Assignment 3 - Two Types of Violence

According to Thomas Foster, two different types of violence exist. The first is character violence in which the character directly causes violence to occur. The other occurs when the author purposefully creates violence to further the development of a theme. Examples of both types exist in Anthony Burgess's analysis of evil, A Clockwork Orange. Character-caused violence can be seen almost immediately as Alex, the main character and narrator, and his "droogs" (friends) prowl the streets creating mayhem where ever they step.Among other things, the "malchicks" (teenagers) rape, steal, beat, and drink their way through each evening. This violence is strictly character-caused as their own personalities create the need to be violent. The later type occurs later in the book and is much more mental than physical. After a short stint in prison, Alex is transferred to a mental hospital where the government hopes to successfully test a new prisoner reform program. Alex endures two weeks of mental bombardment as the doctors hope to condition his brain to hate sex and violence. The torturous    reform program over, Alex walks free as a changed man. However, Alex appears to be incapable of functioning in society after his old actions continue to haunt him. All of this results in Alex's attempted suicide. As the reform program was created by Burgess, the violent mental beating Alex endured was a direct result of the author.

The two distinct types of violence used by Burgess have very different effects.The character-caused violence leads to a deeper understanding of the characters and the society in which they reside. A clear mental picture of a violent corrupt world is created in the mind of the reader. Burgess's violence, however, begins to develop the theme of A Clockwork Orange. Questions about the origin of the evil begin to flow through the reader's mind. Without the inclusion of the two types of violence, Burgess's overall picture would by murky and his overall intent veiled.

Assignment 2 - Intertextuality

Intertextuality

Intertextuality can be defined as the constant interaction between texts. This interaction leads to multiple layers of meaning for all characters, plots, and settings.

Oedipus the King, the great tragedy by Sophocles, can be simply described as two men desperately attempting to alter the future predicted by the Oracle of Delphi. This basic plot outline can be found in Ryan North's Machine of Death. In North's novel, a machine prints out a slip of paper with a single word summarizing the death of the machine-user. This modern oracle leads to the modern reincarnation of Oedipus and his father, King Laius. Several people, horrified by the machine's predictions, desperately try to prevent the prophesied deaths from occurring. Although I have not read this book, and only know about it through Sean, the connection between these books is fairly obvious. When reading Machine of Death, I believe the intertextual connection will allow me to think of the short stories in a deeper perspective, instead of as an entertaining read.

When thinking of a connection with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and a modern art, most tend to think of West Side Story, the fifties and sixties adaption of Romeo and Juliet. Yet, there is another novel with ties to Shakespeare's play. S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders contains strong references to the later scenes of Romeo and Juliet. Just as Romeo feels obligated to fight Tybalt after the murder of his friend, Johnny attacks the Soc attempting to drown his friend Ponyboy. Both defensive acts result in the death of the original attacker and the exile of the friend acting as the hero. Although Ponyboy and Johnny do not have flaming romances in the society from which they leave, they do have a strong brotherhood with the fellow greasers. Upon the death of Romeo and Johnny their respective "lovers" commit suicide as they feel they can not live without the other. The brotherly love as well as the tragic ending in both works provides a strong intertextual connection. This connection helped when reading Romeo and Juliet as I was able to think of the plot in terms of a more modern setting which helped to counteract the difficult language of the play.

Fairy-Tale Parallel

Lemuel Gulliver, the luckiest or perhaps unluckiest literary figure, shares his adventures in the four part Gulliver's Travels. The first voyage in Gulliver's odyssey, his adventure in the tiny world of Lilliput, has interesting parallels with Jack and the Beanstalk, the classic fairy-tale. These parallels do not stop at the obvious big versus little saga. The giant in the fairy-tale uses his bulk to easily defeat any "Englishmen" venturing into his realm. Perhaps on purpose (due to the satirical nature of the novel) Swift created the opposite interaction in his classic. Gulliver appeared too incompetent to use his might crush the tiny egotistical beings of Lilliput. He repeatedly allows the Lilliputians to control him with their "dizzying intellect" despite their size. However, despite the completely different interactions between the characters, the giants always seem to lose. The giant is ruthlessly murdered by Jack, while Gulliver is almost poisoned to death by the tiny Lilliputians. Whether or not Swift intended these parallels to exist is nearly impossible to determine. Yet, the parallels between the novel and the fairy-tale create an interesting reiteration of the classic moral: brains always trumps brawn.

Assignment I - Every Trip is a Quest

City of Thieves by David Benoiff

a. (A quester) Lev Benoiv, a citizen of Red Russia, and Koyla Vlasov, a court-marshaled soldier in the Red Army.

b. (A place to go) The unlikely duo do not have a specific location to go, but more of a specific object in an unknown location.

c. (A reason to go) Lev and Koyla, are hoping to save their own lives by finding a dozen eggs for a greedy Russian Colonel.

d. (challenges and trials) Lev and Koyla encounter bitter cold temperatures, savage people, gnawing hunger, and most of the German army.

e. (A real reason to go) Unbeknownst to the pair, the Russian Colonel is no need of eggs. He merely wishes the pests gone. Therefore the real reason Lev and Koyla become questers is in the hope that they will perish in the Russian winter.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Kati Haycock's opinion on this controversial issue hits home. Creating tests for currently tenured teachers will definitely increase respect. In Arkansas, a series of three tests is required to receive a teacher certification. One in general knowledge, another in subject specific knowledge, and yet another in knowledge of educational techniques. However, the third test (educational techniques) was not introduced until recently. Therefore, a majority of the current educators in American schools have not passed tests on educational techniques. A series of mid-career tests should be instituted to fill in the gaps. Requiring these tests every two or three years would provide a net to weed out teachers that do not meet the standards. By creating a better teaching population, the bad teachers will not lower the universal respect for teachers.

Certain individuals might argue that testing does not measure the quality of education of teachers; and that testing will not weed out the bad teachers but just cut down on the population. However the tests would be structured much differently than the standardized tests of today. Performance review would even be a better term to describe the process. The whole process would involve written exams on subject knowledge and a committee of state employees observing your teaching process. This combination allows for the possibility of a bad test or bad observation day to become unimportant. The truly effective teachers will remain and the ineffective teachers will have to find work elsewhere. With a better teacher population, the American public will begin to see teachers as professionals and the respect will accompany this new view.

Great Gatsby Analysis

Fitzgerald's deep, thoughtful words tear off the shroud surrounding the human brain during the the revolutionary 1920's. Conservatives and liberals clashed throughout this time period over morals. These clashes inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to take up his pen and express his thoughts on the issues.

Fitzgerald's thoughtful use of sexual references throughout the passage continually reference the time period. The "green breast" of the New World and the "orgastic future" allude to the current moral dilemmas of the flapper. The traditional woman of the new century was becoming increasingly nontraditional. Low-cut dresses, shorter skirts, and alcohol became associated with the new woman of the 20th century. Fitzgerald's use of sexually loaded words throws the reader back into the time period.

The conservatives, bred by the 2nd Great Awakening of the 19th century, were "boats" fighting "against the current" in Fitzgerald's eyes. The future was coming. Fitzgerald's metaphor expresses the desire of the more conservative groups to drag society back into the Old World. The world that "flowered" in the "Dutch sailor's eyes." Fitzgerald becomes aware of the "old island" as the New World additions begin to melt away. The future that "eluded [them]" only made them reach farther for the future. The desire to reach the future will always best the desire to stay the same. Desire is the current and stubbornness is the boat.


"The wild women, the wild women," these famous lines may have never come existed in our society today. Fitzgerald expresses his opinions on the fight for the existence of these words in this passage. His sexually loaded words and metaphors force the readers to truly think about the time period as it was: a series of brutal clashes over moral opinions.

Consumerism Quote

Contentment is natural wealth; luxury, artificial poverty.

-Socrates (B.C. 469-399)

Socrates' quote from the ancient world, truly expresses the consumeristic world today. Studies published by The New York Times have shown that people living simple lives are happier, while those living in luxury are often more depressed people. The people in luxury believe themselves to be "poor" with respect to someone with more material possessions. Socrates' insight puts the problem of over-consumerism in a greater perspective. After all, if the ancient Greek philosopher could summarize a 21st Century problem in Ancient times, the disease may not be so confined to the American way of life.

Advertising Techniques

The Home Depot website has many links leading to their "Home Improver Club." This Club offers deals of products as well as home improvement classes. These classes give people basic knowledge in home improvement tasks and provide just enough confidence to warrant a large purchase of goods from the store. This "extra-mile" advertising technique works to the advantage of the post-recession business. People are more likely to purchase something if they can learn how and when to use it afterwards.

"Home Depot Pro Savings Newsletter & Improver Club = BIG Savings For You!"MySweetSavings -

MySweetSavings - Fast and Frugal Savings Advice for the Mother That Knows Best! 1 June 2010. Web.

27 Feb. 2011.

improver-club-big-savings.html