Dialectical Journal Part 1: A Normal Life

“He knew that he was a fierce fighter, but that year had been enough to break the heart of a lion,” (Achebe 22). (Personification, Characterization)

My personal interpretation of this selection is that no matter how good, rich, powerful, or beautiful you may be, there is always someone who is better than you. You can try and try for many years, (where as many and most people try for their entire life) to be the best, but sadly you will never be the best no matter how good you end up being in the long run.

The above quote enhances the setting of 1984 because it shows how Winston and Julia, Winston’s love interest, wanted to be together. Winston's has a hard time focusing the rest of the day due to the news. When the two meets up again they well do whatever they can to be together. Winston's desires are very powering. He is adamant about Julia.

Bird with the broken wing. - the bird was flying in circles, representing Edna’s thoughts in her ind swirling and her dwelling on trying to escape but not being able to.

Kate Chopin’s aspiration to deliver The Awakening was to convey to the early 20th century public her position of women’s roles, rights, and independence in a time of strict gender roles. Chopin conveys to readers the oppression of women during her time. Edna Pontellier is Chopin’s protagonist in the novel, and she finds herself unhappy and contempt of her role as a republican mother, which characterizes the idea of women’s work, and Edna identifies indirectly with the women at the Seneca Falls convention. Throughout the book Edna’s husband, Leónce Pontellier, continually scolds her for not being an attentive and loving mother and Edna compares herself with Madame Ratignolle, who is the epitome of motherhood

When adolescents like Holden cannot find an “adolescence zone” in the real world, they would conjure one in imagination. A pivotal moment of the novel is in the midsection, which resonates with the meaning of the novels title. When his sister Phoebe asks what would make him happy, Holden describes to her an imagined picture, which is worth quoting at length:

“But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” “In fact,” said Mustapha Mond, “you’re claiming the right to be unhappy.” “All right then,” said the Savage defiantly, “I’m claiming the right to be unhappy,” This significant quote from Brave New World had moved innumerable readers’ heart, so do I. Exaggeration? No. It’s the satire to the false meaning of the universal happiness, and it’s this quote which made me had rethink what do I really want and the way of living I want to choose. Because the deep influence and rumination brought by the book, I would like to say

There are multiple details that stood out as particularly true to life in my view. One was the nariartator that it is telling the story/ his view point main character mentions what check out aisle number. It mentions how the three girls looked. The character payed attention to how the girl that seem to be the leader was walking saying “she came down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet much” this quote helps you picture how the person and might help picture what the girl was walking like. He gave details to where he was and what he was doing when the three girls was doing. He mentions that “I’m in the third check-out slot with my back to the door so that I didn’t see them until they had reach the bread” this helps the reader to set up an mental image of the store as they are reading.

“The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience.” – Oswald Chambers

I would rather live in the World State due to life on the “savage reserve” being hazardous. On the reserve, food is not guaranteed. In 1984 it is stated that the environment of the savage reserves is so inhospitable that it is not productive to establish civilization in these areas. To me, living in the World State would mean losing my identity, so I wouldn’t miss the freedoms that I have now. On the other hand, on the savage reserve I would be aware of the missing food and absence of any luxury. Also, based on Bernard’s experience in the book, I would have a hard time fitting in on the reserve as a white person.

Chapter 5: Paul explains about how unsanitary the camps are, explaining that he and his friends had gotten louses (lice) in their head, and they try to attempt to get it off. Haie tries to cheer up the rest of the soldiers by telling them that he might have got the lice from the hospital, but he is the one who laugh the most, for 30 minutes straight. After trying to get the lice off themselves, they hear that Himmelstoss got in trouble for harassing the soldiers, and the magistrate’s son caught him in the action. Hearing the news that Himmelstoss got in trouble for his wrongdoings, Paul and the rest of the group start planning out what they should do or say to Himmelstoss when he comes back to the camp. When talking about what they should do

I didn’t think I would like this book simply because I knew that it has existentialist themes which I was never fond of. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was confusing and I probably would have liked it more if I saw it live as an actual performance. However, I do like how Meursault has clear actions and thoughts even though I don’t believe in all of them. Like when he is pretty much indifferent to Raymond’s abusive nature. But somehow he pitties Salamano’s dog. That whole point is confusing to me like I don't understand if Meursault is just bad at seeing the similarities or what.

Paragraph 1 tone : He seems nervous about this trip He says ,“We’ve all been up since midnight, starting our predive checks after a couple of restless hours of sleep, and the whole team is running on adrenaline. These are the roughest conditions I’ve dived in so far on the expedition” The way he says that they’ve been up the whole night doing checks without sleep and how this is one of the roughest conditions he has dived in so far just gives the sense of nervousness if he will make the challenge.

1) “They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment” (O’Brien 20).

Chapter 4 was insightful in public opinion, because there is a lot to say about it. The political socialization unit was something we all know, but it also allows time to look into the lense of children, I looked at this more intently because I am taking a juvenile delinquency course and we read about exposure to environments as well as the family molding a child is very impactful.