Alisha :D

Nectar in a Sieve

alishaaa — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:48:03 +0000

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya was a great book. I read it all in a day and LOVED it! I became instantly attached to Rukmani and her sweet husband Nathan. The book was written in such a way that the reader could really feel all of Rukmani and her family’s emotions. The constant hunger and worry about food; the forbidden help from Kenny, the stress of seeing your loved ones grow up and move away; seeing your daughter bear an illegitimate child; having a freakish grandchild; losing all you have; moving away from everything you have ever known; and finally having your one true companion pass. I think Rukmani is an inspiration. She braved monsoons and failing crops and catty women and a developing town. She was kind, patient, and understanding. Kamala got her title from A poem by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor entitled, “Work Without Hope”

Work Without Hope

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing—And Winter slumbering in the open air,Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!And I the while, the sole unbusy thing, Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.Yet well I ken the banks where amaranths blow,Have traced the fount whence streams of nectar flow.Bloom, O ye amaranths! bloom for whom ye may,For me ye bloom not! Glide, rich streams, away! With lips unbrightened, wreathless brow, I stroll:And would you learn the spells that drowse my soul?Work without Hope draws nectar in a sieve,And Hope without an object cannot live.The part of the poem that especially relates to Nectar in a Sieve is “Work without Hope draws nectar in a sieve, and Hope without an object cannot live.” Notice that Hope is capitalized. Hope was a major theme in Nectar in a Sieve. It was sometimes all Rukmani had left. I think Kamala did an excellent job in conveying the everyday struggles of an woman living in a changing India. This book is an inspiration.

The Stranger Photostory

alishaaa — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:34:43 +0000

Photostory: The StrangerThis is my photostory on The Stranger by Albert Camus. Enjoy!

Consequences

alishaaa — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:42:26 +0000

“But everybody knows life isn’t worth living. Deep down I know perfectly well that it doesn’t much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living–and for thousands of years. In fact, nothing could be clearer. Whether it was now or twenty years from now, I would still be the one dying” (Camus 114).

Meursault thinks a lot about what is going on around him; what others will be doing. When he gets to jail he thinks a lot about why he is there and how the whole situation could have been different. One quote in particular struck me as interesting. It is so true and really shows Meursault’s unrest at his rash choice.

”And yet something had changed, since it was back to my cell that I went to wait for the next day . . . as if familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent” (97).

Again this shows Meursault’s feelings toward his action. You can feel his deep sense of regret and nervousness; he knows nothing can be done to save him.

Meursault’s “Philosophy”

alishaaa — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:01:16 +0000

Meursault seems to have a philosophy in which he believes that since death is imminent, nothing is really worth the effort. he doesn’t put any effort into his days. he sits around and smokes and the number of times he sleeps seem incalculable. he doesn’t put any effort into his relationships. he obviously had NO relationship with his mom. the day after her death he enjoys a swim, sees a comedy, and has sex. these actions are key in his being proven guilty. it does seem rather odd. most don’t cope with death by completely disregarding it…another relationship meursault puts next to no effort into, is his and marie’s. marie is so bubbly and fun. she wants badly to be married but meursault is too lazy and blah. most importantly, he doesn’t put any effort into erasing his sin. meursault committed MURDER. he doesn’t really care though. “it was hot.” that is his justification. although i’m sure this had an effect on meursault’s judgement, however, he has lived in algeria his whole life…he really has no reason to be found innocent. i think meursault knows death is near.

Civilized vs. Uncivilized *BEST BLOG

alishaaa — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:15:20 +0000

“Human rights and equality preoccupied Camus. His politics were decidedly “left-wing” and socialism appealed to Camus because it promised to equalize some social inequities. However, in life Camus was not able to treat Arabs as he did his French comrades. Even when trying to write sympathetically of the Arabs in Algeria and the poverty in which they were forced to live, Camus still leaves the impression that the Arabs need to be “civilized” by the French culture. It was not that Camus did not try to support and aid the Arab population, but like many liberals he failed to realize his support was accompanied by a form of condescension” (excerpt from a biography on albert camus). i found this explanation in a biography of albert camus. just as i suspected, camus sees arabs as “uncivilized”. this made me think of the tempest and what defines “civilization”. caliban for example, seemed gruff and savage. Yet when describing the island’s magic and beauty, he sounded almost eloquent. Throughout history europeans have always considered themselves “civilized”. just as meursault feels “that the Arabs need to be “civilized” by the French culture” (biography). So who defines civilized? Hindus consider us savages for eating cow. so does that mean we are? vegetarians consider meat-eaters to be savages to a degree–so are they? spanish conquistadors thought the aztecs were savages. were they? i believe it has a lot to do with where and how you were raised.the webster’s dictionary defines savage as:

1.	fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed: savage beasts.

2.	uncivilized; barbarous: savage tribes.

3.	enraged or furiously angry, as a person.

4.	unpolished; rude: savage manners.

5.	wild or rugged, as country or scenery: savage wilderness.

so i guess plants can be savage too….hm….i think when and where you grow up determines what or who you see as “savage”. the americans for example, considered the nazis as savages. yet the germans thought the same of us. I guess growing up in Algeria before WWII gave meursault prejudices against arabs. however that doesn’t necessarily mean they are “uncivilized”.

think what you will but i’m with cortes…those aztecs were pretty savage… yeah…

Why Arabs?

alishaaa — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:43:30 +0000

i find it very interesting that “raymond’s man” is an arab. albert camus wrote the stranger right before WWII–maybe he just doesnt like them….why does raymond go back after getting hurt? how does he know exactlywhere to go? would meursault have shot the man if the sun wasn’t impairing his judgement? why did he go back in the first place? as you can see i have many questions lol

Isolation

alishaaa — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:49:05 +0000

isolation is a lonely place
distraught with inner turmoil
attempting to figure out yourself
looking for something to be happy about
trying to remember what love isisolation can be a trap you set yourself
then you turn around and blunder into it
falling into patterns which are nonproductive
call it bad judgement or false steps
someone falling through society’s cracks

isolation can lead one towards depression
fathoming all of ones insecurities
overanalyzing each and every trivial instance
lacking guidance and support even drive
though drive remains which only creates confusion

isolation is a place in the heart and soul
somewhere empty, devoid of personality
a cool damp shadowed recess somewhere
deep rooted in fear and pride hard won
forcing one to question thier own set of ideals

isolation can be conquered by revelation
figure out inside what keeps success backed up
take a long hard look at your inner atlas
decide wether to discard the old maps
or just alter your perception of said

isolation in essence regrettably

Meursault mentions several times that he never really had friends or family. Isolation can have a long-lasting effect on people. It makes me think of kids at school who dont’t have any friends. They’re quiet in class and eat lunch alone. Usually preoccupied with homework or a book, these kids have no life other than their studies and their goldfish. I feel bad for theses kids and try my best to be kind to them…however it’s not always easy.

It’s scary to think about these kids growing up with a grudge…and turning into a violent version of Meursault. If all it takes to prevent that is a smile or a “hello” then hopefully more people will take action…

Strangers…

alishaaa — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:06:29 +0000

so we all know not to talk to strangers right? i found this picture and it seemed to fit meursault. he would follow around small children with candy. sicko. he’s so horny and detached. he probably does drugs. what a weirdo.

This book is gaaaayyyyyy.

alishaaa — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:55:31 +0000

ok im sorry but this book is really stupid. so meursault hangs out with Marie again and he’s super turned on the whole time…then they have sex. who does that? yeah. then they hear Raymond beat his wife and psychopath meursault agrees to stick up for Raymond in court. woooow. this book is soo wholesome. *cough not*

Meursault and Marie

alishaaa — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:00:39 +0000

Hellooooo everybody!!I’m soo tired!But I want to talk a little about Marie.Meursault runs into Marie at the beach. She is a former co-worker of his. He admires her body. They spend the afternoon swimming and flirting. They see a movie and she spends the night. When Meursault wakes up, Marie is gone.I found this encounter significant because it seems Meursault is happy. Even the next day, as he is sitting on his balcony he seems content. Love can bring out a good side in people–even if they normally seem heartless.