At the copy machine, all Alicia could do was think about the box. It was waiting for her at home; in the bedroom closet of her father’s house. She could picture it sleeping atop the dusty shelf, its fragrant must enticing her to the point that the image behind her eyelids was as real to her as the copy paper in her hands.
Work always dragged-on for Alicia. Five o’clock seemed to lose its way behind the rows of gray cubicles. While the others rushed by liked scattered beneath a rock, she hid from them. In the safety of the copy room, she would hide; picking at her nails with the corner of her jagged, bottom tooth. She would run-off copies of anything she could, if only to be lulled into a lucid state by the sounds of rushing paper.
She could never hear what her co-workers said about her over the sound of the Xerox machine. Some made cutting remarks about the way she wore her frizzy hair; others about the smell that radiated from her unwashed tweed dress suit. But most just ignored the middle-aged woman, and left her to her business in the copy room.
The box was closer to her than it had ever been before. Alicia even managed to stay at her desk for the last half-hour of the work day. She barely found room among the piles a copied forms and web-page printouts
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Aimless Rant #1
So I find it nearing 8pm and I have no clue what to blog about. Therefore, my ultimate purpose here will be to ramble about meaningless things well enough to be considered for a job as a Republican speechwriter. Let's see how well I can do.
First, let me talk about the use of technology in the field of writing. I think Facebook can be an interesting tool for discussing novels. I mean what better way to understand characterization than by making a FB profile for a character in a book and changing its relationship status, activity, and likes? Maybe Twitter as well--but I'm sure the powers-that-be would not be on board with that.
Oh so I just heard yet another gay student killed himself due to bullying. But this is of course in no way related to the fact that more states allow marriage between first cousins; or the fact that gay men are considered part of the same "At Risk" group for blood donation, as prostitutes and ex-drug users-- in fact, generally speaking, there is hardly any need to focus on it. Nope not all. (<--- Sarcasm). I'm so pissed off right now. I think Gay Americans should be exempt from paying as much in taxes as Straight Americans; I mean if they don't have the privileges of living freely and fucking marry who they want to, why should they foot as much of the responsibility?
I really have nothing else to say. I'll use Jamie Hubley's last words to finish for me, considering that no one else listened to him when he was alive:
" I dont want my parents to think this is their fault either… I love my mom and dad : ) Its just too hard. I dont want to wait 3 more years, this hurts too much. How do you even know It will get better? Its not.
I hit rock f***ing bottom, fell through a crack, now im stuck"
First, let me talk about the use of technology in the field of writing. I think Facebook can be an interesting tool for discussing novels. I mean what better way to understand characterization than by making a FB profile for a character in a book and changing its relationship status, activity, and likes? Maybe Twitter as well--but I'm sure the powers-that-be would not be on board with that.
Oh so I just heard yet another gay student killed himself due to bullying. But this is of course in no way related to the fact that more states allow marriage between first cousins; or the fact that gay men are considered part of the same "At Risk" group for blood donation, as prostitutes and ex-drug users-- in fact, generally speaking, there is hardly any need to focus on it. Nope not all. (<--- Sarcasm). I'm so pissed off right now. I think Gay Americans should be exempt from paying as much in taxes as Straight Americans; I mean if they don't have the privileges of living freely and fucking marry who they want to, why should they foot as much of the responsibility?
I really have nothing else to say. I'll use Jamie Hubley's last words to finish for me, considering that no one else listened to him when he was alive:
" I dont want my parents to think this is their fault either… I love my mom and dad : ) Its just too hard. I dont want to wait 3 more years, this hurts too much. How do you even know It will get better? Its not.
I hit rock f***ing bottom, fell through a crack, now im stuck"
Monday, October 10, 2011
Critical Lens -- Revised
Critical Lens
Quote: "All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil."
It is said that, “All conflict in in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil.” Though many may agree with this statement, conflict cannot be polarized into such simplistic terms as good and evil. Rather, conflict in literature often dwells in a “gray” area so to speak; an area that is far more complicated than good or evil. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the conflict is not easily placed into the two above categories. Instead the conflict is more complexly constructed through the use of elements such as characterization and theme.
Conflict can best be defined as the struggle faced by characters in literature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost the characters Adam and Eve struggle to live a life free of temptation and to live in accordance with God’s Laws. Adam, being a pure being, has very little difficulty maintaining a sin-free existence. Eve, being a lesser being is therefore more prone to sin, winds-up being tricked into temptation by Satan. When discovering that Eve has betrayed God by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam willingly takes a bite of the fruit so that he may still be with Eve, even in damnation. The conflict in this story is not just good verses evil, but rather choosing the love for one over another. Yet another example of conflict not being polarized comes from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a child outside of wedlock and refuses to say who the father is. She struggles to exist in a Puritan society; a society that believes in a fundamental goodness, and sees Hester as evil. The reader however, views Hester as he protagonist so again, it is not nearly as simple as “good verse evil,” as we learn that she keeps her secret only to protect Dimmesdale.
Characterization is the physical, mental or emotional traits of an established literary character. Conflict often involves characters which are far more complicated than simply good or evil. In Paradise Lost, Satan begins as a loyal soldier who questions the authority of God. Satan feels betrayed by God, and rebels though he knows losing in inevitable. Though God is the ultimate form of goodness, Satan is not totally evil but martyred for fighting a losing fight. A similar situation develops in The Scarlet Letter, with the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Though he is a reverend, he falls in love with Hester and impregnates her. Though she will not tell the community he is the father, he struggles with keeping the secret that not only does he love her, but that he is the ultimate cause of her suffering. There is, again, no way to place this conflict of heart as either good or evil, thus proving the quote untrue.
In addition to conflict and characterization, theme is another element that disproves that all conflict in literature is basically good versus evil. Theme is essentially the message that the reader is suppose to take away from the text, and is usually directly correlated with the outcome of the conflict. Themes are rarely, if ever, about good winning over evil or vice-versa. The theme of Paradise Lost is ultimately that love for God must be the greatest, unless one should one’s self predisposed to fail. There is nothing that reader takes away in favor of either good or evil. The same can be said of The Scarlet Letter. The theme of this text is that the goodness within can overcome the hatred of an entire society. Though closer to the idea of all conflict in literature being simply good verses evil, there is much more intricacy to the conflict, thus disproving the quote.
The statement, “All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil,” is simply untrue. Though seemingly viable, conflict, theme, and characterization are often more complex and simply cannot be reduced so cleanly into “good and evil.” Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter contain intricate elements ascertain a “gray” area on the spectrum of good and evil, just as it occurs in real life.
Quote: "All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil."
It is said that, “All conflict in in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil.” Though many may agree with this statement, conflict cannot be polarized into such simplistic terms as good and evil. Rather, conflict in literature often dwells in a “gray” area so to speak; an area that is far more complicated than good or evil. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the conflict is not easily placed into the two above categories. Instead the conflict is more complexly constructed through the use of elements such as characterization and theme.
Conflict can best be defined as the struggle faced by characters in literature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost the characters Adam and Eve struggle to live a life free of temptation and to live in accordance with God’s Laws. Adam, being a pure being, has very little difficulty maintaining a sin-free existence. Eve, being a lesser being is therefore more prone to sin, winds-up being tricked into temptation by Satan. When discovering that Eve has betrayed God by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam willingly takes a bite of the fruit so that he may still be with Eve, even in damnation. The conflict in this story is not just good verses evil, but rather choosing the love for one over another. Yet another example of conflict not being polarized comes from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a child outside of wedlock and refuses to say who the father is. She struggles to exist in a Puritan society; a society that believes in a fundamental goodness, and sees Hester as evil. The reader however, views Hester as he protagonist so again, it is not nearly as simple as “good verse evil,” as we learn that she keeps her secret only to protect Dimmesdale.
Characterization is the physical, mental or emotional traits of an established literary character. Conflict often involves characters which are far more complicated than simply good or evil. In Paradise Lost, Satan begins as a loyal soldier who questions the authority of God. Satan feels betrayed by God, and rebels though he knows losing in inevitable. Though God is the ultimate form of goodness, Satan is not totally evil but martyred for fighting a losing fight. A similar situation develops in The Scarlet Letter, with the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Though he is a reverend, he falls in love with Hester and impregnates her. Though she will not tell the community he is the father, he struggles with keeping the secret that not only does he love her, but that he is the ultimate cause of her suffering. There is, again, no way to place this conflict of heart as either good or evil, thus proving the quote untrue.
In addition to conflict and characterization, theme is another element that disproves that all conflict in literature is basically good versus evil. Theme is essentially the message that the reader is suppose to take away from the text, and is usually directly correlated with the outcome of the conflict. Themes are rarely, if ever, about good winning over evil or vice-versa. The theme of Paradise Lost is ultimately that love for God must be the greatest, unless one should one’s self predisposed to fail. There is nothing that reader takes away in favor of either good or evil. The same can be said of The Scarlet Letter. The theme of this text is that the goodness within can overcome the hatred of an entire society. Though closer to the idea of all conflict in literature being simply good verses evil, there is much more intricacy to the conflict, thus disproving the quote.
The statement, “All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil,” is simply untrue. Though seemingly viable, conflict, theme, and characterization are often more complex and simply cannot be reduced so cleanly into “good and evil.” Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter contain intricate elements ascertain a “gray” area on the spectrum of good and evil, just as it occurs in real life.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Critical Lens
Quote: "All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil."
It is said that, “All conflict in in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil.” Though many may agree with this statement, conflict cannot be polarized into such simplistic terms as good and evil. Rather, conflict in literature often dwells in a “gray” area so to speak; an area that is far more complicated than good or evil. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the conflict is not easily placed into the two above categories. Instead the conflict is more complexly constructed through the use of characterization and theme.
Conflict can best be defined as the struggle faced by characters in literature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost the characters of Adam and Eve are faced with the struggle to live a life free of temptation and in accordance to God’s Laws. Adam, being a pure being, has very little difficulty maintaining a sin-free existence until God creates Eve from his rib. Eve, being a lesser being is therefore more prone to sin and winds-up being tricked into temptation by Satan. When discovering that Eve has betrayed God by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam willing takes a bite of the fruit so that he may still be with Eve. As punishment, God banishes them both. The conflict in this story is not just good verses evil, but rather choosing the love for one over another. Yet another example of conflict not being polarized comes from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a child outside of wedlock and refuses to say who the father is. She struggles to exist in a Puritan society; a society that believes in a fundamental goodness, and sees Hester as evil. The reader however, views Hester as he protagonist so again, it is not nearly as simple as “good verse evil.”
Characterization is the physical, mental or emotional traits of an established literary character. Conflict often involves characters which are far more complicated than simply good or evil. In Paradise Lost Satan begins as a loyal soldier who questions the authority of God. Satan feels betrayed by God, and rebels though he knows losing in inevitable. Though God is the ultimate form of goodness, Satan is not totally evil but martyred in some way for fighting a losing fight. A similar situation develops in The Scarlet Letter, with the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Though he is a reverend, he falls in love with Hester and impregnates her. Though she will not tell the community he is the father, he struggles with keeping the secret that not only does he love her, but that he is the ultimate cause of her suffering. There is again now way to place this conflict of heart as either good or evil, thus proving the quote untrue.
In addition to conflict and characterization, theme is another element that disproves that all conflict in literature is basically good versus evil. Theme is essentially the message that the reader is suppose to take away from the text, and is usually directly correlated with the conflict. Themes are rarely, if ever, about good winning over evil or vice-versa. The theme of Paradise Lost is ultimately that love for God must be the greatest, unless one should one’s self predisposed to fail. There is nothing that reader takes away in favor of either good or evil. The same can be said of The Scarlet Letter. The theme of this text is that the goodness within can overcome the hatred of an entire society. Though closer to the idea of all conflict in literature being simply good verses evil, there is much more intricacy to the conflict, thus disproving the quote.
The statement, “All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil,” is false. Though seemingly true, conflict, theme, and characterization are often more complex and simply cannot be reduced into good and evil. Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter contain intricate elements ascertain a “gray” area on the spectrum of good and evil, just as it occurs in real life.
It is said that, “All conflict in in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil.” Though many may agree with this statement, conflict cannot be polarized into such simplistic terms as good and evil. Rather, conflict in literature often dwells in a “gray” area so to speak; an area that is far more complicated than good or evil. In Paradise Lost, by John Milton, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the conflict is not easily placed into the two above categories. Instead the conflict is more complexly constructed through the use of characterization and theme.
Conflict can best be defined as the struggle faced by characters in literature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost the characters of Adam and Eve are faced with the struggle to live a life free of temptation and in accordance to God’s Laws. Adam, being a pure being, has very little difficulty maintaining a sin-free existence until God creates Eve from his rib. Eve, being a lesser being is therefore more prone to sin and winds-up being tricked into temptation by Satan. When discovering that Eve has betrayed God by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam willing takes a bite of the fruit so that he may still be with Eve. As punishment, God banishes them both. The conflict in this story is not just good verses evil, but rather choosing the love for one over another. Yet another example of conflict not being polarized comes from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a child outside of wedlock and refuses to say who the father is. She struggles to exist in a Puritan society; a society that believes in a fundamental goodness, and sees Hester as evil. The reader however, views Hester as he protagonist so again, it is not nearly as simple as “good verse evil.”
Characterization is the physical, mental or emotional traits of an established literary character. Conflict often involves characters which are far more complicated than simply good or evil. In Paradise Lost Satan begins as a loyal soldier who questions the authority of God. Satan feels betrayed by God, and rebels though he knows losing in inevitable. Though God is the ultimate form of goodness, Satan is not totally evil but martyred in some way for fighting a losing fight. A similar situation develops in The Scarlet Letter, with the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Though he is a reverend, he falls in love with Hester and impregnates her. Though she will not tell the community he is the father, he struggles with keeping the secret that not only does he love her, but that he is the ultimate cause of her suffering. There is again now way to place this conflict of heart as either good or evil, thus proving the quote untrue.
In addition to conflict and characterization, theme is another element that disproves that all conflict in literature is basically good versus evil. Theme is essentially the message that the reader is suppose to take away from the text, and is usually directly correlated with the conflict. Themes are rarely, if ever, about good winning over evil or vice-versa. The theme of Paradise Lost is ultimately that love for God must be the greatest, unless one should one’s self predisposed to fail. There is nothing that reader takes away in favor of either good or evil. The same can be said of The Scarlet Letter. The theme of this text is that the goodness within can overcome the hatred of an entire society. Though closer to the idea of all conflict in literature being simply good verses evil, there is much more intricacy to the conflict, thus disproving the quote.
The statement, “All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil,” is false. Though seemingly true, conflict, theme, and characterization are often more complex and simply cannot be reduced into good and evil. Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter contain intricate elements ascertain a “gray” area on the spectrum of good and evil, just as it occurs in real life.
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