Friday, October 26, 2007

Independent Reading Assignments (1st Person Narrative)


Andy Warhol's Elvis.
These assignments are for classes 5 & 6 and due October 29th in class.

40 points (Homework, notebook, blog grade)

Design a cover.

You will be graded on the following items:

A: 10 points: Your cover should show creativity, depth in thought, and visually represent important events, themes, or symbols throughout the book. The cover should look professionally and carefully constructed. You may draw or use the computer, but be careful not to commit the visual equivalence of plagiarism. If you use someone else’s images, change or collage them until they are your own. Make sure you have a front and back cover as well as a spine. Spelling the author’s name wrong would be about the worst thing you could do!

B: 10 points: You should provide a 100 word description of the book on the back cover. WARNING: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE THIS!—you will risk a zero for an easy part of the requirements. Remember: the point of a 100 word description on the back of a book is to convince someone in a store to buy the book. Remember this when you write the blurb. Why should someone buy this?

C: 20 points: Write a two page paper (400-500 words) explaining the choices you made when designing the cover. Pretend you work for me[1] and are trying to convince me to go with your cover over someone else’s. You will need to provide evidence from the book to effectively do this.Make sure you include page numbers and cite properly.


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40 points (Homework, notebook, blog grade)

Write a “filler chapter”. In other words, write what happens in between two chapters (or pages—or rewrite a section or imitate the author’s style).

You will be graded on the following items:

A: 10 points: Completes the page length requirements: 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages, Times New Roman, 12 point font.

B: 10 points: The details and facts in your story are factually and contextually accurate in relation to the existing story. This includes the setting and historical time frame!

C: 20 points: You successfully capture the tone and style of your author.[2]


If you have another creative idea, propose it to me with criteria on which you would like to be graded. I must approve this first.

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100 points (Open Response)

Explication of Passage from last 1/3 of book. See handout for assignment and grading criteria.
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[1] I do not provide health insurance. Welcome to the world of contracted labor, boys and girls.
[2] (which includes, but is not limited to: how author presents dialogue, appropriate word choice, symbols, etc.)

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

College Essay Scoring Guide


photo of Franz Kline--a painter I really like.


50 points--Grammar, mechanics, typos, spelling, & usage. Remember, this is your only impression to show yourself through language. No matter the content of your essay, careless mistakes make you seem--well, careless. And you do not want the college admissions team to think you are apathetic. I expect you to make sure the essay is flawless. I would be happy to suggest how to phrase things grammatically better, but I should not be spending my time fixing your careless typos and spelling errors (and I won't).
  • 50 points--Writer demonstrates control of sentence structure, grammar and usage.
  • 40 points--Errors do not interfere with communication. There are few errors relative to length.
  • 30 points--Errors interfere with communication.

50 points--Insight and creativity, readability, and is your essay compelling? A note to remember your audience here and the purpose of your essay: All writers do this on some level--we consistently look at audience and purpose when we analyze writing. If you are using this to apply to college, keep in mind that the admissions officers are looking for intelligent and motivated students who will be successful at their school. Your essay should:

  • Be personal (instead of general)
  • Be concrete (instead of abstract--can you make your reader "see" your world?)
  • Include anecdote (instead of summary--this is not a resume)
  • Include a hook or lead
  • Have sophisticated and / or subtle organization
  • Show a sophisticated or subtle mastery of language
  • AND AVOID CLICHE!

PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE OUT AND ATTACH TO THE BACK OF YOUR ESSAY SO I CAN WRITE COMMENTS. WHEN YOU PRINT, MAKE SURE YOU ONLY PRINT THIS PAGE.

Monday, October 22, 2007

College Essay Prompts

photo of Borges

The prompts provided are often a starting point—it’s not really about which prompt you choose to answer, but HOW you use the topic to write an essay. Remember the Borges, “people tend to prefer the personal to the general, the concrete to the abstract”(Blindness). You will notice that the questions are vague, repetitive, and general. You could almost adapt any good essay to fit a prompt.

Anyway, here are the common application prompts*

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

  • Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
  • Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
  • Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and describe that influence.
  • A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
  • A prompt of your choice is another option. (See below)

I also have a handout from Ms. C that lists a number of essay prompts (from way back in the day)… I’m going to break into my I’m older than you persona now: “when I applied to college I actually had to write a separate essay for each school because each school had a question—oh, and life was (of course) harder back then—we suffered like you kids nowadays have no idea of….”(Kidding of course).

I would be happy to photocopy these for you. They might stir the creative juices in a way that the above prompts do not.

Commentary on Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus” discussion

Jay De Feo 1958, one of my favorite painters, standing in front of her painting The Rose--a really amazing piece that you have to stand in front of to appreciate the intensity of it.

This was such an interesting assignment (at least for me as your teacher)—so many of you who are having trouble developing a thesis which shows HOW an author creates meaning and what the effect is were picking model thesis sentences which did not do this either. The same exact thing happened in the Williams post where you choose the A and B papers. The good news is a bunch of you were right on. We will obviously talk about this in class next week.

Here’s an example from the Period 5 comment stream. (This was the most popular picked model thesis sentence):

  • In Camus’s essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus introduces the possibility that life is meaningless. Camus’s interpretation of the myth reflects of the idea of absurdity and how giving meaning to life in ways such as socially or religiously, is inevitably pointless because in the end death is terminal. Camus’s suggests that happiness arises from absurdity when one learns and accepts death. Although Sisyphus’s futile punishment is meant to be eternal and torturous Camus’s is able to help readers view Sisyphus as a happy man because he was able to come to terms with his punishment.

This is a wonderfully written introduction—however, it is a summary of what is in the essay and never shows how Camus creates theme through technique—it never offers how the language works. Though the author of this sentence should be lauded for her deft phrasing of language, if you read some of the sentences more closely, they are summary and sometimes self-evident.

In the Period 6 comment stream, this was the most popular thesis picked for its quality:

  • In “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Albert Camus reveals the unyielding power of a man’s consciousness when Sisyphus overcomes his punishment. Camus exaggerates the pointlessness and cruelty of Sisyphus’ eternal sentence to rolling an enormous rock up a hill through repetition and his choice of diction. The author tone remains subtle throughout the story until the last paragraph. Camus makes a strong statement at the end of the story, which summarizes his lesson for the readers. Similarly, it is at the end of a myth that Sisyphus, the tragic hero, realizes his consequences and accepts his fate.
This is wonderful—and near perfect. The phrase “through… his choice of diction” is too self-evident though. This basically translates as—the author uses word choice. A lot of you do this. The second the author writes, he chooses words—so what kind, and what is the effect, etc?

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Scoring The Parable of the Blind Period 6


Jean-Michel Basquiat, Great Jones Street, New York, 1987--a painter that I really like.

Hello everybody--I am giving you class time for this--so if you have not done so already, please check out some of the model papers from the Camus Archive before the weekend ends. Also, it might be nice to add a comment where you feel you can add to the discussion. Though this is ungraded, I feel as if it is extremely important to establish some intellectual camaraderie among yourselves.
Next:
For today's class (and you should finish by Friday at 3:00p.m. by posting in the comment stream below) I would like you to read the batch of papers that I received for
IX The Parable of the Blind.

You should read over the scoring guide for Open Response prompts and consult it for every paper. You should also review the handout on Explicating a Poem before you start. Even though I helped write these documents and use them all the time, I still do this before grading papers.

In the comment stream below, I would like to know which of the papers you would give an A or a B with your specific comments on why--(I am looking for more than the language on the rubric here--be specific in your comments on how you think these papers successfully explicate the poem.) Finally, please feel free to add your comments on anything in the paper--(ideas you have, places that could have been expanded, ways to phrase language more specifically or better, or even just fixing typographical errors.) None of these papers received a 100.

Thank you to those who are lucky enough to have your papers in this group. We all appreciate this.

PERIOD 6 POST HERE
PERIOD 6 POST HERE PERIOD 6 POST HERE

Scoring The Parable of the Blind Period 5


Hans Hofmann, photograph by Arnold Newman, 1960--a painter that I really like.

Hello everybody--I am giving you class time for this--so if you have not done so already, please check out some of the model papers from the Camus Archive before the weekend ends. Also, it might be nice to add a comment where you feel you can add to the discussion. Though this is ungraded, I feel as if it is extremely important to establish some intellectual camaraderie among yourselves.
Next:
For today's class (and you should finish by Friday at 3:00p.m. by posting in the comment stream below) I would like you to read the batch of papers that I received for
IX The Parable of the Blind.

You should read over the scoring guide for Open Response prompts and consult it for every paper. You should also review the handout on Explicating a Poem before you start. Even though I helped write these documents and use them all the time, I still do this before grading papers.

In the comment stream below, I would like to know which of the papers you would give an A or a B with your specific comments on why--(I am looking for more than the language on the rubric here--be specific in your comments on how you think these papers successfully explicate the poem.) Finally, please feel free to add your comments on anything in the paper--(ideas you have, places that could have been expanded, ways to phrase language more specifically or better, or even just fixing typographical errors.) None of these papers received a 100.

Thank you to those who are lucky enough to have your papers in this group. We all appreciate this.

PERIOD 5 POST HERE
PERIOD 5 POST HERE PERIOD 5 POST HERE

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The Myth of Sisyphus Class Discussion Period 6



After skimming your Williams papers, I think we need a little more work on developing thesis statements for explication--after all, if your thesis lacks depth, your paper probably will as well. Please refer to handout on explications--and remember that your thesis must show HOW meaning is developed through writing. This is a hard concept by the way--and if you are having trouble with it, it is because it is a really hard thing to master. You are certainly not alone here, but we still need to figure it out.

This post is worth 20 points:
It is due by Friday at 3:00p.m.

  • 5 points for--generating a successful thesis statement.
  • 5 points for--explaing why one of your peer's thesis statements is successful. (You may need to post twice if you are one of the first to go.) I want some depth here--not just language from a rubric. I want an explanation of WHY the thesis staement is one of depth.
  • 10 points for--a continuation of something from class discussion. Just like last time, there should be some depth here (I think 250 words is a minimum) and you should be providing specific textual evidence to analyze. Let's work on integrating the evidence here this time instead of pasting large chunks of text in the post.

PERIOD 6 POST HERE PERIOD 6 POST HERE PERIOD 6 POST HERE

The Myth of Sisyphus Class Discussion Period 5


After skimming your Williams papers, I think we need a little more work on developing thesis statements for explication--after all, if your thesis lacks depth, your paper probably will as well. Please refer to handout on explications--and remember that your thesis must show HOW meaning is developed through writing. This is a hard concept by the way--and if you are having trouble with it, it is because it is a really hard thing to master. You are certainly not alone here, but we still need to figure it out.

This post is worth 20 points:
It is due by Friday at 3:00p.m.
  • 5 points for--generating a successful thesis statement.
  • 5 points for--explaing why one of your peer's thesis statements is successful. (You may need to post twice if you are one of the first to go.) I want some depth here--not just language from a rubric. I want an explanation of WHY the thesis staement is one of depth.
  • 10 points for--a continuation of something from class discussion. Just like last time, there should be some depth here (I think 250 words is a minimum) and you should be providing specific textual evidence to analyze. Let's work on integrating the evidence here this time instead of pasting large chunks of text in the post.

PERIOD 5 POST HERE PERIOD 5 POST HERE PERIOD 5 POST HERE

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Assignment for Williams Explication



William Carlos Williams has a wiki. Read it for some background info if you are interested, but since this is an explication--nothing you read or research is relevant for this type of paper. You are writing a straight-up explication on a poem. Please review the handout on what an explication is as well as the open-response scoring guide before you begin (and before you publish your paper) in the proper post below.

I will be unreachable by email this weekend, but you can feel free and use this comment section if you have questions--maybe one of your peers can answer your question or maybe you can bounce ideas off each other.

Either way, I will see you all bright and early on Monday--we will be reading more Camus. If you have personal needs for your paper, please address them with me outside of class time on Monday. Thanks Blogsters.

III The Hunters in the Snow



Please Post your explication of "
III The Hunters in the Snow" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

IV The Adoration of the Kings



Please Post your explication of "IV The Adoration of the Kings" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

V Peasant Wedding



Please Post your explication of "V Peasant Wedding" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

VI Haymaking



Please Post your explication of "
VI Haymaking" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

VII The Corn Harvest



Please Post your explication of "VII The Corn Harvest
" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

VIII The Wedding Dance in the Open Air



Please Post your explication of "VIII The Wedding Dance in the Open Air
" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

IX The Parable of the Blind


Please Post your explication of "IX. The Parable of the Blind" by William Carlos Williams here by Monday October 15th at 3:00p.m. This should give you time after school if you need computer access for whatever reason.

Camus Archive Model Paper 2

Angela S6

So many of you all tried to write about the sun as a symbol in the novel--but you never really went beyond locating it as a symbol. Here, Angela not only shows HOW the sun works as a symbol, but uses it to develop a solid character analysis and connect it to the Oedipus myth--another thing a bunch of you tried to do to establish M as a tragic hero. But again, proving a character is a tragic hero is a bit simplistic and formulaic. The first body paragraph does a super job with the pacing of language to create a dream-like state in the narrator (a deft analysis)--and Angela continues on to transition to "blindness" as a topic, investigating the effect on many levels.

There are times in life when one becomes completely overwhelmed by the intensity of a situation and leaves reality. These situations allow the human senses to become sharpened and discover things that one would normally not notice. In two passages from The Stranger, Albert Camus suggests that the intensity and blinding quality of the sun cause Monsieur Meursault to enter a dream-like state and ironically discover the truths and reality of his life. By the end of the first chapter, Monsieur Meursault is at his mother’s funeral and buries her and by the end of the first half of the book he murders an Arab. Both passages deal with death which is a topic that is difficult to accept and understand. Death makes people start to question their own lives and try to find the purpose in living, even though, in the end everyone will die. Although Meursault does not want to acknowledge or does not seem to care about the death of his mother or the fact that he is killing the Arab, the intensity of the sun consumes him and enables him to realize the truth in his life. Camus suggests this through his use of imagery of the sun and imagery of the eye and blindness. The imagery of the sun reveals when Meursault’s senses start to become acute and make the reader feel as if he has entered a dream-like state. The imagery of the eye reveals the qualities of Meursault that make him a tragic hero which is connected to the mythical story of Oedipus. Also, his use of diction contributes to the feeling that Monsieur is in another world and has left reality.

When Meursault is on his way to bury his mother, the sun is beats on him and makes him exhausted. Up until this point in the story Meursault has not come to terms with or has acknowledged his mother’s death. While walking to bury her he is completely overwhelmed and says, “…everything seemed to happen so fast…that I don’t remember any of it anymore”(17). Meursault’s short and choppy sentences suggests that he is leaving reality and entering a dream-like state. He continues to say, “Except one thing...”(17). This one thing that he recalls is a statement that the nurse made about the heat. She says, “‘If you go slowly you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church’”. This quotation is a metaphor for life and reveals that in life there will always be consequences. Although one may try to avoid certain things such as “sunstroke”, in the end one will “catch a chill inside the church” or suffer. This suggests that although Muersault may try to avoid acknowledging his mother’s death it is unavoidable and the end result will be feelings of pain and guilt.

Meursault responds to the nurse by saying, “She was right. There was no way out”(17). Meusault agrees and believes that life is inescapable and the intensity of the sun is revealing the reality of his situation. He finally realizes that his mother has died. Monsieur continues on and begins to observe objects and people around him. Once Maman’s “fiancé”, Perez, catches up with the crowd, Monsieur notices, “big tears of frustration”(18), running downs his face. He than says, “They spread out and ran together again, leaving a watery film over his ruined face”(18). Camus creates this image of Perez over come with sadness for Maman. He is blinded by his tears and Monsieur observes this perhaps because he has difficulty expressing his own emotion. Perez may be compared to the mythical prophet Teiresias who is blinded but is given the gift of prophecy to make up for his blindness. Although Perez may appear to be suffering through Meursault’s eyes, in reality Perez knows the truth and is suffering because he is mourning the loss of someone he loved. The fact that he had the chance to love another human being is his gift and this is something that Meursault has yet to experience.

Meursault in the second passage also becomes blinded by tears but for a different reason than Perez’s. Meursault’s blindness is from trying to avoid his destiny and not accepting the truth in his life, similar to the mythical character Oedipus. Oedipus blinds himself after he tries to avoid his destiny and fails miserably.

After Meursault finishes observing Perez he begins to describe specific objects around him. As he watches, “the blood-red earth spilling over Maman’s casket,” and “the white flesh of the roots mixed in with it…”(18), it seems as though he is realizing that his mother is finally gone. Monsiuer’s diction is so specific and gives the effect that although he is not expressing any emotion he is fully aware of his situation and is finally saying good-bye to his mother. Monsieur continues to list random things such as, “voices, the village,”(18) and “waiting in front of the café”(18). Meursualt’s diction once again suggests that he has left reality. He is listing random things that have nothing to do with the death of his mother. Also, the staccato feeling and rapidity speed of his words make it seem as if he is overwhelmed and that his thoughts are scattered. In the last line of the passage Meursault finally says, “…and my joy when the bus entered the nest of lights that was Algiers and I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours”(18). Meursault is happy to leave the cemetery and wants to leave this “dream world”, which is ironically filled with realities and truth. He seems to be put at ease when the train arrives and wants to go into his own bed, where he will return to avoiding his destiny or the truths of life. In the second passage he will discover the consequences of avoiding his destiny.

Monsieur decides to walk alone on the beach in the second passage, after previously leaving the beach to avoid the Arab, who is stalking his friend Raymond. . Raymond returns to the beach house to be safe, but Monsieur chooses to go back to the beach alone with a gun. The second passage, similar to the first, takes place on a scorching hot day. Meursault returns alone to the beach and is intently watching the Arab. As Meursault contemplates leaving the Arab and returning to the beach house he says, “But the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on my back”(58). Meursault’s diction and personification of the beach gives an image that the intensity of the sun is weighing heavily upon him. The beach is being personified and it is “throbbing in the sun” and is “pressing” on his back. Once again he leaves reality due to the intensity of the sun and it is not allowing him to leave the beach. He is unable to avoid his destiny and the truth has to be revealed. As Monsieur comes closer to the Arab he says, “The sun was the same it had been the day I’d buried Maman”(59). This quotation suggests that, similar to the other passage, Meursault enters his dream world and the sun is forcing him to face the truth which he wants nothing to do with. Eventually Meursault comes closer to the Arab, when finally, he “drew his knife”(59) and “held it up”(59) to him “in the sun”(59). Monsieur now realizes that he could be killed and becomes nervous and is sweating profusely. He says, “…the sweat in my eyebrows dripped down over my eyelids all at once and covered them with a warm thick film. My eyes were blinded behind the curtain of tears and salt”(59). Similar to Perez in the first passage Meursault is blinded by tears. Meursault’s tears of blindness differ from those of Perez because his are not created by truth but are created from the avoidance of truth. Meursault can easily be compared to the mythical character Oedipus. Oedipus, a tragic hero, ends up poking out his eyes and causing blindness because he avoided his destiny. He tries to avoid consequences in his life, just like Muersault, and in the end is punished. Meursault always takes the easy way out and never actually suffers because he is not willing to take a risk and accept the truth. These are the qualities that make him a tragic hero. The fact that he avoids his destiny and does not accept reality, brings him a life filled with tragedy and pain. Now the truth is revealed and there is no way he can go back.

The Arab begins to slash at Meursault and all he can “feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing”(59) on his forehead. The moment on the beach continues to intensify as the sun continues to pound on Meursault. Eventually, “everything began to reel”, and “the sea carried up a thick fiery breath…”(59), and it seemed as if the “sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire”(59). The diction and imagery of these quotations reveals that this dream world is progressively becoming more intense. The fact that pure rain is turning into fire suggests that Muersault has lost all control over his life and his destiny is taking over. Monsieur’s body begins to tense up and he starts to grab his “hand around the revolver”(59) and finally “the trigger gave”(59). Meursault shoots the Arab and he slowly returns from his dream world back into his false reality. He finally, “shook the sweat and sun”(59).Once the sweat and sun have left his body he has officially left his dream world and must face his actions. He than says, “I knew I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I’d been happy”(59). The longer structure of this sentence compared to the previous short sentences suggest that Monsieur’s actions are becoming less intense and are slowing down. This is another sign that he has left his dream world.

Meursault tries, throughout the story to avoid suffering and truth and in the end he is basically receiving his “chill inside the church”(17), for never accepting the truth. He continues to shoot four more times and than admits that “…it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness”(59). Monsieur is taking in the fact that he has taken another’s life. All of his life he avoids suffering and his destiny and it came back to him in the end. He finally admits that he is unhappy and realizes that he must now live in his false reality which he has created.

In The Stranger, Albert Camus succeeds at creating a tragic hero who lives in a false reality. Monsieur Muersault only discovers the truth in life when he goes into a dream-like state. The intensity and clarity of the sun allows him to travel into this state and see things in his life that he normally would not see. Meursault, like Oedipus was “blinded” because he does not accept his destiny and in the end creates his own tragic life. Inevitably in life there are events and situations that one many try to avoid, but the truth is that one needs to realize the reality they live in and accept their destiny. Muersault realizes this too late. He avoids feeling any emotion about his mother’s death or anything for that matter. He thinks that he will live peacefully by avoiding his suffering, but he shatters his peace and takes another’s life.

Model Selections from the Camus Papers Archive 2


William C5


I thought this was a successful intro / thesis. The way William worded it was what makes it effective.

In The Stranger, by Albert Camus, Camus suggests that mankind is illogical by nature through the illogical actions of the most ideally logical character, Monsieur Meursault. Meursault is habitually indifferent and acts only with regard to his physical being. He is the perfect model for the most logically sound person, as he utterly lacks emotion and thus is able to live life through pure logic. However, Meursault carries out the most illogical actions even though he is supposedly logical, a contradiction that leads to his death sentence and execution.


Emily Ro 6

This is an example from one of Emily's Body Paragraphs. I thought it was a wonderful piece of textual evidence to connect two seemingly different topics: religion and women. I also thought this could've been used to develop M's character in an analytical way--any ideas? Also, this connection between M's reaction to women and religion might be incredibly interesting to pursue a little more. Think about all the connections that could be made from the evidence and Emily's writing from this paragraph.

Meursault is opposed to religion. Religious ideas to him are not “worth one hair of a women’s head”(120). Meursault does not look highly on women throughout the book. When Raymond is beating the woman in his room Marie suggests Meursault to find a cop. Meursault’s response was that he “didn’t like cops”(36). Meursault’s indifference to the situation shows the lack of respect he has for women. When Meursault says that religious beliefs are not even equivalent to a hair of a women, religion to him means nothing, and he possibly resents it. Religion gives meaning to life, and Camus believes there is no meaning to life which is the belief that he shows through Meursault’s rant toward the Father.

Caitlyn H.5

A delightful intro/thesis that deals with the nature and philosophy of human existence. I actually thought this was pretty darn deep. Made me question the meaning of life and stuff like that.

In the novel The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the character of Mersault as an example of a being encompassed in the experience of being human; through Mersault’s apathy comes a glimpse of emotion at certain points in the story. One example of this crumbling facade is the metaphorical revelation he has at the moment of killing the Arab, the other, the breakdown of Mersault in the prison cell as he yells at the priest for his constant speaking of religion. Through these two outbursts comes the epitome of a human: an emotional being who hides from his problems, bottling them up for so long, that he is a stranger to himself.

and the conclusion to Caitlyn's essay:

These two passages suggest that there is a wide range of emotion somewhere inside of the indifferent and apathetic man that is Mersault. He is an example of what can happen to the person who bottles up their emotions into obscurity: they will explode at random times, and the results can be truly disastrous or can bring about great epiphanies about oneself.

Emily L.6

This first Body Paragraph does a great job of using the setting to set up Camus' struggle against society. Because of the successful integration of evidence, Emily allows herself to have some real commentary as to the effect of the placement of images in the scene to effect Camus' purpose. Emily's next two paragraphs also remind me of what a lot of you attempted in your essay--which was to either write about authority, absurdity, or both. For Camus, since we have no control over our own fate (which is absurd)--isn't it even more absurd that people with "authority" can also affect our fate? Not that there is anything we can do about this or that it is even wrong--it is just absurd and illogical. Life is full of irony, isn't it?

Then Meursault notices “a row of faces in front” (83) of him. Camus uses the court scene to symbolize society as a “whole” which Meursault describes that there was nothing to “distinguish one from another” (83). At this point, everyone is looking at him as if they are there to judge him. He “hadn’t realized that all those people were crowding in to see” (83) him, but now he’s at center stage between all the people and it is him versus society. Meursault is in constant conflict with society because his life exceeds beyond his control. The lawyers, juries, and witnesses now have the power to determine his fate. Meursault had been advised to “respond briefly to the questions” (85) and to “leave the rest to him (his lawyer)” (85). Unable to have any word on his own trial, his life is in the hands of others which is ultimately absurd because the witnesses are given the right to determine his life. As a result, the prosecutor makes false assumptions to the case, using non relevant information concerning his reaction on the day of his mother’s death to support what is undefined and what Meursault believes to be plain “bad luck”(92). The trial depicts nothing more than a “perfect reflection of… everything is true and nothing is true!” (91) The prosecutor never achieved a reason for why he shot the Arab, but improvised his own reason. Even without solid proof, the jury finds him guilty. His life was basically determined by people like Thomas Perez, who he met only for one day.

When the father speaks to Meursault concerning religion, it portrays a similar authoritarian over Meursault as the trial. The father insists “God can help you, every man in your position has turned to him,” (116). Society appears to constantly bring in meaning toward every aspect of life. They consider bringing in a priest so before one dies, they could realize the importance of their existence. Normally people want to seek god to rid their sins before dying. However, Christianity is just another belief in attempt to find meaning and order in life by basing it on God’s creation. Truthful to his beliefs and atheism, Meursault refuses to allow the father have religious authority over him because he believes that life is meaningless. Living was pointless for “we were all condemned to die” (117). It appears illogical to believe in God when God takes away life. If one is to believe in god, their only applying a fake proof into why certain rational events occur when most of the time; it’s just the way it is and there is no meaning.

Throughout the novel, Meursault believed that life by existentialism had no meaning or purpose. Without any concern or regards to finding a rational structure, his life was pretty much predetermined not only by fate but by those who afflicted his voice: the jury, lawyer, prosecutor, and the priest. Other people have more power and influence on his life that he did and that was what created the absurdity in the novel. It is not until the end when he’s in jail that Meursault grasps onto his life. Although humans have unchangeable destined fates, he realizes that he can control his emotions. Whether to morn and scream for help or to live the last day of his life like treasure was now his preference and his control. If Meursault had never realized his faults and gained an understanding of his absurd world, he wouldn’t have been able to experience a fulfilling happiness.


Quan T.6

Another take on the same theme:

In The Stranger, Albert Camus creates a paradox between living rationally and living irrationally. Camus’ discourteous tone establishes the character, Meursault, as a “stranger” in society. Meursault believes in living life rationally, however, he lives in a society, which contradicts his own beliefs. Through the absurdity of human society and the futility of truth, Camus suggests that life as a “stranger” is meaningless.

Indications of Meursault’s discourtesies are found during Maman’s funeral procession. Meursault views death as a natural phenomenon which occurs in life. He does not experience sadness or depression; therefore refuses to mourn for Maman’s death while her friends come to keep vigil around her coffin. Instead, he notices the every aspect of annoyance around him. Meursault is immediately irritated by the woman who started crying. At an environment where Meursault is supposed to reflect upon his loss, he only wishes to not “have to listen to her anymore” (10). He also notices that the elders “would look at the casket, or their canes or whatever else” (10). There is a natural tendency for humans to grieve over the loss of friends and family. Meursault’s focuses on observing the irritating actions of the Maman’s friends rather trying to sympathize with their thoughts and feelings. In his eyes, these people are wasting their time because it pointless to grieve over death. Camus chooses these words because they portray Meursault’s callous personality. Meursault’s rational thoughts separate him from the humane people present at the funeral.

Meursault’s insolence grows as the passage progresses. Meursault incorporates more bothersome factors from his experience into his thoughts. He is bothered by the “old people” (11) who are “making these weird smacking noises” (11). Meursault dares to suggest the “dead woman lying in front of them didn’t mean anything to them” (11) since they are “so lost in their thoughts” (11) making weird noises. Meursault contradicts himself because he clearly shows no respect for Maman. While the elders are paying respects to Maman, Meursault only shows concern for himself. He complains about his back hurting. Meursault further reveals that his “back was hurting more and more” (11); emphasizing Meursault’s self-centered personality. Camus carries Meursault’s incivility to another level. Not only does Meursault not sympathize with Maman’s friends, he displays the utmost disrespect by being inconsiderate and thinking solely of his own well being.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Camus Archive Model Paper 1

Laurie M6

I really like the thesis of this paper (a lot of you should have gone this route)--the philosophical aspect that we as humans understand things only though opposites (we understand light though comparisons with darkness etc.) is very effective for a thesis in this book. (Of course, later on in the year we will eventually read Wittgenstein who proved Hegel wrong--Hegel built a universe of philosophy based on opposites and then Wittgenstein argued that opposites were only theoretical and didn't actually exist (this, by the way, is a gross condensed and not very accurate version of postmodern philosophy--but I digress.))

Anyway, what was so effective about this thesis was that it was used for character analysis (and the growth of a character.) Laurie did a great job explicating even the rhythm of the language (pacing) and the effect it had on moments in the book. I highlighted a phrase that is too vague--many of you are addicted to this phrase, and I thought the use of personification was critical here to expand on. Many of you noticed Camus personifying the world, but no one really got at why? Any ideas as to how it affects the novel? anyway, very well done here.


The author Albert Camus emphasizes the idea that in order to achieve complete happiness one must suffer. In the novel The Stranger, Albert Camus wants the audience to comprehend that there is never a positive without a negative; they go hand and hand. Camus uses both long and short sentence structures in order to convey both struggle and happiness.

In this novel the main character, Meursault, undergoes many difficult times in his life. He grows up without a father; his mother dies and he is sentenced to death for murder. Meursault having an imperceptive attitude causes him to disregard all these happenings in his life. It takes a bit of time before Meursault realizes how much he has suffered throughout his life. Meursault comes to this realization when he is on his way back to prison after his trial. Camus’ word choice and structure of long sentences and Merusault’s list of memorabilia during his ride to prison aids the reader to understand how quickly he is going through all of this in his mind. He mentions in the van on the way to prison that he “recognized for a brief moment the smell and color of the summer evening” (97). Meursault is now recognizing all that he does not have “in the darkness of my mobile prison” (97). With the knowledge that he will be put to death Meursault is in deep agony, he knows he is truly suffering because he remembers the times when he “used to feel happy” (97). He goes through a list of different things he does not have anymore including, “birds in the square, the shouts of the sandwich sellers, the screech of the streetcars turning sharply through the upper town” (97). With the quickness of Meursault’s language it causes the reader to realize how nervous he is, giving him an anxious yet sad position. All these things he never paid attention to before are now being noticed, on his way to his main place of agony; his cellblock.

Meursault then transfers into his stage of realization. He understands that he will not have what he used to take advantage of before being convicted. It is now clear to Meursault that he is locked in this cell; Meursault goes “back to his cell that he went to wait for the next day” (97). He thinks about what he has to endure while in his jail cell, while recognizing the realness of his future suffering and soon death. Meursault wishes that prison would be “familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent” (97). All the aspects of free life that Meursault does not have cause him to begin his true stage of agony. He now has to live with the fact that he is living in prison and it now becomes real to him. Meursault’s distraught tone in this passage conveys his sadness and acceptance of being in prison.

Camus also conveys the opposite of the previous passage in many different ways. Unlike the previous passage, Meursault grasps the importance and value of true happiness. After the death of his mother Meursault has no idea as to why people mourn for her. He realizes his mother concluded her life happily and “Maman must have felt free” (122). After all his suffering he feels “ready to live it all again too” (122). He wants to live it all again because he understands how to be happy and wants to feel the affects of happiness once more before his death. Meursault has a revelation about his mother’s life and is conveyed in a great way by his tone of excitement.

Meursault’s tone changes and is enthusiastic after his revelation. He decides to open himself “to the gentle indifference of the world”(122). With this he is now open to worldly emotions he now sees himself like a “brother, really” (123). Meursault assures the reader that he really feels like a brother. Camus wants to emphasize Meursault’s change by using clarifying language and his choice of punctuation aids in this as well. Meursault then goes on to say, “I had felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again” (123). Meursault’s indifference as to why his mother wanted to die happy has now changed into assurance. It takes Meursault a while to fully understand the impact of happiness after he undergoes an abundance of suffering.

Camus wants the reader to comprehend that in order to truly understand the value of happiness one must suffer. Meursault endures pain and sadness. After undergoing all these trying times, before he is executed Meursault is happy and gains the ability to feel the side effects of happiness and dies happily.

Model Selections from the Camus Papers Archive

Elina R6

I thought this essay did a fine job transitioning between two passages and connecting them--You are picking up this first paragraph mid-argument, but Elina establishes the relationship of Salamano and his dog to argue that Camus shows that relationships can force people into subservient and authoritarian roles that eschew individuality. Notice Elina's transition, (though she could've highlighted this with her own language a little more)--how Camus introduces Raymond immediately after this scene to establish a connection to Raymond's relationship with his mistress--a very appropriate comparison for her thesis. Camus' decision to introduce Raymond after this scene is so critical to highlighting his characterization. Though subtle, plot placement can be effective in argument, much more effective than plot summary.

In this particular relationship, Salamano has power over the ignorant dog. The role each character plays is evident when the spaniel attempts to surpass his owner making Salamano stumble behind him. Old Salamano in response to the humiliation and disobedience “beats the dog and swears at it. The dog cowers and trails behind. Then it’s the old man who pulls the dog” (27). Salamano’s authoritarian power takes over his character making him act violently. He uses his superior size and knowledge to his advantage to get back at the dog and keep him under his control. The failure of this relationship has unleashed an evil beast within Salamano. The unsuccessful correlation has changed him by turning him into an aggressive character. Salamano has assumed his position as the master, controlling every situation as he pleases, without any concern of how the consequences may affect his companion.

Along with Celeste, the owner of the diner, Meursault tries to identify the cause of Salamano’s violent behavior. Unfortunately, Salamano is too busy yelling at his dog to notice he is being spoken to and leaves the diner. Subsequential to the violent exit of Salamano and his dog, Meursault encounters his other neighbor, Raymond Sintes. He is known as the man who uses women to make money but when asked, he replies he’s a ‘warehouse guard’. As the conversation of the two men unravels, Meursault finds out that out that Raymond has a mistress and that he has beaten her until she bled. Raymond comes off as exactly what he calls himself, a ‘warehouse guard’. His behavior suggests that he uses women when he pleases and puts them away in a ‘warehouse’ once he’s through with them. Camus purposely has Meursault consequentially encounters his two neighbors who happen to both have unsuccessful relationships. In order to emphasize his view on relationships, Camus introduces Raymond and his mistress.


Benwit L6

I thought this was a solid introduction and an interesting thesis--the technical term Camus employs here is juxtaposition, another technique authors use to establish subtle theories on complex topics.

Introduction:

The importance of religion in humanity is a disputable issue that has been brought up countless times. Religion both enlightens and angers people; it is capable of both causing war and giving people the will to live. In the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, Camus suggests that religion is not essential to living a complete and fulfilling life through the vastly contrasting interactions Meursault has between the abrasive Raymond and the faithful chaplain.

Except for the last seven words of the conclusion (cliche), I thought this was a nice example of "finishing" the logical argument of an essay without "saving the main point until the end" or "summarizing the main points of the essay"--both things you want to avoid in conclusions. Conclusions are probably the hardest thing to teach for this reason.

Conclusion:

Meursault as a symbol can be seen as the voice of reason and as a character, a human being untouched by morals and by unscientific thoughts. Therefore, Camus suggests that humans by nature do not require the concept of religion to be truly considered humane. In addition, the reader can infer that human nature will naturally have an affinity toward earthly desires as shown with Meursault’s friendship with Raymond. Logically speaking, living a carefree and perhaps moral-less life may be more natural than living with the commonly accepted morals that may be holding people back from living their lives to the fullest.


Meg S 6

I thought the main point of the thesis (though the intro could've been more subtle and integrated) was pretty cool. This gets at something incredibly universal without falling into cliche--the success, of course, comes in the following argument. I am posting the first couple of pages (the most effective). I think the image of the "bulging stomachs" could've been further analyzed for author's purpose in the first body paragraph--any theories on what Camus was doing? This is also a wonderful example of character analysis--most of you suffer from your theories about why characters act they way they do, but do not go back to the text to psychoanalyze them. The text here (imagery and actions) are critical to establishing character analysis.

In The Stranger , author Albert Camus' curt diction, offensive tone, and simple, direct syntax contribute to the characterization of the main character, Meursault. Meursault acts inhumanely in the face of situations that typically elicit emotion. Through his characters' indifference, Camus exposes the tendency of men to put on a masculine front in order to hide their true emotions.

The first instance of his insensitivity is at Maman's funeral. Her friends, the other elderly residents from her nursing home, come to keep vigil around her casket. Meursault first mentions them as a "rustling sound that woke me [Meursault] up" (9). In his eyes, they are nothing but a mere noise, completely insignificant to what he is thinking about. He observes that the women all have "bulging stomachs" and he says that he "never noticed what huge stomachs old women can have" (10). Elderly people are often highly respected members of society, and younger generations have a natural tendency to speak of them with courtesy. Meursault, on the other hand, uses rude, disrespectful terms, such as the aforementioned bulging stomachs, or "toothless mouths," (10). Camus chooses these words because it reveals the first sign of Meursault rejecting emotion. Meursault has "the ridiculous feeling that they were there to judge [him]" (10) and because he thinks that about innocent people who came to pay tribute to his mother, it is an indication of his insecurity.

Meursault's insecurity grows further on in the passage as well. He emphasizes multiple times that one woman "kept on crying" (10) and he wish that he "didn't have to listen to her anymore" (10). This woman comes to the funeral to pay her respects to Maman and to express her sympathies to Meursault. This act of compassion is met with resistance; Meursault, annoyed by her crying, is only concerned for himself and not for her. He does not want to face the sadness of losing his mother, and hearing crying, a sound of sadness, might trigger emotion, so he dismisses it as an annoyance. His sentences are very short and choppy, structured with simple subjects and verbs, and their directness conveys his agitation. The caretaker of the home tells Meursault that the woman was a very good friend of Maman's, and that now she "hasn't got anyone" (11) but that is the last that Meursault speaks of the woman in the passage. The commentary about this woman stops here because Meursault does not want to deal with the feelings that might stir within him if he interacts with her. By acting like he is tough and does not care about the woman, who could conceivably be one of the only links left to his mother, Meursault is putting up a masculine façade in order to divert the emotion.

After this point, Meursault shuts down; his diction and tone are more inappropriate and reckless, as he tries to overcompensate for his lack of emotions. Meursault states that the woman "finally shut up" (11). The phrase 'shut up' is usually used by teenagers or children, not adults talking about their elders. He complains about being "tired" and that his "back was hurting" (11). This physical need overtakes any other feelings or emotions, and a stereotypical man puts his physical needs, desires, or feelings before anything else. A "strange noise" (11) then aggravates him, and he identifies it as a "weird smacking" (11) sound that the elderly people are making by "sucking at the insides of their cheeks" (11). The connotation of this description is more like animals than it is like humans, so Meursault cannot relate to them directly. His diction here is demeaning, and it is particularly so because these people are hurt by Maman's passing, and attend the funeral to support him and mourn the loss of his mother. His final thought of the passage is that "the dead woman lying in front of them didn't mean anything to them. But I think now that that was a false impression," (11). He refers to his own mother as a 'dead woman' and that shows that he is indifferent to the whole situation, almost as if he is looking in on these events from the outside. He is a stranger to emotions, as the title of the book suggests, and his coldness covers him up so that emotions cannot penetrate within him.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Pictures From Brueghel


The following is the list of William Carlos Williams poems that you have from his book Pictures From Brueghel (1962). I hyperlinked each title—the Brueghel painting that each poem was named after should open when you click it.

I Self-Portrait

II Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

III The Hunters in the Snow

IV The Adoration of the Kings

V Peasant Wedding

VI Haymaking

VII The Corn Harvest

VIII The Wedding Dance in the Open Air

IX The Parable of the Blind

Assignment:

Bruegel Blog Post Period 6



Bruegel, Pieter Landscape with the Fall of Icarus c. 1558 Oil on canvas
Right click image (or any other hyper link) to open in another window.

OPTIC. I find Walter Pauk’s theory quite useful when writing about an image.[1] The AP Art History Course also uses this Acronym as a successful approach to writing about visual art. I have adapted it here with further commentary and explanation in light of your specific goals.

Post your writing in the comment box with the following five categories. You will receive full credit (20 points) for one thousand words. (15 points) for 750 words. (10 points) for 500 words. (5 points) for 250 words. The point of this is pure description. What does your eye notice first? Then what? Think space, color, dimension, etc....

  1. Overview: Conduct an Overview of the visual or graphic. I recommend an extensive brainstorming process here.
  2. Parts: Key in on the Parts of the visual by noting any elements or details that seem important. The old cliché goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, which translates to about three pages. I think this is a good rule of thumb, but by no means a fixed rule. Describe what you see. Where do your eyes go to first? Then what? Follow the natural progress of where your eyes go. Give as much detail as possible.
  3. Title: Explain the Title (if one is present) and its relation to the piece of art. Even an “untitled piece” may tell you about the artist’s aesthetic.
  4. Interrelationships: Use the title, or your theory, and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the Interrelationships in the graphic. In other words, this is where you develop your thesis about the image and connect ideas.
  5. Conclusion: Draw a Conclusion about the piece as a whole.
[1] Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997, 271.

Period 6 post here. Period 6 post here. Period 6 post here.
Due on Tuesday October 9th.

Bruegel Blog Post Period 5


Bruegel, Pieter Landscape with the Fall of Icarus c. 1558 Oil on canvas
Right click image (or any other hyper link) to open in another window.

OPTIC. I find Walter Pauk’s theory quite useful when writing about an image.[1] The AP Art History Course also uses this Acronym as a successful approach to writing about visual art. I have adapted it here with further commentary and explanation in light of your specific goals.

Post your writing in the comment box with the following five categories. You will receive full credit (20 points) for one thousand words. (15 points) for 750 words. (10 points) for 500 words. (5 points) for 250 words. The point of this is pure description. What does your eye notice first? Then what? Think space, color, dimension, etc....

  1. Overview: Conduct an Overview of the visual or graphic. I recommend an extensive brainstorming process here.
  2. Parts: Key in on the Parts of the visual by noting any elements or details that seem important. The old cliché goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”, which translates to about three pages. I think this is a good rule of thumb, but by no means a fixed rule. Describe what you see. Where do your eyes go to first? Then what? Follow the natural progress of where your eyes go. Give as much detail as possible.
  3. Title: Explain the Title (if one is present) and its relation to the piece of art. Even an “untitled piece” may tell you about the artist’s aesthetic.
  4. Interrelationships: Use the title, or your theory, and the parts of the visual as your clues to detect and specify the Interrelationships in the graphic. In other words, this is where you develop your thesis about the image and connect ideas.
  5. Conclusion: Draw a Conclusion about the piece as a whole.
[1] Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997, 271.

Period 5 post here. Period 5 post here. Period 5 post here.
Due on Tuesday October 9th.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Red Shift Model Paper Example 5

This was a particularly good essay at tracing the change in tone in the poem. (If you ever notice the tone change in a poem and can understand either why the writer chooses to do so or how the writer changes the tone for purpose, then this is usually a rock solid thesis since it investigates how a poem works.) The integration of evidence was nicely done. A couple of the body paragraphs could have stretched the analysis, but this may just be my carping obsessions. I do think it would've been interesting, not just in this paper, to pursue the pun on the word air as well as the "contradictions" that run throughout the poem that a lot of you had noticed.

Meaghan Period 6

In “Red Shift,” Ted Berrigan titles his poem as such in order to exemplify the change in his tone as it progresses. The word “red” is synonymous with emotions that convey anger, so his tone grows in intensity and anger as he develops his thoughts. His thoughts decrease in clarity, while they conversely increase in specificity. This digression, exemplified through his changing diction, clearly denotes the change in tone, because anger usually triggers ambiguity.

At the beginning of the poem, the speaker starts to describe the setting; this is the most concrete information in the entire poem. He states the time, “8:08 p.m.” (line 1) and describes the “biting, February” (line 2) air. The speaker clarifies that it is a “winter streetscape” (line 3) that he is painting in the mind of the audience. He describes his body as an “ample, rhythmic frame” (line 1) while the wind does “fierce arabesques” (line 2). He clearly defines the setting in order to establish a base of where his thought process began. Without a starting point, it would be impossible to follow the train of thought. It proves that the configuration of the poem is methodical, not random.

The first shift in tone occurs two lines further, at the point where the speaker is able to “lean/In,” (lines 5-6). It is the bridge between the foundation and the memories that will substantiate the rest of the poem. When transitioning between two such things, the clarity level decreases, because memories can never be remembered to perfect accuracy, as time morphs and distorts them. He also begins to sound disillusioned and reminiscent, commenting that the “streets look for Allen, Frank,” (line 6). These two names symbolize two of Berrigan’s contemporary beat generation writers, and according to the following line, “Allen/is a movie” (lines 6-7) and Frank is “disappearing in the air” (7). This suggests that Allen has become very popular, like a movie, and Frank is gone, essentially from the world. Thus, the speaker seems depressed and lonely, feeling as though he has been abandoned. This is a sharp contrast to the beginning of the poem where is describing the setting in an upbeat tone.

Consequently, from this point on, his thoughts seem to wander farther and farther away from where he began; each thought takes a turn from where it was originally going. He begins with a question, asking “Who would have thought I’d be here,” (line 13) and that indicates a shift in topic and tone. He then elaborates that “love, children…money, marriage/ethics, a politics of grace” (lines 15-16) are “up in the air” (line 16), which implies that the ideals that were once held are no longer there. The “up in the air” reference, that was used previously to describe Frank, suggests that the views that once held true no longer exist around him, and he is frustrated because of it.

The boy with eyes that “penetrate the winter twilight” (line 20) is his first answer to the question, and the first sense of anger in the poem because the word ‘penetrate’ has a connotation of deep-seeded emotion; his gaze is breaking through the setting that the speaker created at the beginning of the poem, which is also representative of that shift in tone. His second answer is a “pretty girl” (line 21) who is “careening into middle-age so/To burn & to burn more fiercely than she could ever imagine” (lines 22-23). Fiercely also represents the anger and tenacity of the speaker, and he sounds as if he knew that events would turn out in such a way, and the people whom the events were happening to had no idea that it was happening. He could have been angry because of their refusal to believe in the situations that life was presenting them with.

The next answer is the “painter” (line 24). The speaker says he will “never leave [the painter] alone until we both vanish/into the thin air” (line 25). The air reference means that he is intensely devoted to this other man and nothing can tear them apart. The painter, consequently, will never leave the speaker “not for sex, nor politics,/ nor even for stupid permanent estrangement” (lines 27-28). This represents his deep attachment, and almost obsession, with the painter, because neither of the most popular reasons for two people to no longer have a relationship/friendship will ever tear them apart. He is holding on so tightly that it is becoming overbearing, and that is what he portrays in this segment of the poem.

The last eleven lines are the most irate of all, and this tone comes to the forefront when the speaker discusses death. He firmly states that he “will never die” (line 31) and will “never go away” (line 32). Because of his strong sentiments here, the speaker is afraid of death in a way, because he says he is “only a ghost” (line 33) and “you will never escape from me” (line 32). This attempt at speaking directly to the audience begins here, and so does the high level of ambiguity. He says he is “only pronouns” (line 35) and that is the biggest key to the vagueness at the end of the poem because he uses a multitude of pronouns that do not always have antecedents. In this aspect, the speaker is leaving the interpretation up to the reader of the poem, because it had a certain meaning to him, but it may have other meanings to whoever reads it. He says “now nothing/will ever change/That, and that’s that” (lines 37-39). The short, choppy sentences with very few syllables reflect his anger because the complex thoughts from the beginning and middle of the poem are no longer in use. He just says whatever comes into his head.

The last lines show the outcome of the speaker’s anger and his internal struggle. He says that he “slip[s] softly into the air” (line 41), which defines his ascent from the world. He is finally leaving his anger behind. Overall, the multiple shifts in tone reflect the thought process. A thought can trigger a repressed memory, and that memory causes one to diverge completely from his or her intended path and stray into the realm of thoughts that reflect hidden emotions of anger, frustration, and fear. Such is the case with “Red Shift.”

Feel free to post any constructive comments here, or questions, or observations. Trenchant insights are always welcome but please (always) avoid pithy observations.