Comparison of "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg and "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman

First of all, I noticed that in neither poems are rhymes. Both poems do not mention a specific person or direct to someone special. Allen repeats the term "who" and Whitman also uses such devices. They both talk about "taboo" topics, like sexuality, drugs, and alcohol. Furthermore, they both emphasize the importance of the individual, since society consists of only individuals. Ginsberg as well as Whitman states that the individual is heavily influenced by society, both positively as well as negatively. In conclusion, you can see that Allen Ginsberg was heavily influenced and inspired by Walt Whitman.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

notes: poem: man+ woman good friends but they think about a relationship
dating for two years-poropsal on,
Does this catch your emotions when  u try to begin a relationship to a further step?
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The thing I am most confused about is "the overwhelming question". It could be almost anything. He might ask himself whether he loves a woman or not. If the poet was addressed to a woman he could have written it to confess his love to her. Since it is meant to be a romantic poet is must be something with love though.
It kind of catches my emotions even though I am not completely sure what he exactly wants to achieve with his poem. Is he trying to win the love of a woman? Or does he just want to confess his love for her? Who is the woman? A friend? A stranger? An upper or lower class woman? Questions over questions and you can only guess what it is supposed to mean...Since I can not be sure, I am not really caught by emotions. However, the way he describes things is indeed confusing, but, on the other hand, very symbolic and gives the readers kind of space how to interpret his symbols. The way of his description (for example: "the evening is spread out against the sky") do catch my emotions though.

Research Project

Today I could finish my paper: Four pages, 1931 words and uncountable hours of work.^^
I think I wrote everything I wanted to say and I defended my hypothesis. I had to add several sources that I found while writing my paper. I wrote it on google documents and shared it with you. It would be great if you could have a look over my paper giving me ideas to improve it (form etc.). Maybe I can come tomorrow during evening study hall to see you.
My paper is mostly about Upton Sinclair's life and what he tried to achieve by writing his novel "The Jungle." Because I wanted to display how he tries to achieve his goals I had to summarize the book in short detail. I noticed that he  uses many symbols and references to the life during this time; for example he uses meat cans to describe the evil of capitalism and the American Dream. I also found it very interesting how he came up with the title of the book, "The Jungle" since I first could not relate it to the story at all.

Research Project

Today I did not attend class because of the chorus performance. Since we got class time to work on your research papers I need to catch up with that work. Since I did not work on my paper today there is nothing to blog about. Tomorrow though I really need to keep on working and maybe go to the library for evening Study Hall in case I need help.

short entry to research project

I still have a little bit trouble with starting my paper. I wrote what my paper is going to be about and I stated my thesis. But since I found a really good and trust able source about the life of Upton Sinclair, I have a hard time not to just write the same. I think I researched a lot about him and his life and I know what kind of person he was but i still have a hard time to put this into words. My first paragraph should be only about Sinclair. In the next one I want to write about the historical background and the "Progressive Movement". My last paragraph should be about what made Sinclair write his novel and what is he trying to say. Furthermore I want to point out the effects that the publication of this novel had on the general public and the government. I got a lot to do. My biggest problem is that I do not really know how top put my thoughts into words.
Since I will not be here for tomorrow's long period class and therefore will not have class time to work on it, I will have to find some time to work on it on my own and see you in the library in case I need further help.

(This blog was created on Monday, but it could not be saved by blogger since it was after 12 pm and the Internet had cut off.)

Research Project

Today I polished my bibliography and made sure that the sources I chose are reliable.
Furthermore I began to write on my paper. I think about writing in three main stages: first about the life of Upton Sinclair and special events in his life that could have led him to socialism. Next, I want to write about his novel "The Jungle" and how he intended to affect its readers. I also want to write briefly about a letter he wrote to President Theodore Roosevelt, because it shows his popularity after the publication of his book. Throughout my paper I want to display the horrible working conditions of the people of this time (The Progressive Era of 1895-1920), especially in factories such as the Meat Industry.
I was especially impressed by Sinclair's statement: "I aimed at the public's heart and by accident hit it in the stomach."

Research Project

Today, I especially spent time with one particular source, the Spartacus Educational that mostly and in detail described the character and the life of Upton Sinclair. I found especially the reasons (which were many) why he became a socialist interesting. That will be an important aspect in my paper since I want to focus on the reasons and the aims socialists had during this period of time.

Research Project

I am currently working on my bibliography. I found a really good source about the "Progressive Movement" during the time when Upton Sinclair wrote his novel "The Jungle", but I have difficulties with citing it since it is a Power-Point presentation.
I am now done with summarizing two of my five sources so far. I found a paper in jstor that describes Upton Sinclair and his writing, among others "The Jungle". The author of this article wants the reader to get a better understanding of Sinclair's character and the historical background of this time period. He describes him as a socialist and opponent of capitalism in the United States. In the end of his paper, the author addresses to American Literature teachers and gives them advise how to teach the students journalism by giving examples of the journalism and research Sinclair himself did.

Research Project

Today during class time I extended my bibliography and began to read my sources while taking notes that I saved in google documnents.

Research Project

Today during D-Period and during my evening Study Hall time I was able to finish the Bibliography for the sources I found in MLA style and saved it in google documents since the Word on my Computer is currently "unavailable".

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

http://www.fullbooks.com/Sister-Carrie-by-Theodore-Dreiser1.html

Theodore Dreiser's father was a German immigrant. Theodore Dreiser was a Naturalist writer. He wanted to change things in America to the good, which is the reason I chose him.
In "Diigo" I wrote some notes about his life and his most famous work "Sister Carrie", of which I pasted a link in my blog. On Monday in class I want to add some notes from Diigo to Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie".

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins, Gilman

In today's class we read "The Yellow Wallpaper". After we were done reading the first class, the first thing that came to my mind about this short story was that the woman was "crazy".
Gilman writes from a Feminist point of view, in which the woman was oppressed by her husband (by not letting her write etc.). Even though the husband loves his wife, he does not treat her equal to men and is not enough concerned about her. When the wife tries to talk to him about her problems, for example when the wife wants to pick another bedroom, he does not really care about his wife's opinion and just says that there are no reasons for her appeal.
"The narrator's suggestions about her recuperation (that she should work instead of rest, that she should engage with society instead of remaining isolated, that she should attempt to be a mother instead of being separated entirely from her child, et cetera) are dismissed out of hand using language' that basically calls her "crazy" and "out of her mind".

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

In today's class we read Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" individually.
In this essay, King "responds to whites telling blacks to "wait" for desegregation by mentioning several atrocities committed by whites on blacks, including lynching, drowning, and police brutality. He continues on these emotional lines by expressing how children begin to become deeply affected by segregation when they realize that they are considered inferior to whites."

He shows how the build-up of these feelings in black children eventually turn into hatred for whites when he says, "There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair." This kind of "threat" refers and confirms the writings of Booker T. Washington. 

"He later discusses how Abraham Lincoln, John Bunyan, and Thomas Jefferson were extremists because they believed in a free nation. King quotes Thomas Jefferson, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men were created equal." King emphasizes that principles this nation of America were founded on which evokes nationalism and love for one's country."

Washington, Dubois and Douglass

Since I have been away with the Gap Singers I did not attend the last class period on Friday.
Douglass: he was the first black who wrote about his life as a slave and described how miserable and unequal it was. He wrote about how bad his master treated him and the other slaves and about the cruelty of slavery.
He wrote about his heavily disagreement of the idea of slavery and names good reasons for his opinion.
Washington: Booker T. Washington was the first public offender of slavery and tried politically to change the situation of black people in the South. The result of his effort is the Atlanta Compromise. As the name says it was not a law forbidding the discrimination of blacks in the South but a compromise in which he had to agree with many disadvantages black people would have in comparison to white people, for example the right to vote or the abandonment of receiving higher education.He, for example, wanted white people to give factory jobs to black people instead of the masses of immigrants that came during this time. If he agreed to those conditions because he really thought the black race was "lower" than the white race or if he just thought people of this time were just not ready for totally equality between blacks and whites is not fully clear to me. 
Dubois: Dubois respected Washington's work. However, he disagreed and criticized in many points of his work and the Atlanta Compromise. As a Harvard educated sociologist he wanted completely equality for blacks. In his speech  The Souls of Black Folk he criticized the discrimination of blacks in the South by white people. He wants the right for black people to vote and access to higher education. He was kind of a radical fighter for the right and the equality of the black people in the United States of America, especially in the South where the conditions for blacks during this time were horrible.

The triple paradox in Mr. Washington's position

The triple paradox in Mr. Washington's position is the object of criticism by two classes of colored Americans.
This triple paradox are three points pointed out by W.E.B. Du Bois in which he disagrees with Booker T. Washington's opinion about the rights of the "Negro".


In his first point DuBois criticizes that Washington  tries to make Negro artisans business men and property-owner. He explains that those people under modern competitive methods have no real chance to gain freedom and have it hard to defend their rights and exist without the right of suffrage.


His second point states that he disagrees with Washington who, according to DuBois, silently does not mind the lower status of the Negro in society compared to the whites.


In his third point and probably his most important point, he heavily criticizes Washington's agreement to the avoiding of higher education for the "Negro". He points out that "neither the Negro common-schools, nor Tuskegee itself, could remain open a day were it not for teachers trained in Negro colleges, or trained by their graduates."


All in all I fully agree with Du Bois's criticism of Washington's Atlanta Exposition, whereas DuBois respected Washington's work. However, the big question, in my opinion, is if Washington really supported his points or if he just thought that the southern white politicians would decline further demands than those he already demanded. 

Naturalism presentations

In today's class, another group presented the authors who supported Naturalism (Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser and Jack London). Andy emphasized the influence of Emile Zola on Frank Norris and the big connection to Darwinism.
They all showed examples of Naturalism by choosing a story of each author listed above, which I found pretty helpful for my better understanding of Naturalism.

Naturalism presentations

In this post I could actually write a whole essay about today's class, which I found very productive and good.

I feel that today's presentations helped me a lot to understand Naturalism better.

I understood that science was probably the basis for the emerge of this movement and that this means it cannot t really mix together with religion and beliefs. Specifically, Darwinism seems to be really important for the emerge of this movement since many writers who supported Naturalism were influenced by it.

Another interesting point is that the movement originally, even if ideas of it emerged even earlier started in France and came over to America. Probably the most important writer who supported Naturalism in France was Emile Zola who inspired and influenced many Naturalist writers such as Stephen Crane, Jack London, Theodore Dreiser and Frank Norris.

Lab about Naturalism

In the group work for today's assignment I try to find out what influenced and inspired the authors who supported Naturalism to do so. It is hard but I try to go through their biographies and lifes to find anyhthing what made them decide to support Naturalism. I put every piece of information that could help me to answer this question in a document our group created in google documents and I cite every source of information I use.

Realism and Naturalism in "An episode of War" by Stephen Crane

I think realism and naturalism are both represented in the short story "An episode of War" by Stephen Crane.
One example for naturalism is in the beginning of the story when the lieutenant got shot and he realizes the blood running from a wound on his arm, as this was a situation in which no decisions made by the lieutenant could have prevented that outcome and was instead entirely affected by the environment and chance, which is an explanation consistent with the definition of naturalism.
The described effects of the gunshot wound, which greatly influenced the way the lieutenant physically operated, demonstrates an example of realism.
A further example in which realism is demonstrated in this novel regards the false statement spoken by the doctor. When he says, “Come along, now. I won’t amputate it. Come along. Don’t be a baby,” and eventually amputates the lieutenants arm (the exact opposite of his promise), realism is demonstrated because the main character was able to make the choice of whether to believe the doctor, therefore making a decision affecting his fate. The lieutenant’s choice was truly an example of realism.

What is important about the story "Daisy Miller" by Henry James

In today's class we talked about the story "Daisy Miller" written by Henry James. We specifically covered the plot, style of writing, theme (message of the author), tone and the relation to Darwinism.
It is important because Henry James criticizes Social Darwinism. 
James uses Daisy's story to discuss what he thinks Europeans and Americans believe about each other, and more generally the prejudices common in any culture.

Movements that influenced the American

In today's class we talked about different movements that took place in the past and have had an influence on the American. We specifically covered Literary realism, Naturalism and Eugenics. As examples we took the Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".

Ambrose Bierce's "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

Ambrose Bierce's "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is a short story which takes place during the Civil War.

Union soldiers are about to hang a Confederate supporter who intended to burn down the Owl Creek Bridge. Shortly before the string finally broke his neck, he had an illusion, in which he imagined that the rope ripped and he fell into the river and was able to escape from the Union soldiers and to his family back home. When he was about to hug his beautiful wife, he felt a searing pain in his neck and everything went dark. He only completely invented the story of his flight in his mind. This makes the story very dramatic and the author Ambrose Bierce, who was once himself a soldier for the Union army and hated the war, wanted to show by this story how cruel the war was and that even the enemy (the Confederates) have feelings and suffered as well.

To the Person Sitting in Darkness, The War Prayer by Mark Twain

In the essay "To the Person Sitting in Darkness", Mark Twain criticizes imperialism by naming two examples:
the "Boxer Uprising" and the "Philippine-American War". He also mentions historical figures, especially William Scott Ament as part of his criticism. He describes how the Americans who he speaks of in the "us" form, plan their overtaking of the Philippines in a very "screwed up" way- how cruel and barbarous and fiendish had been the warfare made by those whose avowed purpose was to carry the blessed light of civilization and Gospel “to the benighted native”. In his opinion it is very poor "how in very truth these priceless blessings had been handed on the point of a bayonet to the “Person Sitting in Darkness.”" His style of writing is very sarcasm and when it was finished he himself did not want to print it.


In the short story "The War Prayer", Mark Twain criticizes the patriotic and religious blindness as motivations for war.
He begins his story with an unknown nation that is about to go to war. Everyone attends a church service for soldiers who have been called up. The people pray to God to grant them victory and protect their troops. Soldiers and their families are proud of "protecting their country from the evil."
Suddenly a stranger enters the church and announces that he is God's messenger. He tells the people that they should not only pray for them and their soldiers but also for the suffering and destruction of their enemies.
The story has a bad ending since the messenger was ignored.

Emily Dickinson

In today's class we were talking about the American poet Emily Dickinson.
We collected different contents about her (for example family, movements, famous works,life stations, her style of writing, historical background etc.). Then we read some of her short poems and we are supposed to choose one and interpret it. My choice is the epigram "This is my letter".

This is my letter to the world,
   That never wrote to me,--
The simple news that Nature told,
   With tender majesty.

Her message is committed
   To hands I cannot see;
For love of her, sweet countrymen,
   Judge tenderly of me!

In the first two lines Emily Dickinson expresses the feelings she has towards the world. She claims that nobody gives her attention.(We know from her life that she lived really isolated in her house with nobody else). In the next to lines she describes that the nature tells her simple news from the world around her.

In the second paragraph, Dickinson says that the nature has a message which is not accessible for her.

In the last two lines of the epigram , she begins to talk to "sweet countrymen" she could refer to the lover she had in her life. She tells them to judge tenderly of her; for her (either the natures's or her love).

Rappaccini's Daughter- Nathaniel Hawthorne

In today's class, we watched the end of the short story "Rappaccini's Daughter" and discussed what Hawthorne wanted to tell us with this story. As he was a transcendentalist, he criticized  science as he shows the result of  Dr. Rappaccini's work and experiments which caused his own daughter's poisoning. Furthermore he says that everyone in the world can do what he/she wants? What he meant by saying this is not really clear for me...

Thesis

The thesis statement must be arguable and specific. You should avoid statements that are so broad as to be meaningless. Furthermore the readers must be able to agree or disagree with the statement. The author's job is to offer support.

The Scarlet Letter Chapter 13 Another view of Hester

In today's class we read Chapter 13 of The Scarlet Letter. This Chapter describes the change of Hester's position in the Puritan village over a long period of time. Hester is no longer beautiful as she used to be. She either cuts her hair or wears in under a hat so nobody can see it. As the time passes she gets more and more respected in the village and people forgive her for her sin. When strangers come to the village the people show them Hester and tell them how nice and kind she is. Since Hester lives outside the village she has a lot of time to think about her life and she realizes how she cares about Dimmesdale. She feels responsible for him and wants to help him. Since Chillingworth kind of terrorizes Dimmesdale, she decides to talk to him. The leaders of the village, however, still do not really forgive Hester for her sin. A reason therefore might be that they take their role as a leader very serious and do not want other people think they could do the same what Hester did and "only" get disrespected for a few years.

The Scarlet Letter Group Work

Today in class we were divided in groups. Each group got for the same amount of chapters of the Scarlett Letter we have covered so far. In my group I am responsible for the Chapter 15 (Hester and Pearl). We are supposed to put anything on a sheet of paper which makes the rest of the class remembering what the chapter was about. Therefore I drew a scene on the piece of paper we were given with a short dialog between Hester and Pearl which hopefully will make the rest of the class remembering what this chapter was about.