Last Blog Portfolio of the year!

The end of the year is here and this is my last blog portfolio for this school year. The links below will lead you to all the blogs assigned this quarter, and its basically poetry! Poetry is really really interesting, and I hope you find my blogs interesting and insightful as well (And I got to write a poem!) Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment. :)


1. Coverage:
Think culture first!

The Harlem Dancer

Unconscious (Poem)

If this was my poetry exam, I would...

Wanda Why Aren't You Dead

Carpet-weavers, Morocco (Practice Commentary)

Muliebrity



2. Depth:
If this was my poetry exam, I would...
This is a practice commentary we did in class, but that we could expand after reading an essay by Camille Puglia. It's a commentary on "Old Pond" by Gary Synder, a poem that describes the vulnerability of man amongst the immensity of nature. The evolution of my commentary is evident: it went from being simple bullet points that focused merely on observation, to a great deal of observation. 


3. Discussion:
Think culture first!
This is a response to Baraka's essay "Expressive Language". My blog post discussed how culture affected the written word, especially in the arts and social sciences. Wesley and Nina commented and asked several questions, which made me realize that Baraka's essay went beyond that. 


4. Interaction:
Wanda Why Aren't You Dead
This is a practice commentary on the poem "Wanda Why Aren't You Dead" by Wanda Coleman. It analyzes three features of the poem: speaker, diction and sound, in order to understand the theme of the poem. Reading Adrienne and Pooja's commentaries I could develop a little more my ideas on sound and form, which I think come together in this poem. I added them to my post in green.


5. Xenoblogging:
http://whamiltonthegreat.blogspot.com/2011/05/expressive-language-is-expressive-as.html
This category will redirect you to Wesley's blog post "Expressive Language is Expressive and this is Redundant". I commented on his blog after reading his and Julie's responses to Baraka's essay. I tried to make Wesley develop a little his ideas, as well as linking him to Julie's blog, because they both mentioned the same idea of "stereotypes" but interpreted differently. 


6. Wildcard:
Carpet-weavers, Morocco (Practice Commentary)

Muliebrity
This category will lead you to two blogs I wrote. The first one is a practice commentary on "Carpet-weavers, Morocco" by Carol Rumens, which I thought was a great opportunity to practice for the final exam. The second one is the poem "Muliebrity" by Sujata Bhatt. What I really like about both posts is that they both talk about child labor in third world countries, and as a reader I can gain perspective of it. I personally really like "Muliebrity" because I feel so connected to it after living for almost a year in India. 

Muliebrity

The poem Muliebrity by Indian poetess Sujata Bhatt describes the speaker's admiration towards a girl in her homeland, India, whose job is to gather cow dung along the main road. The poet expresses her admiration towards the girl as well as all those features of her country through imagery. Among the smells, sights and sounds of India, the girl shines and smiles because she is proud of herself. I just thought this poem was a nice way of showing how hard life in India is, especially for women. After living here for a year, I have been able to see all those things Sujata Bhatt describes in her poem, and I feel the same admiration towards all Indian women. Enjoy!

Muliebrity

Sujata Bhatt

I have thought so much about the girl

who gathered cow-dung in a wide, round basket

along the main road passing by our house

and the Radhavallabh temple in Maninagar.

I have thought so much about the way she                                             5

moved her hands and her waist

and the smell of cow-dung and road-dust and wet canna lilies,

the smell of monkey breath and freshly washed clothes

and the dust from crows’ wings which smells different –

and again the smell of cow-dung as the girl scoops                             10

it up, all these smells surrounding me separately

and simultaneously – I have thought so much

but have been unwilling to use her for a metaphor,

for a nice image – but most of all unwilling

to forget her or to explain to anyone the greatness                                15

and the power glistening through her cheekbones

each time she found a particularly promising

mound of dung –

Sources:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080518/jk4.jpg

http://jocelyn53.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/cow-dung-cc-elishams-200.jpg?w=200&h=132

http://194.3.120.243/english/study/IGCSE/Literature/Poetry/Songs%20of%20Ourselves/muliebrity.htm

It is time to practice for the final exam!

Carpet-weavers, Morocco

Carol Rumens

The children are at the loom of another world.

Their braids are oiled and black, their dresses bright.

Their assorted heights would make a melodious chime.

They watch their flickering knots like television.

As the garden of Islam grows, the bench will be raised.

Then they will lace the dark-rose veins of the tree-tops.

The carpet will travel in the merchant’s truck.

It will be spread by the servants of the mosque.

Deep and soft, it will give when heaped with prayer.

The children are hard at work in the school of days.

From their fingers the colours of all-that-will-be fly

and freeze into the frame of all-that-was.

Commentary:

“Carpet-weavers, Morocco” by Carol Rumens is a poem that vividly describes the looming of a carpet, a work done by children. In this poem, the carpet isn’t just a commercial product, but also a religious symbol; it is used for praying and connects daily life, commerce and religion, in the Islamic culture. The poem presents the idea of social injustice and child labor in third world countries through the use of metaphors, similes, and visual imagery.

First of all, in the first stanza, Rumens uses visual imagery and metaphors in order to show that the children are a unified group. Rumens describes how “Their braids are oiled and black, their dresses bright” (Line 2). The use of the words “oiled and black” conveys the idea that they are very clean and tidy. The adjective “bright” enhances their appearance, and portrays the idea that they are properly dressed to work rather than messy. Moreover, Rumens is able to create a very effective image of the children weaving by using a metaphor: “Their assorted heights would make a melodious chime” (Line 4). The use of the words “assorted heights” conveys the idea that the children are of different stature and ages. It also shows that they are united and joined together by work by comparing them to a “melodious chime”, because by working all together they will create a melodious music, in other words a beautiful carpet.

The theme is introduced in the first stanza of the poem and emphasized throughout. The poem opens describing that “the children are at the loom of another world”. The opening line has a double meaning; it first suggests that the children are weaving “another world”, an Islamic paradise. However, it also conveys the idea that they are facing the challenges imposed by developing countries, “another world” but still have the perspective of a third world country. Furthermore, in the second stanza, the poet describes how the children weave and “watch their flickering knots like television”. The use of the words “flickering knots” portrays how quick and skilled the children are with their hands. They are so able with their hands and crafts because they have probably been doing it all their lives and it is how they contribute to their family’s income. This is a controversial simile because Rumens compares them to children who are able to indulge in the pleasures of technology, such as the television, in more developed countries. However, these children probably do not have a television. Nevertheless, this is the only way the poet can share her experience with the reader. Both lines suggest the theme of social injustice and child labor because the children are forced to work to help their families, since they lived in a less developed world. Moreover, they cannot go to school but “are hard at work in the school of days” (Line 10). For these children, it is their life experiences that shape and educate them rather than school. They do not have education since their families depend on their full time work.

Finally, the poet also uses imagery and metaphors to describe the carpet the children are working on. The design in the carpet represents the Islamic paradise. The children weave and “as the garden of Islam grows, the bench will be raised. Then they will lace the dark-rose veins of the tree tops” (Line 5-6). The use of the word “veins” to describe the designs portrays the artistic abilities of the children, since they are able to weave such delicate and fine patterns. Therefore, the carpet is a religious item, which will then be “spread by the servants of the mosque” and will be “heaped with prayer”.

Carol Rumens uses imagery throughout the poem in order to show how the carpet woven by these children is a way of connecting the Islamic culture together; the carpet is not only a commercial product but also a religious symbol. Nevertheless, no matter how beautiful the carpet turns out to be and how important it is to the culture, the poet emphasizes that it is a creation of uneducated children, whose future still seems bleak because they are forced to work. 

"Wanda Why Aren't You Dead" by Wanda Coleman

(Adrienne and Pooja's commentaries allowed me to develop my ideas about how sound and form portray Wanda's suffering. I've added this in green!)


“Wanda Why Aren’t You Dead” by Wanda Coleman describes the psychological struggle of a black woman and mother that is unhappy and tormented with who she is. She uses diction to create the image of Wanda and the things she does not like of her life, as well as sound and the speaker to portray how Wanda is oppressed by society.

First of all, the speaker is used as a way of showing that Wanda is battling against herself. Each line starts with the name “wanda”, followed by an interrogative adverb such as “why”, “when” and “how”. By asking questions to herself, it seems that the poem is a conversation between two different Wanda’s: an innocent wanda, to whom the questions are addressed, and an oppressive Wanda, that criticizes herself harshly, and wants her to fulfill all the requirements asked by society. There is also no capitalization of either “wanda” or the pronoun “i”. This shows Wanda’s self-hatred and how she thinks of herself as insignificant and useless. Furthermore, there are no question marks in any of the question. This supports the idea that the speaker is Wanda herself, because the speaker already knows the answer to the questions.

Wanda Coleman uses diction to create the image of Wanda. Most of the words imply a negative connotation and are aspects that Wanda wants to change of herself, as well as her socio-economic status. Firstly, the language portrays all the negative things of her personality and appearance. Her name is described as a “whore’s name”, creating a derogatory tone, as well as implying that she does not follow society, by not liking black men. It is because of this that they refer to her as a promiscuous woman. Moreover, Wanda is told to “lose weight” and “move out of this hell hole”. The use of the word “hell hole” emphasizes how Wanda is not content about her life: how she looks or where she lives. Secondly, diction also shows her low socio economic status. The vernacular is very characteristic to a black “ghetto” woman, emphasizing her social status. For example, the last line of the poem “why ain’t you dead”, lacks punctuation, has improper grammar and the use of the word “ain’t” shows Wanda’s lack of education

Finally, Coleman also uses sound and form, in order to show Wanda’s inner battle. The lack of punctuation and the continuous questions make the poem have a very fast rhythm. This creates a climax towards the end where Wanda is just trying to fight to the continuous attack of criticisms, constantly revolving in both the reader's and Wanda's mind. This shows that as a black woman, Wanda has been treated like this her entire life, and probably will still be, since she has become used to this treatment; "she earns no respect and is incessantly abused and slandered". (Adrienne's blog) This is also emphasized by the repetition of “wanda” in every line, because it focuses the the poem on Wanda and her flaws. The poem becomes very repetitive, creating an "annoying tone, as if he is purposely trying to pester her" (Pooja's blog)

Wanda Coleman’s poem “Wanda Why Aren’t You Dead” describes the mental battle of a woman that is oppressed by society and wants to change her appearance and personality in order to be accepted by society. The last line of the poem “why ain’t you dead” finally suggests that probably suicide is one of the options the character is considering. Coleman deals with a problem faced by many women that are constantly oppressed by society and their families, and the problems they suffer because of this.


Pooja's Blog

Adrienne's Blog

If this was my poetry exam, I would....

The first thing I would do in a poetry exam is read the poem not only once, but a several times, highlighting and annotating on the side anything that catches my attention; try to look for any literary elements like metaphors, alliteration, etc, as well as the structure and form of the poem. After doing that with this poem, I came up with the following observations and interpretations:

1. Effect of diction and how it creates imagery. This is a very descriptive poem, and almost every noun is preceded by an adjective. This creates a lot of visual imagery (image clusters). I think that the most effective quotations are:

"Blue mountain white snow gleam"

"Pine bulk and slender needle-sprays" (Here there is also alliteration!)

"A naked bug with a white body and brown hair"

Overall, there is a lack of verbs, while there is an excess of adjectives.

2. Structure and sound

a) The uncompleted sentences in the first four-five lines create a fast rhythm, that slows down as the “sentences spread apart” towards the end of the stanza.

b) Alliteration and mimesis:

 - Little hemlock half in shade

 - "Ragged rocky skyline”. The r sound imitates the skyline. Hard to say fast, somehow reminds me of mountains.

 - "Biggest little lake”

3) The way the sentences are arranged in each stanza takes the shape of a basin.

If this was my poetry exam after reading Camille Paglia's commentary, I would....

Camille Paglia's commentary on "Old Pond" by Gary Synder made me realize that my previous response to the poem merely discussed the observations and patterns I saw. It really lacked further insight and interpretation of the elements I had found (but I would probably blame this on my "still developing" writing skills). After reading the paper I can say that my observations were good and that some of the ideas I had behind them as well. 

One of the observations Paglia and I have in common, is the effect caused by the imagery, specially in the first four lines of the poem. However, whilst I only focused on diction, Paglia discussed the lack of punctuation. Together punctuation and adjectives lets the words in the opening lines "float dreamily free, re-creating the poet's overwhelmed first impression". The description of the landscape uses in my opinion very simple and straightforward words. Synder uses color to describe the "blue mountains" and "white snow". Paglia comments on the effect of this, by how it hits "the eye before the mind can organize them logically". The reader is therefore filled with this color and imagery, the visualization of a blue sky and mountain covered in snow, dominating the scenery. The line "pine bulk and slender needle-sprays" conveys the green of the landscape, covered with pine trees conveying the "heft and delicacy of the massed trees". Paglia's interpretation on this line is somehow out of my reach. The fact that this is a metaphor sounds strange to me, and leaves me wondering what is its effect on the theme of the poem. Nevertheless, I agree on how she compared the first lines with a Haiku. 

Another similar observation is on the fourth line: "Ragged rocky skyline”. Paglia focuses on the imagery created by the words. The adjective "ragged" compares the blue sky with a torn cloth, with an irregular surface created by the rocky mountains. Paglia suggests that in the poem mountains are not portrayed as strong and permanent as we would usually think of them, but somehow very gentle, showing once again the limited vision of humans. For this quote I also interpreted the alliteration of the "r" sound. In my opinion, the repetition of this sound, makes it difficult to say this line quickly, therefore suggesting the same idea for the skyline, since it is broken by the mountains. 

In the second part of the poem, Snyder states that he has taken us to Five Lakes Basin. At this point I really lacked interpretation, therefore Paglia's paper helped me a lot to understand the poem and the big idea behind it. The most important aspect of this stanza is the description of the "naked bug with a white body and brown hair". It is strange how Snyder has decided to use the word bug, because the reader thinks it is a literal description and that indeed he is talking about an insect. However, Paglia suggests that the bug is a metaphor for humans. This interpretation shows how "nature sees man as nothing but a naked bug"; vulnerable to the immensity of the Earth. The bug/human is ordinary, has "no name, possessions, social status, or even discernible gender". The color white suggests human's innocence, weakness and vulnerability to nature. Line 10 "after all day scrambling on the peaks" suggests the adventurous and childish side of humans; their desire of discovering new things, of seeing and doing things they have never done, the adrenaline of escaping into the wilderness. 

Camille Paglia also comments on the last line of the poem. The word "splash" is mimesis, creating a "joky finale", suggesting that man is clearing his mind of "trivialities and false ideas", and somehow letting nature take over him and dominate him. The exclamation mark at the end of this word is a sign of enthusiasm and relief. As she describes towards the end of the commentary, the poem describes the "subordination to, rather than conquest of, nature". It illustrates man's "quest for meaning as a process of divestment"; leaving behind us everything that is unnecessary and an emotional baggage, and try to return to our self. 

I really enjoyed reading Paglia's commentary on "Old Pond". She offers a lot of insight into things one would have considered obvious, but that indeed form important elements in this poem. She also provides some extra background information, which although will not be available to us during our exam serves as a way of understanding the poem right now. The structure of her commentary is simple but very helpful. She interprets the poem in order, making it easy to see the development of the ideas, and how it leads to the central meaning of the poem.I think this way of analyzing this poem is probably more effective because it allows her ideas progress in order. It is always fun to read this type of essays because it provides me fresh ideas and ideas of things I sometimes simply ignore.

Gary Snyder "Old Pond"

Blue mountain white snow gleam

Through pine bulk and slender needle-sprays;

      little hemlock half in shade,

      ragged rocky skyline,

      single clear flat nuthatch call:

      down from the treetrunks

      up through time.

At Five Lakes Basin's

Biggest little lake

      after all day scrambling on the peaks,

      a naked bug

      with a white body and brown hair

      dives in the water

Splash!

Unconscious

Poem inspired by this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7XuXi3mqYM

Describes the unconsciousness of one's behavior at war. 

Unconscious.

Advancing through the forest,

We march.

Black shadows among the green,

Black shadows in a sea of silence, we walk.

We stop.

We wait.

We listen.

Together we all troop to the borderline.

Suddenly, an unusual odor creeps through my nostrils.

It’s nauseating. 

Then, I know it is them.

They are near.

They are here.

Alert we stand.

We hear a shriek nearby.

It is time.

We attack.

I attack.

I race through the dark labyrinth of trees.

I can hear the rapid rustling of my feet rushing against the leaves.

I can hear the shrill demented screeching.

Of them. Of us. 

It is deafening.

I follow my instincts.

Unconsciously,

I attack.

I kill.

Who am I?

The Harlem Dancer

The sonnet the Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay describes the scene in a Harlem nightclub, where a woman works as a dancer and singer to entertain the young crowds. Diction and metaphors play an important role in creating imagery and to make a contrast between the gaiety of the audience and the sadness of the dancer.

Diction is used in this poem to create imagery and show the contrast between the dancer and the club. The young people in the club are caught up in the nightlife of the city; “young prostitutes” surround men that applaud, laugh and watch the suggestive movements of the dancer. It is the audience that gives the sexual tone of the poem, rather than the dancer. Both men and “even” women are “wine flushed” and “bold-eyed,” suggesting they are drunk on alcohol and befogged. They “devoured her with their eager, passionate gaze”, showing their sexual desires and eager passion, emphasizing the animalistic side of the youngsters. The dancer on the other hand dances “gracefully and calm” among the crazy crowd. McKay uses the verbs “sway” to describe the delicate and oscillating movements of the dancer, with her “light gauze hanging loose about her form”. This gives me the image of a ballet dancer; very gentle and slow movements, with her body flowing around the dance floor.

Furthermore the use of the words “falsely-smiling” and “strange” in the couplet at the end of the sonnet describe the dancer’s melancholy, as opposed to the gaiety of the crowds. She has settled for a low-paid job, underestimating her worth, as people toss “coins in praise”. She is dancing for them, but not herself; she is not content with her life in this place.

Metaphors and similes are also used in this poem in order to create imagery, and emphasize the gracefulness of the dancer. The narrator describes that “her voice was like the sound of blended flutes blown by black players upon a picnic day” suggesting it is melodious, soft and sweet, as opposed to the music of the nightclub, which one would expect to be loud and fast.  Moreover, the alliteration of the “b” sound is also very soft and creates a slow rhythm emphasizing the overall slow moving rhythm of the dancer.  McKay also compares the dancer to a “proudly-swaying palm grown lovelier for passing through a storm”. This metaphor describes once again the slow and rhythmical movements of the woman, and how they entice the audience, which is compared to a “storm”.

Sound also has an important effect in this poem. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem make it seem like a song that the dancer dances and sings to. The Iambic pentameter of the Shakespearean sonnet gives the poem a slow rhythm, portraying the slow and calm dance of the dancer, as well as her sadness, as described in the couplet at the end.  These three elements: diction, metaphors and sound portray the theme of the sonnet, finally summarized in the couplet: the dancer has contented with a life she does not want, but persists due to economical reasons. 


Harlem Renaissance Artwork: http://blog.jongraynewyork.com/2010/10/harlem-renaissance-art/

Think culture first!

Culture and Communication: 'Expressive Language' by Amiri Baraka

Speech is the effective form of a culture.

This is the first sentence to Baraka’s essay ‘Expressive Language’. I restate it at the beginning of this entry not only because it is the one thing that struck me most from reading the essay. It is short and it is simple. It caught my attention. I restate it because I firmly believe that language and communication is not only the root of our single culture, but our entire society, our human race. As Baraka claims in the conclusion, communication is “the broadest root of education”. And it is communication that brings us all together.

Amiri Baraka also emphasizes on how our communication is deeply influenced by our context and our culture, arguing that the “artist must use the language and semantics unique to his culture to create his art, and that the work should also be understood within the context of that culture”. The way in which we approach any literary work, will be see with a different perspective, depending on who we are and our cultural background. It is because of this that “the form of thought’s passage through the world will take on as many diverse shapes as there are diverse groups of travelers”. I found this aspect of the essay very important because it clearly connects to the own author, Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones. I think that his writing will promote his culture, “promoting a black aesthetic”. Baraka is a black nationalist and founder of the Black Arts Movement; therefore I think that the arguments he gives about culture and language are very valid and important.


In poetry, or actually in any work of art, culture and context play an important role in an individual's perception and interpretation of it. The manner in which each person approaches a literary work might be completely different to another person. Nevertheless, each of those interpretations are completely valid, also because art gives you that freedom of interpretation. Art expresses itself differently depending on the individual, and what the individual needs to see from it. 

I would like to end with this quote from the essay, because it really summarizes what I interpret as one of the most important aspects discussed by Baraka. Taking it perhaps to a more global scale, misinterpretation of language has always been and is a cause of conflict, and even our perception of truth can be altered because of this.

“But for every item in the world, there are a multiplicity of definitions that fit. And every word we use could mean something else. And at the same time. The culture fixes the use, and usage”.

Blog Portfolio March

It’s time for another blog portfolio as the third quarter comes to an end. Once again, this portfolio will serve as a way to review the blogs I have written this quarter. They have been classified in 5 different sections, where I have selected the ones I enjoyed writing and portrayed my best work. Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment. 

1. Coverage: 
Here are the links to all the blogs I was assigned this quarter.
http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/writing-essay.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/kafkaesque.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/gregors-metamorphosis.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-mind-mapping.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/susceptibility-of-human-mind.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-pastiche.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-artist-and-hunger.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/distraction-society.html



2. Depth: 
This category will lead you to two blogs I was assigned this quarter. The first one is a mind map that links Knut Hamsun's novel 'Hunger' with several Secondary Readings as well as my own opinions. The second blog talks about what I think is one of the main ideas behind the novel. I think they both show a level of discussion and analysis, so here they are:

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-mind-mapping.html

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/susceptibility-of-human-mind.html

3. Interaction:

The blog linked below discusses Hamsun's novel 'Hunger' and Kafka's story 'A Hunger Artist'. Adrienne's comments on this blog led me to reflect a little bit more about what I had originally discussed. Therefore I expanded it a little bit after responding to her comment. 

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-artist-and-hunger.html

4. Discussion:

My blog on the film 'Kafka' and my interpretation on the term 'Kafkaesque' created a discussion between Monique and myself, and a comment on Julie. Monique helped me clear some ideas that were somewhat confusing or not complete in my blog, as well as I explained the ideas i had. 

http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/kafkaesque.html

5. Xenoblogging:

This is a comment I made on Wesley's blog on 'The Distraction Society'. His ideas were similar to mine, but I wanted him to expand what he thought on the subject. I also linked Julie's blog, since her comment on my blog on 'The Distraction Society' also made me reflect. 

http://whamiltonthegreat.blogspot.com/2011/01/currently-i-only-have-this-blog-online.html#comments

6. Wildcard:

Writing an Essay

It’s always hard to start writing an essay and start organizing your ideas, but here is the way I usually approach essays:

1.     Read the Novel: I’ve found it really necessary lately, that in order to understand well a novel it is important to read it at least two times, and maybe even more if there is sufficient time.

a.    Reading the novel for the first time is always very confusing and one actually doesn’t know what’s going on. So, the first time reading the novel serves as a way to get an overall view of the novel: plot, characters, themes, etc. Annotations are always useful, and when finding more “important” things use post its! It’s easier to find them again.

b.    For the second time one already knows the novel therefore it is easier to make further annotations and connect any ideas within the novel together. Any recurring motif, symbol, theme, are more clear, so its easier to understand the novel.

2.     Deciding what type of essay to write:

a.    It’s always easier if I’ve been given prompts. If this is the case, start writing some ideas for each of them. Check any annotations I have and how they could be linked to the prompts.

b.    If no prompts are available, I would start by checking for important notes I’ve made, and end up narrowing it down to theme, symbol, motif, etc. also making notes for each.

c.     By doing this it is easier to see which one has more to discuss about, evidence, and of course to what I am more inclined to.

3.     Defining a topic and Thesis Statement: After writing down my ideas for each type of essay, it is of course necessary to choose only one and start writing the thesis statement. At this point I also start writing the introduction.

4.     Creating an outline: For this step I usually create two outlines.

a.    This first outline is much like a “rough draft”. Just to organize my ideas a little, find some quotes, start getting some ideas for topic sentences and how I will support my thesis statement. For this outline I always prefer to write everything down in paper, brainstorm, using colors to help me note any difference between paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.

b.    The second outline is a little more structured; with my ideas more clearly and with specific topic sentences, quotes and explanations of each quote (Point, Evidence Explanation format for each quote). This second outline is very specific. 

5.     Rough Draft: for this step I will start by writing the different body paragraphs but separately, and then joining them together. I don’t think that writing a complete essay is that necessary for this step, I use this step more as a way to see how the essay is looking and revise my outlines and make any modifications.

6.     Second Draft: Now I will join all of the body paragraphs together, revise the introduction and write a conclusion. I am usually not very good when writing introductions and conclusions, but I do understand that:

a.    The introduction should include context, the thesis statement and an overall idea of the course the essay will take.

b.    In the conclusion I would rephrase the thesis statement and a brief summary of the essay as a whole.

7.     Revision and editing of the drafts:

a.    The most important thing I try to achieve in this step is to make the body paragraphs “flow”.

b.    It is also important to check the syntax, diction, any redundant words, or awkward sentences and expressions. Sometimes I think that more complex words make the essays harder to understand, and although they might give the essay some sophistication they are not good every single time, so I usually tend to stick with simple, straightforward words.

c.     I will revise the essay several times and usually change a lot of sentences, take some out, etc.

8.     Peer Review: Since we usually use Turnitin.com, it is easier to have peers commenting and suggesting any ideas or ways to improve the essay. I also make my parents read the essay, who usually highlight anything they don’t understand or aren’t really clear about.

9.     Reread the essay and edit one more time.

a.    I like to read it out loud because it makes it easier for me to find any vague ideas or awkward words and sentences.

b.    I also focus a lot on the thesis statement and topic sentences, so that each paragraph makes sense with what I originally intended to discuss. It always comes in handy to have the original outlines beside me.

10.  Hand it in! Or post it in Turnitin.com. (This always feels nice J)

Kafkaesque

The term “Kafkaesque” is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Kafka’s work. How would you best describe this? How is this film “Kafkaesque”?

Franz Kafka, Czech-born and German-speaking writer, is recognized by the nightmarish qualities he is able to put into his fictional world, making his works characterized by their portrayal of this nightmarish reality of isolated and threatened individuals in a mundane context. His novel, The Metamorphosis for example, written in 1917, expresses his ideas towards class, politics and isolation, as well as the absurd. The style of his work is so unique that it has influenced the style of not only writers, but also other areas within the Arts. The term “Kafkaesque” is used to describe something that is characteristic or reminiscent of Kafka’s work. The film “Kafka” (1991) is an example of a “Kafkaesque” film.

The film “Kafka” is a mystery thriller film based on the life of Franz Kafka “blurring the lines between the real and the surreal, between fact and Kafka’s fiction”. The movie has been described as Kafkaesque. Here is the theatrical trailer for the film, just to show how the film can relate to Kafka’s works.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3952279833/

At first the film seems quite bizarre and as an observer one can’t directly see the similarities between the film and Kafka’s life and works, besides some direct reference to them. However, one of the most important aspects of Kafka’s literature, which is clearly seen in the film, is the difference between the real and the surreal, which in the movie is portrayed with the use of color. The entire film is shown in black and white color; maybe to maintain the time period of Kafka’s life, but also maybe to denote what is mundane, those things that happen every day, for example, Kafka’s work, and his daily life. However, when the film reaches its climax and Kafka enters the Prague Castle, the film turns to color. By this moment one can decide which of these scenes is the surreal, and which is the real, since for us, the real would be actually denoted by the colored scenes.

Furthermore, an important aspect of the movie is its portrayal of the absurd and Kafka’s humor. The plot of the movie is based on the conflict between the upper class and the lower class, represented by the scientists and doctors trying to put the lower class and revolutionaries back into reality, by making them uniform, thus the entire brainwashing and torture they are doing in the castle. The absurd part of this dilemma is the fact that whatever Kafka does, or any revolutionary does, there is no way to change the system. This is clearly seen in the film, since all Kafka wanted to do was to find out the truth about the castle, and as soon as he does find out, he just leaves, and all returns back to black and white, back to reality. Kafka’s “sense of humor” is also portrayed in the film. As David Wallace described in his essay, Kafka’s humor is a “grotesque and gorgeous and thoroughly modern complexity”, and the man trying to kill everyone, who always ends up running around and screaming, portrays its nightmarish style.

Finally, there is some reference to Kafka’s own life and his work, throughout the film. The aspects of Kafka’s life conveyed in the film are mostly linked to his relationship with his father, who did not want his son to be a writer, showing his authoritative character. This reflects in Kafka’s own work since it leads to his complex character, and the style of his fiction, already described to be nightmarish and strange. This also reveals the relationship between the characters in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”. Moreover, the most important traits from Kafka’s personality are portrayed by Jeremy Irons, who plays Kafka in the film. He is usually described as someone who “leaves too much to himself” and “writes by myself, to myself”, mostly making people uneasy around him.

“Kafkaesque” is therefore a term used to describe those things that take aspects from Kafka’s nightmarish style and apply them to themselves. In my opinion, the most important aspects that should be used in order for a work to be reminiscent of Kafka is its portrayal of the real and the surreal, as well as the absurdity of life. Therefore, the film “Kafka” is a “Kafkaesque” film, and although it is very hard to understand this at first, towards the end, one begins to realize how it has managed to be similar to Kafka’s own work.