"We Can Remember it For You Wholesale"

Philip Dick's, "We Can Remember it For You Wholesale," starts off with a very sarcastic and humorous tone. The main character, Douglas Quail, who is described as "A miserable little salaried employee," (Dick 355) fantasizes about going to Mars all the time. His wife often has to "Bring her husband down to Earth" (Dick 355). Doug's obsession was almost to the breaking point of his marriage, but Doug can stop dreaming about Mars and all that the unknown planet has to offer. Doug's wife constantly told him that his daydreams were getting worse, telling him, "Your getting worse. More fanatical every day. Where's it going to lead?" (Dick 356). Doug's remark was simply, "To Mars" (Dick 356).
The story's tone seemed to change shortly after Douglas went to Rekal Incorporated to change his memory. This is where the story got confusing for me. Douglas began to question whether or not he really went to Mars, and what really happened to him at Rekal Inc. Turns out that Douglas starts to remember that he really did go to Mars, on a mission to kill someone rebelling on the planet. The tone of the story changes from humorous to almost scary and eerie regarding what really happened in Mars. Douglas has to deal with all of these conflicts inside of his head and has no one to turn to. Even as the tone of the story changes, there are some humorous bits thrown in. Quail is warned by the Interplan cop, "So I have to warn you;anything you think may be held against you." This was my favorite line in the story, because it seems almost ridiculous, but at the same time I wonder if it could ever be possible. In the future, will such an implant be possible? Can someones mind actually be changed to make them think certain things really happened? This story left me questioning what Douglas Quail future would hold, and if his mind would ever be the same.

"The Open Boat"

Stephen Crane's, "The Open Boat," reminded me in some ways of Kate Chopin's, "The Story of an Hour." The theme of nature was prevalent throughout both stories and seemed to help explain the moods of the characters in both stories.
In "The Open Boat," the whole story revolves around the issue of man vs. nature. Stephen Crane gave such a good visual throughout the entire story, I found myself almost feeling like I was on a boat lost at sea with the rest of the characters. The waves were, "the hue of slate, save for the tops which were foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea" (Crane 339). Most people know what the sea looks like, but the way Crane describes it is so visual you can actually picture yourself being there, with the waves crashing upon you without mercy, as the little boat sways helplessly. I loved the way that Crane spoke of the sea, speaking of the tide as if it was human. "The particular violence of the sea had ceased. The waves came without snarling" (Crane 348). Being to the ocean, I know how it sometimes feels like the waves have human like power with the amount of force they can thrust things around with. Throughout the story, Crane continues to draw in the reader with his vivid language about the sea, making for a very interesting story.
My favorite part of the story was when Crane spoke of the men hitting the water. "The coldness of the water was sad; it was tragic. This fact was somehow mixed and confused with his opinion of his own situation, so that it seemed almost a proper reason for tears. The water was cold" (Crane 353). Crane could have easily just said the water was cold, but he drew me into the cold water by describing the emotions that came with the water, to let the reader know exactly how the men were feeling. "The Open Boat" was definitely an adventure that I felt like I was part of.

My Avatar

The name of my Avatar is Mackenzie Cooljoke. I tried to keep my name Casey, or use my middle name, and be Casey Ann, but it seems that name is too popular! Since I could not keep my name I went with Mackenzie. I have always loved the name so I figured I would use it. I chose Cooljoke because I like the way the name sounds together.
I was only able to get into Second Life in class for a couple of minutes. I saw Mackenzie's body and could only wish it was mine! I have to figure out how to put on the clothes and everything so I am still very new to it all. Since I can't access Second Life at my house, I will have to wait to use a computer lab to dress Mackenzie up.
I like the idea of keeping the Second Life characters anonymous, this way everyone can feel free to express their thoughts, no matter what they might be, and not have to worry about anyone judging them based on their opinions.
I am very excited to work on my Avatar and see what Mackenzie will be capable of!

"The Story of an Hour"

Kate Chopin's,"The Story of an Hour," was like an emotional roller coaster. I really enjoyed the story, and the way that Chopin was able to put so many emotions into such a short piece. Mrs. Mallard felt guilt, grief, sadness, and freedom, all in just a couple of paragraphs. One of the things I found interesting is the way Chopin uses nature to express Mrs. Mallard's feelings. When Mrs. Mallard first heard of her husbands death, she felt "A storm of death"(Chopin 267).
As Chopin began to gasp the idea that she may now be free, "She could see the open square before her house the tops of the trees aquiver with new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air" (Chopin 267). I loved the way Chopin tied nature into Mrs. Mallards feelings and emotions.

"Paul's Case"

I found William Cather's story "Paul's Case" to be very sad. I hate to think that the young boy killed himself over being different, and not having others accept him in this harsh world. One of the things I found very interesting about the story was Cather's talk about Paul's red carnation in the story. The carnations pop up throughout the story, and seem to be a big part of the ending. I tried to note each time the carnations were mentioned to figure out what Cather was trying to say about them. The narrator spoke up Paul's carnations by saying, "His teachers felt that this afternoon his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and flippantly red carnation flower.."(Cather 203). The carnations are mentioned again after Paul is told by the Principal he could leave, by saying, "His bow was like a repetition of the scandalous red carnation" (Cather 203).
Towards the end of the story, right before Paul commits suicide, the red carnations pop up again. As Paul's senses becoming very aware to everything going on around him, he remembers seeing, "The toothless old woman from whom he had bought the red carnation flowers from in his coat" (Cather 214). These carnations were a symbol of Paul's being different, and that is why he took them wherever he went and wore them in his coat. Right before his death, Paul had noticed a change in his precious flowers. "The carnations in his coat were drooping with cold, he noticed; their red glory over" (Cather 214). Paul then put the carnation into the ground and covered it, as if to keep everything he spent hidden his entire life still a mystery.
This story reminded me of a movie I really enjoyed called "American Beauty." Like the red carnations in Paul's case, the movie had red roses that were shown throughout the movie. At the end of the movie, when the father kills himself, there is a still shot of the roses. The color red was a similarity throughout the too.

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"

I loved the way Mark Twain was able to make the idea of death into something humorous. Twain does this by describing the main character, Jim Smiley's gambling habits as being outrageous and obsessive. He goes so far as so say that Smiley even bet on the death of a man named Parson Walker's wife. After Parson told Smiley that he hoped his wife would make it through her illness, Smiley remarked,"Well, I'll risk two-and-a-half she don't anyway" (Clemens 273.) The thought of someone betting on someone else's death seemed absolutely ridiculous, and made the story absurd and enjoyable at the same time. Twain also used humor to describe Smiley's beloved frog as being, "modest and straightfor'ard as he was, for all he was so gifted" (Clemens 274). I loved the way that Twain was able to give the animals in the story human qualities, and as crazy as it seemed, as the reader, I understood exactly the feelings he was trying to convey about each of the animals in the story.
Similar to Borges, "The Other Duel," I consider both stories to be tall tales. Both stories have that element of humor but I think "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" has a much lighter tone and the story actually makes you feel good. The story's absurd humor had me laughing at things that seemed ridiculous, but almost real at the same time.

"An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge"

The ending of Ambrose Bierce's, "An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge," is the part of the story I could relate to the most. Picturing a loved one with their arms spread open, waiting for you to grasp them, stirs up many emotions for me. The main character, Peyton Farquhar sees his wife in the distance and the narrator explain, "At the bottom of the steps she stands waiting, with a smile of ineffable joy, an attitude of grace and dignity. (Bierce 139). Peyton Farquhar's dream sequence is one that many people have when they picture a loved one and being reunited with them. Although the story has a tragic ending, I am pleased with the thoughts that Peyton had right before he was killed. He was in a happy place, seeing the person he loved the most. Even though Peyton could no longer hold onto his life, the love for his wife was something he could take with him once he passed on.

"The Other Duel"

In Jorge Luis Borges "The Other Duel," there are many lines that stuck out to me as the reader which helped me to better understand the text and what message the narrator was trying to convey. The narrator told of the long standing hatred between the two main characters, Cardoso and Silviera and stated, "Perhaps their only possession in their coarse primitive lives was their hatred, and therefore they saved it and stored it up" (Borges 141). This sentence in the story stood out after I finished reading and I could distinctly remember that one line. The statement opened my eyes to not only hatred between these two men, but opened my eyes up to the hatred we humans feel all the time towards others for reasons that seem so silly when put into perspective. Cardoso and Silviera spent their whole lives hating each other, for reasons which no one seems to be able to figure out. To these two men, it seemed that the hatred they felt was all they had, and they lived every day trying to get ahead of the other in some way. If these men had been real, would they be able to explain there hatred towards one another?