Literature Circle Blog Post 2

We've wrapped up our first book already so today I will be posting on our second book: "Notes from the Underground"

Part 1: http://bigdr00.blogspot.com/2007/12/literature-circle-resonse-1.html

Part 2:

a) Observations

What strikes me about the book is that it does not neccessarily follow the normal 'novel format' because the first part of the book occurs mainly in the 'underground man's' head. There isn't neccessarily a 'story' being told in part one, more just a series of commentaries made by him about his opinions and viewpoints of himself and the world as he sees it.

Developing themes:
*Justice
*Revenge
*Madness
*Perception and self respect

b) Ouestions

Interpretive question: What is the difference between revenge and justice and how do they relate to "Notes frome the Underground"?

(So far) my opinion would be:

Justice: What is considered 'just'. However this is often hard to determine as having a personal connection to the situation autimatically makes you biased and your punishing actions may be more done out of spite, personal opinion, or emotional fulfillment.

Revenge: Personally implicating punishment or consequences for actions that were done against you or relate to you.

c) Quotes

A quote from NFTU that is relevant to the question above occurs on page 12:

"I said that a man revenges himself because he sees justice in it. Therefore he has found a primary cause, that is, justice. And so he is at rest on all sides, and consequently he carries out his revenge calmly and successfully, being persuaded that he is doing a just and honest thing. But I see no justice in it, I find no sort of virtue in it, and consequently if I attempt to revenge myself, it is only out of spite."

A brief reflection on Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”

I think this piece (or novella or novel or something because it’s really short) is a accurate representation of how greed affects the human mind and the slow descent into madness. From what we have gathered, the concept of ‘darkness’ appears to be a) lust and greed for material possessions, b) an abandonment of moral values, or c) seeking things (whether material or not) for your own selfish gain.

At first the reader is meant to picture the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz as this ideal leader, strong and powerful and smart and a real influence on the company. But perhaps this ‘influence’ is not always ideal. He is later depicted as this selfish, personally interested man who yes is quite successful at his job (gaining ivory) but his methods are questionable.

Possession of ivory is Mr. Kurtz’s ultimate goal. In the book there are constant references to its value and luster. Think of it as the modern fight for oil, and Mr. Kurtz the leader of a country who must obtain it in order to support the live the life they have become acquainted to. Thus, humans will lose their inhibitions and may resort to more controversial methods as many political issues depict today.

I sometimes got distracted during the course of the book. This is mostly due to the way Conrad writes. His style tends to be very descriptive and reading a page is sometimes like decoding a puzzle. It is not his fault that I got distracted. I fear that I have been stuck in the ‘teen genre’ for too long and it was a total change of gears from what I had been used to lately. The book definitely warrants a second reading I did enjoy it regardless of my sometimes confusion.