The Trial: last blog

As the Kafka's novel The Trial is coming to a close, K. goes to a cathedral to show the culture of his city to an Italian businessman. However, the man never presents himself. K. finds himself alone with the prison chaplain. The priest knows of the case and offers an analogy: "A man from the countryside comes up to the door and asks for entry. But the doorkeeper says he can't let him in to the law right now (154)." The analogy is a reference to the general guidelines for the accused. The doorman is the lawyers; the other doormen, who the man never sees, are the higher officials. The man asks entry but is refused. Then, he waits for entry everyday as his life passes. He waits continually and constantly asks the doorman to let him in. He tries to bribe and pester his way, but the man stays firm by disallowing the countryman. Like the countrymen, the indicted people come to learn about the law but are barred by the complication of the task. They look to the lawyers to help but they do not in the slightest. Finally, they spend their entire lives trying to find justice but it is never found.

The Trial: Part 2

Chapter eight of The Trial ends by "This chapter was left unfinished (142)." This chapter ends randomly in the middle of a conversation  predominantly between Block and the lawyer. They were speaking about Block's trial as K. observes from the side. He listens closely to the conversation until that point, but it is not explained why the chapter ends so abruptly. Most likely, it is because the rest of the conversation does not have any influence upon K.'s thoughts. It is unnecessary to hear the rest because it gives no meaning to the work. Another theory is that K. left the room. Since the novel is limited to his point of view, he left room and the conversation ceases to be heard. Kafka leaves it incomplete to demonstrate the irrelavance of the words changed between the two people. Finally, the chapter's abruptness occurred because of the irrelavance to K.'s trial. Kafka did not want to focus on anything that did not elicit thought about K.'s case.

The Trial Part 2

In The Trial by Kafka, the lawyers creates various methods of trying to keep his clients underneath his power. He attempts to manipulate his clients to realize that the lawyer actively participates in each individual case. However, K. sees his scheme. "K. had the feeling he was listening to a contrived dialogue that had been repeated many times, that would be repeated many times more (139)..." One method is to use Leni. She acts like she intervenes on behalf of the client, which in this case is Block. Leni acts like she genuinely cares about the case and tries to help by coaxing answers out of the lawyer. It works perfectly on Block and others like him because he renews his enthusiasm within the case. Also, the lawyer use the art of generalization. Block wants to hear answers or anything about his case, yet the lawyers tells him that he spoke to a judge but never gives a name. The lawyer makes a template of material to use against his clients so that they will keep him in service. It demonstrates that the lawyers are not doing all that they can to help the client. They want more money than they want genuinely help the people in need.

The Trial Part 2

In Franz Kafka's novel The Trial, K. meets an interesting character named Block, the businessman. Block speaks of his case, which has much similarity to K.'s case. Both have not received substantial information about their cases, and they wait for their lawyer to give them evidence that something of meaning is being done for their case. However, Block takes other precautions to help win his case. He hires five "petty" lawyers, who he believes will help him win, yet he still constantly works on his case himself. He attempts to read newspapers, which the lawyer gives him. There is situational irony because although he spent so much money on lawyers, he still believes that he must be involved in his case. He desires to hear something about his case that he constantly stays in the waiting room. Block comments, "I'm there nearly every day (125)." Ironically, he should not have to demean himself to wait for information. He has six almost seven lawyers to help him with his case, yet he cannot get a scrap of detail about how is case is coming. They do not help him and the plethora lawyers does not help him in the slightest.                     

The Trial

In The Trial by Franz Kafka, K. draws a connection with the "accused", who have "their backs bowed, their knees bent, and they stood like beggars on the street (46)." Each person is in the same position as K., and he even acknowledges it by calling them his "colleagues (46)." However, as of this point, they are dissimilar. K. has a strong personality that does not yield to the trial's unusual proceedings while the others avert their gaze when people walk in the room. However, this is a foreshadowing of what is to come of K. All of these people are like K. as they try to find a way to convince the court of their innocence, yet they feel beaten and demoralized. Afterwards, his uncle tries to aid K.'s trial by getting a lawyer. Because of K.'s actions with the carer, he can no longer seek the lawyer's help, and he may have soiled his prospects of winning his case. Nonetheless, K. did not want to help his trial. He becomes indifferent to it by fraternizing with the carer while his uncle tries to help his case with the lawyer and the other gentleman (80). Through this perspective, K. is slowly becoming like the accused.

The Trial

Within the satirical novel, K. realizes the faults of the judicial system within his government. He is accused of a crime about which he does not have any knowledge. Kafka tries to enlighten the people of the disadvantages of a totalitarian government under which he lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In one scene, K. finds the two policemen, who arrested him, in a closet with a whip-man. He will punish them with his cane because they ate K.'s food and performed other unusual activities during K.'s arrest. This is a direct jibe on the police officers and the people in charge. At one point, Willem states, "Nothing would to us otherwise [if K. had not complained], not even if they'd found out what we'd done (61)." This quote establishes three components of the corrupt judicial system. Firstly, the officers would not have been punished for their procedural deviation. Secondly, the whip-man beats them for a simple infraction of eating food. Thirdly, the lower officers always do the jobs of the higher officials. They never take action so far in the book. They always have their cronies working for them. These three components are found within the present judicial system.

The Trial

In Kafka's novel The Trial, K. and the usher go into the attic offices of the court. While in the offices, K. meets the person, who could have altered his entire trial if he had not taken ill. This man's job is to "give information out" and "has an answer to every question (51)". Before this, K. has searched for answers in the judge's books and in the trial's first examination by his oratory. However, at this point, he does not realize how close he is to solving his mysterious crime. This man gives answers away, yet K. asks none. He cannot ask a single question because the oppressive nature of the offices overwhelm him. He becomes so intensely sick that he must be hauled into the fresh air. Immediately, he regains his strength. However, he may have lost the only opportunity to obtain any real answers about his mystery crime and trial.

The Trial

In The Trial by Franz Kafka, he separates his chapters by subtitles. They give the progression of the events, such as in chapter three, K. first goes to "The Empty Courtroom-The Student-The Offices (36)." It gives a clear identification of the various affairs through the chapter. It endorses the idea of a manuscript by a typist in an actual trial. The lawyers and she must separate the information in ways that it is easy to find but quickly to write. Kafka utilizes the main character's initial of his last name instead of his actual name. It demonstrates that the true identification of the indicted person cannot be given to the public. As a result, an air of mystery is given to the main character. He became a more general person, not a specific case. Therefore, Kafka declares that K.'s innocence and the judge's accusations of a crime are constant blunders in the realm of the justice system.

Dover Beach

Throughout the entire poem of "Dover Beach", Matthew Arnold keeps a rhythm through punctuation. It becomes another example of the waves that crash into the English cliffs. Especially in the following line, "Begin, and cease, and then again begin (892)" demonstrates a wavelike rhythm. Each punctuation and beginning of the next line allows the reader to pause for a short time. It symbolizes the sounds of the waves crashing. It contributes to the overall imagery of the cliffs on Dover Beach, which is given a long description within the first stanza. He calls it a "tranquil bay" with "sweet night air". Along with the vivid imagery, the reader is allowed to hear the consistent sounds of the bay. The poem combines the senses, especially sight and sound. It demonstrates the beauty of the sea.

Sorting Laundry

The speaker within Elisavietta Ritchie's poem "Sorting Laundry" is doing a common task. However, she finds a deeper meaning by folding the laundry. She remembers "folding you [him] into my life" (line 2-3, 841). As she pulls each item out, she reminisces about their dreams through a pillowcase, memories through the towels, and the keepsakes like the broken necklace. She recalls the daily routine of the "shirts and skirt and pants". She likens the paper clips as the annoyances that come between her and her significant other. Finally, she picks up the necklace that makes her think of a fond memory. She reveals its origins, but her thoughts travel off into the distance with an ellipsis. It demonstrates that her stream of consciousness is impeded by a strong emotion. She reveals it through the next line, the worries of him leaving her. She could not bear the thought of him leaving.

Batter my heart, three-personed God

Within the poem "Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne, the speaker gives an invocation to God. He describes God in three ways: the healer, the conqueror, and the lover. He is the healer because he seeks to mend the speaker. Conversely, he is the conqueror because He can "break, blow, burn" a person to "make him new (line 4, 840)". These characteristics define God as well as a lover. The speaker reveals his deep bond with temptation. He wishes to sever the tie but seems unable to do so. He asks God repeatedly to "break that knot again", so that the speaker can return to God once more. He can be formed and modeled into God's great plan; however, the tie between temptation is strong. He cannot break it for long because he is not fully desirous of God's plan. Unless God enslaves him and reveals his domineering side, he cannot win the man's heart.

"The Convergence of the Twain"

In the poem "The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy, the speaker utilizes eleven different sections to speak of the Titanic and the iceberg's collision. Both objects are given life through anthropomorphism. The poet describes the Titanic as a woman, and the Iceberg takes on a masculine persona. While constructing the Titanic, the creators attempt to form a ship without any imperfection. The ship grew "in stature, grace, and hue" (line 23, 778). The creators boasted that she is unsinkable, and word rose quickly of its great voyage across the ocean. However, they could not foresee the iceberg's birth and life. The sea begins to shape its life until the fateful day when they cross paths. It traveled to the destination stealthily. The "consummation" has ended when they collide. The two find their other half, and their fate has been fulfilled.    

My Mistress' Eyes

In Shakespeare's poem, "My Mistress' Eyes", the speaker compares his mistress' characteristics to various objects that are typically used in poetry. However, he does not compare her in a complimentary light. He states that she is not like these things. Again and again, he seemingly criticizes the mistress. Her lips are not red like "coral". Her skin is not as the snow; her cheeks do not resemble roses. These observations seem to castigate the mistress for being all that poetry says that she should be. However, he states, "As any she belied with false compare (885)." He disputes the rationalizations through which he already processed. He says that although she is not these things, she is still a goddess.

Barbie Doll

In the early stages of childhood, adults and peers alike expect others to conform to a certain type of beauty. This beauty plagues the world, and the speaker believes that it is not true beauty. We do not look at a girl's beneficial traits, such as, "healthy", "intelligent", and "strong arms and back" but criticize the bad ones, especially their aesthetic appearance like "a fat nose on thick legs (835)". This girl transforms into a Barbie doll to society. She wants to be liked to be accepted, so she heeds the advice of her peers. She tries to "play coy", excercise, and diet. However, she loses herself to maintain the wanted appearance of society. She loses her true individuality to assume a mask of cosmetics. Finally, she attains everyone's praise, but how much has she actually gained? She lost herself but gained public affirmation.

A Jury to Her Peers

In the short story, "A Jury to her Peers", Susan Glaspell creates an extended metaphor between the yellow canary and Minnie Foster. A canary sings beautifully like Minnie had before marrying Mr. Wright. Mrs. Hale reminisces on her, saying, "I wish you'd seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons, and stood up there in the choir and sang (423)." After her marriage, Minnie had been caged by Mr. Wright. She could not be herself as she lives in her own house. Mr. Wright is a man that dislikes extra noise and color. They did not have children and live far away from Mrs. Hale, who did not visit in the past year. Finally, Mr. Wright killed the bird by strangulation because it sang. Finally, Minnie could not handle her situation and decided to kill her husband. Her revenge is strangulation, the same act that killed her bird. Now, the metaphor shifts. The bird now is compared to Mr. Wright, and Minnie set herself free.

Hunter's In the Snow

In the short story "Hunter's in the Snow", Tobias Wolff creates a character named Tub. This nickname characterizes him because he is corpulent. He attempts to show his friends that he only eats a hard-boiled egg and a stick of celery. However, the reader knows that he has other food stashed somewhere else to eat later. He has cookies and at least sandwiches that were dropped earlier when Tub is almost ran over by Kenny. His friends most likely gave him the nickname, and since the weight stayed on Tub's body, it has been kept. Also, it represents the relationship that his friends and Tub have. Instead of being sympathetic, Kenny and Frank watch Tub as he tries to climb fences, leave him behind, and call him a "fat moron" (195). They do not respect Tub. He allows himself to be ridiculed by his friends until he shoots his friend.

Othello part 2: 4

In Shakespeare's Othello, the Moor of Venice, two dynamic characters are Emilia and Othello. Othello, who is calm and rational at the beginning of the tragedy, warps into a jealous, rash man. He blames and kills his wife because he cannot see the truth through Iago's lies. On the other hand, Emilia changes for the better. At the beginning, she is quiet and foolish. She does not question her husband's wishes for the handkerchief. Although she asks after she relinquishes it, Iago dismisses her, and she does not think to argue. After Emilia realizes that she had an indirect part in her friend's death, she becomes outspoken and confident. She will not allow Iago to hide the truth to everyone. She declares, "No, I will speak as liberal as the north. (V. ii. 219)" Her action leads Othello to realize his wrongdoing. He repents and kills himself because of his guilt and desire to be with his love Desdemona.

Othello part 2: 3

In the last act of Shakespeare's Othello, Othello makes a pun on the word light. He says, "Put out the light, and then put out the light (V. ii. 7)." He wants to turn off the candlelight. Then, he will kill his wife's light, which is her life. However, he has doubts about performing the act. If he kills her and regrets it, it will be too late to save her. She will be dead like a light cannot be revive. He also makes an allusion to Promethean light. Prometheus was man within a Greek myth who stole the first fire from the gods. He states that after he kills her that he will not be able to revive her because they cannot cheat death.

Othello Part 2 (2)

Speaking in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice, Othello compares Desdemona to a sweet weed. He has finally confronted her about her affair with Cassio, but he rants about her lost honesty and love. Othello declares, "O thou weed, who art so lovely fair and smell'st so sweet that the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born! (IV.ii. 67-69)" In this extended metaphor, Desdemona is a weed that entices a person's mind to love her. Each sense draws a man into her trap. Her beauty and smell drew Othello in. However, he believes that he now knows what she really is. He calls her a weed because a weed is something that is not desired by anyone. A person typically kills weeds to allow flowers to grow. Similarly, he does not wish to have her anymore as a wife and wishes to end her life.

Othello: part two

Within Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, the handkerchief reappears again in act four. Bianca returns it to Cassio because she believes it is "some minx's token" (IV.i.145). However, Othello sees it as a symbol of his and Desdemona's love. Now, Othello has ocular proof of Cassio's and Desdemona's misconstrued romance. After the proof that he demanded from Iago happens, Othello still hesitates to kill her because he looks upon her fondly. "No, my heart is turned to stone, I strike it and it hurts my hand (IV. i. 171)." He wants to forgive her because it will hurt him to kill the one that he loves. However, Iago urges him to stop the fond thoughts. Finally, Othello reaches the point of no return in his decision to kill his wife, which begins to plot. He demands that both Cassio and Desdemona are killed.   This handkerchief becomes the last straw for Othello. He cannot deny his jealousy and rage that sweet Desdemona is not as pure as he thought. As this handkerchief passes hands with multiple characters, Othello's love for Desdemona dirties and warps into a foul, dirty rag.

Othello IV

In Act II of William Shakespeare's play,  Othello, the Moor of Venice, Emilia simply has three lines. The final line is "how if fair and foolish " when Iago and Desdemona speak of the compliments for each type of women (II.i.135). She does not respond afterwards and exits the stage. It seems like a small bit of information just characterizing Iago distaste for women's manipulations. However, it also characterizes Emilia. She is fair but foolish to a certain extent. Shakespeare did not mention anything about her fairness, but she cannot be ugly because Cassio gave his attention to her by kissing her upon the mouth. Secondly, she demonstrates her senselessness within the third act by handing Iago the handkerchief, which seems like a random token for which to ask without a reason. She asks what he wants to do with it, and he refuses to divulge his plot to her. Then, she allows him to take it without further questioning. Iago even declares, "to have a foolish wife (III.iii.305)."

Othello III

Within the three acts of Shakespeare's Othello, the Moor of Venice, many characters label Iago as trustworthy, noble, and honest. However, he has a darker, more sinister side, which only the audience can see. He thrusts his honesty and can play a part so well. In Act III, Iago declares, "Men should be what they seem, Or those that be not, would they might seem none!" (III.i.128-129). If he actually believes this statement, he himself would be revealed. His smooth and trustworthy exterior would be discovered. The verbal irony still grows, but this declaration gave Iago Othello's admiration and trust. It strengthens Othello's conviction that Iago will never lie to him. Othello falls into quickly into Iago's snare; now, Iago can tell Othello anything with the knowledge that Othello will believe him. He manipulates this conviction by making Othello see Desdemona's concocted affair.

Othello II

Throughout the first three acts of Shakespeare's play Othello, the Moor of Venice, Iago has about various soliloquies and asides. Each time, he divulges to the audience another facet of his plan to ruin Othello. Iago shows his true colors that cannot be seen by anyone but the audience. These techniques give Iago the ability to demonstrate his honest, noble facade to the other characters but to the audience, he reveals his true thoughts. Also, he foreshadows the next manipulation, whether it be to Othello, Mantano, Cassio, and even Roderigo. He formulates plots to make Cassio lose his position of power, make Othello jealous, and make Desdemona look unfaithful. However, he gives merely an outline of what he will do. In Act I, Iago states, "He holds me well/The better shall my purpose work on him" (I.iii.370-371). In the next act, Othello looks to him for the truth of the scuffle between Montano and Cassio. Again, in the next soliloquy  Iago says, "And bring him [Othello] jump when he may Cassio find soliciting his wife (II.iii.349-350)." This is fulfilled again in the third act.

Othello I

Within the play Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, the characters dehumanize Othello by depicting him as a black old ram, a Barbary horse, and a Moor. They typically do not refer to him as Othello but inferior labels that designate he is not of the proper Venetian descent. For example, Iago states, "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe (I.i.88-89)." Iago eludes that the ram is Othello. He is older than the ewe, who is Desdemona. Also, he inherits his black skin from his Moroccan descent. Also, the color has a symbolic meaning. He implies that Othello is dark and evil; whereas, Iago describes the ewe as white. Desdemona is pure and fair. Hence, this extended metaphor would be taken woefully by Brabantio.

Love Me Not Unit

In "You're Ugly, Too" by Moore, the main character Zoe characterizes all of the people of the Midwest through the use of anecdotes. The narrator speaks of a chairman, who calls Zoe in only to "study" her. Also, as Zoe reminisces about her past boyfriends, she thinks about the parking ticket bureaucrat. He comments upon her appearance and asks her to buy new clothes. These anecdotes demonstrates Zoe's dismissive behavior. She dislikes the Midwest. She believes that they are "complacent" and "spoiled". They care too much about their appearance, which made them ugly. These stories characterizes Zoe. She bundles all of the Midwestern people into the category of snobbish and greedy people.

Love Me Not Unit

The setting in the poem "February" by Maragret Atwood is very definite and helps convey the speaker's lack of love and happiness. This poem takes place in the month of February. In most parts of the Western hemisphere, the weather coerces people inside to stay away from the frigid temperatures. It is a time of sadness because people are inside without much to do. Most likely, the speaker lives in Canada because he speaks of watching hockey and eating French fries with vinegar, which Canadians partake in doing often. In Canada, the temperatures stay cold longer. Because his winters are very cold, he is inside most of the time. This cold shows his sadness for not having love. The month of February is known for Valentine's Day. However, he alludes to this day saying that the heart is skewered. At the end, he tells his cat to get rid of his depression and "make it be spring". This message is directed at himself also. He wishes to have a renewal. He wants to find love.

Love Me Not Unit

Irony abounds greatly in Kate Chopin's piece called the "Story of an Hour". She utilizes both dramatic and situational irony to show that as humans, we make mistakes. Dramatic irony appears when Louise's cousin Josephine knocks on the door. After they discovered that Louise's husband is dead, she locks herself away from Josephine and Richards, who told her the news. Josephine worries about her cousin by imploring that she opens the door. She believes that she will sicken herself by thinking about the death. However, Louise finally feels free from her husband that she only loved some of the time. She asks God for a long life because now she possessed "self-assertion", which is more important to her than her husband's assumed death. Also, situational irony appears when the supposedly dead man walks in the front door. Throughout the short story, the audience and the other characters believe that he died in a "railroad disaster". However, he is far away from the incident. Then, his wife dies from the surprise. Both were very unexpected. In an irony all of its own, Louise is free to make her own choices. She is free from his love and desires.

Love Me Not Unit

In "Popular Mechanics", Ettlinger creates a new version of King Solomon's wise decision. In this story, two women ask their King to decide who is the mother of the child. One woman stole the child and left her dead baby for the other woman. Knowing this was not hers, she went to the King for his judgment. He decided to cut the baby in half, but before this could happen, the rightful mother screamed for them to stop. She would rather have her child live with the other woman than to be killed. This sign of love eluded to the correct mother. Similarly, Ettlinger utilizes this old plot; however, he revamps and tweaks it. The parents of a child are fighting for the custody of their child. Both want it, and so they try to rip him from the other's grasp. The final line, "In this manner, the issue was decided," eludes to the death of the child. Instead of wanting the child to live, they both greedily pulled at him until he died. This implicit ending demonstrates the theme that people do not always do what is the best for everyone in the situation. Rather, humans greedily pull and take until someone is hurt. The man killed his son when he "pulled back very hard", and now, both are without a baby. 

In a similar way, I remember a cartoon from my childhood called Recess. A small boy became King of the Playground for the day and handled a situation between two girls and a doll. (4:30 minutes into the video)

Love Unit

In "Eveline" by James Joyce, the statement, "He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live (221)" foreshadows Eveline leaving Frank. She believes that she needs someone to save her. She stays in the same house with her verbally abusive father. Promising her mother to keep the family together, she felt an obligation to stay with them. Nevertheless, she feels unhappy and needs to move to become happy again.  In the end, Eveline cannot find the courage to leave the place she has known all her life and embark for Argentina. As she looks upon the boat, she realizes that she cannot go to a new, foreign place. She realizes that she does not love him. Also, she wanted to live. She felt smothered by him. Therefore, she stayed behind.

Love Unit

In many ways, Edie and Mrs. Peebles are FOIL characters in "How I Met My Husband" by Munro. Mrs. Peebles seems allergic to any type of work although it is much easier than the work Edie is used to completing. She takes naps during the day. Also, she lives her life in a higher class than Edie. Mrs. Peebles does not have to work for a living and can randomly leave her house without worry about any of the chores. On the other hand, Edie worked hard for most of her life. She worked with her family before gaining a job of housekeeper at the Peebles' house. This creates a lot of misunderstanding between the two characters. Nevertheless, Mrs. Peebles protects Edie from Alice Kelling's rage. She is the voice of reason when she asked, "I'm wondering, if you know what being intimate means. Now tell me (144)." Whether she protects her because she did not want to find another housekeeper or became attached to Edie throughout the years, Mrs. Peebles defended her when Kelling screeched at her.

Love Unit

Within the poem "Delight in Disorder", Robert Herrick exposes a paradox of women. They like to look disheveled to grasp the attention of men. However, they procure this look in a way that "is too precise in every part (979)." He describes the different articles of clothing like a scarf and a dress. These clothing pieces are laid upon the woman to create an air of seduction. They seem to lay upon her without any order or care. Although women try to create this sense of facility in beauty, they spend much of their time to do so. They have learned so much from the reactions of men. Now, they can skillfully create an attraction. Herrick states that they entice him so much that seduction has become an art.

Love Unit

             Wendy Cope creates different people within a newspaper through her poem, "Lonely Hearts". While looking for love, she formulates a parody of people's desire to find love. Each person composes his or her advertisement for a newspaper. Every single person tries to find his soul mate. However, he makes crucial specifications that a person must have to be happy. For example, an executive is looking for a new person "perhaps bisexual woman, arty, young (973)." He searches for someone who he may not get. He enumerates the qualities that he deems worthy of "something new". This person may not be the best for his soul mate because a reader may see him as trying to get a good time. He will always be alone because he cannot be happy with the woman he might get.