IOP Journal #5

Book: We
Topic: How the colors of we enhance the understanding of the book
Today's Focus: Organizing my thoughts so I can focus on what I will be presenting.

Presenting tool: As much as I have heard that power points are boring, I honestly cannot think of a more effective way to present this idea. However, I'm going to focus more on images rather than words. So the purpose of the power point is just to project the color that I will be speaking of. I'll refrain from using words as much as possible, hopefully this will let it be less 'boring'.

Rough Outline for my own personal reference:

I. Summary of Novel

- I'll try to keep this short and to the point. I'll cover the plot, the main characters, and the ending.

II. Blue - Stability and Intelligence
- Basically covering what was said in the first journal entry. That D-503 begins to classify his world as "blue" and through the images that he presents he's showing how his society is structured and how he considers it stable and free of any problems.

III. Yellow - Warning, Confusion, Cowardliness
- How meeting I-330 and her yellow dress dress represents a warning that she may cause things to change.
- To seeing a yellow world which stands for hope/happiness. This shows a clear contrast. Though he's beginning to see things differently it's a different type of happiness than depicted by the color "blue". "Blue" indicates that things are stable, "yellow" doesn't mean stable but is above contentment.
- When he runs into the medical office describing a "yellow world" we see another contrast. This time it can be seen as D-503 feeling like a coward because he cannot fully understand what is happening to him and cannot take any action against his "sickness"
- Through yellow we can see a conflicting image, one with 3 different connotations that it can leave the reader feeling confused as to what the character is trying to feel/sense. Thus, we can see that D-503 is as confused as the reader.
- Can also show a progression from old life because yellow is a warm color it moves forward whereas blue recedes. So yellow dominates blue.

(Put blue and yellow together and you get...)

IV. Green - Renewal, rebirth, growth
- The Green Wall: A balance between the two worlds
- The outside world: Shows a rebirth in his idea of his society. A renewal because everything is new to him. (I'm debating on whether or not to include the "inexperienced" analysis into this. I think it'll get a bit complicated and since I'm trying to focus on how D-503 world changes I don't think analyzing the people are as necessary.)
- Green against blue: Shows the death of something and the renewal of something else

(I'm considering mentioning: Though green signifies this new life. Zamyatin focuses a lot on how there's no finite. But in contrast, the novel states that there is an end. So this new life filled with green cannot be possible. And as it can be seen, things start to retract.)

V. D-503 Retracting
- He begins to notice some things that are yellow again. (This is another reference to his neighbor with the yellow wrinkles, something that I have not previously analyzed. I'm trying to keep this presentation simplistic so I don't end up confusing people. So I'm still trying to decide if adding another character will confuse or aid to the understanding of this novel.)
- He starts to describe things as "blue spasms" and this shows how his old life is seeping into his new one
- The blue cigarette. The last encounter with I-330, D-503 realizes that their relationship is over. That she was using him. She was smoking a cigarette that blew blue smoke. At the end of the chapter he ends up looking at this cigarette. From here, he decides to go to the Office of Guardians and confess of everything that has happened.
- He does end up going through the operation and returning to the mindset he once had.

VI. I-330 : A balance between white and black: life and death
- She is first described as with "white teeth" a sign of life.
- After going beyond the green wall her eyes/eyebrows are described as black, a sign of death
- All of this shows a contrast in I-330, though she's bringing life into this new world, she creates death among the old one.

Things that I'm contemplating on putting in or not:

1) O-99: Pink, a symbol of tenderness
- I'm considering taking this out due to time restraints. But because I find this connection so important: D-503 holds a different relationship with O-99. She's treated more tenderly like a child, just like what pink represents. This mother like quality later suggests her having a child.

2) The Operation
- While passing by the room D-503 describes it all as white. Too much white can signify blindness. So what this operation is doing is blinding or removing imagination from the people. It can also refer to cleanliness, like cleansing the mind from something bad. I would really like to include this in the presentation because I feel like it is a good connection but I don't see where it would fit.

3) S: He starts off as pink, just like how he's a guardian to D. He's not overpowering but a protector. Yet, at the end of the novel he turns red. So this is a more forceful color and shows a contrast between the protector of D-503 and the double agent that he is. I feel as if I shouldn't include him because he does not have a large part in the novel and it would take too much time to try to explain why his character exists to people who haven't read the book.

4) The Ancient House: Incorporates all the warm colors. This overflow of red, orange, and yellow shows how much energy is contained. Indicates that there's importance in the place, something that cannot be contained, and has significance that can dominate over the "blue" world.

5) The Benefactor: Is described as purple (meaning royalty) and white (purity, cleanliness). Again, I don't know where this would fit into the presentation.

There's just too many significant colors in this book, but I'm sure that once I get the main analysis written down, I'll see what is necessary to put in.

This concludes my 5 required journal entries. Hopefully, they appear detailed and well thought out.

Oedipus Journal #3

Type of Journal: Creative

Prompt: Diary entries from any of the characters

Point of view: Jocasta when she is about to give Oedipus away

Appalling news from the Gods. My son, my son of my own flesh and blood, is destined to kill his own parents. The same parents that are sure to nurture him, raise him, and give him all that this world desires. How can this be true? I hold this baby boy in my arms and I cannot envision him turning against his own mother! The citizens of the town have sentenced this defenseless baby to death. Laius, his own father, cannot even look at his own son. And yet throughout this ordeal, the boy still smiles in his sleep. Does he not realize that the world he was introduced to is the same world that he's being taken away from? Does he not see that the faces that use to smile down on him are the ones that cannot even stand to look at him? I cannot imagine what would drive this innocent being to commit such revolting crimes. Yet, a part of me believes it is possible. A part of me fears that my own blood will commit crimes against his own kind. A part of me knows that the Gods never lie. Laius speaks the truth. If my son commits these crimes, he is not my son. He is a threat to our country. Anyone who threatens this country is to be banished and destroyed. They must take my child away. Tomorrow, I cannot bear to even think of it. I will not wake, I will not think, I will call for the Shepherd to take him away, and I will rid this child from my mind. The Gods never lie. A prophecy is a prophecy. And this child is destined to pain, suffering, and death. And I pray to God that I am doing the right thing.

IOP Journal #4

Book: We
Topic: How the colors in We we enhance the understanding of the novel.
Today's focus: quick update on blue, and green.

Forgive me for not analyzing these passages deeply, but for the sake of time (and mostly for me to not forget) I'm just going to quickly summarize these three passages:
“Pieces of blue walls and towers tumble from above, grow larger with terrifying speed, but they must still fly hours—perhaps days—through infinity.” (pg 172)
“Icy-blue, the Integral shimmered, sparkled.” (pg 181)
“I clearly see the blue, watery veins and nodes...but all of this is quite apart from me...” (pg 188)
These all show that the society that he once considered perfect no longer exists. It is all coming down, far away, ect. As for the Integral, "ice" gives it a negative connotation similar to death. It's no longer close, thus like the other passages there's a clear division between his old life and new.

Green: signifies life, growth, freshness, renewal, health, safety, and environment. On the negative side it can suggest jealousy and inexperience. Since it is partially a warm and cool colors it can show balance, harmony, and stability. Green with blue suggests nature with can denote new beginnings and growth.

Green Wall: Why green? Well, not only does it signify safety in that the people are contained in their 'perfect' society, it also suggests that something new is outside. Thus you have this wall that is the balance, the middle, between the structured society and the outside, mysterious, world.

D-503 finally makes it outside the Green Wall. In this outside world it is described that there's more green. The trees, mold, ect, “...not a firm, level surface, but something revoltingly soft, yielding, springy, green, alive.” (pg 155). The word alive is used to describe this new world as well as the color green. D-503 is growing in that he's experiencing this new society with different ideas. They're the renewal of the society; something new and refreshing from the same old lifestyle. Additionally, they are inexperienced. Some are dressed in fur and they don't have the experience to really take over the One State. I-330 ends up giving a speech and says, "the day has come when we shall break down the Wall—all walls—to let the green wind blow free from end to end—across the earth" (pg 157). Though she's encouraging to break down the one divider (balance) between the new worlds, the "green wind" is referring to a new life. She wants to bring in these fresh ideas into the same old world and thus start a revolution, a growth in their society. And another from D-503, “Sun, heads, a green serrated line against the blue...” (pg 158). So what is seen is that green is taking over the color blue. According to the definition above when green is accompanied by blue, this signifies new beginnings and growth. So if blue represents his old life and green is this new society, the connection can be made that the two worlds have collided and with it new outcomes are to come. The green is breaking apart the old society and together they will create a new 'color'.

I'm aware that my analysis wasn't very detailed/clear. Hopefully it'll sound better when I actually present it.

Oedipus Journal #2

Prompt: How does the background information on Greek Theater and History inform your reading of Oedipus? Use specific examples to explore the connections between context and content.

The first obvious connection between the background information and Oedipus is that the play circles around some god. Or at least references some god. Thus, there would be an alter on state. Also, there is a lot of emphasis that the god knows what's best and is the answer to the city's problems. In Oedipus the god Apollo is mentioned throughout the reading. And in the description of the scene "a stone alter stands at the center of stage." Together, the people are turning to the god Apollo and Oedipus in hopes that he'll answer the god's oracle and save the town. There is also some connection to nature. In the play the land is described as:
"Thebes is dying. A blight on the fresh crops
and the rich pastures, cattle sicken and die,
and the women die in labor, children stillborn,
and the plague, the fiery god of fever hurls down
on the city, his lightning slashing through us--" (pg 160).
During the festivals of Dionysus, the season would affect the type of play. For example during the winter there would be plays about death of the land which would also affect the mood/standpoint of the god. So in this passage the town is withering away. The place is filled with death and destruction. Along with this scene, it is shown that Apollo is angry and wants justice. So to reverse the "plague", the citizens needs to please Apollo and fulfill his wish.

In a way, Sophocles does show "man as he should be." In that Oedipus is like any ordinary man besides the fact that he solved the riddle of the Sphinx. Therefore, the reader is not expected to see Oedipus be able to save the city by himself. Instead we see Oedipus turn to the gods for help and admits that he needs help in solving this problem.

A third connection is that Sophocles was the play writer who introduced a 3rd character. This reduced the use of the chorus. However, the chorus was still important because they would represent the thoughts of the people and provide some information about what was going to happen next. In Oedipus there are clearly multiple characters. Additionally, there are parts where the chorus interacts with the characters (which previously it had not). For example, when Jocasta is introduced there is a scene where the chorus is acting as the people and Oedipus is questioning the chorus as to whether or not they want him banished from the land.

IOP Journal #3

Book: We
Topic: How the colors in the book affect the understanding of the novel.
Today's focus: Pink, a little brown, and an update of blue.

First, I will admit that I did not mark up many/any pink references beforehand because I did not think they would end up being significant. After rereading one of the chapters, I realized I was wrong. So looking back here's how pink has been applied in the book.
1) Pink coupons: The way that the characters express their like towards each other- privately of course
2) O-99 is sometimes referred to as "rosy" or "pink" colored
3) The mysterious S is referred to as "pink wing-ears"
4) U is mentioned as pinkish-brown

What pink can imply: Large amounts of pink can create physical weakness in people. Can denote love, romantic and charming. Romance, love, friendship, feminine qualities, passiveness, and tenderness.

What does this all mean?
1) Pink coupons: I would like to think that this connection is pretty self evident. But for the sake of showing that I can make connections to things, I will say that "love" "romance" and "physical weakness" can all relate to how pink coupons cause D-503 act like a Romeo. In other words, he gets very excited when he gets the chance to make love with I-330, for the most part, use to be O-99.
2)O-99: What we have to realize is that O-99 is a very soft, reserved character. Therefore, pink describes her well. She's passive, tender, and to D-503 it's not a relationship where he's constantly thinking of having sex with her, but more of a caring relationship. He breaks up with her knowing that it is the right reason and because of this pink emphasizes this thoughtful feeling.
3) S: To start off I would like to make the connection that "wing-ear" could refer to his physical characteristics and the fact that D-503 calls S his "Guardian Angel". As for pink, the same concept with O-99 can be applied. D-503 does not have an intense relationship for S, but he admires S. Pink gives the connotations that S is actually trying to protect and help D-503, not stalking him or trying to kill him off. Now what changed my mind about the color pink was when S saves D-503 from being taken away for jumping out towards another girl, "I saw nearby, swinging his pink ear-wings, gliding over the mirror-smooth pavement, a huge, familiar head...'It is my duty to inform you that Number D-503 is ill and incapable of controlling his emotions." (pg 127). This protection shows that S maybe D's guardian angel despite the fact that in previous chapters D-503 was trying to escape and hide from S. S being described as pink should have foreshadowed to this event.
4) U: Considering the fact that I don't remember much of the story the first time I read this book, I cannot remember how U ends up in the end of the book. So I'll just focus on what has happened since I started rereading the book. U is beginning to show feelings towards D-503, but in my mind it's more of a motherly quality. So pink is implying more of a friendship/motherly love. She's trying to protect D-503, trying to direct him in the correct path. Brown, "represents steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability, and health" So what can be implied is that U is someone who is loyal to her society and wants to spread his stability to D-503. Not forcefully but in a tender manner, like how a mother tends to a child. Additionally, "Brown conveys a feeling of warmth, honesty, and wholesomeness". Again the U gives off the impression that she is loyal to her society, she's not forcing her beliefs on others, but simply telling what she believes is true and hoping that D-503 will see it her way.

Update on blue:
After unanimity day, D-503 is reminded of how his society is still intact after the scare of the Mephis rejecting the Benefactor. Then D-503 writes, "And I no longer have the strange sensation that I am lost...And it's no longer surprising that I see the blue sky, the round sun." (pg 149). We can conclude that blue represents the perfect society that D-503 use to admire. And at this point in the novel he starts to go back to what he use to believe. So what we have seen is that he starts with a blue world, changes to yellow, and is partially back to blue. Blue + yellow = green. As a bit of a preview, I'm thinking the next color will be green.

As a side note for myself: D-503 did previously compare blue and ice. I believe this is one of the few times that blue is used as an obvious depressing color. Thus keep this in mind and look into it sometime later.

Oedipus Journal #1

Type of Journal: Comparison

Prompt: Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer's work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the reader's attention?

During the first few pages of Oedipus, a tense atmosphere is created. The story begins right when the plot unfolds, therefore the reader is pouring over the pages waiting to see what is going to happen. Therefore, for a work to attract readers by moments of intensity a problem must arise that causes the reader to question where the plot is going. To do so the writer needs to create a problem that is shocking and angers the characters. In Oedipus this is seen first by the description of the setting of Thebes:
"A blight on the fresh crops
and the rich pastures, cattle sicken and die,
and the women die in labor, children stillborn,
and the plague, the fiery god of fever hurls down" (pg 160).
A scene is clearly created that shows the devastation of the city. The reader can picture the death and destruction that has been created by this "plague". The effect that this has is that it causes the reader to want to know more. The reader begins to question when the problem started, why, and for how long. Though this attracts a reader's attention, the heightened emotional moments do not begin until towards the end of the required reading that we were suppose to do today. There, Tiresias accuses Oedipus of the murder of Laius, "I say you are the murderer you hunt" (pg 180). In here we see the problem that has occurred; Oedipus is being accused of murder. This is both shocking because Oedipus is depicted as a high, powerful, and respected being yet there is no reason for the reader not to believe in this statement. Therefore, the reader is drawn into this mystery of believing what is described in the beginning of the book or believing this statement that another well respected being has presented. However, the reading ends with another shocking revelation from Tiresias:
"you're blind to the corruption of your life,
to the house you live in, those you live with--
who are your parents? Do you know?" (pg 183).
Again, another accusation is made that causes the reader to question where the plot is going. The reader begins to speculate what is happening, who is involved and as these questions arise the intensity is created that captures the reader's attention. In this passage we see that Tiresias is extending his accusation to Oedipus family. He's drawing in the reader by showing the flaws in a well respected character.

Likewise, this same intensity has been created in other works. Take for example, The Crucible. In this play, the story starts out with a clear problem. Abigail is sick and quickly the plot starts to show that witchcraft maybe the cause of the sickness. So like Oedipus the story jumps right into a problem that causes the reader to question what is going to happen next. Then the reader must question if the problem is likely to happen; is witchcraft a likely reason to her sickness? If not then what would Abigail be hiding? Another similarity is that accusations begin to emerge. Therefore, by the end of the first chapter a problem and mystery is presented that causes the reader to want to continue to read to solve the problem given, or in the case of Oedipus; a riddle.

Summary of the answer to prompt: The mean is that a problem/mystery is created. This problem incorporates something that leaves questions unanswered while causing the reader to question him/herself. This is seen by the accusations that are given in Oedipus and the Crucible. With the problem and the accusations a tense atmosphere is created because the characters in the books are also questioning the outcome of the accusations. The effect is that the reader sympathizes for the characters or begins to come up with his/her own theories of what will happen. Either way, the reader's attention is drawn into the novel and begins to have emotional attachments to the characters or the story.

IOP Journal #2

Book: We
Topic: How the colors of We affect the understanding of the novel
Today's focus: I-330 and the color yellow

Meaning of yellow:
Yellow has conflicting symbolism that can vary throughout different regions.
Positive connotations consist of: happiness, joy, cheerfulness, hope, sunshine, intellect, energy, honor, and loyalty.
Negative connotations consist of: unstable, spontaneous, when placed against black the combination is used as a warning, cowardice, deceit, and jealousy.

During the first outing with I-330, she brings D-503 to the Ancient House and then changes into a yellow dress, "She wore a short, old, vivid yellow dress, a black hat, black stockings." (pg 28). From the definition above, the yellow and black contrast is the first warning for D-503. This warns the reader that I-330 is not like the other citizens and a danger to the order of society.

This is not the only time she wore a yellow dress. In fact, when the ancients are mentioned yellow is the color that is usually shown, "She was in a light, saffron-yellow dress of the ancient model. This was a thousand times more cruel than if she had worn nothing." (pg 54). The ancients are looked down upon for not having the intelligence that is valued in the One State. So to associate the ancients with the color yellow emphasizes the idea that they are cowards who did not reach the potential as the current citizens. Also, it denotes instability which goes against D-503's mindset.

However, further into the novel a contrast occurs. After spending some more time with I-330, D-503's begins to see the world as yellow, "She flashed by, filling for a second the yellow, empty world" (pg 85). The word empty implies that D-503 is rethinking the world he is living in. I-330 fills his world with "yellow" which could imply that she represents happiness and hope. Therefore, we see the connotations of yellow move from negative to positive and with it a transformation within D-503 occurs.

D-503 begins to associate this color with his "sickness" as a result he goes to the Medical Office and states, "I rushed to him as to someone near and dear, mumbling about insomnia, dreams, shadows, a yellow world" (pg 89). It can be implied that he is dreaming/in a dream with the color yellow.

To dream about yellow:
The color yellow has both positive and negative connotations. If the dream is a pleasant one, then the color yellow is symbolic of intellect, energy, agility, happiness, harmony, and wisdom. On the other hand, if the dream is an unpleasant one, then the color represents cowardice and sickness. You may have a fear or an inability to make a decision or take action. As a result, you are experiencing many setbacks.
- http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=yellow

Therefore, it can be seen that D-503 is feeling like a coward for not being able to stand up against I-330 but at the same time he's having troubles deciding what to do with the situation he is in. He is experiencing setbacks because he cannot think straight, his work is suffering, and he is confused as to what is wrong with him.