Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #35 Loewen Ch 5
Quote:
"During his long life, of hundreds of different slaves he owned, he freed only three, and five more at his death-all blood relatives of his"(Loewen 148).
Summary:
Loewen is discussing the hypocrisy behind what Thomas Jefferson wrote into the constitution and what he practiced in his life.
Response:
Loewen brings us another great example of just how flawed the American school systems and textbooks are. Every chapter that I read out of Loewen is enlightnening to me. I always learn something new from the facts that he presents. It really comes to a shock to me just how much this country praises it's "hero's". Granted Thomas Jefferson was the writer for one of the most significant documents in world history but as educated readers we must see what the complete truth is. The truth is that Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner that treated his slaves very poorly. He did not even have the consideration of freeing his slaves except the ones that were realted to him by the affairs he had. This paints quite a differant picture than the one most Americans see when they think of Thomas Jefferson.
I have seen a reaccuring trend in American history; Americans idolize past Americans under false pretences. Beside the obvious ones like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, AOL recently had a great news article on Davey Crockett. Everyone thinks of Davey Crockett as the brave, racoon skin cap wearing, American who helped fend off Indian attacks. Research shows that he was quite a coward known for running away from battles. I'm just glad that I have been reading Loewen because his book has done a very good job and making me know the truth behind American history.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Gone with the Wind
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #34 Loewen Chapter 5
Quote:
"The former field hands found themselves suddenly elevated to the seats of the mighty. There they conducted themselves as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do.Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects...(Loewen 144).
Summary:
The above quote is taken form the bestselling book,"Gone with the Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell.
Response:
I cannot believe just how ignorant the above passage is. Gone with the wind was a book and later a movie that dealt with race relations. Unlike, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", the book dealt with slavery as an acceptable part of the social structure. I find it astonishing that people would read this and later watch the movies and consider it one of the greatest movies of all time. This really goes to show just how very clueless the American public was on the issue of slavery. It's no wonder that slavery remains such a prominent them among early American literature. I am just really glad that I was raised in a neighborhood and by a family that did not condone racism or prejudices. It almost makes me laugh to think that people read garbage like the passage above. It really disturbs me how the author blatantly compares black people as stupid monkeys. The above passage really does a excellent job of showing modern day students and readers like myself just how much black people have been able to progress since the times of slavery. It also shows just what kind of ridiculous and wrong the stereotypes were made about blacks. To this day I do not even feel comfortable using the word "black" to describe an African American. Although I will confess this does not keep me from using it. As far as I now it is acceptable but in the back of my head I am always hoping no one will take any offense to the use of the word "black".
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #34 Loewen Chapter 5
Quote:
"The former field hands found themselves suddenly elevated to the seats of the mighty. There they conducted themselves as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do.Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects...(Loewen 144).
Summary:
The above quote is taken form the bestselling book,"Gone with the Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell.
Response:
I cannot believe just how ignorant the above passage is. Gone with the wind was a book and later a movie that dealt with race relations. Unlike, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", the book dealt with slavery as an acceptable part of the social structure. I find it astonishing that people would read this and later watch the movies and consider it one of the greatest movies of all time. This really goes to show just how very clueless the American public was on the issue of slavery. It's no wonder that slavery remains such a prominent them among early American literature. I am just really glad that I was raised in a neighborhood and by a family that did not condone racism or prejudices. It almost makes me laugh to think that people read garbage like the passage above. It really disturbs me how the author blatantly compares black people as stupid monkeys. The above passage really does a excellent job of showing modern day students and readers like myself just how much black people have been able to progress since the times of slavery. It also shows just what kind of ridiculous and wrong the stereotypes were made about blacks. To this day I do not even feel comfortable using the word "black" to describe an African American. Although I will confess this does not keep me from using it. As far as I now it is acceptable but in the back of my head I am always hoping no one will take any offense to the use of the word "black".
Things in common
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #33
Quote:
"...the White Whale as much their insufferable foe as his; how all this came to be-what the White Whale was to them, or how to their unconscious understandings..."(Melville 2349).
Summary:
Melville is describing the unconcious drive that the white whale invokes upon the men that chase it.
Response:
One thing in common, that I did not mention in my final essay, is that Melville and Davis both use animals as symbols. The dirty canary symbolizes opression while the white whale sumbolizes the great evil. The use of animals as symbol for human struggles or feelings is a very strong one. Humans have a very close connection to animals. Some people have such a close connection that they feel devistated when an animal passes away. This emotional connection that people share with aniamls helps make it easier to relate humans to animals. Such as in the Native American culture where when a human dies they are beleived to come back as a wolf. Also in remote amazon tribes, when a tribe member dies the are beleived to come back as a wild boar. The boar is then hunted so that they have food. What I am trying to get at is that animals as symbols serve a very important purpose. They act as a mirros capable of reflecting the inner most emotions of what a person is felling or is thinking.In the case of Moby Dick the White whale could even represent the innermoest struggle that Ahab has. He needs a way of venting his anger and frustration so he does it by making it his mission to chase down the infamous white whale.
The use of animals as symbols could even act as a mirror that reflects what Melville and Davis were feeling while they were writing thier respective stories.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #33
Quote:
"...the White Whale as much their insufferable foe as his; how all this came to be-what the White Whale was to them, or how to their unconscious understandings..."(Melville 2349).
Summary:
Melville is describing the unconcious drive that the white whale invokes upon the men that chase it.
Response:
One thing in common, that I did not mention in my final essay, is that Melville and Davis both use animals as symbols. The dirty canary symbolizes opression while the white whale sumbolizes the great evil. The use of animals as symbol for human struggles or feelings is a very strong one. Humans have a very close connection to animals. Some people have such a close connection that they feel devistated when an animal passes away. This emotional connection that people share with aniamls helps make it easier to relate humans to animals. Such as in the Native American culture where when a human dies they are beleived to come back as a wolf. Also in remote amazon tribes, when a tribe member dies the are beleived to come back as a wild boar. The boar is then hunted so that they have food. What I am trying to get at is that animals as symbols serve a very important purpose. They act as a mirros capable of reflecting the inner most emotions of what a person is felling or is thinking.In the case of Moby Dick the White whale could even represent the innermoest struggle that Ahab has. He needs a way of venting his anger and frustration so he does it by making it his mission to chase down the infamous white whale.
The use of animals as symbols could even act as a mirror that reflects what Melville and Davis were feeling while they were writing thier respective stories.
The dirty Canary
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
JOurnal #32
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desperatly in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis is describing the conditions under which the the people of the industrial city live in.
Response:
I want to comment on what I think is the large importance of the dirty canary in, "Life in the Iron Mills". I do not want to make it sound like I am trying to stretch out a lot from a little but I think that the dirty canary spaeks volumes for the people who work in the iron mills. The dirty canary is a symbol for the opression that these people live under. My mom used to have a pair of canary and no matter what the weather they always sang. They would sing the most beautiful songs all day long. Untill the night came at which they would fall asleep. Even though they were kept in a little cage all day long they kept singing. Thus the canary symbolizes the inner hope that the workers have. They work all day long under horrible condintions hoping that they will come out on top. To me the dirt on the canary's feather's evokes a felling of sadness. To see such a beautiful and innocent thing be marred by the soot from the city is a travesty. Likewise the jobs that the immigrant workers are given in teh still mills is also a stragety. This almost parallels the working conditions that the asian workers face in the sweatshops or the miners that mine blood diamonds. If you think closely about the dirty canary you can how it has a much more global symbolization of opression.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
JOurnal #32
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desperatly in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis is describing the conditions under which the the people of the industrial city live in.
Response:
I want to comment on what I think is the large importance of the dirty canary in, "Life in the Iron Mills". I do not want to make it sound like I am trying to stretch out a lot from a little but I think that the dirty canary spaeks volumes for the people who work in the iron mills. The dirty canary is a symbol for the opression that these people live under. My mom used to have a pair of canary and no matter what the weather they always sang. They would sing the most beautiful songs all day long. Untill the night came at which they would fall asleep. Even though they were kept in a little cage all day long they kept singing. Thus the canary symbolizes the inner hope that the workers have. They work all day long under horrible condintions hoping that they will come out on top. To me the dirt on the canary's feather's evokes a felling of sadness. To see such a beautiful and innocent thing be marred by the soot from the city is a travesty. Likewise the jobs that the immigrant workers are given in teh still mills is also a stragety. This almost parallels the working conditions that the asian workers face in the sweatshops or the miners that mine blood diamonds. If you think closely about the dirty canary you can how it has a much more global symbolization of opression.
More on Lincoln
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #31
"He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence come"(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is telling his audience that the blame is not just on the southerners but on the northerners as well.
Response:
This is a very important and noteworthy statement that Lincoln Makes. He does not put the blame on just the southern states, as most people would, rather he puts the blame equally on both sides. This says a lot about Lincoln's character and politics. It was quite clear that the number of Southern states with slaves clearly outnumbered the northern states with slaves. Yet Lincoln feels that all people should be paying the price for slavery. I guess I could probably answer the previous question that I had about Lincoln and how he came to be an American hero. Maybe its because American historians saw just how great Lincoln's moral character was once he chose from right and wrong. I have great respect for Lincoln because he was able to help sway the positions of millions of Americans on the issue of slavery.
This position that Lincoln takes is a very tough one because it was so easy to put the blame on one side during the civil war. The civil war was a huge travesty that cost thousands of lives. All over to issue of slavery. Slavery is one issue that will never rest because of its importance in the United States. Lincoln was able to filter through all the wrong and pull the country through the bloodiest war it has been in.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #31
"He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence come"(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is telling his audience that the blame is not just on the southerners but on the northerners as well.
Response:
This is a very important and noteworthy statement that Lincoln Makes. He does not put the blame on just the southern states, as most people would, rather he puts the blame equally on both sides. This says a lot about Lincoln's character and politics. It was quite clear that the number of Southern states with slaves clearly outnumbered the northern states with slaves. Yet Lincoln feels that all people should be paying the price for slavery. I guess I could probably answer the previous question that I had about Lincoln and how he came to be an American hero. Maybe its because American historians saw just how great Lincoln's moral character was once he chose from right and wrong. I have great respect for Lincoln because he was able to help sway the positions of millions of Americans on the issue of slavery.
This position that Lincoln takes is a very tough one because it was so easy to put the blame on one side during the civil war. The civil war was a huge travesty that cost thousands of lives. All over to issue of slavery. Slavery is one issue that will never rest because of its importance in the United States. Lincoln was able to filter through all the wrong and pull the country through the bloodiest war it has been in.
Final Test Question #3
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14,2007
Journal #30
Quote:
"...Two hundred and fifty of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is stating his reason explanation for why the early United States is going through a civil war.
As I was taking the final exam in Scott's English class I came up to this question and could no think of a literary strategy that Lincoln uses for swaying the opinion's of white people on black slaves. As I was looking at Lincoln's speech again I found that Lincoln uses peoples guilty conscience as a strategy to persuade the white persons opinion on the black slave. Contrary to popular belief Lincoln was not an avid spokesperson against slavery. He sort of fell into that role during his second term as president. It was very interesting to read about Lincoln's true background. The background information given in the Norton's anthology was an excellent point ot start reading about how Lincoln's position came about to speak against slavery.
The quote I chose above is a very enlightening one because it ties in Christianity and slavery. Flat out Lincoln says that the civil war is a punishment to the people of the United States for allowing slavery to occur. This is a very powerful and moving position to take on the slavery debate. No one could have worded it better than Lincoln. The one thing that I find confusing, is how Lincoln achieved such a hero status. From what the Norton Anthology says Lincoln Started his political career on a very indecisive position. Later as the war became bloodier he started to believe in the position that he is famous for now.
English 48A
December 14,2007
Journal #30
Quote:
"...Two hundred and fifty of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is stating his reason explanation for why the early United States is going through a civil war.
As I was taking the final exam in Scott's English class I came up to this question and could no think of a literary strategy that Lincoln uses for swaying the opinion's of white people on black slaves. As I was looking at Lincoln's speech again I found that Lincoln uses peoples guilty conscience as a strategy to persuade the white persons opinion on the black slave. Contrary to popular belief Lincoln was not an avid spokesperson against slavery. He sort of fell into that role during his second term as president. It was very interesting to read about Lincoln's true background. The background information given in the Norton's anthology was an excellent point ot start reading about how Lincoln's position came about to speak against slavery.
The quote I chose above is a very enlightening one because it ties in Christianity and slavery. Flat out Lincoln says that the civil war is a punishment to the people of the United States for allowing slavery to occur. This is a very powerful and moving position to take on the slavery debate. No one could have worded it better than Lincoln. The one thing that I find confusing, is how Lincoln achieved such a hero status. From what the Norton Anthology says Lincoln Started his political career on a very indecisive position. Later as the war became bloodier he started to believe in the position that he is famous for now.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Devil's place
Gustavo Quintero
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #29 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"Fire in every horrible form: pits of flame waving in the wind; liquid metal-flames writhing in tortuous streams through the sand;wide caldron's filled with boiling fire, over which bent ghastly wretches stirring the strange brewing...(Davis 2603).
Summary:
Davis is describing the area in which all the steel milling takes place in.
Response:
All I can say is just how miserable I would be if I had to work in these types of conditions. Fortunately we have unions and workplace regulations that would prevent this type of work to happen. Aside from my initial comment I want to say just how exceptional a job Davis does at personifying the inanimate objects. She brings the fire and molten metal to life. She makes it seem as if the dammed souls from hell are screaming from the agony in hell through the fire and metal. She really does a great job freaking the reader out. On top of all this is the vivid imagery that compels the reader to move forward and keep on reading. I have always felt that if someone can take an object or thing in this case fire, and give it such lifelike qualities than that person is a magnificent writer. When I read this passage I could visualize the flames crawling and wreathing there way out of the caldron's with the thousand cries and pains of the dammed. This really is some strong imagery. It is almost as if they are on a terrestrial hell. They are constantly breathing in the noxious fumes and are handling extremely hot metals. All this just so that these poor people can have something to eat on their kitchen table and food in their stomachs. It really makes you stand back and make you notice just how easy and care free your own life is.
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #29 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"Fire in every horrible form: pits of flame waving in the wind; liquid metal-flames writhing in tortuous streams through the sand;wide caldron's filled with boiling fire, over which bent ghastly wretches stirring the strange brewing...(Davis 2603).
Summary:
Davis is describing the area in which all the steel milling takes place in.
Response:
All I can say is just how miserable I would be if I had to work in these types of conditions. Fortunately we have unions and workplace regulations that would prevent this type of work to happen. Aside from my initial comment I want to say just how exceptional a job Davis does at personifying the inanimate objects. She brings the fire and molten metal to life. She makes it seem as if the dammed souls from hell are screaming from the agony in hell through the fire and metal. She really does a great job freaking the reader out. On top of all this is the vivid imagery that compels the reader to move forward and keep on reading. I have always felt that if someone can take an object or thing in this case fire, and give it such lifelike qualities than that person is a magnificent writer. When I read this passage I could visualize the flames crawling and wreathing there way out of the caldron's with the thousand cries and pains of the dammed. This really is some strong imagery. It is almost as if they are on a terrestrial hell. They are constantly breathing in the noxious fumes and are handling extremely hot metals. All this just so that these poor people can have something to eat on their kitchen table and food in their stomachs. It really makes you stand back and make you notice just how easy and care free your own life is.
Gloomy sky
Gustavo Quintero
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #28 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis sets the atmosphere for her short story in the beggining of the story. Davis is descriing the polluted conditions that the steel workers and the city's residents live in.
Response:
From the reading this city does not sound like an ideal place to live in. In fact it sounds like a dump. The air is dark and full of thick black smoke. Absoulutly everything is covered in a black soot. Even the poor and innocent canary is dirty. The canary is crying out for help but there is noone to hear his cries. The dirty canary almost seems like a metaphor for the people in this city. They are all literally dirty and trapped by there surroundings. They are living dead end lives. This is quite a depressing way to place the setting of a story in. I think Davis does it on purpose beacause it plays with the psychi of the reader. The reader is brought into this dismal enviroment that Davis creates so that they will have more sympathy towards the people that live here. By the way that Davis described the city it immediaelty reminded me of the pollution problem that Los Angeles had a few years ago. I can remember visiting Los Angeles several times as a small boy only to be stricken by just how dark and polluted the sky was. I can remeber coming up to L.A. from highway 5 and knowing it was L.A. because of the dark gray sky that enveloped the city. I know that L.A. is not the same extreme as the city in Davis' story but it reminds me of L.A.
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #28 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis sets the atmosphere for her short story in the beggining of the story. Davis is descriing the polluted conditions that the steel workers and the city's residents live in.
Response:
From the reading this city does not sound like an ideal place to live in. In fact it sounds like a dump. The air is dark and full of thick black smoke. Absoulutly everything is covered in a black soot. Even the poor and innocent canary is dirty. The canary is crying out for help but there is noone to hear his cries. The dirty canary almost seems like a metaphor for the people in this city. They are all literally dirty and trapped by there surroundings. They are living dead end lives. This is quite a depressing way to place the setting of a story in. I think Davis does it on purpose beacause it plays with the psychi of the reader. The reader is brought into this dismal enviroment that Davis creates so that they will have more sympathy towards the people that live here. By the way that Davis described the city it immediaelty reminded me of the pollution problem that Los Angeles had a few years ago. I can remember visiting Los Angeles several times as a small boy only to be stricken by just how dark and polluted the sky was. I can remeber coming up to L.A. from highway 5 and knowing it was L.A. because of the dark gray sky that enveloped the city. I know that L.A. is not the same extreme as the city in Davis' story but it reminds me of L.A.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Albino Whale
Gustavo Quintero
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #27 Herman Melville
Quote:
"...the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was a symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?"(Melville 2355).
Summary:
Ishmael is beginning to wonder just why they are hunting the great albino whale known as Moby Dick.
Response:
There seems to be lots of metaphors or hidden messages throughout Moby Dick. As it was discussed in class the albino whale represents a great evil. I thought this was an interesting point. In our culture the color white usually represents something that is holy or pure. Far from being evil. After a quick wikipedia search I found almost no references of white being an evil thing. Mostly white symbolizes, peaceful, pure things. The only negative associations that white has is with ghosts. Although some may argue that ghosts are not necessarily evil entities. I bring this up because I feel as if the notion that the white whale in Moby Dick is an interesting route that most people would not take.The one thing I can not seem to figure out is why the color white represents a great evil in Moby Dick. Maybe it is because of the size and magnitude of destruction that Moby Dick is capable of. This distruction is showcased when he completley destroys the ship killing everyone except Ishmael. The color white to me represents something positive or pure. Maybe Moby Dick is pure and innocent. He is pure and innocent because he is an animal. An animal being chased by a boatfull of liqour drinking,cussing sailors. Captain Ahab has got his own agenda with Moby Dick but maybe the rest of the crew should look inside themselves and wonder just what they are really chasing. A great evil or a great good.
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #27 Herman Melville
Quote:
"...the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was a symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?"(Melville 2355).
Summary:
Ishmael is beginning to wonder just why they are hunting the great albino whale known as Moby Dick.
Response:
There seems to be lots of metaphors or hidden messages throughout Moby Dick. As it was discussed in class the albino whale represents a great evil. I thought this was an interesting point. In our culture the color white usually represents something that is holy or pure. Far from being evil. After a quick wikipedia search I found almost no references of white being an evil thing. Mostly white symbolizes, peaceful, pure things. The only negative associations that white has is with ghosts. Although some may argue that ghosts are not necessarily evil entities. I bring this up because I feel as if the notion that the white whale in Moby Dick is an interesting route that most people would not take.The one thing I can not seem to figure out is why the color white represents a great evil in Moby Dick. Maybe it is because of the size and magnitude of destruction that Moby Dick is capable of. This distruction is showcased when he completley destroys the ship killing everyone except Ishmael. The color white to me represents something positive or pure. Maybe Moby Dick is pure and innocent. He is pure and innocent because he is an animal. An animal being chased by a boatfull of liqour drinking,cussing sailors. Captain Ahab has got his own agenda with Moby Dick but maybe the rest of the crew should look inside themselves and wonder just what they are really chasing. A great evil or a great good.
Gustavo Quintero
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #26 Herman Melville
Quote:
"For all his tattooings he was on the whole a clean, comely looking cannibal. Whats all this fuss I have been making about...(Melville 2334).
Summary:
After Queequeg sees that there is someone is in his bed he begins to flail his axe violently, all the while Ishmael is pleading to Queequeg not to kill him. The old man at the bar is called into the room where he calms Queequeg down who later agrees to let Ishmael share his bed.
Response:
This is the very first scene in which the reader encounters the character of Queequeg. Queequeg is a cannibal who does not believe in the Christian God but rather his own idol. The very first impression of Queequeg is that he is a ravenous, wild, dark and dangerous cannibal. Although the violent axe flailing does not help his case we later read how Queequeg is a completely different person. Queequeg is shown to be a kind man, not the wild cannibal that we first meet. Queequeg reminds me of a group of people that live in the South American rain forest. On the travel channel there is a show titled,"Going Tribal". This show follows a tribe of about 100 people during there daily lives. The show is extremely well produced and filmed. When I first began to watch the show I had the impression that the village members were savages with little intellect. After watching the whole first season you begin to see just how complex there lives are. Ranging from cooking, funerals, property disputes, marriages and even how they spend there spare time. The reason I bring this T.V. show up is that just like I got a false impression of these tribal people, Ishmael also has a false initial impression of Queequeg. Just from reading the selected chapters from "Moby Dick" I can see just how complex Queequeg is.
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #26 Herman Melville
Quote:
"For all his tattooings he was on the whole a clean, comely looking cannibal. Whats all this fuss I have been making about...(Melville 2334).
Summary:
After Queequeg sees that there is someone is in his bed he begins to flail his axe violently, all the while Ishmael is pleading to Queequeg not to kill him. The old man at the bar is called into the room where he calms Queequeg down who later agrees to let Ishmael share his bed.
Response:
This is the very first scene in which the reader encounters the character of Queequeg. Queequeg is a cannibal who does not believe in the Christian God but rather his own idol. The very first impression of Queequeg is that he is a ravenous, wild, dark and dangerous cannibal. Although the violent axe flailing does not help his case we later read how Queequeg is a completely different person. Queequeg is shown to be a kind man, not the wild cannibal that we first meet. Queequeg reminds me of a group of people that live in the South American rain forest. On the travel channel there is a show titled,"Going Tribal". This show follows a tribe of about 100 people during there daily lives. The show is extremely well produced and filmed. When I first began to watch the show I had the impression that the village members were savages with little intellect. After watching the whole first season you begin to see just how complex there lives are. Ranging from cooking, funerals, property disputes, marriages and even how they spend there spare time. The reason I bring this T.V. show up is that just like I got a false impression of these tribal people, Ishmael also has a false initial impression of Queequeg. Just from reading the selected chapters from "Moby Dick" I can see just how complex Queequeg is.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
My Initial thoughts about Moby Dick
Gustavo Quintero
December 5, 2007
English 48A
Journal #25 Herman Melville
Quote:
There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very neatly the same feeling towards the ocean with me"(Melville 2321).
Summary:
In the introduction paragraph of Moby Dick, Ishmael the narrator, describes to the reader his fondness for the ocean. Ishmael is a sailor who goes out to sea whenever he is feeling suicidal. Instead of a God or the bible the ocean saves Ishmael.
Response:
I want to start off by saying that Scott did such a good job "advertising" Moby Dick that I feel compelled to start reading it. As big a chore as it may be. The book seems so entertaining and full of adventure that I found myself picturing Moby Dick tearing the ship apart the ship, while I was Daydreaming at work.
The way that Ismael starts off this great epic book is a very strange but fascinating one. There are not many stories that start off with the main narrator telling the reader about his depressive and suicidal mood swings. This really helps add a dark and gloomy tone to Moby Dick from the get go. The imagery only gets gllomier as we are taken into the hotel where Ishmael describes the intertior along with the huge strange painting that he is enthralled with. As Scott said the painting acts as a warning or heads up to the reader that the next several hundred pages will be dark and at times vague. To me this all helps to set the gloomy mood that I believe Melville wanted to recreate through his writing. When we discussed Moby Dick in class I could picture myself entering a old dark and smoky hotel. I can clearly see the picture that Ishmael is descrbing. By the way the Spouter Inn is describes it seems like only a place a weathered, veteran sailor would want to step into. Moby Dick is a classic piece of American literature and from just reading a few pages out of the enormous book I can see why it is so celebrated and read. Moby Dick has a swagger about it that is tough to create.
December 5, 2007
English 48A
Journal #25 Herman Melville
Quote:
There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very neatly the same feeling towards the ocean with me"(Melville 2321).
Summary:
In the introduction paragraph of Moby Dick, Ishmael the narrator, describes to the reader his fondness for the ocean. Ishmael is a sailor who goes out to sea whenever he is feeling suicidal. Instead of a God or the bible the ocean saves Ishmael.
Response:
I want to start off by saying that Scott did such a good job "advertising" Moby Dick that I feel compelled to start reading it. As big a chore as it may be. The book seems so entertaining and full of adventure that I found myself picturing Moby Dick tearing the ship apart the ship, while I was Daydreaming at work.
The way that Ismael starts off this great epic book is a very strange but fascinating one. There are not many stories that start off with the main narrator telling the reader about his depressive and suicidal mood swings. This really helps add a dark and gloomy tone to Moby Dick from the get go. The imagery only gets gllomier as we are taken into the hotel where Ishmael describes the intertior along with the huge strange painting that he is enthralled with. As Scott said the painting acts as a warning or heads up to the reader that the next several hundred pages will be dark and at times vague. To me this all helps to set the gloomy mood that I believe Melville wanted to recreate through his writing. When we discussed Moby Dick in class I could picture myself entering a old dark and smoky hotel. I can clearly see the picture that Ishmael is descrbing. By the way the Spouter Inn is describes it seems like only a place a weathered, veteran sailor would want to step into. Moby Dick is a classic piece of American literature and from just reading a few pages out of the enormous book I can see why it is so celebrated and read. Moby Dick has a swagger about it that is tough to create.
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