The Kite Runner-background knowledge

I admit I kind of waited to even do the background knowledge until I finished the entire book. I honestly had no idea what this book was about until I got into it, and I MUST say this was by far my favorite! It was hard for me to read though; I had to read just a bit at a time so I could digest it before I would continue. It was like a terrible addiction for me.Every night I would read it, I would sit on my bed and give my sister a summary of what I read because the book made me so emotional! It's kinda pathetic, but I would re-read most chapters before continuing and therefor it took me three weeks to finish it. Nevertheless, I did finish it. Now the background info.
I decided while researching to research the Afghanistan revolution and was somewhat disappointed. Yes I learned that the revolution started in 1978 and went on for 24 years; I learned all about the PDPA, but nothing I read online had the level of emotion the book did. So then I realized that the book took place during the Afghanistan revolution but it wasn't really about it. I then decided to research the author's life in hopes of finding something interesting. I assumed that no writer was good enough to write that kind of raw emotion without having experienced it. As far as I could tell, I was wrong. Khaled Hosseni only witnessed the first part of the revolution and was relocated to France and then moved to America for the rest of his life. He lived more the Afghan-American side of the story. Yet, I am still convinced he must have really made a big mistake in his life to fully understand guilt as described in his book. The pain he described, the torment was so accurate I could not help but feel it as well. But no more of that... I feel that is all the reader really needs to know to begin the book.

The Heart of Darkness- analysis

The Heart of Darkness was a hard read for me, but overall it does have a lot of hidden meaning and symbolism, which I really enjoyed. First, the characters:
Marlow: like I said, Marlow is the Clint Eastwood of the story. He is intelligent, strong, maybe even a little rigid. He's also the middle man. Conrad wanted to teach the dangers of imperialism without being completely blatant, and Marlow allows this to happen. Marlow doesn't necessarily give in to imperialism, but he doesn't outright oppose it. Yet, he relates his story to all that will listen, so he clearly was moved by his story, as Conrad hopes the readers will be. The average reader should be able relate to him.
Kurtz: Kurtz is really the villain of the story, yet he is extremely clever. Marlow often refers to Kurtz as "hallow" (I marked it each time he did.) Hallow almost seems like a bad thing, but to me it seemed more like a mask. Kurtz seems to have no true identity. Therefore, he could be anybody. I think Conrad wanted to show that when it comes to imperialism, anyone can be the villian.

Now I have to discuss the title of this short story; I basically think it is brilliant. It took me awhile to understand it though. The heart is the "core" of a human, just as darkness is the "core" of imperialism. Though a heart, even consumed in darkness, still continues to beat and to live, the same applies to imperialism. Though so many suffer, a few benefit. Imperialism centers around helping the dominant, white male and though the heart is consumed in darkness, it continues to beat.

Annotating:
So I read Mrs. White's blog and liked how she underlined the words about darkness, so I did that. I underlined the synonyms of darkness in pencil, and I underlined my favorite quotes in pen. The other books I read, I tried to use a specific annotating structure, but for this short story, it didn't seem to be about the character development or word choice as much as the overall effect Conrad wanted to leave with the reader. Conrad uses a few strong phases for emotional effect, and those are the quotes I would underline, the quotes that tug on the heart-strings just a little bit.

The Heart of Darkness- summary

I really didn't understand the plot for quite some time; okay, to be honest, I'm still not sure I really know what happened in this short story. I fell asleep like four times just in the first chapter. Basically, I felt like I was drowning in description. But then I reached page 14 (after 2 weeks, mind you) and then I was reading the part where Marlow was describing the slaves and I finally started to get into it. It's not exactly the plot I got into, but more the themes and just a few phrases I really liked. So behind the verbose, extremely eloquent paragraphs, a plot does indeed exist! The narrator of this book is unknown, but the main character is Marlow. He's basically the Clint Eastwood of the story. He begins to tale his tale of the Congo river. He describes how he became captain and travels to Africa to see the cruelty the white man brings upon the native settlers. His boat then needs repairs and he begins to learn of a man named Kurtz who many people seem to be afraid of. So Marlow and his crew are traveling through the jungle and are attacked by some natives. He then finds that Kurtz convinced a bunch of natives he was a God. Marlow stays with Kurtz for a while and he entrusts Marlow with a bunch of personal documents. Basically, there was a pamphlet that said, "Exterminate the Brutes." Kurtz is the real bad guy of the story. All I can say is the plot is much less exciting than the analysis.

The Heart of Darkness- background knowledge

The short story, The Heart of Darkness was written by Joseph Conrad. He was Polish by birth, but learned English at the age of 21 and became a British citizen. Like any other famous author, Conrad's life wasn't perfect. His mother died when he was young, he was sent away from his family, he struggled with gambling addictions and he was a sailor, which is a transgression in itself. He lived in the late 1800's, at the peak of imperialism. A time where Britain, as well as other dominant nations including our own, were taking over native's land for resources. Experts argue when this concept arose, but many argue it was around the time of the slave trade that imperialism reached the modern world. Imperialism was like a virus; soon it wasn't just resources they could claim, but the entire land belonged to them, as long they could conquer the "savages" that were native settlers. Conrad was another bitter writer. Like Fitzgerald, he wrote about the clash of new and old ways. Also like Fitzgerald, the main character is not the narrator of the story. I think he wanted readers to see the effects of imperialism, but wasn't bold enough to make the readers feel as though it was their fault and they were influencing the new mindset. Perhaps, he didn't want to think of it as his fault either. It is easier to lay the blame and act as though you were just a symptom.

The Great Gatsby- analysis

Now that the plot has been established, I will begin my analysis. First, the characters.
Nick Carraway- Nick is the alter-ego of Fitzgerald. He is the kind of person Fitzgerald wishes he was. He observes the moral decay, yet does not entirely yield to it. In the end, he walks away from it; what Fitzgerald could not do. Although he really is not the main character, he is the narrator because he is not consumed in either lifestyles: West or East egg.
Jay Gatsby- Gatsby is the most intricate of all the characters. He has an entire facade created to mask his ultimate lameness. Gatsby is an extrovert and an introvert at the same time; he just wants everything too much, yet he is so afraid to seem weak; he even had Jordan ask Nick about tea for him, because he didn't want to seem overzealous and well... human. He thought because he had this new lifestyle, he should be above human weakness, including emotion. He grew up poor and despised it, mainly because it cost him is greatest love. Perhaps he was once a moral, decent chap but those days were behind him. He became wealthy at any cost. It appeared he was charming and glamorous, but really he was a hopeless romantic who truly believed once he obtained a fortune, Daisy would run to him and his life would be complete. He is almost naive; with all credulity he assumes that the fates are designed to please him. He is also egotistical. He often says things like, "My house looks good from here, right?" He gloats in his facade because it makes him feel safe. He has been the insecure, poor boy his whole life and for once he wants to be the one others envy. Fitzgerald is also similar to Gatsby, but I don't think he enjoys being similar to him, which is maybe one of the reasons he killed him off in the end.
Daisy Buchanan- If there is a character in this book who I actually liked, Daisy wouldn't be it. I think she is so petty and annoying, but when I really started thinking about it, her character makes complete sense. Daisy never felt she had control of her life. She was never appreciated by anyone for anything besides beauty and elegance. She sucked into a life of propriety. I think she really wanted to live for love, yet she did not have the willpower to resist marrying for money; her love for security consumes her. I think she completely gave up; she knew she could not be more than a typical housewife, and only felt appreciated when she acted insolent and careless. When she acted careless, it made her forget. She has no self respect. Despite Tom's unfaithfulness, she wouldn't leave him in fear of living a life where she actually has to work hard and figure out what she actually wants. When Gatsby reappears, Daisy seems to think she can have the best of both worlds. She wants to be a hopeless romantic, but can't get rid of the safety net.
Jordan Baker- Though Jordan isn't really a main character, she is basically an idiom of the 20's. Jordan is reckless, careless, independent and frankly, I actually really like her. She always seems to fit in the both the new and old lifestyles. Nick and her obviously didn't work out, mostly because they were polar opposites. But I really think Jordan created a facade as well; I don't think she wasn't as popular growing up. I think she has a need for attention that consumes her. She is famous and glamorous, but on the inside I think she despises what she has become, similar to Fitzgerald.
Myrtle Wilson- Yet another character who represents Fitzgerald! Myrtle totally gave in to the moral decay, and what did she get? She ended up dead! The poor girl is truly pathetic. Her character really represents the majority in the Jazz Age; true, most were unethical, but only a few ended up as the infamous Gatsby. Most were like Myrtle, or Fitzgerald, a lot of booze and not so much success.
The Valley of Ashes- though a valley is totally not a character, it's much cooler than any of them. When you scrape away the glitz and glamor of the Jazz Age, you get The Valley of Ashes: a cold, hard, numb and constant pain. The Valley of Ashes is a darkness that consumed everyone; it's the tattered heart beneath the smile.

Overall, most of the novel was set up simply for the ending. It's like the first 120 pages are basically an appetizer and then we get to the steak and mash potatoes in the last fifty, sixty pages. Once Gatsby has obtained his fortune, he feels obligated to win the love of his life. Seeing as Nick hooked them up, things are going pretty well for him. Gatsby finally has Daisy, well, kind of. Gatsby really doesn't understand why Daisy won't leave Tom. Everything was supposed to work out; he had the money, the connections, the society, the house, the parties. He had everything and it still wasn't enough. He had everything that comes with moral decay: false happiness, temporal wealth and it wasn't enough. He really can't comprehend it. Fitzgerald was just trying to say when you give into the temptations of the modern world, you still won't be happy. Though everyone around you seems as happy as can be, they aren't happy either. When the morals decay, true happiness decays as well. Plus, you may end up dead in your swimming pool. Basically the next time the government says don't drink, listen. But more seriously, Fitzgerald is completely bitter about the way he and those around him cannot resist the exciting, unethical ways of the Jazz Age; thus in the end of this novel, it doesn't work out for anyone who gave in and he realizes it won't work for him either.

The Great Gatsby- summary

Honestly, I never really thought the summary was that important, but I guess in order to get into the analysis one needs to understand the plot of the book. The Great Gatsby begins with Nick Carraway, the narrator of the book, moving from the Midwest to New York to become a broker. He finds himself a small place to rent in the East Egg, next to a Gothic mansion with a mysterious owner who throws the biggest parties in town, Jay Gatsby. Nick has connections in West Egg, mainly his cousin and her husband, Tom and Daisy Buchanan. He visits them and is introduced to the famous golfer, Jordan Baker. Nick is shocked to learn that Tom is having an affair, one he doesn't even try to conceal. Tom takes Nick to meet his woman, Myrtle Wilson. They go out to town together and Nick becomes drunk for the first time. Nick is invited to a party at the Gatsby residence and becomes acquainted with Gatsby. No one at the party really seems to know Gatsby; some think he's a murderer, others think he was a German spy. The next day Jordan and Nick go out to lunch and Jordan explains that Gatsby fell in love with Daisy a long time ago and wants to have tea with her at Nick's house. Nick and Gatsby also have lunch and Gatsby explains to Nick his identity, which Nick accepts, but doesn't necessarily believe. Nevertheless, Daisy comes to tea and is shocked to see Gatsby. He shows her around his mansion, dragging Nick along. Gatsby and Daisy begin to have an affair. Of course Tom becomes suspicious, and is furious to think she wouldn't be faithful to him, despite his affair. Gatsby comes to the Buchanan house for lunch and it is evident to Tom that Gatsby and Daisy are in love. Tom confronts Gatsby, and Gatsby tells Tom and Daisy is so in love with him and never was in love with him. Daisy was there at the time and was confused, saying she did love Tom, but not anymore. Both men are offended, and Nick's just awkwardly around. Then driving back to the Buchanan's house in two cars, Tom finds his lover Myrtle has been hit by a car. Getting a description of the car from a witness, Tom realizes it was Gatsby's car. He informs Myrtle's husband the killer must have been Gatsby. Gatsby informs Nick that Daisy was the driver, but he intends to take full responsibly. Mr. Wilson, Daisy's husband, comes to Gatsby's mansion and shoots Gatsby into his pool, and then overwhelmed, he shoots himself. Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby and only one other person shows up. Tom and Daisy escape to Europe and Nick moves back to the Midwest, to escape the moral decay of the East. It's really a fantastic ending.

The Great Gatsby- background knowledge

I chose to read "The Great Gatsby" first because, to be honest, I have already read this in an previous English class. The only part I really enjoyed about the book was the ending, but we'll get to that later. "The Great Gatsby" was first written in 1925, the middle of the Prohibition Era, also known and "The Jazz Age." F. Scott Fitzgerald was a writer of the "Lost Generation." (Basically a group of cynical writers with terrible lives who use irony or satire to describe the decay of morals in modern culture, even though they were utterly immoral themselves.) Fitzgerald emulates what I would assume to be the typical life of a "Great American Author;" he graduated college, went to war, had marital problems, found himself in debt more often than not, only had tastes of success, was an alcoholic. Pretty typical for a writer of the turn of the century. WWI really changed a lot of young men. They left a world of extreme traditional Paradox values, and came home to find tremendous controversy of ethics. The girls they left behind turned out to be libertines, following the new Flapper trends. I think Fitzgerald was bitter because he truly despised the lack of morality, and yet he found himself submerged in the very thing he stood against, which was the hidden meaning of the quote on pg. 2, "Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." Fitzgerald was only as strong as his main character, Nick; he could not rise above the very thing he despised. I think Fitzgerald partially created an alter ego in Nick. Nick was "in between" when it came to the old and new ways, yet he found himself being as unlawful as the average guy in the time of Prohibition. In the end, Nick was still a good person and I do believe Fitzgerald still believed he had some decency in his disposition, despite his addictions and struggles. "The Great Gatsby" shows the decay of morals in everyone, whether of the old ways or new; it shows the irony of how in a world without ethics, the happiness or merriment is temporal, and in the end, only bitterness remains.