Journal #10

Theme: Humans’ physical experiences are given importance by their psychological perception of the event. Reactions to similar circumstances are not necessarily comparably linear, but instead can be transcended by a strong, internal emotional or intellectual interpretation.

(experiences vs. event – singular/plural contradiction?)

(Event = vague)

(experiences – vague)

(interpretation maybe not the right word. Opinion? Investment? Connotation of situation?)

(transcended may not be the best word either. Perhaps ‘changed’? “outweighed’? ‘superseded’?)

#1. “’Lawd, Ah know dat grass-gut, liver-lipted nigger ain’t done took and beat mah baby already! Ah’ll take a stick and salivate ‘im’” (21)

#2. “’no’m, he ain’t even talked ‘bout hittin’ me. He says he never mean to lay de weight uh his hand on me in malice’” (21)

#3. “Ah feel de same way ‘bout Mr. Killicks too. Some folks never was meant to be loved and he’s one of ‘em.’ […] ‘’Cause Ah hates de way his head is so long one way and so flat on de sides and dat pone uh fat back uh his neck.’ […] ‘Ah don’t keer who made it, Ah don’t like de job.” (23)

#4. “He don’t even never mention nothin’ pretty.’ She began to cry. “Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think.” (23)

#5. “Janie pumped it off until she got a good look at the man. He talked friendly while he drank” (26-27)

#6. “He [Jody] spoke for change and chance. Still she hung back. The memory of Nanny was still powerful and strong” (28)

#7. “Even if Joe was not there waiting for her, the change was bound to do her good.” (31)

#8. Pg. 26 – description of how awesome Jody starts out as (For future reference)

#9. “’Nigger, whut’s yo’ baby doin’ wid gray eyes and yaller hair? She begin tuh slap mah jaws ever which a’way. Ah never felt the fust ones ‘cause Ah wuz too busy gittin’ de kivver back over mah chile. But dem last lick burnt me lak fire.” (17)

#10. “Yeah, naw. People don’t die till dey time come nohow, don’t keer where you at. Ah’m wid mah husband in uh storm, dat’s all” (151)

#11. “If you kin see de light at daybreak, you don’t keer if you die at dusk. It’s so many people never seen de light at all” (151)

#12. “’Yeah, you did.’ She didn’t say this because she believed it. She wanted to hear his denial. She had to crow over the fallen Nunkie.”

#13. Pg. 135 – Janie loves Tea Cake

#14. “She felt honored by Janie’s acquaintance and she quickly forgave and forgot snubs in order to keep it. Anyone who looked more white folkish than herself was better than she was in her criteria […]” (138

#15. “Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. […] He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss. […] the helpless way she hung on him made men dream dreams. […] ‘Janie is wherever Ah wants tuh be. Dat’s de kind uh wife she is and Ah lover her for it.” (141)

#16. “Ah didn’t whup Janie ‘cause she don nothin’. Ah beat her tuh show dem Turners who is boss.” (141)

#17. Pg. 130-132

#18. “’Dat would be fine, Tea Cake, exceptin’ you know Ah can’t shoot. But Ah’d love tuh go wid you.” (124)

#19. “They could sell the hides land teeth in Palm Beach besides having fun together till work got pressing” (125) – NOTE: Selling the hides is BESIDES having fun, therefore, having fun > the selling.

#20. “That was something Tea Cake loved so no matter if Janie had fixed beans two or three times during the week, they had baked beans again on Sunday.

#21. “Janie, Ah gits lonesome out dere all day ‘thout yuh. After dis, you betta come git uh job uh work out dere lak de rest uh de women – so Ah won’t be losin’ time comin’ home’” (126-127) – NOTE: She left Logan for making her do the same thing

#22. “Sometimes Janie would think of the old days in the big white house and the store and laugh to herself. What if Eatonville could see her now in her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes? […] She was sorry for her friends back there and scornful of the others. […] Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to.” (127-128) – NOTE: Less wealth/status not important without meaning.

#23. Pg. 122. Janie is ok with Tea Cake male pride (esp. $) but she wasn’t for Jody.

#24. Pg. 112 Conversatoin vs. Friendly conversation (too obvious/general?)

#25. “She had waited all her life for something, and it had killed her when it found her.” (114)

#26. “’Cause Tea Cake ain’t no Jody Starks, and if he tried tuh be, it would be uh complete flommck. […] Dis ain’t no business proposition, and no race after property and titles. Dis is uh love game. Ah done lived Grandma’s way, now Ah means tuh live mine.” (108)

#27. Pg. 85

(This Journal appears late due to lack of internet connection)

Mini-Pastiche #2

Christian turned his head as he rose, the sweat dripping off of his forehead. He walked over to his best friend, Brian, who patiently waited by the side of the mat. Christian could feel the cool pads sliding under his feet and as the proud belt around his waist tried to choke him with excitement. As the walls undulated and the air blurred, Brian provided a smooth oasis in the desert of heat. Christian’s vision immediately sharpened to read the pride emanating from his friend’s face.

“Christian, you were great!”

“Thanks, it was fun. I have a small headache now but it was worth it.”

“I hope so. You all worked so hard for this. Even still, you don’t look so good. Here, why don’t you sit down.”

“Oh Brian, why don’t you stop these worthless insults about my looks just to get the attention off of you.”

Brian smiled at the joke with ease. The sun smiled with him as Christian continued to enjoy his buddy’s company. While earning his black belt only showed one small aspect of his seemingly limitless talent, Christian realized that without his companion, he would have lacked both the courage to try and the enthusiasm to continue. He seemed to live for the warm glow that would come from Brian’s face. He looked over at Sam who glowered in the shadows-he could not stand to absorb the sun’s strengths. His own achievements rendered meaningless-for how could an achievement have meaning without one to share it with.

“Those were the happiest times of my life” Christian muttered soberly. Why did I let you suffer? As if leaving the one who made his life happy for college wasn’t bad enough, now he would eternally guilt-ridden about the possibility of preventing Brian’s death. Forever more would he say, “If only I had been there”. Overhead, the storm finally broke and rain poured down into the cemetery, the last rays of glistening hope forever stolen above the sky.`

Techniques

#1. I used a confidant to be the method of storytelling (albeit, the confidant is dead which makes this particular example an apostrophe). This mirror’s Janie telling the story to Phoebe in the book. Additionally, note that this method of storytelling does not present it as dialogue to the confidant, but rather as an entire story from a distinctly externalized point of view.

#2. I used dialogue to demonstrate how different characters compare, contrast, relate, and interact with each other. While I did not use the same tone or dialect, the dialogue still plays an important role in allowing the reader to see how the characters behave (considering the limited point of view Hurston maintains for most of the book) and to show dichotomies between the main character’s thoughts and their physical reaction. Also, note the lack of character labels outside of quotations.

#3. I used personification to help reveal both the theme and simply in detailing the main character’s reaction to other non-human objects. In particular,

#4. Imagery in non-dialogue setting exposition. This allows for a quick hook before the story and occasionally continued to keep the reader’s interest.

#5. Use of sensory metaphors.

#6. The presentation of a flashback setting that progresses to the present.

#7. Rare usages of 1^st person narration during emotionally tense scene.

Theme: Physical experiences are superseded by our emotional/intellectual connotative investments in the situation.

(This Journal appears late due to lack of internet connection)

Journal #8

#1. The passage where Tea Cake combs Janie's hair is filled with connotative and loaded language (a very definite use of diction).

"Then Tea Cake went to the piano without so much as asking and began playing blues and singing, and throwing grins over his shoulder. The sounds lulled Janie to soft slumber and she woke up with Tea Cake combing her hair and scratching the dandruff from her scalp. It made her more comfortable and drowsy." (TEWWG 99)

Throwing grins implies a) that Tea Cake is trying to make her happy and b) that being with her makes him happy. 'lulled' both takes into account a sense of being made unaware (perhaps in regard to his social position) as well as indicating a soothing-ness from Tea Cake's presence. The insertion of the the words comfortable and drowsy indicate once again that Tea Cake has a positive effect.
Hurston probably uses this language to give the reader a positive impression of Tea Cake.

#2. The same passage also gives an example of comparison and contrast. Tea Cake is compared to Janie in terms of their similar goals and desires and their inherent compassion demonstrated through their relationship which highlights these aspects of Janie that through the rest of the story had been lost in her conflicts. This positive representation of Tea Cake also serves to contrast with the other characters that claim he is worth nothing. Had Hurston simply given us their point of view, our perspective of his actions would seem intentionally malicious and to be immediately distrusted. However, the way she describes these events allow the reader to contrast him against the claims and even come to the conclusion that those against Tea Cake are overly judgmental (on account of the fact that we see positive language describing Tea Cake and neutral language describing the other observers). This also begins to set up Tea Cake as a small, potential anti-hero, as a character who represents a positive force to the reader but seems to be shunned by the surrounding society as poor and useless.

#3. The following passage that takes place during Janie and Tea Cake's fight in her house is a good use of both third person limited (which Hurston rarely utilizes), and analysis of the caricature of poverty/youth, and her input of Persona.

"At the newel post Janie whirled around and for the space of a thought she was lit up like a transfiguration. Her next thought came crashing down. He's just saying anything for the time being, feeling he's got me so I'll believe him. The next thought buried her under tons of cold futility. He's trading on being younger than me. Getting ready to laugh at me for an old fool. But oh, what wouldn't I give to be twelve years younger so I could b'lieve him!" (TEWWG 100)

Firstly, this represents a good example of third person limited, allowing us to see into 1 character's (Janie's) thoughts.This allows the reader to see Janie's internal conflict over whether or not to trust Tea Cake. Throughout the book there are examples of places that Janie's thoughts are seen. However, this is only of the few places that it is done from a first person perspective (the usage of He, and I, and me). This indicates to some degree a use of persona which Hurston placed to represent herself and the reader. By seeing this situation from a first person perspective, Hurston allows the reader to consider the conundrum as their own problem and better understand that perspective. When setting up this conflict, Hurston uses the caricature both of impoverished people and of youth. In particular, Hurston seems to question the validity of these caricatures. Janie is torn between believing the stereotype presented (ex. poor people being driven and motivated for money or gain to take advantage of, or youth which is seen as fickle and unable to commit) and being able to overcome these labels and see what later becomes the truth.

Mini-Pastiche

Thus, once again Freedom eluded them. Freedom, the proud and elegant stream that runs into sight but remains out of possession. The beautiful creature that slips to its home in the woods, ever changing and uncontrolled. How could Freedom that gains power from change survive consistency, and how could it be controlled? She watches from the light shadows where she darts to and fro, understanding the intentions of the subjects. Only truly revealing herself for those that could co-exist, and embrace, and thrive together. They dreamed to only see her silky coat and strong hooves again. They were desperate and hopeful too. Pity on them! They deserve to not struggle in an eternal battle for what is theirs. The Enlightened ones proposed an easing alternative, but they said No. Most think they possess their autonomy with simple choices, but they didn't know a thing concerning liberty. They'd rejoice just as soon as they understood what independence cannot be. They inherently deserved to be free. That's what they thought. But the Enlightened ones saw the truth, so they knew. And then if they hadn't, they soon were bound to know, for they began to speak up as individuals and groups. People who would not have dared to complain with one word before rose up and objected. Stood up with righteous anger and asserted. Courage, the horned buck, had risen in them from his slumber.

Sentence structure is the same. The comparison of related abstractions through a slightly dissimilar animal. Demonstrated the change of behavior as a result of the ideas. Displayed the discrepancy of those watching and those involved. Personified behavior of the idea. The persona about the 'truth' of the matter clearly interjected.

I personified Freedom as a doe, and the related Courage to a buck.

Journal #6

Death Passage Techniques

#1. Death is always above humans. Birds fly above humans. "in his high house". Gives the impression of Death's over arcing power over humans.


#2. People gathered naturally. Rumor, described as the 'wingless bird' seems like a parallel that operates in tandem with Death. This explains the idea of a more supernatural feeling.

#3. Makes human seem superior to God. "These medical doctors wuz all right with the Godly sick, but they didn't know a thing about a case like his." a) Makes human seem arrogant or simply confident/skilled. b) Implies that Death is greater than God too, as the God based sicknesses can be averted but not the specific ones from Death.

#4. Death seems omniscient. "Stands watchful and motionless all day", "his high house that overlooks the world". This makes Death seem like an active observer, but passive actor.

#5. Death is masculine. All pronouns are male references. Perhaps this continues to indicate the male superiority complex that Hurston has developed through the book?

#6. The use of square-toed refers the reader to nameless-ness. I.e. Death become even more ephemeral and unidentifiable. As a result, the reader and characters can't effectively label death and simply are forced to wait.

Thesis Test #1 - TEWWG

Zora Neal Hurston uses the motif of dreams to represent the futility of obtaining our desires. She does this to contrast the characters' goals and to expose the fluidity/inconsistency of human goals.

Journal #4

Pattern #1: Multiple assumptions based on what they think “is” or what must be determined by visual ‘proof’. This dependence on visual sight repeats often.

a) “Unless you see de fur, a mink skin ain’t no different from a coon hide.” (7)

b) “’Den dey all laughed real hard. But before Ah seen de picture Ah thought Ah wuz just like de rest.” (9)

c) “Maybe it’s some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don’t know nothin’ but what we see” (14)

d) She could see no way for it to come about, but Nanny and the old folks had said it, so it must be so […] It was just so.” (20)

Pattern #2: Instances where a physical experience is considered differently by the characters

a)      “Lawd, Ah know dat grass-gut, liver-lipted nigger ain’t done took and beat mah baby already!” (21) [Note: already implies expectation in the status quo]

b)      “’’Cause Ah hates de way his head is so long one way and so flat on de sides and dat pone uh fat back uh his neck.’” (23) [Note: Janie disagrees with Nanny as to whether physical features are important in a marriage]

c)       “Nanny used to ketch us in our devilment and lick every young’un on de place and Mis’ Washburn did de same” (8)

d)      “She slapped the girl’s face violently […] Nanny wouldn’t harm a hair uh yo’ head. She don’t want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it.” (14)

e)      “She begin to slap mah jaws ever which a’way. Ah never felt the fust ones ‘cause Ah wuz too busy gittin’ de kivver back over mah chile. […] Ah had too many feelin’s tuh tell which one tuh follow so Ah didn’t cry and Ah didn’t do nothin’ else.” (17)

Patter #3: The use of dreams or wishes also appears consistently

a)      “The dream is the truth” (1)

b)      “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” (1)

c)       “Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.” (24)

Journal #3

Part A: Historical figure

     Alain LeRoy Lock was born September 13, 1885 in Pennsylvania and died on June 9, 1954. He was sometimes known as the “Father of the Harlem Renaissance”. During his life, he was a philosopher, writer, and teacher.

     Education: Central High School graduate in 1902. Attended Philadelphia School of Pedagogy and graduated from Harvard U. in 1907 with English and philosophy degrees. First American Rhodes Scholar. Admitted to Hertford College from 1907-10 and attended the University of Berlin in 1910. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy in 1918.

     After being denied entrance to Oxford based on his race, he began to see that discrimination was a problem worldwide. In Germany he studied about participation of minorities in society. After returning to the U.S. he created his most famous work, Race Contacts and Interracial Relations: Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Race. He portrayed a very utopian society in which multiple ethnicities could live together.

     Locke wrote many important philosophical articles; primarily, The Problem of Classification in the Theory of Value where he determined that opinions and social biases are not universal as we develop them personally. In other words, they are not objectively right or wrong. Overall he was instrumental in setting both a precedent for Black academic success and for his new philosophical insights into race.

Part B: Dialect

Pronunciation Rules

1.       W -> v

2.       Th -> z

3.       E -> ay

4.       I -> ee

5.       U -> oo

6.       Hard K consanants

7.       Heavy Rs

8.       Drop soft consonant sounds at the beginning of a word

Word Rules:

1.       Yes -> Da

2.       No -> Nyet

3.       Friend -> Comrade

4.       Idiot -> Palin (or imbecile for males or those less liberally inclined)

Structure Rules:

1.       Do not use the word “to” before verbs

2.       Eliminate/modify the words “the, a, an, to”

3.       Singular antecedents

4.       State of being becomes a descriptor

5.       External phrasing perspective

Part C: Conversation

(In the interest of full disclosure, please proceed to read at your own risk. I am not responsible for any eye/brain damage, intellectual trauma, or horrified shock caused as a result of the murder of the literary world)

“Hello, my name is Sean. Welcome to Wal-Mart how may I help you”

I looked around cheap, plasteek oogleeniss eenside ze store. I turned bak and found zat stup-ee-d Amereekan vas trrying talk to me. “Da. Ve’re is ze ammo for my veaponry?”, I demanded.

“I’m sorry, did you say weaponry?” He replied confusedly

“Da, you imbecile. I’m searching for some veaponry! Oo do you zink I vas talking to? Zat man in ze turbin?” Imbecile looked at watch and sighed. It valked to ze bak and mutterred oonder his breadth. “Excoose me, vat vas zat?” I demanded.

In contempt, store clerk glarred at my person. In great Soviet Amerrica, no one vas so rrude. This nyew country Oregonia deefinitely moost be poonished. 

“Due to recent legislation, I’m afraid that armament shipments have been prohibited. We apologize for the inconvenience and can direct you to further areas of interest.” 

Zis new peoples ‘as quite strange new country. Zey moost all be imbeciles to outlaw veapons. Visout ze guns, how do ze protect against guns peoples. If only for ze Great Collapse, ze’se snivel-bellies vould has no chance against Soviet corporation. Perhaps zis land be infiltrated in different vay… “Ah vell, Nyet a need. Soon no more mooslims anyvas” I chukled as ze stoo-peed von vent for ze alarm.

Journal #2

Passage: "' Come to yo' Grandma, honey. Set in her lap lak yo' use tuh. Nanny wouldn't harm a hair uh yo' head. She don't want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it. Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out. Maybe it's some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don't know nothin' but what we see. So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don't tote it. he hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. Ah been prayin' fuh it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!'" (TEWWG 14)

  - A distinct transition to her Grandmother referring to herself externally to a first person perspective. I think this accomplishes a few goals. #1. It demonstrates the initially comforting tone after she hit Janie. #2. By starting as an external perspective, her analysis of the power structures can be seen as 'universally true' while as she refers to herself (AS herself) she puts her opinions on how to operate in the framework provided). #3. The external perspective is used when referring to her physical self but  not her opinions which may serve to denote a difference between her physical being as distinct from her personality which truly defines HER (esp. in a conversation to convince Janie that appearances are unimportant.)

   - Directly following her physical slap to Janie, this line seems to indicate 2 things. #1 The regret/denial the Nanny has for assaulting Janie and/or #2. That the Nanny does not consider the physical harm that she inflicted nearly as powerful or as important as the more emotional/personal harm that she seeks to prevent. (see #3 of  )

   - This is the analysis of racism and white supremacy. The nanny concedes that in society as it exists 'now' that whites are more powerful than blacks.

   - Here is probably one of the key ideas about power where the Nanny demonstrates her (and probably the author's) understanding/belief that power is not a definite thing, but rather a fluid perception that gains its importance from universal acceptance that that is the way things exist. Additionally, that simply because we see something exist doesn't equate to an eternal truth.

  - These sections indicate the Grandmother's either hope or even willingness to believe in a better alternative to the status quo. Following her acknowledgment that power is based on the PERCEPTION of truth, she can both envision a world where the power structure doesn't exists and more, brings the hope that such a thing could exist in THEIR world in the future.

  - Almost contradictory (or ironically?), following the Nanny's analysis of power structures and their fluidity, she presents her own perceived assumed power structure by accepting the premise that the man was originally FORCED to pick it up (which further begs the question, what is 'FORCE')

   - All instances in the passage where women are shown as subservient to men (following the black-white power dichotomy)

  - This is another example of dehumanization of the ones doing the work (the black women); noticing in particular how the animal being compared is one that traditionally is known for a purely working purpose to humans.

   - This shows a clearly religious aspect to the story which can serve both to represent the average religious beliefs at the time period as well as to show that perhaps religion allows relief an faith of something better even for those (like black women) who recognize that they are at the bottom of all of society.

Journal #1

If I had to tell my life story to someone, I would most probably give it to my/a psychiatrist. That would provide a stable environment and an external ability to analyze ways to improve the present by changing my perception of the past. I would probably begin with my High School career. Within these 3 years, I can probably isolate most intellectual, personality, and habitual changes in the most condensed time. In particular, most activities and career interests have developed within this period of time.