Unit 6 Novel

[msmiller13]

Go through each of the skills in unit 6: CHR 1.A, CHR 1.C, CHR. 1.E, STR. 3.A, 3.B, 3.D, NAR 4.C, 4.D & Fig 5.C. Consider your choice novel. Discuss how your text addresses 3-5 of the skills. Discuss in detail and provide multiple examples to support your findings. Include a critical theory and/or HTRLLAP analysis of your work as it supplements at least one of the skills.

Word Count: 500 (total)
Once finished, read through a classmate’s response and extend/ deepen their analysis of the critical theory or HTRLLAP. Please include your name, book title and author.

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[Dax Williams per1]

6.1: The function of character. In my book, Fahrenheit-451, There are multiple characters used for multiple reasons. Guy, the main character, is used to symbolize change, curiosity, and emotional desires. He begins as a fireman, someone who burns books and houses for the sake of sanity. The belief that books are a jumbled mess of imagined nothings drives people to become enveloped in books and lose a sense of self. But as Guy works more and more he begins to develop a curiosity for books and the secrets that lie within. He takes books home, here and there until he has his own library. He never reads them but keeps them for the sake of saving the very thing that people are worth dying for. Other characters such as his wife and her friends represent an oblivious society. People who refuse to see the problems with their way of living. people who would rather hide in the dark comfortableness than reveal their desire and emotion for more.

[Austin L. Wang - Period 1]

In Uncle Tom’s cabin, there are multiple streams of consciousness as defined by the narrator (a reliable 3rd person narrator). We have Eliza’s frantic and desperate emotions displayed quite clearly as she is escaping bounty hunters and even her former slave brethren, Haley’s sniveling and sinful aspirations for slavery itself, and Tom Loker’s own opinion of Haley (There is at least 10 or so characters with names and varying importance to the stories and at least 10 more). We can also see the personalities of each character, how they act, and how they respond to each other in varying situations. This also builds suspense as most interactions between the characters happens after a troubling situation ie: Harley meeting Tom Loker after loosing the scent of Eliza who escaped with her child, Mrs. Shelby lamenting to her husband about having to sell Eliza’s baby and Uncle Tom to pay off their debts, Senator Bird trying to reason with his wife after voting for a law that bans people from giving charitable donations to runaway slaves and homeless POC.


Then, there is a sharp contrast between two important characters in the book with similar backgrounds, but very different personalities. Uncle Tom, the namesake of the book, is a extremely pious and honest man who is adept at speaking and reading the English language enough to be a helper to Mr. Shelby’s business transactions. Then, there’s George, Eliza’s husband, who isn’t pious, bitter, yet an extremely fluent speaker and writer in the English Language. Both are slaves, yet Uncle Tom belongs to a “humane” slave owner, whilst George’s slave master literally transferred George (who is originally a factory worker) to a more demeaning agricultural job picking cotton.

[amaro]

Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” is narrated entirely from a first person perspective in a stream of consciousness style (Skill 3.A). The narrator, Kathy H., recounts her experiences living year-round at a boarding school growing up, giving all her thoughts and reflections, often bouncing back between past and present as she does. By doing so she slowly unveils an eerie sci-fi world that you’d otherwise wouldn’t expect, tension builds through the slow, often tangential, manner of speaking I described.

[Elmer Allenegui]

In his book "The Kite Runner", Khaled Hosseini uses a multitude of strategies which coincide with the skills 3A, 3D, 4C, 4D, 5C from unit 6. Often throughout the novel, the narrator relays to us the events transpiring in real time in proper chronological order. However, sometimes Amir makes leaps back in time through flashbacks. We see when Amir deals with living in his father’s shadow, he talks of the time his father wrestled a bear, shifting perspective and giving us further insight/context in his life.

[antonioalba1]

In the novel Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, the use of the narrator’s stream of consciousness reveals the development of how the narrator considers himself as “invisible”. The use of the narrator’s stream of consciousness is a demonstration of the skill 3.A; as the narrator migrates to New York as part of a business transaction, the narrator’s stream of consciousness demonstrates the narrator’s ideas of separation between white and black people: “Of course you couldn’t speak that way in the South, the white folks wouldn’t like it, and the Negros would say that you were ‘putting it on’. But here in the North I would slough off my southern ways of speech”. The ideas planted by societal norms are evident in the narrator’s stream of consciousness and build upon the idea that he, as a black person, is considered “invisible” by the color of his skin. Furthermore, this idea is developed previously as the narrator considers and ponders upon his expulsion from the university he adored: “Whatever my responsibility was for what had occurred, I knew that I would pay for it, knew that I would be expelled, and the very idea stabbed my insides again… …My white friends would be disgusted and I recalled the fear that hung over all those who had no protection from powerful whites”. From the narrator’s stream of consciousness, the narrator’s consideration of his white friends further develops upon the narrator’s consideration of how “invisible” he is. Regarding the skill 3.D, the ideas of contrast are littered throughout the novel. Juxtapositions regarding the experiences of white people and black people further build upon the cultural gap that these two groups have between each other. For example, the two characters Mr. Norton and the farmer, Jim Trueblood, have a sharp contrast between each other as they converse. On one hand, Trueblood’s harsh experiences of betrayal, fear, and confusion weighs heavily upon Mr. Norton. The narrator, sharing the same skin color and experiences of Trueblood, considers his experiences as normal and expected. However, Norton, being the only white man in the conversation, is shocked and Trueblood’s sharing of his experience borderline traumatizes Norton and causes him to nearly faint at the hearing of Trueblood’s experience.

[kaylaholer]

    The book that I am reading is Beloved by Toni Morrison. Within this book, differing perspectives from skill 1A is revealed through a shift in point of view after mentioning a character. For example, when Sethe’s daughter is mentioning her mother’s time working on a field while she was a slave, the perspective shifts to a flashback of Slethe’s time at the field. This shift in perspective allows for the reader to further gain a deeper understanding of the characters and how certain situations, such as being a slave, have had a long lasting impact on Slethe. The different characters within this novel help provide a contrast to Slethe. Before her mother-in-law died, she was seen to be more hopeful about the outside world compared to Slethe, even though they both were women who were former slaves. Furthermore, there is a contrast between the two love interests in the book. Halle, who is her late husband, and Paul D, who is her current love interest showcase very different characteristics. Both these men helped her get through different times of her life. Halle, who is a kind, reserved person comforted Slethe during her time as a slave. On the other hand, Paul D is more outgoing and upfront which helps Slethe face her current problems instead of disregarding them. By having these characters, it allows the reader to gain insight into Slethe’s character and why she acts the way she acts.
    By diving further into Slethe’s character, we are able to see the complexity and layers Toni Morrison gave her in order to intensify the meaning of the novel. Slethe, herself, is a very complex chacracter because we have seen through her actions that she would do anything for her children, including endure a very dangerous journey in order to escape slavery so that her children don't live the same life she did. However, while she is unable to let go of her dead baby, she allowed her two eldest sons to leave because of the abnormal activity going around in her house. She is unable to see all the destruction the ghost of her baby is doing to her house and family and refuses to leave so her family can be at peace. This is because she refuses to let go of her house since her baby died in that very house. Slethe is also a dedicated, but unforgiving character. She does not forget those who have wronged her, and it often haunts her memories. While she was still with Halle, even though they weren't allowed to have a wedding, Slethe still rummaged through old fabric scraps and used old curtains in order to make a wedding dress. This shows her dedication to Halle to show that they love each other. However, when Slethe learns that Halle watched her get her milk stolen from her and did nothing to stop the people, she immediately goes on a rampage and gets angry. It is not until Paul D sees this and becomes the voice of reason for Slethe that she finally calms down and begins to think logaically. By seeing these actions, we are able to understand Slethe's character deeper and that she is only human and is still learning how to function outside of being a slave. It allows the reader to understand that she has been confined all her life and has not gotten the same social interactions free people have had. It also reminds the reader that Slethe is still very young and is still learning to mature. The fact that she's a mother forces the reader to sometimes forget that Slethe is still extremely young.
    The stream of consciousness in the book is often interrupted by em dashes and allows the reader to further see into the characters' thoughts in the novel. Within the novel, the internal monologue usually appears when a character is having an interaction with another character. This has happened when Slethe first sees Paul D again and there is an immediate break of the regular monologue and it leads to Slethe's internal monologue. This gives the reader more insight into what Slethe really believes in the moment, and not just the superficial words she says to Paul D. We are also able to observe all the feelings she feels that we otherwise would not be able to get. This also allows the reader to see the hidden feelings of the characters that they do not admit out loud. It also changes the perception we have on the book and on certain characters. When Slethe and Paul D get together, we learn through the internal momologue that Paul D has been waiting for Slethe for 18 years. This gives a sense of familiarity between the two characters and paints Paul D in a positive light. It also makes Paul D a likable character in the book.
    The contrasts in the novel allow for complexity within the novel. The contrasts of the real world and the paranormal aspect of the book forces the read to think critically about the events in the book. It also allows for a shift in tone. One second, there is a happy mood, then the next, a paranormal event happens and the mood shifts to a creepy, eerie mood. Overall, these skills within the book help to create a complex, analytical aspect to the characters.

[drew123]

In Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dosteovsky, the main character, Raskolnikov, is depicted as a complex but intricate individual. The most significant detail that reveals his true internal character is his struggle and effort to rationalize his murdering with his moral principles. In chapter 2, we could gain insight into his consciousness when he debated with himself, questioning, “But what if…what if…a hundred or two…a thousand or two…what do I care? Am I going to the furthest Siberia…and I will send them more money…I will take it when I have it.” Ultimately, this internal dialogue illustrates Raskolnikov’s rationalization of his crime and belief that he could justify his immoral doings for a greater purpose like a loathsome amount of money. Furthermore, Raskolnikov’s actions, choices, and speech unveil his multitude of complexities throughout the novel. For example, his justification for murdering Alyona Ivanovna was that he was in theory an individual of the “extraordinary man” who is above any type of conventional morality. His choice of justification reveals both his intellectual and moral arrogance because he thinks he is superior. Not only that, but it also exposes his internal conflict as he tries to grapple with the moral consequences of his actions. Also, Raskolnikov’s speech during conversation with Petrovich became erratic and emotionally charged as he displayed increasing signs of guilt. His shift in speech from confidence to anxious defensiveness further highlights his struggle to reconcile his murders with his conscience.

[keiratakahashi27]

In the novel “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, the author addresses skill 1.A of our AP College Board videos by exemplifying different perspectives throughout the book. Throughout the novel, Owens takes on an omniscient third person perspective, however primarily follows the story of the main character Kya. The author alternates between two time lines: Kya’s life as she grows into an adolescent and 1969 (present time) where there seems to be a crime that has just occurred. One example of a foil character is Kya’s new friend Tate. He shows similarities as they both show an interest in nature, but he also emphasizes Kya’s lack of education and a traditional childhood. From skill 3.A, a stream of consciousness is shown throughout Kya’s timeline. For example, when she first went to school and was exposed to other people for the first time in a while, her stream of consciousness rapidly interrupted the text as she felt bothered by the other students. It helps the reader understand how she truly feels about each interaction. Skill 3.D discusses contrasts. There are many contrasts shown throughout the text that emphasizes the main character’s qualities and background. By comparing her to the other privileged kids of her age, Owens emphasizes Kya’s poor circumstances and unfair advantages. However, as a white person, she is contrasted in how she treats her friend, black man named Jumpin’, as opposed to how the other white kids of the town treat him with disrespect. This emphasizes her quality of not judging people based on their color.

[Austin S]

In Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment", the story centers around the experience of Raskolnikov, a character who inflicts and experiences a great deal of suffering, all because he perceives himself to be superior to the average man. The story is told by a narrator, who views Raskolnikov's mind and reads the setting, but from a limited perspective, because the reader and narrator are confined to the experiences and mental thoughts of Raskolnikov.

[alexislin29]

1.A talks about the different perspectives and how they provide different interpretations of certain aspects of the story. In the book, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini has various characters like Mariam Jo, Laila, Rasheed, Zalmai, Tariq and many other characters. These characters come from different backgrounds and therefore were raised with different standards of living and thought. For example, Mariam Jo was raised with her Nana who had a hard time showcasing her emotions and feelings for her daughter. This resulted in Mariam Jo being a closed off character who never voiced her opinions as often and constantly let herself be stepped on and degraded. 1.C talks about the differing traits between two characters. Two characters that differ would be Mariam Jo and Laila. These two characters have many similarities and differences. Mariam is quite, reserved and took everything thrown at her from Rasheed without a fit. Mariam had a hard childhood and was used to the constant hardships. She was a harami with a rich man named Jalil. She lived with her mother outside of a village outside of Herat for 15 years before her life drastically changed. She didn't have any access to any education other than being taught the Koran. Her father wouldn't accept her and let him live in her house. Her mother ended up killing herself and was practically forced to live with Rasheed, having many miscarriages. After her mother’s death she had to live with Jalil for a couple days and was soon married off the Rasheed, left to take on all responsibilities of a wife at the ripe age of 9. Rasheed becomes abusive whenever he catches Mariam slacking. That was one change she experienced and another was Laila becoming Rasheed’s new wife. She has to learn to get along with another female, having ups and downs, before finally getting along with Laila. Laila, on the other hand, was intelligent and open. She stood up for herself, her kids and Mariam constantly. Laila didn't know what hardships were like. She lost her parents and her opportunities to make something of her life from education. Unfortunately, the only similar things between the two characters were their marriages to Rasheed and the beatings they received from him. Laila was raised in a normal family with her Mammy and Babi. She had two brothers who were away at war so she basically grew up alone. Her mother was very distant and loved her sons more than Laila. Laila was smart and education was a huge part of Laila’s life until the war got so bad that she had to be taken out of school before she died. The first big change in Laila’s life is when her brothers died in war because it was at this point where her mother became depressed and withdrawal becomes worse. The second was her being taken out of school due to the war and when Tariq had to leave Kabul. The biggest change in her life would be the bomb killing both her parents, forcing her to marry Rasheed and having kids with him.

[lserrano]

3.A- In the novel "Moby thingy" by Herman Melville the use of Ishmael's stream of consciousness helps develop his character by delivering a look into his character on a deep level. At the very beginning of the novel we are introduced to Ishmael and his love for the sea. The level of detail comes across as passionate as evident by Ishmael's persistence to justify why he adores sailing. He makes such claims as the beauty of it so profound, most artists feature some body of water in their best works. He  dedicates whole paragraphs describing water hes seen and how "magical" and "mystical" such sights can be. Water most typically symbolizes the notion of purity or cleanness when appearing in a work of fiction. Knowing such information gives a wholesomeness to Ishmael's character. Since water could symbolize "purity' it makes Ishmael relatable and easily like-able to us readers.  This stream of conscientiousness also makes Ishmael a reliable narrator for he is very descriptive and comes across as an honest man. There are multiple times throughout the novel where chapters are dedicated to Ishmael and his descriptive analysis of what's around him. There are chapters dedicated to a pedestal, an inn, the sea and his love for it (as mentioned before), and even his old carpet bag. These chapters provide more and more validity to Ishmael's perspective for he rarely (if ever) leaves out any details that could lead us to questioning what happened. Although streams of consciousness are typically clumsy, Ishmael projects more of a rambling one than a clumsy one. 

3.D-    

[madilynkluck]

Madilyn Kluck (period 1)

The novel I will be using for this response is Fahrenheit 451. This novel can connect to Skills 3.A, 3.B, 3.D, and 5.C. The first skill I will be focusing on is Skill 3.A, which discusses stream of consciousness. A stream of consciousness allows the reader to see into a characters’ private thoughts. The stream of consciousness allows for suspense to build, there is a stream of conscious narration by Guy Montag. An example of stream of consciousness in Fahrenheit 451 is When Montag is on the train and he hears a commercial while he is trying to focus on memorizing a verse from the bible “Denham’s Dentrifice Dentrifice Dentrifice, one two, one two three….”. Another example is the sieve and the sand in the novel, the sand falling through the sieve is a metaphor for knowledge in this society in general, and for Montag's effort to get and keep knowledge in particular. Montag no longer accepts the basic values of his society, and until he can find some other values to take their place, he is lost. The last example of this skill is the internal monologues. This book is third person limited omniscient, but we still get all the information of what Montag is thinking and feeling, his monologues about whether he should continue being a fireman or quit, are prominent throughout the story and the book is basically him talking about what he plans to do. The next skill I will be focusing on is Skill 3.B, which also focuses on stream of consciousness, but a different aspect. A stream of consciousness allows the reader to see into a characters’ private thoughts, and there is a break in the narrative flow by the plot. Montag’s thoughts are often jumbled and disorganized, and his dialogue is often disorganized and all over the place, because it’s like we are inside his brain because we see his conflicting beliefs about burning books. The use of ellipses also can contribute to a stream of consciousness. Many ellipses are found throughout the novel as if many of Montag’s thoughts aren’t finished, and there is always more he is thinking about, which causes the audience to wonder about what he was planning on saying next. Even though the book is from a third person pov, all of Montag’s feelings and beliefs about his job as a fireman are exposed to the readers, which at some points, can cause suspense. The next skill I will be focusing on is Skill 3.D, which discusses contrast which is when a writer presents the differences between two things. There is a major contrast in this story, between the normal beliefs of society and Montag. Montag thinks very differently from the society he lives in, his wife and the rest of the society focus solely on entertainment and their TV “families”, they are so disconnected from reality because they don’t want to focus on any of the problems in the real world (ex. The war going on). This contrast amplifies the theme of the story, and is the main idea of the novel, “good” society that is actually destructive and blind vs the “bad” society that involves books, and that Montag is starting to believe in. Through the different characters and moods are where we see the contrasts. For example, The characters we can see contrast from are: Montag and Beatty, Montag and Mildred. The moods we see contrast in are Montag’s, where he is confused, worried, conflicted, and willing to learn. And Beatty/rest of society, who are oblivious, bored, unaware, unwilling to change and learn. The last skill I will be discussing is Skill 5.C, which focuses on symbols throughout a text. This Skill can also connect to Ch. 12 of HTRLLAP about symbols. A symbol is something that has its own literal meaning, but depending on the context, it can take on a figurative meaning. The main symbols in Fahrenheit 451 are fire, the phoenix, and the salamander. The fire symbolizes knowledge and human connection, but it can also destroy them. The Phoenix is a bird that is consumed by flames, then rises from the ashes. This represents Montag's spiritual rebirth, and the recurrent nature of life. That is the application of Skills 3.A, 3.B, 3.D, and 5.C to the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

[Irene Huang]

In the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini, the switching point of views between the characters, Mariam and Laila, demonstrated the different experiences both characters had encountered during war-torn Afghanistan. In Mariam's perspective, she lived peacefully without having to ponder to the outside world, under the care of her husband, Rasheed. On the other hand, Laila, who was younger than Mariam, spent most of her time outside due to school and hanging out with her friend, Tariq. As a result, the sufferings from the tragedies and hardships of the war were depicted more clearly in Laila's perspective. Laila had lost her all brothers to the war while Mariam didn't lose anyone.

[nikaong]

Nikaj Ong
Period 1


     In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main protagonist is Jay Gatsby or James Gatz. The narrator however is Nick Carraway. The novel is told from his point of view which means that everything he observes and experiences is influenced by his own opinions and values. This provides a different take on the other characters in the story, as it would be different if the novel was instead told from their point of view. In the result of Nick Carraway being the narrator, we are limited to his biases and what he has seen or heard. The readers are only given the perspective of Nick Carraway and how he sees the world. Fitzgerald enriches the reader's understanding of Carraway’s unique background, motivations, contexts, and opinions that are special to him only and not the other characters of the novel. The narrator Carraway opens the novel by revealing how “in [his] younger and more vulnerable years [his] father gave [him] some advice that [he’s] been turning over in [his] mind ever since” (Fitzgerald 7). In the result of the first person point of view, the readers learn about one of his key values that he learned from the past to set the overall theme of the novel and adds complexity to his character. Carraway also mentions how he is the “one of the few honest people that [he] has ever known” (Fitzgerald 99). This displays his bias and opinion and how he knows he can only truly trust himself and sees other people as dishonest. In addition to the first person point of view, the readers are able to see how Nick Carraway develops as a character adding to his complexity. Carraway displays his core values and beliefs that are reflected in his thoughts and actions. Like real people. Carraway is not perfect, he has contradicted thoughts and flaws that make him inconsistent but realistic. This is mainly executed in the structure through the many streams of consciousness where he expresses his thoughts. The other protagonist Jay Gatsby is a great example of this because of his naiveness and longing for the past. Gatsby’s flawed character again helps to bring him to life and helps the readers emphasize with him while adding complexity to the novel as a whole. In the character archetypes, Gatsby presents the tragic hero with a fatal flaw which is his blinding love for Daisy. According to How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, he explains how these archetypes "take on power with repetition, find strength in numbers" (Foster 101). This shows how the use of Gatsby being an archetype gives the readers familiarity which adds to the complexity of the overall character. A main symbol in The Great Gatsby is the big billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg in the valley of ashes between the West and East Eggs and New York City. Throughout the novel, Nick describes this billboard and his blue eyes that watches over the valley of ashes, almost like judging everything he sees in terms of the story but also the impacts of industrialization in the 1910s. When describing Doctor T.J. Nick uses vivid and contrasting imagery to make the doctor’s eyes stand out more from the conditions of the valley. It is described as “the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night” (Fitzgerald 256). In addition to imagery, when describing Gatsby home for example, Nick emphasizes how “the lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun… yellow thingytail music” (Fitzgerald 68). This imagery serves to emphasize and support the theme of the Roaring 20s filled with wealth and luxury, used to characterize Gatsby and his lifestyle. In addition to this, the connotations of “light,” “brighter,” “earth,” “sun,” and “yellow” support that youthful and luxurious lifestyle, further bringing the story to life.