Jess's $0.20 Blog

            Antoinette had a complex relationship with the adults in her life. The people that you would expect to be there for her weren’t. Yet, the adult that didn’t need to care about her at all was the one that truly cared for her.             Antoinette grew up being constantly neglected by the woman who was supposed to care for her the most. Her mother, Annette, the woman her name was derived from, has ignored her and pushed her a way for as long as Antoinette can remember. Not only did she not care for Antoinette but she also chose Antoinette’s brother over her and spent all of her time caring for him. Annette would tell Antoinette to leave her be so that she could focus on Pierre. This would be detrimental to any young developing person. It was especially harsh for her because she didn’t have any other family to fall back on, she didn’t have close relationship with her father or, obviously,...

The article that my group gave our panel presentation on got me thinking about what I read into The Stranger. The article said that when people read books they tend to see it through their own eyes with their own experiences rather than what the author had intended. I definitely agree with that idea. To me the best part of reading is personally identifying with the story. While I read The Stranger I found myself reading it differently from others around me. A lot of people saw Meursault’s emotionless indifference acceptable because he has no control over it. I, however, couldn’t find it in myself to like him or justify his decisions. When first introduced to him I thought he seemed like a problematic person. His reaction to his mother’s death was disturbing to me, the way he didn’t seem to care much about her loss at all. And then when we first see the abusive relationship between Meursault’s neighbor and his dog I knew I couldn’t stand him. The fact that he had no issue with Pe...

I understand that the situation forced upon the Samsa’s is both shocking and, to say the least, not ideal. However, I feel as though they could handle it better. Clearly, from the first time they see his newly transformed and buggy self they know that it is Gregor. Rightfully, they are confused, terrified, sad, even angry at first. However, these feelings don’t seem to go away as time goes on. They push him out of the family and lock him away in his room. They feed him whatever garbage they could find lying around and never speak or attempt real contact with him. They never even test to see if Gregor can understand what they are saying. Even the family member that Gregor is closest to and the one that takes care of him treats him more as a pet than her older brother. Grete is scared of his appearance, the first time she sees him she runs from the room, and so she never touches him or lingers around him for too long. She is his one main connection to humans and his family but as ...

            At this point in The Sun Also Rises there is a clear friend group. It consists of Jake, Bill, Brett, Robert, and Mike. Each of these characters has an important role that they play from the perspective of Jake. I am relating them all back to Jake as we see each of these characters through his eyes and individuals often view themselves as the center of a group. Although at times Jake may consider himself somewhat of an outsider he is still the center of his experiences with the others. Also, in Spain he is the one who feels at home and is in the most control (ie. speaks the language and sets everything up).             Bill acts as Jake’s best friend at this point. They are always very comfortable around each other as shown through the way they pick up immediately like they were never apart when Bill is first introduced. As well as the level of vulnerability ...

            In The Sun Also Rises Jake Barnes’s charcter has a fascinating personality. It seems very relatable at times in the way he speaks to others and the thoughts he has. However, Jake is also not always particularly likeable. His thoughts are like the devil on your shoulder- that voice in the back of your mind that you try to push away. Like the jealousy he feels when he sees Brett enjoying herself with other people. He seems sarcastic a lot of the time, which I think most of us teenagers can identify with. In his thoughts he has snarky responses that he also tends to vocalize. Such as his analysis of the company Brett arrives to the club with when he says “It’s a fine crowd you’re with, Brett.” It is clearly meant to be ready as a teasing insult. Jake seems to crave company and a certain kind of attention that isn’t always readily available to him. This can be seen in the way he gladly accepts Georgette’s, a prostit...

            From the moment Sally Seton is introduced as a character it is clear that she was very important to Clarissa. One of the first things said when Clarissa thinks of Sally is “But all that evening she could not take her eyes off Sally”. Clarissa speaks of her as if she was a revelation in her life, someone she envied, admired, and loved. It is clear by the way that Clarissa speaks of her that she made a sizeable impact on her life. It is stated that “Sally it was who made her feel, for the first time, how sheltered the life at Bourton was.” Clarissa says that she taught her about everything from love to death. Sally told Clarissa about her own political views and they made plans to reform the world together.   She experienced feelings with Sally that she had never experienced toward any man before, or ever seems to have experienced since.             Clari...