Tree House.Ets

IS THERE A WAY AT ALLLL!!!!
someone please magically help me.!
I had thought I had handed in my ISU essay to Mr.Murray along with my test ones on tuesday but now that I look back he never got it!
and you know what the stinging factor is?
let me explain,
I spent 5 hours on that essay, not to mention, I had already started bits and peices of it from time to time befor the weekend.
5 hours, and I was up until 1:30 in the morning working on my 8 page essay that I had to shorten, because I had also done much research on psychology, psychopaths, and imagination to back myself up on my thesis.

Throughout my writing, I would click “save” to ensure it did just that, because i was that worried of loosing it…maybe somehow the power will go out, maybe someone will close the window goofing around, not realizing the importance of my work.

Tada, my essay was finished! I was so happy, it was more than likely THE BEST ESSAY i’ve ever writtin, I was so happy. I had spent the most time on that essay than i ever had. I never stay up till 10:00 let alone 1:30 doing homework. That whole night of writting, I was determined to finish it, and so proud of myself when i did, because i wouldn’t let anyone tell me i couldn’t do it.

SO,i printed one copy, than i closed the window.
gone…-but i didn’t know it yet.-.

You see, i was using another computer, because the one i originally work on was in use. I had sent my essay from the computer I usually use to the other one on an email, to finish it there.

My mistake, was I had clicked “open” instead of “save” when i recieved the attatched file in the email, and i had forgotten, while writting, to click “save AS” so that it would permanently save itself into a file.

When I closed the window -I DONT KNOW WHY I DID! and its what makes me SO ANGRY- I lost everything. When i was clicking save while working, it was saving itself in temporary internet files. I later realized once you close the window, it will leave temporary files, and is gone.
but wait, its just my luck. Now, i can’t find the printed one at all. Unless i find it one day hand it in, i will be void of essay for this ISU.

pleease someone, I worked so hard on that essay, I don’t know if it is gone for sure, or if it is saved somewhere else and i am not looking there, but i would just like to know the answer so that i am not worrying. I havn’t redone it because it was very early in the morning and it was a long enough essay. Plus, it was wednesday (yesterday) when I realized “where” i was saving it, and now can’t find it.

I am not so much frusterated with the fact that i don’t have an essay to present to Mr. Murray, (although, it does upset me), but more with the fact of how much work I put into, and time I spent devoted to that essay. I took this course for several reasons, and one was to better myself at writting essays. I have noticed a big change in my writting, and I was very proud of myself after writting that essay….Yes, i teared when i realized i lost it.

Not joking.

Timeline ideas:

• Create a stage to represent the line instead of a simple line, or pencil.
  Stage :]
• Breif Biography of life
• Childish, not verbally speaking, VISUALLY.
• pictures on timeline open, hiding behind paper-flips

Materials:

• Carboard
• Crafty paper
• sissors
• glue
• pencil crayons and markers!
• if able, snatch some red velvet-type material for red curtain

Class notes:
Retreive notes from Stephie and Liddy
point form

Well, don’t think I was one of the students who missed monday to finish their test, I did that in the time I was given on the weekend :]

I missed today because I was not feeling the greatest,
-when am I ever.-

but because I was absent, the essays are here on the blog…I did not want to post them up early monday morning because I figured a couple students may not be finished…and at home, looking for examples of essays :O.
Sooo, Here they are, posted at the end of the school day, 2:40 pm.

In the Metro

          The grass is always greener on the other side, and it seems as though what is most desired by anyone in particular, is never obtained. At times, things most wanted are things never had, while the things society does obtain are never wanted. The narrator in Mikhail Kvlividze’s “In the Metro” is a perfect example of someone who wants what he does not have, or better stated in his case, has a growing lust for the unknown.

          The unknown does seem to grasp the interest of a many, however, it is not always the entirely unknown that does so. The unknown for one may consist of the known for few. Emotions play a great example of this, as few may understand the rollercoaster of love, the illness of pure hatred, or the joy in freedom, but it is not everyone who comprehends these feelings.

          Readers of “In the Metro” take note that what the narrator lacks most is freedom, and perhaps a mix of other important emotions and feelings. It seems most obvious once read for the first time that he has fallen for a woman he sees on the metro and is mesmerized. However, the thought of “is he really mesmerized by the woman herself, or by the way she seems to ritual her daily life”, tends to make its way into the mind. Another obvious sign the narrator has a lack of freedom is when he states he is crucified to family duties and does not want to go his own way after the woman goes hers, assuming his own way is back home.

          Not only did it seem as thought the narrator took an interest in what he did not know of –or had- but was also lost, or rather, not sure of what it was exactly he desired. As mentioned earlier, when the poem is read for the first time, it appears as if he is love-struck by a woman he views on the metro. However, the narrator is instead interested in the way she carries herself and her day. It is breaking point when he notices she is just one person, and exactly that. For her, there is no need to worry of others as he does, but just for herself, and in this, she finds the freedom and time for her own self.

          He referrers to her as a flower when he states “The escalator carried her away, just as a river – a flower to the sea…” to show readers that he believes characteristics as those of a flower, could be easily applied to the woman, who represents freedom. Characteristics such as delicate, beautiful, and something to be treasured are all traits that describe perfectly the woman and her freedom.

          It is a reasonable thing to assume the narrator is not physically imprisoned when his lack of freedom is mentioned, but is instead imprisoned within himself and his life involving his family. It is no mistake when he states he is “crucified to family duties” to believe that the narrator is in a position he does not desire to be in. Words such as “dedicated” or “attending to” may have changed the aspect entirely, however the word “crucified –to be put to death by the nailing or binding of an object, or to be treated harshly- is used specifically to indicate readers of his position and feelings.

          Clearly the narrator has not been put to death, or is being put to death by physically nailing or binding him to an object (in this case his family), but is using this definition of the word crucified to relate to his situation during this point in his life. He feels as though he is emotionally nailed and tied down to his family in a bad sense, and is attempting to break free. Readers are not informed of what it is that is happening in his family that is causing the narrator to feel the way he does, but it is evidently clear he feels trapped.

          In the poem, the narrator used the metro as a place to escape from his confusion and his home life. Readers may question why of all places he goes to the metro. Perhaps he is only running simple errands, or paying a quick visit to a friend. However, it is here in the metro, where he finds refuge, a place to be alone and think. It may be he visits the metro often, or very rarely, but it is when he is there and sees the woman going her way, does he realize he feels trapped.

          Through his statement, “I know: she goes her way, and I go mine…and yet I’m sad, though I don’t know why.” the narrator’s feelings about being on his own, away from the woman, become quite clear. Assuming “going his way” is going back home, he informs readers that he is sad about returning to his place of depression, and of leaving the woman. The woman represents the freedom the narrator is lacking, and it is by seeing her, that strikes his awareness of his position. Once the woman leaves, he is again lost and confused, and must return to his daily life, back home.

          What is desired is not always clear, and is therefore unknown. To know something is to be sure of it, not almost sure. In this case, for the narrator of Mikhail Kvlividze’s “In the Metro”, his growing lust for the unknown, for what he does not have, is not completely evident until it passes his way in the shape of a woman and, just as quickly as it came, leaves.

Lines on the Loss of the Titanic

          In the poem “Lines on the Loss of the Titanic” written by Thomas Hardy, readers are able to understand that the sinking of the Titanic was not as tragic an event for some as it was for others. Much of society is able to view the historic event as something that had occurred by fate, and was unable to stop as fate clearly over powers society.

          It does not matter who, what, where or when. Fate, if it decides, will take its toll, even if vanity attempts to stand in its way. Through the use of poetic devices, theme, and structure, Thomas Hardy attempts to convey the message that what is meant to occur will do just that, no matter the case.

          It appears, in the poem, that the narrator is someone who knows the history of the Titanic, but does not seem to consume the event as tragic. Instead, it is as if he takes a more careless view on what happened. He introduces vanity in the beginning of the poem only briefly, and then continues to speak to the audience and further tell them of the ship itself, how it was planned by the Pride of Life, and said to be the greatest ship ever built, “the unsinkable”. The narrator describes in detail the Titanic’s inside décor, how beautifully made, how well thought of this ship was by man.

          Yes, how well thought of this ship was by man. How vain it was of man to gloat and literally believe such characteristics applied…to a ship. As previously mentioned, the poem is introduced with, “In a solitude of the sea, deep from human vanity…” involving vanity and the solitude of the sea. By beginning the poem with this sentence, the narrator sets a goal for readers to understand that the Titanic is now just a ship, and nothing more in the sea –representing fate- and that the vanity of humans is useless and will not come in handy while in the seas grasp.

          The use of diction and poetic devices only adds on to show readers that the narrator is much more unsympathetic than what was thought. He uses abstract words to describe the ship, not from the point of view of others, but from his own view when he calls it a “sea-worm”. This implies it is not the grand unsinkable everyone else assumes it to be, but is simply, a worm making its way through the sea. Oh how grand is a worm. The narrator continues to describe the ship with more concrete words when he says, “grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent.” only a way of informing readers his opinion of the Titanic in the sea.

          An allusion is also used when he soon re-introduces fate as “the Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything”. The sentence not only applies to fate, but also to history, as it means what fate will do in the next few moments, will cause a great impact on society.

          The syntax of the poem is another key factor in representing the emotions felt about the event. The length of the poem itself is short, as well as the sentences. This relates to the narrators emotions, as he felt the event was un-important, and less tragic than what is was said to be. He may feel as though he does not need to spend much time devoted to the poem, as he does not care much for the sinking of the ship.

          Readers may find Hardy’s use of meter –if any- is difficult to follow. The meter represents the carelessness felt towards the event. There is not much care for what type of meter the poem is written in, which shows the lack of sympathy Hardy feels.

Yes, I have the essay’s on paper as well and they should be handed in first thing tomorrow morning in class.:]

Bye!

(http://library.thinkquest.org/23846/writing_guide/poetry.html)

Well, If I’m going to miss a class or two, the responsibilities are to catch up!
Apparently the test has been moved to Thursday, so it is my guestimation my group worked on our play today.

I need a spot to place notes on the section I missed, so why not do it here?

Faust

……………………………….

……………………………

……………………..

I’ve been sitting at this computer for a decent half-hour, with this window as well as another window with google open, looking for the Faust play script, and I cant find ANYTHING!!
I went online to see if any of my group members were on, -not including stephanie, as she never has to research the play online in class, so she would no know what to search- and no one was on.

Mary and Liddy both are not on..so I think I might try later.
!

Samuel Taylor Powerpoint Presentation (File)

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

- October 21 1772-July 25 1834

- Poet/Critic/Philosopher

- Known to be friends with William Woodsworth (both said to be founders of the movement “Romanticism”).

- Romanticism: Romanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution.^[1] It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature, and was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism)

- The Romantic style or movement in literature and art, or adherence to its principles (contrasted with classicism)

- Romanticism: An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual’s expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.

- Romantic quality or spirit in thought, expression, or action. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/romanticism)

Classicism:

1. The principles or styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome. 

2. Adherence to such principles. 

3. The classical style in literature and art, or adherence to its principles (contrasted with romanticism).

- A movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms; “classicism often derived its models from the ancient Greeks and Romans. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/classicism)

Romanticism:

Romanticism has very little to do with things popularly thought of as “romantic,” although love may occasionally be the subject of Romantic art. Rather, it is an international artistic and philosophical movement that redefined the fundamental ways in which people in Western cultures thought about themselves and about their world. (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html)

Quote-

“Only the wise possess ideas; the greater part of mankind are possessed by them”

(http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge)

Lyrical Ballads

Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798; it is typically considered to have marked the beginning of the Romantic movement in literature. The immediate effect on critics was modest, but it became and remains a landmark, changing the course of English literature.

Most of the poems in the 1798 edition were written by Wordsworth, with Coleridge contributing only four poems to the collection, including one of his most famous works, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. (And although it is only the two writers that are credited for the works. Dorothy Wordsworth – William’s sister, influenced William’s poetry immensely because he studied her diary which held powerful descriptions of their everyday surroundings.[citation needed])

A second edition was published in 1800, in which Wordsworth added additional poems and a preface detailing the pair’s avowed poetical principles. Another edition was published in 1802, Wordsworth added an appendix titled Poetic Diction in which he expanded the ideas set forth in the preface.

The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere – Ancient Mariner

- Coleridge had originally wrote the poem in a very old fashioned form

-Woodsworth suggested Coleridge change the poems vocabulary and format in order for readers to better understand -the common man-

-The text of the poem generally used today appeared in Coleridge’s collection Sibylline Leaves in 1817. It is very substantially different from the first version: as well as modernizing the spelling, Coleridge added or removed stanzas or lines and changed tenses of verbs. The narrative in the poem has many sources: some ideas come from other poems which Coleridge read; the central action was suggested by Wordsworth, who had been reading Shelvocke’s A Voyage round the World by the Way of the Great South Sea (1726): on this voyage one of the crew shot an albatross which had followed the ship in bad weather. According to a friend of Wordsworth, the Rev. Alexander Dyce, the poem was founded on a strange dream which one of Coleridge’s friends had; the dreamer, John Cruikshank of Nether Stowey in the Quantock hills (between Bridgewater and Minehead), where Coleridge lived, dreamed of a skeleton ship with figures in it.

(http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/poetry/mariner.htm)

-The poem is meant to be vivid and alive

- The mariner’s tale is told in first person but the poem is set in third person narrative about a wedding.

- This creates a better impact on readers because it is as if the mariner himself is telling about his voyage instead of having it come from someone else.

-The poem is written in an almost story-like format; however, it also keeps to a poem-like style

- It is written similar to a story because it is broken into 7 parts -almost like chapters-

- Its length and plot itself is also similar to a story

-It keeps to the poem style by Coleridge’s use of vocabulary and rhyming scheme

-The poet uses effects of rhyme, alliteration (same initial consonant) and pacing (as in the line “For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky” which suggests the slow passing of time and the mariner’s weariness) and other effects of sound.

-Coleridge uses many dialect (regional non-standard) words, and archaic (old-fashioned) spellings of standard words

(http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/poetry/mariner.htm)

- The poem is about a mariner and his crew.

- It begins with the mariner stopping one of three wedding guests to tell about his voyage

- He tells of how he sailed through good winds, bad winds, until the weather only grew worse

- An albatross (bird of good omen) comes upon the ship and guides the crew back on track towards good weather and safety.

- The mariner inhospitably shoots the albatross with his crossbow shortly after

- His crew, upset at first, made themselves accomplices in the crime

- Soon after, the albatross begins vengeance

- The ship stops dead suddenly in the middle of the ocean

- A Spirit follows them and the crew cannot speak due to thirst & lack of element

- The rest of the crew now blames the albatross’ death on the mariner and do not consider themselves accomplices any further. They cannot speak, and so hang the albatross around his neck

- The mariner bites his arm for blood to quench his thirst and tell his crew he has spotted what he thinks to be a ship in the distance

- The crew is overjoyed to hear of a ship coming their way, however, they are quickly upset when they realize it cannot be a ship, as there is no wind.

- The mariner realizes it is a skeleton ship nearing

- There are only two members on board the ship, Death (a skeleton) and his mate “Life-in-Death”( an extremely pale woman) – Night mare

- The ship soon comes beside the mariner’s ship. Life-in-Death and Death are rolling dice and gambling for the crew and their souls. Death wins the crew, while Life-in-Death wins the mariner.

- For seven days and nights the mariner stays upon the ship with his dead crew until the mariners curse is lifted. Earlier in the poem the mariner had cursed sea creatures to be “slimy things”, but now sees them in a completely different way and with beauty.

- The mariner’s curse is to wander around the earth and tell his story.

- Coleridge’s moral is that god created all things as equal, and equally, all shall love all.

To Nature

- Relates to Romanticism because of its plot and meaning

- It is based on nature -clear from the title- but also on the poet’s emotions and feelings -whether they are feelings about himself or towards nature-.

- Coleridge paints a colorful image using his imagination to show readers his emotions.

- Coleridge attempts to create a vivid image for all readers to be able to comprehend, but he also knows the human mind -where imagination comes into play- is altogether creative, unique and complex itself. One cannot write of all nature’s elements for exactly what they are, and have everyone agree. Ex- Coleridge may see a tree as one of nature’s important green gifts to mankind; bringing air and happiness. Some may agree, whilst others may see trees as yes, green and greatly important when it comes to breathing, however unhappy figures. Gluttonous mounds of bark just sprouting out of the earth only to get in the way of everything.

- The poem is one of his many works on Nature.

- “I should not think of devoting less than 20 years to an Epic Poem. Ten to collect materials and warm my mind with universal science. I would be a tolerable Mathematician, I would thoroughly know Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Optics, and Astronomy, Botany, Metallurgy, Fossilism, Chemistry, Geology, Anatomy, Medicine–then the mind of man–then the minds of men–in all Travels, Voyages and Histories.” -Coleridge. (http://users.dickinson.edu/~nicholsa/Romnat/coleridge.htm)

- The above quote: Coleridge spending 20 years or more on an epic poem devoted to nature and its wonders.

- The poem is simply about Coleridge and his view on nature. He goes on to say that he does not have any interest what-so-ever about what anyone else thinks/says about nature, because it is his mind, his emotions, his view.  “…and if the wide world rings in mock of this belief, it brings nor fear, nor grief, nor vain perplexity…” -Coleridge “To Nature”.

Dictionary.com:

-produced by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC,

-multi source dictionary

-available for anyone to access

-2008

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html:

-©English Department, Brooklyn College

-Adapted from A Guide to the Study of Literature: A Companion Text for Core Studies 6, Landmarks of Literature,

-2001

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/:

-1999-2005

-last modified 2005

- Andrew Moore

-Date script provided by Website Abstraction; search engine provided by http://www.freefind.com/

http://users.dickinson.edu/~nicholsa/Romnat/index.html:

Site contents copyrighted (except as indicated) by Ashton Nichols, 2000, 2006

Dickinson College Home Page

This site has been recognized for excellence by The New York Times (“Circuits” section), the BBC (“Education Web”), Romantic Circles (University of Maryland) and as “Site of the Day” (BLTC Research,

My anger is beyond the roof at this moment.

why? Technology…specifically, my computer.

So I’ve pretty much busted my rear balancing school and work and free time (mainly school and work) and I have been focusing on my presentation on Coleridge since it was assigned. However, I am alone, and it is hard when you are juggling three things at the same time by yourself. Hell, if it wasnt for me having my attack (involving my adrenal gland) while at work on the weekend, I would’ve had no time to complete any work on Coleridge =S.

But, luck favored me this weekend, and I accomplished more than what I had hoped…..only sunday and today (monday) my computer decided to dump, everywhere.

“cannot do this”, “cannot access this”, “sorry, the computer cannot”, “cannot find” etc.
So no uploading of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” or my ppt.

I am heading to stuarts tonight though…….HOPEFULLY his computer will allow me to get what I need to get finished, and find a connection…something it could not do yesterday….ugh.

so sorry, my reasearch should be posted, (in proof i have worked like dog).

The rest should be posted tonight or tmm.

byee.

Well, If I am going to be filling the minds of the Literature Studies students with Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his peices of work, I’m going to add some information on Romanticism…since he is -along with friend, William Woodsworth- said to be one of the founders of the Romantic Movement.

So, for your benefit, here are some notes, and plenty of definitions of romanticism for a better understanding.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

à October 21 1772-July 25 1834

à Poet/Critic/Philosopher

à Known to be friends with William Woodsworth (both said to be founders of the movement “Romanticism”).

à Romanticism: Romanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution.^[1] It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature, and was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism)

à The Romantic style or movement in literature and art, or adherence to its principles (contrasted with classicism)

à Romanticism: An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual’s expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.

à Romantic quality or spirit in thought, expression, or action. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/romanticism)

Classicism:

1. The principles or styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome.

2. Adherence to such principles.

3. The classical style in literature and art, or adherence to its principles (contrasted with romanticism).

à A movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms; “classicism often derived its models from the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Romanticism:

Romanticism has very little to do with things popularly thought of as “romantic,” although love may occasionally be the subject of Romantic art. Rather, it is an international artistic and philosophical movement that redefined the fundamental ways in which people in Western cultures thought about themselves and about their world. (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html)

Jayme Bedell  

            A passionate, tender, affection and/or care for another person. When looking through the majority of dictionaries available to scoop up, this was the overall definition –in possibly its shortest form- of love. Upon this thought, when hearing the word “love”, happy thoughts, innocent thoughts, thoughts of passion, thoughts of romance, good thoughts, the best of thoughts, all come to mind. Yet love, as it is known, is also at times the reason for hatred, anger, depression, loneliness, and darkness. No more need be said for Helen Knightly, protagonist in Alice Sebold’s precious, “The Almost Moon”. In this mind-gripping novel, Helen Knightly is neglected both as a child, and as an adult, her mothers love, resulting in obsession and devotion, but also in annoyance and permanent damage.

 Throughout the book, Helen Knightly is constantly tending to her mother, Clair, and is always at the service of her on-going pitiful needs, in search of the slightest sort of love and/or appreciation. Readers take note that thought Helen does this, the love that she pours onto her mothers lap is never returned. Instead, Helen discovers the love she lacks from her mother in her father, Daniel, who treasures Clair ever so dearly. The only reason Helen continues to spill her love and care towards Clair, is because of her father and the way he feels towards his wife. It is not until Helen is of forty-nine years of age that she has her way. It is only when she is an adult, after years of silent torture, that Helen Knightly’s dream comes true.

            From the moment of first gaze, when the readers eyes touch the text filled page, Helens story is as clear as daylight, as visible and vivid as that of the color of neon yellow. Immediately, from page one, Helen is at her mothers feet, caring for her still at the mid-age of forty nine, while her mother, Clair Knightly, is at the old-age of eighty-eight and with dementia. During this time in the novel, Helen is rushed to her mother’s house to carry out the “daily chores” of that requested by Clair. Here, Helen’s love is shown just by the action of her coming to care for her helpless mother. Yet everyday, as she completes these special tasks and spends time with her, Helen learns to become annoyed and only winds up despising her mother more and more. It is here in Chapter one, when Clair soils herself, old and unable to control her bowel movements, that Helens “shell” cracks. Helen realizes that she must clean her mother, and decides to carry her outside onto the porch where she will be washed down and dried. “This is it mom, this is as far as we go.” (Sebold, pg 13) are the words that readers in lack of a deep mind fail to understand as Helen’s farewells to her mother, and instead, understand only as how far Helen can literally carry her mother outside. It is here in the novel, outside on the porch in the late summers evening, where Helen Knightly suffocates her mother.

            Not only when she was an adult, did Helen find herself tending to Clair as if she was her slave and guardian, but also as a child was she serving her mother. In the book, Sebold uses the “flash-back” technique to show readers Helen’s “oh-so-fun” life as a child, and growing up into an adult. During one of the many flashbacks that occur throughout the novel, Helen’s father, Daniel, is gone away on business, leaving Helen and Clair alone with each other. Angry neighbors –all men- show up on the front lawn of the Knightly residence during one of the evenings, intending to have “a word” with Clair, after she had, days previous, watched a young boy die from being hit by a car. It was due to shock, that Clair could not get help for the boy, while even is she had, he would not have lived. However, neighbors had found this rather difficult to co-op with, and found themselves on her front lawn. It is when Clair sends Helen out to deal with the men herself that Helen, only sixteen at the time, realizes that she “…was born in order to be her proxy in the world and to bring that world back home.” (Sebold, pg 105)
            Helen’s body-guard use only grew upon her more from that point. That is, of course, until the night she killed her mother. Sebold is sure to make readers comprehend that Helen has devoted herself and her life to her mother’s when she says, “For more than 20 years, with greater or lesser diligence, I had been attending to her, rushing over when she called saying her heart would burst…”(Sebold, pg 6).

            Readers can understand that Helen dislikes her mother as she is always calling upon her service. However, “dislike” is not a strong enough word to describe how Helen feels towards Clair after she attempts to gain her love by carrying out the mind-boggling tasks and is never returned the love, let alone thanked. It was an immediate reaction of Clair’s, a selfish one at that, when she heard the angry men on her lawn that night and, without having to think or consider the fact that her daughter might get hurt, said, “You go.” (Sebold, pg 105) to young Helen, while she hid in her washroom. The scene on the front lawn finished with Helen returning to the insides of her home, passing by the washroom to hear her mother and the radio from behind the door, and finally sitting down to ease the bright red mark on her cheek from the slap given to her by one of the angry men simply for being the daughter of Clair Knightly. When all was said and done, when her mother returned from her hide-out in the washroom, Helen Knightly was never thanked, and instead she, “…wanted to hurt her, but she was always crumbling and crying, barking and biting…”(Sebold, pg 113).

            Clair Knightly is blinded by selfishness and self-pity, wallowing in her own guilt throughout the novel. She is so blind, in fact, to the point where there is a time that she had “forgotten she’d ever had a child” (Sebold, pg 87), making it simply impossible –if she’d “forgotten”- to love her daughter at all.

            It would damage the heart quite harshly, to realize that someone -especially ones own flesh and blood- does not appreciate everything done in their favor, such as in poor Helen’s case. Readers are informed of her struggles and sadness when she says “It was my mother’s disappointments that were enumerated in our household…as if there were posted on our fridge- a static list that my presence could not assuage.” (Sebold, pg 18).

            To pour out love for another and have nothing be given in return is heart stopping. Than why, do many readers ask, does Helen continue to be her mothers guardian? The answer is the fear and torture of loosing her father and his love. Helen searches for the love she lacks from her mother and finds this, as well as comfort, in her father. Daniel Knightly’s world revolves around both Helen and Clair, and to please both calls upon great difficulty, patience and strength. Readers find it easy to depict Daniel as being a knight or “hero” rather. However, there are some moments throughout the novel where Daniel is either gone away on business or is very sick at the hospital for several months. It is during these times, mainly in the beginning of the book when Helen plainly says, “My father had always been the one to run to her. After his death, it fell to me.” (Sebold, pg 6) that readers are informed of Helens position among her family.

When Helen’s father was both dead, and alive, she was always attempting to please her mother by completing her assigned tasks without any arguments what-so-ever, or by tossing simple compliments at her here and there. These techniques always failed to gain what was desired, however Helen would always continue to do what was expected of her, if it meant her father was happy. More importantly, she cared about her fathers love, and thought that if she were to disappoint him, she may one day loose it.

Unfortunately, Daniel’s death soon arrives and Helen, at the time a young adult, looses her father and his love, and is left alone with Clair. It is assumed that Helen will stop tending to her mother, now that Daniel is gone, but the end results are quite ironic. Helen feels she is not receiving any love at all with Daniel gone, therefore, she must build it all back up again and gain it from the only person she has left. How does Helen do this? By tending to her mother’s every single need.

When the word “love” is heard, positive thoughts, rather than negative thoughts, are more than likely to come to mind primarily and almost instantly. However, if the word “love” is analyzed, broken down, and thought of for more than a minute, it can be understood that along with happiness, come the hardships of love. Along with the ups of love, come the downs. For Helen Knightly, there is no happiness to be found, let alone love.

Helen Knightly attempts to gain her mother’s love and respect by tending to her every request, yet, she is never thanked, or returned the love. Instead, she seeks and locates the happiness and love that she lacks from her mother, in her father, who loves both his wife and daughter dearly.  For forty-nine years of her life, Helen finds herself trapped inside a dilemma that cannot be resolved until the night that her dream comes true; the night she suffocates her mother. 

A very unrelated-to-the-book but yet, a somehow-connects-to-it thesis have I chosen for the novel I am reading, “The Almost Moon” by Alice Sebold.

 -Time is (insert appropriate word) unconsistant.

That is the most part of it. I understand we are to hand in this thesis, however, to be completely honest, I am not quite sure -at this moment- as to which three reasons I would use to back it up.

I’m sure Mr.Murray won’t penalize one for not knowing exactly how their thesis will be phrased BY THIS CERTAIN DATE. It seems to me, and I hope I am correct, that we should have/know, at least, a good deal of what our thesis will say/be about/represent yadayadayada, and I do.

I have a clouded idea of my three points. I do not need someone breathing down my neck -”do it now, do it now!”- harassing me to write them down at this moment, right here, right now, on my blog TODAY kind of thing. I have them, and in the end, they will be on my essay. Isn’t that what is important?

I’ve chosen a difficult thesis. I want the challenge. How does one convince the many that “time is __________ unconsistant”? WHAT?!

If you think of a point I could use, comment me, it would help, as I think you can see.

Jme.