Emily Mitchell

NCVS 152- 174

2007-05-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

"For all hard-core Chicano lawyers who have never admitted to anyone that they are ex-alter boys." pg 163
This quote relates greatly to the theme of relgion. It also shows that it is very much a controlling part of their life, and now something that they look back on and don't really tell people. They are now intence lawyers and not religious.

NCVS 131-151

2007-05-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

"Peanut bag with salt sext to Tomato juice plastic glass marvelous." pg 141
This quote is what the author considers a zen quote. He says it is very simple. I do not consider this quote simple at all. I find it really very confusing. I have no idea what it means or what it is saying. It is very much random words that make no sence together. Maybe he is saying that zen is nonsence, that it is really just all meaningless jargon.

"Man, you shuddaseen Bangkok in '69. ése." pg131
The rest of the story except for the dialog is written in correct english grammer. So is the author just of higher education then his friends. Or does he just put on the accent when talking to people like him, of his cluture. Is it something that he realizes hes going or just comes natrually.

NCVS 18-105

2007-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

"My Plutomobile....
Runs on free on free on free on free" pg 88

This poem is talking about all these crazy things that the car runs on. They all remind me of the just random words put together because I do not understand the majority of them. They are just random things for a random word. Plutomoblie, not anything that we know so he can make it anything. on free on free on free on free is the last line of the poem. I think that it means on free, paying nothing.

"While dreamin, eyebrows float
as sheep grazing on cinnamon cliffs." pg 91

I liked this quote because I have absolutely no idea what it means. It is in a poem that is called Simon Says. This quote makes no sence to me. None ocannot think of any corrolation between eyebrows, sheep and cinnamon cliffs.

NCVS 56-80

2007-05-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Shave without blades." page 61
This is something that is nearly impossible. The poem is called "Things My Relgion Make Me Do." This is something that you can't do. It is asking so much of you. It wants you to shave but wont let you do it with a razor. I looks down upon everything but expects so much from the people who follow it. It is asking it's fallowers to do so much and give up so much.

"There are too many iron girds in California." page 75
This quote remimded me of how we were talking about living of the grid, and the grid generation. Everyone is connected. Everyone has power and telophone lines going to their house. There are very few places that are off the grid. This quote kind of says that CA is just full of them, everything is in the grid, so many grids.

NCVS 30-55

2007-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

“New Age gargoyle trilingual lowriders, swamp art spaces.” Pg 32
The way this sentence is written catches the reader’s eye. It makes you think twice about what he is trying to day. New Age gargoyle is an oxymoron. When I think of gargoyles I think of old, old buildings. New Age is very much the opposite of old buildings. They rest of this sentence really makes no sense to me and just appears to be random words. Does he put them together to get your attention? Or does he purposely want you to just go right over them.

“Man goes women…… When he comes home & kisses the one he loves.” Pg 55
The rest of the quotes in this poem are about men taking over jobs that are stereotypically things that women do. This last quote though is very different. It kind of implies that men shouldn’t do that witch makes no sense.

NCVS 1-29(continued)

2007-05-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

"I worry about Mexicans digging their stereotypes" pg 27
This quote stood out to me because the book is about other cultures and how they are viewed and trying to get out of the stereotype that they are placed in. So he is saying that he is worried about the mexican's digging then selfs deeping into the stereo type and just making it worse.

NCVS 1-29

2007-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

".... we did it with khakis and wino shoes, you name it, we've broken through the wall, against all odds,..."pg 18

They are trying to assimilate into american culture. They are doing what American culture wants and trying to fit in but are stillbeing judged. People still dont want them to fit and and still don't want them to be equal to Americans. They have come so far in changing and are still not excepted.

Interview questions:

2007-05-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

1. What first got you started with Food-Not-Bombs? What really attracted you to it?
2. Is there anything about Food-Not-Bombs that you don’t like, or don’t agree with?
3. How does the system of not having one set leader work? Do you like it?
4. Is there any opposition to your group? Do people try to stop you on a regular basis?
5. In general do people support or go against what your doing?
6. What do you do for a career? Is it hard to balance Food – Not-Bombs and the rest of you life?
7. Has being part of Food-Not-Bombs Changed your life? In what ways?

Paper Topic

2007-05-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Seeing and White Heron
compare
- romantic

The House On Mango Street

2007-05-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

“But the house on Mango Street is not way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath.” Pg 747

The narrator has always had very bad places to live with in very close quarters with many people. They have never had their own space and have always lived under someone else’s land and house. The narrators parents have dreams of their own house with a beautiful lawn and perfect everything. But this is never fallowed though and even though they get their own house it is not anywhere near what their visions are. This house is still crammed and its still falling apart. I like the way this house is described.

“For the time being, Mama says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go.” Pg 748

This quote is really sad because it shows that the narrator has had their hopes brought up and then crashed to the ground so many times that they don’t even think that what their parents say is true. The narrator has a poor living condition and keeps trying to convince them that it will get better but they really know that it wont.

Seeing 700-706

2007-05-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

“Why didn’t someone hand those newly sighted people paints and brushes from the stat, when they still didn’t know what anything was? Then maybe we all could see the color patches too, the world unraveled from reason...” pg 703
I really like the way that this girl thinks and this quote really shoes this. She can’t draw as well as her family and she is very different from everyone else. I also really like this idea that she has. Everyone sees things how they know them. If someone asked me what color a frog is I would automatically say green. The people who have never seen before would be able to see things without having been sculpted by society on how to see them.

“I had my whole life a bell, and never knew it until at that moment I was lifted and struck.” Pg 706
Her whole life she had not been very sure of who she was. She now at this moment she had found it out. It made me happy reading it that I found out that she was happy and found out who she was. She was really different and didn’t really fit in with her family. Like when she tried to draw the horse and she couldn’t, and that she was sad that she didn’t have one thing that she really specialized and loved.

Seeing pg 693-700

2007-05-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

“Nature is like one of those line drawings of a tree that are puzzles for children: Can you find hidden in the leaves a duck, a house, a boy, a bucket, a zebra, and a boot.” Page 694
I like this quote because I thinks is a very good metaphor. It really makes complete scene to me. If you look at grass or trees or something in nation is seems still but if you stare at it you can see so much, you just have to try and look for it. The things hidden the best are the most interesting.

“After thousands of years we’re still strangers to darkness, fearful aliens in an enemy camp with our arms crossed over our chests.” Page 697
The darkness and in forest is still the same as it always has been. Its very intimidating to not be able to know and see what’s going on around you. It brings down even the strongest people and is a weakness to everyone.

Dharma Bums 223-244

2007-05-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

223- 244

“And this is Japhy’s lake and these are Japhy’s mountains…” page 229
This quote is really nice because it shows how much Ray misses Japhy. He was his companion and friend for a very long time. They were together for a very long time and it must be really hard for them to be separated.”

“And in keeping with Japhy’s habit of always getting down on one knee and delivering a little prayer to the camp we left….” Pg 244
This quote once again shows the connection between Ray and Japhy. It shows that Japhy made and impression on Ray. It shows the connection they made and that forever they will remember the time they spend together.

Dhamra Bums 200-223

2007-05-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

“But I’m sad too about leaving California….s’why I wanted to take one last long look at it today with ya Ray. Pg 205
I really liked this quote because its really nice and it shoes the bond between Ray and Japhy. The end of their time together is nearly over and they both will move on with their lives. They are both very different but they have grown off of each other and become very close and taught each other a lot.

“Japhy came out on deck with Psyche in his arms and threw her clean off the boat.” Page 215
I found this quote very funny. He had finally gotten Psyche and she was willing to go to Asia with him and leave everything. She was in tears and he just threw her off the boat. This shows his independence and how devoted he is to reaching his ultimate goal and learning everything he can about his religion.

Dhamra Bums 200-223

2007-05-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Dharma Bums 179-199

2007-05-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

“The sky is blue because you want to know why the sky is blue.” Pg. 183
I liked this quote cause its something they can’t explain. It’s a mystery because they want to know the answer. The children all want to know why and they would probably not understand the real reason. This answer makes them think and creates a mystery.

“this world is a movie of what everything is. it is one movie, made of the same stuff throughout, belonging to nobody, which is what everything is.” Pg 181
This is what Ray says to Psyche. He is saying that everyone’s life is a movie, they are all the same, and something happens it is always the same. This goes back to the idea of suburbia, and that everyone lives the same exactly life afraid of change and what other people will think.

First Paragraph

2007-04-19T06:31:00.001-07:00

In The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac there are two main characters that reach for the same goal in different ways. Both Ray Smith and Japhy Ryder are looking for spirituality and enlightenment. Both men have very different personalities that mesh fairly well together. Japhy is very Zen and into calm eastern ideas and he is living as a Buddhist man. Ray believes that you need to be all for purity and all against lustfulness. Ray is just trying to figure the whole thing out and fighting the religion instead of peacefully following it.

Dharma Bums 149 - 171

2007-04-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

"Suddenly I was exhilarated to realize I was compleatly alone and safe and nobody was going to wake me up all night long." pg155

He is exhilarated about the idea of sleep wich must be really exciting but it is also sort of odd to be excited to sleep. He likes the feeling of security even though he is compleatly alone. He was all set and it was a great feeling for him.

"The whole trip had been as swift and enlightening as a dream, and I was back." pg 161

He had just gone through many differnt states and even Mexico too a differnt country. He had met a ton of differnt people and learned a ton about him. He was now back to his friends. Still seperated from everyone else. But not compleatly independent anymore.

Dharma Bums 120-149

2007-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Everything is possible. I am God. Iamn Buddah, I am an imperfect Ray Smith..." pg 122
I liked this quote because when he said it he seemed to be very content. Even though he was alone on Chistmas. He says he is imperfect. God and Buddah in the eyes of money are the one they look up to. The head of their whole relgion he says he is both of these relgious figures and an "imperfect" Ray Smith.

"And you know I say funny bit there's sumpthin so durned sensible about 'em. Here I am killin myself drivin this rig back and forth from Ohio to L.A. and I make more money than you ever had in your whole life as a hobo, but you're the one who enjoys life and not only that but you do it without workin or a whole lot of money. Now who's smart, you or me?" pg 129
This quote shows the difference between the two mens life styles. I could not say wich is better having not lived either. They both live differnet lifes and are both gaining something from it. The truck driver has a constant supply of money and never has to worry about it. But is he enjoying life as much as Ray.

Food not Bomb

2007-04-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

http://www.scn.org/activism/foodnotbombs/contacts.html
- Contacts

Paper Topic

2007-04-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Why they live the way they do

Dharma Bums 94-120

2007-04-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

"Outittin me friends for the Apocalypse." pg 107

This is said by Japhy when they are in the ski store and right ater they left the Army Navy store. They have gotten every nessicary thing that they could pozzibly need. If the world should come to and end they would be set. They have everything they need and don't need to come back. They have compleat freedome.

"I am now on the road to heaven." pg 113

Ray says this right after Rosie dies. He feels someone guilty because he says that he should have seen it coming. He wants to live a good lie, heaven. He wants to live for Rosie and for what she missed in life.

Dharma Bums 72- 94

2007-04-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Well thats right," I said. "The whole purpose of mountain climbing to me isn't just to show off you can get to the top, its getting out to this wild counrty."
"Well I'm gonna go," said Japhy
"Well if you're gonna go I'm going with you." pg 81

Ray compleatly controdicts himself here. He says he doesn't need to get to the top. But as soon as Japhy says he is going he says he will too. I think that he sort of feels like he does't nessisarily compeat with Japhy but he deffinatly wants to be able to keep up with him and not seem weaker.

"Oh what a life this is, why do we have to be born in the first place, and only so we can have out poor gentle flsh laid out to such impossible horrors as huge mountains and rock and empty space," pg 83

This puts things into perspective. These mountains are here and were here first. The peole climbing them dont matter, but to the people its huge and can be life threatening

Dharma Bums 49-72

2007-04-15T17:38:00.001-07:00

"Well you boys goin huntin this mournin?"
"No''m," said Japhy, "just climbing Matterhorn."
"Matterhorn, why I woudln't do that if somebody paid me a thousand dollars!" pg 51

This quote I found interesting because it showed how different they are then the normal people. Even people of the back county area didn't climb this mountain. They do things out of the ordinary, and out of the normal peoples ideas.

"Look over there," sang Japhy, "yellow aspens. Just put me in the mind of a haiku....." pg 59

This really shows Japhy's personality and how he sees things. He sees these trees and thinks what he can write about them and a haiku comes to his mind. This shows him and his unique talent. each one of them is good at differnt things and this is his like when smith thanks him for teachihng him writeing.

Dharma Bums 24-49

2007-04-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

"Gee I wonder what will happen to him in the end."
" I think he'll end up like Han Shan living alone in the mountains writeing poems on the walls of cliffs, or chanting them to crowds outside his cafe." pg 32

This quote is said by Alvah to Ray about Jahpy. This quote I founs interesting because in kind of implys that Han Shan did this to get away. Not just because he wanted to but because he was not accepted and could not live in normal society. Alvah says this when Jahpy is really angree about something and this maybe impys that he will end up not accepted and not be able to live a nomral life ever.

"Thats the story of my life ritch or poor and mostly poor or truly poor." pg 45

This is said by Ray to Japhy about buying drinks. Ray moves around a lot and has many odd jobs and ways of getting money but not really one steady cash flow. He does not save his money when he has it he spends it and this is something very new to Japhy. He has grown up poor and always saving every last penny and not spludging on anything even drinks.

Final Presentation

2007-04-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

Food-Not-Bombs Activists

Dharma Bums 1-24

2007-04-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

"I took pitty on him and went over and said, "How about a little wine to warm you up? Maybe you'd like some bread and cheese to go with you sardines." pg 4

This quote shows how caring the narrator is. He is with some random bum that he has never met before and acts very intraverted. He says nothing to the narrator but still he offers him food and wine. This shows his personality and that he is very nice to people.

"I'd huddle and meditate on the warmth, the actual warmth of God, to obviate the cold; then i'd jump up and and flap my arms and legs and sing." pg 6

The two parts of this quote show great contrast. This could leed up to other htings in the book. This man meditates and then flaps his arms. He is useing the actual warmth of God to not be very cold. But he does not rely on it he also jumps around for warmth.

2007-04-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.amish.net/

http://www.commondreams.org/views/060700-105.htm
- David Brower

"Are These Actual Miles" by Raymond Carver

2007-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

"They buy what they want. It they can't pay they charge. They sign up."
Leo is talking about that Toni and their kids spend a lot of money on everything. If they don't have the money they just charge it to the credit card witch still looses the family money. Toni says earlier says that when she was a kid she had to do without and that these kids will not do with out. She spoils them for what she never had. He talks about spending $200 on a dog that was dead in the road a week later. He is spending money on things that aren't paying off and not at all lasting.

"He listens to the traffic on the highway and considers whether he should go to the basement, stand on the utility sink, and hang himself with his belt. He understands he is willing it be dead."
Leo is thinking this when Toni is out with the man that is buying the car. He is very distraught and freaking out at home about Toni being gone so long, which makes seance because she is his wife. This shows how upset he is and that he really doesn't value his own life very highly.

3/30/07

2007-03-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

"The Persistence of Desire" by John Updike. pg 560

pg 561. "On the sidewalk, haltered girls identical in all but name with girls he had known strolled past in twos and threes."

This quote shows as well as much of the story shows that not much has changed in the small town he had lived in. The people were still the same. Different people but they still acted the same as the people he knew when he was young. It is a small town so not much goes on. The doctor is still the same, the people are still the same. The linoleum on the floor was still the same and smelled the same.

pg 570. "...he believed he could make out her handwriting - slanted, open, unoriginal - familiar to him from other notes received long ago. This glimpse, through the skin of the paper, of her plain self quickened and sweetened his desire more than touching her hand."

This again touches on the theme of unthinkingness. Everything is the same. His feelings for Janet haven't changed even though they are both married and living ther own separate lives. Persistence means the prolonged existence of and this defiantly describes Clyde's feelings for Janet. His desire for her has not changed since when they were in love. This notes that she has given him brings him back to the time of their love and makes him want it again even more. He loves even just the sight of her handwriting and the comfort in recognizing it.

Project Topic

2007-03-29T06:33:00.001-07:00

Activism: Women's issues in the 1950s

going 2nd on Friday

3/28/07

2007-03-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Swimmer by John Cheever

Quote1:
"We've been terrebly sorry to hear about all your misfortunes, Neddy"
"My misfortunes?" Ned asked. "I don't know what you mean."
"Why, we heard that you'd sold the house and that your poor children........"
" I don't recall having sold the house." Ned said. "and the girls are at home."
"Yes," Mrs. Halloran sighed. "Yes....."

Ned is swimming across the county to what he bevies is his house. This quote implies that something bad has happened in his life and maybe his delusions have something to do with this. Trauma may have caused him to forget or maybe he wanted to forget. Maybe he is drunk and cant remember what has happened. He believes that he still has his house and that his daughters are in that house. I don't know where his wife if, he seems to still love her and still think that they are together and in their house. Mrs. Halloran knows what has happened to him but realizes that he doesn't remember such incidents.

Quote 2:
"It was probably the frist time in his adult life that he had ever cried, certinly the first time in his life that he ever felt so miserable, cold, tierd, and bewildered."

This is a very sad quote. I think that he is starting to realize that something is wrong. People are treating him differently and he realizes something has changed. I don't think that he realized his house and family are gone. It's very sad that his life has taken such a bad turn and that he doesn't even though that it has happened. I feel bad for this character because he is so scared and sad and alone. He doesn't even know why he feels this way either or what is wrong in his life.

3/37/06

2007-03-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Quote: "I thought suddenly of the neglected graves of my three brothers on the mountainside and that death is a loneliness much crueler than any loneliness hinted at in life."
The narrator believes that your soul stays with your body alone in your grave. He believes that they stay there alone with no one and they only thing they have are the care taken of their grave. He hasn't visited or care for his brothers graves. He belies that it is very very lonely and much much worse then being alive. He said that your sole stays with you for all the decomposing of your body. I find this a little creepy and very negative. When most people think of the after life of a good person they think heaven and happiness and a better place. This man thinks it is horrible. This man has a clear phobia of death implied by his visions of people in his family dying in not very pleasant ways.

Welcome

2007-03-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

WELCOME!!!
English Blog