1. Anathema: 1 a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b : someone or something intensely disliked or loathed
2 a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b : the denunciation of something as accursed c : a vigorous denunciation : curse
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 472: "They would hear of his doings though, of how in the next summer after he removed to the country he invaded a protracted al fresco church revival being held in a nearby grove and turned it into a week of amateur horse racing while to a dwindling congregation gaunt, fanaticfaced country preachers thundered anathema from the rustic pulpit at his oblivious and unregenerate head."
2. The details of Joe Christmas's death are explained through the eyes of Percy Grimm, a war-obsessed white supremacist. Grimm collects a battalion of men to patrol the town and "protect" Christmas before his trial. Christmas makes a bolt for freedom and Grimm pursues him on bicycle, eventually winding up at Hightower's house. When Grimm busts through the door, Hightower tells him that Christmas was with him the night of the murder, but it is too late. Grimm rushes up the stairs to kill and castrate Christmas. The narrative then switches to that of Hightower, who reminisces on the lives of his grandfather and father. A slave-owning lawyer, his grandfather never truly understood his father, an abolitionist and aspiring preacher. When Hightower's father joined the military, his Yankee views led him to never fire a gun, and after his service concluded he became a doctor. Meanwhile, Hightower's grandfather was killed in Jefferson during the war. Hightower remembers growing up in the shadows of these great figures, and later moving to Jefferson because of this. He then sees an array of faces, including those in his life currently, and feels as if he is dying with the thunder of horses in his heart. The narrative once again changes, this time to a new character, a furniture dealer. He tells his wife of the strange experience he has had when he offered Lena, Byron and the baby a ride. The strange group has no specific destination, just a request to travel. They stop for the night and by pretending to sleep the man discovers that Byron and Lena are not married. Late at night, Byron tries an advance on Lena, but she rejects him. He disappears but shows up in time to catch a ride in the morning. They travel on, and the book comes to a close.
3. This section gave so much dimension to Hightower. For the first time in a long time he lets his guard down and examines his past and his future. By delivering Lena's baby he has unknowingly let himself become a part of a community, however small. After this incident he still refuses to lie for Joe Christmas's sake, but when Grimm charges into his house he bears false witness in an attempt to save the man. By doing so, Hightower is overcoming a tremendous obstruction: he is doing something for another individual, regardless of the consequences he will face as repurcussion. He regains some dignity and humanity in his actions. Hightower then analyzes his life, particularly the "ghosts" that have haunted him since his youth. His desires and oddities are explained by his reflections and the reader is left to sympathize instead of ostracize. He is a torn character from a line of torn characters. His grandfather could not understand his son, who was so divergent from himself. His father joined a war on a side he could never support, perturbing him and altering him for the rest of his life. These two characters played an immense part in Hightower's life; it is no wonder he is a torn being. Growing up he gazed in wonder at his grandfather's confederate uniform. He heard the tales of the glory of these two powerful men and their conflicting opinions. He became obsessed, and his means of fulfilling his goals corresponding to this obsession involved marrying his wife and moving to Jefferson. Once in Jefferson, his wife became unfaithful and he was rejected by the community. Eventually he gave up his fight and withdrew entirely. I believe that this egress from society seemed easier to him than being shunned persistently. After he finally intercedes on the account of another, Hightower experiences "thundering" like hooves in his heart. I believe this is symbolic of his death or near death. It's ironic that the first day he truly lives also happens to be the day of his death. It seems to me as if he has been holding onto his pain and exclusion for so long that he doesn't even realize the affect it has on him until he is finally able to release it. When he is able to let go of his past, he finds that his body is weary and ready to expire. It is not a painful or untimely death; rather, he is finally able to pass into peace.
4. My first question upon completing the novel is regarding Percy Grimm. We discussed in class how he seems to be an aggregate of several characters. I definitely recognize the traits of Joe Christmas. Which other characters are included? Joanna Burden? Gail Hightower?
My second question is whether Faulkner intended the circularity that is apparent at the conclusion of the novel. The story begins and ends with the same action taking place: Lena, traveling by foot. Do other aspects of the story provide circularity as well? It seems interesting that life in Jefferson goes on, unaffected, when the week ends.
My third question is over the significance of Percy Grimm's name. Once again, we touched on this in class, but never came to a definitive solution. Does Grimm represent the Grimm reaper? This seems a stretch to me.
Showing posts with label light in august. Show all posts
Showing posts with label light in august. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
9 Light in August, Ch 17-18
1. Querulous: 1 : habitually complaining
2 : fretful, whining
-Merriam-Webster Online.
Page 404: "But he notices that his thinking sounds querulous, like the peaceful whining of a querulous woman who is not even listening to herself; then he finds that he is preparing his usual hearty breakfast, and he stops quite still, clicking his tongue as though in displeasure."
2. Byron goes to fetch Hightower and a doctor as Lena goes in to labor. However, the doctor takes too long, and by the time he arrives with Byron, Hightower has already delivered the baby. Mrs. Hines is delusional and believes Lena to be Milly and the baby to be Joe. Byron goes to find Joe Brown and bring him to Lena and Mr. Hines sneaks out while Mrs. Hines is asleep. When Mrs. Hines awakes she follows after him, leaving Lena and the child alone. Hightower comes back and Lena explains that Mrs. Hines now seems to think the baby is Joe Christmas's. She also expresses excitement over seeing Byron, whom Hightower learns has just quit his job at the planing mill. Byron, meanwhile, arranges for Joe Brown to be brought to the cabin where Lena and her newborn are staying. He then packs his belongings and leaves on a mule. Once on the road out of town, Byron sees Brown sneak out of the cabin and run away, and immediately turns around in pursuit. The story then jumps to Brown's point of view. He is shown entering the cabin and seeing Lena. Clearly shocked and confused, Brown searches for an excuse to leave, eventually climbing out a window. He sends a note to the sheriff asking for his reward money, but Byron gets to him first. Brown beats up Byron and gets on a train out of town. At the very end of the section it is revealed that Christmas has been killed.
3. I think females are portrayed interestingly throughout the novel, accumulating in this section. There seem to be a few preeminent types of females: those who are strong yet fallen and those who are docile and incompetent in their attempts to nurture those around them. Lena Grove, Reverend Hightower's wife, Bobbie, and Milly are all examples of the disgraced, independent class. Lena has become pregnant out of wedlock, clearly defining her lack of chastity. Reverend Hightower's wife is publically known to be having an affair before her suicide, which encompasses two discrepancies to traditional Southern society. Obviously her adulterous ways would have been frowned upon, but she also would have been deprecated due to her self-immolation. Bobbie, who earns her living as a prostitute, would have been seen as abonimable by the community surrounding her. Similarly to Lena, Milly became pregnant out of wedlock, but in this case with a black man. This would have been an outrage not only because of the lack of matrimony, but also because of the racial significance. To contrast these immoral characters, Faulkner included characters such as Mrs. McEachern and Mrs. Hines. Both women strive continuously to make Joe feel adored and welcome, yet each falls terribly short. Because of their domineering husbands and their submissive behavior, the women are bullied and abused frequently. The cruelty of the men does not stop with the women, however; the obedient nature of the women allows their spouses to torment those around them, often resulting in absolute chaos and harm to others. Both are treated as if they do not matter; their opinions are disregarded entirely and it's almost as if they don't have voices. On page 148, Mrs. McEachern is completely ignored by her husband and Joe Christmas. "She was watching the door when they passed it. "Pa," she said. Neither of them so much as looked at her. They might not have heard, she might not have spoken, at all." The only woman who does not fit entirely into one of these categories is Joanna Burden, who exhibits some qualities of each classification.
4. My first question is whether Faulkner truly believed that all women fit into the two categories mentioned in my analysis. Are all females in his other books like this? Or is this theme only eminent in this particular novel?
My second question is regarding the death of Joe Christmas. Was Mr. Hines finally appeased? Was Christmas lynched, or did he die another way? If the latter is true, who killed him?
My final question is regarding Byron Bunch. What will he do? He seems to be planning to leave Lena and Jefferson, but will he follow through or will he return to the woman he seems so attached to?
2 : fretful, whining
-Merriam-Webster Online.
Page 404: "But he notices that his thinking sounds querulous, like the peaceful whining of a querulous woman who is not even listening to herself; then he finds that he is preparing his usual hearty breakfast, and he stops quite still, clicking his tongue as though in displeasure."
2. Byron goes to fetch Hightower and a doctor as Lena goes in to labor. However, the doctor takes too long, and by the time he arrives with Byron, Hightower has already delivered the baby. Mrs. Hines is delusional and believes Lena to be Milly and the baby to be Joe. Byron goes to find Joe Brown and bring him to Lena and Mr. Hines sneaks out while Mrs. Hines is asleep. When Mrs. Hines awakes she follows after him, leaving Lena and the child alone. Hightower comes back and Lena explains that Mrs. Hines now seems to think the baby is Joe Christmas's. She also expresses excitement over seeing Byron, whom Hightower learns has just quit his job at the planing mill. Byron, meanwhile, arranges for Joe Brown to be brought to the cabin where Lena and her newborn are staying. He then packs his belongings and leaves on a mule. Once on the road out of town, Byron sees Brown sneak out of the cabin and run away, and immediately turns around in pursuit. The story then jumps to Brown's point of view. He is shown entering the cabin and seeing Lena. Clearly shocked and confused, Brown searches for an excuse to leave, eventually climbing out a window. He sends a note to the sheriff asking for his reward money, but Byron gets to him first. Brown beats up Byron and gets on a train out of town. At the very end of the section it is revealed that Christmas has been killed.
3. I think females are portrayed interestingly throughout the novel, accumulating in this section. There seem to be a few preeminent types of females: those who are strong yet fallen and those who are docile and incompetent in their attempts to nurture those around them. Lena Grove, Reverend Hightower's wife, Bobbie, and Milly are all examples of the disgraced, independent class. Lena has become pregnant out of wedlock, clearly defining her lack of chastity. Reverend Hightower's wife is publically known to be having an affair before her suicide, which encompasses two discrepancies to traditional Southern society. Obviously her adulterous ways would have been frowned upon, but she also would have been deprecated due to her self-immolation. Bobbie, who earns her living as a prostitute, would have been seen as abonimable by the community surrounding her. Similarly to Lena, Milly became pregnant out of wedlock, but in this case with a black man. This would have been an outrage not only because of the lack of matrimony, but also because of the racial significance. To contrast these immoral characters, Faulkner included characters such as Mrs. McEachern and Mrs. Hines. Both women strive continuously to make Joe feel adored and welcome, yet each falls terribly short. Because of their domineering husbands and their submissive behavior, the women are bullied and abused frequently. The cruelty of the men does not stop with the women, however; the obedient nature of the women allows their spouses to torment those around them, often resulting in absolute chaos and harm to others. Both are treated as if they do not matter; their opinions are disregarded entirely and it's almost as if they don't have voices. On page 148, Mrs. McEachern is completely ignored by her husband and Joe Christmas. "She was watching the door when they passed it. "Pa," she said. Neither of them so much as looked at her. They might not have heard, she might not have spoken, at all." The only woman who does not fit entirely into one of these categories is Joanna Burden, who exhibits some qualities of each classification.
4. My first question is whether Faulkner truly believed that all women fit into the two categories mentioned in my analysis. Are all females in his other books like this? Or is this theme only eminent in this particular novel?
My second question is regarding the death of Joe Christmas. Was Mr. Hines finally appeased? Was Christmas lynched, or did he die another way? If the latter is true, who killed him?
My final question is regarding Byron Bunch. What will he do? He seems to be planning to leave Lena and Jefferson, but will he follow through or will he return to the woman he seems so attached to?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
8 Light in August, Ch 15-16
1. Morganatic: : of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of the parent of higher rank. -Merriam-Webster Online
Page 364: "The gainer, the inheritor of rewards, since it will now descend upon the morganatic wife of - Shall I say that too?"
2. In chapters fifteen and sixteen we are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Hines, an old couple who seem like another species and live in the black section of Mottstown. Mr. Hines fills his time by preaching about white superiority in black churches and the Hineses recieve their food from mysterious black visitors. When Joe Christmas is caught Mr. Hines goes crazy and tries to attack him. Mrs. Hines also acts strangely, asking a lot of questions, and it appears to the townsfolk that the couple are familiar with the fugitive. Mr. Hines is adament that Christmas should be killed immediately, no trial, and Mrs. Hines begs to see him. When Christmas leaves for Jefferson, the couple buys tickets for a 2:00 am Jefferson-bound train and sits at the station patiently waiting. Meanwhile, Byron visits Hightower, who once again chides him for his actions toward Lena. Byron then gets the Hineses and they tell of their relationship with Christmas: they are his grandparents. Their daughter, Milly, snuck around with a black circus worker. When they found out, Mr. Hines was furious and killed the worker. Refusing to get a doctor, Mr. Hines let his daughter die in childbirth. He then left Mrs. Hines with the child for a while, but later came back and took the baby. Mrs. Hines never knew what happened to Joe but always suspected that Mr. Hines had kept tabs on him. Mrs. Hines asks that Joe be released for one day prior to his punishment so that she can see him live as if he had not committed the crime. Byron, on the other hand, asks Hightower to lie and say that Joe was with him on the night of the murder.
3. I thought the parallels between the McEacherns and the Hineses were fascinating. Both men, Mr. McEachern and Mr. Hines, are convinced that their moral and "religious" codes are the only way. Both are so worried about uptaining piousness that they come across as satanic. Mr. McEachern punished Joe severely for not memorizing his bible verses; Mr. Hines essentially let his daughter die and killed a man because of what he saw as unethical fornication. Also, when McEachern goes looking for Joe at the dance, he is guided by a force outside of himself. He does not know where Joe is or what he is doing, yet he is led there somehow. Similarly, when Hines searches for Milly and the circus worker, he finds the buggy almost magically. He had no way of knowing where they were going or even who his daughter was with, yet he had no trouble pursuing and catching them. Both women, Mrs. McEachern and Mrs. Hines, seem to be much kinder and meeker than their husbands. They both take orders without question from their domineering spouses and they both exhibit compassion. Mrs. McEachern tries extremely hard to earn Joe's favor; likewise, although Mrs. Hines is not proud of her daughter's choices, she tried to save her daughter and later wishes to raise the baby as her own. These families clearly parallel each other greatly, and I think this repitition is highly significant in the scheme of the story.
4. My first question is how Mrs. Hines gained control over her husband. Throughout the story told to Byron and Hightower about Joe's past, she seems to be completely compliant to her spouse. However, as evident at the train station and when she leads him through town, Mrs. Hines now has control over Mr. Hines. How did this come to be?
My second question is how the children at the orphanage knew Joe was part-black. It is mentioned numerous times that he appears to be white, and I at first thought that Mr. Hines might have told them, but I don't think that's right.
My final question is regarding Mr. Hines's absense immediately following Joe's birth. Where did he go? Did he go to secure a place at the orphanage? Did he simply take time off to fester in anger?
Page 364: "The gainer, the inheritor of rewards, since it will now descend upon the morganatic wife of - Shall I say that too?"
2. In chapters fifteen and sixteen we are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Hines, an old couple who seem like another species and live in the black section of Mottstown. Mr. Hines fills his time by preaching about white superiority in black churches and the Hineses recieve their food from mysterious black visitors. When Joe Christmas is caught Mr. Hines goes crazy and tries to attack him. Mrs. Hines also acts strangely, asking a lot of questions, and it appears to the townsfolk that the couple are familiar with the fugitive. Mr. Hines is adament that Christmas should be killed immediately, no trial, and Mrs. Hines begs to see him. When Christmas leaves for Jefferson, the couple buys tickets for a 2:00 am Jefferson-bound train and sits at the station patiently waiting. Meanwhile, Byron visits Hightower, who once again chides him for his actions toward Lena. Byron then gets the Hineses and they tell of their relationship with Christmas: they are his grandparents. Their daughter, Milly, snuck around with a black circus worker. When they found out, Mr. Hines was furious and killed the worker. Refusing to get a doctor, Mr. Hines let his daughter die in childbirth. He then left Mrs. Hines with the child for a while, but later came back and took the baby. Mrs. Hines never knew what happened to Joe but always suspected that Mr. Hines had kept tabs on him. Mrs. Hines asks that Joe be released for one day prior to his punishment so that she can see him live as if he had not committed the crime. Byron, on the other hand, asks Hightower to lie and say that Joe was with him on the night of the murder.
3. I thought the parallels between the McEacherns and the Hineses were fascinating. Both men, Mr. McEachern and Mr. Hines, are convinced that their moral and "religious" codes are the only way. Both are so worried about uptaining piousness that they come across as satanic. Mr. McEachern punished Joe severely for not memorizing his bible verses; Mr. Hines essentially let his daughter die and killed a man because of what he saw as unethical fornication. Also, when McEachern goes looking for Joe at the dance, he is guided by a force outside of himself. He does not know where Joe is or what he is doing, yet he is led there somehow. Similarly, when Hines searches for Milly and the circus worker, he finds the buggy almost magically. He had no way of knowing where they were going or even who his daughter was with, yet he had no trouble pursuing and catching them. Both women, Mrs. McEachern and Mrs. Hines, seem to be much kinder and meeker than their husbands. They both take orders without question from their domineering spouses and they both exhibit compassion. Mrs. McEachern tries extremely hard to earn Joe's favor; likewise, although Mrs. Hines is not proud of her daughter's choices, she tried to save her daughter and later wishes to raise the baby as her own. These families clearly parallel each other greatly, and I think this repitition is highly significant in the scheme of the story.
4. My first question is how Mrs. Hines gained control over her husband. Throughout the story told to Byron and Hightower about Joe's past, she seems to be completely compliant to her spouse. However, as evident at the train station and when she leads him through town, Mrs. Hines now has control over Mr. Hines. How did this come to be?
My second question is how the children at the orphanage knew Joe was part-black. It is mentioned numerous times that he appears to be white, and I at first thought that Mr. Hines might have told them, but I don't think that's right.
My final question is regarding Mr. Hines's absense immediately following Joe's birth. Where did he go? Did he go to secure a place at the orphanage? Did he simply take time off to fester in anger?
Friday, November 27, 2009
7 Light in August, Ch 13-14
1. Maculate: 1 : marked with spots : blotched
2 : impure, besmirched
-Merriam-Webster Online.
Page 318: "He hears now only the myriad and interminable insects, leaning in the window, breathing the hot still rich maculate smell of the earth, thinking of how when he was young, a youth, he had loved darkness, of walking or sitting alone among trees at night."
2. After the discovery of Miss Burden's body, the sheriff whips a black man until he confesses that Joe Christmas and Joe Brown have been living in the cabin. He sends news to Miss Burden's relatives and they respond quickly offering a $1,000 reward. Joe Brown appears at the courthouse, attempting to claim the reward by telling the authorities that Joe Christmas is guilty. Meanwhile, Hightower and Byron discuss what to do about Lena. Byron wants to let her move into the cabin, but Hightower does not agree with this plan. Byron ends up disregarding the ex-minister's advice and camps out in a tent outside the cabin in case Lena needs help in her advanced stage of pregnancy. The authorities are having difficulty finding Joe Christmas, but they have a lucky break when a man reports that he stormed into a church nearby and went on a wild rampage. The search party runs off and believes they are very tight on Joe's trail, but he evades them once again. After days of little to no food and rest, Joe is growing weary and the days begin to blur. Eventually he gets a ride to Mottstown, which is where the section leaves off.
3. I thought the part where Joe is detailed losing track of time and reverting to animal instincts was very cool. I can't even imagine so losing sense of myself that, as happens to Joe on page 333, "He could never know when eh would pass from one to the other, when he would find that he had been asleep without remembering having lain down, or find himself walking without remembering having waked." He no longer feels hunger or weariness; he is a lost wanderer with no needs and no wants, just instincts and the constant of travel. Joe Christmas seems to have a warped or possibly even completely lacking sense of identity to begin with, so it's not incredibly surprising that he loses the ability to feel himself. However, it doesn't become less interesting because of this. It's as if he's wandering through a dream. There is no time, as seen by his having to ask strangers for the day of the week. There are no rules other than to avoid being caught. He feels no remorse for his murder, which also seems strange to me. When his side of the story was explained I thought that since Miss Burden threatened him first he might feel regret and not be a completely cold-blooded murderer, but thus far he has proven me wrong.
4. My first question is whether Joe has any remorse or truly doesn't care about the fact that he committed murder.
My second question is whether Joe Brown will run when he learns about Lena living in the cottage. Although it's one of the major issues of the book, the Lena-Joe/Lucas situation hasn't been brought up recently.
My final question over this section is whether Byron will make a move on Lena. I feel like if it's within his power he will try to prevent Lena from ever seeing Joe/Lucas again, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. I hope he doesn't go to extreme measures and do something stupid in his infatuation.
2 : impure, besmirched
-Merriam-Webster Online.
Page 318: "He hears now only the myriad and interminable insects, leaning in the window, breathing the hot still rich maculate smell of the earth, thinking of how when he was young, a youth, he had loved darkness, of walking or sitting alone among trees at night."
2. After the discovery of Miss Burden's body, the sheriff whips a black man until he confesses that Joe Christmas and Joe Brown have been living in the cabin. He sends news to Miss Burden's relatives and they respond quickly offering a $1,000 reward. Joe Brown appears at the courthouse, attempting to claim the reward by telling the authorities that Joe Christmas is guilty. Meanwhile, Hightower and Byron discuss what to do about Lena. Byron wants to let her move into the cabin, but Hightower does not agree with this plan. Byron ends up disregarding the ex-minister's advice and camps out in a tent outside the cabin in case Lena needs help in her advanced stage of pregnancy. The authorities are having difficulty finding Joe Christmas, but they have a lucky break when a man reports that he stormed into a church nearby and went on a wild rampage. The search party runs off and believes they are very tight on Joe's trail, but he evades them once again. After days of little to no food and rest, Joe is growing weary and the days begin to blur. Eventually he gets a ride to Mottstown, which is where the section leaves off.
3. I thought the part where Joe is detailed losing track of time and reverting to animal instincts was very cool. I can't even imagine so losing sense of myself that, as happens to Joe on page 333, "He could never know when eh would pass from one to the other, when he would find that he had been asleep without remembering having lain down, or find himself walking without remembering having waked." He no longer feels hunger or weariness; he is a lost wanderer with no needs and no wants, just instincts and the constant of travel. Joe Christmas seems to have a warped or possibly even completely lacking sense of identity to begin with, so it's not incredibly surprising that he loses the ability to feel himself. However, it doesn't become less interesting because of this. It's as if he's wandering through a dream. There is no time, as seen by his having to ask strangers for the day of the week. There are no rules other than to avoid being caught. He feels no remorse for his murder, which also seems strange to me. When his side of the story was explained I thought that since Miss Burden threatened him first he might feel regret and not be a completely cold-blooded murderer, but thus far he has proven me wrong.
4. My first question is whether Joe has any remorse or truly doesn't care about the fact that he committed murder.
My second question is whether Joe Brown will run when he learns about Lena living in the cottage. Although it's one of the major issues of the book, the Lena-Joe/Lucas situation hasn't been brought up recently.
My final question over this section is whether Byron will make a move on Lena. I feel like if it's within his power he will try to prevent Lena from ever seeing Joe/Lucas again, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. I hope he doesn't go to extreme measures and do something stupid in his infatuation.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
6 Light in August, Ch 11-12
1. Vacillation: inability to take a stand; irresolution, indecision. -Merriam-Webster Online.
Page 235: "There was no feminine vacillation, no coyness of obvious desire and intention to succumb at last."
2. Chapters eleven and twelve detail Joe Christmas and Joanna Burden's strange relationship. They go through three "stages," starting with their meeting up at night but virtually ignoring each other during the day. They then move to the second phase, where Joe stops visiting her and spends all of his time either at the mill or his cabin. Miss Burden then tells Joe her entire life story in an attempt at closeness. Joe is repulsed by Joanna, though, and nothing she tells him changes this. Joanna tells Joe that she wants a child and he objects, but later she tells him she is pregnant. She then asks him to take over her business for her. The two stop seeing each other and Miss Burden turns to religion. One night when Joe visits Miss Burden, upon her request, she pulls out a gun. She fires but the gun doesn't shoot, and the action flips to a dazed Joe flagging down a car. After the terrified drivers let him out he realizes that he has been holding the gun the entire time and that there are two bullets in it, meaning that Miss Burden intended to kill both herself and Joe.
3. Miss Burden has an interesting gender role in this section of the book. Faulkner makes a point to mention how masculine she is, in her shape, her demeanor, and her independence. She lives by herself and never locks her doors. Also, she regularly converses and receives visits from blacks, which would make most women extremely uncomfortable. She is self-sufficient and dresses in an unflattering and anti-feminine way. Although she wears dresses, they are shapeless and do nothing to promote femininity. However, she is also a feminine character, especially in her "love" for Joe. She tells him her life story one night and she repeatedly makes him play games and have intercourse in unusual places, flipping back and forth from hot to cold in her actions toward Joe. These are stereotypically "female" traits. Her cold personality makes it hard to decipher whether she is meant to be a masculine or feminine character. It is mentioned many times that she is emotionless and sexless, as noted on page 268 when it is said that Joe "looked upon a face cold, remote, and fanatic." She comes off in many parts as a robot. She seems to be going through the motions but not truly living life. I have mentioned before that I see Joanna as a sort of female Joe, and I'm wondering if this is supposed to point out the way Joe lives. He has no real regret or love; he goes through the motions and puts up with what he must.
4. My first question is whether Joe actually likes Miss Burden or not. On page 272 he seems excited to see her again and go back to their old ways, thinking "how they would both laugh over it tonight, later, afterward, when the time for quiet talking and quiet laughing came: at the whole thing, at one another, at themselves." This contrasts greatly with the hatred he seems to feel toward her.
My second question is why Joanna did not tell Joe she had stopped menstruating. Clearly she initially thought she was pregnant, but upon realizing her mistakes, why did she continue to lie?
My third question is why Miss Burden decided to kill Joe. I assume that it was out of anger and humiliation, but was there more too it? A clashing of personalities? His refusal to pray with her?
Page 235: "There was no feminine vacillation, no coyness of obvious desire and intention to succumb at last."
2. Chapters eleven and twelve detail Joe Christmas and Joanna Burden's strange relationship. They go through three "stages," starting with their meeting up at night but virtually ignoring each other during the day. They then move to the second phase, where Joe stops visiting her and spends all of his time either at the mill or his cabin. Miss Burden then tells Joe her entire life story in an attempt at closeness. Joe is repulsed by Joanna, though, and nothing she tells him changes this. Joanna tells Joe that she wants a child and he objects, but later she tells him she is pregnant. She then asks him to take over her business for her. The two stop seeing each other and Miss Burden turns to religion. One night when Joe visits Miss Burden, upon her request, she pulls out a gun. She fires but the gun doesn't shoot, and the action flips to a dazed Joe flagging down a car. After the terrified drivers let him out he realizes that he has been holding the gun the entire time and that there are two bullets in it, meaning that Miss Burden intended to kill both herself and Joe.
3. Miss Burden has an interesting gender role in this section of the book. Faulkner makes a point to mention how masculine she is, in her shape, her demeanor, and her independence. She lives by herself and never locks her doors. Also, she regularly converses and receives visits from blacks, which would make most women extremely uncomfortable. She is self-sufficient and dresses in an unflattering and anti-feminine way. Although she wears dresses, they are shapeless and do nothing to promote femininity. However, she is also a feminine character, especially in her "love" for Joe. She tells him her life story one night and she repeatedly makes him play games and have intercourse in unusual places, flipping back and forth from hot to cold in her actions toward Joe. These are stereotypically "female" traits. Her cold personality makes it hard to decipher whether she is meant to be a masculine or feminine character. It is mentioned many times that she is emotionless and sexless, as noted on page 268 when it is said that Joe "looked upon a face cold, remote, and fanatic." She comes off in many parts as a robot. She seems to be going through the motions but not truly living life. I have mentioned before that I see Joanna as a sort of female Joe, and I'm wondering if this is supposed to point out the way Joe lives. He has no real regret or love; he goes through the motions and puts up with what he must.
4. My first question is whether Joe actually likes Miss Burden or not. On page 272 he seems excited to see her again and go back to their old ways, thinking "how they would both laugh over it tonight, later, afterward, when the time for quiet talking and quiet laughing came: at the whole thing, at one another, at themselves." This contrasts greatly with the hatred he seems to feel toward her.
My second question is why Joanna did not tell Joe she had stopped menstruating. Clearly she initially thought she was pregnant, but upon realizing her mistakes, why did she continue to lie?
My third question is why Miss Burden decided to kill Joe. I assume that it was out of anger and humiliation, but was there more too it? A clashing of personalities? His refusal to pray with her?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
5 Light in August, Ch 9-10
1. Incipient: beginning to come into being or to become apparent. -Merriam-Webster Online
Page 204: "Apparently his eyes were not even momentarily at fault with the sudden light and the motion as he thrust among bodies with turned heads as, followed by a wake of astonishment and incipient pandemonium, he ran toward the youth whom he had adopted of his own free will and whom he had tried to raise as he was convinced was right."
2. At the beginning of chapter nine, Mr. McEachern finally realizes that Joe's suit has been worn, meaning he has been sneaking out. Furious, he follows Joe to a dance he goes to with Bobbie. After Mr. McEachern calls Bobbie a harlot she goes into a frenzy, contorting her face and screaming at him. Joe hits Mr. McEachern with a chair and presumably kills him. Bobbie flees in her car and Joe takes Mr. McEachern's horse back to the house. He takes the money that Mrs. McEachern has been saving and immediately goes to Bobbie's house. When he gets there he sees that she is packed, but not to leave with him. Because of the "jam" he put her in, Bobbie is heading back to Memphis and Max and Mame's prostitution business is at risk. Max and the stranger who is in Bobbie's room beat Joe thoroughly and leave him on the ground. Chapter ten begins with Joe lying on the floor, unmoving. Max and Mame dispute about what to do with Joe's money, and finally Mame leaves some money in his pockets before they all disperse. When the "wires" in his head finally reconnect, he gets up and leaves the house. The next fifteen years are a blur of travel and work, of sleeping with prostitutes and disgusting them by telling them of his black heritage. Joe lives with a black woman for awhile, but eventually he winds up in Jefferson. He comes across Miss Burden's house and after acquiring information about her living situation he sneaks in at night to steal food. When Miss Burden comes into the kitchen, Joe refuses to flee, instead just pausing in his meal of peas. Miss Burden is not surprised to see him there, remarking that he may finish his food.
3. Mr. McEachern is a very complex character. While he sees himself as a pious, hard-laboring man, he is actually cruel and detached. He pushes his beliefs on Joe throughout his entire childhood and refuses to accept anything less than perfectly holy behavior, even though he himself does not exhibit this behavior. McEachern beats Joe on numerous occasions and is never kind to his wife. He is condescending, irrational, and aggressive. I find his hypocrisy to be fascinating; he truly believes that he is living the life of Christ, while in reality he is a hard hearted man with no compassion whatsoever. I believe that his behavior models Joe into the man he becomes. The book makes several mentions of how similar the men are, whether they realize it or not, and I agree. I think it's almost a case of nature versus nurture, and in this case Joe is a victim of nurture. There is no telling how he would have turned out if he had been raised in a loving, compassionate environment, but due to his surroundings growing up, I believe Joe had little chance to become anything other than a wicked and violent man. When McEachern enters the dance and sees the face of Satan on his son, he has crossed a line. He has gone from being a self-righteous man to a lunatic obsessed with being devout. Joe is no better though, murdering the man who raised him.
4. My first question is regarding Miss Burden. Why was she not surprised to see Joe in her kitchen? Most people would have freaked out, but she was totally collected.
My second question is also about Miss Burden. Was she put in the story to be a female version of Joe? It certainly seems like she is at the end of chapter ten. If so, does he kill her out of self-loathing?
My third question is regarding Joe's actions during his fifteen years on the road. Why does he get such joy from telling people he's black? Is he having a major identity crisis? Does he hate white people?
Page 204: "Apparently his eyes were not even momentarily at fault with the sudden light and the motion as he thrust among bodies with turned heads as, followed by a wake of astonishment and incipient pandemonium, he ran toward the youth whom he had adopted of his own free will and whom he had tried to raise as he was convinced was right."
2. At the beginning of chapter nine, Mr. McEachern finally realizes that Joe's suit has been worn, meaning he has been sneaking out. Furious, he follows Joe to a dance he goes to with Bobbie. After Mr. McEachern calls Bobbie a harlot she goes into a frenzy, contorting her face and screaming at him. Joe hits Mr. McEachern with a chair and presumably kills him. Bobbie flees in her car and Joe takes Mr. McEachern's horse back to the house. He takes the money that Mrs. McEachern has been saving and immediately goes to Bobbie's house. When he gets there he sees that she is packed, but not to leave with him. Because of the "jam" he put her in, Bobbie is heading back to Memphis and Max and Mame's prostitution business is at risk. Max and the stranger who is in Bobbie's room beat Joe thoroughly and leave him on the ground. Chapter ten begins with Joe lying on the floor, unmoving. Max and Mame dispute about what to do with Joe's money, and finally Mame leaves some money in his pockets before they all disperse. When the "wires" in his head finally reconnect, he gets up and leaves the house. The next fifteen years are a blur of travel and work, of sleeping with prostitutes and disgusting them by telling them of his black heritage. Joe lives with a black woman for awhile, but eventually he winds up in Jefferson. He comes across Miss Burden's house and after acquiring information about her living situation he sneaks in at night to steal food. When Miss Burden comes into the kitchen, Joe refuses to flee, instead just pausing in his meal of peas. Miss Burden is not surprised to see him there, remarking that he may finish his food.
3. Mr. McEachern is a very complex character. While he sees himself as a pious, hard-laboring man, he is actually cruel and detached. He pushes his beliefs on Joe throughout his entire childhood and refuses to accept anything less than perfectly holy behavior, even though he himself does not exhibit this behavior. McEachern beats Joe on numerous occasions and is never kind to his wife. He is condescending, irrational, and aggressive. I find his hypocrisy to be fascinating; he truly believes that he is living the life of Christ, while in reality he is a hard hearted man with no compassion whatsoever. I believe that his behavior models Joe into the man he becomes. The book makes several mentions of how similar the men are, whether they realize it or not, and I agree. I think it's almost a case of nature versus nurture, and in this case Joe is a victim of nurture. There is no telling how he would have turned out if he had been raised in a loving, compassionate environment, but due to his surroundings growing up, I believe Joe had little chance to become anything other than a wicked and violent man. When McEachern enters the dance and sees the face of Satan on his son, he has crossed a line. He has gone from being a self-righteous man to a lunatic obsessed with being devout. Joe is no better though, murdering the man who raised him.
4. My first question is regarding Miss Burden. Why was she not surprised to see Joe in her kitchen? Most people would have freaked out, but she was totally collected.
My second question is also about Miss Burden. Was she put in the story to be a female version of Joe? It certainly seems like she is at the end of chapter ten. If so, does he kill her out of self-loathing?
My third question is regarding Joe's actions during his fifteen years on the road. Why does he get such joy from telling people he's black? Is he having a major identity crisis? Does he hate white people?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
4 Light in August, Ch 7-8
1. Abnegation: denial - the act of refusing to comply (as with a request) -Free Online Dictionary
Page 148: "They went on, in steady single file, the two backs in their rigid abnegation of all compromise more alike than actual blood could have made them."
2. In chapters seven and eight Joe's younger life is explored in more detail. The section begins with Joe at eight years old, being whipped by McEachern for not memorizing his catechism. After Joe passes out, McEachern seems to feel bad but refuses to back down, trying to make the child pray for forgiveness upon waking. Mrs. McEachern attempts to be kind to Joe but he refuses her attempts, confused and hostile toward her. At age fourteen Joe goes to see a black girl with other boys, intending to have intercourse. When his turn comes Joe beats her and runs away. The trouble is only beginning, for at seventeen Joe sells the calf his adoptive father has given him and buys a suit with the money. In chapter eight Joe recalls becoming infatuated with a waitress at a restaurant downtown, and how he later learned that she was a prostitute. This does not deter Joe for long, however, and he soon is seeing her every week and stealing Mrs. McEachern's money to pay her.
3. I find Faulkner's use of names to tell about characters absolutely delightful. The first character with a significant name is Lena Grove. Grove, implying nature, signifies fertility and growth, which is on the mark considering she is pregnant. Also, Lena is a modernized version of Helen of Troy. Helen caused the downfall of Troy and many deaths of soldiers during the Trojan War. Although I have not read far enough into the book to see if there is a connection there as well, it's an intriguing idea that Lena may also cause the downfall of many men throughout the novel. A second character with a significant name is Joanna Burden. As pointed out in class, "Jo" is contained in her name, which is a feminine version of Joe. Does this signify that she is a female version of Joe Christmas? Also, her last name is Burden. Descended from Yankees and living in the South to help the blacks, Miss Burden certainly carries a burden. Her father and brother were killed and eventually she was also. A third interesting character-name connection is with Joe Christmas. Again, as pointed out in class, Christmas is the appositive of Jesus Christ. While they seem to share many traits - they were both around thirty-three, Joe Christmas and Jesus Christ are both "JC", they are both outsiders and loners, and they both have "disciples" who betray them, they are not the same. Joe "Christ"mas is NOT a Christ-like figure. As an appositive, he serves to provide contrast and to show exactly how different the two characters really are. A fourth character with a meaningful name is Gail Hightower. Ironically, Gail fell from quite a great height when he was scandalized by his adulterous wife and forced to resign from his post as minister. Hightower also lives in a tall, lonely house and sits in a "high tower," meaning his second-floor window, and watches life pass by. Faulkner clearly chose his names carefully and in order to provide depth beyond what first meets the eye.
4. My first question, keeping with the name theme, is what the significance of Byron Bunch's name is. I've been thinking about it but I can't seem to figure it out. Mr. Kibbie hinted that "BB" was significant, but nothing is coming to mind. I'm sure there is meaning and it is escaping me.
A second question is whether Mr. McEachern is as abusive and condescending toward his wife as I think he is. I am constantly being disgusted by his behavior and treatment of her. Joe makes it seem like not only does Mr. McEachern not value her opinion, he doesn't even notice she is around the majority of the time. I'm wondering if I'm reading too far into this or if that's really the way their relationship is.
My final question is regarding Joe McEachern/Joe Christmas. When does he change his name back to Christmas, and why? I am assuming it's because he hates his life with the McEacherns and he does not feel associated with them, but when does his complete separation take place?
Page 148: "They went on, in steady single file, the two backs in their rigid abnegation of all compromise more alike than actual blood could have made them."
2. In chapters seven and eight Joe's younger life is explored in more detail. The section begins with Joe at eight years old, being whipped by McEachern for not memorizing his catechism. After Joe passes out, McEachern seems to feel bad but refuses to back down, trying to make the child pray for forgiveness upon waking. Mrs. McEachern attempts to be kind to Joe but he refuses her attempts, confused and hostile toward her. At age fourteen Joe goes to see a black girl with other boys, intending to have intercourse. When his turn comes Joe beats her and runs away. The trouble is only beginning, for at seventeen Joe sells the calf his adoptive father has given him and buys a suit with the money. In chapter eight Joe recalls becoming infatuated with a waitress at a restaurant downtown, and how he later learned that she was a prostitute. This does not deter Joe for long, however, and he soon is seeing her every week and stealing Mrs. McEachern's money to pay her.
3. I find Faulkner's use of names to tell about characters absolutely delightful. The first character with a significant name is Lena Grove. Grove, implying nature, signifies fertility and growth, which is on the mark considering she is pregnant. Also, Lena is a modernized version of Helen of Troy. Helen caused the downfall of Troy and many deaths of soldiers during the Trojan War. Although I have not read far enough into the book to see if there is a connection there as well, it's an intriguing idea that Lena may also cause the downfall of many men throughout the novel. A second character with a significant name is Joanna Burden. As pointed out in class, "Jo" is contained in her name, which is a feminine version of Joe. Does this signify that she is a female version of Joe Christmas? Also, her last name is Burden. Descended from Yankees and living in the South to help the blacks, Miss Burden certainly carries a burden. Her father and brother were killed and eventually she was also. A third interesting character-name connection is with Joe Christmas. Again, as pointed out in class, Christmas is the appositive of Jesus Christ. While they seem to share many traits - they were both around thirty-three, Joe Christmas and Jesus Christ are both "JC", they are both outsiders and loners, and they both have "disciples" who betray them, they are not the same. Joe "Christ"mas is NOT a Christ-like figure. As an appositive, he serves to provide contrast and to show exactly how different the two characters really are. A fourth character with a meaningful name is Gail Hightower. Ironically, Gail fell from quite a great height when he was scandalized by his adulterous wife and forced to resign from his post as minister. Hightower also lives in a tall, lonely house and sits in a "high tower," meaning his second-floor window, and watches life pass by. Faulkner clearly chose his names carefully and in order to provide depth beyond what first meets the eye.
4. My first question, keeping with the name theme, is what the significance of Byron Bunch's name is. I've been thinking about it but I can't seem to figure it out. Mr. Kibbie hinted that "BB" was significant, but nothing is coming to mind. I'm sure there is meaning and it is escaping me.
A second question is whether Mr. McEachern is as abusive and condescending toward his wife as I think he is. I am constantly being disgusted by his behavior and treatment of her. Joe makes it seem like not only does Mr. McEachern not value her opinion, he doesn't even notice she is around the majority of the time. I'm wondering if I'm reading too far into this or if that's really the way their relationship is.
My final question is regarding Joe McEachern/Joe Christmas. When does he change his name back to Christmas, and why? I am assuming it's because he hates his life with the McEacherns and he does not feel associated with them, but when does his complete separation take place?
Monday, November 16, 2009
3 Light in August, Ch 5-6
1. Purlieus: 1. An outlying or neighboring area.
2. purlieus Outskirts; the environs.
3. A place that one frequents. -Free Online Dictionary
Page 119: "Knows remembers believes a corridor in a big long garbled cold echoing building of dark red brick sootbleakened by more chimneys than its own, set in a grassless cinderstrewnpacked compound surrounded by smoking factory purlieus and enclosed by a ten foot steel-and-wire fence like a penitentiary or a zoo, where in random erratic surges, with sparrowlike childtrebling, orphans in identical and uniform blue denim in and out of remembering but in knowing constant as the bleak walls, the bleak windows where in rain soot from the yearly adjacenting chimneys streaked like black tears."
2. In chapter 5 Joe Christmas is followed two days before the murder and fire. He is in bed when Joe Brown comes in, extremely drunk, and after some interaction Christmas ends up hitting Brown repeatedly in an attempt to get him to shut up. Frustrated, Christmas leaves the house. The entire time this is going on, he keeps focusing on his anger toward Miss Burden, especially furious that she prayed over him. Christmas stands by the side of a road naked and screams at a car that passes by. Following this strange behavior he goes to sleep in a stable. Upon waking, Christmas goes to a clearing, empties alcohol out of its hiding place, and wanders around town, picking a fight with blacks. Eventually he winds up in Miss Burden's yard repeating Something is going to happen. Something is going to happen to me. In chapter 6 Christmas's childhood is recounted. Growing up in an orphanage, at one point Christmas witnessed the dietitian having intercourse with a man in a bathroom. Although Christmas doesn't realize what he's seen, the dietitian becomes determined to get him sent away. She confronts a janitor who often observes Christmas intently, looking for verification that Christmas is in fact half black. When the janitor realizes that the dietitian plans to get Christmas sent to a black orphanage, he takes the child and runs. After being caught in Little Rock, Christmas winds up living with Mr. McEachern, a strict man who believes in religion and work. Because he views "Christmas" as a sacrilegious last name he orders Joe to be known as Joe McEachern.
3. I found chapter 6 to be extremely helpful but different from the rest of the book so far in that it illuminated much of a character. Prior to this chapter, as we talked about in class, we could tell you exactly how Lena dressed and how often she took off her boots, the clothing Joe Christmas and Joe Brown were seen in, or how unflatteringly Miss Burden dressed, but we could not tell you anything deeper about any other character. However, for the first time the readers are given a much more in-depth look at a character and his life experiences that shaped the person he is. Joe Christmas's story is sad, especially that he was exposed to racism at such a young age. He was an innocent child who accidentally witnessed something he shouldn't have, and because of it his entire life was changed. I feel like Faulkner put this section in to show why Christmas is the way he is - not necessarily to evoke pity, but to allow for understanding. I certainly found myself siding with the child and disliking the dietitian throughout the chapter.
4. My first question over this section is whether Faulkner indeed put Christmas's childhood story into the book in order to evoke pity or whether it was simply giving more insight into this complicated and often violent character.
My second question is whether there will be more time-jumps in the narration. I really liked the way this one fit in and the hazy, almost dream-like quality it was given, so I hope there are more.
Finally, I'm wondering why the janitor so desperately wanted to save Joe Christmas. Actually, the whole character of the janitor confuses me. Why did he watch Christmas so intently? What did he mean by his words to the dietitian? I need some help understanding him.
2. purlieus Outskirts; the environs.
3. A place that one frequents. -Free Online Dictionary
Page 119: "Knows remembers believes a corridor in a big long garbled cold echoing building of dark red brick sootbleakened by more chimneys than its own, set in a grassless cinderstrewnpacked compound surrounded by smoking factory purlieus and enclosed by a ten foot steel-and-wire fence like a penitentiary or a zoo, where in random erratic surges, with sparrowlike childtrebling, orphans in identical and uniform blue denim in and out of remembering but in knowing constant as the bleak walls, the bleak windows where in rain soot from the yearly adjacenting chimneys streaked like black tears."
2. In chapter 5 Joe Christmas is followed two days before the murder and fire. He is in bed when Joe Brown comes in, extremely drunk, and after some interaction Christmas ends up hitting Brown repeatedly in an attempt to get him to shut up. Frustrated, Christmas leaves the house. The entire time this is going on, he keeps focusing on his anger toward Miss Burden, especially furious that she prayed over him. Christmas stands by the side of a road naked and screams at a car that passes by. Following this strange behavior he goes to sleep in a stable. Upon waking, Christmas goes to a clearing, empties alcohol out of its hiding place, and wanders around town, picking a fight with blacks. Eventually he winds up in Miss Burden's yard repeating Something is going to happen. Something is going to happen to me. In chapter 6 Christmas's childhood is recounted. Growing up in an orphanage, at one point Christmas witnessed the dietitian having intercourse with a man in a bathroom. Although Christmas doesn't realize what he's seen, the dietitian becomes determined to get him sent away. She confronts a janitor who often observes Christmas intently, looking for verification that Christmas is in fact half black. When the janitor realizes that the dietitian plans to get Christmas sent to a black orphanage, he takes the child and runs. After being caught in Little Rock, Christmas winds up living with Mr. McEachern, a strict man who believes in religion and work. Because he views "Christmas" as a sacrilegious last name he orders Joe to be known as Joe McEachern.
3. I found chapter 6 to be extremely helpful but different from the rest of the book so far in that it illuminated much of a character. Prior to this chapter, as we talked about in class, we could tell you exactly how Lena dressed and how often she took off her boots, the clothing Joe Christmas and Joe Brown were seen in, or how unflatteringly Miss Burden dressed, but we could not tell you anything deeper about any other character. However, for the first time the readers are given a much more in-depth look at a character and his life experiences that shaped the person he is. Joe Christmas's story is sad, especially that he was exposed to racism at such a young age. He was an innocent child who accidentally witnessed something he shouldn't have, and because of it his entire life was changed. I feel like Faulkner put this section in to show why Christmas is the way he is - not necessarily to evoke pity, but to allow for understanding. I certainly found myself siding with the child and disliking the dietitian throughout the chapter.
4. My first question over this section is whether Faulkner indeed put Christmas's childhood story into the book in order to evoke pity or whether it was simply giving more insight into this complicated and often violent character.
My second question is whether there will be more time-jumps in the narration. I really liked the way this one fit in and the hazy, almost dream-like quality it was given, so I hope there are more.
Finally, I'm wondering why the janitor so desperately wanted to save Joe Christmas. Actually, the whole character of the janitor confuses me. Why did he watch Christmas so intently? What did he mean by his words to the dietitian? I need some help understanding him.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2 Light in August, Ch 3-4
1. Meretricious: 1 : of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution
2 a : tawdrily and falsely attractive b : superficially significant
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 76: "But on Sunday evening, and with the echo of the phantom hooves still crashing soundlessly in the duskfilled study, he watches quietly the puny, unhorsed figure moving with that precarious and meretricious cleverness of which the man animal is so fatuously proud and which constantly betrays him by means of natural laws like gravity and ice, and by the very extraneous objects which he has himself invented, like motor cars and furniture in the dark, and the very refuse of his own eating left upon floor or pavement; and he thinks quietly how right the ancients were in making the horse an attribute and symbol of warriors and kings, when he sees the man in the street pass the low sign and turn into his gate and approach the house."
2. Chapter 3 details the life of Gail Hightower, former minister of the local church in Jefferson. The parishioners never loved him because of his raving speeches combining gospel and tales of his grandfather's Civil War calvary feats, his obviously adulterous wife and his general inability to fit in. However, after his wife dies at a hotel she is staying at with another man, Hightower is forced to resign from the church. Amid threats and violence he refuses to leave Jefferson and has been living in a small house since. In chapter 4 Byron Bunch visits Hightower and explains his situation with Lena. After falling in "love" with her, Byron sends Lena to stay with Mrs. Beard, saying that she was waiting for her husband. Byron hasn't told Lena the truth, which is that Brown is in jail pending further examination of the fire and murder of Miss Burden. It is reported that a man saw the fire and ran in to help, seeing Mr. Brown at the bottom of the stairs. Staggeringly drunk, Mr. Brown tries to stop the man from going upstairs. When the man eventually made it to the upper floor he saw Miss Burden nearly decapitated. Brown accuses Christmas of the murder, saying that he and Miss Burden had been having an affair for three years. He then accuses Christmas of having negro blood, which puts everyone in a fury and convinces the police that Christmas is guilty.
3. One of the things that struck me most about these chapters was the way characters are judged so harshly by society. First is Lena, who is looked down upon because of her teenage pregnancy. Although she claims she is married, many characters see through this charade immediately. Nobody thus far has been outright rude about it (although Amistad's wife was not cordial) but she is definitely disapproved of. Secondly is Byron Bunch, who chooses to spend much of his time alone. I am under the impression that society views him as strange because he spends so much time alone, but he is simply trying to stay out of trouble. I'll admit he's a bit incessant about it, but in the end he's just a loner. The third example of society judging harshly, and possibly the most prominent example thus far, is Gail Hightower. His entire parish community immediately disliked him because of his "out-there" antics in service. He was louder than they were used to; he told stories that they viewed as "sacrilegious." When he feigns naivety (or possibly is genuinely oblivious) to his wife's affair, his parishioners and fellow townspeople view him as an idiot. They circulate rumors about him, including that he was having inappropriate contact with his black cook. The KKK even comes after him, violently beating him. He is threatened to no avail, simply because he is "different." This seems horrendous to me. He has done nothing to personally offend any of the people who are cruel to him. Joe Christmas is judged because of his color. Investigators seem certain Joe Brown committed the murder until it is said that Christmas is part negro. After this comes out, the blame is automatically shifted to Christmas. This is unfair and racist, to say the least. Finally, Miss Burden herself is a victim of harsh and unnecessary judgement. She is a sort of mystery woman, keeping to herself on her land most of the time. After her murder, rumors start flying. It seems that all along people have been making judgements about whether she knew about Joe Christmas and Joe Brown on her land, whether she was having an affair with Joe Christmas, and whether she knew about the bootlegging. One thing leads to another and soon enough she is also subject to the cruetly that is human nature.
4. My first question from this section has to do with a line spoken by Gail Hightower. On page 60 it says, "He does not say even to himself: "There remains yet something of honor and pride, of life."" I am both in love with and terribly confused by this quote. I have a basic understanding of it, in my opinion, but I'm wondering if it has a deeper meaning within the story. Also I'm unsure whether it is meant sarcastically or not. I don't think it is but I can't be sure.
My second question is whether Joe Brown or Joe Christmas actually killed Miss Burden. From the interview I was under the impression Brown was lying about everything regarding the fire and murder, but the investigators immediately assume Christmas is guilty when Brown says that he is part negro.
A third and final question is whether Lena will talk to Brown, and if and when she does, whether he will run away or not. I now believe that he never planned to come back to her, but if she falls into his path again I wonder if he will flee or lead her on for awhile. I feel like we haven't gotten to see enough of Brown to truly know his character. Everything we know about him comes from hear-say.
2 a : tawdrily and falsely attractive b : superficially significant
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 76: "But on Sunday evening, and with the echo of the phantom hooves still crashing soundlessly in the duskfilled study, he watches quietly the puny, unhorsed figure moving with that precarious and meretricious cleverness of which the man animal is so fatuously proud and which constantly betrays him by means of natural laws like gravity and ice, and by the very extraneous objects which he has himself invented, like motor cars and furniture in the dark, and the very refuse of his own eating left upon floor or pavement; and he thinks quietly how right the ancients were in making the horse an attribute and symbol of warriors and kings, when he sees the man in the street pass the low sign and turn into his gate and approach the house."
2. Chapter 3 details the life of Gail Hightower, former minister of the local church in Jefferson. The parishioners never loved him because of his raving speeches combining gospel and tales of his grandfather's Civil War calvary feats, his obviously adulterous wife and his general inability to fit in. However, after his wife dies at a hotel she is staying at with another man, Hightower is forced to resign from the church. Amid threats and violence he refuses to leave Jefferson and has been living in a small house since. In chapter 4 Byron Bunch visits Hightower and explains his situation with Lena. After falling in "love" with her, Byron sends Lena to stay with Mrs. Beard, saying that she was waiting for her husband. Byron hasn't told Lena the truth, which is that Brown is in jail pending further examination of the fire and murder of Miss Burden. It is reported that a man saw the fire and ran in to help, seeing Mr. Brown at the bottom of the stairs. Staggeringly drunk, Mr. Brown tries to stop the man from going upstairs. When the man eventually made it to the upper floor he saw Miss Burden nearly decapitated. Brown accuses Christmas of the murder, saying that he and Miss Burden had been having an affair for three years. He then accuses Christmas of having negro blood, which puts everyone in a fury and convinces the police that Christmas is guilty.
3. One of the things that struck me most about these chapters was the way characters are judged so harshly by society. First is Lena, who is looked down upon because of her teenage pregnancy. Although she claims she is married, many characters see through this charade immediately. Nobody thus far has been outright rude about it (although Amistad's wife was not cordial) but she is definitely disapproved of. Secondly is Byron Bunch, who chooses to spend much of his time alone. I am under the impression that society views him as strange because he spends so much time alone, but he is simply trying to stay out of trouble. I'll admit he's a bit incessant about it, but in the end he's just a loner. The third example of society judging harshly, and possibly the most prominent example thus far, is Gail Hightower. His entire parish community immediately disliked him because of his "out-there" antics in service. He was louder than they were used to; he told stories that they viewed as "sacrilegious." When he feigns naivety (or possibly is genuinely oblivious) to his wife's affair, his parishioners and fellow townspeople view him as an idiot. They circulate rumors about him, including that he was having inappropriate contact with his black cook. The KKK even comes after him, violently beating him. He is threatened to no avail, simply because he is "different." This seems horrendous to me. He has done nothing to personally offend any of the people who are cruel to him. Joe Christmas is judged because of his color. Investigators seem certain Joe Brown committed the murder until it is said that Christmas is part negro. After this comes out, the blame is automatically shifted to Christmas. This is unfair and racist, to say the least. Finally, Miss Burden herself is a victim of harsh and unnecessary judgement. She is a sort of mystery woman, keeping to herself on her land most of the time. After her murder, rumors start flying. It seems that all along people have been making judgements about whether she knew about Joe Christmas and Joe Brown on her land, whether she was having an affair with Joe Christmas, and whether she knew about the bootlegging. One thing leads to another and soon enough she is also subject to the cruetly that is human nature.
4. My first question from this section has to do with a line spoken by Gail Hightower. On page 60 it says, "He does not say even to himself: "There remains yet something of honor and pride, of life."" I am both in love with and terribly confused by this quote. I have a basic understanding of it, in my opinion, but I'm wondering if it has a deeper meaning within the story. Also I'm unsure whether it is meant sarcastically or not. I don't think it is but I can't be sure.
My second question is whether Joe Brown or Joe Christmas actually killed Miss Burden. From the interview I was under the impression Brown was lying about everything regarding the fire and murder, but the investigators immediately assume Christmas is guilty when Brown says that he is part negro.
A third and final question is whether Lena will talk to Brown, and if and when she does, whether he will run away or not. I now believe that he never planned to come back to her, but if she falls into his path again I wonder if he will flee or lead her on for awhile. I feel like we haven't gotten to see enough of Brown to truly know his character. Everything we know about him comes from hear-say.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
1 Light in August, Ch 1-2
1. Planer: a power tool that cuts thin layers of wood to create a smooth and level surface. It is also used to cut boards to a measured thickness. -www.jkwoodstudio.com/glossary.php
Page 32: "We out to run him through the planer," the foreman said. "Maybe that will take that look off his face."
2. In the first two chapters of Light in August, the reader is introduced to Lena Grove, a pregnant and unmarried teen on her way to Jefferson in search of her child's father. Along the way she receives help from Amistad and his wife, who, although being very stern and scolding Lena regarding her naivety, gives the teen all of the money from her piggy bank. When Lena arrives in Jefferson she finds out that the man people were pointing her to was Bunch, not Burch, but after talking to Bunch she learns about a man who goes by the name of Joe Brown. Brown, along with his friend Joe Christmas, used to work at the mill but quit to bootleg. After hearing about Brown it becomes apparent that he is in fact Lucas Burch, the man Lena has been searching for.
3. Light in August is very different from any other novel I've read, especially in terms of writing style. Faulkner uses strange punctuation and sentence structure, which I found challenging to read at first. However, as I'm becoming more accustomed to it I'm beginning to enjoy it. Also, he uses not only quotations but thoughts in italicized form. These thoughts provide a stream-of-conciousness that is unlike anything I've read before. Faulkner also uses beautiful diction, giving a great imagery to his writing. One of my favorite passages thus far is on pages 4 and 5:
4. My first question may seem trivial but I am extremely confused on the matter. What race are the characters? I know that Joe Brown (Lucas Burch) is black, because Lena referred to him as "dark," and I know that Byron Bunch is white, but other than that I'm confused. At one point Lena's eyes are said to be blue so I'm assuming she's white but I'm unsure.
My second question is whether Lucas was ever going to send for Lena or whether he was attempting to desert her. I am under the impression he was leaving her with no intention of coming back but I could be wrong.
My final question for this section is what Faulkner's intentions are with Byron Bunch. He has fallen in "love" with Lena immediately, but with his workaholic nature I'm unsure as to whether readers are supposed to sympathize with him and like him or dislike him.
Page 32: "We out to run him through the planer," the foreman said. "Maybe that will take that look off his face."
2. In the first two chapters of Light in August, the reader is introduced to Lena Grove, a pregnant and unmarried teen on her way to Jefferson in search of her child's father. Along the way she receives help from Amistad and his wife, who, although being very stern and scolding Lena regarding her naivety, gives the teen all of the money from her piggy bank. When Lena arrives in Jefferson she finds out that the man people were pointing her to was Bunch, not Burch, but after talking to Bunch she learns about a man who goes by the name of Joe Brown. Brown, along with his friend Joe Christmas, used to work at the mill but quit to bootleg. After hearing about Brown it becomes apparent that he is in fact Lucas Burch, the man Lena has been searching for.
3. Light in August is very different from any other novel I've read, especially in terms of writing style. Faulkner uses strange punctuation and sentence structure, which I found challenging to read at first. However, as I'm becoming more accustomed to it I'm beginning to enjoy it. Also, he uses not only quotations but thoughts in italicized form. These thoughts provide a stream-of-conciousness that is unlike anything I've read before. Faulkner also uses beautiful diction, giving a great imagery to his writing. One of my favorite passages thus far is on pages 4 and 5:
"But some of the machinery would be left, since new pieces could always be bought on the installment plan- gaunt, staring, motionless wheels rising from mounds of brick rubble and ragged weeds with a quality profoundly astonishing, and gutted boilers lifting their rusting and unsmoking stacks with an air stubborn, baffled and bemused upon a stumppocked scene of profound and peaceful desolation, unplowed, untilled, gutting slowly into red and choked ravines beneath the long quiet rains of autumn and the galloping fury of vernal equinoxes."This sentence is incredibly long and took me several read-throughs to understand, but once I comprehended it I found it beautiful. The word choice is profound, personifying the machinery. I especially liked the choices of "gaunt, staring, motionless wheels." These words provoked such a strong image and I am very impressed by Faulkner's ability to draw to mind such clear pictures through his text.
4. My first question may seem trivial but I am extremely confused on the matter. What race are the characters? I know that Joe Brown (Lucas Burch) is black, because Lena referred to him as "dark," and I know that Byron Bunch is white, but other than that I'm confused. At one point Lena's eyes are said to be blue so I'm assuming she's white but I'm unsure.
My second question is whether Lucas was ever going to send for Lena or whether he was attempting to desert her. I am under the impression he was leaving her with no intention of coming back but I could be wrong.
My final question for this section is what Faulkner's intentions are with Byron Bunch. He has fallen in "love" with Lena immediately, but with his workaholic nature I'm unsure as to whether readers are supposed to sympathize with him and like him or dislike him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)