What am I supposed to be doing right now? Reading!
"Heart of Darkness"
By Joseph Conrad
It's assigned reading this week for my film and literature class. After I read it, then I have three discussion questions to answer:
1 - Discuss Marlow’s journey and the significance of the characters he meets: the manager, the accountant, the brick maker, Mister Kurtz. Discuss how the journey is both a psychological and geographic exploration into darkness and evil.
2 - Discuss the theme of obsession with relation to the characters in the novel.
3 - Describe your interpretation of Kurtz’ statement “The horror, the horror.”
My professor likes it when everyone starts posting replies to the discussion questions early in the week. I've already disappointed him (once again) because I haven't done it yet. But as of yesterday, only one person had posted responses so I think I still safe. After we finish discussion the book, we have to watch Apocalypse Now and discuss how it compares to the book. Should prove to be interesting.
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Today is H's 50th birthday. One of my technicians. He was rather grumpy last week and we all thought it was in response to the fact it's complaint season. Grumpy customers translate to grumpy technicians. Then I checked the calendar. AHA! That explains it. He always gets grumpy the week before his birthday and we always forget that fact; of course, until we check the calendar and are reminded. Selective memory, you know. I did something different this year and ordered a balloon bouquet for him. Totally took him by surprise and shocked him!
We have had an unusually high amount of weirdness and complaints and just general moodiness lately from prospective and current customers. One was such a royal pain in the rear, Father gave him a refund and then the guy still had the audacity to call him back and complain some more. It's amazing how people will complain about prices and estimates, argue with you over it and try to tell you how to run your own business. Just a side effect of running a service business. Even though we have been in business for 20 years and have outlasted most of the other repair businesses in town and our technicians have over 30 years experience, people still try to tell us we are wrong.
However, the weather has something to do with it. The first spring like day and all the depressives turn manic and come out of the woodwork. The spouse of one of our customer's works in the hospital and she confirmed people started going nutso just around the lunar eclipse. I experienced that when I worked in the DA's office years ago in the domestic violence division. Full moons and spring.
Spring officially begins March 20th. However the clocks spring forward and we lose an hour as of 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. When do you change your clocks (for those states that do daylights savings) Before you go to bed on Saturday night or after you rise on Sunday Morning?
Father likes to wait until he gets up on Sunday which is why I change all the clocks in the house before I go to bed. Is it a man thing? Or just my controlling personality versus his wish I was in Hawaii laid back relaxed style. Hmmmm!
Off to fix dinner, (excuse me, my southern is showing), errr make dinner and attempt to read Heart of Darkness.
TTFN
How are you doing with this book? I could never get very far into it.
ReplyDeleteHey Pattie,
ReplyDeleteI had to read the whole thing for my class since had to write an essay on it. The whole book was Marlow narrating what happened. It was a difficult read and just a weird story. I kept thinking to myself "why doesn't he turn around and go home." Also, me and everyone in my class had difficulties with the treatment of the natives. It wasn't an entertaining read.