1. In the beginning of the novel we see that there is a boy and a Papa. We do not know weather the boy is Papa's son or if it is his grandfather or just a nick-name. We also know that they are wondering, but we do not know the significance of what has happened in the world. On page 17 of McCarthy's "The Road" we are told that Papa is "Mostly worried about their shoes. That and food. Always food." We do not know if they are worried about shoes because they can't find any or just because theirs are being ruined. We know there is a shortage of food, but they will not go into the barn of the dead and look for food so they cannot be that desperate. That is when I realized there was a secret.
2. This secret is very much referring to the same secret that is revealed on page 52. We are told that "The clock stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions." We presume that the Papa and the boy are wondering because of what has happened at this point in the book at 1:17. This could be a completely unrelated event or it could be the reason why the country is in chaos. We have no idea to know if these events are linked together more then just a events in the same book or if the event that happened at 1:17 is the reason for the boy and Papa to be walking.
3. Understanding weather or not that this boy is Papa's son and that Papa is the boys father is very cruicial to the book. I would help us better understand why the man is so protective of the boy. Though the boy never calls the man Papa and the Papa never calls the boy son it leaves us wondering if something is up between them being related or a father son relationship.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
BA#1 McCarthy's The Road
I.
This secret occurred between the young boy and his "Papa." Throughout the story, the boy had a pessimistic attitude toward the future. I suspect his secret is that he felt they had no hope of survival. His true feelings became apparent on page 55. The two were resting. The boy was woken up because of the severity of his father's cough. Papa told the boy "Its okay. Go to sleep." and the boy replied, "I wish I was with my mom." Further on, the author explains the death of the boy's mother. This validates my point that he had little will to go on. Meanwhile, his father was fighting for their survival.
II.
Both secrets are from McCarthy’s The Road. This time around, it is the father who has a secret from the boy. In the conversation held between Papa and his wife prior to her suicide, the woman mentions how if anything were to happen to Papa, that she and her son would be doomed. Even along side her family, the woman still felt hopeless. She told Papa on page 56 that, "I'd take him with me if it weren't for you" and soon thereafter, she committed suicide. Papa has never told his son that his mother wished to end both of their lives so as not to end up living in such disaster. Papa has not shared this secret with the boy and I predict he never will.
III.
I feel that the secret I chose is very significant in understanding the narrative. The boy seems very weak and hopeless and with characteristics such as these, it seems to me that Papa may be on his own soon. If Papa were to reveal his secret to the boy, the boy would probably attempt suicide himself. Thus far into the novel leads me to believe it to be one of two things: 1: a story of courage and the strength of family and love, or 2: one man's desperation for survival and his trials along the way.
This secret occurred between the young boy and his "Papa." Throughout the story, the boy had a pessimistic attitude toward the future. I suspect his secret is that he felt they had no hope of survival. His true feelings became apparent on page 55. The two were resting. The boy was woken up because of the severity of his father's cough. Papa told the boy "Its okay. Go to sleep." and the boy replied, "I wish I was with my mom." Further on, the author explains the death of the boy's mother. This validates my point that he had little will to go on. Meanwhile, his father was fighting for their survival.
II.
Both secrets are from McCarthy’s The Road. This time around, it is the father who has a secret from the boy. In the conversation held between Papa and his wife prior to her suicide, the woman mentions how if anything were to happen to Papa, that she and her son would be doomed. Even along side her family, the woman still felt hopeless. She told Papa on page 56 that, "I'd take him with me if it weren't for you" and soon thereafter, she committed suicide. Papa has never told his son that his mother wished to end both of their lives so as not to end up living in such disaster. Papa has not shared this secret with the boy and I predict he never will.
III.
I feel that the secret I chose is very significant in understanding the narrative. The boy seems very weak and hopeless and with characteristics such as these, it seems to me that Papa may be on his own soon. If Papa were to reveal his secret to the boy, the boy would probably attempt suicide himself. Thus far into the novel leads me to believe it to be one of two things: 1: a story of courage and the strength of family and love, or 2: one man's desperation for survival and his trials along the way.
BA#1 McCarthy's The Road
I: In the road there are many secrets that are kept from the reader right from the beginning. One of the biggest secrets kept from the reader is the fact of why so many people are dead. The author does not let you know what disaster was caused so many deaths. What happened could have been man made or environmental. Without knowing for sure how the situation is down south, the boy and Papa are hoping for a warmer and greater place to live.
II: This first secret leads us to another secret of why only the boy, his mother, and Papa were among only the few to survive what happened. If we knew answers to either of these to secrets then we may be able to justify why they survived or what happened. The first secret also leads to another secret of where exactly are they. All we know is that they are on an interstate and they are heading south. If we knew exactly where they were we may be able to justify whether the disaster was man made or not and how they could have survived depending on what kind of disaster occurred.
III: The secrets I chose may not be entirely significant to understanding the narrative but may definately be wanted by some people. If we knew all the answers to the secrets though, the reader would not be on the same level as the characters. It seems as if right now the characters may be just as lost as we are. We, the reader, are on the same path the characters are and we must read/walk on to find out the answers to the secrets.
II: This first secret leads us to another secret of why only the boy, his mother, and Papa were among only the few to survive what happened. If we knew answers to either of these to secrets then we may be able to justify why they survived or what happened. The first secret also leads to another secret of where exactly are they. All we know is that they are on an interstate and they are heading south. If we knew exactly where they were we may be able to justify whether the disaster was man made or not and how they could have survived depending on what kind of disaster occurred.
III: The secrets I chose may not be entirely significant to understanding the narrative but may definately be wanted by some people. If we knew all the answers to the secrets though, the reader would not be on the same level as the characters. It seems as if right now the characters may be just as lost as we are. We, the reader, are on the same path the characters are and we must read/walk on to find out the answers to the secrets.
BA#1: McCarthy's The Road
I: Many secrets are unrevealed through McCarthy’s blunt writing style. The reader is left pondering about when the disaster took place. The passages on PG. 52, says the power was out, not leaving specific detail as to when. Only left the blunt time of 1:17, not aware if it’s day or night.
II: This is connected to the secret, what the disaster? In the novel, details such as “ashes” only leave you thinking fire, an element caused by many disasters. Not knowing when or what left me wondering what is behind the characters journey and where they are off to.
III: These unraveled secrets are not significant when it comes to understanding the general story, but for curious readers, they’re left wondering what the disaster is, whether it’s supernatural or war, causing such instability. PG. 17 notes the characters’ struggle, as a reader I wonder what cause motivated the author.
II: This is connected to the secret, what the disaster? In the novel, details such as “ashes” only leave you thinking fire, an element caused by many disasters. Not knowing when or what left me wondering what is behind the characters journey and where they are off to.
III: These unraveled secrets are not significant when it comes to understanding the general story, but for curious readers, they’re left wondering what the disaster is, whether it’s supernatural or war, causing such instability. PG. 17 notes the characters’ struggle, as a reader I wonder what cause motivated the author.
BA #1 McCarthy's The Road
I: A significant secret held in McCarthy's The Road is the author's choice to withhold exactly what the disaster was. McCarthy leaves it so ambiguous that the reader queries whether the disaster was man made or an event which occurred naturally.
II:This secret can be compared to another secret which the author keeps from us, the secret of why the boy, "Papa," and the wife survived. These secrets are related because if the reader understood exactly what took place, perhaps we could understand why specific people died and other survived.
III: While this secret is not a necessity to understanding the novel as a whole, it would certainly provide an entirely different level of understanding the novel. While it makes sense the author wants to provide the reader with the same level of understanding of the disaster that the characters have, it is highly unlikely that the characters, several years after the disaster, would not have known what had happened.
II:This secret can be compared to another secret which the author keeps from us, the secret of why the boy, "Papa," and the wife survived. These secrets are related because if the reader understood exactly what took place, perhaps we could understand why specific people died and other survived.
III: While this secret is not a necessity to understanding the novel as a whole, it would certainly provide an entirely different level of understanding the novel. While it makes sense the author wants to provide the reader with the same level of understanding of the disaster that the characters have, it is highly unlikely that the characters, several years after the disaster, would not have known what had happened.
BA#1 Cormac McCarthy's The Road
I. In The Road there are many secrets that the author keeps from the reader. For one, we have no idea what the real names of "the boy" or "papa" are, also we don't know how this catastrophe happened or how a select amount of people were able to survive. The world has turned into a wasteland with the characters left with basically nothing to survive but a grocery cart filled with some equipment and nap sacks with the essentials in them in case they need to abandon the cart. I feel in the story when "papa" finds the coca-cola in the broken machine and the boy realizes he wants him to have it because "It's because I wont ever get to drink another one, isnt it?" really expresses the boys understanding of the world he lives in, the only word he has known.
II. This is similar to "carried away" because secrets are kept about the truth of the dead body in the factory said to be Jack Agnew. The man who finds and for some reason touches the head did not think to look if it was Jack Agnew but that he thought it was.
III. I feel that Cormac McCarthy really didn't want us to have a whole lot of clues about whats going on. He leaves a lot of open ends in the book, especially with the lack of chapters which also seems to be significant with the direction that the story is going. More information would be a big help.
II. This is similar to "carried away" because secrets are kept about the truth of the dead body in the factory said to be Jack Agnew. The man who finds and for some reason touches the head did not think to look if it was Jack Agnew but that he thought it was.
III. I feel that Cormac McCarthy really didn't want us to have a whole lot of clues about whats going on. He leaves a lot of open ends in the book, especially with the lack of chapters which also seems to be significant with the direction that the story is going. More information would be a big help.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
BA#1 McCarthy's The Road
1. In Cormac McCarthy's The Road, there are many secrets being kept from the readers. One specific secret is whether or not the man called Papa is the father of the little boy. The secret is being held from the readers by the author and is present throughout the entire novel. I first started to question this on page 55 where the little boys says " I wish I was with my mom". This could imply that the man is not his father and that the little boy had a different mother who is now dead.
2. This secret is similar to the short story Carried Away in that the author has withheld crucial information that can help the reader to understand the novel better. In Carried Away, we are unsure of who the man at the train station is in the end of the story. On page 49 we realize that Louisa isn't talking to show she thinks she is talking to. "That edge of a joke, that uneasy kindness, made her think of somebody else. Who's was it?". Knowing who he is would have led to a better understanding of the story instead of being left without answers. This relates to The Road because we are left wondering the entire novel if this is the boys father.
3. I don't think that understanding the relationship of the man and boy is absolutely necessary to understanding the narrative. I do feel that knowing would help make the novel a little bit clearer however we know that the man will do anything to protect the boy and therefore that there is some kind of bond between them.
2. This secret is similar to the short story Carried Away in that the author has withheld crucial information that can help the reader to understand the novel better. In Carried Away, we are unsure of who the man at the train station is in the end of the story. On page 49 we realize that Louisa isn't talking to show she thinks she is talking to. "That edge of a joke, that uneasy kindness, made her think of somebody else. Who's was it?". Knowing who he is would have led to a better understanding of the story instead of being left without answers. This relates to The Road because we are left wondering the entire novel if this is the boys father.
3. I don't think that understanding the relationship of the man and boy is absolutely necessary to understanding the narrative. I do feel that knowing would help make the novel a little bit clearer however we know that the man will do anything to protect the boy and therefore that there is some kind of bond between them.
BA # 1 McCarthy's The Road
In the Road, we are unsure if the man known as Papa and the woman referred to as wife are husband and wife. I don't think they are trying to keep it from the reader, but it is very confusing as to who is related and if the boy is their son. On page 53, it says "She is standing in the doorway in her nightwear, clutching the jamb, cradling her belly in one hand. What is it? she said. Are they referring to the boy that is traveling the road now or another child? After the wife died, she was also often referred to as "her". Was the man dreaming or thinking about the past? " He thought about the picture in the road and he thought that he should have tried to keep her in their lives in e some way but he didn't know how."
In Carried Away, there is a secret similar to this one dealing with who is married to who. Jack Agnew continued writing letters to the librarian known as Louisa Doud. He kept his marriage to Grace Agnew a secret from Louisa. When he died, the reader was able to find out this secret. In The Road, we are still unsure of how each character is related to one another.
I think knowing how each character is related is important, because it would make the reader understand how the man and boy know each other and if the woman referred to as the wife did have the boy as a son. The talks between the man and boy are very simple and I often wonder if they are father and son. They look out for each other while traveling the Road and stay away from bad people.
In Carried Away, there is a secret similar to this one dealing with who is married to who. Jack Agnew continued writing letters to the librarian known as Louisa Doud. He kept his marriage to Grace Agnew a secret from Louisa. When he died, the reader was able to find out this secret. In The Road, we are still unsure of how each character is related to one another.
I think knowing how each character is related is important, because it would make the reader understand how the man and boy know each other and if the woman referred to as the wife did have the boy as a son. The talks between the man and boy are very simple and I often wonder if they are father and son. They look out for each other while traveling the Road and stay away from bad people.
BA #1 The Road
One thing we don't know about the situation that they are in is the extent (range) of the catastrophe. They don't know any details about the condition of the "south", the place to which they are headed for warmer weather and a potentially, but not guaranteed, better life.
The secrete of the extent of the damage is directly correlated to the secrete of what caused the destruction and decay in the first place. If we knew what caused the damage we would be able to calculate the extent of it. They are taking a dangerous and possibly fatal journey to a place that may be just as severely in ruins as the place at which they are now. We are led only to see the extend of the damage by how far they have traveled south and we know little to nothing of where they are.
Having the secrets is what makes the story appealing, you do not need to know exactly what happened to understand why things are happening. If Cormac McCarthy described everything intricately then we would have nothing to discuss. If we knew every detail then it would be a journal of the two characters lives.
BA#1 McCarthy's The Road
One secret that is kept from the readers in The Road is what actually happened to cause the boy and father to have to travel the road. You find out in the first couple pages of the book that the world they are living in is nothing like the world we view. They talk about being naked, sleeping outside, and having no color. This gives the reader the impression that something must have happened to the world these characters are living in to cause it to be without color. The author even talks of when a "shear of light and then a low series of conclusions" came which is the cause for the power supply to end. This indicated to the reader that some act, nature disaster, or destruction occurred.
This secret is a little like Carried Away in Open Secrets where we do not know exactly how the Jack Agnew died. The author tells us of a man who was killed in a factory by a machine and is beheaded. However, the man who actually touched the head of the dead man said he did not even look to see if it was truly Jack Agnew. Therefore, just like we know there was some type of destruction that happened to the land we do not know if that is what caused them to be starving, struggling, and moving toward the south.
This secret is not critical to understand the narrative; however, details about it would help answer questions the readers may have. If the reader knew when the tragedy happened they would be able to see how long the man and son have been living in this which could justify some of their actions. Also if we knew about how the tragedy formed we would be able to understand the struggle by realizing what it would be like if that happened to us.
This secret is a little like Carried Away in Open Secrets where we do not know exactly how the Jack Agnew died. The author tells us of a man who was killed in a factory by a machine and is beheaded. However, the man who actually touched the head of the dead man said he did not even look to see if it was truly Jack Agnew. Therefore, just like we know there was some type of destruction that happened to the land we do not know if that is what caused them to be starving, struggling, and moving toward the south.
This secret is not critical to understand the narrative; however, details about it would help answer questions the readers may have. If the reader knew when the tragedy happened they would be able to see how long the man and son have been living in this which could justify some of their actions. Also if we knew about how the tragedy formed we would be able to understand the struggle by realizing what it would be like if that happened to us.
BA #1 McCarthy's The Road
In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, one of the secrets being held from the readers by the author is "Why are the man and the child the only survivors?". When i first realised there was a secret being held was in the opening sentence when it says the man just woke up in the woods with the child sleeping right beside him, and then again on the second page where it says they were "Looking for anything of color. Any movement. Any trace of standing smoke."
When comparing this secret to another secret in Open Secrets, it is similar in the fact that the readers are not being told something (there is a secret) but as you read further into the text, more information is being revealed about the secret. In Open Secrets we know little about the man that sends Louisa letters but then as we read on we soon find out the man was married and he was writing those letters possibly because he did not think he was going to live much longer, being in the war.
This secret is definitely significant in understanding the narrative because it is leaves the reader wanting to read more into the book. It leaves the reader with many questions. I believe once we are told this secret the whole book will come together and we will get a better understanding of what is really going on in The Road.
When comparing this secret to another secret in Open Secrets, it is similar in the fact that the readers are not being told something (there is a secret) but as you read further into the text, more information is being revealed about the secret. In Open Secrets we know little about the man that sends Louisa letters but then as we read on we soon find out the man was married and he was writing those letters possibly because he did not think he was going to live much longer, being in the war.
This secret is definitely significant in understanding the narrative because it is leaves the reader wanting to read more into the book. It leaves the reader with many questions. I believe once we are told this secret the whole book will come together and we will get a better understanding of what is really going on in The Road.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Welcome to the Blog for Contemporary Literature (Section 2)
You'll be using this blog to "post" (create a text entry on the front page) or "comment" (respond to another student's post). For each post, you should consider significant secrets in that week's reading assignments. Over the course of the semester, you will create at least 7 entries: at least 2 posts and at least 5 comments. (You may have more posts or comments, but you should have at least one entry per week.)
To make things clear, you'll need to number each post or comment as BA #x (according to the one due that week: so, for BA #1, you'll examine the secrets in McCarthy's The Road; for BA #3, you'll look at Harrower's Blackbird.) To create a post, click on "New Post" at the top of the blog page. To create a comment, click on "Comments" at the bottom of the blog posting to which you want to respond.
For each post, you will need to do the following, in the order given, including the numerals to designate the separate parts of the assignment. Label the post BA#x, plus the author and title of the literary text: thus, BA#1 McCarthy's The Road, then provide the following in your post:
1. Provide a short (no more than 50 words) summary or description of the secret. Be sure to indicate who holds the secret (a character, the author, or reader) and from whom the secret is kept (a character, the author, or reader). Also indicate (by quoting and citing) where in the text you realized that there was a secret being held.
2. Compare this secret to another secret, either from the same text or from a text we’ve already read in class. (Again, no more than 50 words.) This should not be a simple observation of how this secret is "just like" another: they're both about love, they are both kept from someone they love , or they both compromise a character's aspirations. Such statements are invariably trite overgeneralizations. Maybe the secrets you're comparing are of a similar nature but the different characters have different motivations for keeping them; maybe both secrets are kept for similar reasons but they have different consequences; maybe both secrets are kept from the reader but one is eventually revealed while the other one is not. Note that each of these examples presents differences within apparent or surface similarities, an approach which generally isn't a bad way to go. You MUST support your answer with evidence that you quote and cite from the text(s).
3. Argue (no more than 50 words) whether or not understanding your chosen secret is significant to the understanding the narrative.
For your comments, you should agree or disagree with a post’s conclusions about a secret's narratorial significance (part 3) by providing and explaining NEW evidence that either supports or questions the post.
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