Jessi’s AP Blog

The radio program was not what I thought it would be. The information was very personal and shocking, it was not a bed time story. Who knew that the people in Iraq were coming back home not happy, but depressed and overwhelmed? The soldiers in Iraq are dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that has consumed their lives. These effects are putting a burden over their lives and it is not something they can just forget, it lives on with them. As in the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, connections can be made with this documentary because the protagonist Kurtz or Sergeant Gray have dealt with experiences leading them to PSTD. They have been scared, leaving them with feelings of war and visions that they don’t want to be replayed. PSTD combined with their personal experiences and feelings leave them extremely miserable. With this, it leads them to be “crazy” and for Sergeant Gray he committed suicide and Kurtz became terminally ill.

Joseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness has a distinct style that makes his writing truly his own. He delivers a strong sense of impressionistic style that makes for an advanced text and enhances his novella as a whole. Conrad isn’t shy when it comes to his writing and he makes it known through the variety of techniques he uses to take the reader on a journey. While this approach he takes is challenging, he portrays another sense of wonder for the reader, which makes them want to discover and take apart the meaning of the text. Conrad successfully uses impressionistic writing style in his novella by incorporating “emotional landscape” and ambiguous style to describe the passage in Chapter 1 on page 20-21.

Conrad draws close attention to detail while describing the “emotional landscape” in the opening scenes, “Nothing earthly now-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom”(20). This piece of imagery makes the reader wonder what the “black shadows of disease and starvation” are that he is describing. He wants an emotional response from the reader to justify an uneasy feeling, enhancing the reader’s attention for further action. Conrad places a responsibility on the reader to make his or her own assumptions. Conrad then gives a further explanation and actions to the details previously stated “lying confusedly in the greenish gloom.” With this, the reader now has a further understand about the piece of imagery Conrad is portraying without revealing the true meaning, leaving the reader feeling the emotions within the scene.

Conrad often uses ambiguity throughout the entire novella. Thus, he uses this technique to rely on the reader to form conclusions based on what he or she thinks is happening. “He had tied a bit of white worsted round his neck” (21), is an example that follows the narrators own question “Why” “Where did he get it” Was it a badge-an ornament-a charm-a propitiatory act’ Was there any idea at all connected with it”(21)? These proposed questions lead the reader to make his or her own conclusions based on the narrators assumptions or their own. With these questions though, it gives the reader a connection to the narrator and gives them guidelines on where there thought process should be according to the previous statement. These ambiguous thoughts also leave impressions on the reader themselves, making them think of there own questions while reading throughout the novella. Conrad effectively enhances the readers to a high level of thinking based on tricky, yet helpful techniques to successfully, fully engage and understand the novella.

Section 1 pp 65-80 (15)

1. On a ship named the Nellie on the river of Thames during 1876 and 1892.
2. Unknown sailor/crewman.
3. “Sunken cheeks, yellow complexion, a straight back” (Conrad 9). Resembles Buddha.
4. Knights, explorers, discoveries.
5. Impressive, old, beautiful, and tranquil.
6. Great Knights (Titled, Untitled).
7. No, he was a wander.
8. Narrative Framework (story within a story) and metaphors, similes, imagery.
9. A snake.
10. A mystery.
11. More wars and colonization.
12. Barracks in a rocky cliff.

pp 81-99 (18)

1. His pristine appearance and wore a lot of white.
2. First-class agent, very remarkable person and the trading post.
3. Caravan with 60 men.
4. The steamer sunk to the bottom of the river.
5. Curious, commonplace, complexion, features, manners and voice; ordinary and sometimes makes you uneasy.
6. It is easier to work with tools than with men,
7. They only wanted gold and he just wanted to explore.
8. They didn’t want to better the world.
9. Rivets.
10. Parallelism,
11. The suspense is what he overheard the conversation between the manager and his uncle.

Section 2 pp 99-128 (29)

1. The uncle and nephew are talking about Kurtz.
2. Kurtz had ivory.
3. It was the first time he could picture him.
4. “Earliest beginnings…” (Conrad 35)
5. Push and pull the boat and wade in the water.
6. “Sluggish beetle…” (Conrad 36)
7. He is like a trained dog; they don’t have a good attitude. The “parody of breeches” suggest that he is not respected and is looked down upon.
8. Cannibals; they didn’t have anything to eat.
9. Helmsman; spear in his side.
10. Marlow sounds the steam whistle on the steamboat.
11. Characters talk to the superiors only when they need food or a specific need. They can’t speak English correctly and they use a lot of slang.
12. They dispose of his body so the cannibals won’t eat him
13. An old book in cipher with writhing in the margins.
14. A Russian trader.
15. Russian writing.
16. There are a lot of trees surrounding him.
17. Shrieking cries filled the boat and no one could see the boat.
18. Women are not important.
19. They couldn’t talk to each other; they have a weird partnership though. They have an understanding and an unspoken language with no words exchanged.
20. International society for the suppression of savage customs.
21. “Exterminate all those brutes” (Conrad 49).
22. The man is about to tell Marlow something really interesting about Kurtz.

Section 3 pp 129-144 (15)

1. He has done so many bad things he can’t go back; going back would be just as hard as going forward.
2. They have a lot of cartridges left.
3. Kurtz wanted the ivory.
4. He got the warriors from the lake to go with them.
5. They are human heads, heads of enemies and they are a symbol of power.
6. Savages attack out of the forest.
7. Bronze like and she comes to Kurtz and stares sadly.
8. He wants to shoot him because he doesn’t like him.
9. He doesn’t care at all about the manager and he is slightly happy.
10. Follows Kurtz into the jungle.
11. He was out in the wilderness to long without restraint and his emotions took over and ruled him.

pp 145-158 (13)

1. They wanted to shoot the natives and scare them away.
2. Corrupts him and turned him into a native.
3. They delay shook Kurtz confidence.
4. A packet of papers and photographs.
5. “The Horror, the horror” (Conrad 72). He learned what he had done wrong
6. Kurtz looked beyond the darkness.
7. She reveres his goodness and Kurtz wasn’t proud of what he did and he was almost the opposite of what she thought of him.
8. She wasn’t important and it was how Kurtz should have been with the significance of the name.
9. Death of his soul and sinking into the darkness.
10. Dark and sorrowful.
11. Native women because they made the same gesture.
12. He tells her it was her name and he didn’t want to tell her the truth because it was too dark.
13. Their similarities are they both love Kurtz a lot and they are both sorrowful when he died and neither of them were addressed by name and they are insignificant and used as symbols. The native women was wild and bad and represented the native side of Kurtz when he was in the jungle and the English women “Intended” she was civilized and good and she had a title.

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, plagiarism can be defined in many ways, to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own, to commit literary theft or to use (another’s production) without crediting the source. All of these definitions can be summed up in a few words, plagiarism is dishonest, unworthy and simply not right. When you plagiarize you are not only stealing a strangers work, but you are degrading your personal self. You personally are challenging your  abilities to write your own thoughts, rather you simply take the easy way out, by copying or stealing someone else’s work. By doing this you are taking credit for another person’s creative ideas, thoughts and more importantly their finished product that they have so diligently worked on. The real question is, how can it be avoided? The answer; make sure you always give credit to the person’s work but citing your sources and using quotation marks. This act can save you from committing a plagiarism offense, by just taking time to properly cite your sources.

The creamy, crunchy texture of silky smooth delectable goodness fills the mouths of Americans, satisfying their taste buds everyday. Peanut butter is the wonder of the world. Who knew that something that is considered a guilty pleasure, but is filled with delightful and satisfactory decency could be considered healthy? Not only just healthy, but one of the most nutritious foods one can consume. How can someone indulge in such a treat and convince you that have more health benefits than a piece of fruit?  Well, peanut butter is widely spread across America and found in 75% of homes, filling pantries more than the average staple of bread and milk. Americans consume about 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year. It is so popular among Americans they have even dedicated a day to National Peanut Butter Lovers Day! Peanut Butter has received a “bad” reputation due to the easily mistaken high fat content, but this misconception because it is a highly recommend source for vitamins, nutrients, prevention of diseases and cancers, good dieting and overall health benefits for men and women of all ages.

The biases in these essays were not black and white for the reader to easily point out. Therefore, the author showed bias through the diction used. Bias appears in every text, and although it may not clearly be apparent, as shown in many of these texts, it is expressed through the diction. Some bias that I found interesting was the essay on The Nonviolent Way. “ He was a thoughtful man, and a Christian, and he decided to try another way. He called it the only true Christian way” (740). Martin Luther King is trying to tell the reader that Christian isn’t violent in anyway. He is convincing everyone else that “peace and decency” are the ways around violence (741). Although, most of the wars that have started were with Christians. Why is trying to prove that nonviolence is his answer he wants to seek, when all throughout his journey through racism there was violence? Does Martin Luther King believe everyone was Christian? Another bias that caught my eye was in the introduction of Martin Luther King. “He was a natural leader, American to the core. He combined the common sense of Booker T. Washington with the impatient visions of a Du Bois” (740). The author is saying he is straight American, but he is comprised of two people, that were not all that American themselves. This also combines with MLK saying he is Christian and everyone should follow the Christian ways of being nonviolent when not all Americans are Christians.

In the Igbo culture men and women are complete oppostites. In aspects of family men or fathers raise their boys to be bold, courageous, fearless men and woman or mothers raise their girls to be soft, gentle and weak. Men and women are not on the same level. Men are looked up to and women are looked down apon. Although, both of their contributions to the family are equal when it comes to providing for the family. For Example, women do work around the house, cleaning, sweeping the floors, and cooking. The men on the other hand do the tough jobs such as splitting wood,  pound= the yam foofoo and climb the palm trees. Though the mens work may seem harder, the women are doing just as much and providing for the family in the same ways just with different duties. It is a shame that the family has to be sperated in this way just based on their expected geralized roles. Without these roles the familes of the Igbo tribal culture may be more unified.

What are the generalized roles and functions in an traditional igbo family?

Every member of the igbo family has their own specific roles that are based off their rank in the family such as the father, mother, son or daughter. The role a family member plays is more of an expection brought by the igbo culture. Each person in the family should abid by their own roles and that contribution will make a working family. Without each role the family will can not function and won’t be complete. Though, each role is very important when providing for the family and each member is needed. The roles are set in stone and very rarely change upon the culture’s expectations.  Basically, the men are brought on to be masculine and the women to be femaine, nothing in between.

What are locusts?

Locust: Any of numerous grasshoppers of the family Acrididae, often migrating in immense swarms that devour vegetation and crops.

In chapter 7, the locusts descend and men, women and children are overly joyed about this occurrence. Since they have not appeared for many years, only the older generation has had a chance to experience this exotic sight. The people within Umuofia hoped the locusts would settle for the night and they did on every tree and blade of grass. They would then eat this rare delicousy the next morning with solid palm-oil.

What are harbingers?

Harbingers: One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner.

What is the harmattan season?

The harmattan season is a dry, parching land breeze, charged with dust on the west coast of Africa.

Why does the new religion appeal to Nwoye?

I believe that the religion of Christianity appeals to Nwoye to be “someone.” Nwoye grew up by his fathers side and under his wing. His father wants him to be strong, independent, powerful man. All he knows his what his father has taught him growing up and their own cultural beliefs. This relates to “cultural myths” because it is known that men should be masculine according society. But, in some circumstances this isn’t true and Nwoye doesn’t want to be masculine like his father, he wants to be different and live his own life.
 

“Igbo” Person

“Igbo” Land is located in western Africa, especially in Southeastern Nigera, south of Abuja and at the lower area where the Nigera and Benue River meet.

“Igbo people usually have very extended families; it is a part of them as a people.” (VanderSluis par. 4)

 With such a vast population growing to about thirty million people , the Igbo homelands are one of the most densly populatated areas in Africa. With such a broad spectrum Igbo peoples’ families are getting seperated with the need of families moving. Thus, the close knitted families are encouraged to return back home to where they have originated, since most family members have moved away. They are driving them to move back with their families to continue their place in history. But, with their distinct language and culture they rapidly grow in numbers, while families are being reunited.

Bomor, Cynthia, and Basil Akalonu. “Igbo Cultural Association of Calgary.” About Us. 3 Oct. 2008 http://www.igbocalgary.ca/images/map_of_nigeria.gif.

VanderSluis, Matt. “Igbo People.” Igbo People. 3 Oct. 2008 http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/africa/igbo.html.

“Welcome to Village of Umuofia.” An Interactive Learning Environment. 3 Oct. 2008 http://www.literaryworlds.wmich.edu/umuofia/images/ibosculpture.jpg.