Cuckoo 3

How does the concept of fog impact the story?

Fog is Chief’s illness. Chief’s perceptions seem uniquely limited by the fog. He acknowledges that “nobody complains about all the fog,” and while he concludes that this is a result of its comfort, he seems to be the only one aware of its existence (128). The fog thus clarifies that Chief is an unreliable narrator.

Fog is Nurse Ratched’s control. Nurse Ratched is able to maintain control over the ward through indirect and covert mechanisms, represented by the fog. Her mechanisms confuse and weaken the ward, and until McMurphy arrives, no one is able to combat the fog. Fog is always represented as something intentionally manufactured by a “fog machine” (42) and thus, there is clearly an actor, proven to be Ms. Ratched as she deliberately (as per Chief) confuses the patients with fog.

Fog is apathy. Chief repeatedly describes how the fog provides a refuge for the men of the ward. They hide and avoid action by clinging to the fog. Billy, for example, avoided confrontation when he “finally and forever crowded back into the fog” (134).  Chief similarly cites the fog as a reason he does not speak, saying “the fog’s clogged my throat to where I can’t make a sound” (135).

Fog is shame. Not only do the men of the ward feel ashamed of their disabilities, society as a whole feels ashamed that they exist and seeks to mask them. Just as Chief’s first observation of a fog machine in use was to hide military operations (130, 131) and one of its functions in the ward is similarly to prevent society from seeing its broken refuse.

What is the role of Billy’s mother?

Billy’s mother serves as his standard of valuation. Each character in the book makes considerations on the basis of what someone else will think. Most of the men, including Chief, shift from trying to act in a manner that pleases Nurse Ratched towards McMurphy. Nurse Ratched herself seeks to please society. Billy, however, is the clearest example of someone living to please another. After a tryst with a prostitute, Nurse Ratched chastises Billy, stating that “’This is going to disturb [your mother] terribly’” (315). He ultimately breaks down and kills himself, thus epitomizing the dangers of living for another.

Why does Kesey describe Chief’s dreams in such detail?

Chief’s dreams are the most vivid example of Kesey speaking directly and explicitly to the audience. Chief’s dreams provide contrast from the life on the ward, which while torturous, could otherwise get at times routine and dull. The dreams imbue the book with another form of social commentary, with dream scenes depicting disregard for human life and dignity and a systematic form of repression.

Why are the men called by their last names?

Big Nurse calls the men by their last names as a form of dehumanization. By stripping them of personal character, she allays any feeling she may have had against acting to harm them. They become mere cases rather than people. Interestingly, Ms. Ratched uses the men’s first names only when patronizing and manipulating them, as when she chastises Billy (314, 315).  Thus, Ms. Ratched’s callous disregard for her patients is subtly shown through her use of last names principally and first names merely for manipulation.

Cuckoo 2

The conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy is in full swing at the end of "Part One." Who is getting the best of their rivalry at this point? Why do you say that (specific evidence)?

What is your perception of the Chief at this point in the story? Why? And how has the presence of McMurphy changed the Chief's character or his narration (be specific)?

Who are you rooting for at this point in the story and why?

At the end of Part One, McMurphy seems to have the upper hand. However, it’s important to note that they have not reached a state of equilibrium—any new happening threatens to change the power balance. Throughout much of this section of Part One, McMurphy seems dejected, as epitomized by his failure to life the heavy object to throw through the window. “His whole body shakes with the strain as he tries to lift something he knows he can’t lift, something everybody knows he can’t lift,” writes Kesey, as an illustration of the failure and futility of McMurphy’s attempts (125).  At the end of the section, however, McMurphy seems to have regained his ability to motivate his companions, to foment resistance. The section ends, importantly, with “men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations;” Kesey intentionally left the audience with the belief that McMurphy had triumphed—if only temporarily (145).

At this point in the story, I’m still not fully comfortable with the chief. I now understand that he’s faced some level of trauma, seemingly tied to the Department of the Interior having taken over his tribe’s land and his later service in the war. The audience is also provided more insight into his mental illness, as his dreams begin to reveal twisted imaginings of hellish environments where humans are treated as objects (86-88). And yet, recurring nightmares alone don’t seem to constitute mental illness. The only other evidence present is the fog—perhaps a motif, but explained by Bromden as if it were a purely physical mechanism (the creation of which he describes in detail).

McMurphy’s arrival seems to have made the Chief less impartial of a narrator. He seems to be somewhat emboldened by McMurphy’s contrariness to Big Nurse, and a result, describes in greater detail her failings and cruelties.

I am rooting, though with reservations, for McMurphy. I can’t say I identify with or appreciate him greatly. He’s clearly not an ideal hero, but when compared to the antagonist (Big Nurse), he seems quite good indeed. I’m not sure that even a 50s audience could have accepted Big Nurse as a hero, given Kesey’s portrayal of her as an angry, vindictive, and unfeeling master of the ward.

Cuckoo's Nest 1

The big nurse is a villain. At best, she neglects the well-being of the patients in pursuit of efficiency; at worst, she enjoys the pain she causes them. Chief tells us that, "she dreams of....a world of precision efficiency and tidiness" (29) and rejects individuals who "don't hate enough" (30). Thus, her evil is apparent-- for a society that values taking care of the sick and weak, her actions run contrary to moral norms. The patients recognize this, exclaiming, "'Ball cutter? Oh, you underestimate her'" (64)!

McMurphy is, although imperfect, a hero. He enters the ward boisterously, looking to cause trouble and immediate butting heads with the sadistic nurse. And yet, his good is apparent: he was honored with a "Distinguished Service Cross in Korea," and seems committed to the asylum merely due to a lack of self control. Furthermore, the audience appreciates the compassion demonstrated as he comforts Harding with the analogy of a pecking party (57-61).

Chief, at present, is an antihero. The audience sympathizes with him, but cannot fully trust or rely upon him. He is calm, and pacifistic, as demonstrated as the staffer marvels that he "'mine me like a baby'" (3) but the audience feels something missing, epitomized when Cheif says, "it's the truth even if it didn't happen" (8).

Gatsby Three

Gatsby Three/ Socratic Seminar

Why does Tom display caring towards Wilson?

Tom displays caring because, although overall unpleasant, he is a human being with normal attendant emotions. Specifically, he is moved to console Wilson “with soothing gruffness” (140) because of a sense of guilt. Having cheated on his wife with Wilson’s wife, he feels a sense of guilt and pity for Wilson when his wife dies. Interestingly, a sort of compassion is revealed here that seems otherwise lacking in Tom’s character (and herein provides the best example of why Tom is round).

What does the book’s conclusion reveal about Daisy?

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy’s fundamental character trait is weakness. Although endowed with intelligence and class, Daisy displays a lack of resolve and decisiveness that ultimately characterizes her more than anything else. Her response to Gatsby’s confrontation of Tom demonstrates this weakness, as she attempts to avoid committing herself and is obviously quite uncomfortable with the situation as a whole. Even more acutely is this weakness demonstrated by her reaction to Gatsby’s death: she takes the path of least resistance, fleeing with Tom, and leaving no means of contact (164). As the funeral occurs, Nick notes that Daisy “hadn’t sent a message or a flower” (174). Fundamentally, Daisy is characterized through this action and throughout the book as weak and cowardly.

Why does Fitzgerald end Nick and Jordan’s relationship?

Fitzgerald chooses to end Nick and Jordan’s relationship as symptomatic of the breakdown of the normal social order. Although too late to be foreshadowing for the dramatic confrontation between Tom and Gatsby, the end of Nick and Jordan’s relationship in a matter-of-fact, relatively easy way shows the weakness of the social ties created in this society. Nick decides that he had “had enough of all of them for one day, and suddenly that included Jordan too” (142). Fitzgerald ends this relationship—albeit not a very important one—quickly and easily as a demonstration of its vacuity and weakness. He ends the relationship with a simple handshake (177) and although strong emotions remain, it is a testament to the failure of the social system that the relationship ends so simply and easily.

What is the purpose of Gatsby’s father for the book?

Gatsby’s father serves several purposes. Foremost, he posthumously characterizes Gatsby in several manners. He characterizes Gatsby directly as being “’bound to get ahead’”(173) and indirectly as a hardworking, ambitious individual who, despite an unimpressive family background, rose to great prominence. Additionally, Gatsby’s father shows Gatsby’s isolation from others, showing up only at his death and never having visited him before.

But I don’t really know the answer to this one.

Gatsby Two

Meyer Wolfsheim serves to maintain a level of intrigue around Gatsby that is not entirely positive. Wolfsheim seems a shady character: engaged in almost certainly illegal business dealings, the man impresses Nick with the scope of his activities and the gumption with which they are carried out. When told by Gatsby that Wolfsheim had fixed the World Series Nick ponders, “The idea staggered me….It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people- with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe” (73). Wolfsheim thus contributes to Gatsby by creating a mysterious, not entirely positive aura later confirmed by Tom’s revealing of Wolfsheim and Gatsby’s business dealings.

Daisy humanizes Gatsby, thus allowing a level of personality and relatability missing beforehand. Rather than merely being a wealthy, removed, and mysterious man, Gatsby becomes someone capable of “creative passion” (95) and “a rush of emotion” (96). He becomes human, capable of emotions—manifesting later in anger, nervousness, and happiness—and of faults in a manner lacking earlier in the story.

Gatsby’s past adds to the charm of the man but also makes the reader question somewhat the gaps still missing. Clearly skilled with people, the story of the yacht paints Gatsby as resourceful and affable. The story of his time at St. Olaf’s characterizes him as arrogant and ambitious, while his Oxford days serve a similar purpose. And yet, overall, the back story now revealed helps the reader sympathize with this strange man who rose to such wealth and prominence through a combination of luck and talent—not through family connections or inheritance.

The reader’s overall impression of Gatsby is dependent on the specific reader. I have a more positive image of Gatsby, because he now seems to possess substance and work ethic. The substance is provided by his romantic past, while the work ethic, even if bolstered by shady dealings, is evident from his wealth and how he went about its accumulation. And yet, I also view Gatsby as more emotionally volatile (a view confirmed by reading on slightly) and perhaps given to poor judgment.

Jelly Roll Morton- "Black Bottom Stomp"

-This music sounds like dance music. At Gatsby's, it would've been played live by a full band. It seems both generally non-objectionable and also non-meaningful.
-The mood is upbeat and cheerful. The song has a fast tempo, mostly major scale notes, and a variety of instrumentation that seems to contribute to a cheery mood throughout.
-The music seems intended chiefly as dance music, although practically, it would probably serve as dinner or conversation music for those not on but near the dance floor.

Gatsby One

Based on the first 60 pages of the book, Nick, Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby are the most important.

Nick is a hero. He seems to be a kind, intelligent individual, albeit perhaps awkward and easily confused. Although by no means perfect, he is characterized as being, “inclined to reserve all judgments” (1). When speaking with Daisy, she exclaims that, “I love to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of a- of a rose, an absolute rose” (14). Thus, both Nick’s characterization of himself and Daisy’s characterization of him suggest that Nick is a fundamentally good individual, and so at this point in the book, I would predict that he is a hero.

Tom, on the other hand, seems a cruel, unpleasant figure. From his physique- classified by Daisy as “hulking” (12) - to his demeanor, he seems to be arrogant and mean. His demeanor is perhaps best characterized as exploitative, as he cheats on Daisy with no pretense of shame and his interactions repeatedly are tinged with a sense of bullying. When discussing cars with George Wilson, for example, Tom switches quickly from joviality to abusiveness as he responds, “…if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it someplace else after all.”All of his interactions seem to abuse a power disparity, leaving the audience unfavorably impressed.

Frankly, Daisy cannot be easily characterized in any of these three categories. But were I to do so, I would place her within the category of antihero. She seems fundamentally good, but is jaded and cynical, even going so far as to tell Nick that she is, “pretty cynical about everything” (16).

Gatsby is discussed less in this section than the three characters mentioned above, but his importance to the story is foreshadowed. At this point, Gatsby seems a hero. Despite rumors about him having “killed a man once” or that “he was a German spy during the war,” the man seems fundamentally good, and there seems no basis for these rumors (44). However, it is conceivable that he will have some sort of baggage revealed later.

Bua

His style seems very angular and linear. Bua depicts people as being lanky and skinny, and similarly, objects are stretched out. Both the bass player and the bass, for example, are longer than the audience would expect. His color choice is vivid, with a high emphasis placed on contrast, as exemplified by the piano player's white shirt, black jacket, and red under-shirt. Light seems directional, with shadows apparent in all three of the paintings. He also makes frequent use of patterns throughout.

Kroll vs. Mencken

I found Kroll’s essay to be significantly more persuasive than Mencken’s. Mencken trivialized the opposition’s arguments without substantiating his rebuttals, stating, for example, that “the first of these arguments, it seems to me, is plainly to week to need serious refutation.” Throughout the paper, Mencken reiterates this disregard for his opposition, and furthermore leaves his interesting, albeit disturbing, argument poorly developed. His advocacy of “katharsis” is fraught with logical fallacy as he makes assumptions that the killing of a human is justified by some universal feeling of satisfaction at the death of the convict. In contrast, Kroll’s essay is striking in its subtlety. Kroll powerfully calls on human sentiments with a pathos-based appeal that contrasts starkly with the crude, abrasive Mencken piece. Although Kroll passes over questions of guilt and criminality within his specific anecdote, these omissions fail to hinder the piece, as its intent is to paint a vivid picture of the failure of capital punishment to secure justice or human dignity for all of the parties involved. Having been predisposed to Kroll’s viewpoint over Mencken’s due to more logos- based arguments, Kroll expanded and strengthened my views against capital punishment.

"Sixteen Military Wives"- the Decemberists

-This song is about various American demographics: military wives, babies, soldiers, celebrities, and so on.
-This song is a commentary on how American life follows predictable patterns. "And the anchorperson on TV goes....la de da de da," demonstrates that news isn't really new but rather a sort of repeated, recycled drivel. The song also speaks of disaffection and apathy, doubting that individuals possessing "pristine liberal minds" will ever solve the omnipresent issues in our society. Of the powerful directors of media, a similar statement is made that out of 18, "only seven really care." Finally, the group mourns the harms of such behavior, citing 15 cannibal kings. The recurrent quantification serves to generalize and eliminate nuances. Additionally, the repetitive music, furthered by its constant beat, cements this idea of apathetic patterning.

"Race for the Prize"- the Flaming Lips

This song ponders existence and human nature. While striving to better humankind as a whole, two individuals seek some cure in an adversarial manner. The audience reacts with a question of why they don't cooperate or work in conjunction, to which the artists reply "they're just humans," insinuating a level of competition and perhaps obstinance inherent in human nature. The repetition of this phrase serves to further the message of humanization even with the seemingly negative traits mentioned above. However, the artists don't use a harsh tone: the music is not very fast, loud, or abrasive because the song points to the positive aspects of humanity with the phrase, "with wives and children" showing compassion and familial import, and the phrase "forging fr the future" demonstrating a commitment to furtherance of society.

Fallacy in Thomas Paine

Henry's statement that, "Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery!" commits the logical fallacy of false dichotomy. It does so by ignoring the middle ground: fighting and enslavement are not the sole options (or at least not proven to be so) and so Henry selects only the extremes to be presented.
Despite logical fallacies throughout, Henry's speech has remained a shining example of excellent rhetoric. Thus, this begs the question (get it?) of what appeal Henry maintains. I believe that despite logical fallacy, Henry doesn't make statements that seem to be wrong-- only assertions that are never proven within the confines of his speech. Thus, logical fallacy though it may be, statements like "we have no election" represent a core truth in that America will indeed be forced to make a decision. Additionally, Henry's rhetoric is subtle, skillful, and backed by a powerful argument. Finally, Henry's speech was instrumental in a decision that shaped (and created) American history.

"Duck and Cover"

The (very) overt message of this film was to duck and cover in the event of a nuclear explosion.
The covert message of the film was that America maintains preparedness for foreign attacks while also emphasizing the citizen's role in promoting defense.
The video was propaganda because its overt message advocated a fruitless mechanism to avoid radiation and explosions, exaggerated comically to feature kids diving off bikes and schoolchildren simultaneously collapsing at the sight of a light flash. The covert message, however, was far from foolish: the makers of the film managed to reassure a nervous populace while still maintaining a level of preparedness (or paranoia) in case of foreign aggression. The effect was impressive: a subtle message that pushed audiences to a position not of extremity, but of moderation-- preparedness not preoccupation.  Whereas a lesser film may have pushed audiences to a pole of sentiment, this piece instead maneuvered the audience to a middle ground advantageous to its producers.

"Destination Earth"

The overt message in this film was that oil and competition are powerful forces that heighten quality of life.
The covert message in the film was that patriotism implies support of competitive, private industry, especially petroleum.
This video was propaganda because it promotes both a specific industry and a wider theme of competition through a message not explicit in the film. One technique used was plain folks, whereby the narrator and explorer exclaims that every American has a car and countless other benefits borne of petroleum. Glittering generalities were also used to paint a picture of the oil extraction and refinement process as one free of any environmental or social harms. Transfer was also heavily used to confer legitimacy from the American flag and way of life to oil and competitive industry.

Propaganda- World War 2 1941-45

-The over message is that by eating less bread, Americans will help the troops be victorious.
-The covert message is that Americans must make large sacrifices to help ensure an Allied victory.
-The overt message suggests a specific means by which Americans can help the war effort, while the covert message asserts that sacrifice, broad in scope, is a necessary part of the world effort. The propaganda element lies therein: this poster advocates not only saving bread, but also the more nebulous and expansive concept of sacrificing for the country. Most American World War 2 propaganda seems to fulfill this function of explicitly arguing a specific step while implicitly urging a lifestyle.

The Clash- "Clampdown"

-This song is bout the excessive amount of work created by social and economic pressures in our society. The line, "The judge said five to ten but I say double that again" is a reference not only to sentencing but also to a work day, and its doubling is representative of the punitive nature of work.
-The song's quick tempo produced images of hard, unpleasant, and somewhat frenetic work in a negative and dehumanizing light. The intensity of the subject matter portrayed is compounded by this quick tempo.
-The song suggests that society encourages- and manipulates- its citizens to work hard. The line "They put up a poster saying we earn more than you!" demonstrates propagandizing is this society; individuals are encouraged to continue submitting to the clampdown in order to further themselves to become in the coveted position of the wealthy elite. The individuals who direct this are described as "old and cunning," with ulterior motives and poor morals.

Propaganda/persuasion Quotes

I selected quotes 744, 745, 746, and 785.
Further analysis of quote 785:
O’Shaugnessy argues here that propaganda cannot succeed by arguing directly against existing moral frameworks, but rather that it is necessary for successful propaganda that it fit within a value structure by means of perversion of values. Essentially, this means that propaganda will not succeed if it is clearly and diametrically opposed to preexisting individual ideology but rather that it must appear to fit within that ideology. For example, the ride-share poster, if done differently, could've appeared to counter values of individual liberty. Instead, the poster cleverly insinuated that individual liberty is best preserved by defeating the Germans, which in turn necessitates ride-sharing. Thus, O'Shaugnessy postulates that for propaganda to be effective, it must tap in to existing values of its subject audience.