Thursday, November 17, 2011

Reynold's Painting

http://www.friendsofart.net/en/art/sir-joshua-reynolds/mrs-richard-bennett-lloyd

Here is a close up that I found of what Mrs. Lloyd is writing in the painting, which is the beginning of Lloyd after closer inspection.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

McTeague: Fin


            After talking about the “Habit” article yesterday in class it really got my mind going on other instances of habit, or at the very least repetition in the story (which there is plenty in the style of Norris’ writing).  I saw the last chapters of the story to be a repetition of parts of the story.  Cribbens could be a repeat of the charlatan that taught him to be a dentist, whom but the mule seemed to be a parallel of Trina.  Only the mule not only has the money, but life giving water.  The mule also started out normal, and then ate some loco weed which made it go crazy, which is like Trina minus the loco weed.  There is contrast however.  The setting for example is the exact opposite of the bustling, populated Polk Street of San Francisco, instead being set in the lifeless, desolate area of Death Valley.  Another thing that sets these instances apart is the thing that they are after from the mule/Trina.  With Trina, it is a purely monetary gain in the form of the cash she won in the 1800’s Powerball.  In the case of the mule on the other hand, it is an actually, physically important canteen of water, which if they did not get it, death for the both of them would surely follow.  Their actions are the same with McTeague killing Trina, and Marcus conversely killing the mule.  The results are the same as well, with it spelling doom for the men, the final act being much more terminal.    
And just a side note, I found it to be very poetic the way the book ends with the two handcuffed together.  They seemed to be inseparable no matter what they do, and them being finally physically tied together at the end is perfect in my mind.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Just For Fun Post: Moby Dick

I was surfing the waves of the internet today and found this.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/10/11/matt-kish-moby-dick-illustrated/

Wish I had found this when we were reading the book but it is cool nonetheless.