Comparing Apocalypse Now to Heart Of Darkness

     The back of the DVD cover of Apocalypse Now, states that the movie is a stunning reveal of the heart of darkness in all of us, alluding to the Joseph Conrad novel, Heart of Darkness. The movie takes place during the Vietnam War, while the book takes place in the late 1800's during the era of the Belgian Congo. Both Marlow and Martin Sheen's character face the heavy and dreadful tasks of being on an oppressive mission. Both these characters find themselves estranged from their loved ones and find themselves getting weaker and weaker as time drags on.
     Martin Sheen's character is shown in the beginning of the film as a soldier, quickly losing his mind in Saigon from the incredibly taxing nature of war, before being put up to the mission of finding Marlon Brando's character (whose name is Kurtz in the movie!). This is comparable to Marlow's internal quest to find the elusive Kurtz. Both Marlow and Lieutenant Willard hold a great amount of responsibility whether it be leading a steamship down a river or for the latter finding Kurtz who went rogue (accused of murder).
     Apocalypse Now Kurtz was described as one of the most brilliant officers that the Special Forces had ever seen. He was glorified by many and this is extremely similar to the legend of Heart of Darkness Kurtz, being one of the most renowned chiefs of the various Stations in Africa. Both Kurtz's have been described as elevating themselves to the standard of a god and having amazing careers. Kurtz had many talents and "gifts" that he could list as Apocalypse Now was known as a brilliant warrior. In the movie, there are talks over how Kurtz has most likely gone insane. The conditions and incredible illnesses they were exposed to in Vietnam are comparable to the dreadful diseases many men succumbed to in Africa. There is a crucial difference however, in how Lieutenant Willard was ordered to kill Kurtz, and Marlow made it his mission to try to save Kurtz.
   

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

     Siren Song, by Margaret Atwood tells the story of the boring and predictable lust of a siren. The entire poem is an allusion to the period of Greek mythology and how it was dangerous for sailors and men to be lured in by the seductiveness of the sirens along with the beautiful and enchanting songs they would sing. The narrator in the poem happens to be a siren along with two others, and she confesses that although she may find entertainment in the way "the song that is irresistible... that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons", she does not enjoy the vanity of her lifestyle. With the author's birth date being in 1939, it can be assumed that this poem was written during the time of sexual revolution and women's rights becoming more of an important topic. Therefore, the mindset of the beautiful siren that is just plain tired of the job is taking on the mindset of what a modern woman's would have been during that time.
     The siren is speaking to a person, assumed to be a man, thinking that she can confide in him without him becoming completely entranced by the ever-present beauty and illusion of the sirens. While she begins to sing a song as a cry for help to the man, it starts to lure him in. The last stanza, "Alas/ it is a boring song/ but it works every time" makes the reader believe that all this time, it was not the true purpose of the siren to confide in the man, but to trick him under the circumstances and have him succumb to whatever they want. However, this still goes along with the theme of a woman using the powers of sex and beauty to accomplish whatever they choose. The enjambment in this poem works to the advantage of the siren because just when the reader thinks one thing is going to happen, the next line arrives and the plot differs.

Congo Free State

     Before it was known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that area was known as the Congo Free State during the time period of 1885 to 1908. This piece of land in Central Africa was owned by Belgium and controlled by King Leopold II, who reigned for 44 years. King Leopold was awarded this territory during the Conference of Berlin in 1885. The Congo Free State became infamous across the globe for the cruel treatment of the local citizens and the pillaging of the natural resources available, such as Ivory and Rubber. Although King Leopold's objective for occupying this land was to raise it to a high standard in terms of it's people and abundance of resources, he ended up ruining them altogether. The Congo Free State even became an international scandal of sorts because of King Leopold's failed efforts and after a source reported that white Belgian officials were guilty of killing hundreds of Congolese people (They were later held responsible for their actions and were punished). 

     As Rubber was very abundant and one of the most important exports of the Congo Free State, it took lots of labor from many of the native Congolese people to make it a successful business. This brutal labor often went unrecognized despite it's importance, quotas were near impossible to make, and pay was painfully low. If the workers did not make the quotas, they could be put to death or even worse, being mutilated by having their arms or hands chopped off. Living as a rubber worker in the Congo Free State was almost an unfortunate given, but it was not an ideal lifestyle. Countries and nations everywhere were disgusted by the atrocities that occurred, therefore leading to worldwide disdain. 

AP Style Close Reading of The Metamorphosis

     In the final passage of the novella, the Samsa family leaves the place they built their life in on a small trolley into the countryside. A quite unusual aspect of this story is how it still continues even after the death of the protagonist, Gregor. It seems odd how the family does not grieve the loss of their son very intimately. Their way of moving on from his death is by leaving and making a new home somewhere else. Although he is their son, there is little sympathy for the end of his life.
     The whole story consists of a chaotic scene of constantly trying to fix something that is wrong. For example, Gregor turning into an enormous bug was a huge, unavoidable issue and the Samsa family must scramble to find a way to not only accommodate Gregor, but to also make end's meet. The final paragraph in Part III is a change of pace as the set atmosphere is peaceful with a seemingly bright future ahead for Grete, Mr. Samsa, and the mother. Grete is introduced as a sister who is anxious and overdramatic, "In the room on the left side a painful silence ensued, in the room on the right side the sister began to sob... it would be much more sensible to leave him in peace for now instead of disturbing him with tears and exhortations" (17). Grete undergoes dynamic characterization as she transforms from a girl to a woman, possibly from the experience of having to take care of Gregor. She is even ready to find a husband at the end of the novella.
     The very last sentence of the story is when Grete stands out and stretches out her arms under the bright, warm sun. It is almost like Gregor and Grete are undergoing opposite changes. As he is being suppressed more and more (he goes from being a free-willed human to a bug oppressed both physically by his armor and stature and emotionally by his unrelenting family), she is being given freedom like she never has before.

Why I chose "Candles" by Carl Dennis

    Of all the poems that could have been chosen for the Poetry Out Loud assignment, I had to find an easy way to sift through the many works. I looked alphabetically trying to find poems with titles that interested me. When I saw Candles, I clicked the link because I have always had an affinity for candles. But when I read the poem, the message was much more meaningful to me than the simple title. It touches upon grief, but not in a way that is sad or morbid. It touches on grief in a way that is bright and hopeful. The poem takes the reader on a journey that would otherwise go unnoticed.
     I have heard of the six degrees of separation before--the belief that you are no more than six people away from everyone in the world. This is such a fascinating but unbelievable concept. Candles uses an anecdote that intertwines the stories of two people who have passed. It asks the reader if instead of burning a candle for their grandmother if they could burn a candle for someone who was not lucky enough to meet her. I think this statement is really powerful and shows a real respect for all humanity and that is why I really liked it.  I would definitely consider myself a person who has a real love and respect for all humanity so the message of this poem spoke to me. I did not just want to choose a poem because it was easy to memorize, because Candles is definitely not a short one. I think the way all the different times of life are described are really beautiful as well. I think this poem was very well-written and heartfelt which is why I chose it.

1984 as a whole

     When we first began reading 1984, my dad would tell me how people were actually terrified of Big Brother and INGSOC. After reading it for myself, a huge thing that I noticed was the clever similarities to what I learned in Modern World History as a freshmen. This is what made the book much more interesting and thrilling; to be able to put yourself in the place of people reading the book in 1950.
     I can't say I'm surprised that O'Brien ended up being a spy for the Party. Throughout the entire book, there was always that hint that he would end up in that role. The way he was so openly against them and the way he would encourage Winston to act that way was always suspicious. In the end, the reader finally discovers what is behind the elusive Room 101. To my understanding, it is a room where the victims greatest fear is forced upon them, resulting in the most demeaning and degrading torture possible. In Winston's case, this would be by surrounding him with rats, which happens to be his biggest fear. O'Brien ends up sparing him, but only after Winston betrays Julia. To be honest, I expected this to happen because I didn't know how much living under the Party's extremely watchful eye Winston would be able to handle.
     When Winston meets Julia again after being relinquished, it seemed like a very bittersweet situation. They both felt as if their relationship would no longer be able to exist, but this would probably work out better considering they both admitted to betraying each other to the Party. The ending of 1984(especially the last four words) was extremely shocking! It was a complete contrast from the entire duration of the story. Winston's hatred towards Big Brother and the Party was one of if not the most crucial part of the story. However, Winston claims to feel a sense of victory and love towards Big Brother. This was a twist that I certainly did not expect.

"The Book"

     The book that was a big part of Book II, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, enforced the three most major points of the Party. This being, "Freedom is Slavery, War is Peace, and Ignorance is Strength". Winston becomes infatuated with this book. He is overjoyed to receive it first of all, and as he reads the vast array of information, the reader also gets to read what the book holds. The book shows just how intense the Party's influence is over society. They truly take control over manipulating every aspect. Whether it be war, the environment, the economy, and even more personal matters, there is a description of what the standard should be. The book must be trying to convince the people of the legitimacy of the Party, and reduce instances of rebellion.
     I think this is very representative of Orwell's criticism of many totalitarian regimes and how if they were to continue, they would destroy our country. The way they would just rewrite history, for example, the ever-shifting relationship between Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia is something noticed by Winston, infuriating him. I am sure many people in Oceania are aware of this but are overwhelmed by doublethink to even care. However, the way they would rewrite history creepily reminded me of the slideshow we looked at in the beginning of 1984, when Stalin would alter photographs and literature. I think our society would look similar to Oceania in 1984 if this had not been stopped. I think Orwell's critiques disguised in the form of 1984 are really well-written and give food for thought with "The Book".