Antigone Journal #4

Haemon [pleading now]. This is all a bad dream, Father. You are not yourself. It isn’t true that we have been backed up against a wall, forced to surrender. We don’t have to say yes to this terrible thing. You are still king. You are still the father I revered. You have no right to desert me, to shrink into nothingness. The world will be too bare, I shall be too alone in the world, if you force me to disown you.

Creon. The world is bare, Haemon, and you are alone. You must cease to think your father all-powerful.

            The passage starts off with Haemon “pleading” with his father. Haemon’s tone is almost one of disbelief, he refers to it as a “bad dream”, and says that “it isn’t true”. This could establish that Haemon, although he sees these horrible things happening, he wants to believe in the goodness of his father. The goodness of the king, and the laws that he has always trusted. Haemon’s attitude of disbelief suggests that he doesn’t really want to question it, he wants the law to be right.

            Haemon says “we have been backed up against a wall”. The reader can’t be sure exactly who “we” is. It could be Haemon and his father, but “we” could suggest an entire group of people. Or, possibly, mankind in general. Mankind is stuck against a wall and forced to surrender. So, this could suggest that people are stuck and they are forced to “surrender” their personal beliefs and morals.

            However, Haemon argues that maybe man doesn’t have to “say yes to this terrible thing”. Haemon implies that his father is acting as if there is no other option, but that maybe there is another option. And sometimes a person should say “no” and not agree with what is going on if it is wrong.

            Haemon’s next lines repeat “you”, “You are still king. You are still the father I revered. You have no right to desert me, to shrink into nothingness”. The repetition makes it sound like he is trying to convince himself. Haemon is trying to convince himself that his father is still the ruler of Thebes, and still the good man that Haemon has always looked up to. He claims that his father has “no right to desert” him, and “shrink into nothingness”. His attitude that his father doesn’t have the right to not do anything, suggests that Haemon believes the lawmakers should enforce the power that they have and not act as if they can’t do anything about it. A government should not do nothing.

            Creon’s response is interesting when he says “the world is bare, Haemon and you are alone”. Creon suggests that there isn’t anything anyone can do, that it is straightforward. The word “bare” suggests a lack of substance. The world becomes plain, another indication that he is “backed up against a wall”. Creon also tells Haemon that he should stop thinking that he, Creon, is “all-powerful”. Since Creon represents a government, this suggests that a citizen shouldn’t believe that the government is all-powerful, that maybe the government doesn’t have power.

            The basic significance of this passage, if looked at from a historical point of view, is that it can easily be associated with the Nazi occupation of France and the place of the French puppet government. Haemon wants to believe in the goodness of the government, like many people during World War 2 wanted to believe that the government would act, wouldn’t let something happen. Haemon suggests that the government acts like there is nothing it can do, but really that “isn’t true” and they shouldn’t “surrender”.  That people don’t have to say yes to terrible things. This could suggest that basically, the French puppet government was acting like they were stuck against a wall and there was nothing they could do, but really they didn’t have to just say yes to something so terrible. They were still the government, they didn’t have a right to “shrink into nothingness”. However Creon, representing the puppet government, argues that the government isn’t all-powerful like people want to believe.

If taken in historical context, this passage seems to suggest that the French puppet government was being weak, they left the citizens alone and acted as if it was their only choice. They said yes to a terrible thing, the holocaust, and chose to act as if they were not powerful. Anouilh could suggest that people are alone, and one cannot rely on the government to fix the problems, because it isn’t necessarily all powerful, but should work to the best of their own ability to fight for what they believe in.

Antigone Journal #3

Contrast

Life/Death: Life vs. Death comes up a lot, especially when Creon and Antigone are arguing after Antigone is brought in by the guards. Creon speaks to her because he doesn't want to put Antigone to death. He wants her to realize that the idea of burying her brother, while it maybe seems like a noble one, isn't worth dying for. His message is that Antigone to "be happy" (41). And Antigone basically questions what the point of "happiness" is. She acts Creon what his version of happiness is, she asks "what sins" she has to commit to be happy (41). She's basically saying that this thing, this happiness that Creon is talking about, it has no point. It doesn't accomplish anything. To be "happy" she'd have to commit some sin, she has to let someone rot or lie or sell herself. She's arguing that happiness has a price. And that she'd rather do what she believes is right, than be "happy". And he what he wants is for her to have life, but she says that she "chose death" (44). So this contrast of life and death connects to another contrast that's sort of like happiness vs. being true to yourself, or something along those lines. Because the way Antigone is putting it, you can't have both. You can't be true to yourself and your values and live "happily". I feel like she's saying that, as person, if you're going to choose to stand up for what you think is right, if you're going to choose to live by the values you've chosen, you're choosing to bring pain. When we decide that we're going to do what we believe is right, we're asking to be hurt. In her case, literally asking for death. But what's interesting is that Antigone challenges what is "life". She "spit[s] on [Creon's] idea of life" (42). Because she argues that what Creon is saying is that people should live life just to be "happy", and they can all be "happy", "so long as they "don't ask too much out of life" (42). Antigone isn't really against life, she doesn't want to die in a sense that she just doesn't like living. Antigone "want[s] everything out of life...and she wants it now" (42). But for Antigone, she believes that in order to truly have "life", it doesn't just be going along and breathing. That simply literally being alive isn't life. That how long you live doesn't matter, life hasn't "added" anything to Creon except "lines on [his] face" (42). But for her, by dying, she's living. Because she's doing something for herself, she's standing up for what she believes in, and to her that's what life means. So she wants Creon to put her to death because she's not going to change or succumb to him, she's going to be her stubborn self no matter what even if it brings her death. 

Another contrast that caught my attention was Hope v. Peace. Because, it seems like these go together and that they shouldn't contrast each other or be mutually exclusive. But when Antigone talks about her father, Oedipus, she says that it was until he had "stamped out" all hope that he was truly "at peace". (43). Not until he was sure that "nothing, nothing could save him" (43). I found this unique. Her view that in order to be at peace, one must be without hope. Although there is an interesting argument for it because if you have hope, if you're hoping for something, then it's like you're waiting. (Also interesting to note that waiting has been a huge image repeated over and over thus far). So if you're waiting for something, are you really peaceful? Because once you're waiting for something you're anxious. So if hope means waiting, and waiting means anxious...then you can't be at peace if you have hope. So she suggests that a person must choose either hope or peace. Hope v. Peace could also contribute to Truth v. Lies because since before Oedipus knew the truth, he could have hope that maybe it all wasn't true. But at the same time, with this hope, he didn't know if everything was true, so you have an element of anxiety. He wasn't really at peace. It wasn't until after he knew the truth, there was no hope, that he was at peace. 

Antigone Journal #2

Timeline:
I'm pretty sure that the first thing Antigone did was speak to Ismene, because she wanted Ismene to be there once they buried their brother. But when it became clear that Ismene wasn't going to help, Antigone decided she would bury him by herself. She knows that if she does this she's going to die. she has to figure out certain things first. So then the last night she stole Ismene's clothes and make up and went to Haemon. She wanted to be with Haemon because she's insecure about whether he really loves her "as a woman". Like, whether he thinks she's really beautiful and wants to be with her because she still doesn't really understand why he chose her and not Ismene. But Haemon is confused and he laughs that she's dressed up so different than usual and so of course, she gets her pride damaged and they end up fighting and she runs out. She probably decides none of it matters anyway so she goes out and buries her brother by herself. Sneaking back in the next morning, which is where the nurse finds her.

Cool Stuff:
There's more imagery around waiting. Antigone is breathless and "[they stand for a moment silent and motionless]". Plus there is a lot of places where there's supposed to be "a pause". And everyone is waiting for different things or to hear the truth and Antigone is waiting to die.
Also, I thought that the relationship between Antigone and The Nurse was interesting as well. Because there is kind of this odd dynamic where the Nurse is almost like a mother, scolding her and worrying and such. But then, Antigone calls the nurse "dear" and flips it around and almost belittles Nurse and talks to her like she's a child and then Nurse ends up crying. Which is sort of weird, because even though the Nurse is like a mother, she's technically a servant. And Antigone seems to love the Nurse, but also works to almost trick her.
At one point, when the nurse asks if Antigone went to meet a lover, Antigone says yes. (Later, the audience realizes this is semi-true because she did go meet Haemon at one point), but she makes it sound like it's a forbidden lover because that's what the Nurse assumes. Antigone just goes along with what the Nurse assumes because then you don't really ever have to do any work. It's very "teenager-ish", just saying "Okay, or "Yeah, that's it" to whatever your parents assume so that it stops their questioning.
And then later she goes on to say "You are very powerful, Nanny" almost building her up and then making her seem powerful again. Also, switching to "Nanny" which makes herself sound younger and innocent. It's very interesting how she flips around when she's talking to the Nurse in order to manipulate the situation.  

Antigone Journal #1

Setting the Scene:
The main setting for this beginning part of the play is that there at some type of home, presumably the castle, since Creon is the King, and the characters are his family. Also, it must be a home because when Antigone comes in she comes upon a "house asleep". So, it should be early morning, and everyone is still sleeping.
At the beginning, there are "steps", and the Guards are sitting there as well as Eurydice and Antigone and the Nurse. So I think it's not some type of huge staircase but rather maybe three or four large, wide steps which lead down into the home where the table is at. Because, when Antigone comes in she enters from outside, "through the arch". So the arch is essentially the doorway to inside. Next, she "moves downstage" and ends up at the table. So the table is inside. But, when she hears the nurse come in through the left archway, she runs towards "the exit".and "as she reaches the steps" the nurse comes through. Which means the steps have to come before the archway since that would be the exit. So, the scene should be set up with a triple arch (since there is left, right and center) and then a few wide stairs leading into a home, where there is a table. Since the table is where Creon was sitting and thinking, it is possible that it is some type of office.
Also, since the house is supposed to be quiet and everyone is asleep and Antigone is looking off into the distance and runs when she sees the nurse, obviously she is sneaking around trying to do something. So she is probably tiptoeing, and being cautious and it's very silent.
I think that Chorus is one person in this story even though in Greek theater it had been many. Because, as the Chorus goes through describing each person, the movements are very fluid and the Chorus "moves downstage" and turns and points, and uses terms like "I" and the spotlight shines on "Chorus's face". And although one could argue that it's multiple people who are speaking individually, I don't see any real support for that argument. Especially since the tone of the writing never changes between talking about different people and the Chorus never seems to be talking to itself, like there's no internal conversation. It's simply telling about the different characters, in the same exact way, using "I" and it says "He" to refer to the Chorus. So, I think the argument is better for the Chorus being one person in this case.

Lit Term Make Up

Example of Oxymoron:

“With miserable delight, I feel: saved.” (We, page 134). The oxymoron lies in the “miserable delight” since by definition, something delightful can’t be miserable. Zamyatin uses this oxymoron to develop internal conflict in D-503, and begin to show him questioning his own logic and reasoning.

Example of Parallel Structure:

“As I write this, I feel something: my cheeks are burning.

“As I write this: I feel my cheeks burn.” (We, page 4).  Parallel structure can be used to emphasize a certain idea. Zamyatin uses parallel structure in this instance to suggest a recurring theme of “burning”. Burning has connotations of negativity and destructiveness which become a motif throughout the book.

Example of Paradox:

“A wave of poison joy rose in my throat”. (Stranger, page 110) This is different from an oxymoron in that poison joy sounds like it contradicts itself since poison is bad and joy is positive and you shouldn’t have a “bad” kind of joy. But, it actually does make sense because your joy could be poisoned by something. Camus uses this to describe Mersault as he considers what it would be like to be free from prison and suggests that although he is joyful at the prospect, it is poisoned because he knows that the chances of it happening are slim.

Example of Repetition:

“if only I knew what was up above-up high? If only I knew: who I am, which one is me?” (We, page 57). This is an example of repetition in which the author repeats “If only I knew…” which seems like the author is trying to suggest that there are certain things that cannot be known.

Example of Juxtaposition:

“…as if familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent” (The Stranger, 97). Juxtaposition sets two different ideas side by side to contrast them or put emphasis on them. In this instance, Camus puts prison, which is dark and confined, with summer skies and innocent sleep, which is open and free in order to contrast Mersault’s old life with his new life.

Example of Ambiguity:  

“…about when he would be a big ruler of things with her reaping the benefits” (Their Eyes Were Watching God, page 28). This is an example of ambiguity because of the word “things”. Hurston does not specify what things Joe will be a ruler over. Therefore, the term is ambiguous. Hurtston uses the ambiguity of “things” to suggest that Joe will be ruling over something obvious like a store or town, but also a deeper meaning that he will be ruling over Janie as well.

We Journal #3

Corruption of Morals:

     The main goal of any government is power. The One State government wants power, and they want power that will last, without any dissent from the people. Obviously, the majority of people are citizens, and as history shows, if citizens are fired-up enough, they can overpower the government. To stop this from happening, One State instills ideas which corrupt the values we have in society today.
   First of all, there is a change in the way that people look. Everyone in the One State wears the exact same clothing. We would consider our individuality to be a value, but by taking away some individuality they begin to disintegrate jealousy among people. Such as when D discusses how some people have "button noses" while others have "classical". We still see hints of these forces, but by taking away the individuality they are lessening.
     The One State takes away any privacy, which is something many people in our society value. By constructing the society of glass, everyone is visible to everyone else, making personal privacy unimportant and suggesting that everyone should be able to judge everyone else. The government gains serious control over the people by having the ability to theoretically know exactly where they are and what they are doing.
            The government also knows exactly where they are by the table of hours which pretty much takes away all freedoms and creativity since they have to stick to the exact schedule. The government has complete control over the people and is able to stick them into a specific routine in order for them to be most productive for the government.
            Any values of love that exist today are gone in the One State. Since “any cipher has the right to any other cipher as sexual product”, it essentially allows anyone to be “registered” to anyone they want, and so again this helps take away jealousy. It takes all emotion out of relationships since you can just have whatever you want. And, your table of sex days are based on your “scientific needs” and so it takes away these emotional aspects and replaces them with cold, hard schedules. This takes away distractions that cause dissent from the government and inefficiency. Distractions such as jealousy and love and compassion.

We Journal #2

The passage I selected from the book to be significanat is on page 86-87 when D-503 discovers the secret underground tunnels of the MEPHI. Prior to this passage, D had been suspicios of I-330 when she dissapeared at the ancient house. This time, D went into the ancient house in search of I-330 but  could not find her, so he began searching. He ends up stumbling upon the closet that leads to the underground tunnels. He is stunned when he falls into their hideout. The excerpt begins with "A corridor." and ends with "Why, then, isn't it audible?". Quotations are cited using line numbers beginning with "A corridor..." as line 1.

Significance: Characterization. D-503 almost always has a reasonable answer, but when he stumbled upon the doctor he is at a loss, "But I-it was as though I had never known even one human word- I was mute...[I] didn't understand anything he was saying to me" (19-20). This shows a shattering of D's logical world, and a change in his character. By creating an enviornment where D has nothing to say, it suggests that he is learning maybe there is not an answer to everything. Towards the end of this passage, there's a key line in which, again, D questions his own logic. D finally finds I and he trembles at finally seeing her after such a long excursion but he can't stop thinking that "Vibrations produce sound. A tremble must make a sound. Why, then, isn't it audible?". This questioning his own reasoning suggests that D is realizing that things don't always have a physical reason. He's struggling with how two things that he knows are true can coexist if they contradict each other. This also symoblizes bigger ideas later on, such as his love for I-330 that he knows in his heart exists but he cannot understand why.

Significance: Setting. The passage begins with D in "a corridor" with "a thousand-pound silence", it's narrow and not made from glass but from "some ancient material" (1,5). The corridor changes the previous setting of the book since in most of the novel it's set in the glass city where everything is open and visible and clear. Now, he's in this skinny, opaque corridor that's completely opposite of what he is used to. By doing this, Zamyatin creates a more intense and ominous mood and the image of corridor, since it's narrow and encloses you unlike the open glass, could suggest pressure on D-503. Such as the pressure feels and the tight spot he's in between wanting to be a good citizen, but falling in love with I.

Significance: Motifs. When D knocks on the door, the "blade-nosed" doctor greets him. Blades and scissors and knives are a motif throughout the book. A blade often represents something strong, that can be destructive, but also just powerful. By using blades, Zamyatin suggests that there is destruction necesary in order for the movement to be powerful. This can be seen through the MEPHI because they are trying to have a revolution and do something powerufl, which cannot happen without destruction of the current society. The motif of blades in this passage makes it significance, because it is D's first glimpse into this coming destruction.