Frederick Douglass The Narrative Part Three

The life of Frederick Douglass is turned completely upside down as we reach farther into this book. We now see that he works in the kitchen of Thomas Auld. He, along with the other slaves, are underfed and have to resort to stealing or begging food. A troubling story for me was when Douglass tells about when he let Auld's escape on purpose. He says that he did this so he could go look for the horse and get fed at a neighboring farm. This sets a mood that is sad and depressing. This is just one of many such accounts that makes me sad while reading. Douglass is definitely giving a first hand account of the turmoil that slaves face. In doing so, he adds a personal touch that is laced with vivid details. It is depressing to read but it also gives the real account of what slaves had to endure.

Douglass is later sent to work on the farm of Edward Covey. Here we see that Douglass has to work in the fields as a slave for the first time ever. Covey is a supposed strong Christian. Douglass contradicts this belief when he compares Covey to a snake. In the Bible, Satan was first seen as a snake. I take Douglass' description of Covey as a snake to have biblical implications. This is strong because it shows that Covey is not as good as a person as he claims to be.

Brutalities of Slavery and A Change in Lifestyle

As we continue reading The Narrative by Frederick Douglass, we see even harsher situations on the plantation that Douglass lives on. We read about overseers that have no concern for human life. Douglass writes about certain instances where slaves are brutally murdered. He also writes about things that slaves are not privledged enough to have. Such things are basic neccesities such as food, clothing, and shelter. He uses this vivid imagery again to create a personal and emtional connection.

A turning point in the story is when he moves to Baltimore to serve as a butler for Hugh's family. This is a turning point in his life because he is finally taught how to read and write. I feel that when Frederick Douglass learns to read and write then he acquires a sense of freedom. Mrs. Hugh is the one who teaches him. When Mr. Hugh finds out about this he is furious. He says that once you teach him to read then he will not be able to be kept as a slave. To me, this is a symbol that by slave becoming smarter and more knowledgeable about their outside world then they free themselves. Personally, it made me feel a lot happier about this book when I read that Douglass had the courage to continue to learn to read and began to progress himself.

The Narrative by Frederick Douglass

The harsh realities of slavery are quickly seen in the beginning of this book. His personal story as life as a slave is detailed throughout the beginning. I believe that one of his tactis to prove that slavery was an awful practice was writing about his personal connections. When he writes about his strained reltationship with his mother and siblings, readers begin to feel sorry for him. I believe this is exactly how Douglass wanted this book to be portrayed. He didn't want readers to feel sorry for him but for those who had to endure slavery as a whole.

The personal connections in this story are just short of tear-jerking. You feel for a person who has seen their mother only four to five times in their life. This draws his audience in more and it is easier for him to persuade them against the topic. His writing is also very descriptive in that he wants it to be clear and dry about the brutalities of slavery.

Being that this a non fiction book, we know that this is a true story. The events and details are very real. This is another way for people to have an emotional connection because they actually know that these horrors actually happened. It is hard to point out man literary techniques because Douglass is just repeating what happened in his life. I do think there is a pretty strong theme of hatred and brutality in the beginning.

Biblical References seen in Fences

So far, I have seen many Biblical references in this play. The first references came in Act One Scene One when Troy talks about when he has met the Devil. When he uses personification to describe death and the devil he shows us that the two are in fact very real. Though I did not relate these two references to religion at first, I began to see connections as I read further into the play.

In Act One Scene Two we are introduced to Troy's brother whose name is Gabe. It is said that he sometimes thinks that he is the angel Gabriel. While he visits Troy and his wife Rose in their yard, he mentions that he has seen both of their names in the book of St. Peter. This means that they shall be safe come Judgement Day. He is quick to mention though that Rose's name did not look the same in the book as Troy's did. Finally, as he leaves, Gabe warns Troy about the soon coming of Judgement Day.

I do not know what to take of all of the Biblical references. I believe that it shows that August Wilson is trying to make strong connections between his characters and the type of people that they are.When Gabe states that he has seen Troy and Roses name in the book of St. Peter, I relate that to being good, caring people. It is evident through the multiple references to Biblical characters that there is some significant meaning. Does it mean that Troy and Rose will take a high road to the wrong doings that Bono is believed to have done (having an affair with Alberta)?

Fences Act One Scene One

There are many key elements to be seen and discussed in the first scene in the first act in the play Fences. It is easy to say that the author of this play, August Wilson, is depicting the hard times facing African Americans during the times. I believe the setting to play a key role in this revelation. It is made evident that the front yard that they are meeting at is nothing more than a patch of dirt. I believe this to be a symbol of a poor background. If Wilson wanted readers to portray these characters as well off then I am sure that he would include details about the front yard having grass and being well manicured.

Also I see that August Wilson is giving stronging stereotypes to the African American race. I see this when Troy tells Bono that a co worker named Brownie was caught stealing a watermelon. Everyone has heard about the stereotypes between blacks and watermelons. I believe Wilson wrote about Brownie stealing a watermelon to further this sterotype. In my mind there is no reason for Brownie not to be stealing something more worthwhile than a piece of fruit. I belive this detail was added to portray African Americans as poor.

I also believe that August Wilson foreshadows a conflict between whites and blacks. I see this when Troy has asked his boss, Mr. Rand, about why African Americans are not allowed to drive the garbage truck. It is said that Troy is not afraid to be fired. Since Troy has the courage to confront his white boss he shows that he is not afraid of what may happen as a result. It shows that Troy is a fierce character who will not tolerate being held down by people of the Caucasian race.

Starting to understand "The Lesson"

As I continued to read after the shipwreck incident, I am horrified at what a child (Pi) has to endure. He is the witness to many gruesome realities that occur in nature. The whole incident of the hyena devouring the zebra is enough to take one's stomach away. After reading about the hyena eating Orange Juice I feel a stir of emotion come over me. It is an unpleasant feeling to think about a child being in such a situation. I then think about how amazing that Martel has created such a sad mood with his words. By choosing to use such vivid imagery in his words, we hurt for Pi. We are sad and upset at the vicious scenes that he has fallen victim to seeing.

Remember the lesson that Pi's father showed him and his brother Ravi? He showed them firsthand how dangerous animals were when he took them into a cage. I should have seen the beginning of a literary technique then. I believe that Martel inserted that scene in the book to foreshadow what is going on now. Without any help, Pi is having to find a way to defend against very dangerous animals close to him. He remembers that lesson and is scared for his life.

I have to say that because of where I am in reading this book, I will continue to read it. I find the writing of Martel to be very interesting. He creates the "movie scenes" in my head like we talked about in class. I believe this book was perfect for this assignment!

What does the shipwreck mean?

In this next section, I want to discuss the ship wreck. As we have read, on the voyage to Canada the boat that Pi and his family is on wrecks. As far as we know, Pi is the only survivor. Through his struggle to survive, we see that Pi is a strong and determined young man. He refuses to let go of the oar that he hangs on in fear that he might die. I see this as being a strong symbol for the way that Yann Martel wants to display his character.

It is my opinion that the shipwreck is a metaphor. Before we read about the shipwreck we saw Pi go through troublesome times facing his religious views. He was teased by his brother and harrassed by his family because he was a follower of three different religions. I believe that the shipwreck is a strong comparison to where his life was when it happened. I see that no one is able to sympathize with Pi including his family and the three leaders of the religions that he followed. For a young boy, it would be tough to be going through such an identity crisis and feel that no one can understand your point of view. He was alone in his beliefs. Now that we have the shipwreck, Pi really is alone and he will have to rely on only himself to survive. I believe that the setting of the ocean also plays a key role in this whole situation. Pi is now independent and alone. For most of the story we see that Pi is wanting to go his own way and formulate his own ideas about his life. Being in the middle of the ocean and alone, Pi now has no regulations to where he can go. He is alone and has no other choice but to make his own decisions; wherever he goes he is now in charge of his own fate.

Religion in Life of Pi

As I have read further into Life of Pi, I have began to see that religion is one of the central themes of the book. This is the first time I have ever seen the three religions of Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity tied into one. Beginning in chapter 17, we see Pi talking about his personal interests in all of these religions. From his roots in Hindu, to his visiting a Christian church, and then his visit with a baker that excuses himself to pray in front of Pi we see how Pi is influenced by each religion. I notice that Pi is very interested in the rituals of these religions. He talks about all aspects of Hindu, as he should because that is his primary religion. He then speaks about how he came to meet Jesus Christ. He speaks about what he sees in a church on a holiday trip with his family. Finally he speaks about how he comes to pray as a Muslim because of a conversation with the baker.

Even though Pi focuses on the rituals of the religions, I also note that he is smart for his boyish age and realizes that there is more to religion than just their practices. He also speaks about followers of each religion. Personally, I feel that Pi is realizing that each religion is an essential key in the life of it's followers. He realizes that if religion was not the essential part of these people's life, then they would feel meaningless. Religion is something that makes these people feel complete and worth while.

What does everyone think about this suggestion that religion is one of the central themes of this book? Obviously it has significance because we see that Pi talks about it a lot. Do you think that religion is one of the reasons that Martel wrote this book?

My first impression of Life of Pi

I love to put images in my head while reading. As we talked in class before, we said that some people read and process the information by playing a "movie" in their head. I am definitely one of those people. So far in Life of Pi, I have found that Yann Martel does a great job of writing descriptively. He does a terrific job of giving readers mental images by giving in depth descriptions on what he is writing about. So far my favorite example of his descriptive writing comes when he is describing a child's life that is growing up in a zoo. As you may recall, Martel is describing the main characters rush to school in the morning. He gives great visuals by describing physical characteristics of the animals that the boy passes. An example of these characteristics is when he talks about the many colors he sees. For instance, he talks about pink flamingos and also the various colors of frogs that he passes.

So far I am very impressed with the writing of Yann Martel. Though I have not reached any type of climax, I can tell that this book will be extremely intriguing simply because of the descriptive device that Martel uses in his writing.