Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the town of
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Napoleon: Who Had the First "Short Man's Complex"
Questions
a) What was it like to live in France when your person did? What was it like socially and politically? How did the time period affect your person and how did they in turn affect everyone else?
Well, during Napoleon's life in France, prior to his exile I would like to imagine everything is as it is portrayed in The Count of Monte Cristo. However, I don't believe that's the case. France was in a state of extremes, there existed two main castes in society, the extremely wealthy, and the extravagantly impoverished. The arts were extremely popular in Europe, and it was what is sometimes referred to as the "Chivalrous Age." Socially, I kind of just explained the whole chivalry, dueling, arts-participating, extravagance of it, politically, Napoleon is the essence of politics for his era. He rose through his ranks in the military and finally became emperor, though he did not strike a very gallant figure unless standing on a box. That is before he was exiled to the Isle of Elba, after which the kingship/kingdom (whichever the word is) was reinstated, wait for it.... until Napoleon came back and reattempted a revolution. Politics truly became a bit of a turmoil during these years of uncertainty, with many loyalist factions forming between the crown and the emperor. He clearly had a huge affect on the country, he ruled as a self proclaimed emperor for life, and as an almost military dictator. He ruled severely, but from the research I've done seemed well liked and to have ruled very justly.
b) Name a few ways that your person changed history. How did his or her thoughts and actions affect the way people thought 50 or 100 years later? Elaborate.
One of Napoleon's biggest legacies is Bonapartism In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. The term can refer to people who restored the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte including Napoleon's Corsican family and his nephew Louis. Napoleon left a Bonapartist dynasty which ruled France again; Louis became Napoleon III, Emperor of the Second French Empire and was the first President of France. In a wider sense, Bonapartism refers to a broad centrist or center-right political movement that advocates the idea of a strong and centralized state, based on populism. Another large impact was the negative impact Napoleon left on the economy, for the next generation or two France was largely bankrupt and in debt and it's economy was in a depression.
c) Using the French skills that you have, write one paragraph in French from your person's perspective.
Je m'appelle Napoleon Bonaparte. Je suis tres petit. C'est vrai. Je veux etre grand, mais je ne peux pas cultiver. C'est tres triste :((((((((. Je ne sais pas faire avec moi. m'aider s'il vous plait!!!!@!@!@#!@#@#!@#!@#
Blaise Pascal: A Revolutionary Mathematician
Blaise Pascal was born June 19, 1623in Clermont, France. Although he ended up having three other siblings, he was the only boy. After his mother's death, his father moved him and his three sisters to Paris. Pascal was homeschooled by his father; however his father insisted he not learn math until the age of 15. Pascal was eager to educate himself in the realm of mathematics though, and found ways to learn geometry by age 12. By 14 Pascal joined his father in various meetings where he eventually presented several geometry theorums. In 1640, Pascal had his first work published: Essay on Conic Sections. After working on it for three years, Pascal finally invented the first digital calculator. The invention of the digital calculator was copmpletely revolutionary and its use is evident through out even modern times. For Pascal personally, 1646 was a year of great transformation, several major events and circumstances all factored into Pascal movement into an extremely religious man. In 1677 Pascal had the major scientific discovery that a vacuum existed about the atmosphere. Pascal has made numerous mathematic and scientific discoveries, invented many tools which started development to what are now major modern day devices. Several of his discoveries lead to further discoveries by other great thinkers, such as Sir Isaac Newton's work relating to the binomial theorum. Sadly, at the age of 39 a growth in Pascal's stomach travelled to his brain, which ultimately caused his death. The amount Pascal discovered and accomplished his simply mind blowing; however the fact that he achieved all of this before he turned 40 is simply incredible!
Questions:
A.
What was it like to live in France when Blaise Pascal did? What was going on socially, culturally, politically, etc? How was Blaise Pascal affected by his time period and how did he in term affect everyone else?
During 1626 England and France went back and forth with several disputes, which eventually led to a very large naval expedition under the command of the Duke of Buckingham. During the time Pascal was living in France, Louise XIV was reigning as king. Several rich families of the time had servants to take care of the housework. Pascal lived in a time where there was a definite class system. The fashion of this time was all very lavish and extraordinary. "The General Crisis" was occuring during the 17th century, meaning this time was characterized by widespread conflict and shifts of power were not uncommon in Europe during this time. Pascal lived during the perfect time for making scientific discoveries. The Renaissance era was coming to a close and countless mathematical and scientific discoveries were being made, causing this era to be known as the Scientific Revolution. Pascal really embraced these times of great discovery and not only laid the foundation for other great discoveries and inventions, but he also built off of what other great thinkers of the time were presenting.
B
Name a few ways Blaise Pascal changed history. how did his thoughts and actions affect the way other people thought fifty or one hundred years later? Elaborate.
Pascal's discoveries have influenced mathematical and scientific knowledge from the 17th century to modern day. His work is still studied in class rooms acround the world and his theorums and inventions are applied by numerous scientists, physicists, and mathematicians. One of Pascal's earliest discoveries was Pascal's Law which describes the role of pressure in characterizing the state of a fluid. He also brought more knowledge to the subjects of pressure, as well as a vacuum. Pascal also discovered and explained what is known in math as Pascal's triangle. Wityh the intentions of honoring him, the SI unit for pressure was given the name Pascal. Blaise Pascal's achievements stretch far beyond his discoveries, they have paved the way for varies other ground breaking discoveries. For example, his work relating to probability theory is generally thought of as his most influencial contribution to math. It can be seen in the strategic side of gambling, as well as economics and actuarial science.
C
Write one paragraph, in french, from your person's perspective using "je".
Je suis de Clermont, mais j'ai vecu a Paris. J'ai trois soeurs. J'aime etudier les mathematiques et les sciences. Je veux apprendre plus tous les jours. J'entends souvent des nouvelles decouvertes! Je n'ai pas joue, j'ai etudie les mathematiques. J'aime faire des decouvertes!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Louis Pasteur-The Pasteurizer!
Louis Pasteur was born December 27th 1822, in Dole, France. He was born into a poor family, but he suprisingly gained degrees in Letters and Mathematical Sciences. He became a professor at the University of Strasbourg and shortly after he married Marie Laurent in 1849. They had 5 children but only 2 survived past childhood.
He theorized many different scientific theories that are responsible for a lot of sanitation and precautions that we have today. These theories include why our gums can get diseased, why spoiled milk is bad, and the theory of vaccination leading to immunity.
He won many honors for his studies of science including the Grand Croix of the Legion of Honor (1 of only 75) . He died in 1895, at the age of 73.
Questions:
1.What was it like to live in France when your person did? What was going on socially, culturally, politically, etc? How was your person affected by their time period and how did they in turn affect everyone else?
The French Revolution happened during his life, so I imagine it was pretty chaotic. He wasn't really affected by hit time period and continued to work on his studies and science.
2. Name a few ways that your person changed history. How did his or her thoughts and actions affect the way other people thought fifty or one hundered years later?
All of these are very significant to us now, he pretty much made the foundation for simple things including, but not limited to; toothbrushes, modern milk, and flu shots. Without him we wouldn't have the basis for sanitation. Before him, doctors did not even wash their hands or tools.
3. Using the french skills that you have write one paragraph in french about this person.
J'ai m'apelle Louis Pasteur et je suis le scientifique. J'ai reussi plus de scientifique theories. Sans ce theories, tu vas etre malade. J'ai cinq enfant mais deux ne morte pas. :( J'ai reussi lait trop de aimable. Est-ce que tu aimes du lait? Aimes-tu en?
He won many honors for his studies of science including the Grand Croix of the Legion of Honor (1 of only 75) . He died in 1895, at the age of 73.
Questions:
1.What was it like to live in France when your person did? What was going on socially, culturally, politically, etc? How was your person affected by their time period and how did they in turn affect everyone else?
The French Revolution happened during his life, so I imagine it was pretty chaotic. He wasn't really affected by hit time period and continued to work on his studies and science.
2. Name a few ways that your person changed history. How did his or her thoughts and actions affect the way other people thought fifty or one hundered years later?
All of these are very significant to us now, he pretty much made the foundation for simple things including, but not limited to; toothbrushes, modern milk, and flu shots. Without him we wouldn't have the basis for sanitation. Before him, doctors did not even wash their hands or tools.
3. Using the french skills that you have write one paragraph in french about this person.
J'ai m'apelle Louis Pasteur et je suis le scientifique. J'ai reussi plus de scientifique theories. Sans ce theories, tu vas etre malade. J'ai cinq enfant mais deux ne morte pas. :( J'ai reussi lait trop de aimable. Est-ce que tu aimes du lait? Aimes-tu en?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Zelda Fitgerald- muse of the Jazz Age
Born in Montgomery, Alabama Zelda Fitzgerald was the youngest of six children. She was very active as a child. She took ballet, swam, drank, smoked, and hung out with boys. At the time her her birth, she came into a world that was just starting to consider the possibility that
women might have the right to be independent citizens who are able to make their
own decisions. This later on helped her become a famous dancer, writer, and painter. After three years of intense training, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and would go in and out of hospitals for the rest of her life.
women might have the right to be independent citizens who are able to make their
own decisions. This later on helped her become a famous dancer, writer, and painter. After three years of intense training, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and would go in and out of hospitals for the rest of her life.
1) Zelda Fitzgerald came to Paris with hopes of becoming a ballerina. She took lessons from a professional dancer for three years but later on had to give up her dream of becoming a ballerina because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. After her breakdown, she was no longer allowed to dance, and fell back to writing as a way to creatively express herself. Two years later she became a painter. She would use oils, pastels, and watercolors to mainly express her love for dancing. She came back to the United States and later on died in a fire at Highland Hospital in Asheville, NC.
2) When Zelda got pregnant, she and her husband, Scott Fitzgerald took a trip to Europe. When Zelda came up with her dreams of becoming a ballerina, Paris was the place she wanted to go and found a professional dancer to teach her.
3)Zelda Fitzgerald had a thing for painting dancers. I respect that, knowing that she loved dancing and that she wanted to become a ballerina, but her health got in her way. If I had to quit swimming and become a painter, I would most likely paint swimmers and pools because that is what I am interested in and it is what I love. Most of her paintings are not appealing to me because I do not really care about dancing as she did.
4)Zelda Fitzgerald's work is very interesting, but I would not be one to go research more about her paintings. I think that it is great that she did what she loved, dancing, and pursued herself in that career. It is nice that after she was told she could not dance anymore, that she did not give up. She found other ways of expressing her love for dancinng.
T.S. Eliot: the 20th Century Literary Mastermind
Childhood
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born on September 26, 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri. Eliot was the youngest of six children. His father was president of a brick company, as well as an entreprenuer, and Eliot's mother, Charlotte, was a poet. In order to sharpen his language skills, T.S. Eliot's parents had him learn four different languages while in preparatory school. He attended Harvard from 1906-1909. He then went on the earn his masters degree. In 1914, T.S. Eliot attended Oxford University where he met his wife Vivienne.
Influences and Inspirations
As a result of having a mother who wrote poetry, Eliot became familiar with the art of crafting language through poetry at a young age. Another factor which led Eliot to becoming a literary genius is the highly english focused education he recieved. Learning Greek, French, Latin, and German during his time at Smith Academy enabled him to have an extensive understanding of language and how to use it properly. Eliot closely studied F.H. Bradley's work, as well as Buddhism and Indian philosophy.
Life and Career
At the tender age of 22, T.S. Eliot visited a then thriving Paris, France. During the short time he spent in Paris, Eliot took in every bit of the city. Eliot's year in Paris enriched his knowledge of the French culture, which translated into many of his works later in life, such as The Waste Land. Nancy Duvall Hargrove even published a book solely on T.S. Eliot's influencial year in Paris, post graduation from Harvard. Some of Eliot's most acknowledged works are The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, and Journey of the Magi.
What brought your person to France? Was there a particular reason he left America to pursue his work in France?
Eliot was motivated to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris, France because he wanted to make a bold move while he was young in his generally predictable life. It was a moment in time where young Eliot wanted to do the unexpected. Sadly, his family dissaproved of this daring decision, but Eliot continued with his travel. Eliots year in Paris was a time of growth and enlightenment where his love for poetry skyrocketed. Eliot fell in love with France and found inspiration in the city of Paris that he would not have found in America.
Why France? What did your person find appealing or inspiring about France? How did this show up in their work.
T.S. Eliot decided to travel abroad to France because he already knew french, therefore he could convince his parents that he was spending a year in France in order to further his studies of French. Also he was able to become a graduate student of philosophy while in France, which his parents approved of. Despite the reasons Eliot came up with the convince his family to let him move to France, poetry was the true driving force behind his decision. Eliot loved how lively the city of Paris was at this time. Paris was an epicenter for the arts during the early 20th century, and Eliot was exposed to many new experiences during his year in Paris, this translated to Eliots poems. While in Paris Eliot wrote poem after poem, each one bursting with a sense of knew found knowledge and awe. Two poems Eliot wrote during this time are "Portrait of a Lady" and "Rhapsody on a Windy Night".
The Naming of Cats
by T.S. Eliot
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,It isn't just one of your holiday
games;You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatterWhen I tell you, a
cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.First of all, there's the name that the
family use daily,Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,Such as Victor
or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--All of them sensible everyday
names.There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,Some for
the gentlemen, some for the dames:Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra,
Demeter--But all of them sensible everyday names.But I tell you, a cat
needs a name that's particular,A name that's peculiar, and more
dignified,Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,Or spread out
his whiskers, or cherish his pride?Of names of this kind, I can give you a
quorum,Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,Such as Bombalurina, or
else Jellylorum-Names that never belong to more than one cat.But above
and beyond there's still one name left over,And that is the name that you
never will guess;The name that no human research can discover--But THE
CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.When you notice a cat in profound
meditation,The reason, I tell you, is always the same:His mind is
engaged in a rapt contemplationOf the thought, of the thought, of the
thought of his name:His ineffable effable EffanineffableDeep and
inscrutable singular Name.
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,It isn't just one of your holiday
games;You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatterWhen I tell you, a
cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.First of all, there's the name that the
family use daily,Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,Such as Victor
or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--All of them sensible everyday
names.There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,Some for
the gentlemen, some for the dames:Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra,
Demeter--But all of them sensible everyday names.But I tell you, a cat
needs a name that's particular,A name that's peculiar, and more
dignified,Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,Or spread out
his whiskers, or cherish his pride?Of names of this kind, I can give you a
quorum,Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,Such as Bombalurina, or
else Jellylorum-Names that never belong to more than one cat.But above
and beyond there's still one name left over,And that is the name that you
never will guess;The name that no human research can discover--But THE
CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.When you notice a cat in profound
meditation,The reason, I tell you, is always the same:His mind is
engaged in a rapt contemplationOf the thought, of the thought, of the
thought of his name:His ineffable effable EffanineffableDeep and
inscrutable singular Name.
What do you think of your person's work? Does it appeal to you? Why or why not?
I read several poems by T.S. Eliot, but for me this one stood out the most, it almost reminds me of a Dr. Seuss poem. I appreciate how, in writting this poem, Eliot went out of the box and wrote completely informally about something as everyday as a cat. Stream of Conscienceness was a form of writting growing in popularity in Paris at the time, so Eliot must have been trying his hand at it in this poem. The casual writing style Eliot uses in this poem appeals to me. I like how easy it is to comprehend, but that I feel like the poem still caries deeper meaning. T.S. Eliot moved to Paris because he wanted to do the unexpected, break rules, grow as a poet, and establish himself as an individual. I believe the uniqueness of this poem demonstrates Eliots fullfillment of these goals he had for himself during his time in Paris, France.
Based on what you know about the person and the samples you've found, would you be interested in more of their work? Why or why not?
I would be interested in more of T.S. Eliot's work because I enjoy studying the human condition and I believe T.S. Eliot's poems are a wonderful reflection of each stage of his life and his personal growth through his surroundings at that time. However, several of his poems carry the most weight when understood on the figurative level; therefore I would prefer to read his work with a group of people. We would then have group discussions which would bring in several different perspectives. These perspectives would allow me to engage more with the poem in order to figure out the deeper meaning.
Ernest Hemingway: The Mortarly-Wounded Writer
Ernest Hemingway was born July 21st 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. He was one of three children, he was the second born, and the first son. Hemingway had a normal childhood, when he was 17 he took a journalism class and wrote for his school's paper. A year later he wrote for the Kansas City Star and wrote a few articles. The significance of the Kansas City Star is he got his writing style from their guideline: "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative."
Hemingway In Uniform When he was 19 he joined the Red Cross and became an ambulance driver in Italy for World War I. Soon after joining, while bringing chocolates and cigarettes to troops, he was almost killed by mortar fire, and had to be put in a hospital and operated on immediately. While he was recovering he fell in love with a nurse by the name of Agnes von Kurowsky. They planned on getting married, but he was eventually rejected.
When he returned to the states and was still recovering he did not have much to do. He moved and worked to Toronto at a job oppurtunit, but eventually moved to Chicago. This is where he met his first wife: Hadley Richardson. They decided to get married and move to Europe, originally they wanted to go to Rome, but Hadley suggested Paris because the "monetary exchange rate" made it an inexpensive place to live.
In Paris, Ernest met many other writers, such as : Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce. He also met prestigous painters such as Picasso. In France he continued to write for the newspaper in Toronto, and managed to publish 88 articles. Ernest and Hadley had their first child on october 10th, 1923. He wrote his first book in Paris: Three Stories and Two Poems. He also started The Sun Also Rises in Paris. This was proclaimed as some of his best work. He later had troubles with his marriage and divorced Hadley. He married a writer who came from America, to write for Vogue, named Pauline Pfeiffer. Soon after they married they moved to Key West, florida.
Hemingway In Paris Hemingway lived in Key West for 9 years. In these years 2 of his children were born: Patrick in 1928, and Greogry Hancock in 1931. He wrote a Farewell to Arms, Death in the Afternoon , Green Hills of Africa, and started To Have and Have Not during this time.
In 1937, he moved to Spain, to report on the Spanish Civil War. During reporting on the war, he met another journalist named Martha Gellhorn, who also worked for Vogue in Paris. He wrote his only play in Spain, The FIfth Column. In 1939, Hemingway took a boat to Cuba and started to live at Hotel Ambos Mundos. It was during this time , in Cuba, that him and Pauline started to seperate and eventually divorce, and he married Martha Gellhorn. In Cuba, he wrote his Pulitzer Prize receiving book, For Whom the Bell Tolls. He later reported on World War II on such events as D-Day. 6 years after he married Martha, he found himself in love with a reporter of Time magazine; Mary Welsh. On the third time meeting her, he asked her to marry him and she accepted. Martha left him after he was wounded in a car crash, calling him stupid and irresponsible.
In 1946, he moved back to Cuba with Mary. In 1948, they stayed in Venice a few months, where Hemingway fell in love with a 19 year old named Adriana Ivancich. Their affair inspired him to write Across the River and Into the Trees , published in 1950, which had generally negative reviews. Angered by the criticism he wrote "the best I can write ever all of my life"-(ernest hemingway)
which produced; The Old Man and the Sea. This book was regarded as excellent and it became a book-of-the-month selection. This put Hemingway back on the map, and he won the Pultizer Prize for Whom the Bell Tolls in 1953. In 1954, he was injured severely in two plane crashes. In 1954, he also received the Nobel Prize of Literature. In 1959 he finished four books: A Moveable Feast, True at First Light, The Garden of Eden, and Islands in the Stream.
He became unhappy with Cuba, and moved to Ketchum, Idaho in 1959. In Idaho, his life took a turn for the worst and he became depressed. He was injured from a plance crash and would never be able to walk normally again. On July 2nd, 1961 he commited suicide by shooting himself in the head with his double-barreled shotgun.
Ernest Hemingway in his older years
His writing style is taken from the Kansas City Star's writing code. Most of his writing is influenced mostly on real events that have happened to him, as you see most of his books have some piece of his life in them.
Interesting Details About Hemingway's Life: Even though Gertrude Stein was one of the first people he met in Paris, he eventually got into a quarrel with her and they weren't on speaking terms for a while.
Like most other writers: he started writing with his high school paper: The Trapeze.
He commited suicide. His family has a strange tendency to commit suicide. His father, and his two siblings both ended up commiting suicide. It is apparently caused by the disease Hemochromatosis, which makes your body unable to produce iron and keep mentally stable.
Questions:
1. Ernest Hemingway came to France for multiple reasons. The biggest is probobaly that when he married Hadley they decided to live in Europe together. They chose Paris because the monetary conversion rate made it inepensive to live in. He also could write for the Toronto newspaper in Paris.
Paris was also a place filled with the arts, and a perfect place for a blossoming young writer like Hemingway.
2.I beleive he just chose France because his wife wanted him too. Originally he wished to go to Rome and write, but she wanted Paris, and he gave in. The book The Sun Also Rises has a majority of the story taking place in Paris. Three Stories and Ten Poems was also influenced by French culture.
Sample: The Sun Also Rises- ch 1
Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn. He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton. There was a certain inner comfort in knowing he could knock down anybody who was snooty to him, although, being very shy and a thoroughly nice boy, he never fought except in the gym. He was Spider Kelly's star pupil. Spider Kelly taught all his young gentlemen to box like featherweights, no matter whether they weighed one hundred and five or two hundred and five pounds. But it seemed to fit Cohn. He was really very fast. He was so good that Spider promptly overmatched him and got his nose permanently flattened. This increased Cohn's distaste for boxing, but it gave him a certain satisfaction of some strange sort, and it certainly improved his nose. In his last year at Princeton he read too much and took to wearing spectacles. I never met any one of his class who remembered him. They did not even remember that he was middleweight boxing champion.
3.I think his writings are some of the best in 20th century American literature. His writings are just to the point, no lack of detail, but no "drawing-out-nothing." In this pasage we see him write short sentences that get to the point, and draw us in, and make us want to read more. He ends the paragraph with a sort of cliffhanger, using understatement to make being a boxing champion seem easy.
4. I would be very intrested in more of his work. The only book I have actually read by him is The Old Man and The Sea ,but it was excellent. In the future I hope to find a book of his I may enjoy, and read it for paralell reading.
By Jaron Segal
Hemingway In UniformWhen he returned to the states and was still recovering he did not have much to do. He moved and worked to Toronto at a job oppurtunit, but eventually moved to Chicago. This is where he met his first wife: Hadley Richardson. They decided to get married and move to Europe, originally they wanted to go to Rome, but Hadley suggested Paris because the "monetary exchange rate" made it an inexpensive place to live.
In Paris, Ernest met many other writers, such as : Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce. He also met prestigous painters such as Picasso. In France he continued to write for the newspaper in Toronto, and managed to publish 88 articles. Ernest and Hadley had their first child on october 10th, 1923. He wrote his first book in Paris: Three Stories and Two Poems. He also started The Sun Also Rises in Paris. This was proclaimed as some of his best work. He later had troubles with his marriage and divorced Hadley. He married a writer who came from America, to write for Vogue, named Pauline Pfeiffer. Soon after they married they moved to Key West, florida.
Hemingway In ParisIn 1937, he moved to Spain, to report on the Spanish Civil War. During reporting on the war, he met another journalist named Martha Gellhorn, who also worked for Vogue in Paris. He wrote his only play in Spain, The FIfth Column. In 1939, Hemingway took a boat to Cuba and started to live at Hotel Ambos Mundos. It was during this time , in Cuba, that him and Pauline started to seperate and eventually divorce, and he married Martha Gellhorn. In Cuba, he wrote his Pulitzer Prize receiving book, For Whom the Bell Tolls. He later reported on World War II on such events as D-Day. 6 years after he married Martha, he found himself in love with a reporter of Time magazine; Mary Welsh. On the third time meeting her, he asked her to marry him and she accepted. Martha left him after he was wounded in a car crash, calling him stupid and irresponsible.
In 1946, he moved back to Cuba with Mary. In 1948, they stayed in Venice a few months, where Hemingway fell in love with a 19 year old named Adriana Ivancich. Their affair inspired him to write Across the River and Into the Trees , published in 1950, which had generally negative reviews. Angered by the criticism he wrote "the best I can write ever all of my life"-(ernest hemingway)
which produced; The Old Man and the Sea. This book was regarded as excellent and it became a book-of-the-month selection. This put Hemingway back on the map, and he won the Pultizer Prize for Whom the Bell Tolls in 1953. In 1954, he was injured severely in two plane crashes. In 1954, he also received the Nobel Prize of Literature. In 1959 he finished four books: A Moveable Feast, True at First Light, The Garden of Eden, and Islands in the Stream.
He became unhappy with Cuba, and moved to Ketchum, Idaho in 1959. In Idaho, his life took a turn for the worst and he became depressed. He was injured from a plance crash and would never be able to walk normally again. On July 2nd, 1961 he commited suicide by shooting himself in the head with his double-barreled shotgun.
Ernest Hemingway in his older yearsInteresting Details About Hemingway's Life: Even though Gertrude Stein was one of the first people he met in Paris, he eventually got into a quarrel with her and they weren't on speaking terms for a while.
Like most other writers: he started writing with his high school paper: The Trapeze.
He commited suicide. His family has a strange tendency to commit suicide. His father, and his two siblings both ended up commiting suicide. It is apparently caused by the disease Hemochromatosis, which makes your body unable to produce iron and keep mentally stable.
Questions:
1. Ernest Hemingway came to France for multiple reasons. The biggest is probobaly that when he married Hadley they decided to live in Europe together. They chose Paris because the monetary conversion rate made it inepensive to live in. He also could write for the Toronto newspaper in Paris.
Paris was also a place filled with the arts, and a perfect place for a blossoming young writer like Hemingway.
2.I beleive he just chose France because his wife wanted him too. Originally he wished to go to Rome and write, but she wanted Paris, and he gave in. The book The Sun Also Rises has a majority of the story taking place in Paris. Three Stories and Ten Poems was also influenced by French culture.
Sample: The Sun Also Rises- ch 1
Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn. He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton. There was a certain inner comfort in knowing he could knock down anybody who was snooty to him, although, being very shy and a thoroughly nice boy, he never fought except in the gym. He was Spider Kelly's star pupil. Spider Kelly taught all his young gentlemen to box like featherweights, no matter whether they weighed one hundred and five or two hundred and five pounds. But it seemed to fit Cohn. He was really very fast. He was so good that Spider promptly overmatched him and got his nose permanently flattened. This increased Cohn's distaste for boxing, but it gave him a certain satisfaction of some strange sort, and it certainly improved his nose. In his last year at Princeton he read too much and took to wearing spectacles. I never met any one of his class who remembered him. They did not even remember that he was middleweight boxing champion.
3.I think his writings are some of the best in 20th century American literature. His writings are just to the point, no lack of detail, but no "drawing-out-nothing." In this pasage we see him write short sentences that get to the point, and draw us in, and make us want to read more. He ends the paragraph with a sort of cliffhanger, using understatement to make being a boxing champion seem easy.
4. I would be very intrested in more of his work. The only book I have actually read by him is The Old Man and The Sea ,but it was excellent. In the future I hope to find a book of his I may enjoy, and read it for paralell reading.
By Jaron Segal
Thomas Clayton Wolfe
Thomas
Wolfe was born on october,3,1900 in Asheville,North Carolina and died on
september 15,1938 in Maryland.
People known him for his amazing writing scilles .
He
went to the University of North Charleston ,Harvard.
His earlier life:
Thomas parents are William Oliver Wolfe and Julia Elizabeth Westall.
Thomas had 7 siblings,he is the youngest of all of them.
His father, was a successful stone carver, he had a gravestone business. His mother took in boarders and was looking for the kids.
Picture:Thomas and his mother
Career:
Thomas had no change to sell any of his plays for a long time,peoples weren't interesstet.Peoples wanted to see his play on the stage but he thought it's more fiction. He sailed to Europe in October 1924 to continue writing. His first place was England after that he traveled to France, Italy and Switzerland. In 1925, he met Aline Bernstein on his way back home . Bernstein was married to a successful men with whom she had two children.
In October 1925 Wolfe and Bernstein became lovers . He returned back to Europe in the summer of 1926 and began to write the first version of a novel, (O Lost) A novel that shows his early experiences in Asheville,
The original writing of O Lost was over 100 pages and 66,000 words longer than the final edited version.
When the novel was published, Wolfe gave it to Bernstein. Soon after the book's publication, Wolfe returned to Europe and ended his affair with Bernstein. Wolfe stayed away from asheville for 8 years and lived in Europe for 1 year.
Then he went to Brooklyn for 4 years and worked on his writing.Then he published his second novel The october Fair.
Wolfe spent much time in Europe and was really popular in Germany, where he made many friends. Wolfe returned to America and published a short story called "I Have a Thing to Tell You"
In the summer of 1937 ,it was the first time he returned back to Asheville.
Death:
Wolfe became ill with pneumonia while visiting Seattle,he had to spent 3 weeks in the hospital there.
On September 6, he was sent to an other hospital were he had a life saving brain operation.Everything went well but then 18 days before his 38 th birthday he had to die His last writing, was journal of one of his two-week trips he had done.
Thomas Wolfe's grave is in , Asheville, North Carolina, beside his parents and his siblings.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: Godfather of the 1920's
Background
Born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to an upper middle class Catholic family, Fitzgerald was named after his famous second cousin, Francis Scott Key, but was referred to as "Scott," hence the pen name F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was also named after his deceased sister, Louise Scott, one of two sisters who died shortly before his birth. His parents were Mollie and Edward Fitzgerald.
Childhood
Scott spent the first 10 years of his childhood primarily in Buffalo, New York (1898–1901 and 1903–1908, with a short time in Syracuse, New York between 1901 and 1903). His parents, both practicing Catholics, sent Scott to two Catholic schools on the West Side of Buffalo, first Holy Angels Convent and then Nardin Academy. His younger years in Buffalo revealed him to be a boy of unusual intelligence and drive with a keen early interest in literature, his doting mother ensuring that her son had all the advantages of an upper-middle-class upbringing. In a rather interesting style of parenting, Scott attended Holy Angels with the peculiar arrangement that he go for only half a day, and was allowed to choose which half.
Teen- College
When Scott was ten years old, his father was fired from Procter & Gamble, and the family returned to Minnesota, where Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy in St. Paul from 1908–1911. His first published work, a detective story, was published in a school newspaper when he was 13. When he was 16, he was expelled from St. Paul Academy for neglecting his studies. He attended Newman School, a prep school in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1911–1912, and entered Princeton University in 1913 as a member of the Class of 1917.
There he became friends with future critics and writers Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop, and wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club and the Princeton Tiger. His absorption in the Triangle, a kind of musical-comedy society, led to his submission of a novel to Charles Scribner's Sons where the editor praised the writing but ultimately rejected the book.
Influences
The 1920s proved the most influential decade of Fitzgerald's development. The Great Gatsby, considered his masterpiece, was published in 1925. Fitzgerald made several excursions to Europe, mostly Paris and the French Riviera, and became friends with many members of the American expatriate community in Paris, notably Ernest Hemingway. Fitzgerald’s friendship with Hemingway was quite vigorous, as many of Fitzgerald’s relationships would prove to be. Hemingway did not get on well with Zelda. In addition to describing her as "insane" he claimed that she “encouraged her husband to drink so as to distract Scott from his work on his novel."
While at a country club, Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre (1900–1948), the "golden girl," in Fitzgerald's terms, of Montgomery, Alabama youth society. Fitzgerald attempted to lay a foundation for his life with Zelda. Scott returned to his parents' house at 599 Summit Avenue, on Cathedral Hill, in St. Paul, to revise The Romantic Egoist. Recast as This Side of Paradise, about the post-WWI flapper generation, it was accepted by Scribner's in the fall of 1919, and Zelda and Scott resumed their engagement. Scott and Zelda were married in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Their only child, Frances Scott "Scottie" Fitzgerald, was born on October 26, 1921 and died on June 16, 1986.
Questions
1. In all honesty Fitzgerald left because of Zelda's influence and prohibition. When alcohol was banned in America he needed somewhere to drink.
2. Fitzgerald did not do all that much notable work, his reasoning behind Paris I feel mainly must have been Zelda's choice.
Sample of Art
Fitzgerald did no work in Paris but his most well known work must be the great gatsby.
"I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool... You see, I think everything's terrible anyhow... And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 1
3. I love the Great Gatsby it's extremely inspirational to me. It's one of the greatest literary works of the century. Fitzgerald's writing style and tone are absolutely captivating.
4. I would love to read more work by Fitzgerald. But sadly there is not much work done by Fitzgerald in the height of his life.
Born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to an upper middle class Catholic family, Fitzgerald was named after his famous second cousin, Francis Scott Key, but was referred to as "Scott," hence the pen name F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was also named after his deceased sister, Louise Scott, one of two sisters who died shortly before his birth. His parents were Mollie and Edward Fitzgerald.
Childhood
Scott spent the first 10 years of his childhood primarily in Buffalo, New York (1898–1901 and 1903–1908, with a short time in Syracuse, New York between 1901 and 1903). His parents, both practicing Catholics, sent Scott to two Catholic schools on the West Side of Buffalo, first Holy Angels Convent and then Nardin Academy. His younger years in Buffalo revealed him to be a boy of unusual intelligence and drive with a keen early interest in literature, his doting mother ensuring that her son had all the advantages of an upper-middle-class upbringing. In a rather interesting style of parenting, Scott attended Holy Angels with the peculiar arrangement that he go for only half a day, and was allowed to choose which half.
Teen- College
When Scott was ten years old, his father was fired from Procter & Gamble, and the family returned to Minnesota, where Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy in St. Paul from 1908–1911. His first published work, a detective story, was published in a school newspaper when he was 13. When he was 16, he was expelled from St. Paul Academy for neglecting his studies. He attended Newman School, a prep school in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1911–1912, and entered Princeton University in 1913 as a member of the Class of 1917.
There he became friends with future critics and writers Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop, and wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club and the Princeton Tiger. His absorption in the Triangle, a kind of musical-comedy society, led to his submission of a novel to Charles Scribner's Sons where the editor praised the writing but ultimately rejected the book.
Influences
The 1920s proved the most influential decade of Fitzgerald's development. The Great Gatsby, considered his masterpiece, was published in 1925. Fitzgerald made several excursions to Europe, mostly Paris and the French Riviera, and became friends with many members of the American expatriate community in Paris, notably Ernest Hemingway. Fitzgerald’s friendship with Hemingway was quite vigorous, as many of Fitzgerald’s relationships would prove to be. Hemingway did not get on well with Zelda. In addition to describing her as "insane" he claimed that she “encouraged her husband to drink so as to distract Scott from his work on his novel."
While at a country club, Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre (1900–1948), the "golden girl," in Fitzgerald's terms, of Montgomery, Alabama youth society. Fitzgerald attempted to lay a foundation for his life with Zelda. Scott returned to his parents' house at 599 Summit Avenue, on Cathedral Hill, in St. Paul, to revise The Romantic Egoist. Recast as This Side of Paradise, about the post-WWI flapper generation, it was accepted by Scribner's in the fall of 1919, and Zelda and Scott resumed their engagement. Scott and Zelda were married in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Their only child, Frances Scott "Scottie" Fitzgerald, was born on October 26, 1921 and died on June 16, 1986.
Questions
1. In all honesty Fitzgerald left because of Zelda's influence and prohibition. When alcohol was banned in America he needed somewhere to drink.
2. Fitzgerald did not do all that much notable work, his reasoning behind Paris I feel mainly must have been Zelda's choice.
Sample of Art
Fitzgerald did no work in Paris but his most well known work must be the great gatsby.
"I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool... You see, I think everything's terrible anyhow... And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 1
3. I love the Great Gatsby it's extremely inspirational to me. It's one of the greatest literary works of the century. Fitzgerald's writing style and tone are absolutely captivating.
4. I would love to read more work by Fitzgerald. But sadly there is not much work done by Fitzgerald in the height of his life.
Monday, January 16, 2012
e.e. cummings
e.e. cummings: The lowercase signer
E.e. cummings was born into a Unitarian family on October 14, 1894. He was raised in a religious family and used prayers as an inspiration. Cummings wanted to be a poet ever since he was a child. He was married three times and had one daughter. His influences were Amy Lowell and Gertrude Stein. He went to Harvard where he started to have interest in modern poetry. He wrote eighteen books and received eleven awards during his lifetime. Cummings wrote about 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays, several essays, and a few paintings and drawings.
In 1917, cummings enlisted in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps with his friend, John Dos Passos. There was an administrative mix-up where cummings wasn't assigned an ambulance for another five weeks. During the five weeks he stayed in Paris where he fell in love with the city. While serving, he and his friend continually wrote letters home expressing their feelings of anti-war. Five months later he and William Slater Brown were arrested by the French military under suspicion of espionage and undesirable activities. They were held for three and a half months in a military detention camp.
Cummings returned to Paris in 1921, where he stayed for another two years before returning to New York. Throughout the 1920's and 1930's he returned to Paris numerous times and explored Europe. In 1926, his father died from a car accident. This had a major impact on his life and his writing. In Paris he was exposed to Dada and surrealism. This changed his poetry by relying on symbolism and allegory versus metaphors and similes , which he used to use. Cummings died on September 3, 1962 at the age of 67 from a stroke.
Questions
1. What brought your person to France? Was there a particular reason he or she left America to pursue their work in France?
He first went to France during WWI. He was supposed to be a part of the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps, but there was a mix-up and wasn't assigned an ambulance until five weeks later. During this time he got to spend five weeks in Paris. He loved the city, and decided that he would visit frequently. These visits changed the way he wrote poetry by using symbolism and allegory instead of comparisons.
2. Why France? What did your person find appealing or inspiring about France? How did this show up in their work?
Cummings was exposed to Dada, a cultural movement that focused on anti-war politics. Also, he enjoyed studying the art that he found in France. His inspirations showed in his work by changing the way he wrote. He wrote using symbolism and tried to paint a picture using words. He also wrote with allegory, which means that the poem has a hidden meaning, instead of using comparisons.
^"Seven Poems" by e.e. cummings"
3. What do you think of your person's work? Does it appeal to you? Why or why not?
His work is great, but it's not my favorite. A contributing factor to that is that I'm not a big fan of poetry. If I had to read poetry I would read William Butler Yeats, Emily Dickinson, or Robert Frost. Cummings' early work was more love themed, which are beautiful, but don't appeal to me that much. I like cummings' anti-war poems more than the other genres that he wrote.
4. Based on what you know about the person and the samples you've found, would you be interested in more of their work? Why or why not?
I would be interested in reading a couple more of his poems. His poems are entertaining and have hidden meanings, which make them interesting to read. I don't enjoy reading poetry all that much, though. If I had to read poetry I would probably read poems by other poets. All in all I would read some of his poems, but probably in the anti-war genre.
Sources:
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.e._cummings#Poetry
Pictures:
http://img.americanpoems.com/cummings2.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Seven_Poems,_E._E._Cummings,_1920.djvu/page1-376px-Seven_Poems,_E._E._Cummings,_1920.djvu.jpg
By Jordanna Segal
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)