"The Boy Who Couldn't Die," a sixteen year-old-character in the book of the same name, became "invulnerable" to death by unknowingly becoming a zombie (a mindless creature that roams eternally (obeying its master)), through spiritual means. The common conception of becoming a zombie is that a virus invades your system, putting a stop to all conscious thought, transforming the remaining shell into a creature bent only on sustaining, attempting to satisfy its insatiable hunger; only able to be quelled by ingesting "other" humans. Of all the components of life, there are countless interpretations of each, usually either: spiritual, logical.
"Spiritual Satanism" advocates "using one's brains to their maximum potential" and "does not in any way conflict with science." They "believe that all spiritual and paranormal phenomena can be scientifically explained in a rational manner; scientific knowledge has not yet progressed far enough to comprehend or explain much of the so-called 'supernatural.'" "True Satanism... is based upon total transformation of the soul... The goal of Spiritual Satanism is to apply this knowledge [which was brought by Satan] and transform [their [the ones who practice this religion]] souls into godhead..." Spiritual Satanism apparently strives for the realization of all truths, however natural they may be, while understanding that all is because Satan wills it (which combats with Christians' vehement denial of the theory of evolution). This religion seems to cross the boundries between thought and feeling, utilizing both trains of thought. {I do not advocate Satanism, in any form, though, being a Baptist, I cannot say I am for it, I tolerate it}
Edgar Cayce, "the modern/new Nostradamus," apparently had access to the "Akashic Records" while in self-induced trances. These Records, prophesied of in several ancient religions, more of an allusion to (thought so because of broad interpretations), hold the collective knowledge of every plane of existence. A set of supposed logical data that exists because of and is known only through spiritual means.
"Philosophy of science," once thought to be a solidly founded principle, a way to enlighten (on(SOME) spiritual subjects)(an interpretation, not concrete fact) through the use of logic, reasoning, is beginning to quiver because of "the existence of unobservable entities and processes (atoms, fields, genes [god[s]])."
"To attain evidence that is unnatural is unreliable because it is so outside the realm of materialistic, historical evidence." Knowledge attained "tangibly" is, of course, easy to believe because it is founded, discovered perceptibly. The entire point of religion (things spiritual) is to explain things we know nothing about in ways we can believe; to comfort us; all knowledge in spiritual matters is based on faith - unsure. In this highly logical era, it is understandable that religion suffers, dwells within the shadow of science, leaving those true believers dull and in the dark. The duality of man, the paradoxes, permeate through all creatures of man by man, knowledge discovered through methods we deem secure.
Time travel, a concept highly promulgated in science fiction, has been pondered by actual scientist and has had several theories involving it made (wormholes, those mythical portals scattered in the void, + vehicles = possibility(/ies)).
Time travel, a concept highly promulgated in crystal balls, has been achieved - to the point of knowing of past lives (possible through reincarnation (a highly improbable claim because all prior knowledge is forgotten when a new body is entered by the soul))(no physical evidence to support the claim).
Perhaps the origins of phenomena we encounter on a daily basis may never be fully understood, be it 'cause of skepticism, hard-headedness, or any other flaw branded into our selves by the Creator. Without knowing how or why something came to be, to truly understand stuff - the explanations for things will always be somewhat flawed. All that can be done is to have our salt shakers at the ready and to be content with knowing we know everything about nothing and nothing about everything; logic always being flawed because of all the things we know not of; religino being flawed because of the uncertainty.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
12 Sentence Story
Ripe fruit refuse sustenance, their vines growing taut over the expanded forms, their color becoming more vivid despite the sinking sun, their creator appalled at the progress, and the foundation growing less stable.
Nature dominates the world; the inhabitants dominate things natural.
All humans, creators at heart, can build anything to manipulate accordingly, and never do they refuse refuse a place to be recycled.
However, Earth feels a growing tension springing from within, then across the sky, behind the towers, inside the beings, and throughout the waters.
Mother runs and revolves and finally discovers a solution to the forthcoming problem.
Yes indeed.
She hoped that they would learn and that the self would be preserved and that her children would have some peace.
Thoughts abound, but none are realized.
In the elements, terrible saviors found, released.
"What did we do to deserve this?"
Descendants prosper, or perish, or become mobile, or remain standing, or fall, or tremble.
Mother Earth, by allowing therepeutic typhoons to rip asunder that which man has laid before Her, by allowing man to pollute Hr with the trash he refuses to clean up, by allowing all forms of existence near Her salutory neglect--wreaks vengeance upon those conscious.
Nature dominates the world; the inhabitants dominate things natural.
All humans, creators at heart, can build anything to manipulate accordingly, and never do they refuse refuse a place to be recycled.
However, Earth feels a growing tension springing from within, then across the sky, behind the towers, inside the beings, and throughout the waters.
Mother runs and revolves and finally discovers a solution to the forthcoming problem.
Yes indeed.
She hoped that they would learn and that the self would be preserved and that her children would have some peace.
Thoughts abound, but none are realized.
In the elements, terrible saviors found, released.
"What did we do to deserve this?"
Descendants prosper, or perish, or become mobile, or remain standing, or fall, or tremble.
Mother Earth, by allowing therepeutic typhoons to rip asunder that which man has laid before Her, by allowing man to pollute Hr with the trash he refuses to clean up, by allowing all forms of existence near Her salutory neglect--wreaks vengeance upon those conscious.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Style Analysis Essay: "America Needs Its Nerds"
Leonid Fridman's urgency in revealing the injustices done on a daily basis against those who practice anti-"anti-intellectualism" conjures up several emotions in readers. Sympathy or empathy is felt for the victims, as Fridman's portrayal is comparable to commercials advertising abused animals, starving children. However, the modern world is already plagued by an overwhelming liberalism, was even in 1990; the (almost) necessary acceptance and respect, (and fear of infringing on these) social requirements. Because of this already instated tolerance, an almost tangible disgust for Fridman spawns ("Really?!" followed by laughter is a common response among readers). Agreed, bullying is a problem that needs to be adressed, solved. Disagreed, the method in which Fridman chose to state this. His advocation of the ever dominant liberalism (when no more propaganda advertising this mindset is needed), the way he conveys his idea(s), his call to arms to embrace those smarter [aimed at those smarter; meant as fuel for the attempted negotiations between these and their tormentors, when these arguments are hardly ever fruitful anyway]; noble in their own rights, laughable when stated by Fridman.
The intellectuals who practice "refusal to conform to society's anti-intellectual values," which indicates that "something (is) very wrong with the system," are ostracized and suffer because of their intellect. The United States is a country of and for the ignorant: those advancements made by the minority taken advantage of by the majority; this fact instills fear into those with aspirations. The inevitable collapse of the world (this country) will come when those "children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates" cease to be individuals.
The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, seperates his analysis of and stating the problem and his condemning the ways of the greatest country on Earth. The problem, "that someone dedicated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to a freak biting the head off a live chicken," and the analysis, "anti-intellectualism is rampant," correctly summarizes a world threat. Committing treason in the guise of one of the most well known cities on Earth in the U.S., "there are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S.," Leonid committs hara-kiri; dies a literary martyr, rivalling the burning monks.
"For America's sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought," a haunting prediction from a modern Nostradamus. Illuminating the sophisticated to the plight affecting their apprentices, Fridman preaches "It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarted to the grave,"; voices his desire to see bullying taken to ((kangaroo)) court(((s))). The idea that supression only creates more pressure (/will to strive harder) is laughable; the very lives of the future leaders are in the hands of those tyrannically bored and envious true traitors to this country. Maintaining our status is of the upmost importance as it will be impossible "to compete in the technology race with Japan or remain a leading political and cultural force in Europe." [stated even after his damning of the (popular) culture of the U.S.] Inaction by the capable caused by the active may result in our home being forgotten, even wiped out.
Little variety in sentence structure, rhetorical devices, has little impact on the point. Proving himself an intellectual, by using extended, descriptive sentences, the passion emphasizes that much more [more of a look into his past than an article of any relevance]. Imagery set off by a professor's droning; nearly symmetrical sentences/paragraphs; the target audience is appealed to.
Of the limited rhetorical devices used, symploce and epanalepsis, the most stable of the devicese the most evident. In the third paragraph, Fridman explains that the problems in "prestigious academic institution(s)" also affect those inhabitants of "U.S. elementary and high schools,": "Children who prefer to... rather than..., prefer to... rather than..., become social outcasts." Fridman utilizes symploce to reveal the typical hobbies of the two opposites; to subliminally pose the question "Which end of the spectrum do you inhabit?"; to plant a desire in those who bullied to prevent future torture. The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, provides more structure to the article, subliminally implanting a desire for unity, peace, stability, in the reader.
While I respect Fridman for wanting to put a stop to bullying, I laugh at the way he attempted to spread his word. Wanting to convey to his intelligent audience that he was too a victim via limited variety in sentence structure and rhetorical devices, with repetitive words and phrases meant to stir a strong emotional response that does so only because of the laughter that splutters forth, he fails to bring readers to his side. Bullies were born out of spite, scorn; why else did the "No Bullying" signs that choke hallways come a few years after his "America Needs Its Nerds" plea was published?
(extremely limited and picky internet connection at home; no way to go anywhere else to publish this; distracted by medical conditions still plaguing my sister and I; reasons for the delayed assignment)
The intellectuals who practice "refusal to conform to society's anti-intellectual values," which indicates that "something (is) very wrong with the system," are ostracized and suffer because of their intellect. The United States is a country of and for the ignorant: those advancements made by the minority taken advantage of by the majority; this fact instills fear into those with aspirations. The inevitable collapse of the world (this country) will come when those "children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates" cease to be individuals.
The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, seperates his analysis of and stating the problem and his condemning the ways of the greatest country on Earth. The problem, "that someone dedicated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to a freak biting the head off a live chicken," and the analysis, "anti-intellectualism is rampant," correctly summarizes a world threat. Committing treason in the guise of one of the most well known cities on Earth in the U.S., "there are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S.," Leonid committs hara-kiri; dies a literary martyr, rivalling the burning monks.
"For America's sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought," a haunting prediction from a modern Nostradamus. Illuminating the sophisticated to the plight affecting their apprentices, Fridman preaches "It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarted to the grave,"; voices his desire to see bullying taken to ((kangaroo)) court(((s))). The idea that supression only creates more pressure (/will to strive harder) is laughable; the very lives of the future leaders are in the hands of those tyrannically bored and envious true traitors to this country. Maintaining our status is of the upmost importance as it will be impossible "to compete in the technology race with Japan or remain a leading political and cultural force in Europe." [stated even after his damning of the (popular) culture of the U.S.] Inaction by the capable caused by the active may result in our home being forgotten, even wiped out.
Little variety in sentence structure, rhetorical devices, has little impact on the point. Proving himself an intellectual, by using extended, descriptive sentences, the passion emphasizes that much more [more of a look into his past than an article of any relevance]. Imagery set off by a professor's droning; nearly symmetrical sentences/paragraphs; the target audience is appealed to.
Of the limited rhetorical devices used, symploce and epanalepsis, the most stable of the devicese the most evident. In the third paragraph, Fridman explains that the problems in "prestigious academic institution(s)" also affect those inhabitants of "U.S. elementary and high schools,": "Children who prefer to... rather than..., prefer to... rather than..., become social outcasts." Fridman utilizes symploce to reveal the typical hobbies of the two opposites; to subliminally pose the question "Which end of the spectrum do you inhabit?"; to plant a desire in those who bullied to prevent future torture. The shift, "Enough is enough," an example of epanalepsis, provides more structure to the article, subliminally implanting a desire for unity, peace, stability, in the reader.
While I respect Fridman for wanting to put a stop to bullying, I laugh at the way he attempted to spread his word. Wanting to convey to his intelligent audience that he was too a victim via limited variety in sentence structure and rhetorical devices, with repetitive words and phrases meant to stir a strong emotional response that does so only because of the laughter that splutters forth, he fails to bring readers to his side. Bullies were born out of spite, scorn; why else did the "No Bullying" signs that choke hallways come a few years after his "America Needs Its Nerds" plea was published?
(extremely limited and picky internet connection at home; no way to go anywhere else to publish this; distracted by medical conditions still plaguing my sister and I; reasons for the delayed assignment)
Monday, November 15, 2010
thINK #1
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, a massive "article" written by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, contains several powerful literary instances of his prowess as a writer ("gonzo" equaling "shocking"). One of the most striking excerpts from this "novel" is about the length of a paragraph; details his and his apparent attorney's literal car-full of intoxicants, more than two-thirds being illegal substances. These two are (almost) always intoxicated, going for great lengths without food, water, sleep (deprivation being the poor man's hallucinogenic), as well.
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to abuse it with mind-altering, body-deteriorating substances?
Thompson's somewhat comedic, usually disturbing view ("beer" goggles being forced upon the reader as the author dons them) is entertaining and enlightening; pertains to aspects sobriety may cause the majority to overlook. As a journalist, this may have been his only motivation for punishing his body so: to write a piece that would force the readers to continue 'til no more pages remain (pain being universal, fodder for great art). Drug use/drinking/"fasting" is not uncommon among those who...
How to finish this sentence? There has not been identified any characteristics shared among all those who willingly seek an altered state of consciousness (though emotional problems and precarious perceptions (prior to use) are apparently common in these).
Ancient peoples would inebriate themselves to get in touch with a "universal force"-their gods. Holy men, past and modern, do so in the pursuit of enlightenment. Peer pressure, poor living conditions-little supervision; all factors contributing to addiction to these substances.
Any number of possibilities can be named.
I believe one of the most prominent reasons, though, is because reality simply isn't appealing to those who partake.
As stated by James Keenan of "Tool," if you desire for a "cure" to be found, you must destroy your favorite records, as the artists who made them were "r...eal ****'in high," (though this is not always true, of course; a generalization); but one of many ways to say that several aspects of life we take advantage of today have become so because of altering consciousness. Religion is a prime example (Greeks, civilizations prior (and after)).
I believe Cayce, "the other Nostradamus," was at least somewhat intoxicated while writing prophecy, despite the means by which he achieved this supposition (as the aforementioned Holy men and maybe even Nostradamus himself). I find him to be quite a "genius"-more so than Thompson because the drug use, if it indeed existed, was not flaunted by Cayce (subtlety is the key)-agreeing with several of his philosophies. He wrote that everyone has the capacity to do what everyone else (/he) can (/could) do, if willpower is honed and the desire exists. I may be guilty of plagiarism, though I wrote my/this philosophy prior to knowing of Cayce (writing without intoxication though).
I believe life is a journey, a point emphasized by Thompson despite the drama caused by the ever-approaching deadline and hectic-ness; the vehicle we find ourselves in (not a collective body) must be pushed to the limits to know what each of us is capable of (as retardation plagues several of us, in one way or another). The pursuit of enlightenment (/the knowledge of (how to obtain)), apparently able to be achieved through deprivation or gluttony, as it were, is ideal, otherwise a life is wasted. Opening your mind via secular means to escape secular bonds communally, as the filthy, dirty, hippies, would be a utopia; result in the end of the world.
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to subject it to mind-opening, body-relieving substances?
The will/desire to live
(as we are all sadistic, prolonging Mother's and Father's punishment as long as possible, never wanting it to end).
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to abuse it with mind-altering, body-deteriorating substances?
Thompson's somewhat comedic, usually disturbing view ("beer" goggles being forced upon the reader as the author dons them) is entertaining and enlightening; pertains to aspects sobriety may cause the majority to overlook. As a journalist, this may have been his only motivation for punishing his body so: to write a piece that would force the readers to continue 'til no more pages remain (pain being universal, fodder for great art). Drug use/drinking/"fasting" is not uncommon among those who...
How to finish this sentence? There has not been identified any characteristics shared among all those who willingly seek an altered state of consciousness (though emotional problems and precarious perceptions (prior to use) are apparently common in these).
Ancient peoples would inebriate themselves to get in touch with a "universal force"-their gods. Holy men, past and modern, do so in the pursuit of enlightenment. Peer pressure, poor living conditions-little supervision; all factors contributing to addiction to these substances.
Any number of possibilities can be named.
I believe one of the most prominent reasons, though, is because reality simply isn't appealing to those who partake.
As stated by James Keenan of "Tool," if you desire for a "cure" to be found, you must destroy your favorite records, as the artists who made them were "r...eal ****'in high," (though this is not always true, of course; a generalization); but one of many ways to say that several aspects of life we take advantage of today have become so because of altering consciousness. Religion is a prime example (Greeks, civilizations prior (and after)).
I believe Cayce, "the other Nostradamus," was at least somewhat intoxicated while writing prophecy, despite the means by which he achieved this supposition (as the aforementioned Holy men and maybe even Nostradamus himself). I find him to be quite a "genius"-more so than Thompson because the drug use, if it indeed existed, was not flaunted by Cayce (subtlety is the key)-agreeing with several of his philosophies. He wrote that everyone has the capacity to do what everyone else (/he) can (/could) do, if willpower is honed and the desire exists. I may be guilty of plagiarism, though I wrote my/this philosophy prior to knowing of Cayce (writing without intoxication though).
I believe life is a journey, a point emphasized by Thompson despite the drama caused by the ever-approaching deadline and hectic-ness; the vehicle we find ourselves in (not a collective body) must be pushed to the limits to know what each of us is capable of (as retardation plagues several of us, in one way or another). The pursuit of enlightenment (/the knowledge of (how to obtain)), apparently able to be achieved through deprivation or gluttony, as it were, is ideal, otherwise a life is wasted. Opening your mind via secular means to escape secular bonds communally, as the filthy, dirty, hippies, would be a utopia; result in the end of the world.
What would drive a man to push his body so hard, to subject it to mind-opening, body-relieving substances?
The will/desire to live
(as we are all sadistic, prolonging Mother's and Father's punishment as long as possible, never wanting it to end).
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Reading Plan
Being and Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre
"Its revolutionary approach challenged all previous assumptions about the individual's relationship with the world... challenging the reader to confront the fundamental dilemmas of human freedom, responsibility and action."
I have never heard of this book or author before, meaning I have no idea where I would obtain this text from. In the event no local library or store carries it, I will rely on Barnes and Noble to at least order it (if possible).
Meditations on First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Distinction of the Soul from the Body Are Demonstrated, Descartes (Donald A. Cress-translator)
"Many other matters respecting the attributes of God and my own nature or mind remain for consideration... Now... my principle task is to endeavour to emerge from the state of doubt into which I have these last days fallen, and to see whether nothing certain can be known regarding material things."
Again, to rely on book purveyors is most likely required if I am to obtain this/these books.
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin Abbott Abbott
"Part geometry lesson, part social satire, this classic work of science fiction brilliantly succeeds in enlarging all readers' dimensional prejudices... This new edition of Flatland illuminates the social and intellectual context that produced the work as well as the timeless questions that it raises about the limits of our perception and knowledge."
As the other two books, research must be conducted as to how to obtain the book and then be acted upon.
The standard fiction has begun to bore me. The modern nonfiction never interested me. Only so many "classics" exist - 1984, Farenheit 451, I, Robot, Of Mice and Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the works of H.G. Wells and Robert Louis Stevenson, etc. - therefore, new parameters for reading must be crafted for the prevention of reading becoming monotonous. Philosophy has always interested me and the books I have listed prior to this paragraph seem to be written on subjects I wish to learn more about.
"Its revolutionary approach challenged all previous assumptions about the individual's relationship with the world... challenging the reader to confront the fundamental dilemmas of human freedom, responsibility and action."
I have never heard of this book or author before, meaning I have no idea where I would obtain this text from. In the event no local library or store carries it, I will rely on Barnes and Noble to at least order it (if possible).
Meditations on First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Distinction of the Soul from the Body Are Demonstrated, Descartes (Donald A. Cress-translator)
"Many other matters respecting the attributes of God and my own nature or mind remain for consideration... Now... my principle task is to endeavour to emerge from the state of doubt into which I have these last days fallen, and to see whether nothing certain can be known regarding material things."
Again, to rely on book purveyors is most likely required if I am to obtain this/these books.
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin Abbott Abbott
"Part geometry lesson, part social satire, this classic work of science fiction brilliantly succeeds in enlarging all readers' dimensional prejudices... This new edition of Flatland illuminates the social and intellectual context that produced the work as well as the timeless questions that it raises about the limits of our perception and knowledge."
As the other two books, research must be conducted as to how to obtain the book and then be acted upon.
The standard fiction has begun to bore me. The modern nonfiction never interested me. Only so many "classics" exist - 1984, Farenheit 451, I, Robot, Of Mice and Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the works of H.G. Wells and Robert Louis Stevenson, etc. - therefore, new parameters for reading must be crafted for the prevention of reading becoming monotonous. Philosophy has always interested me and the books I have listed prior to this paragraph seem to be written on subjects I wish to learn more about.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Second Quarter Reading List
Ginsberg, Allen. "Howl And Other Poems." San Francisco: City Lights Books. 1956, 1959.
Ginsberg wrote "Howl" for a friend of his, Carl Solomon. If Solomon had not been in his life, Ginsberg may have committed suicide as he had "...from all the evidence, been through hell." The "Other Poems" do not seem to have any relevance to "Howl," other than the seemingly incomprehensible way in which Ginsberg wrote and the similarities of his condemnations (he blames drug use, capitalism, the modernization of the world for destroying "the best minds of [his] generation,"). "Howl" is a sort of love letter to Solomon in which Ginsberg dons insanity; the reader is allowed to delve into the minds and the relationship of the two men, with all the consequences surrounding them being revealed. The "Other Poems" seem to be written for the same reason; an almost tangible plea from Ginsberg: "know what I know, see as I see, I Dare You."
Some of Ginsberg's words ("Mohammedan angels," "who vanished into nowhere Zen New Jersey," "migraines of China," "who burned cigarette holes in their arms protesting the narcotic tobacco haze of Capitalism,") make little sense taken literally, logically, but, his words being poetry, may have a deeper meaning understood by those crazy enough to. The boundaries between religions are hazy; that which is applauded by the masses may very well be evil.
Sleator, William. "The Boy Who Couldn't Die." New York: Amulet Books. 2005.
Sixteen-year-old Ken undergoes a spiritual procedure to become "invulnerable" to death after his best friend dies in a plane crash. He unknowingly agrees to becoming a zombie, his soul being controlled by the bokor who granted him "immortality." With the aid of a native girl who knows of these spiritual matters, Ken embars on a journey to reclaim his soul.
The book, narrated by the "uppity teenager," is set off with italicized passages that are reminiscent of old vampire stories in the content and the way they are written. Still first person, the actions Ken committs and the details surrounding those actions seem otherworldly. The way in which Sleator embeds these pieces keeps the reader interested, even after the explanation of what these (") dreams (") mean is revealed. Two seemingly unrelated, parallel stories intertwined into one proves Sleator an experienced author.
Thompson, Hunter S. "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas." New York: Vintage Books. 1971.
Hunter S. Thompson, a reporter on location in the (south)western United States, is expected to cover his various assignments (a massive race and a police convention among them) professionally and ably. The persuasion endowed him and his attorney through inhuman substance abuse allows him to to gather "necessary supplies" (an extremely impressive, to say the least, collection of intoxicants) completely unrelated to his mission (through the eyes of his superiors). What begins as a journalistic endeavour, in the warped hands of Thompson, morphs into a work of nonfiction more twisted and entertaining than some of the best fantasy; that dissects human nature through the altered perception of users.
There is no basis for comparison while analyzing the style in which this book was written. It being a massive article, "Fear And Loathing," contained several exerpts from various documents and articles Thompson encountered throughout his adventure(s). Chapter 9 of Part 2 begins with an Editor's Note in which it is revealed that "the original manuscript [was] so splintered that [the team at Rolling Stone magazine] were forced to seek out the original tape recording and transcribe it verbatim." The entire chapter is written as dialogue in a script is written.
Burgess, Anthony. "A Clockwork Orange." New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1962, 1986.
Alex, a mentally disturbed fifteen-year-old, participates in horrific crimes with his fellow droogs in a futuristic nightmare world. When his soft side (his adoration of women who sing opera) clashes with his companions' strictly horrorshow look on life, they double-cross him, leaving him to be incarcerated. Desperate to resume his criminal career, with revenge closer to the front of his mind, he agrees to participate in a program guaranteed to reform him and which would allow him release much earlier than his sentence length. Alex's fantasy is put to the test and the conclusion of the story was cause for much controversy.
Burgess's Introductino reveals that the book was among his least favorite works, despite the world renown it gained, the American film adaptation being one of the main reasons for each of these. This version of the book contains the original final chapter; the next to last chapter was the end of the film - the ending the majority of the "readers" knew. One ending leaves Alex at peace and completely reformed and mature, his violent urges a product of adolescence. The other leaves him still violent, still rebellious, still a droog. In respect to the last chapter, the actual ending, Burgess wrote: "I meant the book to end in this way, but my aesthetic judgement may have been faulty."
Smith, Alexander Gordon. "Escape From Furnace: Lockdown." New York: Square Fish. 2009.
Alex, while robbing a house with his friend, experiences his last moments of freedom in pure horror. Massive blackcoats and a wheezer infiltrate the house, kill Alex's partner, and taunt Alex to run. Futilely, he flees, to be captured within grabbing distance of his home. He is sentenced to Furnace Penetentiary for the murder committed by the overseers there; that he was blamed for. The tagline of the book correctly elaborates: "Beneath Heaven is Hell. Beneath Hell is Furnace." Along with a few accomplices, not all invited, friendly, Alex devises a plan to escape, in the face of a fate worse than death, leering ever closer because of snitches.
Although the book was written to appeal to pre-teens, Smith crafted a text that leaves all readers in suspense, eagerly awaiting the next segment (especially because of the Sneak Peek at the next piece) of the series. One of the ways he does this is by appealing to peoples' dramatic side: revealing the conditions of the prison. The standard ideas of prison gangs adn small scale riots, real to us, blend with his fiction: the sadistic, otherworldly guards and their mutated minions and assistants, the rumors that are all too real, the psychotic warfare waged on the inmates; lockdown means more than boredom and slight physical pain/discomfort.
Ginsberg wrote "Howl" for a friend of his, Carl Solomon. If Solomon had not been in his life, Ginsberg may have committed suicide as he had "...from all the evidence, been through hell." The "Other Poems" do not seem to have any relevance to "Howl," other than the seemingly incomprehensible way in which Ginsberg wrote and the similarities of his condemnations (he blames drug use, capitalism, the modernization of the world for destroying "the best minds of [his] generation,"). "Howl" is a sort of love letter to Solomon in which Ginsberg dons insanity; the reader is allowed to delve into the minds and the relationship of the two men, with all the consequences surrounding them being revealed. The "Other Poems" seem to be written for the same reason; an almost tangible plea from Ginsberg: "know what I know, see as I see, I Dare You."
Some of Ginsberg's words ("Mohammedan angels," "who vanished into nowhere Zen New Jersey," "migraines of China," "who burned cigarette holes in their arms protesting the narcotic tobacco haze of Capitalism,") make little sense taken literally, logically, but, his words being poetry, may have a deeper meaning understood by those crazy enough to. The boundaries between religions are hazy; that which is applauded by the masses may very well be evil.
Sleator, William. "The Boy Who Couldn't Die." New York: Amulet Books. 2005.
Sixteen-year-old Ken undergoes a spiritual procedure to become "invulnerable" to death after his best friend dies in a plane crash. He unknowingly agrees to becoming a zombie, his soul being controlled by the bokor who granted him "immortality." With the aid of a native girl who knows of these spiritual matters, Ken embars on a journey to reclaim his soul.
The book, narrated by the "uppity teenager," is set off with italicized passages that are reminiscent of old vampire stories in the content and the way they are written. Still first person, the actions Ken committs and the details surrounding those actions seem otherworldly. The way in which Sleator embeds these pieces keeps the reader interested, even after the explanation of what these (") dreams (") mean is revealed. Two seemingly unrelated, parallel stories intertwined into one proves Sleator an experienced author.
Thompson, Hunter S. "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas." New York: Vintage Books. 1971.
Hunter S. Thompson, a reporter on location in the (south)western United States, is expected to cover his various assignments (a massive race and a police convention among them) professionally and ably. The persuasion endowed him and his attorney through inhuman substance abuse allows him to to gather "necessary supplies" (an extremely impressive, to say the least, collection of intoxicants) completely unrelated to his mission (through the eyes of his superiors). What begins as a journalistic endeavour, in the warped hands of Thompson, morphs into a work of nonfiction more twisted and entertaining than some of the best fantasy; that dissects human nature through the altered perception of users.
There is no basis for comparison while analyzing the style in which this book was written. It being a massive article, "Fear And Loathing," contained several exerpts from various documents and articles Thompson encountered throughout his adventure(s). Chapter 9 of Part 2 begins with an Editor's Note in which it is revealed that "the original manuscript [was] so splintered that [the team at Rolling Stone magazine] were forced to seek out the original tape recording and transcribe it verbatim." The entire chapter is written as dialogue in a script is written.
Burgess, Anthony. "A Clockwork Orange." New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1962, 1986.
Alex, a mentally disturbed fifteen-year-old, participates in horrific crimes with his fellow droogs in a futuristic nightmare world. When his soft side (his adoration of women who sing opera) clashes with his companions' strictly horrorshow look on life, they double-cross him, leaving him to be incarcerated. Desperate to resume his criminal career, with revenge closer to the front of his mind, he agrees to participate in a program guaranteed to reform him and which would allow him release much earlier than his sentence length. Alex's fantasy is put to the test and the conclusion of the story was cause for much controversy.
Burgess's Introductino reveals that the book was among his least favorite works, despite the world renown it gained, the American film adaptation being one of the main reasons for each of these. This version of the book contains the original final chapter; the next to last chapter was the end of the film - the ending the majority of the "readers" knew. One ending leaves Alex at peace and completely reformed and mature, his violent urges a product of adolescence. The other leaves him still violent, still rebellious, still a droog. In respect to the last chapter, the actual ending, Burgess wrote: "I meant the book to end in this way, but my aesthetic judgement may have been faulty."
Smith, Alexander Gordon. "Escape From Furnace: Lockdown." New York: Square Fish. 2009.
Alex, while robbing a house with his friend, experiences his last moments of freedom in pure horror. Massive blackcoats and a wheezer infiltrate the house, kill Alex's partner, and taunt Alex to run. Futilely, he flees, to be captured within grabbing distance of his home. He is sentenced to Furnace Penetentiary for the murder committed by the overseers there; that he was blamed for. The tagline of the book correctly elaborates: "Beneath Heaven is Hell. Beneath Hell is Furnace." Along with a few accomplices, not all invited, friendly, Alex devises a plan to escape, in the face of a fate worse than death, leering ever closer because of snitches.
Although the book was written to appeal to pre-teens, Smith crafted a text that leaves all readers in suspense, eagerly awaiting the next segment (especially because of the Sneak Peek at the next piece) of the series. One of the ways he does this is by appealing to peoples' dramatic side: revealing the conditions of the prison. The standard ideas of prison gangs adn small scale riots, real to us, blend with his fiction: the sadistic, otherworldly guards and their mutated minions and assistants, the rumors that are all too real, the psychotic warfare waged on the inmates; lockdown means more than boredom and slight physical pain/discomfort.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Reflection: Reading
Catch-22 was the first book i attempted to begin my eleventh grade reading career with; failure. This caused me to, basically, give up on reading for a while. Once this passed, more than halfway through the quarter, I, Robot was the next attempt; success. Though it took longer than it should have, I finished the book and comprehended the content. Brave New World, assigned by the mediator, was embarked upon in a different manner: reading was accomplished in irregular, far-between intervals, though when reading was done, several chapters were behind the left hand. Life: The Movie was read daily. Being in bed by 2300 hours is demanded of me; after reading, 0100 is a more prominent bed-time.
"Inking your thinking," though thought tedious and, somewhat, unnecessary, the benefits have been realized. The friendship I sustained with the dictionary has recently been renewed. I think that my "inking" my thougts has broadened my mind, but the thougts translated into text on paper may not be able to be comprehended by others of a name not mine.
If only I knew how to more precisely render my thoughts tangibly, it would be done. How to go about doing this though, as said, is unknown. Trial-and-error/experience seems to be the only way.
I used to favor fiction that allowed for the derived evaluation of human nature and the components of life (I, Robot); now, with the discovery of Life: The Movie, more philosophical texts that actually reveal components of human nature and of life are desired. The cataloging and genres of nonfiction, however, are unknown to me; perusing of libraries will now take much longer to find that which interest me.
"Inking your thinking," though thought tedious and, somewhat, unnecessary, the benefits have been realized. The friendship I sustained with the dictionary has recently been renewed. I think that my "inking" my thougts has broadened my mind, but the thougts translated into text on paper may not be able to be comprehended by others of a name not mine.
If only I knew how to more precisely render my thoughts tangibly, it would be done. How to go about doing this though, as said, is unknown. Trial-and-error/experience seems to be the only way.
I used to favor fiction that allowed for the derived evaluation of human nature and the components of life (I, Robot); now, with the discovery of Life: The Movie, more philosophical texts that actually reveal components of human nature and of life are desired. The cataloging and genres of nonfiction, however, are unknown to me; perusing of libraries will now take much longer to find that which interest me.
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