IB Junior English Journal Response 21 (Antigone)

Antigone (Journal 4 - Commentary)

Quote:

“Creon. And you were about to throw it away… A moment ago, when we were quarreling, you said I was drinking in your own words.  I was.  But it wasn’t you I was listening to; it was a lad named Creon who lived here in Thebes many years ago.  He was thin and pale, as you are.  His mind, too, was filled with thoughts of self-sacrifice… Be happy.  Life flows like water, and you young people let it run away through your fingers.  Shut your hands; hold on to it, Antigone.  Life is not what you think it is.” (41).

Commentary:

Creon is an understanding character that focuses on redirecting Antigone’s self-sabotaging thoughts in order to keep less personal losses from his reign over Thebes as in Antigone by Anouilh.   Through the use of flashbacks, the author is able to show the nature of Antigone from Creon’s point of view.  Based on the way Creon explains things, he is characterized by his thoughtfulness towards life.  Metaphors also enhanced the way Creon elucidates on the importance of it.  These specific elements and their effects on the reader help define character personalities and foreshowing.

In the first half of the passage Creon thinks back to an earlier part of his life from a different perspective.  He mentions this in the quote, “But it wasn’t you I was listening to; it was a lad named Creon who lived here in Thebes many years ago.  He was thin and pale, as you are.  His mind, too, was filled with thoughts of self-sacrifice…” (lines 4-6).  By using the words “thin and pale” one can assume that, that individual has almost nothing to lose.  This initial analysis suggests that he had learned something about life that caused him to rethink his plans on “self-sacrifice”.  The fact that Creon had lived to tell this to Antigone also shows that he had given life a second thought (or second chance).  Through this act, he developed patience to find what his daily motivations were in order to continue on.  Antigone, on the other hand, desires a proper burial for Polynices knowing the current consequences for doing so.  Instead, she had continued with her actions instead of letting matters settle before planning.  Patience is one of the traits that Antigone lacked, which led to her eventual demise. 

Once Creon explains his thoughts to another character, he begins to use a simple philosophy of life.  The experiences Creon had gained, led him to realize that “life is not what you think it is” (line 10).  This automatically gives Antigone a purpose to live for.  From the quote, one can also assume that Creon is attempting to grasp a greater idea of life.  Earlier in the passage, he mentions, “Be happy.” (line 7).  Despite the length of this phrase, it shows that he is relentless in supporting plain ideas in the context of self-sacrifice.  The author characterizes him this way to foil Antigone’s imminent desire of death.

Adding on to the idea of life, Creon uses supporting metaphors in order to help Antigone comprehend his way of thinking.  When he refers to the previous quarrel he mentions, “you said I was drinking in your own words” (line 2).  This line gives us the sense that Creon was only supporting Antigone’s desire to die.  Creon brings this up to parallel this thought process when he was a child.  Later in the passage, he explains that, “Life flows like water, and you young people let it run away through your fingers.  Shut your hands; hold on to it, Antigone.” (line 8-9).  This suggests that Anouilh is using water as a measure of time.  Water, being an invaluable substance, is squandered when it is not contained properly.  When he mentions that one has to, “shut your hands; hold on to it”, he is merely telling her to increase her possible lifespan by focusing on life and vitality.  It is the nature of water to escape through cracks and crevices which shows that despite not being able to live life infinitely.  Due to this nature, water can escape through the crevices of a cupped hand, suggesting that time moves on.

The author effectively uses flashbacks, characterization, and metaphors in order to convey the overarching theme that life’s unique qualities can shape a person’s experience.  This is reflected throughout the passage to suggest that some characters are affected by the idea of self-sacrifice.  These elements are utilized by the author to represent the mindset of Antigone and Creon while maintaining a certain society.

IB Junior English Journal Response 20

Antigone (Journal 3 - Conflicting concepts)

Anouilh depicts the contrast between illusion and clarity mainly through the dialogue of Antigone and Creon.  In the scene where Creon is persuading Antigone to go to her room, Creon attempts to bend the rules by creating the illusion that Antigone had buried Polynices out of some childish whim.  Antigone, on the other hand, maintains clarity and simplicity with her arguments by stating her stance on the matter.  For instance, Creon explains the full meaning of life and happiness.  Antigone replies that, “What kind of happiness do you foresee in me?  What are the unimportant little sins that I shall have to commit before I am allowed to sink my teeth into life and tear happiness from it?  The author uses this contrast in order to cause the reader to question the truths of their society and moral standards.  Are they created under an illusion?  Is Antigone trying to find the core of these standards?

IB Junior English Journal Response 19

Antigone pp. 1-20 Timeline

List of Events that Occurred:

-Characters are introduced by the chorus
-Eteocles, refuses to step down as king and is eventually is involved in a civil war between him and his younger brother
-Both Polynices and Eteocles are killed in battle to maintain his reign
-Creon becomes king and gives Eteocles a proper ceremony and burial while leaving Polynices “to rot”
-Antigone resists talking about her whereabouts (that last night)
-The Nurse and Antigone quarrel about a seemingly important matter regarding Antigone’s relationship with Haemon
-Antigone confirms her relationship, in person, with Haemon
-Antigone refuses to continue with their liaison and blocks all contradictions from Haemon
-Creon inquires about the Guards’ appearance before him and asks what the situation is regarding the “body”

Other Elements of Note:

One may notice that in the first several pages of the play, there is the motif of resistance between the Nurse and Antigone; Haemon and Antigone; and Creon and the Guards.  In each of their cases, one of the characters seems to digress into an insignificant aspect of a conversation while the other attempts to reorient the conversation to answer the main question.  In the end of each conversation, one of the characters eventually reveals the truth of the matter.  Interestingly, the characters do not seem to take any severe actions in response to the truth.

 

IB Junior English Journal Response 18

Antigone (Journal 1)

So far, I have observed three types of staging and movement in the first four pages in the novel.  These include, standing, sitting, leaning, and also entering/exiting the stage.  The playwright most likely used the concept of sitting in order to emphasize where the character’s general location is. This is depicted by “he had clasped around her knees…” (3) which can lead one to assume that the tone is flat throughout the passage.

IB Junior English Journal Response 17 (Literary Terms)

Literary Terms

1. Allusion

Example: “The whole time there was nothing but the sun and the silence, with the low gurgling from the spring and three notes.” (Camus 55).

Usage:  The “three notes” are a reference to a musical measure (or tone) that describes the repetitive sound of the “spring”.

2. Ambiguity

Example: “By now the sun was overpowering.  It shattered into little pieces on the sand and water.” (Camus 55).

Usage: This quote can have two meanings.  One of which is that the sun’s rays were too intense and reflected everywhere.  Another meaning this could have is literally, “overpowering” and “shattering into little pieces on the sand”.

3. Assonance

Example: “He asked if I had felt any sadness that day.” (Camus 65).

Usage: The repetitive use of the vowel “a” gives an inquisitive tone/feel to the phrase.

4. Caricature

Example: “That’s all for today Monsieur Antichrist.” (Camus 71).

Usage: This phrase exaggerates Meursault’s lack of association with a specific religion.  He does not make any connection between his wrongdoing and god.

5. Consonance

Example: “Everyone on the row of streetcar seats was turned directly toward the judge…” (Camus 87).

Usage: The consonant “t” is used repetitively to show promptness and description in a straightforward nature.

6. Euphemism

Example: “Dis sittin’ in de rulin’ chair is been hard on Jody…” (Hurston 87).

Usage: The “rulin’ chair” represent Jody’s position as mayor of the town.  In the context of this phrase, Tea Cake is commenting on his thoughts on Jody’s position in life.

7. Hyperbole

Example: “Sam and Lige and Walter could hear and see more about that mule than the whole county put together.” (Hurston 51).

Usage: This phrase exaggerates Sam, Lige, and Walter’s participation in mule-related conversations.

8. Imagery

Example: “The faint hum of a motor rose up to us in the still air. And way off, we saw a tiny trawler moving, almost imperceptible, across the dazzling sea.” (Camus 49).

Usage: The author uses ones auditory and visual senses to describe the movement of this “trawler”.

9. Juxtaposition

Example: “The office overlooks the sea, and we took a minute to watch the freighters in the harbor, which was ablaze with sunlight…a truck came toward us with its chains rattling and its engine backfiring” (Camus 25).

Usage:  The author places the distant moving objects in the sea with the nearer objects that Meursault and his co-worker are forced to notice.

10. Metaphor

Example: “All around me there was still the same glowing countryside flooded with sunlight” (Camus 17) .

Usage: The author uses the “sunlight” that “flooded” the countryside, in order to show the strength of the sunlight on the land.

11. Mood

Example: “All of it - the sun, the smell of leather and horse dung from the hearse, the smell of varnish and incense, and my fatigue after a night without sleep - was making it hard for me…” (Camus 17).

Usage: This creates gives the reader a sense of depression, tiredness, and a slowed pace.

12. Motif

Example: “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know.” (Camus 3).

Usage: The general concept of time is used by Meursualt throughout the book (and is taken lightly by the protagonist on some parts, (e.g. the section where he serves his term in jail)).

13. Oxymoron

Example: “But I wasn’t…listening anymore. Then he said, “I suppose you’d like to see your mother.” (Camus 5).

Usage: The two sentences in the quote are incongruent with each other because Meursault acknowledges that he literally is not listening, but on the next sentence he does hear the director’s words.

14. Paradox

Example: “I have never seen a soul as hardened as yours.” (Camus 69)

Usage: The magistrate mentions that he has not seen hardened souls, but yet saw many criminals of cruel hearts before him.

15. Parallel Structure

Example: “The sun was the same as it had been the day I’d buried Maman, and like then, my forehead especially was hurting me…It was this burning, which I couldn’t stand anymore, that made me move forward.” (Camus 58-59)

Usage: The author uses two phrases similar to each other in order to show reasoning behind Meursault’s intentions

16. Simile

Example: “He had scented the matter as quickly as any of the rest…” (Hurston 61).

Usage: This phrase compares the people participating in an event with his realization of it.

17. Symbol

Example: “de muck” (Hurston 129)

Usage: This represents some of the toils and interesting events that occurred in Janie and Tea Cakes relationship at that time period.

18. Tone

Example: “Ground so rich that everything went wild.  Volunteer cane just taking the place.  Dirt roads so rich and black that a half mile of it would have fertilized a Kansas wheat field.” (Hurston 129).

Usage:  The author makes the reader have the impression that a pleasant life of farming is possible, or a healthy sense to things.

IB Junior English Journal Response #16

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
(Relating to the Structure of Society)

One of the aspects highlighted by Huxley is the custom that people in the “caste” system all work in cooperation and have non-conflicting attitudes in the business environment.  The collaboration of all castes is essential in order to aid the productivity of society.  Based on the scientific goals of the World State, one can see that the government of this time period is aiming for more research on increased “decanting” rates while also maintaining the quality of other services.  The two extremes of public services are mentioned in the novel “as future sewage workers or future…he was going to say ‘future World controllers,’ but correcting himself, said ‘future Directors of Hatcheries.” (13).

This concept is also related to the balance between the amount of people in each caste.  Here, the “Epilsons”, “Gammas”, and “Deltas” seem to account to “millions of identical twins” (7).  However, the higher individuals in this caste system are regarded in fewer numbers and only mentioned either working in their specialty range or as individuals who have achieved high positions.  The effect is a direct hierarchy that everyone is satisfied with, either by soma or through hypnopaedia.

IB Junior English Journal Response #15

Passage on Page 227 of The Stranger by Albert Camus

In page 227 of the novel, Helmholtz discovers the truth behind some the leading morals of society.  Here Mustapha Mond reveals that one of his past choices could have resulted in exile.  He decides to accept a high position in society in exchange for his freedom to pursue “pure science”.  In Mustapha’s explanation, Helmholtz finds the reason why society has to exclude individuals like him and realizes that living alone without the consolidation of anyone is better than as society that constantly emphasizes strict mutual and moral rules on its people.

This passage is significant due to the fact that it shows the truth of the morals of society and especially the implications of science.  Mustapha regards science as potential danger to society.  He came to this conclusion because “we can’t allow science to undo its own good work. That’s why we so carefully limit the scope of its researches” (227).  From here one can sense that a person who tries to find the full extent of his/her profession is likely to see the unfavorable aspects of it and how society limits these things.  [Characterization]

Mustapha has internal conflict when he was given the choice to be exiled to an island or have a chance at “Controllership” because the offer having control over a population and pursuing his lifelong desire have equal stance.  During that period of indecision he comments that, “happiness is a hard master-particularly other people’s happiness.  A much harder master, if one isn’t conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth.” (227).   In short, happiness has its own defect in a society that only allows an individual to take one task at a time and create a sense of dependency. [Morals]

This passage also supports the common stereotype that people with similar opinions on life (e.g. individuality) will naturally go to similar places.  Soon after the World Controller had ordered Bernard out, he began to explain the benefits of Helmholtz position mentioning that he would find others just like him around the world who also share “unorthodoxy”.  This shows that a person who was accustomed to one civilization has a chance to go to a utopia or a place where his freedoms are unrestricted.  [Stereotype]