Journal Entry 12-14-12

I am not the surprised by Hamlets reaction. I knew that he would be horrified to hear about Ophelia's death. But he is also not being that dramatic which also makes sense. This makes sense because he has changed since he has returned from England. He has become more calm and less "crazy" in his time away. This is why i think the reaction fits what i would expect from Hamlet. There is also some competition between Laertes and Hamlet because they both claim to love her more. I think they are both entitled to say they love her but i can also see why Laertes would be angry. Especially after Hamlet killed his father. They all have a right to grieve, Hamlet included, because Ophelia was present and meant something in their lives. Overall i think Shakespeare wrote an accurate reaction to Ophelia's death.

Journal Entry 12-13-12

What is the significance of Hamlet's pondering the skulls in the graveyard? What does he take away from this?

Dear Diary,

This is a very significant part in the story for a couple of reasons. First of all it is ironic because the gravedigger does not know that it is Prince Hamlet that is watching him dig the grave, and Hamlet does not realize that he is digging a grave for Ophelia. I think this is important because Hamlet would not come to the realization he does if he knew the situation. Hamlet picks up the skull and is surprised when the gravedigger told him that used to be the kings jester. He is so surprised because he knew the jester and never thought he would turn into such nothingness. This causes Hamlet to come to the realization that is everyone will eventually turn into dust. This made me think that he is coming to the realization that life is not that important because everyone will die and be forgotten. This may have effected his reaction when realizing Ophelia has died.

Journal Entry 12-10-12

How do you characterize Ophelia?

Ophelia is a confusing character. It is hard to tell what her exact purpose in the book is. Most of the time i think she is there to give further insight into the life of Hamlet, while at other times i think she is very unnecessary. Overall i think her role is going to turn into more of a significant one in which she develops a close relationship with Hamlet.

How would Hamlet characterize Ophelia? Do you agree with him?

I believe Hamlet would characterize Ophelia in a similar way. Someone is very significant at times to his life. But at other times not important at all. He tells her she is both of these within a couple lines in the book during Act 3 Scene 1, line 110-114. He explains that he once loved her but does not give definitive evidence that he still does or not.

What does she bring to the unfolding of the story? What function or purpose does she serve?

Currently, she does not seem to have that important a part in the book when considering Hamlet. I believe she will begin to take on a very significant role as the book continues. After Polonius's death she especially seems to be lost, but i think this will turn into a self enlightenment in which she is her own person instead of taking orders from her father like she once did.

Things Fall Apart 10-26-12

Is the community represented as civilized? Does it have a strong language? What is the relationship between civilization and language?
The community in Things Fall Apart is civilized. For a nation to be civilized they have to have a set of rules that people follow, a governing body, and a secure position in the community. The community represented in this book is a civilized one because it has, to an extent, all of these things have been seen or implied. The community also seems to have a strong sense of language. The main character Okonkwo communicates with the man that he wants to get seeds from very well. This implies that overall, the community has a strong language. There is a big difference between language and civilization. Language is a part of civilization but civilization entitles much more than just language.

The Stranger Blog Response 10-22-12

Is this text (The Stranger) an example of Camus resisting French colonialism or supporting it?
Answer in the point of view of Kulkarni and yourself.

Kulkarni would argue that this is an example of Camus resisting French colonialism. He believes this because Camus does not portray an accurate representation of the French Colonial system of punishment. Kulkarni believes that "In practice, no French court in Algeria would have condemned a European to death for shooting and Arab who had drawn a knife on him and who had shortly before stabbed another European." Kulkarni also believe that Camus is resisting French colonialism because he continuously refers to the man Meursault killed as the "Arab". Kulkarni argues that this causes the reader to feel bad for Meursault because there is no emphasis on Meursault actually killing another human being. 
I agree with Kulkarni. Camus is resisting French colonialism. This is clear because of the lack of accuracy in Camus' writing and because he de-personifies the Arab which had a huge role in the story.

The Stranger, Chapter Two Response

What are the things Meursault doesn't like talking about?

I think that Meursault does not like talking about the freedom that he has lost now that he is prison. Also he does not like to talk about the fact that he thinks like a free man. Meusault really doesn't like that when he gets the urge to take a walk or smoke a cigarette that he is suddenly forced into the realization that he is not able to do any of these things he once took for granted.

What explains the unspoken nature of these things? Why is there silence surrounding them? Is this silence positive or negative? 

There is an unspoken nature about freedom in prison because Meursault knows that there is nothing he can really do. Even if he tries to be outspoken and get these freedoms, he knows that he never will in jail. This is a very negative silence, a defeated silence. It is a silence that was once very similar to Meursault's personality. He used to think that he did not really care what he did so he never cared to talk about it or share. But now he realizes the privileges he once had but feels defeated because there is nothing he can do to get them back.

Chapter 6 Temperature

Identify references to temperature in Chapter 6-- explore connotative. associated meaning for each use.

"We walked on the beach for a long time. By now the sun was overpowering. It shattered into little pieces on the sand and water"

The sun and warmth in this passage is described in a negative way. The sun is too powerful, tiring Meursault out and draining him. He is talking about the sun shattering into little pieces because that is what he feels is happening to him. This can also be taken literally because the sun glistens off the sand and water looking as if it had shattered into little pieces.

Description of Atmosphere

Highlight all words/phrases that describe the atmosphere or setting

"The old people's home is at Marengo" page 3
"It was very hot" page 3
"I went in, it was very bright" page 6
"The glare on the white walls was making me drowsy" page 9

Meursault from Another Characters Perspective

Describe Meursault from another characters perspective

Raymond is a very interesting person in Meursault's life. He is also a very new person in Meursault's life. But it is hard to tell what Raymond actually thinks of him. It seems to me that Raymond sees Meursault as a true friend, but also someone he can use to get what he wants. Right when we meet Raymond Meursault (the narrator) tells us that Raymond comes to him sometimes just because he knows that he will listen to his problems. I also think this is what Raymond thinks of Meursault because Raymond asks Meursault to do many things such as write a letter for him and take the stand in his favor. Raymond sees Meursault as someone he can manipulate in order to get what he wants. This is why he wants to be friends with him, because the people he does not get this from he is very mean to. Raymond also sees Meursault as someone he can trust and confide in, he also thinks that he is a cool guy and someone he can have fun just hanging out with.

9-14-12 Challenges of Translation

What challenges does a translator face?
Translators face many challenges. First of all they have to stay so familiar with each language that they know all the nuances and cultural normalities that may occur in every day life. This is just one of the many challenges. Being a translator is not as easy as translate each word in the sentence and spit it out in order. Many languages have different sentence structures. For example in spanish, an adjective comes after a noun which is different from english where it comes before. This may create some confusion for a translator. But in my opinion, the most challenging part about being a translator would be running into words that can not be translated to a different language. For this the translator would have to think on the spot and make a decision to what word fits best that is in that languages vocabulary.

What challenges does a reader face when reading a work in translation?
Sometimes when reading a work that has been translated, the reader may face multiple problems. For example there may be sentences that are not that well written and could not be translated to have the same meaning. This could change the meaning significantly. It also will make it harder to understand the full meaning.

Does the language of new media corrupt communication and culture?

I think that the language of media can enrich a culture and make it more diversified. Like any other language, the language of text is different from other, but unlike most languages, text language is new. This does not make it bad. I think people are afraid of change, and that is why they focus on the bad sides of the language of text. Over break while flying, it was important that i got out a quick text before we took off. I did this by using shortened ways of typing such as "ttyl". This was very useful. The language of new media can be surprisingly helpful than i think most people (especially older ones) had ever thought possible. I think that if we use this fast form of communication, more information can be absorbed in a shorter amount of time. Also an idea can be given much more quickly. I do not see why this would be considered corrupting our language. In my opinion it is just opening another chapter of language possibilities.

Is the ability to acquire language innate or learned?

The ability to acquire language is innate. I have a few baby relatives that i saw over break whom are all just starting to learn how to speak. Babies do not learn English because they have been taught how, they learn English because it is natural for them to do what they see around them. Also peoples ability to learn language changes depending on the person, just like all other things. Some people may be good at language but bad at math. Others may be good at math but bad a language. For some people it doesn't matter if you work really hard at a language, to some people it will just be easier. This is why some people know many languages and others know only one. I admit that this has to do with experiences, but a baby has no experience with language except for other people speaking it, yet still learns a language. This is why the ability to acquire language is innate.

Does language define our identity?

In many ways language defines our identity. In my opinion this is more evident when looking at an individual rather than a group of people. Many people opinions including my own are shaped by the way someone talks and the language the use. I noticed this when i met a man over break. He talked very properly and used large words. This made me think he was smart. He also talked in a very monotone voice which made me think that he probably isn't that fun to hang out with because he doesn't get excited very easily. Because of the way he talked, his identity to me was decided very quickly. Also, a persons race which is part of their identity can be determined by the way a person talks. If they have a British accent, they will be identified with Britain. These two examples make it clear that language can define an identity.

Do our beliefs influence our language use?

Our beliefs have a large influence on the language we use. At the Christmas Eve dinner i had with a lot of my family this was evident. We were all talking normally and every once in a while someone would swear during a story by accident, and a lot of the time a family member would say something similar to "not in front of the little ones". This is because most of use believe that the language we normally use should directly change because of the presence of children. Another example of this is most including myself believe that one should talk very different to a coworker or teacher than to a friend. When I talk to a friend i might say "Hey whats up man, how was your weekend". But if i said that to a teacher, they might lose a bit of respect for me. This is because our community believes that language should change depending on the situation a person is in.

Should governments have a language policy for a particular nation?

Many times over break i have witnessed a communication barrier between people. Recently someone i know got into an argument with a Spanish maid that worked for her. The argument escalated quicker and quicker and part of that reason was they couldn't understand each other. This was a big problem and led to the maid getting fired. I believe that if our government was more strict on enforcing a single language for all citizens to know, incidents like this wouldn't happen. In this case it resulted in a loss of job, but much worse things could happen such as a physical fight over something as simple as a miscommunication. This is all easily avoidable if everyone in the country is fluent in one singular language. I also believe that this language must be the only language spoken in public. Many times if one group is talking in a different language in public, it can lead to suspicion of why they wouldn't want everyone to hear it. I still think it is important though that multiple languages are taught in the classroom and privacy of a home. But, i do think that the United States government should enforce the policy of a single language.