NRJ #1 : Colonization

I actually love to read, I find ita very relaxing pastime. I am now changing my attitute towards it. First with Hamlet, and then this story, I am having a hard time with it.

Kurtz believes that the stations"should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a center for trade of course, but also humanising, improving, and instructing."

Marlows aunt helps get him his job, she is happy that he will help in " weening those ignorant millions from their horrid ways."
Marlow sees that colonization is not really working: the workers are all starving and working in terrible conditions. Everything that is going on is all in the name of profit, it is not to help the people.

The natives seem as though they worship Kurtz, which makes him look good since he is bringing in the most ivory. But, that is where the most savagery is going on with the heads of "rebels" on top of the poles.
The International Society for the Sippresion of Savage Customs also seems as though they are trying to "civilize" the people of the Congo.

DRJ # 4, Hamlet IV

This act seems like it is the calm before the storm. Claudius feels that Hamlets madness should have been dealt with, and he and Gertrude are to blame for Polonius getting murdered. Claudius wants to get Hamlet out of the country as soon as possible. Hamlet calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern "sponges". He feels that that they are benefiting from their friendship with him, by soaking up the Kings countenance, rewards, and authorities. But then tells them that they are nothing but nuts in the mouth of apes. They will soon be spit out and discarded.
Claudius wants everyone to think that by sending Hamlet away , they will have time to think the problem through. The King is growing very impatient with Hamlet's antics and riddles. The angrier the king gets, the more frustrating Hamlet's riddles become.

Hamlet comes across Fortinbra's army that is going to Poland. He asks questions about the war and certain death. He feels that if men can accept the risks that go along with battle, he can accept the risks that go along with revenge. Ophelia has gone mad, she has lost her father, and Hamlet. After leaving Hamlet writes a letter to Horatio describing his adventures at sea.

Do you think that Hamlet knew all about the pirates before he left?

DRJ # 3, Hamlet Act III

Act III was actually the the most interesting to me, and it seems as though it is getting a bit easier to understand.

Everyone is still trying to figure out Hamlets problem. The king is starting to realize that Hamlet is not truly mad, and has an intended purpose. Hamlet does not think anyone can hear him when he does his "To be or not to be" soliloquy. He is considering ending his struggle, but he realized death is not a way out. Ophelia appears and she is happy to see him, yet she returns the gifts that he gave her. He act as though he doesn't care and respons with " I never gave you aught".

Horatio is Hamlet one true friend right now and he confided in him his plan. He is suppose to watch the King for any signs of guilt. The play begins , Claudius immediately notices the parallels between the play and reality. Hamlet asks Gertrude what she thinks of it, and then reveales the name of the play "The Mouse-trap." Hamlet now feels certain that his plan has worked. Claudius now knows that Hamlet knows !


Rosencranz and Guildenstern are ordered to get ready to go to England. They are to deliver Hamlet there. Hamlet sees Claudius and he is on his knees. This is what Hamlet has been waiting for. Hamlet thinks that he is repenting his sins, and realizes that his father was killed without being given the opportunity to confess his sins. For that reason, the ghost of the king is "doomed for a certain time" to "fast in fires". So, they are not allowed in heaven, or at least not right away. Hamlet thinks the king is praying, and if he kills him then his soul will go to heaven, so he decides to wait on his revenge.



Hamlet is called to his mothers chambers, and is unaware that Polonius is hiding in there. Hamlet thinks it is Claudius and stabs him. Hamlet accuses his mother of being an adulteress and an accomplice to murder. They get in a big arguement, but he is also convined that she did not have anything to do with the King's murder. His father's ghost appears and reminds Hamlet not to harm his mother. Gertrude cannot see him speaking to Hamlet, but she is convined more than ever that her son is mad. Convined that the his mother will not tell the king what she knows, Hamlet drags the body out of the room.

Why do you suppose that Gertrude could not see the ghost talking to Hamlet?

DRJ #2 Hamlet, Act II

In this section of Hamlet it is all about deceit. Everyone is trying to get information from everyone else.

Polonius and Ophelia have a conversation about Hamlet. Ophelia feels that Hamlet has gone mad, and they both decide to go to the King and Queen to let them know what is happening. Together they come up with a plan to test their theory. " To find the cause of this effect, Or rather say the cause of this defect". Hamlet often walks the the lobby of the castle alone. They are going to hide, while Ophelia confronts Hamlet, seeing if his love for her is making him mad.

The King and Queen call on Rosencrantz and Guildenstren ( two friends of Hamlet) to get information out of Hamlet. At first Hamlet is happy to see them, but then tells them that he knows that the King and Queen have sent for them. They can stay, but that his "Uncle-Father and Aunt-Mother"are deceived by his madness.

The players arrive, and they are going to do a play, " The Murder of Gonzago". Hamlet is going to add a bit of his own to it. " A speech of some dozen or sixteen lines, which I would set down and insert in't, ."

If Hamlet just pretending to be mad, he is doing a great job. He declares he is only mad at certain times. " I am but mad north-north west when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
Hamlet is acting mad to try and get a confession from the murderer of his father. Do you think he has an idea of who that is?

Walker- Extra Credit

I now pronounce you husband and wife.


He realizes that her life will change, moving her to Chicago, away from her family and friends. Her children will be well taken care of, and he hopes one day he can truly be a great father to them. He looks foward to the day they have their own children. A new life awaits all of them, if she could just trust him. He realizes she has not had it easy, but he wants to change all that. He will be good to her. She needs to learn to love herself, so she will feel comfortable loving others.

SSRJ#3: The Cranes, by Peter Meinke

This is an extremely sad, yet very romantic story about two people in love. They are in a parked car along the shore looking at birds. She is fascinated with the big white birds that are flying by, and they start reminiscing about the past. It is easy to tell how much they still love each other after all the years that have passed, by the way they have a playful banter with each other.

The story is about an older couple who drives out to a marshy shoreline to kill themselves. They spot a few very big birds that she take an interest in.She wants to know what kind of birds they are. They lean forward in the car, and the shower curtain spread over the front seat crackled and hissed. (2) They talk and decide the birds make the little ones look like clowns. The man laughs about it, and the woman puts her hand on the mans arm and says,"I feel I'm responsible. Maybe this is the wrong thing."(6) He convinces her it is not, and that he is alright with it. She is coughing and he is complaining about all the things he cannot due any more.He picks up an object wrapped in a plaid towel and puts it between the two of them. She is concerned that her children's lives are not settled . He tells her that They will be fine, and anyway, they are not children anymore.(22)She closes her eyes, as though she is ready for what he is about to do. The two cranes suddenly spread their wing and fly away. I believe that is was the shot of a gun that rang out and scared them off.

Other animals mate for life, why not one of those, why cranes?

SSRJ #2: Three Girls, by Joyce Carol Oates

This is a story of two NYU girls who consider themselves poets. They go into a bookstores on a snowy evening. One is narrating the story to the other, as if they were remembering that special day. As they browsed through the store, one spots a women who they end up thinking is Marilyn Monroe. This women is dressed in what could be a disquise of mens clothes. Soon, they gave up looking at books and followed her around the store. She seem to be unnoticed in the crowds as she browsed and picked out books. Marilyn seems to panick when it is time to pay for the books, and the two girls step in and offer the pay for them for her. She lets them and waits outside. In the end she never speaks to them, but hands them a book of poetry as a thank you.

When I read the story for the first time, the last sentence surprised me a bit."That magical evening of Marilyn Monroe, when I kissed you for the first time."(19)But, when I went back and reread it, I caught on a bit better and understood it more. It was 1956 and two girls were in love with each other. "...we were admittedly American middle class, and Caucasian, and female.(Yet we were not "conventional " females. In fact, we shared male contempt for the merely "conventional " female.)." (3) They did not go along with the norm of the way things should be. They then spot Marilyn Monroe in the store and she is dressed as masculine as they are. Wearing men's clothing. They were expecting someone to show up and be with her, but she was all alone. "Like us (we began to see)this Marilyn Monroe required no man." (9) The girls were intrigued by her, and they all were hiding something. I feel that the girls were hiding their relationship , and Marilyn was hiding from the public and trying to be normal.

One question I was thinking about was , why Marilyn? Out of all the famous people Oates had to choose from, I wonder why she picked her?