Monday, August 25, 2008

Everett's Third Entry on Crime and Punishment

Leaving part 4,5 and 6 all to one blog was a huge mistake. So much happened between suicide, confessions, dreams, mind games, and falling in and out of love that it all blurred into one big thought. All this jumble though eases my previous fears that the book would have no plot or climax. Too much is way better than too little in my opinion.

I finished the book and tried to figure out what I though may be most significant to what I leave the book feeling. I came to the conclusion that the dreams seemed to be the biggest clue as to what the characters truely felt and what had happened and what would happen. Svidrigailvov's dream was very confusing but I managed to come to the conclusion that the 5 year old girl represented possibly girl's like Sonya and his young fiance. His attraction to his finacee was her youth and age and although the girl was 5, not 15, she was maybe a symbol of the innocense he was drawn too. He could have maybe seen this in Sonya as well and after being rather violently rejected realized how terrible his feelings and actions really were. He awoke from the dream and commited suicide. I'm almost certain that it was from the guilt he felt from his rape attempt and marriages. Raskolnikov's dreams, especially the dream of the house tuned into his deep emotions towards his crime. The guilt and angst he felt after killing Alena are expressed by his eagerness to kill her and then the failure to do so express the guilt that he cannot escape. The dreams offered me simpler interpretations of what was occuring and gave them deeper meaning.

Throught out part 4 and part 5 I was trying to figure out what the conclusion could be. I was almost certain that Raskolnikov would be caught before the book was over, I was just desperate to find out how. In my desperation I think I started digging really deep and trying to find the character's that could give him up. I thought that the strong hate that Peter Petrovich felt for Raskolnikov would possibly lead to something regarding the murder, but he never seemed to get any suspicions. When Sonya is told about the crime and promises to keep it secret I trusted her. She owed him greatly for giving her family money and showing her affection and I felt like she would follow up on her promise. When Svidrigailov tells Raskolnikov he overheard his confession I was sure that it was over. He would try and use the power to get Sonya and Raskolnikov would refuse. He loves his sister a lot and throughout the entire book shows hardly anyone passion except her and I knew he wouldn't use her to save himself. Therefore I thought he would be caught and sent to jail.

But I never predicted the actual outcome. I thought that is Raskolnikov were going to admit to the crime he would have already done so long earlier. His illness and guilt was much more severe in the beginning with fainting and bursting out of rooms, and he overcame it, but I guess it was still haunting him more than he showed. I assumed suicide before a confession and I was shocked when I read it.

So much more happened and I can't write it all and give my thoughts but overall I feel very connected to the book. I took a lot of notes and did a lot of active reading and it really helped me find a good understanding of Crime and Punishment. I enjoyed it very much and I am looking forward to more readings.

Stacey's Entries on Crime and Punishment

#1
After reading A Streetcar Named Desire, it would've been a refreshing change to be assigned a more upbeat novel in which the characters possessed positive attitudes and behaviors. What was I thinking? Crime and Punishment is definitely not the answer to my wish. It is a novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose main character, Raskolnikov makes Stanley Kowalski seem tame and lame. This was a difficult read, with a most appropriate title- Crime and Punishment. With no disrespect to Mr. Dostoevsky, it did indeed feel like a "crime" as well as a "punishment" to get through this novel.

Raskolnikov is most likely Dostoevsky's alter ego. This character possesses two completely contradicting personalities. One side of him is extremely intelligent and cold-hearted. In fact, so evil that he appears inhuman. He displays extreme self-will. This is the side of his personality that drives him to commit the most wicked crime, one can ever imagine- murder. The other part of his duel personality enables him to be this warm, empathetic, and considerate human being. This is the side that displays his charitable nature, and his ability to attack the evilness within society.

This character is another example of a confused soul; Raskolnikov demonstrates this confused state when he tries to come to the rescue of a young girl in the street who had just been raped. When he finds her in this pitiful position, he immediately tries to protect her from such evilness. After pondering his actions, he becomes disgusted by this horrible society and changes his mind. He questions his motives, asking why he took it upon himself to interfere. He then concludes what is it to him "Let them eat each other alive".

Raskolnikov is the primary and most significant character in the story. He appears to be in a state of torment. The first two parts of the story, he contemplates acting an observation. After he murders this old woman, he spends a great deal of time contemplating a confession. He spends his time feeling trapped in society, even though nothing is really holding him back. He chooses not to escape, nor confess, however he continues to feel stifled. Will he ultimately fess up to this crime?

#2
This novel was written during a turbulent time in Russian history. Fyodor Dostoevsky depicts the human experience through suffering and death. As soon as Raskolnikov commits these murders, he begins a life of more intense suffering. Prior to these murders, he was a drop out student, living in a tiny room in St. Petersburg. He is poverty stricken and when his friend Razumikin, offers to help him financially, he refuses. This would be way too ordinary for him to accept help. Instead, he plans to murder an elderly woman, and steal all her money. Unfortunately, this murder becomes a double murder, because the half sister of the elderly woman stumbled upon the murder in progress. Raskolnikov's dream

Raskolnikov dream about the mare acts as a tool to determine how he really feels deep down inside. The dream alludes to Raskolnikov as a "Split Man". (His name in Russian means, "split"). I find this to be quite ironic. His personality as we know it has two sides. His cold heartless side leads him to commit murder, while his warm side leads him to perform kind acts. As I mentioned before, he helped this young girl who just got raped, as well as help the Marmeladov family. At the time of these good deeds, he does them without thinking about it, however it is interesting that when he does these deeds, he regrets them all, thinking it was stupid on his part to get involved. These reversals of thought create an onset of his cold side.

#3
At the end of the novel, Raskolnikov is convicted of his crimes. He is sent of to a prison in Siberia for seven years. The object of this novel was to categorize society in two groups. One being the ordinary, and the other become the extraordinary. People who lead quiet lives, follow rules, and show respect for authority figures fall under the ordinary group. The people that break laws and commit crimes, in order to change their social environment, are considered extraordinary. In other words, people tend to justify their crimes in order to feel "extraordinary" or better than everyone else. People actually believe what Raskolnikov believes. That he is part of the group, which possesses a license to kill in order to help mankind. As I am trying to understand this concept, I can compare it with events in history such as the tragedy of 9/11 and then Oklahoma City bombings. Terrorists that commit such hideous crimes are just modern day Raskolnikovs. They are people who feel justified for their actions.

I tried as best as I could to grasp the concept of this story. Sometimes I came off with convoluted responses, and my thoughts appeared scattered. I hope some sense can be made to those who struggled with this novel, as much as I did.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Zeehan's Second and Third Entries on Crime and Punishment

Journal # 2: Crime and Punishment

I would really love to connect to this book at a personal level, but that seems impossible. The only thing that’s similar between me and Roskolnikov is that we talk to ourselves a lot, but he actually seems like a mental case to me, and I’m not sure that I’m at his level yet. Roskolnikov is a crazy person to have come up with such a sophisticated plan of murder and to go through with it. Not only did he plan a murder and commit it, he also committed a second unexpected murder. If I was Roskolnikov, I would have committed suicide the minute I realized what I’ve done. I don’t understand how Rodya didn’t think about how this murder might have affected him and now after committing the murder, his soul is dying from guilt and is trying to hide from the truth in every possible way. In the beginning of the book Rodya seemed like a guy with no conscience, but the way he helped Sonya and her family shows that he does have some conscience left in him and that he wants to be useful. I already feel Sonya changing Rodya and I think their relationship will continue to be interesting throughout the story. I’m not sure what the consequence of Rodya’s guilt will be, but I have a strong feeling he will commit suicide.


Journal # 3: Crime and Punishment

Well a lot has progressed throughout the story, including the exciting mind games between Porfiry Petrovich and Rodya, the relationship between Dunya and Razumikhin, the relationship between Sonya and Rodya, the pitiful suicide of Mr. Svidrigailov, but what shocked me the most was Rodya’s confession of the crime to Sonya. Rodya explains to Sonya that he killed Alyona and her sister not because of his need for money, but for his desire to be another Napoleon, a person who is special and is justified in breaking the rules set by society. I think that at the end, the virus that Rodya dreams about, that almost everyone catches and thinks they are the possessor of the truth, and no one gets along and eventually start killing each other is expressing the importance of the morals and rules set by the society. I think that the narrator is trying to reply to Rodya’s idea that there are some special people in this world who can break the rules of society and be justified in doing so because they are superior. The narrator is saying that it really isn’t okay for anyone to break the morals set by the society because that would lead to absolute chaos and destruction of human society. The narrator is also suggesting that when people begin thinking that they are superior, and they can be excused for crimes that average people can’t be excused from, then they will just go crazy, as Napoleon and Rodya did.

Everett's Second Entry on Crime and Punishment

While part one seemed to be all about the commited crime, part two and three dig into the punishment that Raskolnikov experiences. He is suffering mentally and seems very unstable and guilty. He shows paranoia in the police station and in his home when he faints when he faints both times, and for the most part, fails to disguise his emotions. He makes it clear to all the characters around him including his family and Ruzumikhin that any discussion of the murder puts him on edge.

With the sudden arrival of his mother and sister, his grief and guilt over what he did, Dunya's Fiance's unwelcomed visit, and the mental instability he was already facing, Raskolnikov seems to be growing extremly ill and weak. He nearly confesses twice, once to police inspector Zamyotov in part 2 and when he visits Alena's apartment. I think he is suffering from inner conflict as to whether he should fess up or not.

I think one of the main reasons Raskolnikov is having such a difficult time, is because, despite the fact that he murdered the two women he is in fact a good man. He showed this in part one when he defended the drunk girl, when he took Marmeladov home to his angry family, and again in part 2 chapter 7 when he helps Marmeladov's grieving family recover from his death. He gives them money and shows them kindness. If Raskolnikov were actually a bad person, I don't think he would effected as strongly as he is.

The dream he has in part 3, I think was the most significant of everything I've read so far. I find the man that leads him to the house to be a lot like him in that he keeps changing his mind and avoiding talking to him. I attached this to my opinion that Raskolnikov will lead himself into his own downfall, for example, leading him to the house that he is afraid of. When he tried to kill Alena but fails and is instead laughed at, I interpret it as the fact that although he killed her she is not gone. She is continuously going to haunt him and he cannot get rid of her. The people laughing in the doorway may be his fears that everyone suspects him. When he is talking to Ruzumikhin he tells him how he knows that the police suspect him, The laughter I think is all the people he is afraid know about what he did.

The dream and all his emotions make it clear to me that he is going to destroy himself. His guilt and insanity and pride are going to eventually get the best of him and ruin him.

Everett's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

I've completed reading Part 1 of Crime and Punishment and I have to confess to having a lot of difficulty getting into the novel. I'm pretty sure I'm following along well enough thanks to tons of notes I've needed to take but as far as enjoying it goes, it's not quite my favorite.

I have however, really learned to enjoy learning about Raskolnikov's character. He is very interesting and has a lot to him that constantly unfolds as I get deeper and deeper. He was immediatly a mystery to me, and it kept me wondering what else there was to know. In chapter one, page 4 he says...

""If I feel so afraid at this moment, what would it be like if I had really done the thing itself?"

You can't help but wonder what "it" is? Why didn't he do it? What is he afraid of? I was flooded with questions about this character right away and that, I think, it what kept me reading the book.

He becomes an even bigger interest in chapter 5, when he seems to be completly losing it. He's walking around with absolutly no destination in mind, falls asleep in a bush, has a horrific dream, gets up, plans a murder, and then sleeps an entire day. After such an oddly eventful day, Raskolnikov, almost seems unphased and normal, or as normal as he can be. He also shows signs of what I'm thinking may be Schizophrenia. He is constantly changing his mind back and forth and suffering from inner conflict about what he should do with himself. One minute he's eagerly trying to reach his old college friend to ask for help and only a minute later, he's completly against the idea. It's fascinating how complicated he makes decisions and shows deep problems he has.

As far as plot goes, part one mostly lacked one. By the last chapters though, Raskolnikov seemed to be leading us to a climax and it was reached in the last chapter when he killed Alena and Lizaveta. But before that, I thought the book maybe similar to Catcher in the Rye where Holden spent the entire book wandering around doing not much of anything. So, I was very pleased when the deaths occured, believe it or not. :)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Tsvetan's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

Journal 1
From the moment that Blanche is being presented, it seems like something about her just isn’t right. Her constant criticism, her stories that don’t seem full, the lack of explanation and her behavior make her very hard to like. One moment she is hysterical and screeching, the next she’s laughing, she lies to everyone around her and acts is if they all owe her in some way. But as the story progresses, I started feeling bad for her instead, her lies began to unravel and all that was left was a hopeless and delusional woman who has nothing meaningful left in the world. Her material positions are the only things that bring her some kind of joy and make her feel like a queen in her made up world.
From the moment she sees Stanley Kowalski, she is threatened by him, because she has never met a man like him before. His power, straightforwardness (most times downright rudeness) and ability to see through her, scare her. They are both very strong characters, which is why they clash into a constant war of words and suspect each other all the time. Blanche is also intimidated by him because she knows that he has the love of the only close person and the closest one she has left in the world, her sister. She doesn’t understand the love and sheer passion that Stanley and Stella have for each other until the night of the first poker game. After that, she knows that she comes second even for her sister and that if Stella had to choose, she would go to her husband.

Journal 2
A moment from the book that has stayed in my mind is when Blanche explains the way she feels about Stanley. Her description of him an animal and a brute is the same, only a bit exaggerated, as my first impression of him. He demands respect and always receives it, no matter if it’s from fear or love. He is the leader of his “gang” of friends and they all listen to him, so does Stella. As much as he is categorized as simple, he is the first and only one that doesn’t believe Blanche’s stories and turns out to be right. You never know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do, because of his impulsiveness, which is why no one dares to contradict him.
The night of the first poker game, we see him at his worst, when that brutal force is not controlled. Even though he may lose control though, his love for Stella is greater than anything else and his passion is just as primal as his aggression. She feels the same way about him and forgives his mistakes and even when he hits her and even though it’s not mentioned I believe that it doesn’t happen often. Some people, just like Blanche, don’t understand that kind of thing, when there’s only love and no material positions and you have to be happy with whatever you have just because of the person you’re with. From the incident with Eunice and Steve it seems that Stella and Stanley aren’t the only ones to fight, even physically one moment, and at the next laugh and love each other as if nothing has happened, because they only have each other.

Journal 3
The ending was very surprising to me because I didn’t expect it to be so tragic. There’s a big conflict between what is right and what is wrong, what must be done and what mustn’t. Sometimes what’s right doesn’t seem like what’s best, just like sending Blanche to a mental institution. Stella is devastated by that decision, which probably her husband made, but there’s no other option for them. Blanche is sick, she’s not only a pathological liar, but she is delusional, she talks to herself and has severe mood swings. In no way would Stella and Stanley be able to take care of her or have her around especially now that there’s a baby.
What Blanche does is not out of cruelty, hiding the truth from the people she cares about was the only thing she could do if she was to try and live a normal life again. Stanley to some extent ruins that for her, but that’s because his obsession with the truth is stronger than him and maybe in the end it’s better that Blanche will get treatment. Even after the ending filled with commotion, screams and cries, everyone seems at peace in the last scene. Blanche is ready to go with the doctor and accepts it and the Kowalskis have embraced each other, ready to continue their life with the new addition to the family. To me, that scene is a suggestion by the author that what happened was for the best and now everyone can be at peace.

Katie's Entries on Crime and Punishment

Journal #1

To be honest so far this book is very boring and I do not really like it. I’ve been told that it is hard to get into but worth it once you have. Raskolnikov is a very interesting character. He seems to have many different levels to him and multiple personalities. I don’t think that he really cares about what people think of him due to the fact that he doesn’t mind walking out of his house in rags; but on the other hand it may jus be all he has. He is also very fortunate that his land lady hasn’t thrown him out yet for not paying his rent. I wonder if selling things to that old lady is how he makes money or if he has a real job. So far this book is very confusing and doesn’t really do much to make the reader excited or eager to read on.

On page 46 in part one is the first part of this book that I actually enjoyed reading. The way Raskolnikov describes this young girl and what he thinks might have happened to her it made me feel very bad for her. The fat man that Raskolnikov fought with is a pig along with the other men that did that to her. She is so young and they took advantage of her and now she’s going to be left with a bad name. They way Raskolnikov explained what would happen to her once she got home and her mother got word of what had happened made me think of how in many countries that still happens in. There are many cultures that will disown there daughters if they in any way disgrace there family. In a way I feel that can have a positive effect and a negative effect on a person. The positive side is it will instill fear in the child so that they don’t give themselves or there family a bad name but the negative side of that is that it can cause the child to rebel and go against what she has been taught..


Journal #2

On page 210 in part three it says “And what right did he have to judge him so hastily and rashly? And who had invited him to be a judge!” I really like this quote it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, which says “Only God will judge me.” The reason I liked this quote is because in life I feel people are way too quick to judge. I mean yea everyone has done it at least once in there life and anyone who says they haven’t is lying but that doesn’t make it right. Don’t get me wrong though I do feel in a way it’s normal to see someone pass u by and think to yourself what there story is and what there all about I just don’t think its nice to not give someone a chance because your to busy judging them.

Another quote I liked in part three is on page 215 when Dmitri Prokofych begins to describe Rodion he says “doesn’t like voicing his feelings, and would rather do something cruel than speak his heart out in words.” I liked this quote because it describes me almost perfectly. I hate talking about my feelings. So I connected with Rodion on that level. I feel that if I keep them inside they will eventually go away, where as when I talk about them they never go away.


Journal #3

Chapter VIII in part VI was very interesting and I also connected with it on a personal level. I though it was very good of Sonya to make sure Raskolnikov went to the police and confessed the murders. I liked how when ever Raskolnikov was about to give up and not confess he would see Sonya and it would make him go into the police station and confess. The reason I had a personal connection with this chapter is I have had a few family members that either went to jail or are still in jail. The way Raskolnikov was looking around wile at the Haymarket and trying to get a last look at the place before he went and confessed made me think weather any if the people I knew that went to jail had the same experience. I wonder how that makes a person feel to know they are getting there last look at the outside world and that there whole life is being thrown away because of there own actions.

I think it was very brave of Raskolnikov to go and confess the murders because a lot of people wouldn’t have. They probably would have just waited till they got caught. To me it shows he has some good in him because if he didn’t he wouldn’t have felt at all bad and wouldn’t have confessed. At the same time though the fact that he killed those people shows that he has problems. Even though he confessed, what he did was extremely bad. I think Raskolnikov has problems and needs help and I can’t wait to finish the book to see what happens.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Nicole's Third Entry on Crime and Punishment

Svidrigailov was not only my favorite character in the narrative, but also the one that struck me the most. Not only that, but he was surprisingly the one I most understood. When his character first came into the picture I did not feel the same way about him. In Pulcheria Alexandrovna's letter to her son and in the thoughts of Raskolnikov in the beginning of the book Svidrigailov came off as a terrible man who severely mistreated Dunya. But I did like the way Svidrigailov carried himself when facing Raskolnikov. He proved himself to be a very intelligent man who knew what he wanted. After finishing the book and looking back on Svidrigailov's character it seemed as if he had had the plague all along. (I also believe that Raskolnikov, his mother and Katrina Ivanova may have had the plague as well.) I mean he was always so sure of what he was doing and what was to come out of his actions. After finding out his actions of trying to make Dunya his would not work, he was in disbelief and killed himself.

Svidrigailov also seemed a bit insane after poisoning his wife. By the way, I thought from the very moment after he had his first conversation with Raskolnikov, in Raskolnikov's room, that he must have committed a murder. This is because he acted in the same jittery and laughing way that Raskolnikov did after killing the two women. (I think Dostoyevsky was giving us little hints all along for everything.) Without much thought, he realized he should not rape Sonya and after a few nights of wandering, he realized what he believed would be best for him, thus having set his priorities straight very quickly.

Though his character may have not been the sincerest of characters, I liked what Svidrigailov did before his death. I think it was his way of apologizing to those people for his wrongdoings. He felt bad. After reading about the dream he had about the five year old girl, it was proved that he a had a conscience about Raskolnikov disapproving of him going around looking for lechery, especially with his fifteen year old fiancee. If his need to be with other women was true, then maybe I can understand the killing of his wife. He was also in a frenzy like many others were in that town, so it's not like another murder came as much of a surprise to me.

Honestly, I did not like the ending of the book. Yes, it was cute and all how Sonya and Raskolnikov finally realized they both loved each other dearly, but what happened to Sonya? She changed so much. She used to be a prostitute and now she's basically the saint of Siberia who immensely believes in God. Well good for her I guess. I did not like how Dostoyvesky added the plague issue. "The plague grew worse, spreading further and further. Only a few people in the whole world managed to escape." So the whole world catches the plague, huh? That sounds more like some zombie book than a classic. Well I guess you could look at it in a symbolic way, and think that everyone in the world starts to think that they are all Napoleons, (like Raskolnikov did,) and that sooner later Dostoyevsky thinks that every man will go insane and that we will start killing each other. If that's what he meant, then maybe he was right; there are many murders today, just not everyone in the world commits one. Unless the ones who don't are the "pure and chosen, who had been predestined to begin a new species of mankind," but I'm not quite sure if that's what Dostoyevsky was aiming at...

Chloe's Third Entry on Crime and Punishment

While reading Part 4, I came across a quote that really stood out to me.

“Ghosts are so to speak, bits and pieces of other worlds, their beginnings. The healthy man, naturally has no call to see them, because the healthy man is the most earthly of men, and therefore he ought to live according to life here, for the sake of completeness and order. Well, but as soon as a man gets sick, as soon as the normal earthly order of his organism is disrupted, the possibility of another world at once begins to make itself known…”

This is an idea completely new to me. I used to feel that when people were getting closer to death they were in fact becoming closer to Earth, going back to their beginning and that, that’s where ghosts were as well. Everything spiritual is closer to the Earth; the Earth is the root of all things. For those who are healthy they are farther away from Earth then everything. Those who are young and healthy are ignorant of the Earth and all it has to offer and are just intoned with the present and current events. They are above the Earth, not connected to it; all they are interested in is the latest technology and the development of Earth. Those dying and spirituality is closer to Earth, they are about preserving it and returning to where they were born from.

Chloe's Second Entry on Crime and Punishment

This is a very complex story, and very sophisticated writing. It is hard for me to find just one thing to talk about seeing as there is just so much. The dynamics of the characters and their personal thoughts and actions are what really make the story. I am enjoying it greatly because usually most authors describe the setting of the story in great detail in order to immerse the readers but this is completely the opposite. There are instances in which we don’t even know what street Raskolnikov is walking on and which direction he is headed in. I appreciate this because I feel the characters make a story not where it is taking place.

Raskolnikov’s sister and mother bring a whole new perspective to the story. We discover that his sister is very much like him which brings up the question about his behavior how much of it is really due to his illness and the murders he has committed and how much is just his own true personality? If that is the case he is a very dark and unsettling character. He is very mischievous and conniving, he enjoys seeing people suffer or be uncomfortable and intimidated. I find his behavior odd regardless of the fact that he killed two people; his actions don’t seem to be that of someone who is feeling remorseful or sorry, he is crazed.

His life and story is very dramatic, I wonder if this is what St. Petersburg used to be like. It is like something you would see in a movie or on TV. The way people live and behave the amount of poverty is astounding and at no point so far do we discover any other side to St. Petersburg, it is all dark and mysterious. It is hard to stop reading, it is a huge mystery full of confusion and misunderstanding and secrets and I just can’t wait to find out what is going to happen.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Jihyun's Entries on Crime and Punishment

1 Journal
In the beginning of Crime and Punishment was very confusing to me. All complicate Russian names, cities names, and too many characters just made me dizzy. But when I kept getting though the book, and I started to understand more about the character especially Raskolnikov.
In chapter one shows his extreme poverty and his small apartment. In the novel these physical things show about his life, crimes, sickness, and feelings. I remembered the Marmeladov and Raskolnikov’ depress conversation in chapter two, “When one has no one, nowhere else one can go.” After the murdered Raskolinikov is thinking about what Marmeladov say, “having absolutely no where to go.” It sounds like Raskolinikov seems depress after the murder. Part one finish with the murder and Raskolnikov’s illness. The crime appears only in part one, so I assume that other parts will deal with investigating the murder and punishment.
I guess…………

2 Journal
I remember this quote in part three, “It wasn't a human being I killed, it was a principle! So I killed the principle, but I didn't step over, I stayed on this side. All I managed to do was kill. And I didn't even manage that, as it turns out.” This quote shows that Raskolinikov is not worry about whether he is murder. He can not use the crime to his success also he can’t forget about his guiltiness.
This book is not like other book that the author Dostoevsky describes the character Raskolinikov as unusual anti hero. Someone think of himself inability murder also someone think of himself as extraordinary superman.

3 Journal
I didn’t expect that Raskolinikov will confess his crimes. But, his guiltiness for killing two people, and stealing the pawned items kept remind him. The ending was totally what I didn’t think of. I thought that Raskolinikov will end up in jail all his life or commit suicide. But I never expect happy ending. But, I am very happy about that.
I think that Sonya was key important role to Raskolinikov’s life. Because of her his life changes totally opposite. I am very surprise that Sonya stay Raskolinikov’s side no matter what happen. I really enjoy this book. It was totally different than when I first read the book and after I finish the Crime and Punishment. It was the book that I never read before and unexpected characters and plot.

Jihyun's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

1 Journal
In beginning of the book I had a lot of questions. In scene one, when Blanche is looking for her Sister Stella’s house, the author Tennessee Williams wrote, “Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as her white clothes that suggest a moth.” I was curious why Tennessee Williams uses a moth to describe Blanche. Also the ending scene one, when Blanche said, “The boy the boy died. I’m afraid I’m going to be sick!” I wasn’t sure who was she talking about, but in scene two, it solved the problem. It was Blanche’s dead husband.
The weird thing was in scene two and three, it seemed like Blanche was talking a lot of baths. She said; she needed steaming hot baths to make her calm. It seemed like to her the baths was cleansing her mind or emotions. I also remembered when Blanche was talking to Mitch that “I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action.” I thought that refers to maybe Blanche was scared to show her real face.
I remembered this scene the most, in scene three during poker party, Stanley was drug and hit his wife Stella. After he awoke from drug, he went out to get Stella. He was looking at Eunice’s house and called Stel-lahhhhhh. He made animal’s violence sound. Stella went outside and slowly came near to Stanley, and they were like beauty and beast. I am still getting though the book. Every scene shows the character’s trait.



2 Journal

I started to understand more about the book now. I also started to know more about Blanche’s mystery after she loses Belle Reve. I found out that both sisters are depending on others. Stella is relay on her husband Stanley. Blanche is relay on men. I started to have questions to myself, why Stella and Blanche are so dependent on men?
In the middle of the scene, Blanche convinces Stella to leave Stanley because he is an animal and common man. After Stanley heard what Blanche said, he started to search about Blanche’s past. In scene Five, Stanley says to Blanches, “do you happen to know somebody named Shaw? Well, this somebody named Shaw is under the impression he met you in Laurel, but I figure he must have got you mixed up with some other party because this other party is someone he met at a hotel called the Flamingo.”. Stanley searched for Blanche’s secrets past and this conversation shows that Stanley is trying to hurt and embrace Blanche. The reason is Blanch is encouraging Stella to leave him. I think he is trying to do revenge to Blanche. But, Blanch is ignoring what Stanley saying. I was cautious why Tennessee Williams use Flamingo? Also why Blanche is scared about people to know about her past? Especially Mitch.
In the reading I started to know more about the characters especially Blanche. She is very considers about her looks. She keeps ask people how she looks. She also seems afraid about losing her beauty. Even though, two sisters Blanche and Stella seem different. I think they are same in some way, because they are not independent on themselves and depend on men. Stella is depending on Stanley, and Blanche is depending on men. Only difference is Stella is married and depends on only one man, but Blanche is depends on several men by her beauty. In the middle of the book it started to appear more about the characters possess and mystery about Blanche.


3Journal.
A streetcar named Desire was different lives in South around 1900s philosophy, culture 50 and 60 years ago in South. I think, the book tries to say, three people Blanche, Stella, and Stanley’ survivors. Because, Blanche doesn’t have job and money to live, so she needs a guy who can support her. She just uses her beauty to survive. Stella is totally depending on Stanley. Stanley is depends on poker and drink to survive themselves. But it also sows three people damaging by their emotions.
I started to think the live in now is much different, because now a lot of women have their own job, house, and money to survive by themselves without someone supporting them. Surprising thing was the ending scene I didn’t think that Blanch will end up going hospital, and her sister Stella couldn’t do anything.

Liane's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

#1

When you first meet the two sisters Stella and Blanche you can tell instantly that both sister are very different and have different ways of living.

Stella lives to please her husband. She seems to brush off his faults and give reasons to why he does the things he does. Stella lets her husband Stanley runs her life she is there at his ever beck and call. I feel like Stanley doesn’t treat Stella the way she should be treated. He’s mean and ruff with her, and he only apologize when he realizes that he has gone too far.

Blanche is very proper and thinks of herself as an upper class person. She tells people what is on her mind and wants to be treated as if she was a queen. I can also see that she may have a bit of a drinking problem.

#2

Blanche seems to be hiding something from her sister and the people she meets. It feels like she is not telling the truth about herself.

I feel this because she seems to be putting up a front, or some kind of wall. I could sense this from the way she would dress, talk, the vague stories she would tell of the life she lived before staying with her sister Stella. Her whole being seems like a lie. To me Blanche doesn’t want people to know the real her.

#3

I feel sorry for Blanche; she spent so many years of being alone and lost in the world without love. To me that was what she was looking for; she was looking for someone to love her, someone that she could love back. After her young husband committed suicide she spent the rest of her life wandering around looking for that warm embraces even if it was just for one night. Because of that she was well know back home in her town.

She made up stories and lied so that her life would seem fancy, full of glitz and glamour but in reality she lived an unhappy lonely life that was full of sadness, heart ace, and a really bad drinking problem.

Stacey's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

#1

I have seen the movie, “A Streetcar Named Desire” on numerous occasions. I always enjoyed the film version, never realizing there was a written play by Tennessee Williams. Needless to say, having seen this play acted out on the screen by top-notch actors, such as Marlon Brando and Vivian Leigh, I was somewhat apprehensive about now having to read something that I already saw acted out. Would it have the same impact? Would the characters be similar? Would I be disappointed that I saw the movie before I read the book? These questions came to my mind, prior to starting this read.

After finishing the play, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. In answer to my questions, yes, the written play did indeed have the same impact. The characters in the book were so strong, that one doesn’t have to see the play first in order to capture the personalities of the characters, as well as their emotions. I must admit I wish I read the play first, before seeing the movie, because I kept visualizing Marlon Brando as “Stanley”, and Vivian Leigh as “Blanche”. Not that this is any big deal, but it would have been interesting to see whom I would envision as these characters.

Tennessee Williams does an amazing job via his written words. His brilliance in creating these characters is what brings them to life. I, as the reader was able to feel the pain in Blanche, as she becomes mentally unraveled as the story progresses. The tension in Stella is crystal clear, as she truly becomes the middleman between her sister Blanche and her husband Stanley. The character of Stanley is so rough, tough and macho, that it makes me wonder if Tennessee Williams possessed these traits as well.

The most memorable line in this play is when Stanley screams “STELLAAAAAA”. This made me leery after having seen this performance, whether the book could have the same impact of this line. Tennessee Williams manages to create through his writing, the importance of this line. Stanley’s feelings for Stella are clearly understood in the book, as well as the movie. The intensity in how and when he says the name “Stella”, is equally important to actually watching and hearing him say the name “Stella”. I thoroughly enjoyed reading “A Streetcar Named Desire”, and must say I could easily compare reading this book to watching the film, without any apprehension.



#2

“They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks, and get off at Elysian Fields”. These are the first words spoken by Blanche Dubois, as she meets the two women sitting in front of the Kowalski building. Upon researching the name Elysian Fields, it was interesting to learn that it derives from Greek Mythology, meaning land of the dead. After gaining this piece of knowledge, I kind of understood where Tennessee Williams was going with this story. The tone of the play was based on that opening line when we first met Blanche Dubois. The story depicts Blanche’s journey of sadness, doom and gloom. It is obvious that this character is a fragile soul. Tennessee Williams compares Blanche with a moth to a flame. A little creature, who flits about under the light in an aimless sort of way.

When we first meet Blanche, she comes off as a simple, educated and nervous woman. As the story unfolds, she is far from simple. In fact, I truly believe she has to be one of the most complicated characters in literature. Blanche does come from a wealthy background. She is an English teacher, from Loral Mississippi. Her life was full of sadness and confusion. She has been around many deaths in her life, including her parents, as well as her homosexual young husband. Blanche feels she was responsible for her husband killing himself because she never approved of his sexuality.

Blanche and Stella become reacquainted after many years in the first scene. She wastes no time putting a guilt trip on Stella. The fact that Stella left home, leaving Blanche to deal with all the ugly sickness and death. This is the reason she is financially destitute, explaining to Stella that sickness and death costs money, and that is why she no longer owns Beele Rive. These deaths haunt Blanche throughout the play, and ultimately are the catalysts for her destiny.



#3

Tennessee Williams created some of the most intense interactions among his characters in this story. The relationships between Stella, Blanche, and Stanley are twisted, heart wrenching, and emotionally draining. Each of these characters had such deep-rooted, psychological issues that seemed every time they interacted with one another, it was a disaster.

Blanche was appalled when she arrives at her sister’s home. She cannot believe the dump her sister lives in, a two-room apartment, with no space and none of the finery that Stella and Blanche were accustomed to having when they were growing up. Blanche is a tormented soul who has been through a lot in her life. She never experienced real, true love, and it appears she almost resents Stanley and Stella for having this. Stella does not seem to mind her living conditions, as she is so in love with her husband Stanley.

Stanley is a macho character with violent behavior. He yells and screams, and comes off as almost barbaric in many ways. Certainly not the “gentleman”, that Blanche would like to see her sister with. When Blanche and Stanley interact, it is uncomfortable. First of all, that little southern bell attitude that Blanche tried to portray does not fly with Stanley. He sees right through Blanche from the beginning. He finds her to be a threat to his marriage, because he knows that Stella adores both of them. The fact that Blanche despises Stanley is apparent. Stanley goes as far as having Blanche investigated, and when he finds out the truth about her, he wastes no time trying to destroy her.

The marriage between Stanley and Stella is very rough. Even though Stella is carrying his child, Stanley’s behavior is animalistic towards her. The fact that he rapes her sister shows his lack of character, as well as morals. It is tragic all around. Blanche could not mentally compete with Stanley, and eventually had to be committed. Stella being her next of kin was the one that had to do this deed. Deep down inside, she knows that Blanche was driven to this state, and will always hate Stanley for that.

I do not see how any of these characters could possibly live happily ever after. Had this had happen in today’s society, I feel the ending to this would have been quite different. Stanley probably would have been out the door, Blanche would’ve been put on anti-depressants, and Stella would probably re-marry several years later.

Zeehan's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment is not the type of book that I would generally think of reading for fun. Before I began the book, I thought to myself that this is going to be another A Tale of Two Cities, one great piece of literature, but one that I particularly hate. However as I began reading it, that really wasn’t the case. I have to admit that the book is a little hard to follow, however even though it’s a translated version, it’s quite interesting. From the first few pages, Raskolnikov, the protagonist, obviously appears to have a very dark and somewhat sick personality. He seems like he is depressed, and I would be too, if I was in his position. I think that Raskolnikov’s depression was caused by more than the fact that he is in debt and hungry. I’ve noticed from his reaction from his mothers letters and the time when he wanted to save the girl who fainted in the street is that he wants to be useful, but he feels absolutely useless. Keeping the time period in mind, it’s usually the responsibility of the son of the family to marry off his sister and take care of his mother; however, in Rodya’s case, his younger sister and his mother are taking care of him instead of the other way around. I think that’s one of the fundamental causes of Rodya’s depression. After receiving the letter from his mother, Rodya murmured to himself that he is not going to let his mother sacrifice his sister for him, but then he realized that she would have never had to even think about sacrificing one child for the other if he had been established and useful as he was expected to be. I’m not yet sure how the story is connected to murder, but I think that the fact that Rodya is in so much debt has a lot to do it, and maybe it’s because of money, since it’s such an important theme in the book so far.

Zeehan's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

Journal #1

So far, I think Blanche is going to be a very important and interesting character in “A Street Car Named Desire”. From her behavior so far in the play, Blanche seems like a very insecure and phony person. She is always concerned about the way she looks and feels a need to lie about her age because she thinks her age will make her appear less attractive. Blanche tells Stella, “You know I haven’t put on one ounce in ten years, Stella?” (p22) expressing her concern about her physical beauty. Stella is aware of her sister’s weakness and always compliments Blanche about her beauty and tells others to compliment her as well.
Blanche seems like she had a past that influenced her insecure character. It’s pretty obvious how much she cares about her physical appearance, but she never really talks about how she feels. When Stanly asked Blanche about her marriage and her husband, her mood suddenly changed, and she didn’t speak much about him.
I’m very skeptical of Stanley’s character so far. He seems to take too much interest in Stella’s and Blanche’s property. He’s unnecessarily rude to people. I don’t think his intentions about the property are too good. He’s probably angry about the loss of the property because he was planning on taking it from Stella. After hitting Stella the night of the poker party, it’s pretty much clear that Stanly had very little respect for her.


Journal #2

Observing Blanche’s character so far, it seems like she is mentally disturbed due to her childhood and her husband Allan. According to me, the thing that disturbs Blanche is knowing that she’s not rich anymore. Blanche’s behavior is sometimes ostentatious around people. She seems to be in denial that she is no longer in her wealthy childhood while Stella has accepted and embraced the reality that her husband is not rich and she no longer posses the wealth of her childhood. Blanche still pretends that she is wealthy by wearing expensive dresses and perfumes that supposedly costs twenty five dollars an ounce. It’s revealed about how much Blanche cares about wealth and money by the way she dresses and by the letter she wrote to Shep describing how rich she and her sister is, yet she tells Stella “Y’ know how indifferent I am to money” (p 67). Blanche can’t believe her sister is willingly living in such poor conditions. Blanche described Stanly as “common” even though all she has in her pocket is sixty-five cents.
Blanche’s character seems very indecent to me, from her behavior, it can be predicted that men are one of her weaknesses. I think her insecurity regarding her age, beauty, and men were caused by the deception and death of her husband Allan. Blanche probably feels like she failed her husband somehow. Maybe she wasn’t beautiful and attractive enough; therefore he became attracted to another man. Blanche is probably self conscious since then. She like’s staying in the dark, so she can deceive men about her age and attract them to her. Blanche is so conscious of her age that when Mitch asked her what her age was she panicked. She really didn’t want Mitch to lose interest in her and therefore she pretends to have old fashioned ideals in front of Mitch because according to her, men lose interest in anything they get too quickly.
Ever since her husband died, Blanche probably gave too much attention to men. It seems like Blanche has been letting herself fall into indecent behavior for the past few years. When Stanly asked Blanche if she knew someone named Shaw, Blanche panicked and lied that she didn’t know him. The way Blanche reacted after hearing the name of Hotel Flamingo, it seemed as if Hotel Flamingo was a brothel and it’s pretty obvious that she has been there. When Blanche inquired if Stella and Mitch heard anything about her, it seemed as if she had something to hide. Blanche proved that there is definitely something to doubt about her character and past when she began flirting with the young man and then kissed him even though she didn’t know him and the next minute she was flirting with Mitch like nothing just happened.


Journal #3

I think Blanche did need help because of her mental state, but I think it was completely cruel of Stanly to send her to the mental asylum the way he did. By the end of the play, Blanche became a depressed soul according to me. I think Blanche knew that she screwed up, and she was trying to start all over again, but when her past cruelly came back to her life, she lost hope of a new life. By that point, Blanche knew that her childhood wealth and Mitch was gone forever, therefore she went into denial and continued to make up stories to make herself feel better.
By the end of the play, I would describe Stanley animal like as well, just as Blanche did. I think Stanley’s ego was hurt when he heard Blanche describe him as “common” and ape like. Stanley seems like he’s fed up of hearing that he’s different from Blanch and Stella and that he’ll never reach their status. After his ego was hurt, he probably decided to make Blanche’s life hell, as any man with a hurt ego would probably do. I felt extremely sorry for Stella at the end of the play, but I was also very angry at her. The whole time she kept protecting her sister, but when Blanche truly needed protection, Stella turned away. I know Stella did believe Blanche when she told her that Stanley raped her, but she couldn’t blame Stanley because of the circumstances. If Stella left Stanley with her new born and Blanche, they would have nowhere to go because neither Blanche nor Stella owns a penny. Stella also worried that believing Blanche would not only ruin her family, but it will ruin her baby’s future.
In my opinion, women are portrayed very weak and servile to men in this play. Blanche always feels that she need to impress men, and she always needed them in her life in order to keep herself happy. However, despite her many attempts to please men, they always disappointed her in return. First her husband disappointed her and left an everlasting negative impact in her life. Then Stanly managed to make her life even more miserable then it already was by taking advantage of her. And lastly Mitch broke her already shattered heart and stole all chances of normalcy returning to Blanche’s life.
Blanche is described as a woman who depends on men to please her. Stella is also shown as a woman who is completely dependent on her husband. Stanley talks to Stella as he pleases and treats her almost as if she is his servant. Stella is very dependent on Stanley, and this can be supported by the fact that she continued to stand by him even after Blanche accused him of rapping her. I know that Stella knew her sister was telling the truth and she will have to live her entire life knowing that her husband not only deceived her, but also ruined her sister’s life. I was very furious when Stella supported Stanly over Blanche, because it gives him the impression that he can do whatever to her and still have her supporting him. Not only that Stanley will take the wrong advantage out of Stella’s support, but it’s letting the rest of the men know that they can do whatever to women because women will always depend on them.
Sex has been a very vital theme in this play, and in my opinion, a very important conflict as well. In “A Street Car Named Desire”, the different sexual roles of men and women are what disturb me the most. Throughout the play, Blanche has been highly censured by her brother- in- law, her boyfriend, the town people, and even her sister regarding her sexual reputation. People are very likely to describe Blanche as a whore. Stanley truly put his effort into filling Blanche’s life with pain and shame by repeating to people what he discovered about her past. Throughout the play, men are portrayed as superior and dominant when compared to women. However, when Stanley was forgiven after raping Blanche, and still possessed his pure reputation, the playwright showed the audience the gender inequalities that exist in people’s ideologies. When a woman is proved to be a prostitute, she is considered the filth of a legitimate society which must be eliminated. However, then men of legitimate societies goes to prostitutes for illegitimate pleasure, they are not accused of indecency or filth. When Blanche has sex with men; she does it with their will. The men probably know that she is a whore and doesn’t mind sleeping with her because it doesn’t require commitment. These same men are probably the ones who spread the word of her indecency, but not too many people question them of their decency. When Blanche slept with people with their will, it became a huge issue, however when Stanley raped Blanche, not one finger was pointed towards him with accusations. I just wished that men would stop contributing to the growth of the filth that they claim to protect their decent societies against.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Bobby's Third Entry on Crime and Punishment

After finishing Crime and Punishment, I would have to say that it is definitely one of my favorite books. The ending left me wanting more but I knew that it had to end where it did. Otherwise, like the author said it would become a different story in itself. During the course of the book, Raskolnikov has been through an endless amount of torment and pain. I would not have guessed that Dostoevsky would write a happy ending. I thought that Raskolnikov would have lost the will to live in prison and commit suicide. Although it is nice that finally he was going to get better and lead a normal life, even if he still will remain in prison for another seven years. I think if it wasn’t for Sonya he would have never made it this far. She has become a major part of his life. I find it amazing that despite all the things he has done to her and everything she had to put up with that she still stood by his side.

Since the book has ended, as readers we can only guess how Raskolnikov’s future is going to be like. But there is a quote that I have noticed that might provide some insight into the future. Towards the very end, Dostoevsky says “he did not even know that a new life would not be given him for nothing, that it still had to be dearly bought, to be paid for with a great future deed…” My interpretation of that is that even though everything looks good for Raskolnikov, they are not completely out of the “woods”. There are still going to problems and issues that are going to come up, just like in real life. However I wouldn’t worry about that because at this point I’m pretty confident that he and Sonya can handle anything that comes up. Like Dostoevsky said, this is “account of a man’s gradual renewal, the account of his regeneration, his transition from one world to another”.

Michael's Second and Third Entries on Crime and Punishment

Second Entry on crime and punishment


I’m having trouble getting into this book. It’s different and goes places that books I’ve read have never gone before but I just don’t feel moved or interested by this novel. At first I had this feeling of mystery and suspense and I wanted to know the answers but now my feelings have turned into a who cares sort of ordeal. I think one of the reasons I’m having trouble getting into this book is because I usually read American literature. I find myself reading a lot of Ray Bradbury and John Steinbeck and the writing style is definitely different.

One thing I do like about the book is how Dostoevsky created an anti-hero in Raskolnikov. He is a murderer and doesn’t feature the usual hero characteristics. You know he should lose or get caught but you cant help but to root for him. I enjoy this aspect because I find it very hard to create such a character. It reminds me a lot of the movie There Will Be Blood. Daniel Plainview, the main character, is a greedy oil man who lies and cheats his way to get to the top. As the movie goes on you continue to cheer him in his fight against the town’s Priest, and at the end of the movie you realize he was the villain all along. If it wasn’t for Raskolnikov’s character I would be having a much harder time reading this novel. Hopefully it ends strong.


Third entry on crime and punishment


What in the world were Svidrigailov dream’s about and why did he commit suicide? Was he under pressure? If so, from who? Maybe he couldn’t deal with everything going on and decided the only way out was with a bullet. I found the scene and the dreams very depressing though. I thought Raskolnikov was going to commit suicide and was very surprised when he did. I didn’t think he could live with himself with what he had done, but at the same time he can’t survive in jail. He proved me wrong when he confessed at the end.

His confession wouldn’t have happened had it not been for Sonya waiting for him. What I really want to know is what was Ilya thinking as he told him the events that had taken place The murders, the stolen items, and so on. Plus did Petrovich receive any credit for his investigation even though he did not catch Raskolnikov? I really wanted Raskolnikov to be arrested but I also really want him to escape. I have said it before about his character and I will say it again. I really enjoy rooting for the bad guy and I’m happy to see he got what was coming to him. However I believe it would have been a more dramatic ending if Raskolnikov would have shot himself in front of Sonya outside the station. The hero would have fallen, along with the villain.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Josh's Second and Third Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

Two- After reading more of the play, I have realized that Blanche is in New Orleans only to help herself, not her sister. Also, I think that my initial understanding was correct when I thought that Blanche held herself in a higher esteem than everybody else. I have discovered that she is a huge liar, and I think that this is because she thinks that other people are too "simple" or "common", so she tells them whatever she wants. When she wrote to Shep Huntleigh and told him that she was flying to all sorts of places during the summer, she made it seem as if it would be an honor for her to go and visit him in Dallas. She later admits to trying to deceive Mitch. All this lying cannot possibly end up doing any good.

Why did Blanche kiss the kid who was collecting money from the newspaper? When she told Stella that there were rumors about her in Laurel, they all probably tell some story of promiscuity. She kisses a random kid and then tells him to leave before she gets carried away. Then she tells Mitch to bow to her. How old is Blanche, anyway? I guess she's old enough to be an alcoholic.


Three- After finishing the story, I thought back to my predictions in my second entry. I was spot on when I addressed the rumors about Blanche's past. When I read that she was kicked out of the school because of misconduct with a student, I understood exactly why she shooed away the newspaper boy. When I heard the story about the sailors and the random men she picked up, I realized that promiscuous was an understatement; she was a borderline prostitute, which isn't surprising due to her love of money. When she tried to call Shep again and sent a telegram, she asked for money. All after making up a fantastic story about some other rich guy that she met.

I was surprised that Stella called a doctor to come take Blanche away. I didn't realize that Blanche was actually crazy, I just thought that she had told so many lies that she couldn't help herself anymore, that she was caught in one big lie. I think the most powerful line in the play was on the last page when Blanche says, "Whoever you are--I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." I think that revealed everything about Blanche's character. She was so damaged by the suicide of her first "love" that she went anywhere she could imagine to get the attention that she needed, whether it was from sailors near her home, or random men, or even someone like Mitch. I thought that she was telling these morbid (as Stella called them) stories to deceive people into liking her or feeling sorry for her, but in fact, she was exposing how she really felt. The people around her may not have understood her, just as I didn't fully understand her, and that ultimately led to her losing control.

Mereani's Second Entry for Crime and Punishment

Well much to my amazement, there has been many interesting developments, and turns taken in the book. At first, I thought that Raskolnikov was a very unpleasant character that suffered from a mental disorder, and the consequences of being in poverty. But then there were moments in the book, where he actually showed a part of himself to be a saint, and if you squinted your eyes a little, maybe even a halo above his head. He began to remind me of misunderstood characters, anti-heroes. One character that he truly reminded me of was Wolverine from X-Men, laugh or even mock me if you may, but I really think that Raskolnikov is similar to Wolverine. As in that both are hostile towards others, do not want to be familiar with others, and usually just avoid people completely. However both hold a soft spot for those who seem to be in distress. This is seen especially when Sonya’s father is nearing his end; when the little girl came and thanked him in her own way. This is where Raskolnikov, is reborn and has faith in living his life again, and his former life dead.

The murder that Raskolnikov committed, I think at first it was just that he was merely playing with the idea of “what if” the old lady was gone. But then after hearing his thoughts out loud when at the tavern, he really thought it was a swell idea and eventually fell through with it. People do things, when in poverty that are shunned by society, but those who look down on them are those who don’t need to be doing such things to get by.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Michael's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

Even if Dostoevsky ignored describing Raskolnikov’s surroundings the image that I have created would have been the same just because of the dark tone this book is set in. Raskolnikov is unlike any character I’ve ever read about. He is troubled, ill, anti-social, and desperate. From what I understand he is also a fictional version of the author to some point, especially when it comes to the illness the character has become engulfed in. I am however perplexed by his “plan”. If he wants to be anti-social then fine, but what is he trying to do that will only bring more attention to him.

I am even more confused by where these emotional problems came from. One does not just start acting anti-social and cut-off. So why has Raskolnikov developed these feelings? I hope as I read on these secrets are revealed. Another major point I want to bring out is the level of difficulty this book is on. Last year’s AP students told us that this was a very hard book to follow, mostly because of the names and the fact that some things may not make sense because it’s a translation. When I first heard them I didn’t listen because I figured “it’s a book how hard could it be”. But truth be told this is probably the hardest piece of literature I’ve ever been asked to read. Maybe even harder than when I had to read from the Torah for my Bar Mitzvah! Ok well, maybe not THAT hard. It is a very advanced level and I am looking forward to the challenge!

Mereani's First Entry for Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment, so far an interesting book, it would not normally be my first choice, however I’m glad that it is a required reading, allows me to expand. Well as soon realizing that the author was Russian, it immediately reminded me of another book called the namesake, where the father of the protagonist, named Ashoke, loved the Russian writers. Especially the author Nikolai Gogol, he loved the author’s writing’s so much, that he named his son after him.

Further reading the foreword, and Part one of the book, Raskolnikov, apart from his to pronounce name, which I prefer not to attempt. Strangely reminds me of the series killer Jack the Ripper, who haunted the poverty stricken streets of London. Why? Because Raskolnikov also lives in extreme poverty as well, he will eventually murder someone and I think in future be acquainted with Sonya who is a prostitute. This is all similar to Jack the Ripper, who did a number of gruesome murders, of women, (so maybe Raskolnikov will kill a woman), and his most infamous murder was of a prostitute.

Raskolnikov, seems to be very much anti-social, but at times contradicts this by wanting to socialize, but then not wanting to again. He may suffer from a personality disorder, or it maybe the effect of being indebt and in poverty for quite sometime. His monologues, somehow always seem to be evil, but then he challenges his own resolve with even tougher questions. So I think the loneliness has driven him insane and a split in the mind.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Michael's Third Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

The end completely surprised me. I never even suspected that Blanche had a mental problem, I actually thought she was telling me the truth. What surprised me even more was what Stanley did to her. Throughout the whole reading I thought he was scared of the change Blanche brought and didn’t want her around but then when the two are finally alone he take advantage of her. What’s even worse is that he discovers she is a liar and senile and he still does it.

I felt remorse and helplessness when Stella said that she couldn’t live with Stanley and believe Blanche’s story at the same time because I knew what really happened and I wanted to jump into the book and tell her the truth. I wish Tennessee Williams wrote a sequel because I cannot believe Stanley could go on living his life with this secret.

A Streetcar Named Desire reminded me of an old black and white movie named Arsenic and Old lace. In the movie two brothers cousin has a mental disorder and he thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt and parades around the house and builds the Panama Canal in his basement. The way he acts and the way Blanche acts are almost the same. They try to act fancy and eloquent, or like big shots and know it alls. Since both pieces were done around the same time period I can’t help but to wonder if this was a hot topic of the decade and how many homes it affected.

Mereani's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

The Streetcar Named Desire Entry #1

Right now the book doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere with me, but I think that a lot of it will revolve around secrets being revealed. Stella and Blanche are sisters, however it seems that Stella is more exposed to the outside world, and isn’t as needy of luxurious elements in her life, versus Blanche, according to my suspicions is that she might be willing to do anything to want to keep her luxurious lifestyle, since she grew up privileged. Blanche also seems to be a suspicious character, because her stories of Belle Reeve are only half satisfactory. It’s as though she is covering up something, I’m not so sure what though. Not only is she suspicious, I think that she is also a complicated character. The enormous strain on her mentally from handling all the affairs of her family’s deaths, must have really taken a toll on her, and that she might have suffered too much shock and strain that she slightly lost her mind, cracked under pressure, psycho in other words. . She also comes off snobbish sometimes, I don’t blame Stanley for getting mad at her, but Stan seems to have issues of his own too. He’s always throwing around his authority wanting to take control or has to in control, maybe that’s why he picks on Blanche from time to time. Also a stab in the dark here, secretly he might be attracted to Blanche. However I also think that he feels threatened by Blanche and obviously does not trust her, and maybe considers her as a rival of Stella’s attention and sympathy. Stanley does not seem to want to at all want to understand Blanche. Stella just looks like the peacemaker, trying to get the two to harmonize with each other. However she seems to truly be in love with Stan, and Stan also seems to be madly in love with Stella, and wants to protect her, however he shows this through rough tactics, this is probably due to the baby that’s on its way. However I don’t think that Blanche really understands the love that Stan and Stella have for each other, specifically the way they express their love and deal with each other, she maybe in stead envious of what they have. Making her feel alone and unwanted.


Streetcar Named Desire Entry #2

Blanche from my opinion seems to envious of the relationship between Stanley and Stella, even though she doesn’t understand how they go about doing things, seems to want to have someone as specially close to her. To offer her that same protection and love Stan awkwardly displays for Stella. Maybe because of this envious feeling, it made her start looking for love in the most unusual places; such as kissing that random young man from the newspaper. However another reason that she kissed the young man, was probably out of anxiety, waiting for Mitch, so she made a move on the young man to assure herself of her char and beauty, to see f she still got it. Another alternative is that maybe Blanche has an alter ego inside of her, which rears its head once in a while when no one is observing.

Mitch and Blanche have undergone the same thing however under different circumstances. Mitch’s experience of death was with a girl that had died and given him a silver case, and also his dying mother, who seems to live longer than expected. Blanche on the other hand has a more horrific past that is revealed to us. I think that event in time has had a horrible effect on Blanche. It seems to haunt her most of the time when she’s alone, and I think the event was so damaging to her, that it altered her mental state of mind. I mean her first lover that she worshipped like a god, turned out to be gay, and she must have been hurt by this and betrayed. But she may have also felt guilty because he was also trying to tell her something, reaching out for her help, but she just ended up killing him in the end.


I think I have already stated in my previous journal, but now I can confirm that Stanley does feel threatened by Blanche being in the house. Because he maybe thinking that she is turning Stella away from him, and doing everything in her power to break them up. That’s maybe why he was so motivated in digging up dirt on Blanche, and expose as an evil creature to Stella, so that she would start hating Blanche. Instead I think that he ended being extremely cruel to Blanche, he didn’t even try to understand where she’s coming from or what she’s been through , and just solely wanted her out of the house, so that he can go on living the way he did before she came. On a lighter note a baby’s coming yay!!


The Streetcar Named Desire Entry #3

Well, Well much has progressed through the book and now its done. Many twists and turns came from the book, which was not expected from me. Such as Stanley raping Blanche!! I was not expecting that at all, but I guess that’s what you get when you have a baby on the way and taken in a couple of beers already before arriving at the flat. My theory as to why he had his way with her was because, now that Stella’s having a baby, he might have felt that it was the end official end of his bachelor days, (although it should have ended when he said “I, do” at the wedding) so with the mixture of alcohol in his blood and the mood set and the feeling given off when he wore his silk pyjamas; he felt like a bachelor again and going for his last round at the game before he’s out for good.

Well in the end Blanche was sent to a mental hospital, in the ending scene, I think that her going there was good for her as in she’ll be looked after and receive attention from the nurses. The Three characters that really felt the hardships in that scene was Mitch and the two Dubois sisters. It was heartbreaking for Stella, thinking that she sold out her sister. I think that Mitch felt the same, but felt too much betrayed by Blanche and her past to do anything, except lower his head in shame. Stanley is another story, I think he played the villain or he devil standing there with his pitch-fork. Now knowing that the life before Blanche was right around the corner, as for Stella a part of her world had started to vanish, and ending a one life and the beginning with another, and this was symbolised with Eunice handing over the baby to her. Life will return to normal but the event of the past can not be erased.

I wonder is the baby is a boy or a girl? the blanket was blue so maybe it was a boy.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Bobby's Second Entry on Crime and Punishment

In parts three and four, I would say that that the most exciting thing so far is the psychological game being played by Porfiry Petrovich. From the things he says, it’s obvious this guy knows his stuff. Since the book is being told form point of view of Raskolnikov we don’t know how much Porfiry knows or for that matter how much he doesn’t know. Also, I love how subtle he is and how he is always laughing. I know that’s just a technique he is using to get into Rodya’s mind but is still pretty funny, especially when it drives Rodya crazy.

Raskolnikov is supposed to be a smart guy, but in my opinion he needs to get more control over his feelings and emotions. He does a decent job when he is with his mother and sister, but he could not control himself when he is with Porfiry. It was he who went to Porfiry’s office and on top of that he knew that Porfiry was going to play head games. It was made clear that Porfiry suspected Raskolnikov of the murder (even though he never said it and denies it). Rodya said to himself that he was going to try to control himself. That’s why I was so disappointed with him when he lost control. It was exactly what Porfiry wanted. During his rage he said things that he should not have. What he has to get in his head is that Porfiry is playing a game against him and in a game you have to calculate your moves so that you come out as the victor. Raskolnikov knows if it had gone on longer he would have given himself away and only got out of that situation by luck, which incidentally is how he escaped after the murder.

Another part in the book that could be significant in the future is the relation between Raskolnikov and Sonya. It seems that he is falling in love with her. Given his history I think I know why he feels the way he does about her. It was mentioned that Raskolnikov was engaged Mrs. Zarnitsyn’s daughter. She was described as sickly, poor weak, and pathetic. Rodya said that he loved her because of that and if she was worse, he would have loved her more. Sonya is similarly described as poor, meek, and very thin. I think Rodya is attracted to those qualities.

Michael's Second Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

Last year my summer assignment for English was to read Slaughter-house five and discuss its representation of the American Dream. I am halfway through A Streetcar Named Desire and out of everything I can think of nothing stands out in this book more then the American Dream. It is not evident when you first begin reading the book however the more you get into it and understand the background of Stanley you see the abuse of the American dream. He is Polish, him or his parents were immigrants, he has a great life with a lovely wife and yet he is still unhappy. Why must he be so abusive towards the life he has been given? What triggers the mad man inside him?

Even in Stanley’s madness the American dream is seen. He is free of rules and control. He speaks as loud as he wants and does what he wants with who he wants whenever he wants to and no one can stop him. This idea that you can do anything and walk down the street without worrying who you are or where you’re from sets him loose to be careless and simple minded. The American dream that he once probably longed for has now swallowed him into a darkness he has become lost in. Stanley seems like the type who never achieved what he came to America for and his failure has taken over his emotions, leaving him with an angry, destructive soul.

Josh's First Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

The first thing I noticed in the play was that the "colored/Negro woman" had no name. I guess that this is related to the time in which the book was written, the late-Forties or early-Fifties if I'm not mistaken. I'm assuming that black people will not have much of a role in this story, either. A larger observation that I had early on was that Blanche seems very judgmental. When Eunice approaches her, Blanche seems surprised and almost appalled that her sister doesn't live lavishly. The more she spoke to Stella about her home and her looks, the more I began to dislike her. It made me angry that she just walked in and started criticizing her sister's life. Maybe it's not such a big deal, but Blanche gave me a terrible first impression.

Another thing that upset me was when Stanley was drunk during his poker game and hit Stella. What was worse was that she came right back to him that night, and for once, I liked what Blanche had to say. I agreed that Stella shouldn't have gone back to him, especially if this is a regular occurrence. I don't understand how one can stay in an abusive relationship like that. If your safety is in jeopardy leave. Even though Blanche is meddling a little to much in her sister's life, I'm starting to respect her more, because she is only trying to help.

Chloe's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

Before I started reading the book I did some research on the author and the basic story line of the book. Everyone is always saying how difficult the book is to get through and how complex it is so I thought that if I taught myself a bit that it might be easier. So after some extra reading I began the book and it turned out that it didn’t help that much, it is a very complex book to get through but I did notice something interesting. The main character Raskolnikov shares many of the same characteristics as the author Dostoevsky which is a method Dostoevsky purposely implemented and which raises some thoughts.



Raskolnikov is characterized as being afraid of people from having isolated himself for so long, broke and in debt, and has the habit of talking and babbling to himself. These are traits that Dostoevsky himself possessed. Dostoevsky while attending College of Engineers in St. Petersburg was constantly in debt from gambling and parties, and living an extravagant life he couldn’t afford to have, therefore constantly writing home for more money. This is like Raskolnikov who doesn’t necessarily gamble money away but he is in debt for sure. He was afraid to see his landlady because he owed her rent money not just for that month but many more. She even stopped providing services to him because he wasn’t paying for them but he refused to leave his “closet” regardless.



After writing his first few pieces of work Dostoevsky became completely ill, mentally and physically. His illness was unpredictable and the symptoms uncontrollable so he shut himself off from the rest of the world. This is much like Raskolnikov who as it says, “...had been in such an irritable and tense state, resembling hypochondria.” They both shut themselves off from the world and became immersed in themselves that eventually it was hard to get back out there and become part of the world once more. One of the problems of the illness was that he wasn’t very coherent in conversation and people would torture him by talking to him and it was said he would babble to himself, another characteristic of Raskolnikov.



Learning these things about the author has helped me a bit in looking at the story in a new light. In stead of looking at it as simply a work of fiction I realize that he used aspects of his life to create characters and possibly different events and circumstances. How much of Raskolnikov was really just Dostoevsky?

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Bobby's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

From reading the first two parts, Raskolnikov seems to me a very solitary and antisocial character. Dostoevsky’s descriptions of the way Raskolnikov thinks, has me questioning whether this man suffers from mental illness. For example, when he goes out, he usually tries to avoid people and stay inconspicuous as if he is experiencing paranoia. If it does turn out that he is mentally ill, I would find that ironic since he strives for reason when acting upon.

During my reading, I really could not find a clear motive for the murder. When Raskolnikov was reading his mother’s letter, it seemed like he wanted to kill Petrovich but he ended up killing Alyona Ivanovna. Perhaps he still bore resentment for being paid less than what he wanted when he pawned his silver watch. Also, it could be that he felt like he was doing justice by killing her, from the account of some strangers he overheard talking about how if Alyona Ivanovna dies then her money goes to a monastery which would help many people. Maybe it was both, but I feel that it was an impulsive decision possibly caused by delirium from his illness or strong feelings evoked from the letter.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Nicole's Second Entry on Crime and Punishment

It's very interesting to hear Raskolnikov connect with others in a fashion that does not appear insane as it did before. I also find it a little fake that Raskolnikov recovered from his supposing mental illness so quickly. But then again Zossimov's explanation of someone with a mental illness is someone who isn't mental at all, they're only a little above the average human strangeness. (I actually happened to really like Zossimov's explanation of what a mental illness is. He explains how not one person is completely sane, there for the ones who really are called "insane" are the ones who take their insanity to the next level.) From what it sounds like, Raskolnikov's deadly thoughts and actions were caused from not having the necessities he needed to live comfortably, it's common one would go insane when uncomfortable and unstable in life. He brought his insanity to the next level by not only becoming a murderer but also by not eating, becoming obviously delusional, and saying unusual things to the questioning people around him.

Raskolnikov's visit to Razumikin earlier on in the book was really a cry for help. The visit also seemed like a way for Raskolnikov to try to help himself. He would be able to help himself by putting himself with a person that really cares about him and has before understood him. Of course in Raskolnikov's state, he did not know how to ask for help so he felt foolish and left Razumikin's place. Though in the end or at least now, in the midst of the book, Raskolnikov has received what he has longed for this entire time: help and has amazingly quickly "recovered."

Now that Sonya is in the picture, Raskolnikov finally has a reason to act like a normal human-being again. Some of the male characters in the story are getting caught up with the girls that are now in the picture. It seems like Razumikin is using Raskolnikov's illness to get closer to Raskolnikov's sister, Avadoyta. So far it seems like Razumikin's plan to get to Avadoyta will work, but is Raskolnikov still willing to keep him in the picture? And what will Luzhin do?

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Bobby's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

Entry 1

It looks like Stanley is going to be the antagonist of the play. His brutish and crude nature is something Stella is used to but not Blanche. I predict that is what’s going to move the plot. The incident on the poker night is an example of that. Blanche might react in a way that will cause conflict with either Stanley or even her sister Stella. Maybe she might even change the way Stella feels about Stanley.
As for Blanche, there is a lot of mystery behind her. Not much is known about her past besides that she lived in Lauren and grew up in Belle Reve, which somehow got lost. In addition to that she did have a husband who died, but we don’t know how. She seems to think herself superior to the rest characters because of her upbringing and is surprised to find her sister living in such “poor” conditions. I don’t think that Blanche realizes that Stella is perfectly happy living how she does with Stanley.


Entry 2

I was pretty surprised by Blanches alleged past from Stanley’s account. I’m not a hundred percent sure if it’s true but it sounds convincing. The way she treated the young man from the newspaper is similar to the things that Stanley had said she had done. It does explain a lot. I always knew that Stanley never trusted Blanche but I never would have thought he would actually investigate her. I think it was when Blanche called him “common” and referred him to an ape that really made him hate her. However he did not show it yet, when he came in after overhearing Blanche he simply grinned at her.
Because of what Stanley said about Blanche, I wonder how Stella and Mitch will react. I think Mitch will hate her and break her heart. Stella did mention that she was hoping that they would end up married, but that is pretty much out of the question now. I think Stella would continue to deny it for awhile but eventually will have no choice but to believe it and become so ashamed of Blanche that she begins to distance herself from her.


Entry 3

The ending of the book was very shocking. I would have never have predicted that Blanche would have been sent to a hospital, by her sister of all people. It must have been a hard decision for her to make. Stella was the one person in the whole book that truly cared for Blanche. Even though it is a tragedy what happened to Blanche, at least now she can get the help she needs to get better. Perhaps this was the best thing for her after years of emotional distress.
During the course of the book, Stanley had only one goal: to get rid of Blanche. From his perspective, Stanley wanted this for the sake of Stella and the baby. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before Blanche, so that he and Stella could be happy again. I guess he viewed Blanche as a threat to his happiness. In the end he got what he wanted, Blanche was going away. I wonder if he is proud of getting what he wanted and all that he has done to Blanche.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Michael's First Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

When I was informed that part of my summer assignment for this class was to read A Streetcar Named Desire all I could think of was the memorable scene from the movie when Marlon Brando drops to his knees and screams “STELLAAAAAA”. I had seen the scene numerous times, including a mock version of it on the television show Seinfeld when Elaine screams it at a party. While I sat with a strong, serious look on my face I couldn’t help to laugh on the inside. All I could think of was Elaine screaming “STELLAAAAAA”. However within minutes of actually reading the book I realized I was in for much more than what that simple funny scene portrays.

For me the book really drew my attention before I was even introduced to the characters. I enjoy reading books that are very descriptive and the first page is nothing but description, I was given the ability to really see into 1940’s New Orleans and its vast lifestyle and it was on the first page that I felt the chilling spirit of the “Blue Piano”. When I was introduced to Stella, Blanche, and Stanley I realized how dramatic this book may become. I was the most intrigued by Stanley because he is such a hard character to read. He has a short temper, overreacts, doesn’t like change, and enjoys the simple things life has to offer. The perfect character to rival the eccentric, high class, judgmental Blanche, and in the middle of the two is the peace maker and voice of reason, Stella.

I can understand Stanley being threatened by Blanche’s arrival. I don’t believe it’s that he doesn’t like her but more so that he is scared she will change the way things are around his home and in his life, like an animal when it is threatened by an intruder. At the same time I feel that Stella is also threatened by Blanche’s unexpected visit because she knows that her sister can be very judgmental and is scared that Blanche will cause problems with Stanley. Stanley and Stella seem to have the same problems but deal with it in their own ways. For instance Stanley has a temper tantrum and throws things around the house when the ladies come home during his poker game with the guy’s, but Stella just ignores the problem and keeps everything bottled up.

It is here that I realize the two are right for each other. Stanley is loud, Stella is quiet, Stanley is dysfunctional, Stella keeps peace, the two have an old fashioned marriage and a rare bond, they love each other because they complete each other and they don’t even need to constantly express their love because they both simply know it. I see now why the “STELLAAAAAA” scene was so memorable, not because of Marlon Brando’s scream, or because of Elaine making fun of it on Seinfeld, but because it showed how much Stanley needs her and how forgiving she is as she slowly walks down the stairs and back into his arms.

Josh's Second and Third Entries on Crime and Punishment

Entry 2- In part III, detective Petrovich adds another dimension to the hysteria surrounding Raskolnikov. Now, instead of just battling himself, Rodya has to deal with a police investigator who is good at what he does. Raskolnikov frequently thinks about whether or not the police suspect him as the murderer, and even his friend Razumikhin admits to thinking that the cops are onto him. It is as if Petrovich is playing mind games with him, trying to get him to snap. I liked the connection made between Raskolnikov's article "On Crime" and the murder. In the article, he says that some men are entitled to commit crimes. It's very possible that he includes himself as one of these men, and I think that Petrovich caught on to that. Also, I found it to be more than coincidence that Raskolnikov had a nightmare about Ivanovich living and laughing at him. This could be a sign of things to come, how she, although actually dead, will get the last laugh in the matter, as he will face a punishment that suits his crime.

Entry 3- In part VI, Dostoevsky shows that his characters are deeply-developed and multifaceted. Petrovich is supposed to be a hard-nosed detective, but he shows a lot of compassion and empathy towards Rodya. Raskolnikov, on the other hand, has a conflicting personality, in the sense that he feels terribly guilty for murdering two people and stealing the pawned items, but feels as if he is above the law and should escape with no punishment. I am convinced that Raskolnikov is trying his hardest to be the "superman" mentioned in his article, but he is too human to assume the role. It's as if he is caught in limbo, stuck between this monster-murderer who is better than everyone else, and a man who recognizes his wrongs and regrets and mourns his actions. Petrovich, too, has a human side, and he urges Raskolnikov to confess instead of just arresting him. He knows that guilt is destroying the suspect, and that Rodya is very close to cracking. He even offered to put in a good word to the judge. Petrovich believed that Raskolnikov was going to commit suicide, and I'm surprised that he didn't kill himself after all. If Rodya could take two lives so easily earlier in the story, why not his own when there seems to be no way out. It seems to me he values his life higher than the lives of others.

Murder is not necessarily a black and white issue. Is Raskolnikov automatically a monster because he has killed? Is he still a monster if he feels remorse for his crime? can we feel sympathy for Raskolnikov despite his being a murderer?

Monday, August 4, 2008

Julie's Third Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

The thing between Blanche and “the young man” shows how desperate she really is for someone to pay attention to her. As if she doesn’t have Stella, and Mitch. Mitch likes Blanche and is willing to bring her to his mother. That’s got to mean something. But stuff like kissing a random stranger is just weird.

As for Stanly ratting her out, it was a little bit mean. But it’s understandable too. Stanly wanted to find something that proved
Blanche’s dishonesty to his Stella and to anyone who trusted her. But was it really necessary for him to go and tell Mitch. Couldn’t Stanly have let her at least have the satisfaction of having one person blindly trust her? After having her former lover secretly be gay and then commit suicide because he can’t live with the guilt, I think she deserves a little something.

Of course that event probably led to the ending. Having such a traumatic thing happening to her early in life and then having to keep it together to take care of her family. Its understandable that after everything she had was lost, she would go nut-so and need to be sent away. It was an interesting story. Although I must admit, it was a tad over dramatic at times.

Julie's Second Entry on A Streetcar Named Desire

Mitch and Blanch seem to have something in common, a young love that died. Maybe they end up with some sort of relationship. It’s plainly obvious that Blanche doesn’t care for Stanly, and that the feelings are mutual. Also, the whole episode when Stella is upstairs, and Stanley is downstairs screaming her name; I find that extremely over dramatic. I know he’s drunk and all, but if he knows she’s up there, can’t he just walk up the stairs and knock on the door. It’s difficult to figure out how I actually feel about this play. I find the story to be fairly predictable and kind of a bore. But I still have scenes 5-11.

Josh's First Entry on Crime and Punishment

Entry 1- Crime and Punishment is the type of book that I probably wouldn't choose to read on my own. It is intimidatingly long, and it seems very dense, especially with the foreign names of people and places. Throughout the first two parts, however, I couldn't seem to stop reading. I think it had to do with the way the book was written. It's sort of like a movie, the way that I can envision the different scenes in my head draws me in, almost as if I'm in the room standing next to Raskolnikov as his life unveils itself. I can understand and feel his panic as he leaves Alyona Ivanova's bloody apartment and hides in an empty one on the second floor. And I can understand him when he tries to make sure that every visible spec of blood is gone from his person, and how he feels as though he has overlooked an obvious piece of evidence that would point the crime straight at him.

The murder itself was awefully gruesome, as double-homicide commited with an axe isn't very pleasant. I thought that killing Alyona, would have brought some peace to Raskolnikov, but the additional murder of Lizaveta seemed to add on to his guilt. The way that the second murder is described ("He rushed at her with axe; she twisted her lips pitifully, as very small children do when they begin to be afraid of something...she did not even raise a had to protect her face) makes me think that Raskolnikov later realized that he did something horribly wrong. The overwhelming stress that comes over Raskolnikov somewhat proves that a monster did not commit this crime, and that he has a concience.

The biggest question that I have about the book is what will happen to keep me interested in the plot with the murder happening so early in the story? It's a very long book, and to discuss what I assume to be the punishment for a few hundred pages sounds kind of dull. Hopefully the descriptive style of writing will keep me reading on, more because I want to than because I have to.