Journal #8

1. The effect Hurston created with the title Their Eyes Were Watching God is that the reader knows that a group of people are watching God for his moves and how it will effect their life. It affects my reading knowing that the people in the book are religious and before starting I had an idea this book would be more tragic than happy, because the people's lives are controlled by what God decides. During the hurricane when Hurston uses her title in the narration, I got a better sense of what the title mean. God could also mean nature.

2. An alternate title she could have used was Janie. This would alter the reader's interpretation because they would go in knowing who the is wrapped around and expect it to be all about Janie. Which it is, but I think Hurston uses Janie to demonstrate themes.

3. The title of my pastiche is The Gaze Remained. I think this is the strongest title, because similar to Their Eyes Were Watching God the reader will get a sense of helplessly waiting, watching for something to happen.

Journal #7

“He kin take most any lil thing and make summertime out of it when times is dull. Then we lives offa dat happiness he made till some mo’ happiness comes along” (Hurston, 141) This technique of metaphor was used to show the power Joe had on Janie to make her happy. It relates back to the beginning when Janie is sitting under the trees, feeling the wonders of marriage through nature. Now Joe can make any day into summertime.

“Ah wuz fumblin’ round and God opened de door” (Hurston, 158) The allusion to religion sets the characters and what their society was like. From this sentence the reader can tell God is an important figure in their lives when things go wrong or go really well, he is called upon. It also shows the power they give God to give them new opportunities in life.

“It woke up old Okechobee and the monster began to roll in his bed. Began to roll and complain like a peevish world on a grumble. […] Chink up your cracks, shiver in your wet beds and wait on the mercy of the Lord. The bossman might have the thing stopped before morning anyway. It is so easy to be hopeful in the day time when you can see the things you wish on. But it was night, it stayed night. Night was striding across nothingness with the whole round world in his hands” (158) The use of personification of nature demonstrates the power over everything else it has. Okechobee is a real lake. And is referred to as a monster, who is usually asleep. It brings a strong common feeling of fear to the reader of being chased down by something fast and dangerous.

Journal #6

Revision Process:

First, I re-read and fixed some sentences to flow easier. I added length to the story and re-wrote some of the original to make more sense. I found better adjectives and played around with word choice. It was hard to decide what to keep or take out, but reading it through helped to find what fit most naturally. Overall, I felt revising was improved my pastiche because I saw what hadn't worked before and after not reading it for a few days I felt less attached to what I had written so it was easier to cut out anything that I noticed didn't' work.

Journal #5 Mini-Pastiche

After a while, Vera plunged into a deep reverie of Love. Love, that whimsical grip with the delicate fingers who lived in the night from sunset, starry night sky, to dawn. The gentle one that breathed through big smiles and red lips without cultivation, without a brain. How than does Love break tear open the heart of the strongest men? She poises giving her seductive looks that powers over all humans. Poised veiled and ready all day with her ecstasy ripe, lingering for the calling for her to breeze in. Always erect since the first newborn crawled out of the womb into the world of here and now. Vera was anxious to hear the whispering wind prance into her bedroom late at night. She was aroused and beautified as well. Bless Franz! He shall not have to madden himself alone. She sent Janus to advice a reconcile but Franz said No. These ideas were right for the books and movies, but they knew nothing about an instance like his. He'd be fine right when the deceptive gnomes were satisfied from their little game. He would not love ever. Or so he believed. And Janus confirmed the truth, and she realized. But even had he not, at dusk she was instilled to know, for thoughts grew in her useless brain beneath the layers of flesh and bone. Thoughts she never allowed to rise into her consciousness crawled in yet refused to form into words. Only causing confusion inside and stayed. Infidelity, that mocking hyena, had stripped off the mask.

" The gentle one that breathed through big smiles and red lips without cultivation, without a brain." is similar to Hurston's because she writes about a house without a side or roof, things that are expected for a house. Lips are attached to a face and brain, however in Love's case, the brain is not used.

"These ideas were right for the books and movies, but they knew nothing about an instance like his." is similar to Hurston's because the voodoo doctors know only what has been passed down from generation or they falsely believe, but they can't not really cure the sick. Many ideas work in books and movies and influence the viewers who find out the hard way that reality is often much more difficult and harsh.

Journal #4

Read chapters 7 and 8.

Journal #4: Choose a passage that clearly depicts Hurston's awareness and manipulation of language. Analyze the passage for one aspect of EACH of the following: syntax, word choice, tone, and sound devices.

Passage: "After that night Jody moved his things and slept in a room downstairs. He didn't really hate Janie, but he wanted her to think so. He had crawled off to lick his wounds. They didn't talk too much around the store either. Anybody that didn't know would have thought that things had blown over, it looked so quiet and peaceful around. But the stillness was the sleep of swords. So new thoughts had to be thought and new words said. She didn't want to live like that. Why must Joe be so mad with her making him look small when he did it to her all the time? Had been doing it for years. Well, if she must eat out of a long-handled spoon, she must. Jody might get over his mad spell any time at all and begin to act like somebody toward her." (81)

Syntax

Hurston uses the narrator to explain Jody's reaction, Jody and Janie, the towns, and than how Janie felt about it. She starts the first few sentences with 'he', 'they', than 'anybody'. They are simple and straight to the point, her progression of different points of view of the situation lets the reader have a less bias view of the situation to openly interpret Janie's next reaction. Her thoughts are posed in questions and than final decision.

Word Choice

Some words that stick out of this passage are crawled, lick, wounds, sleep, swords, must, mad, and spell. These words could easily be replaced with a synonym. Hurston used crawled, lick, and wound to depict a picture of Jody as a hurt dog. He later dies. Tea Cake died from a dog wound later on. Her choice of 'sleep of swords' creates connotations of war and death. She repeats 'must' a few times in the last sentences, she is emphasizing that she has no choice in the matter, justifying her reason to the reader. 'Mad spell' infers that Jody is not acting as who he really is. Janie left with a man she thought would make her life better and believes that that man is still somewhere.

Tone

The overall tone of this passage is afflicting. There is a lot of affliction between Janie and Jody's conflict through actions and silence.

Sound Devices

Hurston uses an alliteration in this passage: "But the stillness was the sleep of swords". The 's' sound is smooth, however its also reminds me of a snake ssss...and snakes bite and are poisonous. I think Hurston uses the 's' sound to show how quiet and peaceful the environment seemed, but Janie could feel the invisible tension and infliction.

Journal #3

Absent: 2/13, 2/14, 2/15

1. "And when Ah touch de match tuh dat lamp-wick let de light penetrate inside of yuh, and let it shine, let it shine, let it shine" (45) Reference to religion and God

2. "They bowed down to him rather, because he was all of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down" (50). oxymoron

3. "But Joe kept saying that she could it if if she wanted to and he wanted her to use her privileges. That was the rock she was battered against" (54) metaphor

4. "They wanted to begin, but the Parson wasn't there, so a messenger was sent to the ruler in a tree where he sat" (61). parallel to the town and Joe

5. "'What killed this man?'

The chorus answered, "Bare, bare fat.'

'What killed this man?'

'Bare, bare fat.'

'What killed this man?'

'Bare, bare fat.'

'Who'll stand his funeral?'

'We!!!!!!!'

'Well, all right now.'" (62)

anthropomorphism

Analysis:

When Joe relates the lamppost to God, he is making the event more of an Holy event than what it actually is. The book has many references to God, and the way Joe is portrayed may be mocking the use of God in the world because he is using its power to highlight a lesser event. This style also better describes the setting of the story, where religion is a very important aspect to African Americans. God symbolized as hope during slavery, and for equality after the Civil War. The lamppost symbolizes a better change and hope for the town.

Hurston's use of anthropomorphism of the buzzards is a little scary, it reminds me of the head of the pig talking to Simon in the Lord of the Flies. She uses this technique to bring out human attributes in the beasts. It is curious that they refer to the mule as a man as well as how the people make a mock human funeral as if the mule was more than a mule representing something else. The chorus of the buzzards chant in reply to the leader. This symbolizes the town or social norm, everything follows the leader.

Journal #2 Dialect

*Absent 2/13,2/14,2/15

South African language

the short 'i' sound is pronounced 'uh'

long 'a' sound used, for words such as France and cast

double t's are pronounced with a 'd' sound such a little or pretty

Slang Words from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_African_slang_words

awe=greeting

stukkie=girl

hard up=in love

gunner a pehrer=fighting

swak=bad

Vrou=wife

grafts=work

pozzy=home

Dialogue taken from p22

"Awe, What's the maytter, stukkie ? You do not look to well" asked Ouma

"Uht's nothing. I just need a lidle information from you" replied Johan.

Ouma laughs, "Hayve you already goden knocked up already-let us see,

thus Saturday uts two month and two weeks.

"No, Ouma, Thayts not uht" Johan said sheepishly.

"Don't feel ayshamed, stukkie , you and him are hard up, just like every other couple"

"I'm just not sure about that"

"Has he been gunning a pehrer with you"

"No, he isn't swak to me. He treats his Vrou very nicely. He grafts in the factory all day and keeps the pozzy kept and clean"