A blog during finals prep? Perish the thought!

Dear AP Brain Trust,

After careful thought I've concluded that a blog post while you're preparing for your other finals is a poor idea. Let's just wait till the new semester to go in for that sort of post-midnight brain torture.

Yer other pal,

J.D.

Red Ryder's Secret Code!! Crack it today!!

HEY KIDS!! This is yer old partner, Red Ryder, with a SECRET CODE fer ya t'crack. Get yer decodin' rings warmed up, cuz hyar it comes—

1C 2A 3C 4E 5D 6D 7E 8B 9E 10C

11D 12B 13B 14C 15A 16B 17C 18E 19A 20B

21E 22E 23A 24A 25C 26E 27D 28C 29A 30B

31D 32B 47B 48A 49C 50D 51C 52B 53E 54B

55A 56B 57C 58D 59E 60B 61A

Good luck t'ya, an' see ya down th' trail!

Yer pal,

Red Ryder

Rothchild's Fiddle

Chekhov's biographer Ernest Simmons wrote of this tale, "…it is a perfect little study in the harmony of mood and tone."

Let's examine the title of the story and its significance. Look over the story again and note the descriptions of Yakov's fiddle, of music and music-making. Using these as your guide, tell what you think the fiddle (its music also) represents, consciously and subconsciously, to Yakov, Marya, and Rothschild. And how does it link them to each other?

It's a short story, and a "little study," but still this calls for some deep thinking on your part.

Part III of Heart of Darkness—ponder, discuss, report:

Groups:

Post your discussion notes here, making sure to identify which of the issues you chose to focus upon.

¶10: Kurtz’s first appearance and the meeting…kinship? Eyes?

¶13-16: The African Queen. The spirit of the wilderness?

¶18-21: Kurtz vs. the Manager: Choice of nightmares…”As it happens, I am Mr. Kurtz’s friend—in a way.

¶23-29: a descent into Hades? An encounter with the Fates?

¶29: Compare with Pt. II, ¶29.

¶33: Wistfulness and hate

¶36: The manager’s triumph. “Unsound method.”

¶48: Marlow’s valedictory on Kurtz

Ask questions, suggest ideas, float theories…

This post is for you to use (or not use) as you see fit. Try out your ideas for your essay Thursday, or ask questions of your classmates. You can even ask questions of me. If I see them, I'll be sure to respond.

I hope you all do very well.

See you then.

J.D.

Related Themes: Eyes, Kinship, Enemies, Restraint

The themes listed above arise in Part 1, but really find their definition in Part 2, as Conrad's technique of pairing, juxtaposition, repetition and embellishment really gathers cumulative force. The alert reader who puts the incidents, comments, descriptions together—who is willing to backtrack when something she or he reads reminds him or her of something a page or twenty pages before—that reader attains far more enlightenment than the straight ahead sort who simply follows the line of narrative like a string from page one to the end.

With this in mind, post what you found and what you think as groups. We'll discuss your comments on Monday.

And…

I asked at the end of class for your theories on the incident of the white fog that halts the progress of the steamer and immediately precedes the attack. Please tack those on to the end of your comments. They too will be food for discussion come Monday.

Regards,

J.D.

Research Marlow's clear-eyed view of Kurtz

For class tomorrow, scour Part II for Marlow's appraisals of Kurtz's activities, behavior and character. Remember that we are reading about his experiences as he recounts them years later aboard the Nellie at dusk. He is a different person from the young man who encountered the enigmatic "high demon."

Come with your book marked, & paragraphs noted on a separate sheet of paper. The quality of our discussion and our discoveries depends on your preparation. I think a half hour of your time will suffice to make a good list (provided, of course, that you've read and are familiar with Part II).

See you Fourth!

J.D.