Monday, January 5, 2015
Conrad, Chopin, and Gogol
The three authors we read over the Christmas break are distinctively different from one another. Conrad, with Polish roots, has provided a journey into the depth of the human soul in his Heart of Darkness. Chopin, a female author from the south, grew up in St. Louis and was of Irish and French dissent. Gogol, born in the Ukraine, was a great satirist. All of these authors were born in the early to mid 19th centuries, wrote with specific styles, and had works that have become classics in the 21st century. In this blog, take a journey with these authors as though you have become personal friends of each. What is it specifically that you like or dislike about each? What is it you have learned from them?
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If Gogol, Joseph Conrad, and Kate Chopin were still alive today, I feel like I'd personally get along with Gogol and Joseph Conrad because of their characteristics of themselves portrayed in their books. Kate Chopin however I feel would either be someone I could stand/tolerate, or someone who's so out there it would be unreal. Allow me to explain my reasonings behind these classifications simply based of their novels/short stories.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Conrad and I share some characteristics in the shape of ideals and writing styles. I personally love to travel to far away lands realistic, or fictional. This simple idea is how I form a connection between us, but his writing style is what intrigues me the most. He writes of his travels, and the various places he visited as a mariner. More importantly he wrote about the corruption of the world, which shows a very pessimistic view of the world. This is where him an I could get along very well. When I first began writing I wrote of nothing but depression, corruption, or anything happy for that matter. Together our views could expose thing that people might've never truly considered. Of course this is merely hopeful thinking on my part, but it is an idea that came to mind while reading his novella, Heart of Darkness. However, Gogol and I would get along on a completely different aspect or idea.
I just have this feeling that Nikolai Gogol was a wisecrack in his days of his youth. After reading his short stories such as; Diary of a Madman, The Nose, and The Overcoat, I get a sense of him just being very creative also. All three of his stories just made me laugh and ask myself how he came up with the concepts of these stories. This is where him and I would connect, he'd be like that one crazy friend we all know who does the most outlandish things. His creativity is obviously abundant and completely free range. I just can't help but marvel at what he has done with the concepts of a journal, a nose, and an overcoat all in his mind. I mean he pulled some concepts/plots that I would've never thought up in my wildest day dreams. Although I truly enjoyed reading his stories, I feel that he sometimes would just go off on random tangents if not focused on a specific task. It would kinda be like he had ADHD, or he was very "active minded". By "active minded I mean he wouldn't stop thinking on other projects, like he would work on something but always be ready to pop out a brand new idea. This small characteristic makes me wonder if he did have something wrong with him or if he truly was this brilliant. These are the reasons for why I feel Gogol and I would get along quite well, but I don't know how Kate Chopin and I would get along.
For some reason I can't seem to find common ground with Kate Chopin. Her novel "The Awakening" I found very inspiring to break free and let the real me come out. But it was more of in the heat of the moment phases. For some reason I can't seem to see her as a friend that I'd personally hang out with. I can only see a relationship like we tolerate each other, or that fresh sense of a break up between a couple. Now I'm not saying I'd date her just that is kinda the relationship I'd see, more along the lines of tolerated acquaintances. But I did thoroughly did enjoy her shot novel "The Awakening" it's not something I'm overly fond of. Simply because after I finished I had more questions than answers. That might simply be because it was the unabridged version of the entire novel, but I wish it wouldn't have left so many unexplained parts. For example, what happened to her kids, did her husband ever come back to Louisiana, did Robert ever get over her, was her body ever found. All of these kinds of questions flooded my mind seeking answers that Kate couldn't provide. Also the ending to me just seemed so surreal in comparison to rest of the story. I just couldn't get over it was like she sought to find an easy ending to her problems.
DeleteIn the end, Nikolai and Joseph I think I'd be very good friends, but I don't know about Kate. Nikolai' crazy ideas and sense of humor is what would be our mutual connection as friends. While Joseph and I would have mutual interest in travel and telling stories of those far off places. Also our pessimistic views of the world could possibly be another point on mutual connection between the two of us. Then Kate I have no clue how we would be mutually connected. Like I explained above her and I would probably be just acquaintances nothing more nothing less.
Devyn,
DeleteI think that you were right about you getting along with a person like Conrad or Gogol but not being particularly drawn to Chopin. When I began to read your blog I connected you with Gogol in my mind because I remember how you would read us crazy pieces in creative writing and then confess that you wrote them in a dream-like state late at night. I feel as if both you and Gogol write in a way that is deeply influenced by emotions and experience. However, I agree that you would get along with Conrad because of how vivid "Heart of Darkness" was. When I read it I felt as if I was deep within the Congo and that is similar to the way you often create something totally unrealistic and make it appear possible.
When I first considered why you would not connect with Chopin I thought that it might be because her novel centered around a female. However, after reading your blog I realized that her novel was about more than that. It was about "break[ing] free" as you said. So then I considered why you would not be compatible with her because you are very good at expressing yourself and I agree with your "heat of the moment" comment. You are very thoughtful where as Chopin comes off as quick thinking and impulsive where you are more considerate and pensive, as I imagine Conrad would be. You did a nice job with your blog and considering the personalities of the authors in conjunction with your own. Good work!
Devyn,
DeleteThis was an interesting blog. I have to say that I really enjoy this assignment because through it I will be able to learn more about our class through the way we connect with the authors we read. While we learn a lot about each other in class through our analyses, I think that we also learn a lot from assignments like this too. Your blog was really intriguing, because I didn't feel the same way about the authors as you did for some of them. However, because I had the opportunity to see reasons why you either were drawn to or didn't like authors I learned more about them. I agree with Ann on her comment about how Chopin is more impulsive while you sometimes are not necessarily reserved, but more like you think about your response and actions. However, I feel that I am quite impulsive sometimes, which is why I think I would really like her. But I also thought she was very strong, and I was drawn to that too. I was not bothered by the ending of her novel, because I was never really concerned with the other characters. I think I was able to focus on only Edna, and I can see where worrying about the loose ends would bother you.
I like how you described your thoughts on Gogol. I believe I felt the same way, that he would be very impulsive but in a silly, odd way in which he was always coming close with trouble. He just seemed like a really cool person, and I think that you two share some characteristics. While I never have really been party to your creative writing works, I think that I understand what Ann says. Plus, some of the opinions you have are very creative and unusual, which I think parallels you with Gogol. You and I had different opinions on Joseph Conrad. To me, while he was still extremely interesting, he did not hold the same appeal for me as the other two did, or at least not at the same level. However, after reading your blog, I M no longer really able to put them into any sort of order by preference.
This was a great blog!
Devyn, I can see how you think that you would get along with Gogol and Conrad better. I have to agree when taking into consideration your personality and what I obtained about theirs. I’m glad you explained your reasoning behind your comment about Kate Chopin because I thought you were going to completely disagree with what she stood for, and I was going to call you out on it. I never really thought of connecting with Conrad in the sense of loving to travel. I do, however, now see what you mean and have a new level of understanding and actually like him a little better than I did when just thinking about him in the sense of “The Heart of Darkness”. You used creative to describe Gogol. As much as I love to agree that he was creative in his writings of the three short stories we read over Christmas break, I like to think there is a stronger word that describes him besides just creative. I mean I’ve been told I’m a creative person but I could never think up anything like two dogs sending love letters back and forth to each other and actually making it make sense in a story line. I never really thought about “The Awakening” as you described it: “heat of the moment phases”. I mean, I can definitely see where you’re coming from and even though I don’t really agree with that statement, I like that you stepped out of the box when analyzing her and her novel. I’m glad you discovered a friendship between two of the authors and want to say good work on your blog!
DeleteThree sat in the nearly empty coffee shop with a fourth table ready for me. I did not join them at first. Instead I observed the strange trio – a Polish sailor, a French-Irish female, and a Ukrainian satirist. The sailor was brooding over his black coffee. He gazed into the distance as if it troubled him, occasionally murmuring a response to the female. She spoke animatedly over her coffee – one cream, no sugar. The wild passion in her eyes was only softened by the sly comments that the satirist made with a quirky smirk. The sailor blinked every time he satirist made the female laugh as if he was suddenly aware of his surroundings, but with a sip of his coffee he would sink back into his deep thoughts. As I approached the table the female banged her fist against the table fervently. The satirist chuckled gently but without real amusement and scribbled something done on a napkin as the sailor’s coffee was splashed by the woman’s action.
ReplyDeleteI reached for a handful of napkins and held them out to the sailor. He greeted me with a ghost of a smile and waved off the napkins. The female stood to embrace me and the satirist nodded his head to me. I took my seat across from the female with the sailor on my left and the satirist on my right. The three would not have been found together if not by my request. However, they all had something in common. Each was an author and, although one would not immediately guess, their works were now well renowned despite the fact that they were not initially. It is important to say that the way I have described them reflects on their greatest works.
The sailor was the author of “Heart of Darkness,” a novel that reflects upon the time he spent in the Belgium Congo and the horrors he experienced. His name was Joseph Conrad. Like Conrad, “Heart of Darkness” silently reflects upon the dark forces that are at work within the human mind. The female was the author of “The Awakening,” one of the first novels to address the discontent a woman may feel in her marriage and in her life. Her name was Kate Chopin. One could say she was something of a feminist; however, it would be more accurate to say that her book illustrated her understanding of the pressures each person experiences in life through society and relationships. The satirist was the author of several short stories including “The Nose,” “Diary of a Madman,” and his most popular “The Overcoat.” As he, Nikolai Gogol, was a satirist, his novels often made fun of current issues such as the bureaucracy he witnessed during his time as a clerk. There was a certain unsettling air about that was reflected in the way he spoke, the way he smiled, and the way he wrote. His thoughts and words were often nonsensical, but if one paid enough attention they could find a deep meaning buried in the insanity of Gogol.
The three of them were slightly compatible despite their personal oddities and extreme personalities. Gogol, with his witty and sarcastic comments, brought out both the humorous and zealous sides of Chopin, although he occasionally drove her into long monologues that could have put a man to sleep. Chopin and Gogol had little effect on Conrad due to his pensive nature which they each found rude at points but learned to ignore when he offered his occasional advice that was well worth the wait. Chopin was either amused or aggravated by Gogol who seemed to never have anything logical to say and often appeared to be mocking her. But even she could not overlook the blatant truth behind some of his words. Meeting with them was like experiencing the collision of worlds. As they sat there – the sailor, the female, and the satirist – there personalities and motives were only enhanced by the presence of the others. They unintentionally drew out the deepest qualities that they each expressed through their own writings and built upon them, sharing their experiences and inspiring one another with their distinct personalities.
Ann,
DeleteThis was such an amazing approach to this week's blog, and I absolutely love it! I liked the way you introduced the authors, providing insight into their personalities that reflect their literary work. I chuckled a bit when I read your final paragraph when you wrote that Chopin would give a monologue so boring that it could put anyone to sleep. I sometimes felt that way during The Awakening when she would talk. She just seemed a little bland at times. Gogol's craziness in his writings would certainly be aided by his sense of humor, even though he was always trying to point out flaws in society. Conrad is definitely pensive, and I think that since his personality reflected in his work I did not like Heart of Darkness like I had hoped to. This was a very creative take on the blog, and I always enjoy reading your perspective on things, Ann. Overall, this was a fantastic blog. Keep up the great work!
Ann, I am so happy to see that I am not the only one who went about the topic in a creative manor, writing a story. Granted, ours were completely different, but you know what I mean.
DeleteThis was beautiful! I noticed when we were in creative writing last year that you are amazing at describing detail. I could imagine the entire scene in my head.... This is slightly off topic, but now that I am thinking about creative writing... Would this classify as a fan fiction? Because I think you could and should submit it as one!
Anyway, I love how you ended your little story with the description that "meeting with them was like experiencing the collision of worlds." That is exactly how I felt reading the books! Each one contrasted so differently and then when you compare the three to the "world" we live in today... wow. I also love how yoyo said that they "were only enhanced by the presence of others." Rather than one of the books overshadowing the other, each one made you appreciate the other a little bit more. Excellent blog, Ann! This is surely one you should be proud of.
Whenever I find a new novel to read, I always feel as if doing this gives me some kind of connection with the writer. Now it' snot an overly intimate relationship where we go out for brunch and share all of our secrets. But rather, I feel like I am able to understand their views on certain subjects because I have this insight into their opinions through their novel. With the novels and short stories that we have read over the last few weeks, there is a new understanding that each of us has gained about the authors. One thing that all of these authors have the ability to do, however, is to make the reader see new insights into whatever subject on which the author was writing. Even if they had been writing about the flux in gas prices I believe I still would have been interested. They each would have written it in their own unique way and captivated our attention.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite of these three authors is hard to choose. While I enjoyed Cronad's work and writing style, I felt a deeper connection with Katie Chopin. But despite this, I really enjoyed the satire and critical aspects of the short stories of Nikolai Gogol. Nikolai, to me, seems like the kind of individual who eternally was that child in school who had everyone in stitches with their stories and jokes. However, he was also extremely smart, often turning his jokes into moral lessons commenting on the government or other problems through his satirical nature. He would most likely have often been seen as odd or eccentric, telling stories where dogs talk and write letters or where noses magically become detached and reattached. His eccentricities made him famous, maybe much later than he would have hoped, and with quite a lot more obstacles than anyone would ask for. But, through reading about his life and works, I learned something from him. His works and life taught me that while sometimes the words that we have to say might be in the form of satire, with the intent to make people laugh, they can still be serious and expressive of our opinions. We must use our words to express ourselves despite the obstacles we might face.
Katie Chopin was an extremely interesting woman and writer. Her works were so outrageous to people of her time that they were even banned in some places due to the ideas that they presented. To me, Katie Chopin is the kind of friend I've always wanted. She is willing to speak her mind, is strong in her opinions, and does not have any concern with how society sees her. To be able to write a book that expressed such desires for freedom from society during a time when society ruled life, shows extreme strength and intelligence on her part. The amazing symbolism and themes that she incorporated into her novel make her seem like a woman who always knew how to say things in just such a way as to present an opinion in a light manner but still holding weight and drawing people to think about her words. The fact that her novel was considered risqué for around a century until it gained popularity really shows just how masterful her works are. She teaches that everyone has the strength to express themselves.
Joseph Conrad's life had a great influence on his writings. As a child he was very drawn to those places on the map that were still undiscovered. However, he was kind of discouraged from following these interests until he finally became a captain of a steamboat. This is much like Marlow in Heart of Darkness. He followed his passions even when danger told him to turn back. I was intrigued by his life story and believe that if I had known him in real life he would have been inspiring and always making me wish that I could have such marvelous and terrifying adventures like he has. His stories are just so compelling, leaving the reader with a completely new idea about whatever the subject is that he is writing about.
It started out like any average day. I woke up, showered, and got ready for the same day as the last. I was walking down the street when I saw someone walking in the opposite direction towards me. I moved over so there was enough room for us to cross paths. I had this funny feeling in my gut when we passed each other. This man that passed me was not dressed from this century. He wore a long overcoat that you would see someone wear if they were from the 1800s. He didn't look like a man from this area either. I brushed it off. A few minutes later I passed a second man with the same kind of attire, but had a mustache and was younger than the first man. I thought I was going mad. At this point, I was confused and just wanted to get to school. I passed another person. This time it was a woman in a long dress. She was around the same age as the second man I passed. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone as my eyes followed the woman. When I turned around to finish my adventure to school all three of them stood in front of me.
ReplyDeleteThey just stared at me like I should have recognized them. After a while, it hit me. The first man I saw was Nikolai Gogol, the second Joseph Conrad, and the woman was Kate Chopin. I think they saw the realization in my eyes because Gogol smiled like a madman, Conrad twitched as if suppressing a smile, and Chopin smiled how a lady should not smile. Chopin grabbed my hand and led me to her fantasy world. I was able to see visit the world where all her stories were alive. She took me to "The Awakening." It was like watching a movie. Kate wanted to know how I felt women should be treated and how they should act. I told her that "women should be strong in who they are, even if the situation they are placed in is difficult. Women should be treated as equals, but I think the difference between our physical strengths should be recognized by men." She smiled at me with satisfaction as we returned to the two other men. Nikolai was the next to pull me into his mind. It was amazing; like being in Wonderland. I did not want to leave. He did not ask me any question nor did he talk all that much. I liked him. He was crazy, and his world kept him sane.
The last world I visited was Conrad's. One may think his world would be full of darkness and evil, but I saw a lot of hope while I was there. Although Conrad had experienced the darkness in the hearts of many humans, he still hoped that the world could one day change. At one point, I looked at hi with shock. There was a lot of pain in those eyes that refused to look at me. I caught sight of a tear rolling down his cheek. He was the strongest of the three authors. He hoped to change the world with his short stories. I felt for him. I reached over and hugged him. He went stiff, but then eased into my embrace by hugging me back. He hugged me like I was the last bit of hope in the world. It made me wonder if anyone had ever thought about asking about his pain and suffering. I doubt it. He was a man, and men in the 1800s were treated different than men now. Conrad was not allowed to show his pain, but only a stern face that covered any feeling towards his adventures. He was a broken man, and my hug helped him piece some of himself back together.
I woke up with a puddle of drool by my mouth. I laughed at my weird dream, but I had a new perspective on life. There was something about each author that I liked, but Conrad is who I liked the most. He had so much to tell the world. He reminded me of a grandfather that tells his life story while a child sits in his lap. Although Nikolai and I both have our crazy sides, and Kate and I both have similar views on what a woman should be like. Joseph was the only one that I could not relate. I didn't know what it felt like to go through life miserable with only little hope for change. All their stories meant something to me, but Conrad's probably changed my life the most. Although I did not care for his story, he was the one to change me.
Kaitlin,
DeleteWhat an excellent blog! This was really creative and I think that your description of your encounters with these authors really gave me a better perspective into the opinions that you had with the authors. I loved how you passed them on your to school as you walked your way there. Your story has a feeling of surrealism, which I appreciate because I feel like that is the setting for these three individuals. It was intriguing how you were pulled into each of their worlds, and that was how you showed your connection with each of them. Kate Chopin's world sounds awesome, and I would have liked to be able to go there too. I like how you just described Gogol's world as crazy, but that it's craziness was how he stayed sanity.
Finally, your comments on Joseph Conrad were awesome and thought provoking. It was really interesting to see how you thought of him. I really liked that you said how he wishes that the world would be better. Once you mentioned it, I definitely got the grandpa vibe from his as well. While none of us can really comprehend the things that he is saying through his writings, due to our lack experience in such circumstances, I definitely felt drawn to him and his stories, wishing that I would have had those adventures.
This was a great blog Kaitlin!
Kaitlin,
DeleteThis was creative and insightful. It clearly illustrated the way that you perceived the authors. I liked that you gave them each their own individual turn at introducing you to their world. My favorite part was when you said that Chopin "smiled how a lady should not smile." That really captured her for me. Of course, when you said that Gogol "smiled like a madman" it was a nice allusion to the title of his short story, "Diary of a Madman." I noticed that you spent extra time with Conrad. Did you like him best? I found your description of him to be best, maybe because you spent so much time on him. However, I feel like you "learned" the most, so to say, from Conrad as an author. I especially enjoyed the idea of hope that you took from him because that is one of the most important parts of his writing - without hope he would just write dark stories. I wish you had talked a little more about Gogol and his satire. He is always poking fun at or mocking something for a reason. However, you did illustrate what we all perceived - Gogol's somewhat strange and spontaneous ideas. You did a good job with this blog, it was a pleasure to read!
I’m not going to lie, I was not very excited to read the two novels and three short stories over Christmas break. When I started reading them, however, I realized that just maybe they all wouldn’t be as bad as I had imagined. I remember telling Dr. Pam in the email we had to respond to over break that I was not very fond of “Heart of Darkness” as well as not being sure how I felt about Gogol and “The Awakening” as well. Looking back now, I realize can tell that it was more the storylines that I grew to like rather than the distinct writing styles. Having to write the biographies on the authors provided ta better understanding for me of the differences in their styles.
ReplyDeleteKate Chopin, as we know, wrote “The Awakening”. This was my favorite novel we had to read over the break. I am not quite sure what drew me in, but something did and I fell in love with the story. Chopin grew up in the United States and I believe this helped me to relate to her. Because the fact that she lived in the same country as I do, it made it easier to understand the past and situations leading up to and happening during the plot because we learned about things such as females not having as many rights throughout my years in schooling. I felt a connection with Chopin first because we are both females and secondly because I have occasionally faced similar struggles to what she has faced. By saying I do not mean being a possession of another human, but by feeling as if I need to break free and find myself.
I do not have a whole lot to say about Joseph Conrad because I did not find myself as attached to him as I did the other two authors. I learned that he is a fantastic author who had no fear when it came to writing about the human being and its believe and trust in another. “Heart of Darkness” was a thrilling tail that left me on the edge of my seat while reading. Although I couldn’t feel a strong pull with Conrad, I felt one with Marlow, the protagonist his novel. The determination and thought process he possessed reminded me very often of myself. I said that I wasn’t a big fan of Joseph Conrad, but that could simply be because I have only ever read one of his pieces. If he taught me anything it’s the you cannot judge someone for what you see on the surface or what one person tells you about them. Because of this, I am planning on reading more of Conrad’s works in the hope of having my opinions changed.
Nikolai Gogol; where do I begin? He faced many struggles when it came to his writings, but he never allowed that to deter him from continuing. Although I believe that he is a genius when it comes to creativity, I also ponder the possibility that something happened to him in reality and because of those things, he wrote such strange stories like “The Diary of a Mad Man.” Besides his strange thoughts portrayed in said story, he also wrote a heartfelt one; “The Overcoat”. I’m not really sure what category “The Nose” would fall under because that short story is just something in itself. Gogol taught me to never give up with anything I love no matter what everyone around me says because those things describe who I am as an individual.
Kate Chopin, Joseph Conrad, and Nikolai Gogol are three amazing authors that all have unique styles and ways about them that help describe who they are to their readers. Even though they all wrote and published their works around the same time, the three are completely different from one another. Because of this fact, I think it was a great idea to combine their works and make us read them over break. By comparing all three authors and their works, I learned to never allow someone to act as if they have possession over me and to find whatever it is that sets me free from reality, to never judge someone simply off of the rumors I hear from others, and to never give up on my passions because someone else says they’re not worth it. These three incredible authors exposed me to a whole new branch of thoughts and I am so glad I got to experience them.
Jessica,
DeleteFirst off, great blog this week. You go into depth about each author, which allows me to see what you really think about them. I especially like what Gogol taught you. I never really thought about his bravery in his individuality and freedom in writing could make us feel like we should not be scared of what people think of us. It is just funny to think about because teachers always ask what we learn from a book. Our responses are what the moral taught us, not what the creativity taught us. I love that you included that.
You mentioned that "The Awakening" is your favorite story we read over break. It was mine, too. I felt like I could relate to Edna in some way, which I guess allows me to relate to Chopin. Most authors write on emotions and ideas. I always saw Edna and Chopin, as being stuck in the quicksand of time. I am terrified of reaching that point in my life. I never want to feel like what I am doing is not good enough. They taught me to do what makes me happy, and what makes free (what you mention). Great job! I really enjoyed your blog!
Forgive me if I am wrong, but I viewed this prompt to be somewhat of a creative writing challenge. Unlike the majority of our blogs, I am going into this one with a creative mindset rather than analytical one, so bear with me.
ReplyDeleteWatching them talk was like watching a movie. As romantic as the boys were trying to be, I couldn’t help but laugh. Gogol was looking for an escape, and Conrad was looking for an adventure. Somehow, they both found what they were looking for when they looked into the southern sweetheart’s eyes. Chopin was my best friend, and ironically not looking for a relationship. Although she had to be the perfect little lady, and would entertain both of the boys attempts while casually brushing them off. Every situation left me laughing and wishing I had her grace, as she dodged their advances in such a graceful way.
Conrad went about trying to obtain her attention in a classic way. He bought her flowers and he walked her through the halls despite the amount of times Chopin had said she was capable of walking alone. Conrad didn't care, he said he was a gentleman and would never leave her to walk alone. Perhaps he thought she was playing hard to get? Gogol was more outgoing. He left notes on her locker and would sneak out of class to go and visit her, although she assured him that she had her own lessons to learn. Gogol was all over the place. Even the multiple detentions he received for his outlandish acts couldn't stop him.
I myself had tried to tell Conrad and Gogol that Chopin wasn’t interested in them myself. Conrad and Gogol were my good friends as well and of course I didn’t want to see any of them getting hurt. But again, I couldn't help but laugh when Conrad tried to convince me that he knew the precise way to navigate into her heart of darkness and prove that there was a burring love for him in there. Meanwhile Gogol is sitting across from the table talking about how he can use his dog as a spy to find out more ways he can win Chopin over and scribbling on a piece of paper something that looks like a coat.. or maybe a nose. I don’t know, they're crazy but they sure are mad for her.
At our most recent girls night, Chopin and I couldn't stop laughing over the boys while we devoured an entire box of chocolate truffles. She told me of their most recent encounters, which may have been the funniest of all. Both boys had recently joined both the swim team she competed on as well as her painting class. She said Gogol was an excellent painter! his paintings were so abstract and original, everyone loved his creativity. However, He couldn’t swim to save his life. He basically just splashed around in the water. And then Conrad, he figured out how to do the most difficult dives and swimming strokes in no time! He is so observant and analytical though that he cannot create abstract for the life of him. However, his landscapes are picture perfect. We laughed and gossiped some more, and when I told Chopin that the boys were never going to give up, she smiled, rolled her eyes, and in her southern accent said “then they're in for a rude awakening.”
Felicia,
DeleteLol! This is great! The allusions you used in the third and very last sentence is the icing on the cake. It has hilarious. You mentioned that Kate Chopin would be your best friend, and knowing you that is very accurate. You two are very similar with your way of life. The way you describe Conrad and Gogol is interesting. Conrad has a realist way of writing, and Gogol has an abstract way of writing. I think you were on point when you used art to describe them.
Going back to Chopin and your relationship, from just reading "The Awakening" and from writing a biography on her I think she had very strong opinions on the way women should act. Knowing you, I think you both would agree on almost everything. The other night we had a discussion if love is real or not. Just from "The Awakening," I think I would have a hard time convincing the both of you that love is real. Even though I was able to sway Sophie's opinion I do not think I swayed your's. Thank God we are not actually friends with Kate because that would be a struggle. Haha. Good work! I love it!
Felicia,
DeleteWow, just wow. You took this blog to the next level and I admire you for that. Your creativity certainly sparkled this weekend! Your whole idea of explaining the different authors by their ways of either trying to get the girl or gracefully avoiding their romantic woos is genius. I can honestly say I laughed while reading your second paragraph, especially when you said that Gogol tended to leave little notes on Chopin's locker. Conrad would definitely be the gentlemen type guy, bringing her flowers to get her attention. I really liked the way you incorporated the themes of their novels or short stories into their own characteristics, like Conrad navigating into her heart and Gogol using his dog to spy on her. Chopin, though, is not interested in a relationship, and that goes along perfectly with Edna from The awakening--interested casually but not seriously. Overall, this was one of your best blogs to date, Felicia. Absolutely incredible!
Felicia,
DeleteI think you were absolutely right to treat this blog more as a creative assignment than rather an analytical. I found your approach unique and refreshing to our every weekend endeavors. Your description of Conrad and Gogol was quite amusing. Your description of Conrad was great him being a realist fit perfectly. Your allusion to Gogol's stories regarding the dogs was absolutely hilarious. Oh my, this was absolutely genius. I couldn't stop laughing after reading it. You described all of the author exactly right and perfectly. Of course I don't know how it followed the prompt, or I lost it in the humor of the story. Either way, Felicia, this was great and truly made me miss hearing your creativity from our creative writing class well done.
Felicia, let me start off by saying that I like how you took a different angle from the blog assignment and ran with it. It really helps to show off your creative side while giving your reply a nice twist. I like how you related Gogol and Conrad. I never really thought that they were so similar, but they both achieved their goals by working hard and not giving up no matter how difficult situations around them became. I was a little confused at first when I read what you had to say about Chopin, but I have to completely agree. It was probably my favorite line of your blog as well. I know this is a short reply but I could go on and on for a while about how I enjoy the storyline you told while telling of the friendships you made with Gogol, Conrad, and Chopin. The comment you made about playing I spy with the dog made me literally laugh out loud. You intermixed the five literary pieces together and I normally wouldn’t think it would work because of how different they all are from one another, but it worked completely in your favor. I take back what I said about my favorite line earlier. I’m changing it to your last line, “then they’re in for a rude awakening.” Excellent job!
DeleteKate Chopin, Joseph Conrad, and Nikolai Gogol are three exceptional writers to say the least. I found myself remembering little details about their lives when we discussed some of the works we read over break in class. Their stories are unique, and they reflect the experiences each author went through over the course of their lives. Out of three, I feel better connected to Gogol's story.
ReplyDeleteGogol can be considered a bit of an outcast, both growing up and in his writing. He typically received major criticism, rejection, and ridicule for his published poems and short stories. In fact, he destroyed every single copy of his one poem that was ridiculed by society. For some reason I find comfort that he allowed this criticism to almost control what he deemed good enough but that he then realized that his original works are his best ones. Gogol may seem crazy for coming up with storylines that involve talking dogs or lost noses, but I absolutely love them. These ideas lack cliches that most writers use to spark the interest of the intended audience, and I think that might be why his work was criticized so heavily. I'm not sure I could read his work all of the time, but that makes it a precious treat to enjoy even after it is gone. I learned from Gogol and his stories that going against the norm just may end in success. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I often reconsider my decisions because of what other people say. If Gogol had allowed his critics completely change his way of writing I don't think he would be famous at all.
Kate Chopin has to be my second favorite out of the three authors. I love that she was raised mostly by women and that she depicts this feminine nurturing in her writing. Chopin underwent a lot of tragedy in her lifetime, but she never let that stop her from succeeding, despite criticism for her honest work. I believe that her novel "The Awakening" was written due to her lack of male influence. The main character, Edna, was never fully happy with the men she had, and I think that was Chopin's way of reminding women that they do not need a man in order to function, despite Edna's breakdowns. That was what I learned from Chopin anyways, and I really admire her brave choices in life.
Joseph Conrad was also a great writer, but I honestly did not enjoy "Heart of Darkness" like I had hoped. I definitely admire him for going after and writing about what he always loved, which was the sea. Using his experiences as the source for his stories is an idea that I find amazing. The one thing that I learned from Conrad is that your best work will arise from your heart and experience. I do not think that his stories would have been half as good if he had not been aboard a ship or traveling to different countries. I personally had a hard time reading "Heart of Darkness" just because I considered it to be dry and somewhat boring, but I would most certainly call it a great novel overall.
Every author has his or her own story to tell. Gogol, Chopin, and Conrad each had their own difficulties and successes. They have all written renowned novels, short stories, or poems that most people would enjoy.
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DeleteNatalie,
DeleteExcellent blog! What an amazing way to start the 2015 blogging. I went about the blog in the opposite direction, taking more of a "creative" mindset, so it was nice to read this! You always have seemed to a good judge of character, so I was excited to read this.
I agree with you on the majority of what you shared, especially about Gogol and Conrad! Gogol was my favorite as well. He had to of been crazy, in a good way! He seems like someone who would have been fun to hang out with. You mentioned some facts about him that I did not find in my research, like how he had burned his writings. That is so interesting, and as you mentioned, kind of comforting! It is comforting in the sense that I do not feel alone in the things I have done as a result from someone's criticism. Strange, but true. He was so original. Never have I ever heard anything like his stories! He was my favorite.
All in all, your blog was beautiful and I enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing.
Natalie,
DeleteI agree with Felicia in saying that this was a great way to open your blogs of 2015. All I can possibly say is wow and now I understand why Felicia says you have "a great judge of character." I too found Gogol very relatable but for different reasons. His stories were truly inspirational to me as a writer, so individual and not full of "cliches." His works that we read as a class actually motivated me to read more of his works for inspiration. Your extra little tidbits truly gave me more insight into his personal being. Also his works might be described as the works of a "madman", but if I recall we said the same thing about several of the authors/characters we read/read about this year.
Since I didn't exactly connect with Chopin and her story the Awakening, your paragraph was very enlightening. Also your point on her, and Edna, didn't need a man was very well put. You couldn't have put it any better myself. Looking at the world today she is exactly right not every girl needs a man, since there are some very independent women in our common age. Lastly let me just say there is nothing more to say about Joseph Conrad. You hit every point perfectly, even though you didn't enjoy the "Heart of Darkness" he points you provided were very true. I too found it a tad dry until it really got into the thick of it. But I'll leave this blog at that, and I must say well done.