the Awakening 2

This section focuses on the relationship between Edna and Robert and Edna and her children. While Edna does love her children, she does not miss their company. When they are out of her possession she feels relief. The process of awakening for Edna begins here. Her interactions with Robert are becoming more prevalent and “lines” are being crossed. Edna knows that Robert is known to be a flirt, and every summer he has a new lust interest. However, she is starting to feel that his feelings are true and he might go through this time and take action. Robert is talked to by his mother and Adele about how a man courting a married woman is looked down upon.

All of these thoughts are cluttering Edna’s head and she knows that she must stay away from Robert, but she doesn’t hold back. In fact the end of the section concludes with the party going for a night swim. Obviously something will happen, because that makes sense. Edna wants to separate herself from Robert, but yet she doesn’t. She knows its wrong, but she wants Robert’s company. I guess we will have to see what happens as we read farther. I imagine that her and Robert will undoubtedly have some sort of relation issues and a massive uproar with result.

PR: 5

This poem caught my eye instantly when I started to look for the right poem. Donnelly, the author, is obviously furious with both Cotton Mather and slavery. She is frustrated with the enslavement of people, but for the time it definitely it not something that was looked down upon. The most interesting thing about the poem is that these people, Cotton Mather and Onesimus, were real. The work that Cotton was developing was a vaccine for small pox. This took place during a Puritan hypocrisy during the early settlement of America. Mather presented the idea as his own when in fact it was his slave’s idea.

It is an intriguing fact, but from Onesimus’ statement it is shown that he was quite educated and had an understanding of medical procedures. Onesimus was a survivor of the small pox epidimic that was present in Boston during the time. This is the reference to Boston in the poem. Thus the need for a cure of smallpox was something that was necessary to insure the survival of the population.

The wisdom of Onesimus and the pursuit inside Cotton shows the powerful impact of this poem. While it does seem bad to the author what Cotton did by stealing Onesiumus’s idea, there would be no way that he could propose his idea. He was a slave and did not have rights. However, this poem is very strong and I liked it.

The Awakening 1

In these first four chapters of the novel we are introduced to Edna, her husband, Leonce, her friend, Adele, Madame Lebrun, and Robert Lebrun. We get a sense of the life that Edna lives. She is very privilegded. Her family retires to summer house in New Orleans where the rich stay and she has servants that will tend to her every need. However, Edna does not feel like she fits well the crowd. All of the people that surround her are creoles and they have very different customs that she does not care to partake. As an average American she feels left out and can find no one to confide in except Robert. Leonce is a man that keeps to himself. He is very much full of himself and he is quite attached to his job. He can’t understand why Edna is not like the rest of the “mother-women”.

To go with these observations, I am wondering how the exercise in class was supposed help me. I kind of feel like I know the ending already and the novel is a little worthless now. However, I am enjoying it and it is a very simple read to me. I look forward to the next chapters.

PR4: To Myself

This poem is the expression of the author’s feelings about something/ someone lost. Merwin shows here that even though the thing or person is gone from one’s life, they never leave you completely. People continue to search for the lost part of their life. Anyone can relate to this poem, because without a doubt everyone has lost something or someone at a time in their life.

Our minds can play tricks on us with these memories and make us think that the lost item or person is still with us. Also in relation to people, with these memories we keep one image related to that lost person and do not alter it to the present. The person most likely has changed, but to us they are the same being that left our lives in the past. The ending of the poem covers this area. People change with time, but to the poem when you are lost nothing changes. The lost person stays the same in your mind as time goes. However, even though the person may be lost in your mind, it does not mean that they are lost in their lives.

I like this poem and how just about everyone can relate in some form to it. This seems to be a pattern with the poems I choose. I think that is a good base to start at when choosing poems to respond. It is more meaningful to choose poems that others can comment on than to choose ones that only a few can understand and relate.

HOD: Last

This final section of the novel is amazing. There is really no other way to put it. Kurtz passes away on the return trip to civilization, and Marlow comes down with an awful illness as well. This is the main push for Marlow to return to Brussels. Kurtz gave Marlow his pamphlet and other papers for keeping prior to his death, and is he is to hold on to them. Marlow is nursed back to health by his aunt upon arriving in Brussels. People take certain papers from Marlow, but they want all of them. Marlow keeps the line “eliminate all the brutes” and gives the rest of the papers to a woman in Brussels (the intended).

While we see that the Darkness has over taken everyone on the ship, it is interesting that is has taken hold of Marlow so greatly. However, the epiphany that Marlow obtains is truly the highlight of the novel. Kurtz had something to say and that is why he was remarkable. Marlow had nothing to say, therefore he would not be remembered as something remarkable. While lying in a dying state Marlow realizes this and decides he needs find something to say. This is a remarkable to see Marlow find a reason to continue living and a purpose.

The ending of this novel is a good one. Narration changes and we observe the relaxed and “meditative” state of Marlow. The ship sails on into the heart of night, the dark night. This ending sums up the novel quite well and creates a place that catches the audience. I’m actually glad I read this novel.

HOD: section 5

This section of the reading is intriguing. We witness shifting in Marlow’s approval and feelings about Kurtz. Also, Kurtz has weakened even more and his days are limited. His time with the natives is coming to a close.

The Russian trader lets Marlow know that Kurtz is the one who ordered the attack on his steamer. Kurtz had hoped that the crew would be too scared to enter the shore, and the manager would think that Kurtz was dead or had died in the attack. Marlow feels indifferent about Kurtz’s decision. He sees it as an attack on him personally, but Marlow keeps his promise to the trader that he will keep Kurtz’s reputation the same as the trader leaves with a small group of natives to avoid the manager. Kurtz is moved so that he can be treated medically, but late in the night he vanishes and Marlow goes to search for him. This is where our section ends.

Marlow alienates himself in this section from the whites. It changes from a black v. white to a white v. black v. Marlow. The backing that Marlow gives Kurtz turns himself against the manager. For some reason Marlow overlooks the issues that lie with Kurtz think of him still as a magical creature. I think farther in the story we are going to see Marlow have face a choice of whether side with his kind or the natives and Kurtz. This will be prove trivial for him in my mind.

HOD: section 4

We start out part 2 with Marlow overhearing a conversation concerning Kurtz. The manager and his uncle are in talking about how Kurtz is hurting them. He is trying to take the manager’s position. His lack of care about the ivory production makes the two of them want to kill him. Another trader that bothers the two men is also discussed and they decide his is to be hanged. This proves that they mean business and Kurtz’s life is in danger. Whether they kill him or his sickness does, Marlow feels the need to take action.

Marlow’s steamer is finally fixed and he rounds up a crew to go and save Kurtz in the Darkness. However, the manager and some pilgrims go with him. The interesting thing here is that the black vs. white theme is confusing. The natives (cannibals) and whites are mixed together as one crew. Marlow seems to actually find a connection with the natives, and through this the black being evil is sort of set aside. I’m not entirely sure where this will lead to, but I imagine that farther in the novel we will see shift in black and white against each other.

There are no real narration changes in this section (except for a bit when Marlow is listening to Uncle and the Manager), and actually there is not that much action happening. I do expect it to become more action filled in the next section as Marlow gets closer to Kurtz.