Catch-22: How it relates to The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail explains Thoreau's life from when he was a young adult until later in his life. Throughout the play, he is in a jail cell with Bailey, his cell mate. The setting takes place during the Mexican War. The audience sees his life and witnesses his experiences. The pantomiming actor is supposed act out different scenes in his life. Thoreau hates the war involving America and disagrees with the war effort. His stubbornness gets him into trouble, like getting into jail. The intelligent man believes he knows everything and the audience shows how he received all of this knowledge which was through different events in his life. The play explains transitions and how the setting should look with different nature like looks. This shows the Romanticism aspect of the play, even though it was written during the Modernism era, making this play written at a different time it was depicted.
Catch-22 can relate to each of these elements. The setting takes place during a war, WWII, and the main character, Yossarian, disapproves of the war around him. The audience reading the book experiences the different events in which Yossarian witness while getting his opinion on the matter. He's not particularly stubborn, however, he refuses to accept his involvement in the war and tries to leave as much as possible. Yossarian is not particularly intelligent however he learns things from his colleagues throughout the book. The book describes the setting, relating to Romanticism, and describes the nature. It was written during the Modernism era, but was used for Postmodernism. All of these aspects are similar.

Catch-22: How it relates to Romanticism

Romanticism, the literary movement, expresses a more romantic way to look at the world. Authors begin to commune with nature during this time period and express, through their literature works, the nature of the world. Some pieces show the beauty of nature and people, but some, however, show the darker side. Their pieces have fanatical aspects to them because of these expressions making most pieces fiction and we see the start of the fantasy genre in these unreal works. Characters as well begin to be described more in the books and we see development of them as well as how they feel and what they dream. There is a sense of individualism because many authors focus on one character and follows them throughout the story. They describe what the characters see through descriptive descriptions. These fanatical works show a bit of delusion and craziness. The characters used are sometimes set apart from society with different beliefs or experiences. Many of these fiction pieces have an underlying theme which the author is trying to portray. All of these themes can be seen in the novel Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller.
In Catch-22, the setting takes place during WWII with the main character as a bomber named Yossarian. In this novel, he despises the war and constantly expresses how he wants to leave. We see him develop and begin to learn different morals and information through his partners in war. Like the pieces in Romanticism, Yossarian has an individual idea about the war while others around him try not to bother about it and continue to fight. This makes Yossarian seems apart from his colleagues, who make up the society around him at this time, because of his different opinion than theirs. The setting is described very descriptively because Heller wants to show his audience exactly what is going on in the war in order to express his idea. His idea, an underlying theme throughout the piece, recalls the thought against war. He describes the craziness and stupidity of the war by showing the audience what takes place in war. This creates the setting to be fanatical and crazy as well as deeply described. This craziness can also be seen through the catch-22 which forces all bombers to continue their missions. All of these elements can be tied together with Romanticism.

Catch-22: How it relates to what I've read in class

Catch-22 expresses the antiwar feelings during WWII. In this novel, there are many characters which have different story lines. It's also about a man who expresses the stupidity of war shown through the catch-22. Billy Budd is a novella which was written during the Romanticism era about a ship during the Rationalism period. In this story, the author, Herman Melville, shows the transition from one literary movement to the next by the death of two characters. This novel relates to the novella Billy Budd because of the displacement of the time from when it was written and an underlying theme portrayed through a story.
These two pieces are displaced from the time at which they were written. Catch-22 was written about WWII during WWII. However, this book didn't become beneficial until the Vietnam War. Joseph Heller, the author, tries to portray his distaste for war through this book, but readers began to use this book as a symbol during a later time. Like this novel, Billy Budd was written during the time of Romanticism, but it was set during the time directly after the end of the Revolutionary War. Melville expresses the end of the literary movement of Rationalism, by the death of Captain Vere, one of the main characters, and brings up the idea that Romanticism still exists through the remaining idea of Billy Budd with the crew. These two authors express how they feel about an issue of their time through a book with a different setting then when it was read and influential.

Catch-22: How does it relate to my definition of American Literature?

In the American Literature definition, I talk about how it reflects the emotions, themes, and events of the era from which it was created. Then, war is looked at as an example. Taking a look at war helps to show the emotion expressed through literature about the war. Each time period will also be looked at for the project along with each major war during that time. Many emotions have been expressed through literature about war, especially anti-war feelings. Writers wrote about how war was irrelevant to the time and discussed how it was a silly way to solve problems. In the project, Catch-22 will be an example used because Joseph Heller, the author, expresses the absurdity of war through the cooky characters and stupid idea of the catch-22.
Catch-22 is about a bomber, Yossarian, who doesn't want to be in World War II. His view on his friends make them seem idiotic and crazy. All of his views on the different situations he is put through is horrible and fatal. One rule which he dislikes the most is the catch, catch-22. This explains how soldiers are allowed to go home and leave the war if they are crazy, but in order to be identified as crazy, they have to express that they are crazy. The problem with that is, if they tell they're crazy, they aren't because they are sane enough to know they're crazy. To Yossarian, however, everyone is crazy for wanting to fight in the war. Showing that Yossarian thinks everything is crazy shows how he dislikes the war. This reflects how Heller didn't like the war which he thought was crazy, altogether. The dislike for the war shows that some people didn't want to be involved in a war. This shows that wars should not be the answer to situations and problems but should, instead, not happen at all.

Fahrenheit 451-How does it relate to something I've read in class?

Looking at Fahrenheit 451 and Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, there are many similarities. Benjamin Franklin believes that education is beyond important. He's also fascinated with books. In fact, Benjamin Franklin help conduct at least five libraries. He also formed a club where people would rent books for leisure. This is similar to Montag and his gradual love for books. When he discovers his first book, he finds it very fascinating and wants to learn more. He wants everyone to have access to the incredible world of books, instead of never getting to experience the wonder of them. Both these people have a passion for learning, understanding, and reading. This creates conflict, and eventual success, like Ben Franklin experienced as well.
Fahrenheit 451 also reminds me of the two pieces by Thomas Paine, "Common Sense" and "The Crisis." These two works talk about fighting for what is wanted which is liberty and freedom from England. Paine describes the horrible things that England has done, to promote the longing for a change. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag wants a change from the society of no books or thinking. He wants people to understand the beauty and great qualities of understanding and books. So, he decides to fight back against the society for what he believes is right and a necessity, just like what Thomas Paine tried to promote to England.
Fahrenheit 451 brings up more of the qualities of rationalism because of how Montag begins to think and wonder and rationalize about certain elements of society which he thought was unsuitable. This portrays the greatness of books along with fighting for what is right, just like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine.

Fahrenheit 451-How does it relate to what I have learned in class?

Two ideas from the book that stood out were a one-way society, rebellion, and breaking away from a cause that was disliked. A one-way society reminds me of the Puritans and their society. The rebellion and breaking away of a person from the society reminds me of the rationalism era and the Revolutionary War.
The Puritans were very religious, and religion was their only practice and belief. The whole of the group of people believed one specific idea, that if they were good, God could look down on them and they may go to Heaven. This one belief society was not very original and specific. The society in Fahrenheit 451 believed that books were bad and poisonous, if you will, to the society. Books are bad and should not be read or there will be punishment. These two societies are parallel in that they have one way of thinking and if there was another idea that could change the status quo, it must be destroyed. But, there were rebellions.
The rationalism era is when people could think and rationalize. Montag, after reading, truly reading, his first book, began to think. Once he had begun to think, he started to have the idea that the society and way things are need to change. So, he started to rebel against the society's ways. The colonists began to think as well, during the rationalism era, and they started to rebel against some of the ideas of England. They didn't like that they weren't being represented and taxed. So, they had mini rebellions against their monster mother country which eventually led to the Revolutionary War.
The cause of the Revolutionary War, like mentioned above, was to break away from an idea of England that the colonists didn't like. Montag wanted to break away from the idea of no books in his society. So, he did. He rebelled and ran away. Then, he was successful. In the end, the society/city was destroyed and he, with others, were going to start over and bring back books. The Revolutionary War created liberty and freedom from the evil country of England, and Montag giving his city a piece of his mind created the start and end of a rebellion against the terrible, strict society.

Fahrenheit 451-How does it relate to my definition of American Literature?

My definition of American Literature is that it emanates the emotion. Fahrenheit 451 makes the readers feel that books are beyond important. The books make readers angry at the way the city is run. They are also annoyed at the people living in the city because of their incompetence and small-mindedness. If only the characters could understand the importance of literature, then there would be knowledge and understanding. Also, thing wouldn't be as stiff and similar. There would be uniqueness and originality. The main character, Guy Montag, feels these emotions as well. That is what makes the readers feel so passionate about books, because Montag is as well. The author writes this book to make the audience feel sorry for the people who disregard books and he makes them want to fight for what is right. He makes the audience want to go to war with the characters as well.
The definition is backed up with a look at wars during American times and how that impacted the literature of the time. In the book, about halfway through, Montag begins to have a self verses self and a self verses society conflict, almost as if he's going to war with the two. He wants to fight for books and knowledge, but no one understands him. He starts to have a dilemma with society and the norms of the time. He feels that the idea of no books or knowledge is ridiculous and wants everyone to think about the things he gets out of books. In the end, he gets his wish because, someone let's a bomb loose in the city and destroys everything. This can relate to the time because when this book was created, in the 1950s, the Korean War was taking place. This, and the great amount of talk of bombs going around in America during the time, were wrapped together in this book. The war with what society wants and what Montag wants is a war itself, and at the end, when the bomb was released.
In the end, the author, Ray Bradbury, shows that books are a necessity or people can rebel against the idea of a strict, similar society and fight against it. In the end, taking away such an important influence in an area will eventually be destroyed because of the withdrawal. People need to learn and understand and be unique, which is what the author shows us through the main character's feelings making the audience feel his emotion.

Symbol Essay

There’s a saying that my parents remind me and my brothers of all the time. They always tell us, “When you go out in public remember what you’re representing.” Then, my mom would hold out three fingers and wiggle each one as she names the three different things we are to represent. “First, God and your church. If Jesus was standing right in front of you, would you do what you are doing or about to do?” Then she wiggled her next finger, “Second, your family. Please don’t embarrass us!” Finally, she’d wiggle the third finger. “Last, represent your school. You are going to a very nice school and you want show yourselves as respectable children who go to an incredible school.” My church, family, and my school are the three symbols that I represent.

The cross ranks number one as the most important symbol to me. I am a Christian, and my faith and God are the chief principles in my life. Others, who are not Christians, may have an interpretation of the cross that is different than my own. With this symbol being the most important to me, people might think of me as a “Jesus freak,” but I don’t mind. I accept who I am and the cross, symbolizing Christianity, shows that. This also shows my possible future career of becoming a pastor. 

The pastor at my church is a great mentor to me and I look up to him and I can only hope to become as incredible as he. Being a pastor would be a great opportunity because I enjoy learning about the Bible and church, and I enjoy public speaking.  I grew up in my church and have been associated with Christ all my life. I respect my religion, denomination, and my place of worship because of its involvement in my growing up. Now, as a teenager, I am a part of a youth group. Together, we go on mission trips, we hang out, and we go to retreats. One very special retreat left me as a new person.

A butterfly may normally symbolize beauty or new life, and although this is accurate, there is a little twist. This past summer, I attended a Methodist retreat with a small group of teenagers who wanted to have an incredible experience. The event that took place is called The Happening. Here, you can experience new, religious awakenings, tremendous love, and an enormous amount of fun. The experience is different for everyone so no one is allowed to tell what goes on at The Happening, like a secret. New experiences over that weekend made me look differently at the world. The butterfly for The Happening symbolizes new life, but as in a new life in Christ with different understandings about Him. The weekend was incredible, and the butterfly symbol will always represent that weekend. My parents were involved during that weekend in a unique way. They explained to me how much they loved me and how special I am to them. Although I am special to them, they are even more special to me.

My family’s love for each other and me is infinite. They also have taught me life lessons and values that have created my morals. Although there may be struggles along the way, my family sticks together. We can teach each other how to become better people by the actions of the other’s doing; we raise each other up to our full potential. 

My two role models are my parents. They are smart and wise, and they know so much about life that they can teach me every day. My brothers, although quite obnoxious, can show me the art of sisterhood. When I see their actions, I can set goals for myself on how to be a mature role model for them. Although this may bring out the best in us, it can also bring out the worst. We are similar at times and this can cause us to argue or lash out. Maybe this happens more than once a week, but we always can rebound on our mistakes and love and forgive each other in the end which brings out the happiness and special bond we share together. The Dictionary says that family is “a person or people related to one and so to be treated with a special loyalty or intimacy.” This definition describes us perfectly. We have all the, good and bad, qualities of an exceptional family. Another quality I believe is important is support. They are very supportive of me of whatever I may do in my life, and I to them. Our support system works with church, school, and extracurricular activities, like sports.

One sport I “play” is powerlifting. That’s why my third symbol is a set of weights. I believe I was given a gift of strength, and I apply it in powerlifting. Over the past two years, I have worked with my strength in order to improve. I didn’t realized how strong I was until I broke my first school record. This was monumental. This sport was a pivotal experience of my life. Normally, I was always mediocre at everything and now, only as an eighth grader, I had achieved a new school record and was accepted into two weight categories. Over the past year, I ended the season with three new school records and a member of all of the girl weight categories. This had never been done before at my age and was an incredible surprise to everyone. Much has been accomplished over the past year.

These symbols represent who I am. They show my identity. The cross explains my Christianity and love for God. The butterfly represents the new religious change I have experienced through The Happening. My family shows my morals and views on life. Lastly, the weights show powerlifting; the sport that I love. These are the most important symbols that represent me. I strive every day to respect them. I hope when people see me, they think of me as a good representation of these symbols and myself.

Sources for American Literature Time Period Project

My project is on Rationalism. Here are three sources that describe rationalism, highlight a few works of literature of that era, and show some Rationalists
1) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/American_Literature/Enlightenment_Period_(1760s-1820s)
2) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=51b71cbb-be66-44d8-b158-1974a31a6677
3) www.ltisdschools.org/cms/lib/TX21000349/.../139/Rationalism_10.ppt

Symbols and You-essay

My Four Symbols are Me

There are many important things in my life that I possess which makes me who I am. Each object is far different from the rest. maybe this is because I’m diverse in what I like, or maybe it’s because I’m so liberal to accepting certain objects as a symbol of mine. Besides the fact, there are four most important symbols that makeup me. These symbols are held right next to my heart. I find them incredibly special and extraordinary. The speciality of these objects and people show who I am and what I deem special.

The symbols that are close to me include a cross, my family, weights, and a butterfly. Although these seem like ordinary objects, and most are quite understandable as to what they are, they all have a great meaning. These objects are considered symbols because they have both a literal and figurative meaning.

The cross is my most important symbol. I am a Christian in the Methodist denomination. The Methodist symbol is actually a cross with a red flame to the side of it, but the cross is a more general symbol to show my beliefs in Christ. This is my first symbol because I feel that my faith and God are the most important things in my life. I grew up in the church and have had affiliations with Christ all my life. I respect my religion, denomination, and church because of my childhood and teen-hood in my church. This symbol, though, may have other interpretations. There are many people as well who aren’t Christians. With this symbol being the most important, people might think of me as a “Jesus freak,” but that isn’t a bad thing to me.

This symbol also shows my possible future to becoming a pastor. My pastor at my church is a great mentor for my to look up to and to rise to becoming an incredible pastor. It would be such a cool job because I love to learn about the Bible and the church. I grew up in the church with my family, who are also incredibly special.

My family is the best. Their love for me and each other is infinite. They are very supportive for me and whatever I may do in my life, to an extent. They also have taught me life lessons and values that have created the ideas for my morals in life. Although there may be struggles along the way, my family have stuck together.

My family and I can see how to become better people by the actions of the others’ doing. My two role models are my parents. They are smart and wise, and they know so much about life that they can teach me something new every day. My brothers, although quite obnoxious, can show me the art of sisterhood. When I see their actions, I can set goals for myself on how to be a mature role model. My whole family has support for me, especially in school and sports.

A sport I “play” is powerlifting. That’s why my third symbol are weights. I believe I was given a gift of strength, and I use it in powerlifting. Over the past two years, I have discovered and improved at powerlifting. I didn’t realized I was so strong until I broke my first school record. This was monumental.

This sport was a pivotal experience of my life. Normally, I was always a mediocre everything and now, as only an eighth grader, I had achieved a broken record and was welcomed into two weight categories. Over the past year, I ended the season with three broken records and competing all of the weight categories. This had never been done before at my age and was an incredible surprise to everyone. A lot had been accomplish over the past year. Not only with sports or school, but with my church as well.

The butterfly may normally symbolize beauty or new life, the butterfly has a little bit of a different meaning for me. This passed summer, I attended a Methodist retreat with a small group of teenagers who wanted to experience something incredible. This event that took place is called Happening. This is were you can experience new, religious awakenings, tremendous love, and a good bit of fun. The experience is different for everyone so no one is allowed to tell what going on at Happening. I definitely had new awakenings over the weekends. The butterfly symbolizes new life, but as in a new life in Christ with different understandings. That weekend was incredible. This is my fourth most important symbol of my life.

These symbols all show who I am. They show my identity. The cross explains my Christianity and love for God. My family, one of my favorites, shows who I am and why I act the way I act. They also explain my morales because of what they have taught me. The weights show the sport that I love and do, which is powerlifting. Lastly, the butterfly represents the new religious change I have experienced through Happening. These are the most important symbols that represent me, and these are the most important! These four symbols are who I am, and I am these four symbols.