Journal 7

1. The narrator wants the reader to feel the disconnect to the character like the disconnect to emotions that there is in the story.

2. The lack of dialogue in the story shows the disconnect between Meursault and his opinions. Since there is that disconnect, he does not voice his opinions, resulting in the lack of dialogue.

3. The sun represents the emotions that Meursault should be feeling, but doesn't. Therefore, it appears in the story to show the emotion that should be there.

4. Camus does use the sun to represent two different things. It could represent two opposites such as happiness and unhappiness.

5. Camus personifies the sun in this situation to show a change in emotion and situation.

6. Dialogue is not used much and when it is used is very simple because it represents how Meursault is not a very opinionated person.

7. He does use the repetition of the old man and the dog to represent a theme that people do not know what they have or do not show gratitude for what they have until it is gone.

8. The narrator and Meursault could in fact be the same person. Because Meursault is so objective about everything, he could in fact be telling the story.

9. Camus does this to highlight certain events in the book that are the most significant and that he wants the reader to pay the most attention to.

Journal 6

1. Word Choice: This includes the level of vocabulary that is used, whether the author uses passive or active verbs, the dialect used, the denotation and connotation of the words, and how powerful the verbs used are.
When dialect is used, it often helps the reader connect to the character. With that said, is there a reason that Camus did not use dialect in the book?
2. Sentences: This includes the syntax of the sentences, rhythm to the sentences, whether they are short or long, or interrogative or declarative.
Camus generally does not use much dialogue. Is there any significance in the lack of dialogue?
3. Images: These are what appeal to the sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.
Is there significance in when Camus mentions the sun in the story? Why does he mention it at certain times instead of others?
4. Symbols: These are the images which represent more than themselves. They go beyond the literal.
Does Camus use the sun to represent two completely opposite things? At first I thought it lightened the mood, but Camus used it before part two like it was almost attacking Meursault.
5. Figures of Speech: This includes irony, similes and metaphors and what two things are being compared, and personification.
Why does Camus personify the sun and heat to be attacking Meursault when at first the sun and heat seemed to lighten the mood?
6. Rhetorical Devices: This includes the dialogue and narration, parallelism, and balance.
Why does Camus use so much narration but so little dialogue? And how come when he does use the dialogue, it is basically the same as the narration?
7. Patterns: This includes motifs, symbols, objects, alliteration, assonance, words, phrases, and theme.
Does Camus use the repetition of the dog and Meursault’s neighbor to illustrate a theme for the book?
8. Narrators: Is the narrator an observer, active participant in the story, or both? What is the narrator’s role in the story?
Why does Camus make the narrator switch from being an observer to being Meursault some of the time?
9. Structure: This is the chronology, space, timing, mind, and pace or the story.
Why does Camus explain certain events which such detail, but skip through others so quickly?

Journal 5

How does your own philosophy affect your reading?

I have noticed through reading The Stranger that I tend to get annoyed or bothered by characters who act completely opposite of me. Meursault tends to be very unfeeling or unopinionated towards many things. However, I am completely the opposite. I was very shocked when it didn't seem like he was sad at all about his mother's death and it really bothers me how his responses to everything seem to be something like, "I don't care". He does not seem to do anything because he wants to or because it is right in his opinion, but does everything either because he has to or for no reason at all.

Journal 4

Start tracking the sun and one other image, word phrase, or idea. For each time you see this image write the quote, page, and one sentence about what it is doing.

"The office overlooks the sea, and we took a minute to watch the freighters in the harbor, which was ablaze with sunlight." (Camus 25)

It feels like the sunlight comes into the story to brighten the mood. Normally, the book has had a gloomy and unfeeling mood, but here I finally feel some feeling in the mood.

"The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves" (Camus 34).

Again, I feel like the mood has been lightened. The way the sun's warmth is talked about gives it a relaxed feeling.

"A little later old Salamano growled at his dog; we heard the sound of footsteps and claws on the wooden stairs and then 'Lousy, stinking bastard' and they went down into the street" (Camus 35).

Salamano keeps saying this to his dog. It makes me feel very sad for the dog, and wishing that he was not treated so poorly and that he was loved. I feel sympathetic for the dog.

"I barely heard him mumble 'Stinking bastard,' and he went on fidgeting around" (Camus 38).

Again Salamano says this to his dog. A motif of sympathy seems to be in the story.

Journal 3

Realitism: The importance in life is in reality, not in the escape from reality. One cannot live fully if they are always trying to escape reality.

1) The purpose of living is to find what makes you happy- People thrive off of happiness and we live to find something we are passionate about to live for. It is extremely important to find something we are passionate about so we can enjoy our lives.

2) Do not sacrifice someone's feelings for your own happiness- People go around a lot of the time hurting people in order to get what they want. However, it's really important to have what makes you happy, but not hurt people to get it because it is also important to have good relationships with others.

3) Do not waste your life trying to escape reality- Many people do everything they can to escape reality for find a security blanket for life. However, by doing that, you are only wasting your life away. While there are some scary things to face in life, there are many more happy moments.

4) Do not discriminate against different lifestyles or cultures- Just because people live differently does not mean that the way they live is wrong. We need to be tolerant and acceptant of others. If we're not, how can we accept the same from them?

5) Do not judge or assume anything about a person- Many people are judged just because of the way they look or dress or talk. No one should assume anything about a person until they get to know them.

6) Believe that there has to be some good that comes out of everything- Many people are way too pessimistic. There is always at least a little good that comes out of every situation.

7) Try to look at every day with a new light- Just because yesterday was bad does not mean that today is going to be bad. Wake up in the morning and try to be optimistic about the new day.

Journal 2

Describe Meursault's actions/activities. How do you respond to Meursault's activities? Why would Camus create a protagonist like Meursault - what is he trying to accomplish?

Meursault seemed like he was only doing everything involving his mother's death because he had to. He kept telling everyone it wasn't his fault and he kept saying that he felt guilty. I got the feeling that he didn't really care at all that his mother died. Maybe Camus created a protagonist like Meursault to show people how routine things have become. In the first two chapters, it seems as if Meursault does everything just out of a routine that he has to do.

Journal 1: The Stranger

How are the two translations different? What effects do these differences create?

There seems to be a much different mood in each translation. The one used in the book has a much more bland and unfeeling mood. The other translation suggests more emotion in the death of his mother, or at least more emotion to come. In the other translation the word mourning is used and the character said that it didn't even seem like she had died. However, in the one used in the book, there is no mentioning of mourning at any time. The passage seems to be more focused on the doubt and questioning of when it happened than anything else. It also mentions the "usual vigil beside the body". By saying usual, it suggests that the attitude is just like oh it happens all the time. There is no feeling in it.

Journal 9

How does the structure affect the text: re-examine the opening and closing of chapters or the opening and closing of the novel?

The beginning of the novel starts with the horizon and closes with the horizon. This helps to close the story and make it feel finished. I think it also helps to draw the reader into the story more. It starts with a powerful image of the horizon, drawing the reader in and making them want to know more. Then it closes with the same powerful image, finishing the story with a great ending.

Journal 8: Chapter 18

What is the significance of the title? What does Hurston suggest about the relationship between the characters and God?

The significance comes with the hurricane in the story. Everyone is watching God and waiting to see what will happen next, hoping that he is looking out for them. In the chapter, it almost seems as if Hurston is suggesting that God is only comparing his might to theirs. It seems as if the hurricane is just survival of the fittest, like a test from God. This would show that God is completely powerful over everyone, and that one should respect his power.

Journal 7: Chapters 16-17

How does Mrs. Turner's relationship with her husband affect her character? Discuss their roles in marriage, and compare them to other couples in the chapters.

Mrs. Turner has an interesting relationship with her husband compared to the many other couples we have seen throughout the book. In most marriages in the book, the man is in complete control over the woman. However, Mrs. Turner seems to have total control over her husband. She has a very strong personality, and her husband seems to be almost afraid of her.

Journal 6

"The train beat on itself and danced on the shiny steel rails mile after mile." (Pg.116)

Hurston personifies the railroad tracks to show Janie's happiness at the beginning of chapter 13. She is on the train on her way to meet Tea Cake, her soon to be new husband. She is extremely excited for her new life with him because he is the only love in her life who has expected more from her than to cook and clean and take care of things. The submissive expectations no longer exist. She is finally allowed to express herself and let her voice be know.

"When the fellow began to pick the box the people begin to come from east, west, north and Australia." (Pg. 122)

Hurston uses a hyperbole here in order to show how good Tea Cake was at playing the guitar. People are not actually coming from Australia, but it shows that he is so good at playing music that people would come from there just to listen to him. The exageration that Hurston uses helps the reader to understand the character better and his abilities.

"She got to be a better shot than Tea Cake." (Pg. 131)

The situational irony used in this quote helps to show Janie's capabilities. One would never expect that Janie would become better at hunting than Tea Cake, but she does. She also learns how to fish and play checkers, and does each much better than anyone would expect her to. For most of the story, Janie is underestimated but has been developing in the past couple of chapters and showing her true abilities.

Journal 5

"What motivates Janie and how is she changed?"

Ever since Janie was a child, she wanted true love, but not at the expense of her voice. That was her dream, but instead she followed her grandmother's dream of power and security. Janie finally starts to think for herself again, with the help of Tea Cake, and her childhood dream is what motivates her. She is changed in that she now thinks for herself, and is no longer afraid to let her voice be heard. No longer does she let herself be oppressed by a husband. And it seems that she doesn't even need to worry about that anymore. Tea Cake is the one who helps Janie to discover herself again, and the one that she loves. He teaches her how to play checkers and takes her fishing and hunting, but most importantly, teaches her how to be Janie again.

Journal 4

She began to act on anger. Anger, that fiery creature who strives to intimidate anyone in his path. The one who lives in the passion of one's mind. His temper so easily swayed every which way. He sits watchful and waits, as his red eyes burn with passion. Until the moment comes when he strikes with the venom of a snake. Been sitting there since the beginning of time. The event was liable to trigger this beast at any moment. She was hot with feeling. Poor woman! She was left alone in a cloud of fury with no way out. Every person who tried could not talk any sense into her. Not one person knew how to extinguish the fire in her eyes. She would be just fine, so long as she was left alone in her fog of rage. The beast could not conquer her. At least she thought. But the others realized, she would never be the same again. Even if not at the time, the realization would come in meeting her again as they saw the fire pits remained in her eyes. Ones who once ventured into her thoughts never dared to go there again. The cloud now followed her wherever she went.

Journal 3

Pg. 27: Simile: "Logan held his wad of tobacco real still in his jaw like a thermometer of his feelings while he studied Janie's face and waited for her to say something."

This simile shows how nervous Logan is about how Janie feels about him. As their marriage continues, they seem to grow further and further apart as Logan treats Janie with less respect. It seems as if whenever he says something to her, he holds his breath because he is afraid she will leave him. The comparison between the tobacco and a thermometer shows his stiffness and nervousness in waiting to see what she will do next.

Pg. 29: Symbol: "Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon."

The pollen and blooming trees is a symbol which Janie uses for love. At the beginning of the book, she says that she wants to feel what she feels when sitting underneath the pear tree. But she wants to feel that feeling with a man. At the end of chapter two, it seems as if she's given up her dream of feeling that way with a man, however this sentence shows that the subject of true love still lingers in the back of her mind.

Pg. 31: Personification: "The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn."

The author includes this to create a clear picture in one's mind, talking about how the sun was rising. However I think that the shadows around the barn represented how Janie was feeling about her marriage and situation. The next sentence includes how Logan "looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs". This situation is set up to show the reader how Janie feels towards her husband.

Pg. 33: Motif: "They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged."

Throughout the book so far, there has been a motif about night and day. At the beginning of the book, the author describes how when the sun goes down, life comes back into people. The sunrise always seems to "threaten the world" in some way. This sentence is the last in the chapter, and I believe it is included there to set the scene for the next part of the book, just as this motif does at the beginning of the book.

Pg. 28: Southern Dialect in the Narration: "Kept hearin' 'bout them buildin' a new state down heah in Floridy and sort of wanted to come."

Throughout this part of the narration, the text becomes southern dialect. For me, this gave the story more of a personal feeling. I felt as if I were talking to the character myself. I believe that that is the very reason the author included it here, to be on a more person level with the reader.

Journal 2

How does the setting affect the text, atmosphere, characterization, motivation...?

The text in Their Eyes Were Watching God is especially affected by the setting. Because they are in the South, the dialogue in the book is in Southern dialect. The atmosphere is also hugely affected. The main characters in the story are African-American, so the South is a controversial setting for the story at the time period in which the story was written. One of the characters mentioned, Nanny, talks about her experience in slavery in the South and all of her horrible experiences with discrimination and mistreatment.
The characters are shaped a lot by the environment where they grow up. Having grown up in slavery, Nanny especially wants to make sure that her granddaughter, Janie, is safe and protected because of her own life experiences. That is essentially the only thing she wants before she dies so that she can feel good that her family is safe.
Nanny is very concerned for Janie's safety. Because they live in the South (specifically in Florida) where there is so much potential for violence against African-Americans, the setting motivates Nanny to try and find Janie a husband. She wants Janie to have a husband so that she will have someone who can protect her, even when Nanny passes away. She also wants Janie to have a stable roof over her head. Janie having a husband gives Nanny the peace of mind she needs.

Journal 1

How does the narration differ from the dialect?

Their Eyes Were Watching God has a Southern dialect. This means that when a character talks, the dialogue is spelled how it would sound if someone were saying the words out loud. However, the narration has all regular spelling and is the story being told by the narrator which could be any character in the story or just the author. In this case, the author, Zora Neale Hurston, is the narrator.