flrtinaskirt712 @ 2007-08-27T23:21:00

2007-08-28T06:21:52Z

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Ceremony
"Only his skull resisted; and the resistance increased the pain to a shrill whine. He visualized each piece of his own skill, fingering each curve, each hollow, testing its thickness for a final thin membrane worn thin by time and the witchery of dead ash and mushroomed bullets. He searched the thin walls, weak sutures of spindle bones above the ear for thresholds. He knew if he left his skull unguarded, if he let himself sleep, it would happen: the resistance would leak out and take with it all barriers, all boundaries; he would seep into the earth and rest with the center, where the voice of the silence was familiar and the density of the dark earth loved him. He could secure the thresholds with molten pain and remain; or he could let go and flow back. It was up to him" (Silko 187).

Tayo's struggle embodies that which all humans must face, and that is the power to control not only one's own actions, but destiny as well. Silko refers to the pain from his skull as a "shrill whine," reminiscent of a small child who will not stop pestering for something she wants. In the same way, Tayo's mind knows that there needs to be a change and is taking this opportunity to reconnect with nature and forces Tayo to scrutinize himself. As Tayo is taking apart his skull physically, "fingering each curve…testing its thickness," he is dissecting his brain and delving into his buried thoughts. Looking at the pieces of his skull, Tayo can see the weaknesses and the pains accumulated throughout his life. For the first time, Tayo is able to analyze and pick apart the effects due to war, his Native American culture and heritage, and the walls he created for himself. Tayo needs to probe into his own thoughts in order to figure out what has been wrong with him for so many years, why he was plagued with nightmares for so long. It is only until Tayo can look into his own mind that the world can start to fall back into place and he can find his place in that world. Silko emphasizes the idea of barriers throughout this passage with words such as membrane, walls, sutures, and unguarded to underline the idea that Tayo has built a fortress around himself. Consequently, Tayo realizes that something Josiah had once told him: "Josiah said that only humans had to endure anything, because only humans resisted what they saw outside themselves. Animals did not resist" (24). Similarly, Tayo has come to realize that instead of building barriers to protect himself, he must let go of the anger and the pain that he has experienced if he is ever to find peace in himself. When he is able to overcome his own mind, Tayo can become one with the earth and stop barricading himself with his pain and anger. Tayo, just as all people, learns that he can choose to remain angry and blame all those around him or let life take him on an adventure.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Ceremony
"In a world of crickets and wind and cottonwood trees he was almost alive again; he was visible. The green waves of dead faces and the screams of the dying that had echoed in his head were buried. The sickness had receded into a shadow behind him, something he saw only out of the corners of his eyes, over his shoulder” (Silko 96).

Tayo constantly finds himself stuck in the middle throughout the novel and realizes that he needs the stories and ceremonies of his people to make himself feel alive. Only after Tayo has spent time appreciating the nature and maintaining a connection to his culture is he able to say that he feels almost alive again. Silko's diction is well thought out as she makes clear that Tayo is only mid-journey by using "almost" to emphasis that there is more that needs to come before Tayo will actually feel alive. The world of "crickets and wind and cottonwood trees" portrays a larger image of the nature that surrounds him and the connection he feels to the earth. White people are know for abusing the earth and taking advantage of its beauty, but Tayo knows to look to the earth to breath vitality into him. After feeling invisible for so long, stuck in a war in which every man is disciplined to look the same, he can finally find his own personality and discover individual traits. Although Tayo has faced numerous deaths, scenes of mutilated bodies and warfare, and shame of his parentage, he awaits has a long journey ahead of him to deal with the loss of his identity. He can remember the "dead faces and screams" from his past, but also claims that he has buried such thoughts and is ready and willing to move on and leave such memories behind. Silko characterizes these memories as shadows that lurk over the shoulder, foreshadowing that they will come back to test him. Although he only witnesses such memories "out of the corners of his eyes," he has clearly not been purged from such images and is still stuck in the middle of his journey. Through the passage, Silko demonstrates Tayo's inner turmoil as he struggles to find life after he has witnessed so much death. Tayo continues on this journey and finds himself stuck midpoint frequently, despite his best efforts to find peace and his perpetual desire to feel alive once more.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Ceremony
"The people had been taught to despise themselves because they were left with barren land and dry rivers. But they were wrong. It was the white people who had nothing; it was the white people who were suffering as thieves do, never able to forget that their pride was wrapped in something stolen… But the effects were hidden, evident only in the sterility of their art, which continued to feed off the vitality of other cultures, and in the dissolution of their consciousness into dead objects: the plastic and neon, the concrete and steel. Hollow and lifeless as a witchery clay figure" (Silko 189-190).

Despite the seeming wealth and prestige of a people, the measure of true happiness and accomplishment is not found in material possessions and the ability to exert control over other peoples, but the intellect and creativity of the mind. The white people, who seem to have so many worldly belongings, hide behind such things to conceal the fact that they are unhappy by taking more from the weak. The Native Americans, although left with very little to call their own, hold onto the originality and imagination that the whites remain ignorant to. Silko's description of a thief, "never able to forget that [his] pride was wrapped in something stolen," conveys an image for the reader of what the white person has done to the Native Americans. Although the white person has literally taken away land, they can never appreciate it because they will never see it as a gift, something to maintain that has value. The whites focus on lifeless objects, such as "plastic and neon, the concrete and steel" parallels how they are unable to realize their own failures and shortcomings. These examples Silko uses are not only lifeless and hollow, but highlight her use of "sterility" in saying that all things favored by the whites are barren and unable to produce any fruit. Silko goes further in juxtaposing sterility with vitality, rather than fertility, to say that not only are the exploits of the white culture barren, but these so-called feats are slowing letting their lives trickle away. The white people are allowing life itself to become meaningless by taking pride in the things that they steal from others, because they are incapable of producing anything for themselves. Silko ties in a final image to compare the white people to the most feared Native American legend of the witches. By drawing this final parallel, Silko claims that the whites should almost be pitied by the Native Americans, because they can hardly control their jealousy and anger due to their lack of originality.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Love in the Time of Cholera
"A hand like the talon of a hawk seized him by the shirt sleeve and pulled him into a cabin. In the darkness he could barely see the naked women, her ageless body soaked in hot perspiration, her breathing heavy, who pushed him onto the bunch… and stripped him, without glory, of his virginity. Both of them fell in agony of desire, into the void of a bottomless pit …for at the height of pleasure he had experienced a revelation that he could not believe, that he even refused to admit, which was that his illusory love for Fermina Daza could be replaced by an earthly passion" (Márquez 142-143)

Florentino learns that despite his vows and eternal promises to Fermina, he is not able to save himself from taking pleasure in sex and, in a sense, replacing Fermina. Although he leaves Fermina's life, rejected and confused, vowing to remain eternally bound to her, he is viciously stripped of this honor against his will. The woman who stole away Florentino's virginity remains anonymous; any woman could have been responsible for causing Florentino to break his vow. The darkness and her ageless body further underscore the anonymity of her actions against Florentino's previously untarnished, unrequited love. The language used throughout this passage describing the sex sounds full of passion and pleasure, mostly controlled by the nameless woman. However, after he has been stripped of his virginity, the description changes to emptiness, the "void" and "bottomless pit" seem to contradict the passion that seemed to enthrall them just moments before. Here they realize that although they have both experienced the euphoric pleasure of sex, the lack of love or any real feeling between them will eventually catch up to them. Furthermore, Márquez's antithesis of "agony" and "desire" expand on the idea that the act of sex can not be seen as an instrument of love. Florentino finds such pleasure and euphoria in the act of sex that he feels that he could replace some of his feelings for Fermina with this pleasure. In the same way, the anonymous woman was using Florentino in hopes, perhaps, that she too could fill some void in her own life. When Florentino realizes that he could replace his unrequited devotion to Fermina for a cheap night, Márquez reveals the weakness of mankind. Florentino has been the character that would not let anything get in the way of what he believed was a higher, almost other worldly love, but he gives in to the earthly pleasures of loveless sex. After his first encounter, Florentino is fine to engage in numerous affairs, justifying his actions by claiming that his love for Fermina never wavered because he did not love any of the women he had sexual relations with. Márquez points out the frailty of man when it comes to emotions and controlling passion with reason.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Love in the Time of Cholera
"For the past five years or so she had been obligated to do it regardless of the reason because he could not dress himself. They had just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, and they were not capable of living for even an instant without the other, or without thinking about the other, and that capacity diminished as their age increased. Neither could have said if their mutual dependence was based on love or convenience, but they had never asked the question with their hands on their hearts because they had both always preferred not to know the answer" (Márquez 26).

When two people experience what seems to be undying passion and marry based on these intense and overwhelming emotions, the results of the marriage are difficult to foretell because no one knows what will happen once the passion has died down. Fermina and Dr. Urbino never experienced this feeling of passion and love toward each other, but a feeling of friendship that they could built upon and carried them into their adult life and beyond. Instead of feeling like two star-crossed lovers they were able to feel like old friends and build a relationship based on reason and logic. They could feel the comforts and securities of a long marriage from the beginning rather than feel as the first couple felt. This couple would have experienced a surge of panic when they would realize that there was no passion left and they would need to build a relationship based on something deeper, whether or not such a connection existed between the two people. Through this seemingly ordinary and perhaps mundane scene, Márquez illustrates that refusing to marry Florentino may have been the safe choice on Fermina's part. Even though she married a man that she may not have been in love with, the comfort, stability and security that she finds with Dr. Urbino may be enough to make up for the passion that consumed Florentino. Fermina and Dr. Urbino both understand that their feelings may never have been love, but that does not mean that they feel empty with each other, because they were able to develop and build a relationship. Márquez compares this type of relationship throughout the rest of the book with Florentino's relations, contrasting Florentino's numerous, passionate affairs with Fermina's constant and dedicated marriage. Here, Márquez distinguishes differences between the cool, collected reason of Dr. Urbino with the wild, passion driven mentality of Florentino to allow the reader to choose which they find more appealing.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
Love in the Time of Cholera
"I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love" (Márquez 50).

Florentino has spent the greater part of fifty years pining for Fermina and has finally had his chance to declare his devotion now that she is no loner bound to another man. Florentino exemplifies the ideal that love can permeate through the mediums of time and space, as the two were kept apart and barely spoke to each other for over fifty years. Despite these long years in which they both were with different people, Florentino's declaration of love is as passionate and unwavering as the love letters he wrote to her more than fifty years ago. Additionally, the style that Márquez uses in this short passage is similar to that of an epic, giving the reader insight into Márquez's views on love and fidelity. Márquez invokes the feeling of an epic through the elevated language that conveys eternity in Florentino's words. Also, Florentino claims that he has waited "more than half a century," later specifying that it took "fifty one years, nine months and four days" until he could be with Fermina after she rejected him (Márquez 288). This unrequited love seems even greater and more tragic because of its length, inflating the worth of his love. By placing Florentino in front of Fermina the day of her husbands funeral and having him speak so grandly, Márquez illustrates his true ideas about the character Florentino and the ideals he holds. The reader knows that Florentino has not exercised the "eternal fidelity" he claims, physically, but has kept her in his thoughts at all times. Through the epic diction and style, Márquez claims that what is truly epic in the world is love, and the boundaries it can cross and the hold that it has on people despite all obstacles. Love is the epic ideal in this passage and it is what has kept Fermina in Florentino's thoughts for so long.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
East of Eden
"There was the sardonic look on his face his family knew so well—the joke on himself that made him laugh inwardly. He walked by the sad little garden and all around the house—not a new house anymore. Even the last added lead-to bedrooms were old and weathered and putty around the windowpanes had shrunk away from the glass. At the porch he turned and surveyed the whole home cup of the ranch before he went inside" (Steinbeck 286).

Although the process of aging can be terrifying and mark the arrival to death for some people, this passage on Samuel proves that there are ways to age gracefully and embrace death. Samuel's children fear that he is too old to run the ranch and give into his inventions and they want him to live in comfort for his last remaining years. They try to subtly invite him because they are afraid that he will be insulted if he thinks that his children know he is getting old, but he does not fear death in the way that they believe. Samuel embraces the vacation because he wants to please his children, but his view of death is beautifully exemplified through the images of the passage. Every image that Steinbeck presents intensifies his feeling of getting older and aging, but they are all calming examples of perfect aging. For the first time, Samuel steps back and looks at himself, the "sardonic look" is his way of laughing ironically at himself since he never stopped and took the time to think that he was aging. The house is the most elegant symbol of the passage because on the surface, the house could not possibly look new seeing as there were almost a dozen people who lived there and called it there home. In the same way, Samuel cannot be called young considering his age, but that is not to say that both have not worn beautifully, a great utility for all people around them. The weathered lean-to bedrooms may not look elegant, but they have served a purpose and made someone comfortable for years. These images of the worn out house elicit memories of a favorite comfort item of a child; the more worn out and weathered, the more it is loved. This image perfectly portrays Samuel, who has lived with so much love and helped all the people around him. Samuel does not fear death, but takes a chance to "survey the whole home cup" that is his life and is content with what he has done and is ready to move away and embrace what will come to him.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
East of Eden
"You've got the other too. Listen to me! You wouldn't even be wondering if you didn’t have it. Don’t you dare take the lazy way. It's too easy to excuse yourself because of your ancestry. Don’t let me catch you doing it! Now—look close at me so you will remember. Whatever you do, it will be you who do it—not your mother" (Steinbeck 445).

It is too easy for a person to fall victim to what they feel they are expected to be because of where they came from and accept that they can do no better than this narrow path. Lee is aware the Caleb may want to dismiss the struggle in himself between good and evil because he now knows that he comes from the most evil characters in the novel. Although Lee was a part of the Cain and Abel discussion and is aware of the idea of timshel, he does not want to control Caleb's discussion, as this would be hypocritical. Lee wants to help Caleb fight the temptation to give into the part of him that is ruled by hatred and contempt, but in his wisdom, knows that the decision is ultimately up to Caleb. In this way, Caleb has one of the most difficult journey's in the novel because the weight of all those who came past him, from Charles and Adam all the way back to Cain and Abel, rests on his shoulders. Caleb was given the name that started with a "C" which seems to be the trademark of the darker and more inherently evil characters of the book. Charles and Caleb are very similar and share parallel lives, but Caleb actually feels that he is being mean and makes the conscious decision to stop. He can recognize that he wants to be loved in the way that Aaron is and that manipulating and hurting people is not the way to receive that love. Although Caleb has been mean and hurtful and falters in his decisions, it does not take away from his strong desire to be good. The idea of timshel ultimately falls on Caleb as he is last in line and the one to realize that he came from a line of evil, even if he can not understand the full breadth of his ancestry. Caleb knows that his mother is a whore and believes that this is reason enough that he should give up being nice and give in to the evil that he can sense in himself. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand and grasp that all humans have a choice and that even this young boy can overcome what his blood claims he should be.

Malous Kossarian
Ms. Poole
AP English Literature
28 August 2007
East of Eden
"He thought dawdling, protective thoughts, sitting under the lamp, but he knew that pretty soon his name would be called and he would have to go up before the bench with himself as judge and his own crimes as jurors. And his name was called, shrilly in his ears. His mind walked in to the face of his accusers" (Steinbeck 404).

After experiencing some sort of turning point in life, usually marked by a great tragedy, it is normal for a person to examine their lives and their mistakes. After Dessie's death, Tom looks into his own life and picks apart all of what he has done because he feels such an immense weight of guilt upon himself. Tom puts himself in a court room and judges his own sins because he feels as though he has lived a bad life and was a bad person. The idea of sitting "under the lamp" and having to "go up before the bench" makes this self imposed trial seem more solemn and severe. Although Tom over emphasizes his sins, he wants to look at what he has done and the kind of person he has become, exercising his ability to choose the life he leads. Dessie once thought of Tom: "How pure he is, how unfit for a world that even she knew more about than he did…and his small sins seemed so great to him that he felt unfit and unseemly" (Steinbeck 399). Dessie shows that although Tom did not need to repent, he knew that he had lived a life of freewill and choice, and that with this choice he bore a responsibility to do good. Tom feels as though he has faltered and, instead of waiting, decides to put himself on trial and examine himself.

you too kimber

2006-02-08T23:29:22Z

From Karlee...i love her
Leave your name and
1. I'll respond with something I like about you.
2. I'll tell you what song or movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll ask you a question.
4. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
5. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
6. I'll describe our final fight to the death.
7. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

and if i stop breathing put yur arms around me

2005-02-02T04:13:31Z

HOW TO LOVE A GIRL:
tell her you think that she's cool. tell her why you think she's so cool. smell her. talk to her in movie theatres. pick her up and pretend you're going to throw her in the river, she'll scream and fight you but secretly, she'll love it. hold her hand and skip. hold her hand and run. just hold her hand. pick her flowers out of other people's gardens and give them to her. tell her she looks pretty. let her pay for stuff if she wants to. introduce her to your friends as 'the coolest girl i know'. sit in the park and talk to her. take her to the library and playgrounds and train stations. tell her dirty jokes. tell her stupid jokes. talk about politics. write poems about her. just walk around with her. throw pebbles at her window at night, when she starts swearing at you, tell her you love her. take her to shows of bands she's never heard. hold her hand in the mosh pit. let her fall asleep in your arms. call her. call her back if she calls you. sing to her, no matter how bad you are. carve your names into a tree. get her mad, then kiss her. give her piggy-back rides. give her space if she needs it. push her on swings. stay up with her all night when she's sick. make up pet names for her, but cool ones, not sappy ones. teach her guitar. lend her your cds. write on her. make her mixtapes. write her letters. if she asks you to go to a show with her, go, even it it means a 5 hours road trip. take her to cool shops and let her take you to even cooler ones. listen to all the bands she mentions. dont tell her that her favorite bands suck. when shes sad hang out with her or stay on the phone even if shes not saying anything. buy her ice cream. let her take all the photos of you she wants. look into her eyes. slow dance with her, even if the music is fast. kiss her in the rain. when you fall in love with her, tell her.

youve had your chance

flrtinaskirt712 @ 2007-08-27T23:21:00

decisions, decisions

you too kimber

flrtinaskirt712 @ 2005-08-28T15:42:00

and if i stop breathing put yur arms around me

flrtinaskirt712 @ 2004-04-18T13:59:00