Simple Details

In the eyes of a civilian the world swirls into a combination of the big things around him; the buildings, the large fields, fancy restraints and busy streets are just some of the common ones. However in peering through the eyes of a soldier you may see many different things. In that large building one might see a hiding spot for the enemy, or in that field a mound to pause behind, and in the streets memories of bombs exploding upon the innocent may flash by. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the author tries to convey a strong feeling that the citizens of the world take more for granted than they think they do.

It’s something we all know we do. It’s those things that you never realized that you possessed until they were gone; it’s the simple details that make up a large percentage of life that we as people tend to pass by without even a glance every day.

So once in a while a reminder is presented to cherish what you have because it may be gone tomorrow. Whether that reminder be in something tragic, like a death or a mere slip up. With that as human beings it is easy to think about what we have, but how long does that lesson really last? Is it ever a constant effort to maintain a connection to the realization of what you actually have? Sure, everyone can be thankful for their family, and home each day. The problem lies in understanding the importance of the little things. Because it is not the home that matters, it’s all the little details that go into making it your own, protected, haven to return to each day. The soldiers in the novel didn’t have something to recognize as their home and with that lacked a lot of the big things that are available to civilians. Therefore they took advantage, and found great enjoyment from the little things that were available to them but too little for the average person to realize they possessed.

All Quiet on the Western Front Chapter 2

Authors Note: This is a response to express what I believe is one of the emerging themes in chapter 2.

Guns blazing, blood spurting, and men all over the world falling on the fields of war in death. The scene of World War 1 ripped the world apart as bombs destroyed cities and left innocent children to fend for themselves. Somewhere in this madness however Remarque writes of the much different life of a few soldiers who have received a break in the action. Chapter 2 elucidates the theme of discipline and obedience which is supported by the author's diction, syntax and craft.

Upon entering the forces it becomes immediately apparent that one must give up a number of the amenities enjoyed by the general population and in return receive a sense of discipline unlike any other. It’s a place where death looms overhead in the same way that that dirt covers the earth. In a place where the stench of gangrene and blood fills the air what is that holds the men together. It’s their discipline and obedience to seniority that allows them to maintain a sense of togetherness. Without it they would be wandering in a world of pity and disgrace. However a soldier must also maintain a sense of individuality so that they can retain a sense of responsibility and do not lose their identity. The characters in the novel dig into this theme as they return to camp and “became hard, suspicious, pitiless, vicious, tough--and that was good; for these attributes were just what we lacked”. No matter how much defiance they showed the disciplines of army life still weaseled its way into them. They still maintained their identity and were not simply robots controlled by their superiors. They had to develop a blockade for the thoughts of death, as they witnessed friends, and brothers dying before their very eyes. To convey such a strong idea to the reader, the author used strong diction, and also used  a number of varying sentence structures that allowed him to dig into deeper ideas. Such craft in writing provides a successful outlet for ideas that go farther than just scratching the surface. All goes to show how discipline and obedience will be a clear theme throughout the novel.

All Quiet on the Western Front Chapter 1

Author's note: This is a response to describe an emerging motif in chapter 1.


   Even though it was just a short chapter, chapter 1 revealed a number of insightful motifs that are sure to amplify the major theme's of the novel. One that was very clear to me was the motif of the simple things in life. Throughout the chapter the soldiers expressed their gratitude for things such as fatty food, separate toilets, and a double serving of rations.
           This motif of all the simple things that most people take for granted make the reader examine their own lives, and realize how much they really have. It causes a reader to really see what the people on the front lines are grateful for when for most of us, it's a part of our daily lives. I believe that this motif could possibly suggest that the theme of reality that could exist in the rest of the novel. In the theme of reality it would express that we live in a world where reality is not what we think it is.

Identity

Author's Note: After completing the Novel Jekyll and Hyde for class I thought a good topic to take from the story was the importance of identity.

Two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; it's the identity for which the average person is recognized. A simple combination of biology creating a face that we are all seen and known by. However; identity doesn't end at the face but rather flows through the soul and integrity of an individual, encompassing character, values, lifestyle and much more. To some they may be identified by a number. A simple stopping place in the infinite world of numbers. Whether they be a famous sports star or a lowly inmate at the prison that number defines them and gives others the ability to identify that person. If you were to get close enough to a person you may learn about their past, their influences and childhood that is still defining and changing them today. Identities change the farther you travel into an individuals life.
                 A clear example of the power of identity can be found in the life of Henry Jekyll. He found himself in the predicament of being the owner of multiple identities after he changed his life forever by indulging in the magical powers of his secret potion. He discovered what it was to live a life of evil and darkness and found it entirely addicting. He took the blow of the consequences head on and even Jekyll himself wrote "I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self"(114). Such is a testament to the destructive nature of such a life.
                 If a man himself does not know who he is and what he stands for deep down and has defaced himself beyond recognition what does he retain? For a fugitive on the run it may mean freedom but to what do you return? Your identity is your connection to the rest of the world and without it one might as well be asking for complete loss of their mind. Who you are and are known for depends on you retaining the proper identity. When evil oozes through the cracks in the barriers that we all put up, some might simply eliminate it over and over. However; if you become covered in that black slime it is very difficult to return to a life of hope and a future. The worst case of the above is found in selling one's soul to the devil for the unknown knowledge. There is no going back to the clean life you were once known for. Identities are forever changing and growing as decisions are made and views are changed.

Connections

Author's note: While reading through Jekyll and Hyde I found it very apparent that connections can be made from just about every part of the text and everything seemed to be intertwined. However I also realized that these things are not just apparent in novels but everyday life as well.

If you have ever pulled apart a simple rope or even a shoestring then you know how something so simple is really created through the combination of an incredible number of tiny strands, all to create a single bond that we see as a single rope. Just like that rope our lives are not simply the makings of bone, and flesh but rather a series of events and influences that shape and twist people; the events, friends, family, memories, downfalls, and achievement that we call ourselves. What you view from the outside is only the beginning of that rope. As you follow those strands deeper it is no secret that there are many more strands to be found showing that  everyone is completely different than how they might present themselves. Each person has a different character, a different personality, and maybe even a past of misery, despair, or even greatness, that they choose to hide among the innermost parts of that rope. Just like that thick strong rope we all have frays and connections that intertwine themselves deep inside the simple outside providing much more meaning than the rope shows.

The Package

Author's note: Response to the human nature portrayed through the  occurances in chapter's 5,6 and 7 in Jeckyl and Hyde.

"It is one thing to mortify curiosity, another to conquer it; and it may doubted if, from that day forth". Curiosity is a simple but powerful strain on the human mind. It is relentless in it's attack and in the majority of instances, prevails. The myth of Pandora's Box peers into this idea by expressing that curiousity can open the door for evil and leave only hope for us to hold on to. It has been said that without hope you possess nothing but in reality does it actually deceive us? Does hope provide a false pretense for the inevitable evil that looms overhead? For such reasons it is impossible to bury curiosity into the depths of the brain. It will always be there to provide the motive to search on and to find the answer that you only "hope" is there.

Blotting out All Evil

Author's note: Creative response to a personally interesting aspect of the first three chapters in Jekyll and Hyde.

Evil exists not through strength but rather through cunning in a world where it is constantly batted away. It finds a place to rest in the caverns where goodness once reigned supreme. Created through the lack of goodness, not by the ability of evil nature, it is not a thing but rather simply the absence of good. Without goodness and all the qualities associated with it we turn to evil. That goodness can be captured and encompassed in one's life through whatever it is that one believes but it is necessary in blotting out the darkness. In Jekyll and Hyde, such evil is represented through the mysteries of Mr. Hyde, in his mysterious actions and appearance. Even as the lawyer Mr. Utterson questioned Jekyll of Hyde there came a blackness about his eyes. Hyde has secured a place inside Jekyll and rooted himself so not to be let go. However with that space lacking goodness, Jekyll is being opened to the threat of evil and is slowly being overcome by the immense power.

An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge

Authors Note: Response to short story, "An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge"

Greatness Fallen Short

Time seems to stand still as the clock runs out, the last play moving at a snail’s pace in the eyes of those participating. As the team’s success rides on a single man’s shoulders the quarterback pulls the ball from the running back’s grasp in order to become the hero. If he fails he will lose all respect, and suffer rejection from his team. Through imagery and the manipulation of time, the author of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” transforms a scene of death, into one man’s ego driven desire to put himself in history in order to elucidate that ego cannot spare someone from inevitable death.

The world today teaches the power of the will to win, but the will to win is worthless if one solely desires to triumph for themselves. It takes a greater desire, one of the will to train and prepare; to feel inside that success will be for the betterment of the team and not oneself. However unlike a game, the short story posts a life or death situation when a man is sent to be hanged for his supposedly heroic act to try and stop the incoming army. Inside of all motivating thoughts,  family is the greatest and “As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it, the captain nodded to the sergeant”(193).  This man did not doom himself for his family; he did it out of an egotistical desire to go down in history.  Just the thought of a death sentence is enough to make one cringe, becoming even more grotesque with the simple thought of a hanging. It is an image portrayed incredibly throughout the story, demonstrating that “Death is a dignitary who, when he comes announced, is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him” (193). The man knew the penalty, yet he was not willing to accept the consequence. Yet what drives the message is the author’s manipulation of time. As the story jumps from present to past, and from past to a day dream it becomes vivid and clear that the man wanted more to experience a heroic getaway than to be among his family in safety. This force of ego, although powerful cannot save even the most schematic of men from certain death.  

To Build a Fire

Authors Note: Response to the short story,  "To Build a Fire"                                               

                                                Innocent Nature Turned Destructive

As the fire rages on it quickly engulfs everything in its path and swallows its victims whole. As it started it was just an innocent, life providing element that turns the cold air to warmth. However when used improperly it can become an operator of devastating destruction. Just as the fire can do so can our egos. Through the short story To Build a Fire Jack London expresses his belief that the demise of mankind is directly related to the acquired ignorance of experience and the loss of necessary instincts through such disregarding, which may lead to complete self destruction. 

Although the short story has a simple plot, it is able to convey a strong message of how overpowering our egos can become. Jack London is able to slowly tick away at the stages of how the every man is able to develop that ego and ignorance for things around him. The man devised by London for the purpose of this story took his ignorance to the extreme. The trouble began as he refused to reference a thermometer in order to calculate the outside temperature the best. Even though it may seem as if this is a simple innocent mistake, it is much different because, “In reality it was not merely colder than fifty below zero; it was colder than sixty below, than seventy below. It was seventy-five below zero”. This slight ignorance to his surroundings sent the man into a dangerous situation. He did all this with knowledge passed on to him, by and elder, that you were not to go out in weather sub 50 alone. Yet his ego kept him from listening to that as well.  As his confidence grew in himself the danger become more imminent by each step that he took in the wilderness. Although not a person, he did travel with a dog however. The difference is that dog was still hardly removed from being a wolf and therefore was equipped for the cold. On the other hand, “This man did not know cold. Possibly all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of cold one hundred and seven degrees below freezing-point. But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge. Due to the ignorant egotistical behavior of the man he became too frozen to even create a fire to warm himself and suffered the ultimate consequence of death in the desolate, frozen wilderness. The development of his ignorance started much before his culminating adventure, just as we are building ours every day. He felt superior, as if he was indestructible and unbreakable. Such thoughts can so easily cause harm and destruction with the swift power of a seemingly innocent fire.

           

Short Story

Authors Note: Creative writing response for the end of the semester.

A lone man stood upon the rotting linoleum floor in heartache, peering down into the rippling water of his New York motel sink. He looked into the grimy mirror and in return he saw a man unfamiliar to him. Covered in dirt with a head of long greasy hair, he was an image of failure. However, failure he did not see; instead, he saw a slight glimmer of hope within himself.  Without work and without hope however, the future was dim. On the other side of the dark room sat his wife and two kids. Their clothing was tattered, their stomachs shrunken, and by the moonlight they toiled at their homework. Except for the occasional question, no one spoke. The old floorboards, weak with age, creaked at the slightest movement. Life was rough and the times were tough in the midst of the great depression. The family had lost their house and was on the verge of being tossed from the motel. However, they had one thing going for them; they knew how to work.

On the other side of town there wasn’t a poor family in sight. Large plush homes filled the landscape. One of the houses was occupied by a big businessman’s son and his wife. Life was good, and they had no problem with living off of his father’s money. Days were filled at the office, taking calls and sipping coffee. It was any poor man’s dream. The wealth gushed out of the man through his custom tailored suit and Cadillac convertible. He cruised the streets in style sporting his dark sunglasses no matter the time of day. Nights were filled roaming among the best of New York. As all the beautiful lights glimmered among the brisk city night he sighed to himself, and felt as though something was missing, something that would complete his perfect life. Little did he know, things were about to change.

Kevin and Bill were two young inspired boys ready to take on the world when they first met during the summer, going into fifth grade. Bill had just moved into the fine neighborhood across from the trailer park where Kevin resided and they spent all day, every day, meandering about their two homes, playing games with the neighborhood kids and having an overall blast. Kevin was thoroughly amazed the first time he walked into Bill’s home, but there was something wrong, something missing, he just didn’t know what it was. Nonetheless the two went about dreaming of how they would one day be partners in business, making them both filthy rich.

As Bill sat down in the lawyer’s office that day, however, he did not feel the slightest bit of contentment, nor did he have much more than the money left in his wallet and his house. As the lawyer read his father’s will it slowly became apparent that Bill was not to inherit the business as he had hoped. Rather, it was his father’s business partner who would be handling the multi-million dollar corporation. As Bill Smith looked out the window of the fifth floor office that afternoon, all he saw was the grey sky, and his only feelings were of self-pity and remorse for his father. An hour later, as he exited with his wife, his eyes opened to another world. He saw the jewelry store across the street and the bank on the corner but instead of thinking of what he could buy or how he could invest the little money he had left his mind turned to other options. As his consideration, which was there to cause impact within him, was burst into the mortal man’s conscience rather than expelled from it, his future fell into the hands of poor decision.

The night was young and Kevin was sitting down to a substantial meal with his family. They all squeezed into the little card table that they had set up in their room, because tonight was not to be sad, for the first time in months good news was reaching the Wilson’s dinner table. After settling down to a homemade meal, Kevin proceeded to deliver the good news to his family. Just that day his boss at the car factory called him into his office. His boss proceeded to inform him that he had been observing the workers the past week in order to hand pick a supervisor. Due to Kevin’s work ethic, he had been selected. He knew this was directly correlated to the immense effort he poured into his work on the assembly line each and every day. Not only did this mean he would be relieved of the monotonous labor, but also he would be receiving a substantial raise. So as smiles grew and hopes began to reemerge, the family understood that they would be able to keep a roof over their heads.  

Darkness began to blanket the city as Bill left his house in upstate New York. The lights slowly turned out one by one and the small street became enveloped by the eerie quiet of a late city night. Shadows came and went but one remained. Life seemed to stand still as the hands of the clock ticked across the vast plain of the white circle. A lone shadow slunk across the road, and with a swift crash, the jewelry store was breached. Within seconds the sharp pang of the alarm was stopped, without the slightest stir among the residents of the street. At 3:30 that same morning Bill Smith slid into bed, assuring his wife that he had a typical Friday night on the town.

1.      A man stood upon a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama, looking down into the swift waters twenty feet below.

2.      Excepting the group of four at the centre of the bridge not a man moved.

3.      As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were burst into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it, the captain nodded to the sergeant.