Blog Post 3- The Grangerfords

Mark Twain seemed to have taken some author’s liberty upon writing the chapters about the Grangerfords.  This selection is humorous, however unnecessary to the novel.  Twain seems to have added this part for the enjoyment of the readers, and add to the satire he already created within the novel.  The Grangerford family’s humor is found where their daughter, Emmeline writes her poems about the deceased.  Sadness is found where the redundant feud leads to the death of Huck’s new friends.  An underlying allusion is found in the Grangerford family.  Twain related this family to the play Romeo and Juliet, where in both, incessant fighting leads to unnecessary deaths.  The Grangerford family has elements of humor, sadness, and an allusion to the play Romeo and Juliet.

        The Humor in the Grangerford family is found through their daughter Emmeline.  Through her works of poetry, she brings about that element that makes this selection of the book funnier to the reader.  Her poetry about the dead is unintentionally humorous, which almost seems to make her character even funnier.  Despite the upbeat, kind personalities found elsewhere in the family, Emmeline Grangerford is uncharacteristically morbid.  The rest of the family seems to not blink twice at her unusual personality, but misses her dearly.  Her skill at creating poems within minutes was known throughout the town.  Her obsession with the dead made her a stock character in the family, and even her death was related, “ The neighbors said it was the doctor first, Emmeline second, and then the undertaker- the undertaker never got in ahead of Emmeline but once, and then she hung fire on a rhyme for the dead person’s name which was Whistler.  She warn’t ever the same after that; she never complained, but she kinder pined away and did not live long” (Twain, 105).  The humor is created in the ridiculous fact that this young girl who was passionate about her poems about the dead essentially died due to her inability to create and rhyme to the name “Whistler”.  Humor is found in the Grangerford family through the morbid daughter Emmeline.

Sadness is another element that is found in the Grangerford family.  The constant fighting led to unending tension between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons.  Children from both families were raised to despise the other, and they didn’t even know what they were fighting about after so long.  It was sad how they kept killing each other’s family members, even as young as fourteen years old.  Huck’s new friend, Buck, was eventually killed by the families fighting.  Huck felt sad as he was leaving, and felt almost guilty.  “I cried a little when I was covering up Buck’s face, for he was mighty good to me” (Twain, 117).  A sad part in this family is that they didn’t even realize how their fighting was hurting their families.  They lost many family members to their feud, and eventually led to the death of most family members.  The element of sadness is brought through the Grangerfords by their feud with the Shepherdsons.

Twain created and underlying allusion in the Grangerford’s family.  The allusion is to the famous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet.  The feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons resembles the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.  The forbidden romance between Sophia Grangerford and Harney Shepherdson is exactly like between Romeo and Juliet.  When Sophia and Harney decide to run away, it ends in a battle between the families, much like the play.  Their love is a scandal between the families, and makes their hatred toward each other even stronger.  “…Miss Sophia’s run off! Deed she has.  She run off in de night some time- nobody don’t know jis’ when;  run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson you know” (Twain, 114).  This quote shows how similar the Grangerford’s situation is to the families in Romeo in Juliet. 

The Grangerford family has elements of humor, sadness, and allusion.  The humor comes about unintentionally in their daughter Emmeline’s  morbid poetry.  She wrote poems about the dead and essentially died when she couldn’t find a rhyme to a person’s name.  The sadness occurs due to the fighting.  The fighting caused many deaths, and it seemed to be never-ending.  The allusion occurs where Sophia and Harney run away to get married.  This is an allusion to Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.  All these elements come together to define the Grangerford family.

Jim and Huck- Blog Post 2

     Having not grown up in a home with a supportive family, Huck seems to have attached himself to Jim as an alternative family member.  Likewise, Jim seems to have a protective presence over Huck, much as a father would.  This relationship began to build once Huck and Jim both met on the Island, and their father-son-type bond seems to be strengthening as the chapters go on.  Huck's devotion to Jim is apparent when Huck goes ashore to find out what the word about his death was.  When he was informed that townspeople suspected Jim, his reaction was, "I had got so uneasy I couldn't set still.  I had to do something with my hands; so I took up a needle of the table and went to threading it.  My hands shook, and I was making a bad job of it" (Twain 64).  Huck's loyalty to Jim is expressed through the nervousness he felt when he realized that Jim could be in potential danger.  Huck looks to Jim as a fatherly figure, trusting him, and finding comfort in his presence.
     Jim and Huck share a mutual dependence and loyalty to one another.  Through the chapters, they seem to be getting closer.  Their parallel situations have brought them together and created the father-son bond that they feel. When Huck loses sight of the raft in the fog while he is on the canoe, they both go into a panic.  Jim later tells Huck how he was feeling while they were separated, "When I got all wore out with work, en wid de callin' for you, en went to sleep, my heart was mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn' kyer no' mo' what become er me en de raf'" (Twain 89).  Jim's previous desperation  is apparent when he tells Huck exactly how he was feeling.  Much as a father would feel about a son, Jim felt that he would not be able to go on without Huck if he were to be lost or had drowned.  The father-son relationship has been built upon the adventures Huck and Jim have spent together. Their relationship will most likely only be stronger as the book progresses.

Impression of Huck- Blog Post 1

     Judging by the first ten chapters of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Huck seems to be a very superstitious character.  Multiple times throughout the first few chapters, he reacted to situations as a sign of some sort.  In addition, although he believes wholeheartedly in the superstition, Huck doesn't seem to comprehend the religion being taught to him.  Huck is well-informed about the common superstitions, and often seems to create his own, "I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a threat to keep witches away.  But I hadn't no confidence." (Twain, 13)  Huck describes his action after killing a spider, and even after performing his superstitious actions, he felt that he didn't even know that they would help.  Huck's superstition seems to guide many of his actions and seems to be a big part of his life.
      In addition to being superstitious, Huckleberry Finn seems to be resourceful, despite his apparent immaturity.   My impression is that Huck learned to fend for himself throughout his childhood that lacked a traditional family setting.  After Huck runs away from his father, he is living in the woods, and seems to be able to provide for his own needs during the time period he is spending there.  Huck seems to believe that his decision to live in the woods is an adventure rather than an escape. He seems to know how to pull together what he brought with him to help him live sufficiently, and how to avoid the people looking for him, for example, "... I got all my traps into my canoe again so as to have them out of sight, and I put out the fire and scattered the ashes around to look like an old last-year's camp, and then clumb a tree."  (Twain, 47)  These observations allowed me to get an impression on Huck's abilities and personality.

Would a Transcendentalist Society Exist Today?

Life in today’s world is always facing one question: Is it possible for a society to exist where everyone lives peacefully?  A Transcendentalist society would allow people to express their true personality with minimal government intervention in their daily lives.  In this type of unstructured community, people are allowed to pursue their passions without fear of judgment.  Not quite as wonderful as it sounds, this type of society would create resentment despite equal benefits available for all. Those who naturally work hard would be angry with those who are living their lives simply to enjoy life rather than working.  The conflict could cause many problems in the society.  If education was optional for all, then students would not feel encouraged to seek new technology or scientific research.  In addition, if a government body created laws preventing people from advertising their ideas, then if something in the society was not right, there would be nothing they could do to fix it.  Although some may believe that a Transcendentalist society could be successful in today’s world, the torn views, the impossibility to create any technological improvements, and the unrealistic rules, are why a Transcendentalist society could not be possible today.

There are people who believe that a Transcendentalist society could exist in today’s world.  Some would argue that it may lead to a happier, more successful society due to less societal tension.  The tensions created in today’s world include economical stress, and rifts between different classes in society.  Eliminating those obstacles would create a society that might be altogether more peaceful and more cohesive with other’s ways of life.  Economical tension is a leading factor in many controversies in today’s world.  Some would argue that a society that suppressed negativity and lacked social pressures would be successful and beneficial to many.  These views reflect those who believe that a Transcendentalist society would be successful in today’s world.  Although they are valid arguments, there are many other issues that suggest that a civilization like this one would not thrive.

                Some people naturally strive to work their hardest and achieve more.  There are also people who live life happily the way they are and do not necessarily want to change.  These different types of people are one reason why a Transcendentalist society would not work.  If every person was offered the same benefits, no matter the job or their productivity, it would eventually lead to resentment between these people.  The inequality of somebody who contributes greatly to the society and somebody who contributes less would not be accepted by many people.  Many would complain about inequalities in work ethics. If everything was offered for free, for example free housing, those who worked harder would feel they deserved more than others.  Their attitude towards the situation would put the society at risk for rebellion against the government body in order to achieve what they believe they deserve.  A Transcendentalist society would last for a short amount of time if everyone was offered equal benefits at no demanded cost in return. 

                Despite the typical bitterness students feel towards the enforced policy of staying in school until at least sixteen, without that rule, it would eventually lead to a downfall in that particular society.  Students, sometimes against their will, attend school to get their required education.  If students were not forced to go to school, society would lack a very important ability; the ability to improve.  In the society created during the Transcendentalist unit, Harmonia, students are required to get a basic education, and then are free to observe people in their professions to learn how to do that particular job.  This policy is unrealistic in that it would not help the society to advance in any way.  Students would only acquire the knowledge of their predecessors, and would not have any outside research available to improve the current situation.  Advanced schools such as colleges are in place to not only teach students what is already known, but to also teach them how to think in a particularly important way. Critical thinking encourages students to invent new ideas and formulate medicinal advancements and technological improvements, based on things they do not know, and wish to know.  The Transcendentalist type of free-will schooling is not a realistic way to educate a society, and although people might be happier short-term because they have the power to decide, they might suffer in the future due to their lack of education.

                The rules of a Transcendentalist society would be minimal. The sole purpose of a Transcendentalist society would be to limit the rules commonly set in today’s world, to allow for more freedoms.  The flaw in this plan is, however, that limiting regulations becomes a cyclical problem.  It leads to people feeling like they can do whatever they want, whenever they want.  That could essentially take away the rights of the other members of the society.  Another important Transcendentalist belief is to not harm nature in any way possible.  This makes life extremely difficult, as it is human nature to adapt the earth to fit human needs, rather than conforming to nature’s ways.  Another major flaw in the rules created in the society Harmonia is that no negative thoughts should be voiced.  This is not a practical law in any way.  The way society naturally works is that individuals see the problems in society, and point them out.  If flaws go unnoticed and unrecognized by the majority, it would be self-destructive towards the society.  When something is not right, a person should speak out against it to make the society a better place to live, and that law inhibits a person from doing so.  The laws that are supposed to help a person discover themselves and express their true self actually end up harming the society as a whole, making a Transcendentalist society impossible in today’s world.

                Although some seem to think that a Transcendentalist society would be possible in today’s world, the disagreements it would cause, the unrealistic educational systems, and the inflexibility of the Transcendentalist rules would make such a society impossible.  The aspects of a Transcendentalist society do not match up with how people run their lives naturally.  It would cause too many conflicts to be successful.  Even though a Transcendentalist society may seem to some like a perfect civilization, the possibility of one existing in today’s world is impracticable.

The Dead Poets Society and Non-Conformity

            Every aspect of Welton Academy points to the founders' particular beliefs: the necessity of conformity.  The beginning of the film starts with the students reciting "Tradition, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence".  Expectations are as defined by those four words. When Mr. Keating becomes teacher, he encourages the students to express themselves in their own way.  In his unconventional teaching style, he is misunderstood and rejected by the staff.  Despite the danger of losing his job, Mr. Keating encourages non-conformity through expressing the idea of the Dead Poets Society. This results in removal from his job in the end of the film.

            Neil, representing non-conformity in the film, places himself in danger by his actions.  It was expected of Welton Academy graduates to continue to become distinguished doctors and lawyers.  When his father found that Neil wanted to be an actor, he demanded that his son quit acting and focus on his studies.  The result of his father's demands was Neil's suicide.  Non-conformity could have lead to a superior teacher and a successful actor. Due to the conformist ways at Welton Academy, the results were firing Mr. Keating and Neil's suicide.

Google Transcendentalism

            Everyone has heard of Google, and probably used it- the popular search engine and web browser.  Being one of the world's largest search engines, Google leads the way in computer usage.  The Google Company could be considered transcendentalists for many reasons.  Google is a company like no other.  They supported transcendentalism since the very beginning of their company.  The founders used their imagination and went with their gut feelings when they had the idea to capture the world’s knowledge and provide it for all. Google has a philosophy- ten things that they know are true and stick to when they are working.  These things make the difference between Google and other companies.  They use the company’s personal beliefs to guide their actions in the business world.  Google believes that if they help the customer, then everything else will fall into place.  Most companies focus on how they can make money rather than how they can help the consumer.  Google takes the risk of hiring people who think out of the box, who have potential to create something important, rather than a person with experience as most companies would. 

The work environment is an example of how Google feels about how things should be done.  A traditional work place is a place to buckle down and be productive as possible.  At Googleplex, Google’s base in California, they believe differently on how a workplace should be. They believe it should be a fun and inspiring place.  They feel that it makes their workers more productive and happier to be at work. They provide special classes like yoga, healthy lunches and dinners, and snacks and drinks. People can travel through the building on scooters or bikes from meeting to meeting. Google is a transcendentalist company in that it took a new turn on running a business.  They believe that work shouldn’t be a punishment, but something you want to do.  

http://www.experience-it-all.com/?tag=googleplex

Walden Essay

            Compared to present times, a simplified life was much easier to obtain during the time period in which Walden was written.  Life nowadays moves at a rapid speed, overloaded with information and technology at an often overwhelming pace.  The struggle to achieve more, possess more, and learn more is human nature.  These instincts encourage us to progress in order to try and improve our lives.  Desire for a better life pushes humanity irreversibly into a world of complexity and modernization.  The advances humans make cannot be taken back, they only add to the already complicated culture.  The condition of modern humanity makes simplification of an individual's life a rare and nearly impossible feat.

             Complexity and technology are a human passion.  People thrive on the hope of the latest advancement that would effect their lives.  Simplicity seems like a far-fetched dream for many.  The thought of abandoning structured lives for a solitary cabin in the woods would be a joke to most.  In the writing of his book, Henry David Thoreau describes the structure of many lives in the one sentence. "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us (Thoreau, 491)." He means that people make the things that shape their lives. They strive to create and build, while simplification would pull humanity away from an individual's natural want to progress.  Instincts tell people that simplicity is a form of deterioration of the progress they have made.

             Progress sends humanity down a path of no returns.  Simplicity is the road going in the opposite direction.  Even the most basic modern lives have passed the point of simplicity.  Once a level of complexity is reached in a society, there must be regulations or laws set in place to control what they have gained.  These restrict the ability for the people to return to the simple lives they might have led before.  Everything a person does is to either progress, or secure that progression.  Anything achieved by a person cannot later be undone.  It is not possible to take away progressions that are already successful.  In order to lead a simple life, a person cannot progress.  Continuous progression is a characteristic that makes a person a human being.

            Humans don't want to give up what they've achieved in return for simplicity.  It seems that it is human nature to want.  Desire keeps humans from  being able to attain simplicity.  Modern advertising and new technology make it even more difficult.  If a person's basic needs are met, including food, water, and shelter, then they are left with a desire for more.  Contentment leaves people with a feeling that they can achieve even more.  Modern culture is shaped by these desire, making it so much more diffucult to achieve simplicity than ever before.  Thoreau writes in Walden, "We are determined to be starved before we are hungry" (Thoreau 491). He means that no matter how much an indiviudual possesses, they convince themselves that they need more. The only way to achieve simplicity would be to not have desires, and that is not a realistic human attriubute.

             The characteristics of humanity do not allow for simplification of human lives.  Life is one way, things cannot be taken back or reversed.  Our passions and obsessions with modernization discourage a simple life.  A natural desire pushes humanity away.  We thrive on progress, which also discourages simplicity.  Only a person who has no desires, no interest in progression, and has never progressed can simplify their life.  And none of those are characteristics of a human being.  A person in modern times cannot simplify their life.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-9FaJPhFxQ&feature=related