NRJ2 Nature vs. Nurture

In Ishiguro’s book Never Let Me Go he uses the theme of Nature Vs. Nurture to show no matter what ones upbringings they support how they act, but not totally dependent upon it.  

These individuals in Hailsham are brought up in a totally separate area physically and emotionally from the rest of the way of a normal person, but they end up having the same emotions and desires in life.  These students are live inside a school separate from outside influences, except from the tape that Kathy discovers from the “sales”.  These “sales” are their only real way of obtaining outside influences and ideas of the world  and shaping their way of life.  Similarly, to the minimal outside influence of “Nature” the “Nurture” characteristics provided by the guardians are very minimalistic.  The guardians crush the dreams of the students as they want to become actors and famous, but as they are told to do, the guardians pull the students back into reality of they are truly built to be only donors.  It is ironic Ishiguro use the word guardian to term these parental figures, in that they are more guard of the students from leaving the school and obtaining outside influences than actual parental figures.  These guardians try to keep the individuals in the right direction, but these students are constantly questioning their authority from their beginning in Hailsham until their final resting place as donors. 

NRJ 1

Free will is the ability to do as you please and setup your future as you want.  This is the dream of all people not to be controlled by anyone but follow your dreams and do as you please.  For the students in Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro they do not have these luxuries as they are confined within the walls of Hailsham.  They are given no interaction with the rest of the world and are told how to act and what they can watch, listen and do.

          “Your lives are set out for you. You’ll become adults, then before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs. That’s what each of you was created to do. You’re not like the actors you watch on your videos, you’re not even like me. You were brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them, have been decided.” (Ishiguro 81)

These kids have no choice they were created and formed in a lab being formed by their teachers into what they should be, controlled by every step of their life.  These kids are told not to smoke only for the fact they are to be used as replacement parts and that if they are damaged goods they are of no use anymore.

I believe that Ishiguro uses this book to show we may have certain futures set for us never follow along to always follow your dream in that you are in control of your own destiny.  We have the ability to think and do for ourselves possible the greatest gift possible and we should not let it go to waste following others.

DRJ#4

DRJ#4

I feel that in this act that major drama was created with the newfound death and murder of Polonius.  Hamlet is on his way of completing his fulfillment of revenge on the murder of his father, and the tides have turned on Claudis. This was actually my favorite act so far with the drama and confrontation occurring.

Ophelia in this act is driven mad by the death of her father Polonius, and rightfully goes after the king and Gertrude for not having a proper bury.  She goes into singing as she maybe reverts into a simpler time in her life when she was with her father as it seemed as if they were close.  Even though, all convey the death of her to be suicide with the way of her death they want to give her a christian burial even though suicide is against their ways. They decide to provide the proper burial as “It must be se offendendo.”

Although suicide may seem like an obvious choice for the theme I decide rather to dive into revenge/forgiveness.  This theme plays throughout the scenes as Hamlet starts getting his revenge, Laertes does the same on the king as he receives the news of the death of his father which may have been an unintentional route of Hamlet trying to create redemption on his uncle without being traced back to himself.

DRJ #2

This act didn’t catch me as intriguing as the first one did but nonetheless I am actually enjoying this.  I don’t feel that I can relate to anyone in this story nor do I know of anyone personally that could relate to in Hamlet, but rather I find Polonius to be similar to a scholar that thinks he knows it all. 

Polonius finds himself able to judge others similar to a therapist, but probably filled with flaws within him.  Polonius seems to be condescending towards Hamlet, but I wonder if that he is just being that way because he has to in order to keep the king happy.  He seems to bring on more drama and anguish on towards the queen as he harps on her son as he is crazy, which would creates such disrespect acting as the main antagonist.

I think that this scene is full of deception and deception on the parts of the King, Queen, and Polonius.  This scene is filled with the three of them going behind Hamlets back and scheming plans at his defense.  “At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him. Be you and I behind an arras then; Mark the encounter.” Polonius continues to acts very shady and hides his identity towards Hamlet.

Hamlet Act 1

       I am not usually a fan of older writing in that I usually have trouble reading and understanding them, but in the case of Hamlet i actually enjoyed it, and look forward to the rest of it.  The story is full of suspense and drama keeping you wondering what will happen next.  I can see the relations of how this story can fit in with even todays society, it seems to fit seamlessly with Hollywood today with the heartache, revenge and betrayal.

              The setting in Hamlet acts as pivotal part of the story showing the chilling world they are forced to live in with the recent betrayal and the death of the former king by his own brother.  I beleive that the act is made to be told to take place in the dark of the night showing the dismal dark time that Denmark is currently in with the death of the king and reign of current king Claudius. The return of the king in his ghostly state I believe further instills that there is fear in the guards during this dark time "Most like. It harrows me with fear and wonder."(1591)

         The betrayal of the deceased king and his country is played out through the characters of Claudius and the queen.  Their relationship is disgusting how the Queen could marry her dead husbands brother, I wonder if she knew that her new husband killed her old one and if she was forced into marrying him because of status or choice.

Chopin Support Thesis

Thesis #2: By contrasting images of life with those of death throughout “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin highlights the struggle of a person imprisoned by societal pressures and thereby kept from fully being alive.

Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard emotions toward the death of her husband more positively than most would in the case of losing a loved one; Mrs. Mallards tone in the story is ironic as Chopin states “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds.”  This statement I believe the author is trying to imply that she was stuck in her marriage and the death of her husband is the freedom that she needed. Whether the reason being his or her fault the marriage seemed to have lost its love, but with the 1900s era she would not be able to leave her marriage, and forced into a life of misery.

Thesis #3: Through the use of structure in her intentionally short story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin ingeniously exposes the larger and more complex problem of oppression that can still be felt in our society today.

Chopin shows you how miserable Mrs. Mallard was in her relationship, but with the newfound death of her husband “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.” Mrs. Mallard would now be able to finally be able to be happy until her ironic death.  Even though, this story was written o take place in the early 1900s the same oppression can be felt today, as women fear they cannot leave their relationship without repercussion. 

Hemingway Extra Credit

I can’t relate directly to the experience Krebs went through, but similar when two years ago I had to be gone working for 7 weeks working, and when I came back I was quite surprised.  When I knew I was going to be able to come home I didn’t want to tell anyone as to we were constantly told we were returning home but were being diverted to different fires so I didn’t want to get anybodies hopes up.  When I came home everybody was very surprised as we had very little communication.  In fact, a lot had changed the house was a different color, trees were cut down things had changed a bit whereas in the situation Krebs had it was as if he was in a time capsule where nothing had really changed.

SSRJ #4 Minot

While reading the story “Lust” I felt that it was told very raw and real, the author puts you in the spot of probably a trusted best friend that she is sharing her deep secrets with.  When I first read the title I thought it must be about maybe a housewife that is separating away from her husband for another man that she desiring for, but definitely not a 15 year old girl that loves so freely.  I certainly didn’t expect the story to take place in a private boarding school which seems to be setup for the upper class, but more of middle class women.  The girl craves for sex to be accepted by boys because she doesn’t want to be alone, and if you want a boyfriend you much give them sex to keep them interested.  She was probably put in this school by her parents to keep her focused on school and excel to get into college, but ironically like any other teenage girl she is boy-crazy whether it being society pressuring her into sex or her desire she is like any other teenager. For me I feel that the story is filled with irony like the examples I have stated, but also in the schools administration telling her that there is plenty of room for her to fornicate with a boy out of the eye of the public.  This to me seems backward for a private school that they should be strict and increase enforcement of these kinds of behaviors rather than handing out condoms.  I feel that the author is telling us that sex is more prevalent in society today no mater where you come from its occurring in younger kids whether it being society’s pressure or not it will happen.  Although, she also shows the less desirable side of sex without having love in that you feel lonely and sad afterwards as if you have been used and the man has no more desire for you until he is ready to have sex again.

Do you think she is the lustful behavior to so many boys to feel gain acceptance among men or, rather because she is lonely off at boarding school by herself with which presumably without her family and friends?

SSRJ #3 D. Walker

I really liked this story, it made me feel like i was put in the protagonists shoes traveling back to the previous war torn country in which he created havoc in.  I believe that this journey that he was taking would hopefully one day bring him peace from the guilty conscious  he has from his past when he was in the military even though he has changed his whole life his past still haunts him.  He is expecting retaliation to be unleashed upon him his whole trip, but to his surprise he is treated as if nothing had happen, the Vietnamese don't dwell on the past and look toward the future. I almost find that the story is filled with irony because, that is what the protagonist is having trouble dealing with most and that the fact that a country whose civilians were slaughtered in war are able to overcome he should be able to do the same.  He also finds himself trying to repair an "enemies" thumb which was destroyed in the same war he created so much terror in even though it was not his country that did it to him. He has the chance to repair himself with peace of knowing that he can help the other side get on with their life as he can do the same with his own. I wonder even though the operation did not go as Dinh or the protaganist wanted and was not a success, did he feel fulfillment within himself for trying his best at repairing his relationship with the country he hurt the most?

SSRJ#2 Hemingway

SSRJ#2 Hemingway

After reading this story “Soldiers Home” by Hemingway it made me feel very sad for Krebs.  I have never gone into the military so I can’t really relate to the situation that Krebs was put in, but have had family members and close friends return from war and I know that the support system they need when they get home is pivotal.  The fact that Krebs didn’t receive a homecoming or support from his friends and family was probably what supported his downfall to his suicide.  It was probably that the war and his bitter homecoming that led to his destruction with his relationship with god, even though there was never an implementation that he was religious he seemed to have resentment towards him.  The fact that Krebs liked being in Germany and France probably made him feel exciting, being able to get out of his Midwestern town and that he didn’t want to come back home, but had to. The people he is with now in America just don’t get what it is like to be in a war nor do they want to hear what he says since they have already heard it all before makes him want to stay where he was over in Germany, and the fact that he can’t be there probably adds to his depression.  I think that Hemingway does a great job of putting the reader in Krebs shoes, I felt bad and sorrow for Krebs he is unable to love girls, his family or even himself.

I believe that Hemingway had purposely made Krebs come from a Midwestern town making it a huge change for him to go to war and come home to the same old lifestyle.  From this large change I believe that Krebs felt he was no longer able to assimilate into normal society anymore because of what he saw in war.  The two worlds were so much different from each other just as Krebs was different from his normal ideals of society.  His depression doesn’t seem to end there as his mother probably not intentionally trying to make him mad, but continued to stir the pot with the relation between him and Charley Simmons and how he was going to be successful and that Krebs needs to keep up.  The whole story seems to be full of irony in the fact that Krebs in unlike all other men that went to war nor does he necessarily want to be like any of them.  He just wants to be heard.

I wonder if there is any correlation between this story and Hemingway’s real life in that he had committed suicide?