Nabokov
Shelley
Eliot
Hermingway
Monday, March 15, 2010
Joseph Conrad: 'the truth'
When Gene mentions the truth, I think he is talking about the fact that he wants to see somthing bad happen to Finny. Gene is jealous that Finny is so popular and can get away with anything he wants. Gene may also feel like Finny is singling him out because they are friends, and maybe Gene does not want to be the guy who stands out of the crowd. This could be why Gene is not happy when he keeps getting the ball in blitzball.
The Truth by Chinua Achebe
In my opinion there were two parts to the truth that held Gene back from telling Finny that he thought he was his best friend, the first one was that he envied Finny, and because of that he didn't want to admit that Finny was his best friend. The second one was that Gene may have felt that Finny had so much control over him, and if he admit that he thought Finny was his best friend he could take further advantage of that. An example of how Finny had control over Gene was that he made Gene jump trees that he actually didn't want to twice, and this next example is one which Gene would probably feel angered by if he looked back on it, it's the text about how Finny proposes to go to the beach:
"Let's go to the beach."
Then Gene thought to himself: The beach was hours away by bicycle, forbidden, completely out of all bounds. Going there risked expulsion, destroyed all the studying I was going to do for an important test the next morning, blasted the reasonable amount of order I wanted to maintain in my life, and it also involved the kind of long, labored bicycle I hated.
Then suddenly after thinking all that Gene just says, "All right."
"Let's go to the beach."
Then Gene thought to himself: The beach was hours away by bicycle, forbidden, completely out of all bounds. Going there risked expulsion, destroyed all the studying I was going to do for an important test the next morning, blasted the reasonable amount of order I wanted to maintain in my life, and it also involved the kind of long, labored bicycle I hated.
Then suddenly after thinking all that Gene just says, "All right."
The Truth by Thomas Hardy
At the end of the chapter, Finny discusses about their (Gene and Finny's) relationship. Finny addresses Gene as his "best pal". Gene was hesitant to respond explaining that Finny was his best pal, but some truth held him back. The truth likely consists of a variation of feelings. The first one is the envy, and jealousy that Gene feels. Gene is naturally constantly envying Finny. He envies the athlete, adventurer, "cool", popular, and great Finny. Gene is always in Finny's shadow, he feels obligated under pear pressure that is slightly present to do the stunts that Finny does. For example, jumping off of the tree. Truth suggests something present that is wanted to be hidden. This envy Gene wants to hide.
James Baldwin Truth
The "truth" that Gene talks about in the previous chapter is that he envies his best friend Finny. He asks himself if it is normal to envy your best friend. He envies him so much that he cannot consider him a friend. On page 28, he calls Finny an ''extraordinary person" when he has the conversation with Master Prude'homme. He also says on page 28, "it was was perfectly normal", when referring to the friendship.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Truth"
The Truth that Gene realizes at the end of the chapter is that he envies Finny to a point where he is jealous of him and hesitates to call him his "best friend". When someone envies someone else it means that one has a feeling of discontent with an other's advantages, skills, or possessions. Earlier in the novel, on page 17, Gene said, "I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn't help envying him a little, which was perfectly normal." When Gene used the word "envy" shows that Gene wants to be as good as Finny and he wants the same amount of respect as him. The problem with envying people is that the word "envy" is used as a good thing to do and is mistaken for "looking up to". When someone usually "envies"another person it means that they are not alike, they have different strengths and weaknesses. And when people have different characteristics they are usually not "best friends". Another problem with using the word "envy" is that it brings competition and fighting to become the best. On page 33, Gene said, "Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me." In this quotation when Gene said "he lost it for me" is another example of how envying someone brings competition. When Gene said "he lost it for me" says that Gene lost his appearance in the world to Finny and that Finny would get more respect for it than Gene would. And this kind of competition of trying to be the best and try to appear better than someone else leads to fighting and shows that someone is not really your friend.
The Truth, by George Eliot
The "truth" to which Gene refers is that his outward appearance of being Finny's best friend is a lie; instead, he envies Finny, almost to the point of hatred. Throughout the first few chapters of the novel, A Separate Peace, all appearances suggest that Finny and Gene are the best of friends. They are the only two boys who jump out of the tree; they wrestle playfully on their way to dinner; and they sneak away from school together to go to the beach. Beneath the surface of each appearance, however, is a darker truth. When Gene jumps out of the tree, he feels "the sensation that [he] was throwing [his] life away" (17). Being friends with Finny means courting disaster. Despite his apparent pleasure while wrestling, Gene says he is "trapped... in [Finny's] strongest trap" (19). Being friends with Finny means being caged and confined. And to describe the trip to the beach, Gene uses the words, "risked... destroyed... blasted...[and] hated" (46). Being friends with Finny means going along in spite of one's own better judgment. After Finny's affectionate declaration of friendship, Gene cannot reciprocate. He does not enjoy the time he spends with Finny; Gene's internal monologue suggests that activities with Finny comprise a long stretch of time when he compares himself to someone he can never match. When Finny gets himself and Gene out of trouble for missing dinner, Gene notes his "soaring and plunging... vibrant" voice (21). He himself is silent. When Finny is about to get in trouble for wearing the school tie as a belt, Gene claims to feel lucky to have such an "extraordinary kind of person" for a best friend (28). The most Gene says of himself is that he is "sarcastic," and "weak" (29). In every facet of their daily lives, Finny shines. Gene, in his own opinion, does not. And while Gene tries to convince himself that it is "perfectly normal" (28) to envy Finny, his inability to claim him as a best friend suggests that this "normal" emotion is having an abnormal effect: turning a friend into an enemy.
Truth
The "truth" Gene talks about at the end of the chapter is that he envies Finny to the extent that he can't say he's his friend. Envy means your are so obsessed and jealous of the person you can't really live with them. When Finny gets them out of trouble the first time Gene says, "I couldn't help envying him... Theres no harm in envying even your best friend a little." the little shows that he is trying to convince himself it ok to envy him.
"The Truth" by Arthur Miller
What is "the truth" to which Gene refers
in the last line of the chapter?
Jack Kerouac's interpetation on "The Truth of Gene"
“The Truth” on page 48, is although Finny claims that Gene and him are best friends, they are actually rivals. An example of their rivalry was Gene’s envy of Finny. An example of Gene envying Finny is on page 40, “Right from the start, It was clear no one had ever been better adapted to a sport than Finny was to blitzball. I saw that right away. Why not? He had made it up hadn’t he? It needn’t be surprising that he was sensationally good at it, and the rest of us were more or less bumblers in our own different ways.” The words “no one,” “better adapted,” “saw that,” “sensationally good,” “rest of us,” and “bumblers,” shows Gene’s envy of Finny. The phrase “no one,” shows how Finny was different than everyone else. The fact that finny was “better adapted,” showed how he was envious of finny. This idea of being better suited showed how Gene thought Finny was naturally prepared for a game as random as blitzball. When Gene sees right away that Finny was adapted to blitzball it shows how takes notice to everything about Finny. When one is envious of another person they take notice to everything they do and their traits because he cares about what they do. The fact that Gene a 16-year-old boy would describe another 16-year-old boy as sensationally good shows how he envies Finny. This is envy is unhealthy to any kind of close friendship. The words “rest of us,” show how much better Finny was than everyone else. Since Finny was better than everyone else Gene got envious of him. The fact that Gene referred to himself as a “bumbler,” shows how he is envious of Finny to an unhealthy point. No 16-year-old boy would call himself a bumbler unless they were envious of someone else. Another example of their rivalry is how Finny tries to impress Gene. An example of Finny trying to impress Gene is on page 44, “ Was he trying to impress me or something? Not tell anybody? When he had broken a school record with out a day of practice? I knew he was serious about it, so I didn’t tell anybody.” The idea that Finny was trying to impress Gene by beating the swimming record with out telling anyone shows how he cared what Gene thought about him. Furthermore he did impress Gene by breaking the record. The fact that he did not want Gene to tell anybody shows how Finny only cared that Gene saw him do it. It also showed how Finny wanted to show that he was not self-conscious and did not care about what other people thought about him. However it is an oxymoron because he does care that Gene saw him break the record. The fact that he broke a school record was very impressive too and Gene must have been amazed. Furthermore he did it without a day of practice, which must of really impressed Gene.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Percy Shelley "Gene's Truth"
During the first chapters of the novel the reader observes an exceedingly close tie between Finny and Gene. As Gene had said, “It was quite a compliment to me, as a matter a fact, to have such a person (Finny) choose me for his best friend.” However, as time elapses in the Devon School, various factors lead to Gene’s truth. Due to various happenings in the novel, the reader can deduce that Gene’s truth is synonymous to the dislike of Finny. The close friendship between Finny and Gene had morphed into a relationship far from healthy. There are various factors that hinder Gene’s close friendship with Finny and promote the decadence in their friendship. Primarily, Gene feels envy towards Finny. As Gene said, "(Finny) could get away with anything. I couldn't help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little." Contrary to Gene’s thoughts, it is not acceptable or correct to envy your best friend. Envy usually carries a negative connotation, involving a feeling of discontent or hate. Furthermore, envying is one of the 10 commandments proving that envying your friend or anyone is wrong. Gene’s constant envy towards Finny’s social abilities was a cause for th Another reason that encouraged Gene’s truth was Finny’s constant bossing. During the friendship Gene was unable to express an opinion or do what he wanted. Instead, all of his decisions were influenced by Finny. This dislike towards Finny’s excessive leadership was seen when Gene says, “I never missed a meeting. At that time it would have never occurred to me to say, I don’t’ feel like it tonight, which was the plain truth every night. I was subject to the dictates of my mind, which gave me the maneuverability of a strait jacket.” This quotation shows Gene’s discontent towards his lack of autonomy. The word “truth” shows that Gene did not want to attend to the meetings but was forced to by Finny. Gene’s “maneuverability of a strait jacket” and his constant need to follow Finny is proof that he dislikes Finny.
The Truth
The truth is that Finny looks up to Gene as the cool kid. (Page 46) “Finny now felt he had to keep me entertained.” Finny then follows to tell amazing stories. He is trying to impress Gene. When Finny says they are the best friends it catches Gene off guard because Gene feels that Finny is the cool kid and that he should be asking Finny to be his best friend no the other way around.
Henry James' thoughts
On the last page of chapter three, Gene and Finny are sitting on the beach, drinking beer and talking to each other. Finny tells Gene that he is his best pal. After Finny tells Gene this, Gene has no response he is speechless. In his mind though Gene wants to tell Finny that he is his best friend, but is held back from telling Finny. The reason as to why is because Gene is possibly having second thoughts about being friends with Finny. Even though he thinks to himself to tell Finny, he never actually does. The truth is that Gene is not fully committed to being Finny’s best friend.
Lewis Carroll
On pg. 48, the last page of Chapter 3, Finny tells Gene that they are best pals. At the last paragraph, Gene tries to create a response but is unable to. He is stopped from responding because of his interpretation of the truth. The truth is that h could not tell that because “Exposing a sincere emotion nakedly like that at the Devon School was the next thing to suicide.” He new that telling these things were not considered cool and he wanted to maintain being friends with one of the most popular kids in the school. The truth to Gene is that he is also surprised to hear what Finny said. He didn’t expect to here Finny say this. He was surprised that he even went on a trip this illegal. After Finny says this, Gene as so many mixed emotions, he has no clue how to respond, so, he stays quiet and doesn’t respond.
Charles Dicken's Post
On the last page of chapter 3, Finny says to Gene that he was glad that Gene came to the beach with him and that they were best friends. Gene was about to say something but he held back. Part of the reason why Gene held back was that he wanted to remain a cool kid. Gene said "Exposing a sincere emotion nakedly like that at the Devon School was the next thing to suicide. Since Finny is a cool kid and Gene wants to be Finny's friend, Gene has to act cool. "the truth" that Gene refers to on the last line of the chapter is the fact that Finny is to good for him. Gene envy's Finny. Since Finny is one of the most popular kids in school, Gene is so surprised that Finny would say that he is his best friend. Gene almost cannot believe it. The reason why Gene does not respond to Finny is that he does not know what to say.
The Truth
In the novel A Separate Peace, the writer uses his characters actions to portray his thoughts on the situation at hand. At the end of the chapter on page 48, one of his characters, Gene mentions “the truth”. Gene hides the truth from his best friend Finny. Gene realizes that his life at the school and with Finny is a lie in itself. The truth is that Gene doesn’t like Finny as a friend, but only because he is one of the most popular kids in the school.
Ernest Hemingway's "The Truth"
"The truth" that Gene mentions at the end of chapter 3 of A Separate Peace is the fact that Gene doesn't think of Finny as his friend, where as Finny says Gene is his best friend. A real friend would never endanger another friend. On page 33, Gene says"Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn't have been on that damn limb except for him. I wouldn't have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn't been there." It was Finny that encouraged Gene to jump off the branch after him. If he hadn't caught Gene in time after scaring him, even Finny would never had been able to talk his way out of explaining how a fellow student died. Friends also consult with each other when a matter is about both of them. On page 34, Gene explains that, "We began to meet every night to initiate them. The Charter Members, he and I, had to open every meeting by jumping ourselves. This was the first of many rules which Finny created without notice during the summer. I hated it." Finny took charge of the club and decided that he could make what ever rules he wanted just because he was the first to jump. He never bothers to tell Gene these changes even though he is co-charter member. He should have discussed them with Gene before hand, and asked for his opinion.
Samuel Coleridge
When Finny shows that he cares about Gene and hopes he is having a good time, Gene has to make a decision. Should I say that You're my best friend, or something corny like that or stay silent. It says that Gene was stopped by the truth. The truth is that Gene really isn't having a good time. He just wants to stay close to the "cool kid". He doesn't want to say that you dragged me out here against my will and could have gotten me in a lot of trouble. But instead he stays silent and hides "the truth" from Finny. He is stopped from telling the truth because he knows he is living a lie.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Weekend Writing Assignment
Dear Literary Gentlemen,
The writing assignment for this weekend is posted on the Browning website, but here are some additional guidelines/reminders:
1. The writing you post on this blog is PUBLIC. Consider how much we laughed at/ struggled to read the posts that were rife with spelling errors and grammar-related issues.
2. The writing you post on this blog should reflect your BEST work. Everything you have learned this year about writing should be visible in what you post. (So, every paragraph should include...)
3. It might be an idea to draft your answer in a Word document, edit it, and then post it to the blog. Just a gentle, non-coercive statement from your English teacher.
Take a risk,
Ms. C
The writing assignment for this weekend is posted on the Browning website, but here are some additional guidelines/reminders:
1. The writing you post on this blog is PUBLIC. Consider how much we laughed at/ struggled to read the posts that were rife with spelling errors and grammar-related issues.
2. The writing you post on this blog should reflect your BEST work. Everything you have learned this year about writing should be visible in what you post. (So, every paragraph should include...)
3. It might be an idea to draft your answer in a Word document, edit it, and then post it to the blog. Just a gentle, non-coercive statement from your English teacher.
Take a risk,
Ms. C
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