Journal #11: Tabbing The Stranger

     Alright, so now that we're pretty much done with Their Eyes Were Watching God, it's time to start on The Stranger. Yay. My favorite book ever. As far as tabbing goes for this novel, I plan on doing the following with my gorgeous multicolored sticky notes:

• Blue will be used to mark motifs and symbols used throughout the book
• Sleep
• Words having to do with time
• The number 2 or multiples of it
• Pink will be used to identify syntax and structure
• Rhetorical questions
• Loose/periodic sentences
• Complex/simple sentences
• Narration
• Verb tense
• Parallelism
• Microcosm
• Word choice
• Green will be used to show figurative language
• Simile & metaphor
• Imagery
• Yellow will be used to keep track of possible themes/ thematic elements
• Mersault's blatant indifference
• Mersault's odd obsession with the physical world yet his absence from the emotions that accompany it
• Purple will be used to mark quotes that will support any possible themes that come along

     And yet again, I may choose to use my other pretty multicolored sticky notes, in which case the following would hold true:

• Blue will be used to mark motifs and symbols used throughout the book (same as above)
• Orange will be used to identify syntax and structure (same as pink above)
• Green will be used to show figurative language (same as above)
• Yellow will be used to keep track of possible themes/ thematic elements (same as above)
• White will be used to mark quotes that will support any possible themes that come along (same as purple above)   

Cheers.

Journal #10: Theme

     I decided to switch up my theme from last night with one I came up with in class today. A few parts still need clarification, as they are a little too vague. The underlined portions of my theme (below) are the portions that, as dictated by Mrs. Wecker, need work. Feel free to make suggestions if any come to mind!

Theme: Through conforming to the expectations of others, one can forget one's own personality as a result of the desire to please those around them.

Supporting Quotes:

1. "'Janie, I reckon you better go fetch me dem old black gaiters. Dese tan shoes sets mah feet on fire. Plenty room in 'em, but they hurts regardless.' She got up without a word and went off for the shoes. A little war of defense for helpless things was going on inside her. People ought to have some regard for helpless things. She wanted to fight about it. 'But I hates disagreement and confusion, so Ah better not talk. It makes it hard tuh get along.'" (Hurston, pg 57)
• Hurston uses alliteration ("[...] without a word and went [...]") as well as an apostrophe here, as Janie is talking to no one in particular towards the end of this quote.
2. "Janie took the easy way away from a fuss. She didn't change her mind but she agreed with her mouth." (Hurson, pg 63)
• Hurston begins to portray Janie as submissive for the first time in the novel. It seems like organic imagery is used here.
3. "Times and scenes like that put Janie to thinking about the inside state of her marriage. Time came when she fought back with her tongue as best as she could, but it didn't do her any good. It just made Joe do more. He wanted her submission and he'd keep on fighting until he felt he had it. So gradually she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush." (Hurston, pg 71)
• Organic imagery is used again here. I like how Hurston describes Janie as 'fighting back with her tongue'... personification?
4. "The years took all the fight out of Janie's face. For a while she thought it was gone from her soul. No matter what Jody did, she said nothing. She had learned to talk some and leave some. She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels." (Hurson, pg 76)
• Both metaphor and visual imagery are at work here.
5. "'Maybe he ain't nothin',' she cautioned herself, 'but he is something in my mouth. He's got tuh be else Ah ain't got nothin' tuh live for. Ah'll lie and say he is. If Ah don't, life won't be nothin' but uh store and uh house." (Hurston, pg 76)
• There aren't really any obvious literary techniques here, but I like this quote because Janie is choosing to lie to herself rather than to admit defeat. It displays the theme I chose to work with while simultaneously showing that Janie truly is losing grip of her reality.

I commented on the following blogs: Jarrad Schulte, Travis Eurick, Kyla Padbury

Journal #9: Theme Pastiche

     Mrs. Rankin's second grade class had just broken up into their stations. Paulette, Chico, Luke, Jimmie, and Alexander sat at table group number four (also dubbed "The Mothership" by their crazy classmate James). They were each sharing their life aspirations. Paulette, insisting that ladies are always first, broke into a grin as she squealed her dream profession. "When I grow up, I wanna be a ballerina. With a tutu and everything!"
     "Ooooh, I'm gonna be migrant farm worker like mi papa. Migrant farm workers are nice, like mi papa. I'm nice too. I'm gonna travel the world and be all I can be as a migrant farm worker!" Chico enthused.
     Luke got really excited, as he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. "I'm gonna be a Jedi and stuff! And I'm gonna fight droids and save the galaxy and kill Darth Vader!"
     "I'm the Antichrist!" Jimmie exclaimed.
     Chico gasped. "You are migrant farm worker too?!"
     The other children exchanged puzzled looks, save Alexander, who coolly shared his future plans.  "When I grow up I am going to be a dictator of a third world country and possibly bring about the next world war. Or, if I choose to be more subtle, I could perhaps become a C.E.O. of a multinational corporation, then retire early, buy a south Pacific island, and spend my days relaxing on the beach and fanning myself with money."
     His stunned classmates didn't even get the chance to respond, because Mrs. Rankin was suddenly looming over them.  "Hello children," she said in her nasally voice. "How are we doing this morning?" All of them cringed, but Chico, oblivious as always, responded to his teacher's rhetorical question.
     "Hola, Mrs. Rankin. I am good."
     "My question did not require a response, Chico." Mrs. Rankin spat coldly. "Now, let's see how on-task you five have been. Luke, what did you share with your... friends?"
     Luke looked up at his teacher and froze. His mouth hung open slightly, and his eyes were wide with terror.
     "Well?"
     "I... I'm gonna b-b-be a J-J-J-Jedi." Luke stuttered, petrified.
     Mrs. Rankin curled her lip in contempt. "A Jedi? Really. Well, Luke, for saying such a ridiculous thing, you will stay inside at recess and erase the chalk board."
     "B-but, I-"
     "Don't make me give you a referral, Lucas!"
     Luke hung his head and left the table. The other kids knew where he was going: the Corner of Shame.
     "Paulette, what did you choose?"
     "I wanna be a ballerina with a tutu and a lee-tard."
     "Well, well, well. A dancer? Ha! That's never going to happen. You'll end up a useless stay-at-home mom, just like you own mother."
     Paulette burst into tears and ran to join Luke.
     "Who's next?"
     Jimmie, who had been sitting quietly since his outburst earlier began to twitch. Mrs. Rankin glared at him.
     "Jimmie, don't you even-"
     "I'm the Antichrist!!!!!"
     "Jimmie Wilson Rankin, I told you NEVER to say that in public! Principal's office. NOW. We'll be discussing this tonight, young man."
     So Jimmie left the room, quivering with adrenaline. He cackled madly as he swooped out the door, and Mrs. Rankin turned to Alexander.
     "I'm going to be dictator of a third world country and start the next world war. If that doesn't work out, my backup plan is to become a multimillionaire who manages a successful international organization."
     "I see. Now, you and your little third world country can spend the next two weeks in after school detention."
     "On the contrary, Mrs. Rankin, I am not obligated to do so. With all due respect, I am of far superior intelligence than any other student in this school, and should plan accordingly. Therefore, my goals are-"
     "Your opinion is irrelevant, Alexander! Three weeks. Two hours each day. Now go join your little mob of invalids."
     Alexander was stunned. He hadn't even given all of his contentions, and she had just cut him off. Well, now he knew why she couldn't get a better job. Because nobody in their right mind would hire her! He didn't need to worry about that though. He had all his bases covered. Alexander stayed where he was an pulled out his Blackberry Bold. He had barley begun to dile his father's number when Mrs. Rankin snatched the smart phone away.
     "THE REST OF THE YEAR, ALEXANDER. Two hours, after school, every day."
     Alexander, who was ever-composed, let out a moan of grief and began to sob hysterically as he shuffled over to those morons he called his friends.
     "Pobresito Alexander,"
     "Ah, I see you would like to share now, Chico?"
     "Uhhhh... No, gracias, Mrs. Rankin."
     "It is not an option, Chico."
     "I am going to be migrant farm worker como mi papa."
     Mrs. Rankin looked thrilled. "Finally! Someone who's realistic! This," she said to the rest of the class, "is what all of you should be like. Chico, well done."
     "Gracias, maestra. Chico is going to be migrant farm worker!"

•  Theme:  The way others view one's dreams can determine the means or even possibility of those dreams' fulfillment.
• I found this prevalent throughout the novel. As people tell Janie that her dreams are impossible, as they dismiss her and tell her that she is only a woman and will amount to nothing, she begins to doubt herself. She retreats, and curls up in a ball to protect herself, accepting her fate. Then, Tea Cake comes along, and she goes through a metamorphosis, back to the young Janie. This part I didn't show, but I chose children for this reason. The young and the young at heart never cease to dream.
• Stylistic Elements:
• I used dialect to portray Chico as a small immigrant boy who dreams of becoming the only tangible thing he can thing of: a migrant farm worker.
• Obviously, Hurston uses dialect throughout the novel, and for all of her characters. I chose to only use it for one character, but it parallels Hurston's writing nonetheless.
• Dialogue was used abundantly in this pastiche to characterize the six personalities present. The conversation between the students and the teacher develops all the characters and makes them more personable to the reader (except Mrs. Rankin).
• There is abundant dialogue in the novel, and I mimicked Hurston's apparent lack of speaker tags while still making it clear who is speaking.
• A caricature was used for both Mrs. Rankin and for Chico. Mrs. Rankin was the typical evil teacher while Chico was the stereotypical immigrant.
• Hurston sort of stereotypes all her characters in a way. They all seem to be the typical African American from that time period, so I thought it would be appropriate to use a few caricatures myself.
• I used the motif of the number six to tie in with Jimie being the Antichrist. All three parts to his name have six letters, there are six characters, Chico mentions being a migrant farm worker six times.
• This mimics Hurston's use of the number three- 3x2=6. Look how smart I am!!
• Situational irony is seen in the middle when it is revealed that Jimie is Mrs. Rankin's son and at the end where it is expected that Alexander will be praised, but instead it is Chico.
• This happens at the end of Janie's tale when she has to shoot Tea Cake. Although... It isn't much related to my story, is it?

Journal #8: Stylistic Attributes

"He turned and threw his hat at her feet. "If she don't throw it at me, Ah'll take a chance on comin' back," he announced, making gestures to indicate that he was hidden behind a post. She picked up the hat and threw it after him with a laugh. "Even if she had uh brick she couldn't hurt yuh wid it," he said to an invisible companion. "De lady can't throw." He gestured to his companion, stepped out from behind the imaginary lamp post, set his coat and hat and strolled back to where Janie was as if he had just come in the store." (Hurston, pg 98)

• This passage depicts Janie's first meeting Tea Cake, and the playful flirting that ensues shortly afterwards.

1.  The first thing I noticed about this passage was the tone. Hurston creates a playful feeling in this brief selection, and illustrates a sort of exuberance that readers have not previously seen from Janie. She almost acts girlish compared to the way she behaved before, as even when she was younger she didn't exhibit such thoughtless joy.
2. I then suspected that an apostrophe was present here as well. Tea Cake talks to an "invisible companion," which sort of matches the definition presented in class. I'm sort of confused though, because he makes a show of talking to someone who isn't there but it's for Janie's amusement. Nonetheless,  it reveals more of Tea Cake's airy personality and his blatant intoxication with life.
3. Just when I thought there was no more to this passage, I found signs of a motif. The circular pattern of the novel make an appearance. Hurston says that Tea Cake walked back to Janie, as if he had only just entered the shop, and he pretends they had not yet met. This seems like a section of the story had just looped around, but I am now noticing that this could be explained by chronology as well.

Journal #7: Pastiche

     Yet Nikki still failed to comprehend Pain. Pain, that sinister entity with no true concept of its own meaning, so powerful that it may break even the strongest man down into a crying infant. The deleterious one who lingers in those who have experienced too much heartache to banish him completely. Who could eradicate Pain, the eternal embodiment of suffering? He circles his target then crouches, ready at any moment to pounce upon his prey. Clings to those weaker than he, gazing intently, waiting for the precise second at which he will strike. Still patiently observing with narrowed eyes and clenched jaw. She anticipated the moment when she would hear his creaking footsteps on her stairs. She desperately needed reassurance and guidance too. Infelicitous Robert! This burden should not be his alone. She attempted to ease his anguish, but he dismissed her. It is difficult to appease those whose ache exists in the heart. His state might improve if only she could prove to him that he had not been abandoned.  He would recover some day. That was what he believed.  But Alejandro had told her otherwise, so she was aware. Regardless, if she wasn't, the following afternoon she would have discovered so, considering his rehabilitation specialist was bound to tell her anyways. Friends who had never before ventured to support her offered their condolences. Realization, that cold embrace, had finally taken hold.

     I tried to personify pain using as much imagery as possible. I wanted to be able to give the reader a clear picture of this noun, without need for guesswork. I unthinkingly used a similar situation to that is Hurston's writing, so the writings are similar in that way. I used phrasing and sentence structure similar to Hurston's, and modeled the metaphors I used after those found in the text.

Journal #6: Death

"Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West. The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and without a roof. What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him? He stands in his high house that overlooks the world. Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come. Been standing there before there was a where of a when or a then. She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now. She was sad, and afraid too. Poor Jody! He ought not to have to wrassle in there by himself. She sent Sam in to suggest a visit, but Jody said No. These medical doctors wuz alright with the Godly sick, but they didn't know a thing about a case like his. He'd be alright just as soon as the two-headed man found what had been buried against him. He wasn't going to die at all. That was what he thought. But Sam told her different, so she knew. And then if he hadn't, the next morning she was bound to know, for people began to gather in the big yard under the palm and china-berry trees. People who would not have dared to foot the place before crept in and did not come to the house. Just squatted under the trees and waited. Rumor, that wingless bird, has shadowed over the town." (Hurston, pg 84)

• Trees continue to appear in this story. Hurston might be using them to convey a sense of structure in Janie's otherwise unstructured life.
• Birds have been referenced quite a bit as well; the prospect of flight and wings was introduced at the beginning of the novel and have continued. Now, feathers are introduced- a sign of the presence of a bird. Rumor is described as being a wingless bird (discussed more below).
• There is also the fact that Death is referred to as a man, which reiterates the importance of the social structure at that time, and the male dominated-world.
• The motif of the number three continues: Janie again voices three question words, though not in the form of a question.
• The fact that comparisons between light and dark are continuing to be made supports the thesis I wrote in Journal #5. What is dark is seen as bad; rumors and Death are both described as being dark or 'shadowing.'
• Hurston obviously personifies Death. She gives the illusion of Death being the master of all by placing him on a pedestal. He looks down upon the world, and cannot be hindered by any of the elements.
• Wind continues to appear as a motif, but is being used less frequently.
• The description of rumor is interesting. A rumor can blanket a population and can spread very fast, although not by the same means as a bird. I love how Hurston uses the shadow metaphor to alter the tone of the chapter.

I commented on the following students' blogs: Isabel Harger, Kylee Rosette, and Sean Sakaguchi

Journal #5: Thesis Statement

     Zora Neal Hurston uses the motif of light versus darkness to expose the underlying theme of discrimination and racism and how they effect the daily lives and thought processes of individuals. Her comparison of the two states, those of light and dark, emphasizes the overall impression of the widespread notion of white supremacy during the time period in which the novel takes place.

Journal #4: Examining Motifs

    Picking just three motifs is impossible. I really got into it after a while... It's sort of like a puzzle!

1. Flowers
• Flowers or words relating to them are the most obvious motif in this book, but I couldn't resist writing about them because they're so prevalent. The referencing really starts in chapter two on page 10 (I analyzed a passage from this page in my second journal; see this for examples). In chapters five and six an evident continuation of this motif can be seen beginning on the bottom of page 43.
• "It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything at all that took the bloom off things." (Hurston, pg 43)
• "Had it right in the parlor with little springs of flowers painted all around the sides." (Hurston, pg 47)
• "The three girls hold the center of the stage till Daisy Blunt comes walking down the street in the moonlight." (Hurston, pg 67)
• "The bed was no longer a daisy-field for her and Joe to play in." (Hurston, pg 71)
• "She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be." (Hurston, pg 72)
2. Trees
• Trees are used constantly in this book. Hurston often appears to compare them both to Janie and to life itself. In chapters five and six, trees make many more appearances when not even necessary to the plot line.
• "Two men who were sitting on their shoulder blades under a huge live oaktree almost sat upright at the tone of his voice." (Hurston, pg 35)
• "[...] and being piled under the big live oak tree." (Hurston, pg 40)
• "'Taint no use in scufflin' over all dese stumps and roots in the dark." (Hurston, pg 44)
• "Starks piled fodder under the big tree near the porch [...]" (Hurston, pg 58)
• "Lum found him under the big tree on his rawbony back with all four feet up in the air." (Hurston, pg 59)
• "[...] some of the nearby trees were already peopled with the stoop-shouldered forms." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "They wanted to begin, but the Parson wasn't there, so a messenger was sent to the ruler in a tree where he sat." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "The Parson sat motionless in a dead pine tree about two miles off." (Hurston, pg 61)
3. Dark & Light/ Black & White
• This is one of the most important themes in the book and is my personal favorite. I particularly like the fourth example (below). It seems to embody the theme of the novel and the idea of supposed 'white supremecy' during that time period. This is also seen in my first example, where it becomes quite clear that what is white is not powerful, but better. Is it weird that analyzing this book is so thrilling to me?
• "And look at the way they painted it- a gloaty, sparkly white." (Hurston, pg 47)
• "It was bad enough for white people, but when one of your own color could be so different it put you on a wonder." (Hurston, 48)
• "'Janie, I reckon you better go fetch me dem old black gaiters. Dese tan shoes sets mah feet on fire.'" (Hurston, pg 57)
• "The flock had to wait the white-headed leader, but it was hard." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "'Ah aims tuh keep yuh in de dark all de time.'" (Hurston, pg 64)
• "It's negro hair, but it's got a kind of white flavor." (Hurston, pg 67)
4. Dreams
• This motif does not appear as much as the others I have listed, but it is certainly just as important. On the very first page of the novel, Hurston discusses dreams, and compares those of women to those of men. She specifically states that for women, "The dream is the truth". (Hurston, pg 1) When Hurston returns to this idea, it has undergone some startling alterations through Janie's interpretation. After living in Eatonville for a while, Janie and Joe grow apart. After Joe slaps her, Janie is stunned. On page 72, Hurston describes Janie's revelation: "It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed to drape her dreams over." This is an application of that first statement made by Hurston about the dreams of women. Sometimes, women only imagine that they are living their dreams, and the lie becomes so convincing that they no longer have any need to pretend.

     I also found several other motifs, including the capitalization of the word "Time", birds and wings, the wind, fish, and the sun. But I'm too tired to write about those tonight.

Journal #3: The Harlem Renaissance

Step 1: Billie Holiday



     Billie Holiday was a jazz vocalist who grew up in Harlem, New York during the 1920s. Holiday had a great impact on the evolution of both jazz and pop music as a result of her unique vocal styling. She modeled her voice after instruments used in jazz music, and manipulated it accordingly. This unique effect set Holiday apart, and made her a success in the music industry. The song "Strange Fruit" was based off of a poem that conveyed themes condemning racism against African Americans, particularly the violent act of lynching favored in the South. "Strange Fruit" went on to become one of Holiday's greatest hits.

Step 2: Dialect

   I chose to do a Russian dialect because Robert Downey Jr. is part Russian-Jew. I'm just kidding- that's just an added bonus.

• Pronunciation
1. Both the "v" and "w" make the same sound; it's almost a mix of the two. When writing in this dialect, they are practically interchangeable.
2. All "th" combinations are pronounced as a "d" sound, and are therefore written that way.
3. The "u" makes the short "a" sound; in fact, all vowels are pronounced using the European style of speech with pure vowels: ah eh ee oh oo 
• Grammar
1. Russians who learn English as their second language usually speak what we like to call "Broken English". Most, if not all, sentences are incomplete. They tend to lack conjunctions or articles as a general rule.
2. Words with similar meanings may be used interchangeably. If an American were to be told that their house had burned down, they would be likely to say something to the effect of, "That's not good." A Russian, however would use "nice" in the place of "good."
3. Contractions are virtually nonexistent. Sometimes sentences are jumbled because of this.
• Vocabulary
1. Some words from the Russian language make their way into conversations and are substituted for our English version. For example, a Russian may say da for "yes", nyet for "no", or spaseeba for "please".
2. Skleroz is the Russian word used when one forgets something.
3. Nu i chort s toboy is the Russian equivalent of "whatever".

Step 3: Conversation



Svetlana's eyes scanned the room once more. "Gaspoja 'Oliday?" She had been waiting for the arrival of her American contact, Billie Holiday, who had yet to arrive. The Venetian was horribly smoky, and Svetlana longed to breath in the fresh air that laid just outside. Then she remembered that she was in Las Vegas. She was pulled out of her reverie by the sudden appearance of Ms. Holiday. "Gaspoja 'Oliday! It hiz been long time since last ve talk. Cahm, seet, spaseeba."

     "Svetlana, I've told you before to call me Billie." Her face was kind, but she spoke firmly.

     "Da, da. Gaspoja Beelee. Diz iz better, no?"

     "Much. I'm glad you agreed to meet with me tonight. I'm sorry it had to be here."

     "Nyet, diz iz fine. En Moskva, de vodkah shoopz so crahded dat dere no room foor de vodkah."



     "Oh, Svetlana," Billie laughed, "how I've missed you. Now, what news do you have of your homeland?"

     "De nooz I bring iz not happy. Stahlin has taken my coontry." Svetlana watched as Billie's face fell.

     "No. No, that can't be."

     "Da, it haz. Baht Gaspoja not woory. Svetlana haz plin. I move to 'ere ind git ovn... 'Ov do you say? De leetl 'ovzez?"



     "Apartments?"

     "Diz iz de vord! Nu i chort s toboy to Rahssia. 'Ere I git de martini."

     "So you won't be returning home?"

     "Diz I do noot knov."

     "Well, Svetlana, I have a concert to perform tonight. Would you like to be my guest of honor? We can talk more about this heavy topic later."

     "Da!"

     "Oh good. Maybe you can even sing with me." Billie smiled.

     "Ha! Crazy American. Only soong I knov en American Eengleez iz tvinkl tvinkl leetl stahr."

Step 4: View Another Student's Blog

   I looked at Kylee's, and it was brilliant. I left a comment there too.





Journal #2: Chapter 2 Analysis

     "It was a spring afternoon in West Florida. Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard. She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days. That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. How? Why?  It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again. What? How? Why? This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears. The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness." (Hurston, pg 10)

1. Motif of the number three; Hurston talks about the "last three days," mentions three developmental steps of the blossoms on the tree, asks three questions, and Janie has three husbands throughout the novel.
2. The "singing" Janie heard "that had nothing to do with her ears" might be a moment of self-realization. She is beginning to understand the purpose of life and gain some insight into a deeper meaning regarding her purpose.
3. At the beginning of chapter two Hurston compares Janie's life to a tree, saying that life is "like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches." This tree metaphor is referenced again in the excerpt on page 10, and maybe goes into more detail as to how Janie's life resembles a tree. Hurston says, "From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom.", perhaps referencing Janie's development during the story. With her first husband, Janie was young and naïve, and had barely gained any experiences of her own. When she eloped with Jodie, she has matured both emotionally and physically. The last stage, when Teacake is introduced, Janie has finally transformed into a full grown woman.
4. A simile is used to compare this blossoming of the tree- or the blossoming of Janie- to a "flute song" that has been long-forgotten. Perhaps this is suggesting the fact that Janie had been so absorbed in her sheltered childhood that she had forgotten that one day it would be necessary to grow up.
5. The portion of this passage discussing the "rose of the world" is quite interesting. The phrasing of that sentence is awkward and strange, and it took me a while to understand why Hurston wrote it that way. To me, this "rose" is Janie, and the "breathing out smell" is describing how as she grows she is giving off a perfume; this perfume may symbolise the effect that an individual (in this case Janie) has on the world, or those surrounding her. Just a thought.
6. There are quite a few words referencing growth; bloom, blossoming, bud...
7. There is some uncertainty as to what Hurston is actually getting at in the last few sentences here. It seems that she was being distant on purpose.
8. There is a copious use of figurative language and imagery (love).
9. There is alliteration- "barren brown stems"
10. The phrase, "it connected itself" immediately got me thinking of the discussion we had in class today about the circular pattern that Hurston seems to be following.

Journal #1: My Life Story

     If I could tell my life story to one person, I would probably choose... Robert Downey Jr., because he is my fiancé. We are deeply in love. Honestly though, I wouldn't even tell Robert everything. My best friend is the one I would confide in- the one I have already told my life story to. She knows everything about me and every though that crosses my mind. I feel no need to hide anything from her, or to in any way be someone that I am not. She cares enough about me to listen to my experiences and problems, and to share with me hers. We have reached the point at which we can be completely and totally honest with one another, and have established enough of a rapport that neither of us has to worry about the other betraying the trust we have placed in one another.
     
     I truly believe that my freshman year of high school is basically where my life actually began. Prior to my experiences at Tigard High, I hadn't truly grasped the concept of there being something bigger than myself. It's true, I was a very egocentric middle-schooler, but weren't we all?  My life truly changed that year because it was the first time since my early childhood that I actually took a chance, and decided to branch out and try different things- some of which were alien and uncomfortable to me. That year, I became a performer. I realized that I belong in front of people, and am relatively good at demanding their attention (I'll let you judge whether that is good or bad). It was then that I discovered what I want to do with my life, and how I want to go about achieving that dream. Now, I didn't realize until my sophomore year that Robert and I are soul mates, but with time comes wisdom, right?