Creative Blog #2

After reading our latest novel, Metamorphosis, I have thought about what it would feel like to wake up as an insect and have your whole life change in a split second. I feel my reaction would be completely opposite of Gregor since our lives are completely different. If I opened my eyes  and couldn't get out of bed because I had magically turned into a giant insect over night I would probably start to panic. I could never think of work, school, or anything besides how my life has changed forever and how I would approach the world in my new form. I am just shocked at how Gregor confronted the situation and what his initial thoughts were. Unlike Gregor, waking up as a bug would be a terrifying and shocking experience for me.

Creative Blog Numero Uno

Conformity has been an ongoing theme in the novels we have read this year and in our every day lives. In Pride and Prejudice we saw the Bennett sisters and other women of that time period conforming to the societal "norm" of marriage. Also the women in Pride and Prejudice are voiceless and lack the power to control the fates of their own lives. Conformity is also present in my generation. Every day my peers are afraid to show their true feelings/personalities because they feel it is not acceptable by their friends or family. For example people are sometimes afraid to be open about their preference in music or religion because it is different from what the majority believe or prefer. Conformity is evident in generations in the past and the present.

Conformity in the classroom

I believe that schools do push students to conform because of their structured plans and rules. No school will allow for students to run wild like animals with no barriers as to what is acceptable. All the rules set by schools have a purpose. Whether its to control mistreatment/misbehavior or to enhance the level of a home-like feeling of a school. For example Buckley forces its students to follow a strict dress code not only to allow for students to feel comfortable around each other but to lessen the focus on what we wear and push it towards academics and such. Conformity is practiced in schools to give structure and force students to be the best they can be.

2 Kafka Questions

1) When I first heard that Gregors woke up as an instinct I reacted with confusion from the start. I then pictured waking up as an insect and realized how absurd I would feel. I definitely found it comical and enticing. I began to take the novel seriously when Gregor attempted to get out of his bed. The story painted such a struggle for Gregor which again forced me to imagine myself in a similar situation. This abnormal beginning caught my attention and made me want to find out how this drastic change will affect Gregor and weather he would be able to transform back.

4) Kafka does not allowed for Gregror to act shocked by his new body because it emphasises Gregor's selflessness and his priorities. Gregor is the ultimate provider. His entire life is spent on keeping his family on track financially. All Gregor can think about when he wakes up as a bug is how he is going to get to work and how his family will be affected by his new state. He barley even acknowledges his new body and is too worried about his job to be shocked. Kafka does not add a shock factor to Gregor's reaction so his push-over personality can surface

Does civilization make a person better or worse?

Civilization, in my opinion, can influence a person negatively or positively. Certain negative aspects of our society such as war, segregation, and poverty bring out the worst in people many a time. Alternatively, positive aspects of our society such as, education, health care, and family can shape a person in a positive manner. Also, each individual has the option to choose the good or bad path in a society. Any of the aforementioned characteristics of a society can be driven in either direction. For instance, war, bringing out the worst in many, can also spark positive protests against the fighting. Therefore the good in people can triumph over major negative influences in civilizations.

Intro Paragraph

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is implied to be dominant and omniscient--a character whose presence commands respect and awe. However, this does not prove to be the case. In Karl's Introduction to the Danse Macabre: Conrad's Heart of Darkness he writes of "a sense of the absurd gap between what we profess to be and what we are." This idea is, indeed, exhibited in Heart of Darkness. Who Kurtz is, is very different from who Kurtz is said to be. Kurtz is not the fortified character he is portrayed as. In actuality, Kurtz is corrupted with the craze of the Congo jungle. He is cruel, vulnerable, and undeserving of any respect he is given. Contrary to his reputation, he is weak. It can be asserted that Kurtz represents the duality of the unconscious human mind that is promoted by Freud.

Worksheet: #1

The symbol of Kurtz in "The Heart of Darkness" is an important one. On the literal level he is seen as powerful, all-knowing, and persuasive. The men Marlow encounters paint Kurtz to be the wisest man they have ever met. However as the novel and Kurtz's story unfold, Kurtz's weakness begin to surface. The reader truly understands that Kurtz has become obsessed with the lifestyle in the Congo and has allowed for it to destroy him. Kurtz's id has surfaced in the jungle and;therefore, the Congo killed Kurtz.