Journal 20

Journal 20 – The Great Gatsby Conclusion

Read the novel’s last passage (beginning with, “Gatsby’s house was still empty when I left”) and discuss the use of imagery and symbolism that is being employed by Fitzgerald.  In your response, specifically address what Nick is saying about the green light and the connection that he is making between Gatsby and the Dutch sailors who “discovered” Long Island. 

            In the last passage of The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses strong imagery and symbolism to close out the novel. Strolling down to the water Nick is called to remember the way Gatsby's house used to be, filled with people and lavish parties. He considers Gatsby's wonder at picking out Daisy's dock in the darkness, how far Gatsby had traveled in his life, and how he always had hope in the future. Nick links society to the boats eternally moving against the current on the Sound. Gatsby’s house is used as an image of Gatsby as a powerful presence who lives on despite the destruction of the dream and the decay of the estate and Gatsby is like the sailors who discovered the island. They are forgotten but their legacy lives on. 

Journal 21

                                                                                              

Journal 21 - Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby Comparison/Contrast

Although Some Like It Hot is a comedy and The Great Gatsby is a tragedy, both works use popular culture to portray life in 1920s America.  Focusing on the following elements (characterization, conflict, and theme), discuss how the two works are similar and different and what each is saying about American life.

Some Like it Hot and The Great Gatsby both focus on America during the roaring 20s and American culture at the time. There are many similar characters, themes and ideas. For example each character in Gatsby can be matched to similar characters in Some Like it Hot. Joe and his three personas are similar to Gatsby and how Gatsby would do extreme things in order to get his girl. Sugar is similar to Daisy in her innocence and personality. They are both looking for men with money and success and are easily impressed by it. Osgood is kind of like Tom where he relies on his success and money in order to get girls. Finally the character of Spatz is similar to Wolfstein in Gatsby, they both represent the influence of crime in America.

The two stories have very similar themes and conflicts as well. In both stories the characters have very skewed moral values. They are attracted to people due to money and often are unfaithful to their marriages, they will even use trickery in order to attract others. A lot of both stories involve chasing after a “dream girl” and doing ridiculous things in order to achieve success. All in all both stories portray the decadence and skewed morality that could be found in 1920s America along with the beauty and success of the time. 

Journal 19

Journal 19 - Characterization in Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby

Write a description for each of the following characters based on his/her first appearance in Chapter 1.  Your description should include:

-the character’s physical appearance;

-the character’s actions/words;

-an adjective that best describes the character based on his/her initial    

 appearance

Nick Carraway        Adjective _________objective_____________________

Nick himself says that he never judges people and this leads lots of people to confide in him and he always listens. He does not describe himself at all in chapter 1.

Tom Buchanan        Adjective ___________physical___________________

A physical man who’s body and aggressiveness is the key them to his character. He is strong and expects things to go his way from what we learn of him in the first chapter. He was a football player in college too.

Daisy Buchanan     Adjective ___________musical___________________

Supposed to have a voice that draws people in due to its musical qualities and this is a theme to her character. She made many men who “cared for her” fall in love with her because of this.

Jordan Baker           Adjective ___________independant___________________

 More independent and stronger than Daisy but still beautiful according to Nick. We learn she is a professional golfer.

Jay Gatsby               Adjective ____________mysterious__________________

Nick does not meet Gatsby in the first chapter but he sees him on the pier staring at the green light near Daisy’s dock. Longing for something. 

Journal 14

                                Name:

Journal #14 - E. A. Robinson Poems 

Realism – The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject.

Read the following poems and write a detailed description for each of the title characters and explain how each is an example of the “real” instead of the “ideal.”  

“Richard Cory“ (497)

Richard Cory is written from the point of view of some townspeople who used to see him coming to town. They idolized him and thought he had the ideal life. He was rich and gentleman-like and the entire town wanted their lives to be like his.

One day Richard Cory shot himself. This story shows realism over idealism but has  elements of both. Richard Cory appeared to have an ideal life but he was actually depressed and lonely. His name symbolized that he was rich, hence “Richard” but at his core he was lonely; “cory”

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

Miniver Cheevy is about a man who dreams of living in the past and wants to have been born at another time.  Miniver spens all his time drinking and thinking and never does anything with his life. This poem again show realisim over idealism as Miniver spends his life obsessing over an ideal when his real life wastes away. His name symbolizes “minimal achievement” as the words sound similar.

         

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Mr. Flood’s party is about a lonely man who’s friends have all died and is shunned by the townspeople. He is so lonely he holds a drinking party for himself as a way to make the most of what little time he has left. His first name “Eben” sounds like the word “ebbing” symbolizing that Mr. Flood is ebbing away. Flooded in his alcohol.  

Journal 16

Journal 16 – Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” and London’s “To Build A Fire” 

Read the following quote and discuss how it applies to the main characters in both stories.  In the course of this discussion, address how each of the characters is both similar and different:

“Determinisim governs everything … The writer must study the inherited traits of individual characterand the social condition of the time.  Together, these elements determine the course of any action, the outcome of any life.  Free will or self-determination is mostly an illusion, although chance is granteed a role in human affairs.  Still, even the effects of chance are obliterated in the inevitable course determined by the interaction of inherited character traits and the social environment.“  

The main characters of “The Blue Hotel” and “To Build a Fire” each have different circumstances that ultimately lead to their premature deaths. The swede in Blue Hotel alienates everyone in the hotel into his eventual murder while the man in To Build a Fire simply succumbs to the harsh elements of a northern winter. Both these men and their fates were foreshadowed by the author, the only one who truly knew their fates.

Determinism argues that all actions can be pre-determined based on a the traits of a person and their circumstances. Even their choices can be pre-determined because free will is an “illusion” in determinism. Every choice can be predicted by the circumstances. The Swede predicts that he will die because he believes that people shoot each other all the time in the wild west. He ends up actually dying because he offended everyone at the hotel.

The man in “To build a fire” is travelling in the freezing cold, and because of the circumstances he was in it was likely he would die. He thought he was going to live but his inexperience in travelling in the extreme cold,

Journal 17

1. What is the significance of the poem’s epigraph? How does it relate to Prufrock?

Prufrock identifies himself with Dante’s Inferno where he does not have to share his thoughts with the world but rather keep them personal so he would feel no shame with the world and how they would think of him if they were able to hear his thoughts. This shows the internal experience people have with hteir own thoughts.

2. Make a list of questions that Prufrock asks. Do you see a pattern/theme to these questions or are they random?


• Do I dare?
• Shall I?
• So how should I presume?
• And how should I begin?
• Shall I part my hair behind?
• Do I dare eat a peach?

There is a pattern to his questions. At first it seems like he is scattered in his thoughts but all of his questions are based on daily decisions that he would make on whether he should or should not approach a woman, or if he should eat or style himself a certain way. It expresses his daily life through his behavior and how he approaches things.


3. What do you think is Prufrock’s main flaw/problem?

Prufrock is mainly insecure and uncertain of himself and does not put himself into a situation or commits to a decision. He also displays anxiety as he also tries to make his decisions. He lacks self-confidence. He believes that he is meant to blend into the background thinking that he will never get the girl nor be the hero in his life. He is to wrapped up in himself to care about the world and be able to find love and to find his own self.


4. Why do you think this is called a love song? In what way is it a love song?

It is a love song because he desires love and often thinks about women when he sees them but knows he can’t get it because of his lack of confidence. This shows irony because he wants love but never gets it. He can imagine love and can see it happening around him but is not brave enough to embrace it.

Journal 18

Journal 18 -“In Another Country”

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?  

The title signifies the fact that the photographs on the wall will take the readers and the major into a totally different place, and it also signifies the difference between cultures and people and how one has to be aware of these.

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”? Why?

The character that best represents the Hemingway hero is the major. The major embodies the ideals of Hemingway, of a character who clings on to the few things that he can appreciate and having a steady, stoic attitude.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up?  What is the significance of the major’s reaction? 

They all have injuries that set them apart and make them outsiders from society.  The significance of the Major’s emotional reaction is that it shows he is a human with feelings rather than the regular silent stoic major. 

Journal 14- Robinson

Journal #14 - E. A. Robinson Poems 

Realism – The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject.

Read the following poems and write a detailed description for each of the title characters and explain how each is an example of the “real” instead of the “ideal.”  

“Richard Cory“ (497)

Richard Cory is written from the point of view of some townspeople who used to see him coming to town. They idolized him and thought he had the ideal life. He was rich and gentleman-like and the entire town wanted their lives to be like his.

One day Richard Cory shot himself. This story shows realism over idealism but has  elements of both. Richard Cory appeared to have an ideal life but he was actually depressed and lonely. His name symbolized that he was rich, hence “Richard” but at his core he was lonely; “cory”

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

Miniver Cheevy is about a man who dreams of living in the past and wants to have been born at another time.  Miniver spens all his time drinking and thinking and never does anything with his life. This poem again show realisim over idealism as Miniver spends his life obsessing over an ideal when his real life wastes away. His name symbolizes “minimal achievement” as the words sound similar.

         

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Mr. Flood’s party is about a lonely man who’s friends have all died and is shunned by the townspeople. He is so lonely he holds a drinking party for himself as a way to make the most of what little time he has left. His first name “Eben” sounds like the word “ebbing” symbolizing that Mr. Flood is ebbing away. Flooded in his alcohol.  

Journal 11- Walden

Journal 11 - Selections from Walden   

Write a summary of the following selections and identify a direct quote that you feel best expresses its main idea.

“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)

            The story starts with the narrator recalling several places he bought before he bough his home, “Walden Pond.”   He concludes on a sermonizing note, urging all of us to sludge through our existence until we hit rock bottom and can gauge truth on what he terms our “Realometer,” our means of measuring the reality of things

Quote:

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life . . . and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

“Sounds” (234)

The narrator talks about how he spends his time sitting in the woods and taking in his surroundings and nature rather than going to a movie etc. The “sounds” represent using the senses to appreciate the environment. To him this is better entertainment.

Quote:

“I have this advantage at least in my mode of life”

“Brute Neighbors” (235)

The story shows how ant’s life can be just as hard as a humans. The author takes the small ant battle and enlarges it. Creates an epic story out of a relatively small occurrence in human terms. The point of the story is not only to show the ferocity of the ant battle but to show that the smallest of ants can have the greatest of battles by graphically recounting the ants fight.

            Quote:

“I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants, that it was not a duellum but a bellum, a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and frequently two red ones to one black.

“The Pond in Winter” (237)

The author begins this chapter awakening with a question put to him in the night, which was answered when he awoke again at dawn. The beauty of the light and his surroundings answers all his questions. After finding this answer, he turns to the morning work: finding water beneath a foot and a half of ice. The pond sleeps all winter like the animals, and when Thoreau cuts through the snow and ice to find the pond totally calm beneath, he finds heaven below as well as above.

Quote:

"While men believe in the infinite some ponds will be thought to be bottomless."

“Spring” (238)

With the coming of April, the ice begins to melt from Walden Pond, creating a thunderous roar.. Thoreau mentions an old man he know, whose wisdom, Thoreau says, he could not rival if he lived to be as old as Methusela, who was struck with terror by the crash of the melting ice despite his long experience with the ways of nature. He finishes by saying that death in an atmosphere like that would have no sting at all. Because new life is coming.

Quote:

“A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate between land and sky.”

Journal 12- Young Goodman Brown

Journal #12 - “Young Goodman Brown”

1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative).  What do the following represent?

            Young Goodman Brown – represents innocence and trying to be good. His name shows that he is just a regular man.

            Faith – The wife of Goodman brow, symbolizes

           

            The Elderly Traveler/Fellow-Traveler – Symbolizes the devil

           

Goody Cloyse – Symbolizes hypocrisy

The Ceremony – Symbolizes religious rituals that celebrate salvation or cleansing, except the opposite.

The Pink Ribbon – Symbolizes the innocence of faith. When he sees the pink ribbon fall he loses his faith in life.

Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – The journey changed Goodman Brown and stripped him of his innocence. In the woods at night Goodman Brown realizes that the people of the town can also be like the people at the ceremony.

                       

2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”: 

Theme                       Message of Theme                 Element Used to Establish  

Loss of Innocence	Goodman Brown was inevitably corruptible.	Goodman Brown’s loss of faith after his dream, if the dream was real then Goodman Brown was corrupted by the devil. If it was fake than the dream revealed Goodman Brown's dark side, and that he was able to corrupt himself.
Fear of wild	Goodman Brown becomes comfortable in the wilderness only after being corrupted	The moment Goodman brown enters the woods he feels uneasy.
Faith based on community.	Faith based on public opinion is often weak, based solely on what one perceives the rest of the community believes.	When Goodman Brown sees all of his town at the ceremony he decides it might be ok to go.

In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.

``There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,''

“At the word, Goodman Brown stepped forth from the shadow of the trees and approached the Congregation”

“Be it so if you will; but, alas! it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream.”

Journal 10

     Journal #10

Othello’s Insight

Write a one paragraph response to the following question:

Often at the end of a play, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often have a moment of insight.  What is Othello’s insight?  Look closely at Othello’s last speech before answering this question.

Othello's final speech features a few key insights by Othello about his life and how he wants people to remember him by. He first tells the delegation that he wants them to remember him as the great general that he was, instead of the murderer that he became after Iago was done with him. He also admits to them all that although he once was one of them, now he is nothing better than a Turkish outsider and stabs himself. 

Journal 9

Free Will is the concept that one makes decisions based mainly on ones own ideas,beliefs and morals and not from outside influences. In the play "Othello" Iago uses free will to justify what happened to Othello in the play. He says that Othello caused his own doom by making stupid decisions. On the other hand of the argument is Determinism. Determinism suggests that people make decisions based on outside influences, this argument is more on the side of Othello as many say he only made the decisions to kill Desdemona and Cassio after Iago misled him into believing they were unfaithful.

Journal 8 Emerson Aphorisms

Journal 8- Emerson Aphorisms

1.    All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.

2.    Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.

3.    What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered.

I chose these tree aphorisms to write a personal response about. I believe that in these aphorisms Emerson is trying to show his readers his beliefs and to share his wisdom. The first aphorism is a phrase we have heard ourselves in many different forms but it still rings true to the ear, one can never have success if you do not try. The second aphorism is Emerson saying something he has noticed about society and people, Emerson is trying to tell his readers that in order to be truly noticeable and exceptional you cannot conform to what society asks of you. The final aphorism tries to show the value in things that seem to have no value at all, rather their value is hidden and yet to be appreciated. These aphorisms from Emerson show his unique and profound beliefs about society and how society is sometimes very incorrect.

Journal 7 Waterfowl Raven

                                                                                    Name:

Journal Assignment #7

William Cullen Bryant’s “To a Waterfowl” (p.151) and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” (p.181)

Read the selections and write a detailed response to the following:

1. Compare/contrast the different views of nature that are being presented in the poems.  Refer to the list of classical and romantic characteristics and provide specific examples from the poems to support your analysis. 

In the two poems, “The Raven” and “To a Waterfowl” we see an example of two different time periods in the writing. While “To a Waterfowl” is classic and written in the Age of Reason which focused on natural values and logic, “The Raven” poem is from the Romantic era which focused on emotions, senses and the way humans perceive their environment.

The tone and style of the waterfowl is optimistic and positive which contrasts to the gloomy and sad world of “The Raven.” Edgar Allen Poe’s poems are often toned to what is happening in his characters head while the water fowl’s tone is positive and focuses on rationality and harmony as most classical writings did. The settings also contrast romanticism and neo-classical writings. The setting of The Raven appeals to the senses in a dark and gloomy matter, the setting of the waterfowl is realistic.

The two poems have a similar purpose; the poets are trying to explain something. The water fowl is trying to show the beauty of nature while The Raven is an attempt to show that there really is no purpose to life, that the principles of logic and reason.

Journal 7

                                                                                    Name:

Journal Assignment #7

William Cullen Bryant’s “To a Waterfowl” (p.151) and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” (p.181)

Read the selections and write a detailed response to the following:

1. Compare/contrast the different views of nature that are being presented in the poems.  Refer to the list of classical and romantic characteristics and provide specific examples from the poems to support your analysis. 

In the two poems, “The Raven” and “To a Waterfowl” we see an example of two different time periods in the writing. While “To a Waterfowl” is classic and written in the Age of Reason which focused on natural values and logic, “The Raven” poem is from the Romantic era which focused on emotions, senses and the way humans perceive their environment.

The tone and style of the waterfowl is optimistic and positive which contrasts to the gloomy and sad world of “The Raven.” Edgar Allen Poe’s poems are often toned to what is happening in his characters head while the water fowl’s tone is positive and focuses on rationality and harmony as most classical writings did. The settings also contrast romanticism and neo-classical writings. The setting of The Raven appeals to the senses in a dark and gloomy matter, the setting of the waterfowl is realistic. The imagery and symbolism in the Raven creates a dark and gloomy setting which is starkly contrasted in the bright setting of the Waterfowl. The author's view of nature is contrasted as well from the Neo-classical and Romantic viewpoint. The Raven is much more particular, describing in detail the factors that put the Raven beyond human control. To a waterfowl is universal and indefinite and is easily subjected to human control. In The Raven untamed nature is to be celebrated whereas in To A Waterfowl untamed nature is dark and often evil. 

The two poems have a similar purpose; the poets are trying to explain something. The water fowl is trying to show the beauty of nature while The Raven is an attempt to show that there really is no purpose to life, that the principles of logic and reason.

Journal 6- Franklin

                                                            Name: Brian Cadden

Journal #6

From Ben Franklin’s The Autobiography (p. 80 – 83)

Write a well-developed paragraph in response to the following questions.

1. Explain what was involved in Franklin’s plan for self-perfection?   What conclusion did Franklin come to regarding the effectiveness of this plan?

Franklin planned to perfect himself by strengthening the 13 virtues that were in his opinion the road to self-perfection. In order to do this he would attempt each week to focus on one virtue and not to stray from the path. The logic of this plan was that each week he would strengthen each of the individual virtues until eventually he had mastered them all. Franklin felt that even though he had not completely succeeded the exercise in “self-examination” had benefited his character and he hoped his descendants would follow his example in future.

2. Do you feel that a plan such as Franklin’s would improve you as a person?  Why or why not?  What would be your top five virtues? 

I feel like a plan such as Franklin’s would not be able to improve me as a person, mainly because all too often we overlook our own faults. I believe that if I were to be grading myself on my own virtues I may end up overlooking many of my failures and subsequently not improve due to this. Rather, I believe the exercise instead helps to stop bad habits but not truly change the personality of someone.

My top five virtues would be:

1. Compassion
2. Justice
3. Honesty
4. Peace
5. Intellect

Journal 5- Thomas Paine

Journal #5 – from Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” (p.95-6)

1. Identify the specific argument that Paine is making in each paragraph.  For each of the arguments, identify whether Paine is making an emotional, ethical, or logical appeal and suggest an effective counterargument.

          #1

          #2

          #3

          #4 Paine is saying that it is ok to fight when your enemy is a thief and stealing your livelihood from you. As long as you are fighting in self-defense the war is justified. Paine is making an emotional and logical appeal to the American people by saying that if you were to be attacked you would fight back. A counter- argument would be that the British are very strong, much stronger than the colonies and if the colonies were to fight them many people would get killed and if they lost Britain would punish them harshly.

2. Can you identify any of the logical fallacies that we discussed in Paine’s arguments?  If so, which ones?  Overall, what do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of Paine’s arguments?   

Paine makes a false analogy about Great Britain. Comparing them to thieves that burn and pillage when really it is just tax. This is kind of misleading to the reader.

I feel that the strong points of Paine’s argument are that he is able to appeal the emotional sides of his reader’s minds but he failed to mention that there will be terrible sacrifices when the colonies stand up to, and fight against Britain.

Journal 4 Food Description

                                                                                                Name: Brian Cadden

Journal Assignment #4

Descriptive Writing Assignment

Using Ann Hodgman’s essay as a model, write a detailed description of a recent meal that you ate.  Your focus should be on describing as many aspects of your food as you can.  

Important Elements:                      Concrete/Abstract Images

                                                            Multi-Sensory Images                                                                                                       Simile, Metaphor, Analogy

Dominant Impression

                                                           

  An amazing smell wafted through the air as the oven opened, a mix of tomato, cheese and meat fed the senses and made the brain imagines a delicious meal ahead. Once the lasagna is down on the table everyone in the room sort of gravitates to it, like buzzards to a fresh kill. The anticipation of the food is palpable, next the garlic bread comes out and that was it. Everyone is already sitting at the table ready to eat. The minute you bite into the cheese, meat and tomato combo your taste buds send messages back to your brain with the taste and your brain sends messages to your body to take another bite. It is so good no one is talking anymore as the people devour the food. You chomp on bite after bite of the juicy lasagna and the crisp garlic bread, probably eating too much of the stuff, but at the moment this doesn’t matter; the meal is too good.

Journal 3- Hodgman

                                                                                    Name: Brian Cadden

Journal Assignment #3

“No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch” – Ann Hodgman

(The Norton Sampler p.77)

Read the selection and write a one paragraph response to the following questions.

1.  Cite three specific examples of Hodgman’s descriptive imagery that you find to be particularly effective. 

In Ann Hodgman’s “No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch” Hodgman has used many descriptive images to help her readers visualize the food she was eating. Some examples I found particularly effective were:

 “I gagged my way through can after can of stinky, white flecked mush and bag after bag of stinky, fat-drenched nuggets.”

“A lumpy, frightening, bloody, stringy horror is a sign of high quality-lots of meat.”

“Chunky chicken? There were chunks in the can, certainly-big purplish-brown chunks.”

2.  What do you think Hodgman’s purpose was in writing this essay?  What overall message/meaning do you take from the essay?  

I believe the author’s purpose of writing this essay was to subtly mock the food critics and how serious they take their jobs on food reviews. The way she describes the dog food with such detail as if she is actually taking her review of dog food seriously seems to be a satire of food critics reviewing regular food. It is also trying to show that lots of dog food marketing is targeted towards owners who may or may not know what food is best for their dogs. 

Journal 2

Journal 2 - Annie Dillard – “The Death of a Moth,” from Holy the

Firm

1. How are the moths in the essay’s opening different from the moth at the campsite?  What do the different moths represent? 

The moths in the essay’s opening are purposeless and jumbled, flying about “in a confusion of arching strips of chitin like peeling varnishes.” The moths at her house have no purpose while the moths at the camp plunge headfirst into the fire of her candle and burn.

2. What lesson does the moth provide that Dillard takes back to her students? 

The moth is a lesson about life and being a writer. Dillard visualizes the burning moth as an analogy for a good writer and tries to show this to her students. She says that a good writer puts everything they have into their work, so much that they burn up in the flames.

3.  How many references are there to fire in the essay?  What’s the larger significance of fire in the essay? 

The novel that “made me (Dillard) want to be a writer when I was sixteen” is called a The Day on Fire. Her candle and the moths that keep flying into it are a reference to fire Finally at the end she says that she lights 3 candles whenever visitors come and move “light over everyone’s faces.” The greater significance of fire in the essay is that it needs fuel to function, the moth is the fuel and the moth symbolizes a writers passion to write.

4. Address how each of the following quotes connect to Dillard’s overall point.  

a.      “I would rather be ashes than dust!
          I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
          I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in        magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
          The function of man is to live, not to exist.
          I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
          I shall use my time.”

                    -Jack London

This quote is significant to the overall theme of the novel because Jack London’s point is very similar to Dillard’s. In order to be a good writer or exceptional at anything one must burn the brightest and longest, however the flames will eventually consume you.

b. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

          -William Butler Yeats

This quote is significant to the passage because in the narrative the author tries to teach her students that to become a writer you have to truly put your whole self into your works. However, if you do this you will burn yourself out eventually. Yeats says that education is the lighting of a fire.

c. “A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us.”  

          -Franz Kafka

This quote relates to the moth narrative because in the narrative the author talks about going at your life with a broadax. She is telling her students that you need to go at your life hard and aspire to be great. If you don’t have this you shouldn’t be a writer.