California

On Thursday. we drove to Las Vegas. It was snowing and raining most of the drive. We stayed that night at South Point Hotel, which was pretty nice hotel. We went to the Town Square Mall and ate dinner at the Claim Jumper. We tried a dessert called the Chocolate Chip Calzone, which has white and bittersweet chocolate chips in it. The calzone was really good but too big to finish. After we left the mall, we drove around the strip and saw a few seconds of the Fremont Experience as we drove past.

On Friday, we drove to California. We ate lunch at the Barstow Station. We stayed at the Days Inn in Fountain Valley while we were in California.  We ate dinner at Mama D's in Newport. Afterwards we went to Downtown Disney, to shop, listen to performing musicians, and to watched the fireworks.


On Saturday, we ate lunch at the Crab Cooker in Newport and went and bought fruit at the O.C. Swap Meet. During the night we drove up to Long Beach and back.


On Sunday, we went to church, which was the Huntington Mid Singles Conference and there was over a 1,000 people there. We ate lunch at El Torito Grill at Fashion Island in Newport and we drove around Laguna Beach and got some ice cream at Husky's.

On Monday, we drove down to San Diego to go to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The park is half zoo and half tram ride around the wild animals. We saw elephants, gorillas, gibbons, rhinos, wildebeests, giraffes, deer, snakes, and lots of birds. We ate lunch at Farmer Boy Hamburgers in Escondido. Wee went to dinner at La Creperie in Belmont Shores in Long Beach. I had a chicken carbonara crepe and it was very good. Afterwards, we walked down the Huntington Beach Pier.


On Tuesday, we went and walked down the Newport Beach Pier. We went to the Disney Store in the South Coast Plaza and then drove to Knott's Berry Farm where we ate chicken and mashed potatoes for the lunch. After lunch, we drove back to Las Vegas. We stayed that night at the Riviera Hotel and ate dinner in their food court.

The Apostles of Nature

I had read and loved Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" novel, so I knew a little about him before reading his story and was familiar with his naturalistic style of writing. In his introduction to "Specimen Days and Collect," it talks about "Leaves of Grass" as being groundbreaking and influenced John Burroughs,. I learned he tried to capture the "varieties of human experience, sensations, and to show his alertness to the weather and the life of the sky and fields" in his writings. Like Walt Whitman's introduction, John Burroughs's introduction to "In Mammoth Cave" tells us he was friends with Walt Whitman and even wrote a book about him, even taking trips to "bird watch" and "flower viewing walks" together since they both loved nature. The introduction also compares him to John Muir, another writer we have read, saying both were the most "popular and successful American nature writers" of the time period, but each of them had "different approaches to nature," such as migration versus the observation of the same place over time. Like Clarence King, Burroughs thought Charles Darwin's theories were a "liberating vision" and used his theories in his own approach to nature. His basic philosophy of his nature research is "Knowledge is only half the task. The other half is love," which shows he had a passionate interest for nature outside of school books. Clarence King's introduction to "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada" compares King to Muir, Mark Twain, and Bret Harte. telling us he was "daring" climber like John Muir, who "fills narrative with 'local color'" of the locals. He views the Sierra as a "chance to assert the dominance of his sex, race, and cast and an escape from the restrictions of such identity." King was also friends with John Hay and Henry Adams.



Each of these stories reflect different parts of the world, such as mountains, or underground as well as our own backyards where people should take a minute and enjoy a new experience. I think all of the authors' messages are to take the time to take an interest in simplicity of life and observe what is going on around us. Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect" has him jotting down a few notes when he feels like nature is appearing in different but beautiful forms and questions why and how that particular event is happing, as if it was the first time he ever noticed a bumblebee or an apple. He studied their details, making them seem significant creations. John Burroughs's "In Mammoth Cave" reminded me of my own experiences, visiting Minnetonka Cave in Idaho. I went there with a church group when I was thirteen years old during a summer camping trip. Like Burroughs, our group also had to walk back to the entrance with no lamps on, only holding on to railings to move back up the stairs. Before we headed back, we just stood there, singing, as they played religious hymns on a battery operated stereo for us when we were in complete darkness. It was an incredible experience, which I really appreciated having even though I thought it was going to be boring at first. I could relate to Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," because I have been hiking or I have taken narrow mountain roads by car to see mountains and extinct volcanoes, to be able to see views from the top you can't see from the valley, such as a clouds, birds, sunrise, sunset, or the water surrounding the land. Mountain climbing is a peaceful feeling, which makes me appreciate earth more.







Each of these three authors have amazing descriptions of the events they are experiencing through their writing and were able to express their feelings and the details of what surrounded them through creative ways. In Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect," Whitman describes his visits to the Long Island shore, as a child, feeling he "must one day write a book expressing this mystic liquid theme" as an inspirational experience. He then advises young writers to not take up writing about the ocean unless they can capture its beauty and power perfectly through their words, calling it a "job too big." I feel like every animal, mineral, or vegetable needs to be represented accurately as well. John Burrough's "In Mammoth Cave" seems to marvel at how the creation of the cave came to be, saying "Every feature of the cave attests the greater volume and activity of the forces which carved it, in the earlier geologic ages," concluding how all the scientific factors came together to create a beautiful moment in time and it was a miracle. I like his description of the cave's clock, "caused by a single large drop of water falling every second into a little pool," which is a pretty melodic pattern of time and space for a dark cave. He says the silence of the cave, "makes him feel as if he were face to face with primordial nothingness," which could probably be the most peaceful feeling or the most scariest experience someone could have. In Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," King tells us he sees a "tranquility, abundance, the slow, beautiful unfolding of plant life, dark shadowed spots to rest our tired eyes upon," when looking down at the valley from his hiking destination. In that one passage, he describes every thought and feeling he is having.



Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect" is several journal entries where he is observing nature from a specific place, such as the White House, a garden near a creek, riding in a wagon to get Cedar Apples, or sitting under his own oak tree. He observes plants, animals, and the sun, humanizing them as the violets having "blue eyes," the concert of birds, and the sun's "journey." In John Burroughs's "In Mammoth Cave," he recaps his experiences visiting Mammoth Cave. He tells us of the blind people who can "feel" the beauty of the cave, just by hearing their echoes, and using their other senses, when they have no light. He talks of one woman who was frightened and passed out after seeing "Giant's Coffin," because women are "timid, highly imaginative people." He tells us the "prettiest thing they have to show you is the Star Chamber," where it feels like he is outside looking at a starry sky. Burroughs tells us his favorite part of the cave is the entrance, because it is the link to the underground and the above ground world, which he lives in. He says, "I never grew tired of sitting or standing here by this entrance and gazing into it." Burroughs mentions the cold air, that passes through the cave when two people "came in contact," showing us the effect our species has on nature. In Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," He tells us he has gained patience while climbing the Sierras multiple times, because "they have a structure and a physical character which are individual and unique." He tells us how he believes the mountains were formed and what changes occurred during the Paleozoic, Azoic, Jurassic, and Tertiary periods. He also talks about how he can see a new viewpoint, when he climbs to the top and turns around in each direction.

The Speckled Band

I watched the film "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes." Professor Moriarty, who Holmes says, is behind most of the crime in London, comes to see Holmes, when he hears he is retiring and wishes Holmes a "pleasant and permanent retirement" in the country. An American man with a false passport meets with Moriarty, looking for an American who is wanted by their secret society. Holmes receives a letter from Fred Porlock, who he says is a man of "many aliases," and one of Moriarty's "creatures," whose letter has numbers and the word "Birlstone" on it. Holmes believes it is a note referencing the Brownstone Castle and an Inspector comes by to tell Holmes, Mr. Douglas has been murdered at that castle. Holmes, Watson, and two inspectors find no signs of a struggle, a chair in a weird position, a sawed off shotgun (made in Pennsylvania), Douglas's wedding ring missing, and card with "V.V. 341" pinned to the body. They are told the drawbridge is drawn every evening, but the "locked" door to the tower, which is accessible at night, is unlocked. There were bloody footmarks at the window and muddy boot prints behind the curtains. There is mark, a triangle inside a circle, of the forearm of the body, branded by iron, the mark of the Scowrers. Mr. Barker, an old friend of the Douglases, discovered the body and rang the bell for the butler and Barker claims the window as the only way out. A new candle was lit in the room, after Douglas's old one burned out. Holmes calls the most important clue as the fact that Douglas "exercised every morning," and one of his dumbbells is missing. Mrs. Barker tells them of her time in "The Valley of Fear," where she met a man named John Murdock, an English man who was looking for boarding. Murdock is harassed by Ted, the boss of the Scowrers and Murdock joins the society. The Scowrers put a hit on a newspaper man, and Murdock is charged for the murder but found non-guilty. Mrs. Douglas begs her husband to run away with her, after he is found out as an informant to the police. Watson stumbles upon Mrs. Douglas and Mr. Barker laughing in the garden, while Holmes finds the dumbbell in a bag. Holmes concludes that Mr. Douglas is still alive and the murdered victim was the intruder, the Scowrer who met with Moriarty. Moriarty is arrested for "the attempted murder of Mr. Douglas."



"The Speckled Band" is a murder mystery. Helen Stoner Armitage hires Holmes to investigate the death of her sister Julia, from two years before, after she hears whistling in her sister's old room. Helen then tells Holmes about her eccentric stepfather, Dr. Roylott, who has friends who are "wandering gypsies." After his wife died, Dr. Roylott closes his practice in London, and retreats to Stoke Moran with his two stepdaughters. Dr. Roylott keeps a Cheetah and a Baboon as pets, as well as having a love for Indian animals, which is why Helen and Julia locked their doors at night. On the night, Julia dies, she asked Helen of had heard the whistling in the "dead of the night." Helen find Julia, "convulsing," and Julia says, "It was the band! The Speckled Band!" before she died. Julia was figured to have died from "pure fear and nervous shock." After Helen leaves, Dr. Roylott calls upon Holmes, after following Helen. While investigating their house, Holmes asked Helen if her stepfather had a cat, because there was a saucer of milk on top of the safe in Roylott's room. They discover Julia's bed was clamped to the floor and a ventilator was put in as the same time as the bell rope, which is a dummy. They set up a stakeout, waiting to catch the killer, suspecting Dr. Roylott, because he has been abusive to Helen. When they enter Dr. Roylott's room, they find he has been bitten and killed by his other pet, a deadly Indian snake, called a swamp adder, which has a skin with a spackled band. I think with every story we have read, we get a better understanding of Holmes's characteristics. When investigating the case, we are told, Holmes "refused to examine the third chamber," trying not to waste his time or our time as readers. Watson tells us Holmes works, "rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic," letting in on his basic work philosophy and how he approaches each case.



I thought the video's quality was pretty bad and I had problems with the WSU video on demand playing the last ten minutes to the end, with static and freezes in the speech of the characters. I had to switch to the one on Hulu, which I could barely hear and the screen, which was played, was smaller. These technical difficulties hindered my view of the film. I wish they could have preserved the quality of the original film better, without static. The story itself was pretty interesting and the acting was good, so I would give it 3 out 4 stars. I hadn't read "The Valley of Fear," so it was a new story for me, but I definitely want to read the story now to compare the story to the movie. The actor who plays Holmes, seems more of a serious character in the movie version, like he did in "The Musgrave Ritual" and Professor Moriarty was a welcomed presence as the villain. I felt like the flashback to the Douglas's time in the valley with the Scowrers was a bit long at twenty five minutes and was boring, feeling it could have been just told by Mrs. Douglas to Holmes and Watson, instead of showing it to us, to be more entertaining. I thought the film's lighting was a bit dark, especially in Douglas's room and the curtain and door area, and it was hard to see what was going on within those scenes, but that could have been due to the lack of quality of the filming. I liked how they incorporated Holmes saying, "Elementary, My dear Watson," which is a trademark saying someone would expect Holmes saying. I thought Holmes's treatment of official investigators was right on par, especially with Inspector Lestrade saying, "On the way I'll tell you all I know" and Holmes replying, "We're not going very far then, are we?" This dialogue shows Holmes's snarky humor.





The film, "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes," is based on the story, "The Valley of Fear" instead of "The Speckled Band," the story in the book. The plot is different, but with similar outcomes and evidences. Both stories have Holmes investigating a mysterious death in unusual circumstances, though the film had human culprit, while the novel had a snake who was the villain. In both stories, has Holmes going to a particular room for his investigation, where the murders took place, so he can look for clues. In each room, Holmes finds clues to solve the mystery, such as furniture and bell ropes, which call to down to the help of the houses. Lighting materials are an important factor of both of the stories. In the film, new candles are used as evidence, while Helen tells Holmes, she found Julia holding a burn match and a match book in her hands when she died, trying to see her attacker. Both stories were fast paced, except for the part in the film with the flashback. The film shows us Mrs. Douglas's flashback, while she is telling Holmes how she met her husband, which shows events leading to the mystery, while the book has Helen recapping most of the events leading up to Julia's death to Holmes in his apartment. In both the film and book, Holmes suspects someone entirely different as the culprit. Instead of Mr. Douglas in the film or the snake in the novel, he suspects Mrs. Douglas and Mr. Barker in the film, as well as Dr. Roylott in novel. Both of the victims have marks on their bodies, such as the mark of the Scowrers or a snake's bite. I think both of the stories have the theme, of "Expect the Unexpected," as nothing in either the film or the novel are what they appear.

The Western Movement

"Letter No. 31" by George Catlin is one of his letters about the Native Americans, this one being about his observations about buffalo. He compares the buffaloes and the Native American as sharing the land, headed for extinction, and calls both species, "beasts." Catlin fears the day when the buffalo will "live only in books or on canvass." He says their "melancholy" species extinction will leave "fields, a vast and idle waste." Their biggest enemies are man and the white wolf, with the men using them for their "sustenance." Catlin seems to be both sad and accepting of the buffalo's fate, seeing that the other species such as the wolf and man need them in order to survive. Catlin also feels the Native Americans are "wasting life" by killing and hunting the buffaloes. In John Wesley Powell's "Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries," he describes a river rafting trip down the Colorado River and describes a series of events leading him and his crew to a peaceful stream as their final destination. He calls the unknown journey, "great," and say the crew all approach the adventure with "eagerness, anxiety, and misgiving." He is an awe of the "distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore," making it seem like he believes this will be the greatest adventure he has had so far. He feels the river makes him lose control of what is happening to them, as they have a lost of vision, "scarcely able to determine" what their next move is. He describes the good and the bad of the river, as well as the weather conditions, their camping during the night, and how all of these particular elements affect him and his crew. He definitely makes it seem like all of these unknowns and enjoyments were worth the journey in the end.



I hadn't read anything by George Catlin or John Wesley Powell before this assignment, so I didn't know what to expect. I found their writing to be more captivating than the previous assignment, because their writing was more fast paced and more exciting, because they put themselves in the story as either the narrator or one of the participants. Before reading Catlin's "Letter No. 31" essay, I didn't know that buffalo were "timid" towards man, until they feel they are being attacked, and then the animals strike back viciously, to defend themselves. Their survival antics make sense, because the buffalo probably feel threatened by the advances of the hunters, such as man or the white wolf, on a daily basis. If I were a buffalo and saw other members of my species being slaughtered, I would hide too and defend myself to the fullest in order to survive. I went river rafting in Moab several years ago, so I could relate to Powell's panic and excitement he felt due to the conditions in his "Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries" essay. River rafting was probably the most scary and most exhilarating experiences I have ever had. I haven't had the opportunity to go river rafting again, but it will remain one of the best experiences I have had with nature. I first went in a raft that I had to paddle, sitting on the side, feeling like I was going to fall out of the raft and drown at any moment. During the next part of the trip, I was in a raft where only the guide had to paddle, while we just gently floated, with nothing to do but gathering twigs out of the river. The second part wasn't nearly as exciting at the first raft.



George Catlin calls himself, not a "visionary," yet describes in one instance, that he was "lifted up upon an imaginary pair of wings, which easily raised and held be floating in the open air." For someone who claims not be visual, he sure does know how to accurately describe a metaphor for a scene. I found it interesting in Catlin's essay, how he documents the buffalo dipping themselves in both mud and water to become a "mortar, which changes [their] color." He uses a ton of great descriptions which makes us readers feel like we are there with him in the moment he is observing them do the mud ritual. Catlin also says the buffalo "are rapidly wasting away at the approach of civilized man- and like him and his character, in a very few years, to live only in books or on canvass," making me wonder if his intentions of painting the buffalo are way for him to personally try and preserve the species from extinction by making people more aware of this important species. In John Wesley Powell's "Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries," I love how he describes the river as dashing "its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above; the waves are but puny ripples, and we bug pigmies, running up and down the sand or lost among the borders." Powell makes it seem like people seem small in comparison to the mighty river, being powerless when it comes to nature's grip and it also show how dangerous river rafting can be. He shows the loss of control he feels from guiding the boats as "we can neither land nor run as we please. The boats are entirely unmanageable; no order in their running can be preserved; now one, now another, is ahead, each crew laboring for its own preservation." Powell's passage is a perfect way to summarize the fight for survival, one might feel, when every element of the world is pushing people in a different direction.



I thought it was interesting that George Catlin's introduction to "Letter No. 31" essay tells us he spent years, "painting [Native American] portraits and depiction scenes of tribal life," which is evident in his writing as detached observation, without writing about his own interactions with the buffalo and the Native Americans. He sees the people and the buffalo in action yet he doesn't call himself a "visionary." Like Catlin, I am also an artist, who paints and draws, mostly by observation. I know in order to be a painter, you have to notice colors, forms, space, balance, light, and proportions, in order to get a full sense of what is going on in the scene you're observing. He must be a visual person in some way, to be able to capture every detail of his scenes in his essay. I also think these elements of art help him with his stunning description within the letter. John Wesley Powell's introduction to his "Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries" essay, tells us he is a "characters as well as an author," making it seem like he made a great impact on Natural literature by including himself as the narrator of this adventure story. I was surprised to learn he was a "one-armed Civil War hero," which I would think would make paddling a raft on a river rafting trip a bit harder for him. I'm always interested in stories with underdogs rising above his or her physical or mental limits with challenges to overcome them. Powell's introduction shows us his experience through listing his credentials, such as being the "director of the U.S. Geological Survey" and "America's director of the Bureau of Ethnology," which show he knows what he is talking about as an explorer and a conservationist.

The Musgrave Ritual

I watched "The Musgrave Ritual." The portrayer of Holmes, always covering himself with a blanket and the way he spoke made him seem eccentric like his book counterpart. I liked in the beginning of the film, how Dr. Watson came into the bedroom, while Holmes is using the bathroom, and sees a syringe lying on the table, as a reference to Holmes's frequent drug use. The portrayers of Brunton and Rachel made the characters seem more devious and dark, with their messy hair and facial expressions. Rachel's reaction to Brunton's disappearance was played greatly and really jumped off the page in the film. I thought the creepy music and the candle lit halls near the cellar, whenever Brunton or Rachel had a scene, was great choice because it added a suspenseful tone and soundtrack to the story and matched their characters. The exterior of the house seemed to be too bright for the mystery surrounding it, it could have been downplayed with a lot of black or grays on its facade instead of brown and white. It also should have had more fog surrounding it. I liked how the film included Watson, making the case take place in present day, instead of just Holmes narrating the case to him. This gave the film a more sense of action, which made it more exciting. The series of events leading the three to the treasure seemed out of order, such as finding the bag before finding Brunton's body. The film seemed to have a faster pace than the book, which just being one hour, which made it simple but a good adaptation of the book, because they kept the plot line similar. I'm glad they didn't try to add any new character or more unnecessary plot points to drag it out to two hours.



The film, "The Musgrave Ritual," begins with Watson and Holmes going by horse and carriage to stay with Holmes's friend Musgrave, while trying to figure out a case of disappearance from Musgrave's butler, Brunton. Brunton has betrayed the maid and his fiancée, Rachel, with another woman named Janet. We are shown Rachel's reaction, to being told Brunton had disappeared, as laughing and then crying. Rachel also disappears and they drag a bag of metal from the lake where Rachel's footprints disappear. At first they think the bag is full of metal which has no value. We are shown a scene of Musgrave catching Brunton reading, which is a riddle for a treasure called "The Musgrave Ritual." Holmes has Watson and Musgrave read the riddle aloud to him, as he studies the ritual. Musgrave tells Holmes he chopped the tree down to a stump, after it was struck by lightning and we are shown Brunton asking Musgrave what the original height of the old elm tree was. Knowing the original height of the three, they follow the clues by measurements using sticks which leads them to some flagstones, after they take a boat around the moat of the house. The stones have been moved and Holmes questions his measurements until he remembers the "under" part of the ritual. Musgrave and Holmes find Brunton in the cellar, dead from suffocation, with his hands looking like they are reaching for a rope. We are shown Brunton waking Rachel up in the middle of the night to find the treasure, Rachel shutting the trap door on the cellar on Brunton and his screaming, and Rachel running into the lake and falling in after being frightened. Holmes rubs the metal on his sleeve to expose their "glow." They are the coins and crown of King Charles I.



The film and the book versions of "The Musgrave Ritual" were very similar, but a little bit different in the event timeline of the story. The film includes Dr. Watson in the case in the film, having Watson and Sherlock Holmes stay with Musgrave, making the story take place in the present. The book had Holmes telling Watson of a past case, showing Holmes's investigation through flashbacks. In the film, they show the butler, Brunton, playing the flute in a random shot, which I don't think was mentioned in the book. I didn't really see a purpose for this scene. In the beginning of the film, Dr. Watson comes into the bedroom, while Holmes is using the bathroom, and sees a syringe lying on the table, as a reference to Holmes's frequent drug use from the books. They talk about the papers as they ride in a carriage to Musgrave's manor, instead of at home in their flat like the book. In the film, Holmes is not as messy with his papers as Watson implies in the book. Out of the characters that are portrayed in the film, I thought the woman playing Rachel was the most accurate portrayal of her character from the book. She captured the frazzled image, her insanity, and the hilarious laughter to crying reaction to Brunton's disappearance, rather well. The film showed more flashbacks of Brunton and Rachel's plan and how each character disappeared, as well Musgrave talking to Brunton about the riddle, which the book only alluded to. In the film, they find the bag from the lake first, before knowing where the cellar is. The bag's revelation of the jewels isn't as grand in the film as it is in the book. I also thought the creepy music and the candles worked well with the tone of the story.



I have a book where there is no author's introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "The Musgrave Ritual" begins with Sherlock Holmes telling Dr. Watson about the case after Watson reads the name of one of the papers in Holmes's piles. When Holmes first moved to London, he lived in Montague Street, where a man named Musgrave asks him for his help. Holmes knew Musgrave because they went to the same college. After four years of separation, Musgrave asks Holmes for help in discovering where his butler and the maid have disappeared to. Musgrave describes his butler, Brunton, as a man of "great energy and character," but also a bit like "Don Juan," who betrayed the maid and fiancée, Rachel, with another woman named Janet. Musgrave tells Holmes, of Rachel's reaction, to being told Brunton had disappeared, as being a "shriek of laughter," and then has a "hysterical attack." Musgrave tells Holmes of a piece of paper he caught Brunton reading, which is a riddle for a treasure called "The Musgrave Ritual." Holmes studies the ritual and Musgrave tells Holmes, Brunton inquired about the old elm tree mentioned in the riddle. He tells Holmes he chopped the tree down to a stump, after it was struck by lightning. Knowing the original height of the three, they follow the clues by measurements to some flagstones, which have not been moved and he questions his measurements until he remembers the "under" part of the ritual. Musgrave and Holmes find Brunton in the cellar, dead from suffocation. They determine Rachel is the culprit for the incident, as she must have helped Brunton try to find the treasure. They drag a bag of metal from the lake where Rachel's footprints disappear. Holmes rubs the metal on his sleeve to expose their "glow." They are the coins and crown of King Charles I.

A Study in Scarlet

I watched the movie, Brigham Young. It starts out with the saints in Missouri having a dance, being attacked by the mob. The Mormons are left, tied to trees, and their meeting house is destroyed. Joseph Smith, the prophet, is arrested and put on trial where he heads to Carthage Jail, where he is murdered. Brigham Young, a convert to the church, stands up for him in court, denouncing their attackers as people who will go down in history as the wrong side of the law, not the Mormons. Brigham Young becomes the new prophet and leader of the church. An army man advises Young to leave Illinois, because "the law can't help them" and Brigham says, "The law? What law? The law that let's a pack of scoundrels come in here and hunt us down like wild animals, burn our homes, ruin our crops, arrest our leader on trumped-up charges and then look the other way when a mob breaks in and murders him? If they call that law, let 'em keep it. We don't want any more of it!" This statement shows Young's clear frustration with how the people are being treated. Brigham Young leads the saints westward to Mexico, via wagons, in pursuit of religious freedom. Several members quit in response to having to travel so far to the unknown. The members who stay with Young, encounter harsh weather, death, sickness, and Indians on the way. Young says, "Indians can't be any worse than some Christians I know. But just the same, until we find a little more about them, we mean to trust in you, Lord, and keep our powder dry.." The movie also focuses on Jonathan Kent, a member, and Zina Webb, a non-member who joins them on their trek, who fall in love on the way to Utah.



A Study in Scarlet describes the first meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and their first case together. Dr. Watson has been in Candahar, during the second Afghan War, as an assistant surgeon in the army. While he is recovering from his war wound during the Battle of Mainwand, Watson gets Enteric fever and is forced to leave the war to return to England. Watson is introduced to Sherlock Holmes through Young Stamford, because both Watson and Holmes are looking for lodging in London. Holmes is studying Anatomy and Chemistry when they meet and trying to come up with a new test to match blood stains. Watson becomes more and more intrigued with Holmes's personality and eccentricities. There's been a murder and so Watson and Holmes investigate their first case together. At the scene there is a gold wedding ring, Drebber's body has no wound, and there someone else's blood on the wall, spelling the word "Rache." Sherlock Holmes deducts the murder weapon is poison and the murderer is a six foot tall man based on foot prints, length of strides, and the height of the writing on the wall. Drebber's assistant, Stangerson's body is also found at a local hotel. After they find the suspect is the cab driver, Jefferson Hope, Hope tells them about his life in Utah and how the woman he loved and her father were mistreated by the Mormons. After Hope leaves to work in the Sierra mountains, his love, Lucy Ferrier, a non-member is forced to marry Drebber under Brigham Young's leadership and her father John is murdered. Lucy dies a month after her marriage of a broken heart. Hope tracks Drebber and Stangerson to London and murders them with poisoned pills, leaving Drebber Lucy's wedding ring Hope took off her finger before she was buried. The blood he used for the writing on the wall comes from his nose, as he has aorta aneurysms, which Hope dies from in his jail cell. During the case Holmes is very simple, saying very few words like, "The plot thickens," while knowing much more than he lets on. It shows his clever personality.



In the movie "Brigham Young- Frontiersman," I thought the plot of the Mormon's persecution and eviction from Missouri and Illinois was historically accurate, but the actors such as Vincent Price and Dean Jagger didn't really represent the true historical figures' personalities. Usually films made in Hollywood have Anti-Mormon messages most of the time, because they think they are just evil polygamists. I liked how this film was pro-Mormon for a change, showing the history of what they truly went through. The film seems like a typical western film made in the 1940's era, melodramatic with music with over the top actors, trying to make light of a serious subject, and unrealistic scenery and representation. The film seemed to have a slow pace, where as the book was more intense. The film cut a lot out of Mormon history, such as polygamy, which played an important role in the book. The mob scenes in Illinois didn't seem as intense as they could have been and seemed melodramatic rather than frightening. I guess it was standards and practices who forced the director to not show the violence of certain parts of the story due to the morals as the time. I liked how the soundtrack used hymns, such as "Come Come Ye Saints" that are familiarly associated with the Mormons, on the journey to remind us how important it was for them to settle in Utah. I liked how they provided a historical background on Joseph Smith and showed what happened to the saints after the states' people were harassing them. I liked how they showed the struggle between Young and certain members after Smith's death, as to who would lead the church and the departing members. I think the children reading in the wagons, was an never before seen element of the journey, but could have been totally possible.



The film, "Brigham Young," showed a different viewpoint from "A Study in Scarlet," so it was a good counterbalance for the novel. The book showed the Mormons in Utah in a negative light, while the movie showed their journey to Utah in a positive light. The book says that every non-member of the church "vanished away" if they "held out" on becoming a member. Brigham Young is a evil tyrannical leader in the book who forces young girls to marry people they don't want to marry, while he is a kind and compassionate leader who encourages non-members to join them on their journey in order to pursue freedom in the movie. The book showed more of an outsider's view point of Mormons being persecutors of new people arriving in Utah after they were persecuted themselves in the East, showing us they have turned evil after hard times. The movie showed an outsider's view point of Mormons as human beings and welcoming, who had to endure a lot of pain, and rose above it, becoming better for it. The movie is more historically accurate with plot details than the book, although the tone of the movie isn't as serious as the book. The book focuses on Mormons being polygamists while the movie hardly references it, which is probably all they were known for in England at the time. I wasn't familiar with the Joseph Smith code they referred to in the book, that said "Let every maiden of the true faith marry one of the elect; for if she wed a Gentile, she commits a grievous sin," so I don't know if it is a true code or just made up for the novel. It seems like Doyle was writing about a subject based on the rumors he had heard, not knowing whether it was true or not.

The Transcendalists

I wasn't too familiar with transcendentalism before reading these three stories by Emerson and Thoreau, but I did take a Natural/Realism literature class a couple of years ago. One of my favorite books I have read in my literature class was "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman, because I could identify with what Whitman wrote about being a naturalist before anything else. I had to look transcendentalism up on the internet to figure out what transcendentalism truly meant and get more background on the subject. The basic definition, I gathered, was that transcendentalism is the belief spirituality of an individual is bigger than a society or culture. It also doesn't depend on one single religion, and can be shared or separate spirituality of an individual. I believe it is an interesting theory and approach to figuring out our own spirituality while relying on the nature that surrounds us instead of relying on others. I am a nature lover, so I believe in the power nature has on people and myself in particular. Especially when I am up camping in the mountains, it's really appealing to get fresh air, smell the pine trees, and live simply for a few days, getting out of the crazy everyday life, appreciating the stars and peacefulness of it all. I consider it a spiritual experience like Thoreau and Whitman, appreciating nature for its freedom and open space. I feel like both Emerson and Thoreau set up distinct laws of transcendentalism through their philosophies in their writing. They both defined what nature means to them and how nature has changed their lives for the better as writers and explorers. They also describe the elements of nature perfectly, appreciating its deeper meanings and beauty, outside of just the social nature of society. I have to say I agree with their theories completely.



Emerson writes in "Nature," that "the stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible." I have a huge appreciation for stars. I hate when the sky is overcast or cloudy at night and I can't see them from my window or my backyard. The stars make us believe that there is a purpose for this world if there are things bigger than us humans. Thoreau in his "Walking" essay, asks "what is it that makes it so hard sometimes to determine whither we will walk? I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if unconsciously yield to it, will direct us alright." We as busy humans worry about the future and try to plan out every step we take and what are the right decisions, instead of just going with the flow to find something unexpected. I believe Thoreau is saying, just walk and see where the path takes you. Thoreau defines a "man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society," which says to me, men are all the same, we're no better than anyone else. Thoreau seems to be a believer in God as well as Nature, calling it "the Holy Land, till one day the sun shall shine more brightly than ever he has done, shall perchance shine into our minds and hearts, and light up our whole lives with a great awakening light, as warm and serene and golden as on a bankside in autumn" I loved the description he uses in this passage, describing the beauty of the nature and all that surrounds it. He defines Nature as being "savage, awful, though beautiful." He implies that we have to look at nature as a powerful being, being prepared for harshness of winter to the brightness of sunshine, and love all the parts that make up what it truly is.



Emerson's "Nature" clearly is questioning God's involvement with creating nature and how man neglects nature. In the first sentence, Emerson declares man "needs to retire" from society, in order to truly appreciate nature. He believes people never see the sun or stars fully, not appreciating the awesomeness of space and an outside world beside our own. Emerson believes in the woods, we find our "perpetual youth" and we return to "reason and faith." He also believes we have our own personal nature, which brings us happiness, just like the nature surrounding us. Thoreau's "Walking" essay is about getting back in touch with nature by "retracing our steps," like Columbus, Moses, Homer, and Chaucer. Thoreau believes living in the past is better because we "can't afford to live in the present." He declares we cannot buy the happiness nature brings as it is "the grace of God." He believes being a "walker" is heaven's calling. He implies that humans are lazy sitting instead of walking, staying indoors, and if he, as a restless wanderer, had to sit all time he would commit "suicide." He doesn't believe walking is just for "exercise." Thoreau believes that the harder you work to develop a relationship with nature, will develop "self-respect and heroism." Thoreau also talks about heading West into the unspoiled "wild" land of the "future," where he can be free from the intellectualism and society of the East. He talks about the "good" wildness being freedom, and calls "tameness" dull. Thoreau talks about not having our names define us as individuals, but using our nicknames we "earn" over time as our "true names." He calls knowledge, "ugly ignorance," and "sympathy with intelligence" is better than having knowledge. Thoreau's "The Maine Woods" is his own account of climbing Ktaadn, an altitude of 5300 feet, and walking through forests, feeling the ground with his steps. He believes the gods would be offended if people try to climb mountains, to "pry into their secrets," because the mountains should be kept as sacred places for the worthy to climb. He defines Nature as being "savage, awful, though beautiful." He asks himself, "Who are we? Where are we?," in response to seeing nature's magnitude.



I enjoyed Emerson's introduction to "Nature" the most, because I thought he directly set up the situation and what he believes in that first paragraph, In "Nature," he talks about debunking man's "original relation" with Nature, saying anyone can experience nature fully with any new change, if they are willing to seek it out, outside of their busy social calendar. Emerson insists we should question Nature to the fullest and figure out what it means to us as individuals, instead of a society, as a whole. Nature has to a personal and sacred experience. He also believes Nature and art consists of both our bodies and our souls, while making up our philosophies. Nature is "unchanged" while art is "mixture of [man's] will." We make art from nature, as well as out of it. Nature should be viewed as an art and an emotional experience. The stories by Thoreau didn't have a grand an introduction as Emerson, but I don't think omitting them took anything away from those stories, since they were pretty much in sync with what Emerson believed. Thoreau's introduction to his "Walking" essay defines nature as "freedom and wildness" and man is "an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society." Nature allow us to be free, while society tries to own us. Thoreau's introduction to "The Maine Woods" starts in the middle of a scene, so it didn't feel like there was much of an introduction. He just wanted to throw us immediately into the nature that surrounds him, without preparing us first for what that might entail. I think Thoreau's approach to "The Maine Woods" is the most intriguing, because it is not just a guide but letting us come to our own conclusions about his adventure. It doesn't tell us what we should take away from it.

World Literature

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes
Voss by Patrick White

Finals, Graduation, and Easter

We discovered the birds have been building nests in our backyard grill and spotlight. Dad burned them when he got home.

Interpreting the Music, Part II

I painted this while listening to Head over Heels by Tears for Fears:

Salim and His Women

In A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, there are only four female characters, who Salim interacts with throughout his story. He considers these relationships outside of his own family as "special and limited" (170). We are told very little of the other women in his life, such as his mother and sisters, making it seem they didn't really matter in his upbringing and views on women. Salim views Zabeth, Yvette, Shoba, and Kareisha in different ways and they surprise him as they change his mind and his expectations of them.

Salim "treats" Zabeth as a "good customer," until Metty tells him she is a sorceress, and then he finds her charming (10). She doesn't threaten him with her feminine ways, only sticking to their business deals. He views their relationship as simple and uncomplicated, knowing it is "useless" for him to try to entice Zabeth with his new stock (6). When she sends her son Ferdinand to be mentored by him, so that he will have a decent future, it irritates Salim by complicating his life (36). He feels this makes their friendship more than just hassle free.

Shoba brings both friendship and sorrow to Salim. After Shoba comforts him after his breakup with Yvette, he says, "I was amazed by her sympathy and wisdom," seeing a change in her "menace" (226). Before the incident with the peroxide, Salim thought of Shoba as "beautiful" (39). When Shoba reveals her "disfigurement" to Salim, Salim sees as someone who "had begun to rot," determined not to end up like her, as he considers Shoba a cautionary tale of vanity (228).

When Salim meets Yvette, he is strongly affected by her physical features (127). When she seduces him, he tries not "lose" himself in his "new" romantic experiences with her, determined to "win" her over (175). He views Yvette as someone he can play emotional and physical games with, a new adventure (183). Yvette tells Raymond, "Women are stupid. But if women weren't stupid the world wouldn't go round," making it seem like she is more clever than she lets on, which seems like this is the turning point in their relationship (186). To Salim, Yvette was an unattainable and emotional unavailable to Salim and he enjoyed the chase, but now that she has revealed herself to him, he starts to drift away from her.

Salim sees Yvette as a possession. During their breakup, Salim feels Yvette is another person "lost" to him, like she is an object he is parting with (219). Salim blames his violent outburst during his break up with Yvette, telling Metty, "she made me spit on her, " leading us to wonder if he is a misogynist or a sociopath (221).

At first, Salim thinks of Yvette as a mother figure, with Raymond as his father. Salim thinks of Yvette and Raymond as his new "family" and believes he needs to make life good for "three of [them]," as to not complicate his life further (215). When Salim returns from England and hears Yvette and Raymond have left, he briefly mentions it, like he has no remorse or sorrow for their departure, like they didn't matter to him in the first place (259).

Salim sees Kareisha as an example of the ideal woman. She is "new" kind of woman to Salim, because she is affectionate and emotionally available (231). At first he doesn't want to marry her and tries to run away from his promise, but she turns out to be his most valuable relationship, even though they haven't "even kissed" (245). He thinks of his relationship with her as "soothing," causing him act "out my man's role a little," not feeling good enough for her (231). It is her talking about Indar's new life that "touches" him, making him finally realize Africa is his home, impacting his future decision to leave England and go back to Africa (244).

Even though he spends most of his story talking about the war in Africa to his identity crisis, it is Zabeth, Yvette, Shoba, and Kareisha who have a strongest impact on Salim. He views them all as unstable and complicated, not having enough strength to keep up with them. Salim sees the women, he has as friends and lovers, as being comforters or bringers of turmoil.

Works Cited

Naipaul, V.S. A Bend in the River. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York: 1979. Print

Hibiscus

A Bend in the River Units 12-17

In Units 12 through 17 of A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, we get more of the other character's back stories. Yvette tells Salim how she met Raymond for the first time and her strained interactions with the President, how she offended him. Raymond releases a book of the President's speeches, which is censored by the publisher. This leads to the Youth Guards marching the streets with the books.

The President disbands the Youth Guard. Metty and Salim are "harassed" by the police for being Arabs. Riots sweep the towns and the Capitol and the statues are "smashed." Metty brings Salim a leaflet written by the former Youth Guard, called "The Ancestors Shriek," saying the President is the "enemy." Shoba's father dies and she goes into hiding, cutting off contact with Salim. Shoba reveals to Salim, she had her face bleached to make the skin lighter and shows him her disfigured face.

Salim admits that he enjoys dinner with Yvette and Raymond, feeling like he is a part of their "family." Salim tries to distance himself from Yvette until they break up. Nazruddin writes to Salim, telling him he is leaving Africa to move to Canada. Nazruddin writes a year later, telling him, he is leaving Canada to move to England. Salim flies to London to visit Nazruddin and becomes engaged to Kareisha, Nazruddin's daughter. She tells him what Indar has been up to. Salim leaves to go back to Africa, via Brussels, realizing he belongs in Africa.

Salim goes back to Africa. Metty tells the President has taken control of his shop and given it to Citizen Theotime. Salim becomes the manager of the shop and the chauffeur for Theo. He also learns Raymond and Yvette have left Africa. Work becomes a "hateful place" for both Salim and Metty. Metty believes Salim has "failed" him. Salim is arrested, and Ferdinand, being an Commissioner, visits him, telling Salim, he "must go" before the President visits, and buys him a steamer ticket out of town.

Throughout the turmoil, Salim struggles with his identity. He doesn't believe he is just an Arab or an African. He feels like he doesn't belong anywhere, and has no sense of purpose. He keeps calling himself, "lost." It's interesting as characters leave and head off into another job or location, Salim wishes it was him, who was having a new adventure. It feels like he has "the grass is greener" syndrome, that if he just moved somewhere else, he would be a better person. When he goes to London and feels displaced, is when he finally realizes where he is or where he is from, doesn't matter. He can be the same person anywhere. It's unfortunate that the country he finally chooses to belong to, doesn't feel he belongs either and tortures him for it.

Photoshop Project # 3

Photoshop Project # 2

A Bend in the River Units 5-11

In Units 5 through 11 of A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, war between the locals and the invaders erupts in Salim's town. There are warrior armies with guns being taken over by the President's armies. Father Huisman is killed and "mutilated." Mahesh opens a Bigburger, which becomes successful. Salim finds out Metty has fathered a baby with an African woman and feels he has "lost" Metty. Salim reconnects with his friend, Indar. Salim doesn't seem to care for the President and believes the Domain is a "waste and foolishness."

Salim goes to a dinner party at the house of Yvette and Raymond. Raymond is a historian who works with the President. Raymond tells his dinner guests, "It takes an African to rule Africa," since the people don't seem to take kind to the European outsiders. Salim becomes "obsessed" with Yvette, starting an affair with her. Indar tells Salim about his past in England, where he was rejected for a job with the Indian High Commission because he had "divided loyalties," being a citizen of Africa. Ferdinand leaves to become a cadet, and takes a steamer with Indar to the capitol.

Salim shows us the effects of war and colonization on his town, as being tense and uncertain. He envies Ferdinand for the opportunity to leave, calling him a "lucky man moving on to richer experience." He also wishes he could be like Indar, travel anywhere and feel at home, "being himself." It's interesting Salim seems surprised to find a "new need," with falling in love with Yvette. It dawns on him, that all he has been looking for, is security instead of romance.

Photoshop Project # 1

Interpreting the Music, Part I

I painted this while listening to Head over Heels by Tears for Fears:

Canvas Making

A Bend in the River Units 1-4

In Units 1 through 4 of A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, we are introduced to a mercantile shop runner named Mr. Salim. He is an Arabic man who grew up on the east coast of Africa in a Muslim family. He was given the shop by a man named Nazruddin, who wants Salim to marry his daughter, but Salim sees as an opportunity to break his "commitment." Salim has one regular customer named Zabeth, a sorceress who makes herself smell bad, and lives in a hidden village. Zabeth has a teenage son named Ferdinand who she sends to Salim, to get educated. While Salim is taking care of Ferdinand, he is taking care of boy named Metty from his own village. Salim tries to track down Father Huismans, the Christian priest who runs the local school, after Ferdinand steals a book. When he finally catches up to him, Father Huismans shows Salim his African masks he has "collected."

Naipaul begins the book by telling us, "The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it." The book is very philosophical, with most of the characters trying to find their identity and where they belong in a nation that is changing.

Salim shows the most ambition, telling us, "the greater the discouragements of the journey, the keener I was to press on and embrace my new life." He wants the boys in his care to be successful as well. Salim's overall philosophy is "detaching" himself "from a familiar scene and trying to consider if as from a distance," which he proves by observing the people who come in and out of his shop as a way for the reader to get to know the characters well.