Cam Collins
Magical Story
Maddox
18 April 2009
Tito and the Dragon
Everyday since I was a child I have gone out to the sea after my schooling to look for the mysterious dragon. Most Chinese call this dragon a myth or a legend, but my great grandfather, Confucius, told me that this dragon was real, and that he had seen it himself. I am twenty-five years old now, and a part of me seems missing because I have not seen the dragon.
People call me crazy because I am the only one who believes in this dragon. My grandfather revealed to me that the dragon was two hundred feet in height, and he breathed fire over all of our people over a thousand years ago, and destroyed our city and brought the Qing dynasty to an end. I wish the dragon would come back and show me his great stature and might, because the emperor of my country now has none of these things.
One day I went out to the sea. It was a very odd day. The sky was ominous yet the sun was still out, and the wind was gusting over thirty miles per hour. I could hardly stand up. It was in the middle of summer so a tornado was not likely. This day I vision something happening. Maybe, maybe, it is just so peculiar.
I hear the emergency siren go off, a typhoon is on its way. Rain is starting to pour heavily. My shirt and pants are drenched so I decide to take them off. Who cares if I am naked, no one comes out here in these conditions. The waves start to rush and shatter on the shore. At once, out of the deep sea, a massive structure appears bursting from the waves. It is massive and its scales are a fiery red. Right after, tons of water are thrown all over my city. I have now seen the dragon. It starts to breathe fire. There is nothing I can do now. I have come to not like this dragon. Life as I know it has now ended.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cam Collins
Maddox
Poems
17 March 2010
Imagism Poem
A crowded movie
theatre
With the smell
of popcorn
The audience
laughing
Comedy
flowing
Image Poem #2
I am a beast
the fastest creature alive
I will never fail
my pride is overwhelming
Sprinters look at my back
while I finish the race
I am like an animal
faster than a leopard
My biceps are straining
My legs are cramping
I see the crowd
all chanting my name
9.69 is on the clock
with my name corresponding in first place
I am a god
the epitomy of speed
I am insane
I am Usain
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Hollow Men
Cam Collins
Maddox
The Hollow Men Essay
21 February 2010
The poem The Hollow Men relates to Heart Of Darkness in many different and distinct ways. In paragraph one of the poem, the theme is that Kurtz's people are hollow men and morally stagnant. However, this poem contasts with Kurtz because he is not a hollow man. This passage in Heart of Darkness relates to this theme, "It was impossible to know him and not to admire him (Conrad 113)." There is a comparison here because both works hint that Kurtz is a remarkable and astounding man. In the poem, Eliot compares the hollow men to being scarecrows with nothing inside them. Kurtz was not a scarecrow, but a hero figure that lost his way by living in the most savage place on earth. Heart of Darkness describes this theme in the passage above.
The river is also a correlation between both works. Eliot in his poem says,
"In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river (The Hollow Men 2)
This quote in Eliot's poem describes the river as a place in hell, or a pyschological barrier that keeps the people from crossing into heaven or hell. The meaning behind this quote is that the natives live in the land of the dead and they are just stuck on that shore forever. In Apocalypse Now, which is telling almost the same story as Heart Of Darkness, Captain river describes the river and the native's home as, "the worst place on earth." This concretely relates to Eliot's description of the, "tumid river."
In the second part of Eliot's The Hollow Men, he describes the home of the natives as, "death's dream kingdom (1)." He infers that the natives are people with no purpose who live in a desolate wasteland. This quote from the novel relates heavily to Eliot's statement, "When we came abreast again, they faced the river, stamped their feet, nodded their horned heads, swayed their scarlet bodies..... they shouted periodically together strings of amazing words that resembled no sounds of human language"(101). Again, this passage indicates that these people are lost and will never find their way. They are foreign to the human race, and cannot survive without Kurtz. They are a group of insane creatures that live in the most savage and terrifying place in the world.
The society that exists on the other side of the world is a land of loss and failure, a place of darkness. In The Hollow Men, Eliot says,
"Remember us -- if at all -- not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men." (1)
This means that these people will be remembered as people who have done nothing. They are all failures. In Heart of Darkness this passage relates to the one above, "His was an impenetrable darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines" (104). This is the main similarity between both works. Both describe the jungle as a setting of true, cold, unstoppable darkness that will never change and the people that inhabit this God-forsaken place will always be the most unpurposeful and forgot-about people in world.
Maddox
The Hollow Men Essay
21 February 2010
The poem The Hollow Men relates to Heart Of Darkness in many different and distinct ways. In paragraph one of the poem, the theme is that Kurtz's people are hollow men and morally stagnant. However, this poem contasts with Kurtz because he is not a hollow man. This passage in Heart of Darkness relates to this theme, "It was impossible to know him and not to admire him (Conrad 113)." There is a comparison here because both works hint that Kurtz is a remarkable and astounding man. In the poem, Eliot compares the hollow men to being scarecrows with nothing inside them. Kurtz was not a scarecrow, but a hero figure that lost his way by living in the most savage place on earth. Heart of Darkness describes this theme in the passage above.
The river is also a correlation between both works. Eliot in his poem says,
"In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river (The Hollow Men 2)
This quote in Eliot's poem describes the river as a place in hell, or a pyschological barrier that keeps the people from crossing into heaven or hell. The meaning behind this quote is that the natives live in the land of the dead and they are just stuck on that shore forever. In Apocalypse Now, which is telling almost the same story as Heart Of Darkness, Captain river describes the river and the native's home as, "the worst place on earth." This concretely relates to Eliot's description of the, "tumid river."
In the second part of Eliot's The Hollow Men, he describes the home of the natives as, "death's dream kingdom (1)." He infers that the natives are people with no purpose who live in a desolate wasteland. This quote from the novel relates heavily to Eliot's statement, "When we came abreast again, they faced the river, stamped their feet, nodded their horned heads, swayed their scarlet bodies..... they shouted periodically together strings of amazing words that resembled no sounds of human language"(101). Again, this passage indicates that these people are lost and will never find their way. They are foreign to the human race, and cannot survive without Kurtz. They are a group of insane creatures that live in the most savage and terrifying place in the world.
The society that exists on the other side of the world is a land of loss and failure, a place of darkness. In The Hollow Men, Eliot says,
"Remember us -- if at all -- not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men." (1)
This means that these people will be remembered as people who have done nothing. They are all failures. In Heart of Darkness this passage relates to the one above, "His was an impenetrable darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines" (104). This is the main similarity between both works. Both describe the jungle as a setting of true, cold, unstoppable darkness that will never change and the people that inhabit this God-forsaken place will always be the most unpurposeful and forgot-about people in world.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Apocalypse Now
Cam Collins
Maddox
Apocalypse Now Paper
12 February 2010
"Apocalypse Now" is an exciting movie that is very similar and symbolic to Heart Of Darkness. In the beginning of "Apocalypse Now" the producer starts out with many symbolic and appealing visuals. At the very start of the film, we see the jungle, and then in about thirt seconds the jungle is set-a-flame. Here we notice the correlation to Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, relating to when the Belgians fired meaninglessly into the Congo jungle. Next we see helicopters with their wings spinning very fast and then a ceiling fan that is also spinning. Right after, the main character appears on the screen looking dazed and sweating heavily. This could possibly symbolize the effect that the wilderness has had on the main character, maybe that his head is spinning out of control.
The story then moves to the jungle in India, where the main character feasts with other generals. They eat a very classy meal. By cutting meat and serving a nice, upper-class dinner, it represents the theme of civilized society. Because next captain Willard will venture out into the jungle, the un-civilized and savage side. In his terms, its "the worst possible place to be in the world." The movie starts out very intriguing, allowing the viewer to succumb to the plot and pay attention to all aspects of the film.
The second session that we watched the movie, one of the generals were quoting Heart Of Darkness in that he was talking about the conflict between good and evil and that every man has a breaking point. There was aslo lots of irony in this section of the movie. Perhaps the sunset at the beginning of Willard's journey symbolizes irony. The red colors in this scene represent hell and chaos. Also, when the men were blowing up a Vietnamese island, they were praying to God which is major irony. The captain of the soldiers destroys another island for the mere sake of surfing. Irony is a major theme in "Apocalypse Now" and it testifies to the insanity of the men who have succumbed to the wilderness.
Maddox
Apocalypse Now Paper
12 February 2010
"Apocalypse Now" is an exciting movie that is very similar and symbolic to Heart Of Darkness. In the beginning of "Apocalypse Now" the producer starts out with many symbolic and appealing visuals. At the very start of the film, we see the jungle, and then in about thirt seconds the jungle is set-a-flame. Here we notice the correlation to Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, relating to when the Belgians fired meaninglessly into the Congo jungle. Next we see helicopters with their wings spinning very fast and then a ceiling fan that is also spinning. Right after, the main character appears on the screen looking dazed and sweating heavily. This could possibly symbolize the effect that the wilderness has had on the main character, maybe that his head is spinning out of control.
The story then moves to the jungle in India, where the main character feasts with other generals. They eat a very classy meal. By cutting meat and serving a nice, upper-class dinner, it represents the theme of civilized society. Because next captain Willard will venture out into the jungle, the un-civilized and savage side. In his terms, its "the worst possible place to be in the world." The movie starts out very intriguing, allowing the viewer to succumb to the plot and pay attention to all aspects of the film.
The second session that we watched the movie, one of the generals were quoting Heart Of Darkness in that he was talking about the conflict between good and evil and that every man has a breaking point. There was aslo lots of irony in this section of the movie. Perhaps the sunset at the beginning of Willard's journey symbolizes irony. The red colors in this scene represent hell and chaos. Also, when the men were blowing up a Vietnamese island, they were praying to God which is major irony. The captain of the soldiers destroys another island for the mere sake of surfing. Irony is a major theme in "Apocalypse Now" and it testifies to the insanity of the men who have succumbed to the wilderness.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Imperialism, Capitalism in Africa
Cam Collins
Maddox
Imperialism, Capitalism Essay
31 January 2010
In Africa during the nineteenth century, Imperialism and Capitalism were major themes. Wealthy economic powers from around the world came to Africa in search of productive ventures. In Heart Of Darkness the themes of imperialism and capitalism reflect the failure of industrialization, the great amount of racism in Africa, and the lustful quest for ivory as a valuable resource in the Congo.
The failure of industrialization in Africa is a recurring theme that reflects imperialistic thought in this novel. Constantly throughout Heart of Darkness, there is something wrong with Marlow's steamer. Marlow commonly tells us readers that his steamer is about to die, or is on its last breath, like in this quote, ".... the steamer seemed at her last gasp.... I caught myself listening on tiptoe for the next beat of the boat.... But we still crawled.(Conrad 57)" As judging by this and when Marlow gets infuriated about "rivets" we can see that his boat is terrible, which allows us to recognize the failure of industrialization in Africa. Also, the undersized railway truck that was flipped over missing a wheel again symbolizes the negative results of imposing European imperialists in Africa.
The theme of racism also hints to imperialism and capitalism throughout this novel. All thoughout the book Conrad gives us readers an insight to the harsh and crude treatment of Africans in the nineteenth century. For example, a black man was accused of burning down a shed when their was no such evidence and was punished severely for it. The language that Conrad uses identifies the discrimination that was clearly seen in Africa. Conrad makes the comparison of "a quarrel-some band of footsore sulky niggers" to a donkey(44). Unnecessary punishment as well as racial discrimination were commonplaces in this novel and in Africa.
One of the physical plots in this novel is that European capitalists are trying to exploit all of the major resources in Africa, and in this book, specifically on the Congo river. "The word 'ivory' rang in the air.... You would think they were praying to it.(33)" Ivory was a valued necessity to European Capitalists in Africa. It was crucial to their rank in trade and industrialization. Conrad uses the object of ivory to express a literal meaning of Kurtz journey into the jungle. Conrad brings up the term ivory throughout the novel as Marlow tries to find Kurtz. Ivory is simply a symbol for capitalism in that European capitalists will go deep into the dangerous and treacherous jungles of Africa in order to exploit major resources.
"The Eldorado Exploring Expedition" shows a similar theme in that it clearly defines the imperialist and capitalist theme in this novel. The expedition is a symbol for Capitalist's lust for gold in the jungle. Capitalists traveled in great danger just to bring back gold and fortune for their private organizations. Imperialists, on the other hand brought back resources to bring prosper to their respective countries so they could compete in the world's balance for power. The Belgians, in this novel, were venturing deep in the jungle as a sign of their colonizing Africa and their fierce competitiveness to win the world's balance for power.
The themes Imperialism and Capitalism occur more in the first half of Heart of Darkness than in the second. It is almost as if Conrad is using the beginning of the novel to express a literal meaning of the journey and the second half of the novel to show a more psychological and metaphorical interpretation of the journey into the wilderness. Nevertheless, Conrad shows a great deal of Imperialism and Capitalism in this novel both physically and pyschologically.
Sources:
Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of Darkness. New York. Bantam Books, 1902.
Maddox
Imperialism, Capitalism Essay
31 January 2010
In Africa during the nineteenth century, Imperialism and Capitalism were major themes. Wealthy economic powers from around the world came to Africa in search of productive ventures. In Heart Of Darkness the themes of imperialism and capitalism reflect the failure of industrialization, the great amount of racism in Africa, and the lustful quest for ivory as a valuable resource in the Congo.
The failure of industrialization in Africa is a recurring theme that reflects imperialistic thought in this novel. Constantly throughout Heart of Darkness, there is something wrong with Marlow's steamer. Marlow commonly tells us readers that his steamer is about to die, or is on its last breath, like in this quote, ".... the steamer seemed at her last gasp.... I caught myself listening on tiptoe for the next beat of the boat.... But we still crawled.(Conrad 57)" As judging by this and when Marlow gets infuriated about "rivets" we can see that his boat is terrible, which allows us to recognize the failure of industrialization in Africa. Also, the undersized railway truck that was flipped over missing a wheel again symbolizes the negative results of imposing European imperialists in Africa.
The theme of racism also hints to imperialism and capitalism throughout this novel. All thoughout the book Conrad gives us readers an insight to the harsh and crude treatment of Africans in the nineteenth century. For example, a black man was accused of burning down a shed when their was no such evidence and was punished severely for it. The language that Conrad uses identifies the discrimination that was clearly seen in Africa. Conrad makes the comparison of "a quarrel-some band of footsore sulky niggers" to a donkey(44). Unnecessary punishment as well as racial discrimination were commonplaces in this novel and in Africa.
One of the physical plots in this novel is that European capitalists are trying to exploit all of the major resources in Africa, and in this book, specifically on the Congo river. "The word 'ivory' rang in the air.... You would think they were praying to it.(33)" Ivory was a valued necessity to European Capitalists in Africa. It was crucial to their rank in trade and industrialization. Conrad uses the object of ivory to express a literal meaning of Kurtz journey into the jungle. Conrad brings up the term ivory throughout the novel as Marlow tries to find Kurtz. Ivory is simply a symbol for capitalism in that European capitalists will go deep into the dangerous and treacherous jungles of Africa in order to exploit major resources.
"The Eldorado Exploring Expedition" shows a similar theme in that it clearly defines the imperialist and capitalist theme in this novel. The expedition is a symbol for Capitalist's lust for gold in the jungle. Capitalists traveled in great danger just to bring back gold and fortune for their private organizations. Imperialists, on the other hand brought back resources to bring prosper to their respective countries so they could compete in the world's balance for power. The Belgians, in this novel, were venturing deep in the jungle as a sign of their colonizing Africa and their fierce competitiveness to win the world's balance for power.
The themes Imperialism and Capitalism occur more in the first half of Heart of Darkness than in the second. It is almost as if Conrad is using the beginning of the novel to express a literal meaning of the journey and the second half of the novel to show a more psychological and metaphorical interpretation of the journey into the wilderness. Nevertheless, Conrad shows a great deal of Imperialism and Capitalism in this novel both physically and pyschologically.
Sources:
Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of Darkness. New York. Bantam Books, 1902.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cam Collins
Winter Blog Post 2
I am not really excited that school is about to start up again. I hate the feeling of having lots of homework and Schmidt tests and quizzes. On the positive side, I got lots of new shoes to wear and I am pumped about the rest of the basketball season. We are going to win region and are going to advance far in the state tournament. The only way to do this, however, is to push ourselves in practice and never give up. We have really good coaches and a lot of potential on our team. All we have to do is put it into action.
Right now, I am already ready for next weekend. School is really going to stink. I really hope all the teachers start out easy on us so we can get a feel for what school is like after this long break. This trimester I plan on doing very well in both the athletic and academic sides of school. I am also going to get a lot stronger during fitness, which will continue to help me in basketball. 2010 is going to be a fantastic year for me, as well as for our athletic teams here at Darlington.
Winter Blog Post 2
I am not really excited that school is about to start up again. I hate the feeling of having lots of homework and Schmidt tests and quizzes. On the positive side, I got lots of new shoes to wear and I am pumped about the rest of the basketball season. We are going to win region and are going to advance far in the state tournament. The only way to do this, however, is to push ourselves in practice and never give up. We have really good coaches and a lot of potential on our team. All we have to do is put it into action.
Right now, I am already ready for next weekend. School is really going to stink. I really hope all the teachers start out easy on us so we can get a feel for what school is like after this long break. This trimester I plan on doing very well in both the athletic and academic sides of school. I am also going to get a lot stronger during fitness, which will continue to help me in basketball. 2010 is going to be a fantastic year for me, as well as for our athletic teams here at Darlington.
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