Symbolism in Their "Eyes were Watching God"

Roots and branches of trees- African American people have little to no roots

Pear tree- This symbolized blossoming woman hood. It was very important to Janie, and like the tree, Janie grew throughout the story.

Mule- symbolizes black women in the community doing all of the worst jobs

Janie's long hair-  Janie's beautiful hair is what made her different from everyone else; it represented her biracial roots and her freedom as a woman.

Janie's Headrag- representing Joe's control over Janie.

A dog- what NOT to do to a woman.

The lamp post- a symbol of light and hope for the new town of Eatonville (progress).

Horizon/sunset- new thoughts, wishes, desires, beginnings.

The gate- opening to new possibilities down the “road.”

General Store- Progress for Eatonville.

Road- Janie was still the young girl on the inside and would move on.

Sunset- the end of an old day and the beginning of a new one.

Mad dog- represents the things that hurt us in life.

Sea- love

braid- Janie's freedom.

seeds- rebirth

Imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Jonathan Kolson

Mrs. Zurkowski

Yellows

4/20/11

Imagery in Their Eyes were Watching God.

Definition of Imagery: the figurative language, especially metaphors and similes, used in poetry, plays, and other literary works

1.  “The great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume,” Janie’s hair, which is a big symbol in the novel. Pg. 2

2. “Time makes everything old so the kissing, young darkness became a metropolis old thing while Janie talked.” Time slowed down while Janie told her story to Phoebe. Pg. 7

3. “She had glossy leave and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her.” Janie is like the blooming pear tree and how it is blooming as she is growing up and becoming a woman. Pg. 11

4. “Mind- pictures brought feelings, and feelings dragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart.” Nanny is trying to raise Janie with the past things from her life, and is trying to project a better version of her life in Janie. Pg. 16

5. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” This is the start of a new day, and Janie is getting a chance at happiness. Pg. 33

6. “The fact that the thought pictures were always crayon enlargements of life made it even nicer to listen.” Listening to stories and talking makes life seem a lot better. Pg. 51

7. “The new moon had been up and down three times before she got worried in mind.” It took awhile before Janie started noticing that she wasn’t falling in love with Logan. Pg. 22

8. “She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether.” Life is always changing and moving. Pg. 25

9.  “Her silken ruffles rustled and muttered about her.” Her dress swayed around her. Pg. 41

10. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” Janie and Joe were watching the sun set and night start. Pg. 33

11. “Tea Cake stood there mimicking the tuning of a guitar.” Tea Cake was playing an imaginary guitar for Janie. Pg. 100

12. “Poor Joe Starks. Bet he turns over in his grave every day.” Joe Starks would be upset about Janie dating another man. Pg. 110

13.”But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn’t soon come back.” She would always be heartbroken without Tea Cake. Pg. 120

14. “People ugly from ignorance and broken from being poor.” Referencing that the people walking to the muck are poor.  Pg. 131

15.”A little chunky girl took to picking a play out of Tea Cake in the fields and in the quarters.” The girl was trying to steal Tea Cake from Janie because she likes him. Pg. 136

16.”Mrs. Turner was a milky sort of a woman that belonged to child-bed.” Referencing that she is tall, fair-skinned, and skinny. Pg. 140

17.”Mah woman would spread her lungs all over Palm Beach County, let alone knock out mah jaw teeth.” Janie would yell loudly if Tea Cake ever hit her. Pg.148

18.”The sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel.” The water was flooding the muck. Pg. 162

19.” She was too busy feeling grief to dress like grief.” Janie could not bring herself to dress sad because she was already so sad. 

20.”The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall.” The sunshine of the sunset was casting a glow against the back wall.

My favorite imagery was “Poor Joe Starks. Bet he turns over in his grave every day.” I liked it because it shows how people thought about her love life.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

I did NOT enjoy Their Eyes Were Watching God.  I personally thought it was extremely boring.  I do not really like these kind of stories that just narrate.  I like stories that have action, betrayal, plot twists, or other types of drama. If I could choose not to read this book, I personally would not read it.  I also have allot of trouble with "interpreting" books. I understand what to do, but it is totally pointless.  I understand what goes on in the book, I do not need to learn how to read again.  The book had maybe one or two good parts like the rabbies part, but that was about it. I thought it was not a very good book and would not recommend it to anyone.

The REAL Hero?

Julius Caesar:
         Good traits

1. An excellent General.
2. Very fluent with politics
3. Won MANY battles and wars.
4. People were inspired by him, and he had many statues.
5. He was creating a want for a monarchy, with him as king.

          Flaws

1. Power-hungry
2. Not cautious/did not listen to the fortuneteller
3. Too popular
4. Made others envious
5. Tragic ending.

Marcus Brutus
         Good traits

1. Very noble and honorable.
2. He can speak fluently and charismatically with people.
3. He is equal to his wife.
4. Vital senator to the conspiracy.
5. He thinks of Rome before all else.
6. He was a wise person.

       Flaws

1. too trusting
2. What he thought was good for Rome above all else.
3. too generous
4. He had a tragic death. (probably the true tragic hero.)

Folger Theater

The Folger theater was GREAT. The actors were fun, but their performance was definitely angled towards the younger people.  I really liked the Train station and the food was good.  I loved walking the most, and all the wierd people on the streets of Washington D.C. I do not think I will ever go again, but if I had the chance, I would.

25 Random Facts of Myself

1. I have a phobia of heights.
2. My favorite color is orange.
3. I was 13 lbs. as a new born.
4. I can run 3 miles straight in 1 hour.
5. My favorite animal is Penguin.
6. I had blonde hair as a baby.
7. I have 3 sisters and no brothers.
8. All my sisters are older than me.
9. My favorite tv shows are from looney tunes.
10. My favorite class is Human Geography, even though it is hard.
11. My favorite Movie series was 24
12. My second favorite movie series is Pirates of the Carribean.
13. I go to Ocean city every year.
14. I have been to the Virgin Islands.
15. I go to Hershey Park every year.
16. I have had 2 dogs.
17. I had a fish from the carnival that survived two years.
18. My favorite dog breed is Sheltie.
19. I want to be an engineer when I grow up.
20. I want to liva along the west coast.
21. I love video games.
22. I play soccer.
23. I am a referee for soccer.
24. I used to play baseball.
25. My favorite cereal is Cheerios.

Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was an American Writer and Folklorist. She lived from 1891 - 1960. These are ten facts about her life.

• Zora studied at Howard University, at Barnard College, and at Columbia University.
• She studied under a German American anthropologistt named Franz Boas.
• She grew up in Eatonville, the first all-black town in the United States.
• Her fiction books are noted for her metaphorical language, her story-telling abilities, and her interest in and celebration of Southern Black culture of the US.
• Her most famous book is Their Eyes Were Watching God.
• Throughout Zora's career, she addresses issues of race and gender, and she relates them to the search for freedom.
• Zora died from health problems.
• She was poor and unrecognized until the 1970's, when she was discovered by a new generation of black writers, most notably, Alice Walker.
• In 1995, a two-vollume set of her writings was published.
• Go Gator and Muddy the Water: Writings by Zora Neale Hurston from the Federal Writes' Project is a collection of folklore published by Zora Hurston and republished in 1999 by the Florida Federal Writers' Project.

Information from: Microsoft Student Encarta

Picture from: http://www.literaryhistory.com/20thC/Hurston.htm

Detrital Wash Powerpoint

The Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance is an African American cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s.
• It was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, NY.
• It is known as the New Negro Movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance.
• It started near the end of World War 1.
• It was the first time that African American stories were published.
• The arts and literature of the African Americans attracted alot of attention.
• It was primarily in writing, but it also related to their music, art, theater, and politics.
• It started with the black middle class.
• Blacks were learning more, and getting more employment opportunities.
• Many blacks were moving North after the Civil War, this was a key factor.

• This is Langston hughes.
• An American writer from the Harlem Renaissance.
• He wrote poetry, plays, short stories, and novels.
• He wrote a collumn in a newspaper article called "Simple".
• He used simple to depict the everyday life of a black citizen.

•  This is W.E.B. Du Bois
• He is the first black to be awarded a doctoral degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.
• He is an advocate of racial equality.
• He argued against Booker T. Washington's theory (that blacks should accept themselves as inferior).
• He is an American writer.

• This is Countee Cullen.
• He was an American poet.
• He wrote lyric poetry about the black experiance.
• He avoided stereotyping.
• He published many volumes of poetry, including Color (1925) and Copper Sun (1927).

Pictures from: http://receivinghairline.tumblr.com/post/2150540541/langston-hughes

http://www.bolender.com/Sociological%20Theory/DuBois,%20W.%20E.%20B/dubois,_w__e__b_.htm

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cullen/life.htm

Info from: Microsoft Student Encarta - search Harlem Renaissance - first article of the list.

Halfway There!

Into the Wild

      by: John Krakauer

Chapter 1 - "The Alaska Interior"

Reading Interpretation Q & A – Answer in complete sentences and include page number at end of sentence where you found the information.

1.       What is the personal history of Chris McCandless? He was a very smart graduate

2.       What themes does Jon Krakauer introduce in the “Author’s Note”? attraction of dangerous things to young men, attraction of nature to people, allure of adrenaline

3.       What is the purpose of the quoted material at the start of Chapter One? To show where McCandless is, and to give the feel that McCandless is going to kill himself.

4.       Who is Alex? Chris McCandless

5.       Who is Jim Gallien, and how did he meet McCandless? He was a electrician who picked up Chris and gave Chris a job and hospitality in Carthage

6.       What was Gallien’s assessment of McCandless? He was young and unprepared, and he worried about Chris.

7.       What kind of advice did Gallien give McCandless? Do not do anything reckless

8.       What was McCandless’s response to Gallien’s offer?  Also, what gift did Gallien give to McCandless? Boots, and food, he offered to drive McCandless to Anchorage, buy supplies for him and drive him back.

9.       Why did Gallien decide not to alert the authorities about McCandless? He thought that McCandless would just run back to civilization

10.   Gallien’s statement that McCandless would “probably get hungry pretty quick and just walk out to the highway.  That’s what any normal person would do,” is an example of the literary device of irony of situation.  What is ironic about the statement? We know that he could not walk to the highway because of the thawed lake.  McCandless is not a “normal person”.

Chapter 2 - "The Stampede Trail"

Reading Interpretation Q & A

11.  Why would Krakauer include a quote from another author such as Jack London as the heading for this chapter? To show that there were many adventurers

12.  What is the purpose of the detailed descriptions of Mt. McKinley, Denali, and the Stampede Trail? To show you exactly what Chris was up against and saw. (what chris had to cope with – lifeless – desolation without movement – ominous – savage – sadness –frozen-hearted -

13. What was considered to be the cause of Chris McCandless’s death? Starvation – weighed 67 lbs. and he left a death note.

Chapter 4 & 5 - "Detrital Wash" and "Bullhead City"

Reading Interpretation Q & A

22.  The head note to this chapter concludes that people go to the desert “not to escape but to find reality.” How does this statement apply to Chris? Chris wants to escape the contemporary world to know what it was when people were at one with nature.

23.  Who is Jan Burres, and how did she figure into Chris’s travels? Jan was a rubber tramp who picked up Chris with her boyfriend, Bob. P30

24.  Describe the trip that Chris took in the old metal canoe that Chris bought in Topock, Arizona. He paddled down the river, went up a tributary to the Colorado, went through a government facility,then he goes through a dam, and loses his way in the canals. P32-34

25.  This chapter contains numerous excepts from the journal Chris kept.  What is noticeable about the writing in his account of his Mexican adventure? The gaurds were compassionate for him, and helped him to the Gulf of California. P34

26.  Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the individual’s responsibility and free will to direct the course of his/her life.  What existential conclusion does Chris reach when leaving Las Vegas?  (Look at end of chapter 4 for ideas.) He did what HE wanted, no one could tell him what to do. P37

27.  What kind of life did Chris lead in Bullhead City? He had a permanent job at McDonalds and was considering settling down, he even opened a bank account.

28.  Describe the conditions and the residents of the Slab.  Note some of the local color that makes this community memorable. The slab was like a huge flea market that was in full swing at the moment. P43

29.  What character traits and skills does Jan Burres recount about Chris in chapter 5? Chris was not a recluse or a hermit. Chris could talk forever with people, but he did need solitude at times, but he was no hermit. P44

30.  What was Jan Burres’s assessment of Chris’s ability to survive in Alaska? (end of chapter 5) He figured out how to paddle to Mexico, how to hop freight trains, how to get a bed a missions, and she thought he could figure out Alaska like the rest. P46

Chapter 6 & 7 - "Anza Borego" and "Carthage"

Reading Interpretation Q & A

31.  Who was Ron Franz, and how did he enter the story?  What does Krakauer think about the relationship between Franz and McCandless? He drove Chris from Salton City, California, to Grand Junction, Colorado. P48

32.  What is Anza-Borrego? Phantasmal badlands. P49

33.  What was the tragedy of Ron Franz’s life? His wife and only child were killed by a drunk driver. P50

34.  How did he feel about Chris and what request did he make of Chris? He treated Chris like his son, and asked him to get an education. P51

35.  What role did leathermaking take in their relationship? They bonded over leathermaking, and Chris made a very good engraved leather belt of his adventures. P51

36.  The author gives a brief character analysis of McCandless after recounting that Franz dropped him off in Colorado.  What does the author say about McCandless? He is avoiding human intimacy. P55

37.  When Chris sent Franz a letter from Carthage, what advice did Chris give to Franz and how did Franz respond to this letter? He wanted Franz to do bold things he never thought he’d ever do. P56

38.  How did Ron Franz learn that McCandless had died and how did this death change Franz’s life? The author told him through photographs, and Franz left the church and started drinking again. P60

39.  Why was Wayne Westerberg annoyed at the beginning of chapter Seven? He is trying to repair the machine before nightfall, and his companions are not paying attention. P62

Chapter 8 & 9 "Alaska" and "Davis Gultch"

Reading Interpretation Q & A

41.  What is the purpose of including the full story of Gene Rossellini? Gene had a similar experience to Chris’s adventure in Alaska. He was well educated, but decided to leave for the wilderness, even with all his good fortune. P 73

42.  What motivated Krakauer to include the story of John Waterman? Parallels were made between John and Chris. P80

43.  Finally, what is the purpose of including the story of Chris McCunn in the narrative? The story is included to provide another point of view at Chris’s adventures, and McCunn died by starvation, the same as Chris. P84

44.  Summarize the story of Everett Ruess and his fascination with the American West and natural beauty.  Everett was born

45.  What is Ken Sleight’s conclusion about Ruess and McCandless? Ken idolized Ruess and McCandless at their boldness to follow their dreams that others would ignore.

   

Famous Quotes

"It may, after all, be a bad habit of creative talents to invest themselves in pathological extremes that yield remarkable insights but no durable way of life for those who cannot translate their psychic wounds into significant art or thought.
           - Theodore Roszak -
                       - "In Search of the Miraculous"-
                                     ~ Page 70 of Into the Wild ~

"There was some books.... One was Pilgrim's Progress, about a man that left his family, it didn't say why. I read considerable in it now and then. The statements was interesting, but tough."
          - Mark Twain -
                      - "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" -
                                      ~ Page 61 of Into the Wild ~

"The dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck, and under the fierce conditions of trail life it grew and grew. Yet it was a secret growth. His newborn cunning gave him poise and control."
         - Jack London -
                      - "The Call of the Wild" -
                                       ~ Page 38 of Into the Wild ~

It's hard to take over the world when you sleep 20 hours a day.
         - Darby Conley

I think Chris wold like this quote because it is telling the reader to get up and TRY something.  Chris did nothing but try and adventure into new places.

Picture from: http://globalvoicesonline.org/

Into the Wild - Soujourn Vacation!

Into the Wild makes me want explore and journey to the places I have always wanted to go.  One place that I just found out about is Mt. Desert Island, Massachusetts.  Mt. Desert Island is part of a national park, Acadia, the first one on the East side of the USA!  It is actually home to many different things.  It has mountains carved from glaciers, beautiful lakes, and the only fjord on the East side of the Mississippi River.  It is also home to the highest mountain East of the Mississippi River, the Cadillac Mountain.  You can get to Maine by boat, car, plane, and all other types of transportation.  Acadia has moderate temperatures from 10 degrees F in the Winter to 80 - 90 degrees F in the Summer. It rains slightly more often in Maine than it does in Maryland, so be prepared but do not only pack rain suits.

Picture from: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

Author Biography - Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer was born April 12, 1954. He was born in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. He is both a writer and a mountaineer. He wrote many nonfiction books, including Into the Wild and his better known book Into thin Air. Into the Wild, the book I am currently reading, was written off of the journal of Christopher McCandless, who traveled across America by walking and hitchhiking. Krakauer compares Christopher's experiences in Alaska to his own that he had in Alaska. Krakauer seems like an adrenaline junky to me because of his wild, risky mountaineering adventures.

Image from: http://www.newnewjournalism.com/

Introduction to - Into the Wild - by: John Krakauer

Into the Wild is based off a true story.  Christopher McCandless journeys on a two-year hike across America (and parts of Canada to get to Alaska).  He gave away his savings and drove for a long time, and eventually abandoned his car too.  Christopher continues to walk and hitchhike across America until he hitchhiked to the Stampede Trail in Alaska.  He ventures out with only 10 pounds of rice, a rifle and bullets, a camera, some reading material (including a guide to edible plants, Tana'ina Plantlore).  After about 100 days, he died.  He was later found by moose hunters.

picture from: http://www.farnorthscience.com/
Info from: wikipedia.com

Dreams!

Jonathan Kolson

Yellows

Mrs. Zurkowski

1/31/11

Dream

            I had a dream, a realistic dream.  I dreamt that I woke up and that school was two hours late.  I dreamt that I woke up to my radio alarm and that they announced that school was 2 hours late.  I thought to myself, “Yay,” and clicked the snooze button.  I fell back to sleep in my dream and woke up to my mom yelling at me to wake up! I announced that we were two hours late to her and she was happy and went back to sleep. I wake up and check the schedule two hours later to find out that we weren’t two hours late! I got to school and just continued my daily routine.  My dream was so realistic to me that I actually kept myself from going to school!

Picture from: http://www.eso-garden.com/

Welcome to Semester 3!

HELLO!  Wlecome back to my blog in semester 3.  In this semester i will be finishing A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespear, and starting a new book!  I will be reading Into The Wild by .... which is based off a true story!  I have changed so much from September.  The time has passed so quickly!  I hope you will still be following when I finish the school year. I will be trying fit all my changes during the year into one of my last blogs for the year.  I know that I will be adding how confident I am now compared to September.  I never thought i would adjust this fast.  I hope you like this semester's blog posts!

Picture from: http://www.theholidayzone.com/

The Game of Your Life

Catching Fire
By: Suzanne Collins

Experience the thrills and adventure of Katniss while she fights for her life.

The romances of Katniss will entangle you in a plot so enticing that the only way to stop is to finish.

Katniss's every move leads to the collapse of a huge conspiracy within the oppressive  government.

Green

Jonathan Kolson

Mrs. Zurkowski

Honors English

10/28/10

The Green Room of Edgar Allan Poe’s Story “Masque of the Red Death”

            The Green room in “Masque of the Red Death”, by Edgar Allan Poe, has many different interpretations.  The first of the three is a stage of life, adolescence in this case.  The second is time of day relative to life span.  The last is related to the seasons of your life.

            Green is the third room of the seven in Poe’s story, being the third room means that it would be the third title given to you.  First title is baby, second is child, and third is teen.  Teens seem to try and rebel and fight against the other colors. Green is outstanding against the earlier blue and purple and the later orange.  It seems fitting for green to be associated with teens.

            The time of day for green is morning along with blue and purple.  Green is the latest in the morning when everything is becoming green again.  It is not hot yet but it is not cold either.  It is the best time for things to grow.  Relating this to age, teens grow maturely and physically during this time.  Green seems to be the most vibrant time of the day, and teens are extremely vibrant too.

            Green, in the form of seasons, is summer.  It fits with summer because summer is a fun time and teens just want to have fun.  Summer is also very green.  Summer is full of green leaves and grass.  If spring is the time of new life, then summer is the time of learning and growing.