"'Now let's take up the minorities in our civilization, shall we? Bigger the population, the more minorities... The people in this book, this play, this TV serial are not meant to represent any(body)...anywhere. The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that!... Authors full of evil thoughts, lock up your typewriters. They did. Magazines became a nice blend of vanilla tapioca. Books, so the... snobbish critics said, were dishwater... It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God.'"
Addressing Montag's concerns, while shattering (at least denting) his world at the same time, Captain Beatty, chief fireman, explains, among other things, his and Montag's profession. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, like 1984, is a look into an alternate terrifying future, the theme of Bradbury's being, "What if firemen started fires and being literate was basically a crime,"
His shift over, Montag begins heading home. On the way, he meets Clarisse McClellan, a peculiar young girl who, through a couple conversations, instigates Montag's questioning. "Why do firemen burn books," being the most prominent question.
Through several events, including a house and all the occupants of it being burned and Montag's secret being revealed, Montag meets a professor named Faber, who helps him realize what must be done for people to learn to live to a fuller extent again, rather than to just be content with simplicity and entertainment. Ironic how Faber and Montag believe to truly live, you must become learned (not necessarily literate though), as opposed to the "current" trend of driving vehicles in excess of one hundred miles an hour, among other favorite pastimes. Formulating a plan to topple the firemen hierarchy and renew an interest in learning and thinking, Faber and Montag take the beginning steps of that journey. This being a short story ("dime novel," according to Bradbury), not much can be written in a review without giving a lot of the plot away.
However, I will hop all the way around these spoilers. Clarisse is at the center of a problem that affects and plagues Montag, he never learning the true resolution to the problem. Faber assists Montag in formulating battle plans and executing them against the firemen, Montag being the inside man, Faber being inside Montag's ear. The Mechanical Hound, the firehouse's "mascot," trails Montag and is the cause of a compromising problem for him, which ends up having to be solved with fire and death.
In a world where nobody tries to change the standardized way of living, where everybody is satisfied with not reading, Montag takes a stand. He feels as if something is missing from his life and books being the only obvious thing actually missing from it, he pursues saving them. This he does, going against his wife, his coworkers, even the world's ways in general.
Fahrenheit 451 is comparable to Isaac Asimov's "The Feeling of Power," in the sense that in both short stories, a method of learning that has been with humanity for at least a thousand years each, reading and mathematics that is, is forgotten/done away with. Despite both being set in the future, these stories have the potential to teach a lot about the current/constant human condition. If that is too cryptic, read the stories and then prove me wrong. With that said, I recommend this book.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST By Ken Kesey
"Ting. Tingle, tingle, tremble toes, she's a good fisherman, catches hens, puts 'em inna pens . . . wire blier, limber lock, three geese inna flock . . . one flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo's nest . . . O-U-T spells out . . . goose swoops down and plucks you out."
Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest compelled me with its excellence to read it completely in three days, all 617 pages. This may not be viewed as something to be proud of, but as I haven't read a book that thick in so short a time in a while, I'm proud.
This book is set in a bleak insane asylum (not much color is ever present, other than white, and the only variations between rooms are the furniture/appliances), told through the perspective/mind of Chief Broom, A.K.A. Chief Bromden, A.K.A. The Chief, a massive Indian who is deaf and mute. Though he could be argued to be the main character, since his psyche is closely evaluated while reading this book, since the book is his thoughts, Randle Patrick McMurphy could just as easily be viewed as the same, if not just the protagonist. The Big Nurse is THE bad guy, with several cronies and wards to aid her in suppressing the patients. McMurphy is a late arrival to the hospital, but with him comes hope, amongst other things that change everybody affiliated with the hospital permanently.
Cuckoo's Nest, despite being placed in a serious setting with serious undertones, is actually a very funny book at times. Being told by a "mentally unstable" Indian who does nothing but observe and has nothing but time to pay attention, with all seriousness in retelling the story, comedy is prevalent occasionally. Hardly any, IF any, details are omitted in the "retelling" of the story; details so vivid exist that there was no need for a movie to be made, if only the potential viewers could have the determination to read the whole book and the understanding required to experience it fully (this being a somewhat complicated book to follow at times, to say the least). This book is unlike others, in the sense that dramatic irony is hardly, if ever, present. The Chief tells the story as it goes, only foreshadowing occasionally; the readers never know (much of) anything about other characters until the potential things have happened/are happening. If the sentence, "The dog runs," was present in the book, it would be written something like: "Four legs bounding through the dew, the beast, our best friend, flees from the light of the moon," That is to say that there is never a lack of detail and the meaning of a sentence is not always spelled out. Sometimes the readers must be able to piece together the given information to understand a section, which pulls the reader in more, makes us more involved in the reading. And because the narrator is indeed a mental patient, some of the "unexplainable" events that take place are explained by Bromden, who is full of paranoia and fear ("the fog machine").
Because the narrator knows all the characters on a personal basis, and is not merely an observer nor the creator of them, the characters are told in the same manner as if you were to read a short biography of them, if The Chief's descriptions are not more detailed. Even the Vegetables (each group of patient is labeled by the caretakers), who are what their title suggests, are explained with enough detail to make the reader feel as though he is looking at them, knows them enough to consider them an "acquaintance."
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is indeed a critical necessity to any (Viking's) library. I have been lucky enough this year to have the following statement follow many, most, of my reviews: this book is worth reading a good several times.
Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest compelled me with its excellence to read it completely in three days, all 617 pages. This may not be viewed as something to be proud of, but as I haven't read a book that thick in so short a time in a while, I'm proud.
This book is set in a bleak insane asylum (not much color is ever present, other than white, and the only variations between rooms are the furniture/appliances), told through the perspective/mind of Chief Broom, A.K.A. Chief Bromden, A.K.A. The Chief, a massive Indian who is deaf and mute. Though he could be argued to be the main character, since his psyche is closely evaluated while reading this book, since the book is his thoughts, Randle Patrick McMurphy could just as easily be viewed as the same, if not just the protagonist. The Big Nurse is THE bad guy, with several cronies and wards to aid her in suppressing the patients. McMurphy is a late arrival to the hospital, but with him comes hope, amongst other things that change everybody affiliated with the hospital permanently.
Cuckoo's Nest, despite being placed in a serious setting with serious undertones, is actually a very funny book at times. Being told by a "mentally unstable" Indian who does nothing but observe and has nothing but time to pay attention, with all seriousness in retelling the story, comedy is prevalent occasionally. Hardly any, IF any, details are omitted in the "retelling" of the story; details so vivid exist that there was no need for a movie to be made, if only the potential viewers could have the determination to read the whole book and the understanding required to experience it fully (this being a somewhat complicated book to follow at times, to say the least). This book is unlike others, in the sense that dramatic irony is hardly, if ever, present. The Chief tells the story as it goes, only foreshadowing occasionally; the readers never know (much of) anything about other characters until the potential things have happened/are happening. If the sentence, "The dog runs," was present in the book, it would be written something like: "Four legs bounding through the dew, the beast, our best friend, flees from the light of the moon," That is to say that there is never a lack of detail and the meaning of a sentence is not always spelled out. Sometimes the readers must be able to piece together the given information to understand a section, which pulls the reader in more, makes us more involved in the reading. And because the narrator is indeed a mental patient, some of the "unexplainable" events that take place are explained by Bromden, who is full of paranoia and fear ("the fog machine").
Because the narrator knows all the characters on a personal basis, and is not merely an observer nor the creator of them, the characters are told in the same manner as if you were to read a short biography of them, if The Chief's descriptions are not more detailed. Even the Vegetables (each group of patient is labeled by the caretakers), who are what their title suggests, are explained with enough detail to make the reader feel as though he is looking at them, knows them enough to consider them an "acquaintance."
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is indeed a critical necessity to any (Viking's) library. I have been lucky enough this year to have the following statement follow many, most, of my reviews: this book is worth reading a good several times.
What Makes A Leader A True Leader?
A person may consider himself a leader if he has the ability to draw a crowd and lead them. Logical enough: a leader is one who leads. But I believe there is more to it than just being able to consider yourself a ringleader conducting the clowns.
A true leader does not look out for number one alone. Casualties (figurative or not) are looked upon with sadness through the eyes of a true leader. "As long as it gets me where I want to go," is a thought that never enters his brain. "How can I defeat OUR enemies with the smallest number of my people losing the ultimate battle," is.
Charisma is a must for a follower to climb to the top, without a doubt. How this trait is used is what is important. Charisma is "a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/charisma). Hitler had charisma and he was a "great leader," nearly leading his Nazis to victory. But his gift was abused. He was the one with the initial thought of, "I'm better than them," and through strongarming (muscling his "virtues" into others) and brainwashing, eventually gained a following.
A true leader is one who finds others who shares his beliefs, virtues, values, ideals, etc. These others who "follow" his way of thinking may wish to gain power in a society, one of many motives that would require a leader/group. If his "people" wish to omit the quotations, then he will have their full support from the start, another sign of a true leader (or a completely evil genius, the difference must be determined without bias).
Julius Caesar is seen as both. He was a brilliant general and a sufficient leader (at least) who led Rome to great power. Sounds like a true leader. The other side to that though is the fact that to get to where he was/Rome where he led it, he killed several million people, "not much better than Hitler."
What Makes A Leader A True Leader is how people view him, how his motives and accomplishments (with ethics (or something else completely unbiased, since ethics are not universal) as the trays) weigh out.
A true leader does not look out for number one alone. Casualties (figurative or not) are looked upon with sadness through the eyes of a true leader. "As long as it gets me where I want to go," is a thought that never enters his brain. "How can I defeat OUR enemies with the smallest number of my people losing the ultimate battle," is.
Charisma is a must for a follower to climb to the top, without a doubt. How this trait is used is what is important. Charisma is "a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/charisma). Hitler had charisma and he was a "great leader," nearly leading his Nazis to victory. But his gift was abused. He was the one with the initial thought of, "I'm better than them," and through strongarming (muscling his "virtues" into others) and brainwashing, eventually gained a following.
A true leader is one who finds others who shares his beliefs, virtues, values, ideals, etc. These others who "follow" his way of thinking may wish to gain power in a society, one of many motives that would require a leader/group. If his "people" wish to omit the quotations, then he will have their full support from the start, another sign of a true leader (or a completely evil genius, the difference must be determined without bias).
Julius Caesar is seen as both. He was a brilliant general and a sufficient leader (at least) who led Rome to great power. Sounds like a true leader. The other side to that though is the fact that to get to where he was/Rome where he led it, he killed several million people, "not much better than Hitler."
What Makes A Leader A True Leader is how people view him, how his motives and accomplishments (with ethics (or something else completely unbiased, since ethics are not universal) as the trays) weigh out.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
JULIUS CAESAR By William Shakespeare
Supernatural events take place in Julius Caesar. In Act I, Scene III of the play, Casca has been witness to several omens, relaying them to Cicero in a manner most frightened. “But never till tonight, never till now, Did I go through a tempest dropping fire. - A common slave...Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn Like twenty torches joined; and yet his hand, Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched. - Against the Capitol I met a lion, Who glazed upon me and went surly by Without annoying me. - ...they saw Men all in fire walk up and down the streets. And yesterday the bird of night did sit Even at noonday upon the marketplace,” In Act IV, Scene III, the Ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus, stating they will meet again at Philippi.
One criticism of some literature is that it relies too heavily on the use of the supernatural to advance the plot or provide foreshadowing. Julius Caesar is validly criticized in this way.
Neither of the examples I have provided can really be considered necessary for the preservation of the story; that is, without these excerpts, the story would be relatively the same, without much being lost.
However, Act I’s supernatural sequence is nothing but foreshadowing, as is the second example. Hardly any other methods are taken to foreshadow events. In Scene II of the first Act, a Soothsayer warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March, a soothsayer being one who can see the future.
Even Calphurnia’s account of her dreams to Caesar, horrible events taking place suggest something is wrong (Act II, Scene II), is considered to be supernatural, as it includes a lioness roaming the streets of Rome, zombies and warriors fighting with fire (as their weapons) in the sky.
The supernatural is not the only way Shakespeare conveys foreshadowing though. Act III, Scene I: Brutus shakes the hands of the conspirators, drenching his hand in his fallen comrade's (Caesar's) blood (who fell to the conspirators) beforehand, marking them all for death and later, after the conspirators left, he vows to avenge him.
Although the majority of the story is told without the supernatural being involved, enough of it is present to allow the statement, "Julius Caesar relies too heavily on the supernatural to (advance the plot or) provide foreshadowing," to be a valid conclusion. Not necessarily bashing the book, just an observation; imagination must be used to get some of the details out of the story (which is what makes a story worth reading, details).
One criticism of some literature is that it relies too heavily on the use of the supernatural to advance the plot or provide foreshadowing. Julius Caesar is validly criticized in this way.
Neither of the examples I have provided can really be considered necessary for the preservation of the story; that is, without these excerpts, the story would be relatively the same, without much being lost.
However, Act I’s supernatural sequence is nothing but foreshadowing, as is the second example. Hardly any other methods are taken to foreshadow events. In Scene II of the first Act, a Soothsayer warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March, a soothsayer being one who can see the future.
Even Calphurnia’s account of her dreams to Caesar, horrible events taking place suggest something is wrong (Act II, Scene II), is considered to be supernatural, as it includes a lioness roaming the streets of Rome, zombies and warriors fighting with fire (as their weapons) in the sky.
The supernatural is not the only way Shakespeare conveys foreshadowing though. Act III, Scene I: Brutus shakes the hands of the conspirators, drenching his hand in his fallen comrade's (Caesar's) blood (who fell to the conspirators) beforehand, marking them all for death and later, after the conspirators left, he vows to avenge him.
Although the majority of the story is told without the supernatural being involved, enough of it is present to allow the statement, "Julius Caesar relies too heavily on the supernatural to (advance the plot or) provide foreshadowing," to be a valid conclusion. Not necessarily bashing the book, just an observation; imagination must be used to get some of the details out of the story (which is what makes a story worth reading, details).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Details
Lately, I have been the victim of Brain Babies; random "tidbits" of "stories" pop into my head from time to time. I really do not know why but for lack of anything else to rant about, this should suffice:
Clouds form around the sun; God looks on the act with contempt, which shines through the cornea; with malice, which is magnified; reflecting the Reaper's work.
Vehicles flock down the veins of humanity's civilization (the civilization-the being, the vehicular flocks-the blood), the species that longs for "bird-dom" (flight is achieved, songs are made, military conquests, family is stressed) resembles their template. The humans controlling the blood, the humans that made the being, are the souls of the blood of the creature-the life force.
Ghosts are seen in "our" world, said to be "visitors from the other side," maybe planes of existence overlap, maybe we're intruding on their property, preventing them from resting.
The elderly are punished for "winning" the game of life. Whoever can hold on the longest is the victor. Ha. The old-timers' old (as in long gone, not as in age) friends died doing what they loved: living as much as fast as possible. Living cautiously is not living at all, getting you nothing but grandkids that don't appreciate you and bad bones.
Shut it old man, I am bad to the bone!
Ha!! Calm down, work in a cubicle for forty years, at least, you'll see...
Questions = Answers
Answers = More Questions
Questions + Questions = Possibility (for the possibility) of inferred/implied Answers
Answers + Answers = "This is what we know _, this is what we don't: _______"Any Questions?
Questions + Answers = Problem Solved
Answers + Questions = Problem(s) Found/Made
The clouds were as the walls back where I escaped from; rows of life to be plucked and planted. Luckily, I found myself in a shadow, a row of life, yet to be harvested.. The birds were in on it, forming Morse code for the enemy, their masters, to interpret, knowing what was being planned in the process of formulating the process. The "letters" rearranged themselves as we spoke. None noticed. Ignorance is no excuse. "But when you're a prisoner, the task is not to shout epitaphs at the warden, but to get out."
To satisfy stereotypes Is to leave yourself disappointed. To conform civilly Is to satisfy others/Is to leave yourself disappointed. To not be addicted Is to deprive the body. To succumb to addiction Is to satisfy the body/Is to disappoint the mind. To know everything Is to be undead. To know nothing Is to have everything To live for. To know that two plus two equals five Is to march to a different drum. To know that two plus two equals four Is to conform/Is to be an addicted zom of a zombie (-un + undead).
Knowledge > Doubt...But Doubts Lead to Knowledge...The Ends Justify the Means
Destruction is a form of creation. Creativity is ideal when destroying. Creating is the negative. The world began "empty," (of things artificial) purely natural. Creating anything is adding something new(/converting), unnatural, despite the creator. Destroying is natural - erosion of things made. Creation is natural - if Mother Earth constructs it. Yes, we are all Her children, therefore everything is somewhat natural. But a lie is somewhat the truth, the opposite, man made. But a lie can be looked past, the truth being the blueprint for it. Natural(-ly).
Clouds form around the sun; God looks on the act with contempt, which shines through the cornea; with malice, which is magnified; reflecting the Reaper's work.
Vehicles flock down the veins of humanity's civilization (the civilization-the being, the vehicular flocks-the blood), the species that longs for "bird-dom" (flight is achieved, songs are made, military conquests, family is stressed) resembles their template. The humans controlling the blood, the humans that made the being, are the souls of the blood of the creature-the life force.
Ghosts are seen in "our" world, said to be "visitors from the other side," maybe planes of existence overlap, maybe we're intruding on their property, preventing them from resting.
The elderly are punished for "winning" the game of life. Whoever can hold on the longest is the victor. Ha. The old-timers' old (as in long gone, not as in age) friends died doing what they loved: living as much as fast as possible. Living cautiously is not living at all, getting you nothing but grandkids that don't appreciate you and bad bones.
Shut it old man, I am bad to the bone!
Ha!! Calm down, work in a cubicle for forty years, at least, you'll see...
Questions = Answers
Answers = More Questions
Questions + Questions = Possibility (for the possibility) of inferred/implied Answers
Answers + Answers = "This is what we know _, this is what we don't: _______"Any Questions?
Questions + Answers = Problem Solved
Answers + Questions = Problem(s) Found/Made
The clouds were as the walls back where I escaped from; rows of life to be plucked and planted. Luckily, I found myself in a shadow, a row of life, yet to be harvested.. The birds were in on it, forming Morse code for the enemy, their masters, to interpret, knowing what was being planned in the process of formulating the process. The "letters" rearranged themselves as we spoke. None noticed. Ignorance is no excuse. "But when you're a prisoner, the task is not to shout epitaphs at the warden, but to get out."
To satisfy stereotypes Is to leave yourself disappointed. To conform civilly Is to satisfy others/Is to leave yourself disappointed. To not be addicted Is to deprive the body. To succumb to addiction Is to satisfy the body/Is to disappoint the mind. To know everything Is to be undead. To know nothing Is to have everything To live for. To know that two plus two equals five Is to march to a different drum. To know that two plus two equals four Is to conform/Is to be an addicted zom of a zombie (-un + undead).
Knowledge > Doubt...But Doubts Lead to Knowledge...The Ends Justify the Means
Destruction is a form of creation. Creativity is ideal when destroying. Creating is the negative. The world began "empty," (of things artificial) purely natural. Creating anything is adding something new(/converting), unnatural, despite the creator. Destroying is natural - erosion of things made. Creation is natural - if Mother Earth constructs it. Yes, we are all Her children, therefore everything is somewhat natural. But a lie is somewhat the truth, the opposite, man made. But a lie can be looked past, the truth being the blueprint for it. Natural(-ly).
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For
- Family - without them, i would not be alive, though the obligations that come with family sometimes make having a family tedious (attempt at a joke)
- Being literate - I am able to learn and express myself
- Technology - "convenience is cey"
- Humanity's ability to converse - (though being literate is a branch of this, verbal language is what is meant) without it, humanity would make no progress as a species and be nothing more than another animal
- Music - without it, life would be somewhat emptier (that is to say that music's impact on us is difficult to express in words, though it seems so simple)
- Glasses - my visual connection to this world is cloudy no longer
- Groups (of people) - things are done, missions accomplished, progress made
- Conservationists - they postpone the inevitable "self destruction" of the world
- Agriculture - humanity would never have evolved from nomads to lazier peoples without it (this lazyness allowing for more time to think and do more important things)
- Medicine/Antiseptics - humankind will survive longer/the ability to make progress easier was a result of soap (death is prominent without cleanliness; progress can only be made if whatever the parent did with their life is continued after their death by their children)
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