The Importance of Being Earnest, Act III

In this act of The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Bracknell comes to the country to see her daughter and nephew. At this point in the play, Algernon and Cecily are engaged, without Lady Bracknell's knowledge. Lady Bracknell is first appalled at the engagement, until she hears of Cecily's inheritance: 130,000 pounds. After she hears this, Lady Bracknell agrees to let the two be married.
Lady Bracknell: Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can't get into it do that. [To Cecily.] Dear child, of course you know that Algernon has nothing but his debts to depend upon. But I do not approve of mercenary marriages. When I married Lord Bracknell I had no fortune of any kind. But I never dreamed for a moment of allowing that to stand in my way. Well, I suppose I must give my consent. (Act III).
Here, Lady Bracknell is much like Lady Catherine. Both women married into a fortune, and because of this, they feel as if it is acceptable to judge others based on the amount of money they have. Both women also believe that marriage is arranged due to social class. When Lady Bracknell discovers Cecily's fortune, she allows the marriage to remain valid because of Cecily's sums of money in the bank. In both works of literature, both women find it socially acceptable to interrogate the women engaged, which it its not. Lady Bracknell and Lady Catherine also portray extremes of upper class Victorian society.

The Importance of Being Earnest, Act II

In this act, Algernon and Jack are at Jack's country house. Algernon pretends to be Jack's brother Ernest Worthing, and falls in love with Cecily and asks her to marry him.
Algernon: Oh, I don't care about Jack. I don't care for anybody in the whole world but you. I love you, Cecily. You will marry me, wont you? (Act II).
This question posed by Algernon makes him hypocritical, and it also makes him seem a bit crazy. Earlier on in the novel, Jack calls Algernon unromantic. Algernon also says that a proposal is business, and not pleasure. Here, he goes against himself and proposes to Cecily after knowing her for a very short period of time. It seems as if a premise for marriage is not serious here, for a proposal came so quickly that it is impossible that Algernon really does love Cecily.

Pride and Prejudice #13

"'You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever'" (Austen 307).

At this point in the novel,  Elizabeth has just accepted Darcy's proposal for marriage. Although the proposal did not precipitate, Elizabeth is very happy that she will marry the man she loves. Despite the previous conversation with the insolent Lady Catherine, Elizabeth accepts the proposal and ignores the threats Lady Catherine says regarding her social inferiority. Darcy's second proposal is imminent because of his intervention on behalf of Lydia, making obvious his continuing devotion to Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet's felicity for her two eldest daughters to become married is very grand. She also is pleased with the fact that both of her daughters will be married into money, Elizabeth more than Jane: "'Oh my sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have! Jane's is nothing to it--nothing at all'" (Austen 318).

Pride and Prejudice #12

"'Becuase honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, forbid it. yes, Miss Bennet, interest; for do not expect to be noticed by his family and friends, if you wilfully act against the inclinations of all. You will be censured, slighted, and despised, by everyone connected with him. Your alliance will be a disgrace; your name will never be mentioned by any of us" (Austen 298).

At this point in the novel, lady Catherine has come to visit Elizabeth at her home to talk about Darcy. Lady Catherine's visit has to do with the fact that she heard a rumor regarding a proposal between Elizabeth and Darcy. Lady Catherine insists that it is ridiculous, given Elizabeth’s low status and the supposed engagement of Darcy to her own daughter. Lady Catherine affronts Elizabeth, possibly to intimidate her out of marrying Darcy, if he ever proposes to her. Lady Catherine's haughty attitude has started to vex Elizabeth, for she says that Darcy will not fully appreciate Elizabeth because of her social status.
This convergence between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth emphasizes the tensions that their difference in social status has created. Elizabeth handles the conversation with intelligence and lack of pretense. Lady Catherine responds to Elizabeth’s boldness with a sense of snobbery that shows her obsession of social status and demonstrates her lack of appreciation for the zest of Elizabeth’s character.

Pride and Prejudice #11

"'Well, Mamma,' said she, when they all returned to the breakfast-room, 'and what do you think of my husband? Is not he a charming man? I am sure my sisters must all envy me. I only hope that they may have half my good luck. They must all go to Brighton. That is the place to get husbands. What a pity it is, Mamma, we did not all go'" (Austen 265).

At this point in the novel, Lydia and her husband have returned to Lydia's home for 10 days after their wedding. When talking with her sisters, Lydia is fastidious when describing her wedding day. When Lydia talks with Elizabeth, she sounds quite haughty for being so young, and already being married, unlike Jane. Lydia desperately wants approbation from her sisters regarding her marriage with Wickham. This is difficult for Lizzy and Jane especially, because they know what Wickham has done in the past, and do not admire his character because of that.
The 10 day visit with the Bennet family is difficult. Lydia is oblivious to all of the trouble that she has caused, and Wickham behaves as if he has done nothing wrong. This is important because it shows that Collins' letter to the Bennet family (mentioned in an earlier section) is somewhat true when it comes to Lydia's actions. What she has done is embarrassing to the family, especially Mr. Bennet who refuses to give Lydia more money. The marriage between Lydia and Wickham has also caused some controversy between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as well. Mrs. Bennet sees no issue with the marriage, only because that is what she wants for her daughters, regardless of the consequences. Mr. Bennet completely disagrees with his wife's reasoning.

Pride and Prejudice #10

In this section, we read of Lydia and Wickham's disappearance, and later, of their marriage announcement. When this news precipitates, Elizabeth is shocked and confused. She wonders how long her sister and Mr. Wickham have had contact, and why Wickham even wants to marry Lydia. Unlike the rest of the Bennet family, the news of the marriage of one of her daughters brings felicity to Mrs. Bennet. When the news spreads, Mr. Collins writes a letter to the family. He says, "...this licentiousness of behaviour in your daughter has proceeded from a faulty degree of indulgence, though at the same time, for the consolation of yourself and Mrs. Bennet, I am inclined to think that of her own disposition must be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such an enormity at so early an age...you are greviously to be pitied...this false step in one daughter will be injurious to the fortunes of all the others..." (Austen 248). Mr. Collins accuses the Bennets of poor parenting, and notes that Lydia’s behavior reflects poorly on the family as a whole. He also says that this mistake made my Lydia will also affect the posterity of the other Bennet daughters. Collins' rude remark is not the first one made to the Bennet family.

Pride and Prejudice #9

"Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place where nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in her admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" (Austen 204).

At this point in the novel, Elizabeth is first introduced to Darcy's estate and to his servants. Here, she imagines what it would be like to be the mistress of Pemberley, and Darcy's wife. While talking with his cordial servant Mrs. Reynolds, Elizabeth realizes that she has nothing negative to say regarding Darcy's behavior or attitude, but rather compliments saying that Darcy is “the sweetest, most generous-hearted boy in the world.” This is surprising to Elizabeth because she believes that Darcy is not of good character because of what he did to Bingley and her sister. When Elizabeth sees Darcy walking through the grounds, she is suprised to see him since the proposal. Elizabeth notices that he seems altogether changed, and that his previous impertinence has remarkably diminished. This is important becuase it shows that Darcy wants Elizabeth to see him as a changed man from what he was from when they first met. Darcy does not want to seem insolent, but rather affable.

Pride and Prejudice #7 & #8

10 Status Updates for Elizabeth:

1.  Who wants money when you can have love?
2.  Why you gotta be so mean?
3.  It seems as if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...
4.  #Awkward
5.  Love you Jane <3
6.  Why does everyone always leave?
7.  You'll always be the same person in my mind.
8.  I can't believe you. Remember, what goes around comes around.
9.  I'll be seeing you.
10.  Home sweet home

Pride and Prejudice #6

"Lady Catherine was a tall, large women, with strongly-marked features, which might once have been handsome. Her air was not conciliating, nor was her manner of receiving them, such as to make her visitors forget their inferior rank. She was not rendered formidable by silence; but whatever she said was spoken in so authoritative a tone as marked her self-importance, and brought Mr. Wickham immediately to Elizabeth's mind; and from the observation of the day altogether, she believed Lady Catherine to be exactly what he had represented" (Austen 139).

In this section, the narrator introduces the reader to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's aunt. She is described to be insolent, to be authoratative over others, and to make others question their social standing. Before meeting Lady Catherine, Elizabeth is asked to change her apparel by Mr. Collins. He said, "'I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest, there is no occasion for anything more...She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved'" (Austen 138). Just like her nephew, the fastidious Lady Catherine beleives that vanity is a very important aspect when meeting someone for the first time. This can infer that she is somewhat judging, much like Elizabeth is. After experiencing Lady Catherine, Elizabeth can see where Darcy's attitude inherited from. Later in this section, Lady Catherine questions Elizabeth about her upbringing. During this conversation, Lady Catherine is far from amiable, for she beleives that Elizabeth and her sisters did not have a proper upbringing.

Pride and Prejudice #5

"But still he would be her husband. Without speaking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasant perspective from want" (Austen 107).

At this point in the novel, Charlotte has accepted Mr. Collins' proposal. This action is quite ironic because just earlier, Mr. Collins had proposed to Lizzy. When this quote is said, Charlotte realizes that Mr. Collins is not indeed the ideal candidate to be her husband, for he vexes her. However, her time for an incumbent engagement is running short. Austen describes Collins to be irksome, neither sensible or agreeable, and clingy. The reasons that Charlotte will marry Mr. Collins is very different from a marriage today. During the time of Pride and Prejudice, women married men for status, inheritance, and money. Today, those factors are barely visible. People today get married purely for the fact that they are in love, and have strong, passionate feelings for one another.
The fact that happiness was not always guaranteed is ridiculous. Marrying someone means that you want to live a life full of felicity with that other person, not that you might be happy once you get to know the other person better. In general terms, the idea of marriage in the time of Pride and Prejudice is very different and archaic from what it is today in modern times.

Pride and Prejudice #4

"'I do assure you, sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart'" (Austen 95).

At this point in the novel, Elizabeth has refused Collins' proposal. Although she is grateful that the compliment subsisted, she does not have feelings for Collins in any possible way. Mr. Collins mentioned that along with Elizabeth's hand in marriage, he would also obtain Mr. Bennet's estate. Earlier in the novel, we read that Lizzy wants to marry for love. Here, Collins' proposal precipitated, and Lizzy was not ready for this commitment. Marrying Collins would go against Elizabeth's morals. After returning home from her outing with Collins, Lizzy tells her mother of the proposal, and her mother says that she must accept the engagement, or she will never see her daughter again. When Mrs. Bennet discusses this with her husband, Mr. Bennet calls Lizzy down to hear her side of the story, and to reflect upon her feelings. Being the propitious child in Mr. Bennet's eyes, Mr. Bennet wants Lizzy to follw her heart, and not to give into a relationship she has no desire to have.

Pride and Prejudice #3

"Having now a good house and a very sufficient income, he intended to marry; and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as he meant to choose one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends--of atonement--for inheriting their father's estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own part" (Austen 61).

The quote above describes Mr. Collins, and what his plans are for the future. From this, it is noticeable that Mr. Collins can be seen as proud as Darcy, for the two characters both take vanity into consideration when discussing the Bennet sisters. Just as Darcy said that Elizabeth was not handsome enough to dance with, Collins is saying that he guesses he could marry someone, only if people said that they were handsome enough. From the quote, the audience can infer that if one of the sisters should marry Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet will have to leave his property to this man, instead of one of his daughters.

Pride and Prejudice #2

'"Oh!" said she, 'I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say 'Yes' that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you that I do not want to dance a reel at all--and now despise me if you dare'" (Austen 45-46).

At this point in the novel, Elizabeth and Jane are staying at the Bingley's, for Jane has fallen ill. One evening, Elizabeth remains rather taciturn while watching Miss Bingley give many propitious compliments to Darcy, leading to Elizabeth and Darcy fighting over the fact if one should accept advice from a friend. Afterward, Miss Bingley plays a song on the piano and Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance. Elizabeth says the above quote in response to Darcy's offering. After reading this quote, I sensed a bit of pride in Elizabeth's response for Darcy would not dance with her at the ball, but wants to dance with her now. Elizabeth has an odious attitude toward Darcy, and is showing him that since he did not want to dance with her then, he would not have the opportunity now.

Pride and Prejudice #1

“Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me" (Austen 12).

At this point in the novel, Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy are attending a ball in Meryton along with the Bennet sisters. Mr. Bingley dances with Jane twice, making her propitious over the other sisters. Bingley then suggests that Mr. Darcy dances with Jane's sister, Elizabeth because of his taciturn attitude. In response, Darcy says, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me." After overhearing this, Elizabeth forms a dislike for Darcy, and holds it throughout the rest of the section.
Darcy views the people of Meryton as inferior to him because they are not of similar social standard. Because Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth, he creates a reputation and persona of impropriety and pride. The rudeness with which Darcy treats Elizabeth creates a negative impression of him in her mind.

HOD #5

"I was on the point of crying at her, 'Don’t you hear them?' The dusk was repeating them in a persistent whisper all around us, in a whisper that seemed to swell menacingly like the first whisper of a rising wind. 'The horror! The horror!'..."'The last word he pronounced was—your name.'" (Conrad 163-164).

After finishing the end of the novel, I was surprised to see how much Marlow has changed throughout his journey to the central station to see Kurtz. After Kurtz dies, Marlow goes back to England and sees Kurtz's lover. HE believes that she should have the last of Kurtz's remains, the papers that Kurtz gave to Marlow on the boat so the manager would not have them. When visiting with Kurtz's lover, the two talk of his last words. Marlow lies to the woman, telling her that Kurtz said her last name as he was dying when in fact, he whispered, "The horror! The horror!" Marlow lies to the woman because he did not want to hurt her any more, and he believed that the truth was too dark for her to hear.

HOD #4

"The point was in his being a gifted creature, and that of all his gifts the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words—the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness" (Conrad 124).

At this point in the novel, Marlow and the natives are being attacked on their trek to the central station, where Kurtz is. Since they are being shot at and one man has already been hit, Marlow is assuming that Kurtz is dead as well. Marlow is disappointed at this fact (which we discover later is false) because he has been looking forward to meeting and talking with Kurtz ever since he set foot on the expedition into the heart of darkness. A bit obsessed with Kurtz, Marlow believes that Kurtz's words can illuminate even the darkest shadows from the middle of the forest, which he says are impenetrable.

HOD #3

"‘Hm’m. Just so,’ grunted the uncle. ‘Ah! my boy, trust to this—I say, trust to this.’ I saw him extend his short flipper of an arm for a gesture that took in the forest, the creek, the mud, the river—seemed to beckon with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart. It was so startling that I leaped to my feet and looked back at the edge of the forest, as though I had expected an answer of some sort to that black display of confidence. You know the foolish notions that come to one sometimes. The high stillness confronted these two figures with its ominous patience, waiting for the passing away of a fantastic invasion" (Conrad 104-105).

At this point in the novel, Marlow and the other native are making their journey to Kurtz's station in the heart of the forest. When this quote is being said, Marlow is hiding in his boat when the Manager and his uncle are talking. I liked this particular quote because it seems as if Conrad wanted to personify the forest, making it seem like some sort of evil force and person. Here, it seems as if the uncle was calling to the evil hidden in the dark forest, calling it out to bring death to the station, and all the men. I also took away from the quote that it seems as if the forest does not want these white men coming in and taking its possessions, and wants them to leave.The part of the quote that says, "The high stillness confronted these two figures with its ominous patience, waiting for the passing away of a fantastic invasion" says that jungle remained still, as if it were waiting for the men to leave. It almost seems as if the jungle is aware of imperialism, and is trying to fight back in a way.

HOD #2

"The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages. They intrigued and slandered and hated each other only on that account—but as to effectually lifting a little finger—oh, no. By heavens! there is something after all in the world allowing one man to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter. Steal a horse straight out. Very well. He has done it. Perhaps he can ride. But there is a way of looking at a halter that would provoke the most charitable of saints into a kick" (Conrad 93).

This section of the book is very much associated with the idea and act of imperialism. Here, Marlow talks about he facade of imperialism, and how fake the operation is. The only true desire of imperialists is to make money, and in this case, off of ivory, and the native people that live in this desolate area. Marlow says that the men plotted against each other to get ahead of everyone else, but did no work whatsoever. The part of the quote, "By heavens! there is something after all in the world allowing one man to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter. Steal a horse straight out. Very well. He has done it. Perhaps he can ride. But there is a way of looking at a halter that would provoke the most charitable of saints into a kick" is important because it highlights the true motives and ideas of imperialism to weaker nations. The metaphor says that there is something terrible about a world that lets one man steal a horse while another man isn’t allowed to even look at a horse’s halter. The metaphor is significant because it means that it is awful for people to take over another nation, when the citizens of the nation have no say and are of little worth.

HOD #1

"'True, by this time it was not a blank space any more. It had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names. It has ceased to be a blank space full of delightful mystery--a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness" (Conrad 71).

Darkness is associated with many different objects throughout this particular section of Heart of Darkness. Light and darkness are oppposite, as they pertian to different things. Light can be considered to be white, and darkness can be considered to be black. In the quote above, the speaker describes his favorite place on the map- a blank space, being white. This blank space brings the boy happiness because he can imagine anything he wants to be there. When the narrator says that it had become a place of darkness, the reader can infer that the blank space has been filled, and that it is no longer a "delightful mystery."

1984 #13

In its entirety, I very much enjoyed Orwell's 1984. I thought this section was particularly interesting, because it stated with Winston in minilove and ended with him back in civilization. Toward the very end of the novel, Winston recognizes Julia and follows her, although Orwell never particularly mentions Julia's name at this time. After he follows her, the two talk about how they betrayed each other during their torture in the Ministry, and how each of them only cared about his or herself throughout the entire process. When Winston is at the Chestnut Tree Cafe after they talk, the book reads, "And then-- perhaps it was not happening, perhaps it was only a memory taking on the semblance of sound-- a voice was singing: 'Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me--'" (Orwell 293). In this particular case, love did not conquer all, but Big Brother does. This is because at the end of the novel, the Party still reigns supreme over all.

1984 #12

These two sections further discuss Winston's "progress" in the eyes of O'Brien. Orwell mentions Winston's fragile state due to him thinking badly of Big Brother. Winston is still having difficulty understanding the concept that nothing existed before the Party. O'Brien says to Winston, "In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy-- everything. Already we are breaking down the habits of thought which have survived from before the Revolution" (Orwell 267). After the entire process of Winston's mind being "wiped clean," he still has a firm belief that there was a world before. O'Brien is starting to get frustrated with the fact that he cannot get through to Winston on this one factor of becoming loyal to the Party.

1984 #11

This chapter of Orwell's 1984 ultimately deals with Winston's torture, the development of a cure for Winston, and doublethink. Winston has undergone endless hours of torture, only to awake to find O'Brien staring back at him. O'Brien tells Winston that he is mentally deranged, and that he has been held under close supervision to cure him. Since O'Brien is a member of the Inner Party, he is not pleased with the fact that Winston can remember the past, before the Party took over the government. Toward the end of Winston's torture, O'Brien says to him, "'What happens to you here is forever...We shall crush you down to the point from which there is no coming back...Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you...You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves'" (256). This quote shows us that it is possible for the Party to rid someone of their memories and thoughts, and to fill it with events and occurrences pertaining to the Party. O'Brien has posed as a friend and leader to Winston throughout the Brotherhood process, where in fact, he wanted to see if Winston was loyal to the Party, which he is not. The fact that Winston does not believe everything the Party says and does upsets O'Brien, which is why he is trying to "cure" Winston to make him sane.

1984 #8

Chapter 8 of Orwell's 1984 explores Winston's involvement with the Brotherhood. Winston discovers that O'Brien has plotted against the Party, and is involved in an organization to overthrow Big Brother. When Julia and Winston arrive at O'Brien's flat, they learn about the Brotherhood and what it means to be in an organization that is dead to the Party. When describing the objectives of the Brotherhood, O'Brien asks, "'You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal diseases- to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party?''' (Orwell 172). The Brotherhood is risking their lives to weaken Big Brother and the government. They are willing to do everything in their power to make sure that life will be worth living again. Winston and Julia agree to these terms, however they are not ready to separate and never see eachother again. O'Brien has made sure that they both fully understand the consequences of being in such a dangerous organization under the watchful eye of the Thought Police.

These three chapters of Orwell's 1984 were of particular interest to me. Orwell further explored Winston and Julia's relationship, and explained a dream Winston had regarding his childhood. One specific thing that stood out to me was the contrasting ideas with the snow globe. The narrator uses the snow globe one way to demonstrate Winston and Julia's love: "Getting there was difficult and dangerous, but the room itself was a sanctuary. It was as when Winston had gazed into the heart of the paperweight, with the feeling that it would be possible to get inside that glassy world..." (Orwell 151). We know that the globe is glass, therefore unbreakable and think, yet transparent, just like the love the two share. The narrator also uses the snow globe in describing Winston's dream: "It was a vast, luminous dream in which his whole life seemed to stretch out before him...It had all occurred inside the glass paperweight, but the surface of the glass was the done of the sky..." (160). Winston's childhood was a dark and depressing time. He was a troubled child who one day returned home to find his mother and sister gone. After reading this quote and about Winston's dream, I immediately thought back to the quote above and realized that the globe was used to describe different things: love and Winston's childhood.

1984 #6

After reading these two chapters of Orwell's 1984, I realized how different the idea of love is in Winston's world compared to mine. Although having a relationship with someone who is of a different age is common, the idea of love is different in the ways that Winston has to hide his relationship with Julia. In modern times, the representation of love is advertised on television, in books, movies, and in many other ways. In 1984, Winston is looking for someone that shares his common views about the Party and how corrupt the government is. The narrator says, "She hated the Party, and said so in the crudest words, but she made no general criticism of it. Except where it touched upon her own life she had no interest in Party doctrine. He noticed that she never used Newspeak words, except the ones that had passed into everyday use" (Orwell 131). Athough Julia is from a different generation than Winston is, she seems to follow the same customs as Winston does, as if it was before the Party took power. Winston finally has someone that shares the same opinions as he does, as he can now turn to someone instead of keeping everything to himself.

1984 #4

After finishing Book 1 of Orwell's 1984, I realized what a different world Winston lives in compared to our modern day America. In these two chapters, the narrator discusses Winston's journey in the land of the proles, at the bar with the old man who discusses his childhood, and at the antique store where he bought his journal. When Winston picks up the children's book with Big Brother's portrait on the cover, he thinks, "In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it...And what was terrifying was not that they would kill you for thinking otherwise, but that they might be right" (Orwell 80). This shows that members of the party are terrified to think about anything against the Party. If the Party says something that the people know is not true, such as two plus two is five, they have no choice but to believe it.

1984 #3

These two chapters in Orwell's 1984 were of particular interest to me. In chapter 5, the narrator describes a man named Syme, whom Winston speaks to in the lunch room. Syme was talking to Wilson about the Eleventh Edition, which is a dictionary. He says, "'We're getting the language into its final shape- the shape it's going to have when nobody speaks anything else. When we're finished with it, people like you will have to learn it all over again. You think, I dare say, that our chief job is inventing new words. But not a bit of it! We're destroying words...cutting the language down to the bone"" (Orwell 50). This quote shows that the government in the 1984 world wants everyone to be the same, and to conform to "their" idea of the perfect citizen. When Syme says "people like you", I assumed it was Winston's generation because Winston knew what the world was like before a totalitarian government took over.

1984 #2

Chapters two, three, and four gave me a closer and more detailed vision of the world projected in Orwell's 1984. In the novel, Winston is trapped in this world by the propaganda depicting Big Brother, causing him to become paranoid by the thought of the Thought Police. The narrator says, "Even from the coin the eyes [of Big Brother] pursued you...Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed- no escape. Nothing was yours except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull" (Orwell 27). This quote from the book shows that Winston can never be alone without being watched by Big Brother. Even when this quote says "Nothing was yours except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull", it is not necessarily true. This is because people in this world are scared to thing against conformity because of the Thought Police. Even the thoughts of the people are not necessarily "safe."

1984

After reading chapter 1 of George Orwell's 1984, I have come to discover that the world of the novel is much different and disturbing compared to the world that we live in today. Orwell discusses powerful leaders, distinct political parties, and harsh punishment for not following the ruler's strict laws. In the beginning of the novel, Orwell describes the world as a dismal, dark place: "Outside,...the world looked cold....there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The black-mustachio'd face gazed down from every commanding corner...BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own" (Orwell 2). The thought of Winston's world being that depressing is disturbing. The propaganda posters of "Big Brother" being everywhere seems that it intimidates the people having to look at them.

Justice in the Tempest

In The Tempest by William Shakespeare, the theme of justice is evident throughout the play. Justice, being defined as moral rightness, does not appeal to some characters throughout the course of the book. The protagonist's view of justice is somewhat hypocritical, for he feels injustice for the fact that he was bannished to a deserted island, yet he does not demonstrate justice to those on the island trying to help him. Prospero, the portagonist, has spent twelve years on an island with magical powers giving him an advantage to punish his ememies. Ariel, Prospero's servant, has done everything his master has directed him to do, yet his master is never pleased. In the beginning of the play, Prospero says, "Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou forgot/ The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy/ Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?" (Act I, scene II). Here, Prospero speaks down and poorly to Ariel, after all he has done for Prospero. The protagonist does not realize that his servant is only trying to help him, not rebel against him.