the novel “The Invention of Morel” was very similar. I thought this because in the novel and in the episode, they were able to see people. While reading “Surrealist Manifesto” it confused me more then me understanding what I was reading. What confused me about the “Surrealist Manifesto” is that it gave lists and ways to write like a surrealist. He also brings up the idea of surrealism as a juxtaposition of two different realities. Which I was able to connect with both Lost and "The Invention of Morel," because Hurley brought together the reality of being on the island and the reality he thought he saw with Dave.

The invention of Morel, Lost, etc.

I wasn't sure what to write for a blog post when we had only read half of the book "The invention of Morel" I honestly was not sure what to make of it or what to think was going on. As I read further I had expected to find that one of the things he thought was wrong with him was really what had been going on. I expected him to be dead, or that he was having hallucinations, I never even could have imagined what the real cause of these images were. I must say that by the end of the book I understood the concept of what had been going on but I still didn't quite "understand" why or how...I couldn't imagine being stranded on an island first of all, but then to finally see people and not be able to interact with them at all must have been pure tourture. It was a rather sad thing to watch a character fall in love with someone he has never truly interacted with or gotten to know. I must say that I was sad when I found out he was going to join this world of projection and leave the real world behind. I think that I will be reading this book again and trying to really absorb every detail and learn how everything on the island works.

I had never seen the show lost before so I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, however, I do clearly see the similarities between "Morel" and the show. Hurley starts to see Dave who was never really there at all, which is very similar to "Morel" when the main character is seeing people who were once there but no longer exist in "this world." I think the idea of what is real or what exists in the afterlife is such a broad topic very often talked or written about but I think the ideas brought up in "Morel" really give a whole new aspect to "otherworldly"

Lost, Breton and The Invention of Morel

After reading the second half of "The Invention of Morel" and watching the Lost episode Dave, I saw a clear similarity between the two. "The Invention of Morel" completely changes in the second part from the first part. In the second part we come to realize along with the fugitive that the people that he is seeing, including the woman he loves, Faustine, are not really there because they are recordings off of a machine. Although this fazes the fugitive for a little bit, he learns how to work machine in order to insert himself into it with Faustine to make it seem as though the two are in love. This reminded me of Hurley on Lost, because his conscious also started to see someone that wasn't there, Dave. In Breton's "The Surrealist Manifesto," he brings up the idea of surrealism as a juxtaposition of two different realities. This ideas in a way reminded me of both Lost and "The Invention of Morel," because Hurley brought together the reality of being on the island and the reality he thought he saw with Dave and he brought the two together to form an eerie union. The same can be said with the fugitive and his reality of being a fugitive on a deserted island and the reality he saw with Morel and Faustine.

"Lost" "Surrealist Manifesto" "The Invention of Morel"

I found the episode of “Lost” and “The Invention of Morel” quite similar. The main character in “The Invention of Morel” concludes in the second part that the people around him are merely reproductions of formerly recorded people that he can now see. This was very similar to Hurley being able to see Dave. His mind was inventing a person who was not really there; Morel’s machine was inventing people who were not really there. Freud and the unconscious were mentioned in the “Surrealist Manifesto.” This could connect to Hurley’s stay in the mental hospital and the convergence between the conscious and the unconscious in surrealism. What confused me about the “Surrealist Manifesto” is that it gave lists, definitions, and ways to write like a surrealist all while saying “our brains are dulled by the incurable mania of wanting to make the unknown known, classifiable.” If logic and classifying are so bad, why would a surrealist write an essay classifying surrealism?

Casares, Breton, and Lost

Upon finishing “The Invention of Morel” by Adolfo Bioy Casares, I didn’t know what to think of the novel. The initial excerpt we read was completely thrown out the window and replaced with an entirely different a new interpretation of the occurrences on the island. This also happened in the episode of “Lost” as well when Hurley began seeing Dave again. This served as the climax of the story and threw every other reader (I would assume), and maintains a theme I’ve found in other instances of science fiction as well. That is the only connection from these stories that I’ve found to other science fiction however, most other instances of sci. fi. I have experienced tend to create entire worlds if not universes from scratch, whereas these focus on preexisting events and places.

Science Fiction

Science fiction is a broad term to describe an interesting genre. It can encompass so many different things, like Frankenstein where it is an science fiction novel, but also doubles as a feminist novel. The science fiction work can also work as metaphor for things going on at the time. The novel 1984 is a futuristic society,but Orwell is criticizing post World War politics. Science fiction serves as a multipurpose canvas where a writer can use science to keep their story grounded. Because science is based on hard fact it can lend it's credibility to a literary work. I really like the fact science fiction is always evolving. It changes with the times and plays on the human fear of what if. How incredible is it that when Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein creating a human was a unfathomable horror. Now in our modern time we've cloned sheep and are making huge leaps with stem cell research. I like science fiction for all the endless possibilities it offers compared to the adventure novels. Adventure novels come off as cliche and a less thought out science fiction work. I don't want to totally cast off adventure novels, but they don't seem to chalk up to other genres.

Frankenstein

While I enjoy science fiction literature, I was a bit frustrated with only reading excerpts from Frankenstein. We jump from the preface to to the last chapter and I am not quite sure what to do with what I am reading. Neither passage is weighted down, they just float away with nothing to connect them. That said, it does offer an interesting contrast in characters. In the preface, the character relishes the contact of a familiar, or similar individual, while in the last chapter, we get a depiction of a creature so destitute and full of sorrow. Both are looking for something it seems, perhaps looking for someone like them to share their lives with, to be friends with.

The Invention of Morel and Frankenstein

To my surprise, I really enjoyed these two readings. Rarely do I read science fiction such as these two stories, but they both proved far more interesting than I expected. As other people have pointed out, there are definite parallels between the two stories; the way they’re written in a recollection of their experiences, the uncertainty of their own awareness, etc. I particularly liked “The Invention of Morel,” though. At first, I thought the narrator created these people to deal with his loneliness on the empty island. By the middle of the book, I assumed he was a ghost that maybe had unfinished business he couldn’t let go of... his love for Faustine? By then, I had to know the secret behind this mystery and read the book all the way through! The ending is definitely not something I could have ever imagined.

Science Fiction

The Invention of Morel and Frankenstein require the use of imagination. I think a misconception of science fiction is that it has to be so unbelievable or out there that it forces the reader to leave themselves in order to imagine what's taking place. Shelley's Frankenstein evoked more thought about character and what it means to feel human emotions such as love, revenge, and despair, than it did thoughts about supernatural events. The Invention of Morel, although it is set in a fantasy island with characters who may or may not exist, forces the reader to connect with the character and understand the way his internal conflicts affect his relationship with his surroundings.

Reading these two pieces made me realize how important it is to find the real qualities in science fiction characters. These types of pieces allow readers to escape reality but also have an anchor in it. To be able to balance fantasy and reality would be a very difficult and fragile process and I applaud these writers for doing so. These pieces are impressive.

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

After reading the chapter in rewriting, does anyone else wish that they could go back and look at their midterm paper from Friday? I sure do!

I have never really ever indulged myself into a piece that was Science Fiction before. Even though it may not be my cup of tea, I do respect the creation of such a piece. After reading through the preface by Mary Shelley, I feel as though Science Fiction too can be very personal. I feel like these pieces are all careful thoughts from inside one's head and the fact that these thoughts can be portrayed into such a piece, possible or not, is commendable.

Frankenstein and the Invention of Morel

I am so glad that we are reading parts of Frankenstein. I read it last year in an AP Literature class and I was so thankful that someone had finally made me read it. Everyone thinks that they know the story of Frankenstein from the representations of it in movies and pop culture. However, after reading it, one really has an appreciation for what a work of art it really is. And the monster is not even called Frankenstein! Anyways, it is really interesting to read parts of Frankenstein and the beginning of The Invention of Morel together. There are some obvious connections between the two. Victor and the monster could both be considered fugitives, like the narrator of The Invention of Morel. Also each tale is told through another medium. For example, a lot of the story in Frankenstein is told through letters and in The Invention of Morel the story is told through the fugitive's journal. It is interesting what these things in common foretell what will happen in The Invention of Morel. Maybe Morel is a figment of the narrator's imagination to help him deal with his loneliness and falling in love with Faustine?

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

Science fiction is generally the one literary genre that I have a hard time connecting with. I’m more attracted to stories that I feel are applicable to my life, and stories based around something completely fantastical have never really appealed to me. However, I greatly admire Mary Shelley’s ability to create a realistic atmosphere to an otherwise completely unrealistic idea. It really helps that she begins her story with letters from Captain Robert Walton, giving the reader a more intimate look into the protagonist and setting him in a more believable light.

Aside from Frankenstein itself, I was very surprised by the fact that Shelley started writing the book at 18 and was published by 20. Not only did I stereotypically assume that the book was written by a man, but I never thought the author was so young. This information made me respect the work a lot more. Also, the fact that a work has stayed relevant for almost two centuries is an incredible feat. This week’s readings gave me a greater respect for a genre that I had otherwise completely disregarded.

The readings for Monday were nothing I usually like to read. I tend to read novels more so about passion and romance, so I was left completely out of my element. However, because I have already been familiarized with Frankenstein, I surprisingly enjoyed it. The authors did an interesting way at writing their stories. They both seemed to have the character's tell the story through writing about their own experiences. One thing that really got me thinking was how Victor used his last name as his character. It made me wonder if this story was a way of bringing out his own life and struggle with insanity and humanity through words.

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

The stories we read this week were centered around the theme of Science Fiction. Science fiction has never been a genre of reading that I particularly enjoy. Although it is very attention grabbing and interesting, I just can't come to terms with reading something I feel is so unlikely to happen in real life. I was most excited to read Frankenstein out of the two. We all know the story of Frankenstein, but I have never actually read it. I guess I never thought Frankenstein to be under the science fiction category of literature. The stories had other things in common too besides being science fiction. One thing they had in common was that the characters doubt their own creations. A second thing they had in common was writing down their experiences.

The Invention of Morel and Frankenstein

I thought that "The Invention of Morel" was really interesting. I like it a lot. I have a few assumptions as to how the story will go from here, or rather how the character is thinking. As he was recollecting some of his dreams it made me wonder if maybe he really is in a mental asylum. The title "The Invention of Morel" seems to imply that the character of Morel is made up along with Faustine and all the other people on the island. Also, the way that she never seems to acknowledge his presence. It wouldn't surprise me, I'm sure most people would make believe things as well. Frankenstein was interesting as well, it was cool to see how such a famous story came about

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

This week we read parts of both these stories. This week's stories were pretty interesting especially because we all know of Frankenstein or have at least heard of it before. It was interesting to read the story because I have never read the story before. Since I have never read the story it was interesting to read this story. Also the main there of science fiction was great this week because this is more of my kind of stories. The Invention of Morel seems to be an interesting story so far. I found that some parts of the story were kind of hard to understand probably because of the translations. The story seems like my kind of story and I am very interested to see how the rest of the book will end up. I like the fact that this is about a fugitive on a deserted island because it is kind of adventurous.

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

This week we had to read small parts from Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel. While I was reading The Invention of Morel (which I read second), I was able to make a connection to the Frankenstein which was the first one I read. The main character in both stories shared a lot of common traits. One of the main common traits that I found was that they both doubted their own creations. Such as, Victor, the main character in Frankenstein, at the site of the hideous monster that he created fled from it. It was also interesting to read these stories because both of the authors put things into the stories that would be impossible in the real world. These two stories weren’t just written in a way that other authors we’ve read have written. The two authors of these stories had written in having the characters in the stories write down their own story rather than just telling their own stories.

"Frankenstein" and "The Invention of Morel"

This weeks readings offered another intriguing and attention grabbing style of writing. Obviously I am talking about Science-fiction. This literary genre has always been a very interesting niche in literature for me personally. I feel that strange and mysterious topics are one of the best ways to grab hold of the readers attention. Shelley and Casares are able to tell a story of some freakish happenings, but also intertwine the meaning of the story with the heroin's personal struggle. I remember being assigned Shelley's "Frankenstein" when I was only in the seventh grade. Clearly, at that point in my life I was unable to fully comprehend what I was reading. To this day I still question why my educators chose that particular text to teach to a group of seventh graders, but I suppose I will never know. Now that I can easily comprehend what I am reading the endeavour is much more enjoyable. I found myself following along with Dr. Frankenstein and worrying about his sanity. I think Shelley used the creation of Dr. Frankensteins work to contrast his own personal struggles with humanity.

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

I found the reading for this week to be highly enjoyable. Both Victor and the narrator of The Invention of Morel shared similar traits I found. In the Invention of Morel, the narrator is a fugitive running from his past and seeking refuge on a deserted island, but when tourists arrive on that island, his desires become mixed between not wanting to be found and the love he has for Faustine. In Frankenstein, Victor is completely absorbed in the notion of finding and stopping the monster he had created. Both of these characters live a life of paranoia and one way in which they show this is by writing down their experiences. The narrator in Invention seems to be writing in journal form in case something does happen to him. Therefore, there would at least be his journal to look at his experiences through his eyes. Victor continues on his journey of trying to destroy the monster he created as well as vanquish the one that has formed inside him, and because he writes down his story so that when he dies Walton can take over because he believes in the truth of Victor's story. It was interesting to see that both of these characters wrote down their stories because that seems to be one of the aspects of the science fiction genre.

Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel

The reading excerpts this week from Frankenstein and The Invention of Morel was an enjoyable read. I found that in both of the stories, Victor and the main character in The Invention of Morel seemed to share common traits. It seems as though both of them are paranoid by the way in which their lives have come to be. Victor is in this never ending search to stop the beast he had created and swears to never stop until one of them is no longer living. The protagonist in the book The Invention of Morel, on the other hand, is a fugitive who has fled to a deserted island to hide from his persecutors in which he constantly lives in the fear that they will find him. Also, both of these characters doubt their own creations. For example, Victor at the site of the hideous monster that he created fled from it and the protagonist in The Invention of Morel demoralized himself and said that the garden he created for Faustine was pointless even after the hard work he had put into making it. Unrelated to the points that I have just brought up, but I was wondering how, through the years, has the monster created by Victor Frankenstein been mistakenly given the name “Frankenstein” or is that not a mistake?

"Frankenstein" and "The Invention of Morel"

Science fiction has always appealed to me as one of the most interesting genres of literature, as well as film and other forms of entertainment as well. Whether it be viewing a movie, playing a videogame, or reading a book, science fiction holds my attention and I become deeply immersed in it, sometimes to a length of extreme proportions. Mary Shelley did just that, where I may not join any followings like those who become completely enveloped such as “Trekkies” or the like, I find myself deeply intrigued as to the plot and the written tale of “Frankenstein” rather than the common story everyone hears as a child. My curiosity specifically surrounds Walton and what role he plays in the events, he seems merely to be another member of the audience, hearing this tale much like any other reader.

"Frankenstein" and "The Invention of Morel"

Excerpts from “Frankenstein” and the first part of “The Invention of Morel” had similar ideas in their stories. Both of them incorporated things into them that would be under normal circumstances considered impossible. In “Frankenstein” the monster appears seemingly out of nowhere by the body of his dead creator. In “The Invention of Morel” either invisibility or time traveling seems to be in play. The excerpts from “Frankenstein” and “The Invention of Morel” are both written as if they are written to someone else. Walton tells the events through letters to his sister. The main character in “The Invention of Morel” is writing to leave a record of his adventures for who ever happens to find them. I wonder if there is a reason why both these authors choose to have their characters writing down their own story rather than just telling their own story. Does it make the story more believable?

Short Stories 2

I enjoyed how obscure the stories were. They were are different, but similar in the way of the creativity used to write them. I loved the stream of consciousness that ran through the story Mr. Palomar in His Garden. It reminds of the novel Johnny Got His Gun. That book is purely stream of consciousness and it allows the reader to get inside the mind of the main character. It is a very interesting way to write a novel. I think that's why I enjoyed the stories so much. The thoughts are just flowing and it breaks down what a previous short story thought it had to be. It's cool when a mold is broken in such a creative way. There is also a touch of surrealism that is in the stories like the The Handsomest Drowned Man. Some of the details are stretched to the point of where the reader may or may not believe everything that has been written. Those are the stories I like. The ones that make you really think, and helps shape a new writing style.

Paradox

The Drowned Man story I thought revealed an interesting and strange aspect of personal relationships. It fascinating to see the people of the village spend resources and time dressing the dead man. Why do this? Are they conforming to their customs or are they doing it because they feel sympathy for him. The author also introduces an amount of absurdity and folklore qualities to the short story. This drowned man, who has apparently been in the ocean for days, is still handsome, still recognizable as a human. He also is a large man, larger than anyone they had ever seen. It reminded me of Paul Bunion. The people even give the man a name. A reader could also ask if this even happened at all.

Brevity- Mr. Palomar in His Garden

My favorite story was Mr. Palomar in his garden. Although the individual stories were short, they all seemed very complete. Their relationship to one another was also very interesting. Instead of just a collection of moments, the stories came together to create a larger picture. Mr. and Mrs. Palomar are defined by their activity in their garden. Because they experience things there and converse about these events, the reader is able to gain insight about their characters without having to be told specifically who they are. Also, the use of allegory helps in this. Sometimes, the allegory is even pointed out, emphasising it's importance in the stories.

The stream of consciousness form of this collection fits the subject matter well. Mr. Palomar is often sidetracked, thinking eventually about things that aren't directly present. The garden is always his anchor. When his mind wanders, he remembers where he is and becomes distracted by another thing in the real space. Also, the introduction of animals and plants as characters emphasizes how important the garden is to Mr. and Mrs. Palomar.

Brevity and Paradox

Of the short stories we read for today, I also found “Mr. Palomar in His Garden” and “The Handsomest Drowned Man” the most interesting of the five. I think they both start off with particularly grasping introductions which keep you interested in reading to the end. Looking at all five stories, I found the diverse creativity rather interesting. No two stories seemed to be written in the same way. The approach and perspective are, at least slightly, different from one another. “Pierre Menard,” for example, was more of a close reading of what Menard accomplished in his version of Quixote and how interesting Borges found it to be, whereas “The Handsomest Drowned Man” was a funny tale that could be used to entertain both children and adults.

Short Stories 2

For Wednesday's class we read some more short stories. I found that most of the stories were very engaging. I enjoyed the different writing styles used in these short stories and thought of them as inviting. "Mr. Palomar" started off with a graphic description of two turtles mating on a patio. For me, the first few sentences of a piece of literature, especially a short story, give me an idea of how interesting it is going to be. Needless to say after the first sentence of Mr. Palomar, I was strangely intrigued to keep reading. At first I wondered why we were reading a transcript from an episode of the Discovery channel's Planet Earth, but then later realized it was being described from Mr. Palomar's point of view. It's very important for a story, especially one so short to grab the readers attention. Most of these stories did just that. I also enjoyed the story of the most handsomest drowned man. This caught my attention right as well, with the authors unique and grabbing writing style. It made me want to read more and find out where it was all going. The ability for a piece of reading to do that is one of my favorite things about literature.

Short Stories

I think Wednesday's class is appropriately titled "Brevity and Paradox." Each of these short stories are very interestingly constructed; they do not seem to have a straight narrative path. I find that reading stories like that actually engage me further than ones with a clearly laid out narrative style. These stories are just an example of how literature can take many forms. It is really amazing how diction, syntax, and even narrative sequence can be played with to create a unique piece of literature that really engages your brain. If the story doesn't quite catch your attention, maybe next time think about the author's choices while writing. It makes any work seem riveting. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's story "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" was my favorite this time. It all struck me as funny, especially how it is subtitled "A Tale for Children."

short stories 2

For this week we have been reading short stories. This time we read a bunch more stories by different authors. I found that while reading these I was not as into them as i was the stories for the last class. I am not sure why this was but i was not as interested in these as the ones dealing with work. I did not get a sense of the theme of these stories and why we read them together. These stories seemed more scattered and it may just be me, but I did not understand them as well as the others. I am looking forward to hearing what the others in our class have to say about these and maybe I will have a better understanding of them after class.

Short Stories cont.

After reading these pieces, on top of skimming through other blogs, the idea of selfishness keeps coming up. I feel like a lot of people did not enjoy these pieces because there was not anything that pertained to them, or played in role in their life at all. On Monday, in group discussion we had talked about the idea of why we thought certain pieces were dry or boring. We also talking about certain people like Anne Frank. She is interesting, as well as her personal diary, because it documents something that went down in history and still has effect on how life is today. As human nature, we don't have interest in these short stories (for the most part) because it doesn't relate to us in any way, therefor we find it boring and pointless. Just a thought.

Reading the short stories from this week, I have noticed that they all incorporate the universe, in some way. Monday's stories were more so of every day life and the hate for the men's jobs. After reading the stories for Wednesday, I automatically felt like they were all over the place. It seemed as though the characters were all over the place, and everything they thought in their head was put on paper. For example, in "Mr. Palomar in the Garden," the title is pretty straight forward. The story basically was about how Mr. Palomar stood in his garden and was observing each thing he saw. Almost like he was writing a list. I became interested in only a few of the stories we had to read, but it was fun to see the differences and similarities involved in each story.

Short Stories 2

For my Spanish literary analysis class, I had to read a novel by Gabriel García Márquez as well as a short story by Borges. Having read other work by Márquez, the consistency in his voice is very apparent. Márquez wrote during the Magic Realism era causing much of his work to have this presence of fantasy and the surreal. The entirety of “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” revolves around this idea of surrealism. Bringing a dead body home, cleaning it up, and then celebrating it isn’t generally on the daily agenda for most people. Márquez, however, has the ability to take a completely unfathomable idea and connect these very believable emotions to it. Borges also wrote during the time of the Latin American “boom”. His short story “El Etnógrafo” shares a similar style to that of “Pierre Menard”. They are set up in this sort of journalistic report. Seeing how all four international authors had a distinct voice while still holding a connecting style showed how the manner of writing seems to stay fairly constant during a time period across all borders.

Short Stories

I have always enjoyed reading short stories. I especially enjoyed this week's readings because they were pleasing to the mind; as compared to previous readings. I love the fact how words can create images in a persons head and to think that each individual has a different design of character and scene really astounds me. I enjoy writing short stories myself; this week reminded me of a writing class I took in high school. I really like to use my imagination and dig a little deeper into my creative side. I particularily enjoyed the story, where the man is turned into a beetle. The whole idea of it is silly in a way, yet amusing to readers. Ideas people create seem endless, as the able you to write about anything.

short stories 2

This week’s readings were more short stories from an array of authors. In a way I was receiving a sense of time from the readings. The idea that time elapses through our lives and we simply let it take its course because we can’t control it. Sometimes we try to leave something behind whether intentionally or unintentionally or merely let life move on. This theme is present in, for example, the tale “The Handsomest Drowned Main in the World” where in the village in which the dead man washes up, the villagers find more than just a corpse but a man who they have never seen anyone quite like him. At the end of the story, the villagers change the appearance of their village all for the man who died and who had such an impact on them. In doing so they hope the thought of him lives on within their village. Also, in the story “The Garden of Forking Paths” it is mentioned that death is inevitable and like in the other readings no one escapes death or the progression of time.

Short Stories Two

I would have to say that I definitely enjoyed the short stories assigned for Monday much more than the stories assigned for Wednesday. This weeks stories seemed somewhat chaotic and bounced around a lot, which ended up making me really confused in the end. They were more abstract and just when I thought the story was going one way and started predicting the turnout, it would completely change. Monday's stories also all related in that they were focused on a male figure who didn't like their repetitive, ordinary jobs. The stories were also more straight forward. It was kind of hard to find a central theme for Wednesday's stories but I would have to say most of them touched on the universe and appreciation for it.

Short Stories

The stories for this week seemed to be more abstract and they didn't follow the "normal" pattern usually followed when writing a story. The stories from monday seemed very straight forward, and told stories of men most of whom disliked their jobs, and in certain circumstances the repetitiveness of everyday life. I feel as if the short stories we had to read for Wednesday, are composed more so like the way I think or speak especially when I get excited about something. I will start to talk about something and then speed up and quickly change topics because I just thought about something else I wanted to say that in that moment was too important to ignore. I guess the best way to sum up what I felt about the style of writing is that it seemed as if the authors may have had just a touch of ADHD. Mr. Palomar in His Garden, is exactly what the title is saying, it's literally a man in his garden observing everything around him, and in this way the style of writing used could not be more perfect. I don't think I could ever give you a time when I'm observing something that my thoughts are rhythmic and in perfect order, when you are observing you are constantly noticing new things and sounds and in that way Mr. Palomar is His Garden is observing and rather than keeping it to himself putting it into words on paper. The way that things are described have a very elegant and attractive way of making me want to read more, it's strange how something so simple can pull me in. Even though I find myself pulled in by this story, it was not the case for all of the short stories assigned, some of the other authors lost me in the middle. For an author I feel as if this could be a terrible thing if you cannot keep your reader engaged.

Short Stories 2

I found “Mr. Palomar in the Garden” to be a very different kind of story from what we have read so far. It had a very stream of consciousness flow to it, which was surprisingly easy to follow and also interesting. It reminded me of a much more entertaining version of “Walden”). “The Garden of Forking Paths” was also an interesting story. It incorporated intellectual thinking, like explaining parallel universes, but in a more matter of fact, easy to understand way inside of a larger story. I found the piece on Menard a bit harder to follow. “Forerunners and Figures of the Anti-Enlightenment” was somewhat enjoyable to read. The almost parody of the ‘enlightenment’ in Latin American countries made me think about the actual ‘Enlightenment.’ Did people actually become better by being ‘enlightened?’ The first two stories also touch on work. What actually is work? Should thinking and intellectual inquiries be considered work?

Short stories continued

I really enjoyed these short stories. They all seemed to be connected in which they all at some point talked about the universe. The only story that, at least I thought, didn't mention anything about the universe was the Robert Bolano story. There could have been mention of the universe and I just missed it but I guess it would seem pretty odd if Nazi sympathizers went on extensively discussing things about the universe. There was a line in Jorge Luise Borges "The Garden of Forking Paths" that goes; "The fabric of time that approach one another, fork, are snipped off, or simply unknown for centuries, contains all possibilities." That whole paragraph really struck me, it was so interesting and almost otherworldly, if that's the right word to use. But I did like how all the stories had either an appreciation for the universe and the things in it or just how others were a part of the universe.

Short Stories-Part II

For Wednesday this week we had to read a few more short stories. When I finished reading all of these short stories, I realized that a story doesn’t have to be written in a certain way. As a writer, you are able to write so that the reader has a pretty good idea of what the end might be or you could make a huge u-turn in the middle of the story so it changes it. I thought it was interesting to read these because I felt like they didn’t really connect to the past short stories that we had to read for last Monday. The stories all seemed to bounce around and became pretty confusing towards the middle of them because you thought the story was heading one way and then it would switch to a completely different way that wasn’t expected. I didn’t find a connection between all of these stories for Wednesday but I did find that they weren’t focused and centered on one topic or character.

Short Stories Cont.

The short stories we were assigned for Wednesday were quite different from the previous stories we read. While the readings for Monday centered around one male character and his feelings about his life and the world around him, these new readings consist of an abstract story form. Instead of sticking with one main character or thing, they bounce around on different tangents, which sometimes made me a little confused as to where the story was going to go. Although, these styles may have been different and less direct than the others, it shows that short stories don't have a set format. They can be abstract or follow a more conservative approach. This abstract idea is present in "Mr. Palomar in His Garden," because it diverges from the garden's environment to Mr. Palomar, as well as communication.

Brevity and Paradox

All of the short works that were assigned for the next course maintained the characteristic of not exceeding more than 10 pages. They also possessed the characteristic of at one point or another focusing on some point, event, or person that has no relevance or connection to the original topic at all. In “Mr. Palomar in His Garden” by Italo Calvino, it was the deviation from nature to the concept of language and communication, whereas in Jorge Louis Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” the irrelevance was the invention of an ancestor, and in “Pierre Menard” again by Borges’ the abandonment took form in the listing of former work of Menard. This disregard for the possession of a common theme tends to lead the reader off track and confuse them, which should not be the intent of any author.

Things Fall Further

It might be interesting to think about Achebe's novel in light of the recent fighting in Nigeria. In some ways, Achebe's work is just a starting point for dealing with a far too long ignored consequence of colonial thinking.

Short Stories

This week we read three stories that dealt with work. All three people were confined by very repetitive jobs. One of my jobs is very repetitive so I can understand the pain of it. One of the girls in my group said, "I heard once that if your job is very repetitive that your life will become repetitive too." At first I shrugged this comment off, but then I realized every weekend I go to the same bars with the same people or to the same house parties. My life outside of work has also become repetitive. It is what is comfortable.

We see this happening to the characters as well. The character's lives outside of work seem to be just as boring and repetitive because they never really talk about them. Helbling doesn't really mention an outside life. His whole story is talking about how moderate and ordinary he is compared to others. Helbling brings up his fiance and even she is boring and faceless. We know she treats Helbling bad and he doesn't like her mother, but even that is a fairly normal situation. I could look around at work, and anyone I work with could turn out to be Helbling.

Short Stories

I’ve always been a fan of short stories. They call for a great attention to detail, as well as the necessity to read the underlying text. Being limited in length, authors have to be able to create the ability for the audience to develop an emotion connection to a character that in a very brief amount of words. Melville, Walser, and Kafka do just that in their works that revolve around a male character that faces a very extraordinary event in their otherwise almost painfully ordinary lives. Having read Kafka’s “Metamorphosis for multiple classes, I’ve had to look at Gregor’s situation in every different light. Would I react the same way as Gregor’s family if my brother were to suddenly transform into a beetle? What do Gregor’s actions as a beetle say about him as a human? The story evokes these questions, causing the reader to think well beyond Gregor’s demise at the end of the story.

The voice Walse uses in “Helbling’s Story” was very engaging to me. I liked the style of his narrative and found it easy to connect to Helbling. I like the idea of taking a very ordinary person with very ordinary circumstances and using figurative language to paint their life in a much more appealing light.

Short Stories

Short stories are a particularly interesting genre because of how condensed the writing must be to communicate the story. I have read Kafka's The Trial and appreciate the similarities between the two stories, albeit, The Trial is a full fledged novel. Both of the stories share a surreal, nearly absurdist characteristic. Both also focus on a man caught in an inexplicable plight. Inexplicable because they do not seem to know how they arrived in their present condition. The really terrible part is that the Metamorphosis is, in some ways, funny. A man is transformed into a giant cockroach and he and his family do not react very adversely to his condition. They just role with the punches.

Short Stories

After reading the short stories, I really feel like this type of literature is sharing someone's personal account, their thoughts, or a single side of the story from a person what it may have meant to that person. This goes on to remind me of part 1 of "Things Fall Apart". That was very personal and intense, but maybe only for that very person. It is a very, very microscopic part of the earth as a whole because it is only that one person. I feel like these short stories sort of go with that idea. Life as a whole, for everyone, all together, is huge. The stories or accounts in which these people share, are unique to one person, and their being part of this huge picture.

Short Stories

Bartleby the Scrivener, Helbling's Stroy, and The Metamorphosis were refreshing to read, considering it reminded me of a previous English class. In Gothic literature, writers would have themes that include the uncanny, a double, or a supernatural element to name the common three. The three stories for this week all had a similar theme of the uncanny. Meaning that there are familiar elements when you read the story, but there is something unnatural about it. Each story revolves around a man that seems to an outsider in his surroundings and is misunderstood by the people around them. I found all these stories very interesting, especially The Metamorphosis, because the story begins with a man discovering he has become a bug. The bizarre thing is that he tries to continue to do normal human things, like care for his family. It's sad that all the characters have such depressing endings. Gregor and Bartleby die, while Helbling wants to just cut himself off from the world and be alone.

short stories

This week we are reading short stories. I am very excited for this week because I like short stories and also I think they are much easier to read than some of the other stuff we read. I actually really liked the stories that we had to read for this week. I was interested to see what kind of stories we were going to read and thought they would possibly be boring, but I was pleasantly surprised. The stories were very similar in many ways because of the plot and the ideas behind the story. I an glad we are going to do a week on short stories because I enjoy them very much and a couple years ago in high school I actually had the chance to write my own short story. It will be interesting to see what people have to say about these in class because of the change in pace of the things we are reading.

short stories

These three short stories were great, I really did enjoy all of them. I noticed that all of them had to do with work and the (sometimes) boring, androgynous jobs most people have to deal with. It's easy to relate to that because most everyone has had an experience with a gray job. I really enjoyed "The Metamorphosis". It was such an interesting concept for a story. I feel like most of the time when people attempt to have a body changing story they stick with switching other humans, or at least with other mammals. I liked how in "Bartleby..." he always responded with "I would prefer not to". It's not quite outright saying no but still showing discontent with the question or topic at hand. I liked Bartleby's indifference and boring demeanor.

short stories

This week we were supposed to read "The Metamorphosis," "Helbling's Story," and "Bartleby the Scrivener." My favorite short story out of these three was … . It is about this man, named Gregor who is just as average as everyone else around him and living his daily life every day but then he turns into a beetle one morning once he woke up. It was interesting to me that Gregor didn’t really care or notice that he had turned into a beetle. It was also fascinating to see how Gregor lived his every day live trying to be normal and to fit in with every other average person around him while living as a beetle. Gregor tried to live as a normal human being and instead of noticing that he was a beetle he tried to stay normal and do things he would have if he was a human, such as providing for his household. With this being said, the other two short stories that we read were also having a male person living his own life and doing what he wants to do and just being average.

Short Stories

I really enjoyed reading the three short stories for this week. It was a nice change of pace from what we usually focus on in class. The readings were somewhat imaginative and more exciting to read, so the stories were able to hold my attention for a long time. Also, it seemed like the three stories all had very different and unique writing styles which was a nice change instead of focusing on a particular type of writing for a whole week. Not only were all of the stories fun and interesting to read, but they also had some other similarities. It is obvious that they were all focused on a male character who seemed ordinary and had nothing special about them at first. As the stories went on we come to find out that they really were not so plain and ordinary. In the end, all of the stories were about the character not feeling like they fit in. The endings were all somewhat sad as well because both Bartleby and Gregor die and Hebling says he would just rather be alone.

Short Fiction

In Herman Melville’s "Bartleby, the Scrivener: a tale of Wall Street", Robert Walser’s "Helbling's Story" and Franz Kafka’s "The Metamorphosis" the main character is depicted as being a completely ordinary person, who is for some reason or another trust into a situation most unnatural, whether it be the presence of an odd person, the affect of emotions on one’s life, or some inhuman horror. This basis for plot seems rather easy to follow, but when all short works are compared they all stand alone and far apart as being completely different in their setting, events, and plot progression. Where it may make for an interesting reading, it lacks the weight of a proper tale.

Short Stories

For this week we were required to read three short stories.I enjoyed how there was an eclectic mix of writing styles in the required reading. Whether a story be fictional or non, it was still able to grab my attention. My favorite was the "Helbling's Story", when told of a man turning into a beetle. It was a nice change of pace to read some fun and light reading, compared to the deeply seeded meanings of some of the other texts we have read thus far. On a different note, I am focusing on determining which short passage of text I want to use for our first short essay which is due at the end of this week. I think it will take careful deliberation to figure out which passage to use, and to even see if I can write 1,300 words on that single passage. Thus far it looks like I will be focusing on one of Emily Dickinson's poems, simply because learning about her was very fascinating to me. I am looking forward to this essay, and to see exactly how it will pan out for me.

Short stories

For Monday we were asked to read "The Metamporphosis," "Helbling's Story," and "Bartleby the Scrivener." Each of these works had a similar theme in that they each focused on a central male character who at first seem pretty average and ordinary, with the exception of Gregor who turns into a beetle, but even he led an ordinary life before his transformation. Each of these stories brought me to the conclusion that they all represented the idea of not belonging, whether it be within their families or society as a whole. One thing that struck me in "The Metamorphosis" was Gregor's complete disregard for his transformation, which got me to think that although in the text his mutation was a fact, I couldn't help thinking of it as more of a metaphor for how he lived his life, because he was not a normal human being. I feel like the life he led in some way mirrored that of an insect, because it wasn't a flashy existence, instead he just tried to provide for his household. I feel as though his realization of what he was to the household led, the beetle, led him into his weakened mental state and inevitably his death.

"The Metamorphosis" "Helbling's Story" and "Bartleby the Scrivener"

“Bartleby the Scrivener,” “The Metamorphosis,” and “Helbling’s Story” all appeared very similar to me after I read them. They all centered on seemingly ordinary people. Helbling calls himself ordinary. Gregor strangely was never surprised by his condition and took it as normal. Bartleby’s actions are strange, but there doesn’t seem to be anything completely out of the ordinary about them. But after Helbling proclaims he is ordinary and just like everyone else, he starts to explain how he is different from everyone else. He says he is a dreamer and would much rather not work, or as Bartleby would say, he would “prefer not to.” At the end of their stories both Bartleby and Gregor die, and Hebling says that he would rather be alone. Is this making some sort of statement on society? There seems to be a theme of not fitting in with society. I also wonder why Gregor turned into a bug and didn’t even seem alarmed at all by it.

Things Fall Apart

I enjoyed parts 2 & 3 better than I enjoyed part 1. Maybe it was because I got into the story more, or because I really started to understand how Achebe was portraying Africans. It's interesting how there is a duality between the savage and the civilized. I think it is something that all people have to deal with, not just Africans. All people are essentially savage animals that have been trained to interact a certain way. One cannot really judge which is better: animalistic anarchy or repressed identity and urges. I don't know exactly what to make out of Okonkwo's suicide. It was not exactly surprising because of his erratic behavior, which underlines the savage way that people give into impulse. Maybe that is the point, savage impulses will do you in....

Things Fall Apart

Achebe really challenges the assumptions of what European influence did in Africa. During colonization, I think Europe only saw Africa as the "White Man's Burden." The rationale for colonization was to purify a race, to educate, to civilize. Such ethnocentrism tears cultures apart, but in the excerpts from Monday, that was not communicated. The struggle to combat the African savages was the only perspective portrayed. Achebe alters that perspective by suggesting possible outcomes of colonization contradictory to the typical hypotheses to reveal a world more complex and less black and white. This makes it a powerful rhetorical weapon against stereotypical viewpoints on Africa.

Things Fall Aprt - 2 & 3

The second part of Things Fall Apart was very different from the first. The first part seemed more like a story whereas the second part had more twists and turns. The ending was very unexpected and sad to me. I was surprised that Okonkwo would actually commit suicide after all the struggles he had been through. The second part really stressed the idea of colonization and the spreading of Christianity. Although there were still a few things I didn't understand in the book, it gave me a better insight and understanding of the African culture.

Things Fall Apart 2

Things Fall Apart turned out to be a rather interesting book. The clashes between the Igbo clans and the European missionaries were intense. Again, Okonkwo and his clan were portrayed as very violent people; killing/beheading innocent people, burning down buildings, leaving twins in the forest to die, etc. However, the European men hanged people and beat them with sticks, making them no less violent. It is clear how culture and traditions constantly cause conflicts between each of these cultures. In addition, I found it interesting how the Europeans included everyone—no matter what they have done in their past or who they were to the Igbo. Doing this allowed them to gain power among the natives and develop a government that ruled everyone, including the clansmen that weren’t converts. It is sad how drastically the lives of the Igbo were changed and how it affected people like Okonkwo. I wonder how this story reflects what life is like in Nigeria today.

Things fall apart 2 & 3

I won't say this was one of my favorite books, but I most certainly enjoyed reading a book I normally would not have chosen for myself to read. I feel like the struggle that Okonkwo faced throughout the book was similar to the struggles that I feel lots of people now days face. He struggled so hard to be nothing like his father and make something out of himself, however, the ultimate outcome was his demise. I may see things a little different from everyone else in this class being as Im a psych major. For me, when I look at Okonkwo I feel like I analyze him as a person rather than a man in a book. Okonkwo displaces all of his anger from his father onto everyone else in his life.

I was very intrigued at the talk about this book being a response to the idea that African's are savages. I can't help but to think of course people would label them "savages" the white people that move onto their land and don't understand their culture and expect these people to conform to their idea of religion and proper behavior. I was extremely disheartened when I found out that Okonkwo had committed suicide at the end of the book. I felt as if after everything he had gone through and lived through that he just had had enough. I think that this will be a book I read again on my own time and at my own pace, maybe the second time through things will read a little different.

Things Fall Apart 2

The rest of Things Fall Apart took a strange turn and was not something I had expected. I think that Okonkwo's actions I believe are similar to that of Dickinson's in certain aspects. Both of them had extreme pressure from the society and situations in which they were living in. I guess that you could say that both of them ran from all of the pressure and other stuff that was happening to them, and they both took care of it in their own way. Dickinson wrote her poetry, which is still leaving an imprint years later, and Okonkwo tried to solve all of this pressures by taking his own life. The way that people's reactions can be so nonchalant because it is only one person, no matter how much that person may be affected; just like how the European man acted. I think it is sad that this is such a common way people deal with their problems and that so much of it is written down in a form of literature, yet people still seem to not do something different about it.

Things Fall Apart (2nd & 3rd Part)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. After reading I realized that Okonkwo’s first wife was never given a name of which I am not sure why. Also, I’m not sure if I missed it during the reading or not but I still do not understand why twin babies had to be thrown out in the forest. Like I mentioned in my first post about this book, I see many correlations between their culture and traditions to that of my own. In a sense, I understand and was not completely surprised by the ending of this story. Okonkwo was a man of pride and was deeply rooted in the ways of his ancestors. Therefore, his mindset may have been placed on the thought of dying in his own hands rather than in the hands of strangers. At times like these when the faith of men of tested, how do we determine truth faith or the right religion?

Things Fall Apart, again.

The third part of this book is so very important. It takes a situation that had previously only been documented from the Western point of view and turns it around to make the people of Africa the protagonists. The way the novel is written doesn't make the people of Umuofia the victims, however. It displays their faults and their religious practices as is. Okonkwo is not heroic, but simply a character overwhelmed by change and the need to fulfill societal standards. If these people didn't show real qualities, they would not be credible, respectable characters.

Okonkwo's suicide is a devastating end to this novel. It exemplifies the defeat of the entire tribe. The last chapter, from the perspective of the District Commisioner reemphasises the ignorance the topic of colonization and the spreading of Christianity throughout Africa. The idea that a book will be written (as many were) from the perspective of an outsider, trying to describe a foreign culture is very frustrating.