Summary

Newt runs off with an old ukranian midget dancer. Jonah meets  Dr. Breed, Felix Hoenikker’s supervisor from back in the day, a whore in a bar, and a bartender that are also affiliated with Mr. H. Come to find out, that Emily Hoenikker died because she injured her pelvis in a car accident and died giving birth to Newt. Jonah spends most of his time with Dr. Breed, going to work with him, and learning more about what scientists do.

Vocabulary

Apathies: absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

Perversions:  A sexual practice or act considered abnormal or deviant

Garish: crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.

Tomfoolery: a silly act, matter, or thing. 

Charlatan: a person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.

Questions

1. What exactly is the Girl Pool?

2. What really was Dr. Breed and Emily H.’s relationship?

3. What really happened to Frank?

Summary

Jonah started the reaserch for his book on the August 6, 1945 dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. He wrote a letter to the son of the man who invented the atomic bomb, Dr. Hoenikker. His son responded with plenty of feed back on his father’s unsociable life and speaks about the segnificants of, “cat’s cradel.”

Vocabulary

Karass: a spontaneously forming group.

Illustrious: glorious, or highly distinguished.

Questions:

1. Why was the Dr. so impersonal even with his family?

2. Why does Jonah want to get all this information and write a book about the behind the scenes of making the atomic bomb?

3. Why does the writting go from first person to 2nd person to 3rd person back to 1st person?

Summary

The story starts out with a cute anecdote about about the main character’s name being Jonah. He is a Bokononist and talks a little bit about his religion. He lays out a random poem in the middle of chapter two. Then he goes on to talking about his family and his past experiences.

Vocabulary

Conveyance: Transfer of title to property from one person to another.

Episcopalian: pertaining or adhering to the Episcopal Church in America.

Tendrils: A twisting, threadlike structure by which a twining plant, such as a grape or cucumber, grasps an object or a plant for support.

Questions

1. What tense is this story being told in?

2. Why are the chapters so short?

3. What caused Jonah to become a Bokononist?

After reading the passage and then listening to the radio broadcast it really educated me on the views of the soldiers and their families. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be on the line with life and death with the liberty of my country on my side. After reading about the things that these soldiers had to endure made my stomach turn. For example, making the mistake of killing innocent civilians because they were armed with a weapon and in the wrong place at the wrong time could change your life forever. The psychological damage done by each violent scene, each death of a fellow solider, and each death of a small child, can change someone for life.

From the parents stand point, knowing your son as a kind, light hearted kid and then turn into a person that you have never met before has to be heart breaking. Its no wonder Gray’s mother was so anal about getting the information on her son to find out how, where, and what had changed him. Between his first training, being sent to Iraq, and being sent back to Alaskafor more training something had changed in him. Depression, psychological problems, or PTSD are normal affects of soldiers who have witnessed violent scenes, therefore they are certain that Gray was under going some of these dragonesses. Maybe this was the reason to his death, maybe he just OD on, “Huffing,” we may never know.

Section 1 pp 65-80 (15)

1. Describe in detail the setting where the story begins. It starts in Gravsend Port on the Thames River in a boat called the Nellie. Where captain Marlow is spinning tales.
2. Who is the narrator of the story? Anonymous sailor on the ship.
3. Describe Marlow’s physical appearance. Ascetic aspects, sunken cheeks, yellow complexion, and wind struck features.
4. The narrator describes the recent history of the Thames. What are some of the activities of the men who have sailed out, from the mouth of the river? Treasuring hunting, pirates, and sailor.
5. How does the narrator describe the River Thames? Tranquil, beautiful, peaceful, old.
6. What effect does Conrad achieve by alluding to the pirates Francis Drake and John Franklin? He’s giving the reader an idea of an image of the people coming down the Thames River.
7. How is Marlow different from typical seamen? He’s a wanderer.
8. What technique does Conrad start using once Marlow begins to speak? Quotations to show that he is talking.
9. What simile does Conrad use for the mighty river that Marlow wants to explore? An uncoiled snake.
10. As he travels on a French steamer to his new post, how does Marlow describe the coast? A mystery.
11. On the steamer Marlow observes a French warship firing at the coastline. What does this scene suggest about what the rest of the story will entail? Battle with unknown colonizing Europeans
12. How does Marlow describe the scene upon arrival to his Company’s station? “a waste of excavations” (19), desolate, and “inhabited devastation” (19).

pp 81-99 (18)

1. Why does Marlow call the chief accountant a “miracle”? He was able to stay sane and not go mental.
2. What does Marlow learn about Kurtz from the accountant? He runs an ivory trading company and is affiliated with the inner post.
3. How does Marlow get from the first station to the Central Station? He walks.
4. What does Marlow learn about his steamboat when he arrives? Sunk to the bottom of the river.
5. How does Marlow describe the general manager at the Central Station? Ordinary but made Marlow feel uneasy.
6. What does Marlow like about his hard work repairing the steamboat? Keeps him from letting in the “darkness.”
7. How is the Eldorado Exploring Expedition a contrast to Marlow’s mission with the steamboat? Lacking morals.
8. What is Conrad suggesting by calling the rival company the “Eldorado” expedition? They wanted to find the lost city of gold.
9. What does Marlow need to complete the repairs on the steamboat and why is this so frustrating to him? Rivets because he couldn’t get enough to transport.
10. What rhetorical device is illustrated when Marlow says of the Eldorado Expedition, that they were, “reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage” (99)? Antithesis and parallelism. 
11. Heart of Darkness was originally published in three installments. On what suspenseful note does Conrad end this first installment? The suspense of what will happen next now that this strange company has been introduced.

Section 2 pp 99-128 (29)

1. On what suspenseful note does this second installment begin? The talk about Kurtz.
2. What does Marlow learn when he overhears the station manager talking to his uncle? He’s sick and plans to become manager.
3. What is significant about the image Marlow begins to develop of Kurtz? He begins to appreciate his craziness and sanity and respects him.
4. What is the prevailing metaphor Marlow uses to describe traveling up the river? Like traveling back to the earliest ages of time.
5. How do the African crew members help Marlow? They push the boat and help it keep running.
6. What metaphor is used for the steamboat as it moves up the river? A sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico.
7. How does Marlow characterize the fireman on his boat? Look closely at the diction, tone and attitude of Marlow conveyed in this description. What is the fireman compared to? What does “a parody of breeches” suggest about Kurtz’s attitude toward this man (106)? He thinks of the firemen as a well trained animal who knows his tricks well. He compares him to a dog and he sees him as a clown-like figure.
8. How is the steamboat attacked? Arrows from natives on the shore.
9. Who is the only person to die and how is he killed? The helmsman is hit with a spear in the side by a native because he tried to fire at them.  
10. How does Marlow frighten the Africans on the shore and stop the attack? He blows his whistle over and over and over again.
11. How does Conrad treat the speech and communication of African characters in the novel? When do these characters speak? To whom? Concerning what? (Track the three distinct occurrences, beginning with the dialog found on page 111) He treats them like uneducated human beings who don’t know how to communicate. They only speak to Marlow when there are no movements or “grunts” to express what the important thing that is going on. One of the cannibals jokes around about catching and eating the people that attack them, they tell him when Mr. Kurtz is dead.
12. Why does Marlow dispose of the helmsmen’s body so quickly? He wants to save him from being eaten by the cannibals.
13. What mysterious book does Marlow find at a station fifty miles below Kurtz’s station? An old book with weird writing in it about seamanship.
14. Describe the man who greets Marlow at the Inner Station. Russian trader.
15. Marlow thought there were notes written in code in the book he found. What was this “cipher”? Russian
16. Why do the surroundings seem prehistoric to Marlow? Because they are uncivilized with a lack of any technology.
17. The steamboat anchors for the night eight miles below Kurtz’s station. What troubling events happen in the morning? The fog was impairing their visions.
18. What does Marlow mean when he says that women must be helped to “stay in that beautiful world of their own” (121)? He thinks the masculine things they do will scare them.
19. How does Marlow describe the death of the African helmsmen? How does he characterize their relationship? Helmsmen’s fault, he thought they were working together.
20. Kurtz wrote a pamphlet for what organization? The International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs.
21. What surprising sentence did Kurtz add to his pamphlet long after he wrote it? What might have motivated him to write it? “Exterminate all the brutes!” He wanted to impress the people he was writing it for.
22. On what suspenseful note does Conrad end the second installment of the novel? Finally meeting Kurtz.

Section 3, pp 129-144 (15)

1. The Russian says, “I had gone so far that I don’t know how I’ll ever get back” (129). What does this mean literally and symbolically? He’s in so far over his head that all he can do now is keep moving forward.
2. When Marlow asks what Kurtz had traded for ivory, what does the Russian reply? Crops
3. Why did Kurtz threaten to shoot the young Russian? Small amount of ivory.
4. What does the Russian tell Marlow about Kurtz’s recent activities? Been deathly sick.
5. What does Marlow suddenly realize about the knobs on the posts by the building and the symbolic meaning they may have? The knobs are actual human heads.
6. As Marlow talks with the Russian, a group of men suddenly appears with a stretcher. What happens next? Natives charge them to protect Kurtz but he talks to them and they back down.
7. Describe the physical appearance of the woman who walks up along the river and describe what she does. She is decorated with beautiful beads she frolics along the shoreline and stops to look at the boat and then retreats back into the forest.
8. How does Marlow characterize the African woman who enters the story on page 138? What relationship does she seem to have had with Kurtz? Why do you think Conrad draws this character in considerably more detail than other African characters? Wild and gorgeous, proud, savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent. She seemed to be a mistress to Kurtz / to be in love with him. As a contrast to “the Intended” later in the book.
9. When Kurtz is very ill, Marlow says that the manager “considered it necessary to sigh, but neglected to be consistently sorrowful” (138). What does he mean? He should have been sadder.
10. What does Marlow do when he discovers that Kurtz has left his sickbed? He goes to find him and makes him come back to the ship with him.
11. Why does Marlow believe Kurtz’s soul has gone mad? Going to see a sorcerer.

pp 145-158 (13)

1. Why don’t the pilgrims want Marlow to blow the steamboat whistle as they take Kurtz and the ivory away? They wanted to shoot at them.
2. Marlow believes that the dark wilderness has cast a spell over Kurtz. What is the effect of this spell? Changed his beliefs.
3. What shakes Kurtz’s confidence in returning to a glorious welcome in Europe? Now that he is famous he doesn’t think he is famous for the right thing.
4. What does Kurtz entrust to Marlow? A bundle of papers.
5. Why does Marlow consider Kurtz’s last words a victory? Because he said what he was feeling.
6. What is the significance of Kurtz’s dying words? Although not very descriptive they mean a lot.
7. What was the nature of Kurtz’s idealism that the Intended still reveres? How might this explain the significance of his final words? Because that’s what she would have wanted to hear. Kurtz was ashamed of the things he’s done that is why he shouted, “the horror the horror,” as his final words. 
8. Why do you think Conrad only refers to the woman as “the Intended”? They weren’t married but they were, “intended,” to.
9. Explain what Marlow means when he says, “I have wrestled with death” (148). He fought with everything in him to overcome his illness.
10. What are the eerie physical details associated with the Intended and her drawing room? Dark and gloomy.
11. When the Intended extends her arms as if after a retreating figure, what does Marlow think of and why? The native women because it was the same gesture.
12. When the Intended asks about Kurtz’s last words, what does Marlow say and why? Her name, because he doesn’t want her to know that he died in vane. 
13. Compare how Marlow conveys the African woman versus the British woman. What is similar in his treatment of each character? What is different? Inferior. Racist.

Not going to lie, being a member of this blogging community creates a very wide freedom to steal the ideas of your neighboring bloggers. This action of copying, cheating, stealing; whatever you wish to call it, is called Plagiarism. The actual definition of Plagiarism is clearly stated as, “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism).

Or according to Merriam-Webster Online dictionary plagiarism means, “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own”  (http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html). It describes plagiarism as committing, “literary theft” (Merriam-Webster Online).

According to me, the definition of plagiarism is a person being too lazy to summarize a passage themselves and copying and pasting it onto their own work. This appeal to plagiarism, i have noticed, has been brought on by heavy procrastination. Although it is much easier to simply put what someone else has said it does no good to anyone. Also if you think you might have plagiarized a piece or idea, but your not sure, you can use this website as a tool to find out and save you and your reader some time and grief.  http://www.plagiarismdetect.com/ 

Assumptions

Cite and discuss in some detail three instances when a character’s assumptions played a critical role in how that character acted or perceived someone else’s actions.

After registering and signing off for his new journey he must take a trip to the doctor. “He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gabardine, with his feet in slippers, and i thought him a harmless fool.” (75) The doctor proceeded to ask him pointless questions and Marlow started to become annoyed with the ongoing of his motionless babbling. He gave Marlow the impression of being an alienist. After he lingered a little longer and made stupid statements the doctor said goodbye in his snooty Frenchy tone. 

As Marlow is walking through the path in the jungle with death lingering in every shaded area a white beacon of light appears to him. The Company’s chief accountant, a vision; “…high starched collar, white collars, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots…” (83) Marlow assumes this man has class and authority. By his first impression of the accountant he gives him the utmost respect without even responding a single word to him. While everything around him is decaying and dieing the accountant is starched and primped giving Marlow the idea that he has backbone in all this travesty.

Near the end of his voyage Marlow encounters the manager of Mr. Kutz ship. “A beardless, boyish face, very fair, no features to speak of, nose peeling, little blue eyes, smiles and frowns chasing each other over that open countenance like sunshine and shadow on a wind-swept plain.” (126) This Russian took care of Mr. Kurtzin his terrible and dieing state, he was very loyal to him. By his appearance and wind struck features he has been on this ship for a while working hard. Marlow took a liking to him. Himself and the Russian lad both shared an opened mind from the knowledge they gained from Mr. Kurtz.

Specifically in the McGuffey Reader that we read in class there was a lot of bias within the author’s writing. It amazes me that these passages were actually read in the time period and considered correct and the only way to go. The cultural eye comes into play of this bias mainly because the author was from a much later time then now. Also he is writing from a christian Protestant decent on each subject giving it a spiritual and/or religious tone. For example, in the Eclectic Second Reader, the story, “The Honest Boy and the Thief,” there is two boys; Charles is honest and loyal boy and Jack is a bad boy who lies all the time and shouldn’t be trusted. So one day Charlesis asked to watch a mans Oranges while he goes and gets a bite to eat, while this is occurring, Jack comes and tries to take the oranges that Charles is watching. While he is taking them the man’s horse kicks Jack and injures him. “Jack was rightly served; and the orange man, taking Charles’s hat, filled it with oranges, as he said he had been so faithful in guarding them, he should have all these for his honesty.” (104) The Protestant belief shows a bias to violent punishment for wrong doing.

Another example that i could not pass up was in the 2003 Public History book addition when speaking about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parkss’ influence in our history with their spiritual beliefs against racism. The author was clearly uneducated or just putting down what would sound good for the situation when he said, “On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a tired black seamstress returning from work, crowded a white bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She took a seat in the front row of the section reserved for black passengers.” (740) The author makes her sound very old and worn out. In our history it was not clearly stated that she was sitting in the first row of the, “black passenger section,” this misleads the story everyone has come to know of Rosa Parks being at the front of the bus and not moving. But little did she know that she was going to get involved with the Civil Rights movement in a big way.

Work Cited:

Bennet, Cherie. Life in the Fat Lane. New York, New York: Doubleday, Batam, 1998. 35-55.

Abstract:

This is a functional story of a girl who has been through beauty contests and was homecoming queen. It’s an in-depth story of her struggle with her image and the pressure to be thin for her competition. This source shows a detailed process of a young woman who has become obsessed with her weight to obtain the crown in a beauty pageant.

Thoughts:

This book was a story that followed the lifestyle of the avergae over-weight, beauty-chasing, media run teenager. By media run i’m relating it towards our media and the influnce it has on our society and especially targeted to the younger generations that are more vulnerable and plausable to become more attracted to it. This idea then leads on to the main view of the effects, specialficaly, beatuy pageants have on our society. The want and need to be thin and change the way you are is because of the media. This is one of the leading roles to anerixia and bulimia. Just like the story the want to become the perfect figured beauty contestant drove her too far. Is it worth it?

Works cited:

Dayton, Jonathan. Faris, Valerie. Little Miss Sunshine. Steve Carell. Abigial Breslin. Greg Kinnear. August 18, 2006. 

Plot:

A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.

Thoughts:

This is a perfect example of how beauty pageants play a role in our society. For example, in the film they are ordering breakfast and Olive, the contestant in the pageant, orders ice cream with her meal. Her father turned to her and asked her if Miss America ate ice cream. So she didn’t eat her ice cream until heavily coaxed by her brother and uncle. Then when she arrived at the pageant she spoke with Miss America and asked her what her favorite ice cream was and she said rocky road. It just goes to show the stereotypical views on being in a beauty pageant and being beautiful.