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3.) In reading V For Vendetta, it is hard not to draw parallels between the plot of the book and other occurrences in history, both modern and some time ago. One of the first things that came to mind when I first started reading the book was that it reminded me a lot of Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler, who became leader of the country, organized and led the Nazi party and convinced most of the German population that the Jews, Homosexuals, and any other minority besides the whites were the cause to social ills in the world. He created concentration camps where its misfortunate prisoners were forced into slave work until they died; the luckier ones were gassed, shot or burned in ovens upon arrival. Personally, a more modern comparison of V For Vendetta is the Islamic Fundamentalism that is currently occurring across the world. In an article I read on the website http://markhumphrys.com/islamic.fascism.html, the author stated, “I think "Islamic Fascism" is the clearest, most descriptive name, showing that this is simply the same kind of thing that the democracies spent the 20th century fighting. Islamic Fascism is genuinely fascist. It has contempt for democracy, free speech and human rights. It is full of hatred for Jews, atheists, homosexuals, and liberated women. It is linked to racist hatred for blacks in Sudan, slave trading of black Africans, and racist hatred of other ethnic minorities in the Islamic world. And, like fascism and communism, the only solution is the total and utter destruction of this philosophy. This will take a long Cold War, lasting for perhaps the next two or three decades, punctuated by perhaps one or two more hot wars. But Islamic Fascism will lose. Democracy will win.” There are many comparisons to be drawn between the V For Vendetta, Nazi Germany, and the current Islamic Fundamentalism.
V For Vendetta is a story about a nation controlled by the government and fighting this government for basic rights. The Nose, a department of the government, investigated every move and crime that was made. The Eyes monitored the actions of the citizens, even in everyday life. The Ears monitored the sound waves; everything a citizen said could be picked up and heard. The finger controlled it all, he was the leader. Last but not least, the voice of Fate announced the news to everyone; it told them the only news they heard. This governmental control is a main theme in V For Vendetta, and fighting this control for human rights is another. In V For Vendetta, the Resettlement Camp closely resembles the concentration camps the Nazi’s used to enslave, experiment on, and kill humans during World War II. Camps such as Auschwitz were used to enslave people a government or regime thought as threats. They were used not only to contain certain people, but also to perform experiments upon them. In V For Vendetta, the resettlement camp mirrored that. They enslaved blacks, homosexuals, and Jewish people just as the Nazi’s did. V, the main character of the graphic novel was a survivor of the camp. In his time there he was experimented on, not unlike Nazi concentration camps. V survived his ordeal because he escaped by means of destroying it. He spent his time after the camp destroying the government that enslaved him and monitored the citizen’s actions. Most citizens, though, did not feel as though they were oppressed; they viewed the regime as a necessary function of government.
Islamic Fundamentalism is similar to the function of government in V For Vendetta. Islamic Fundamentalism believes that any other race is essentially inferior and not good enough. They have no place for acceptance of Jewish, homosexuals, or other races and religions. This is just like the novel we read because they don’t feel that they should be accepted in society and they place them in a resettlement camp. Islamic Fundamentalists are also not fans of human rights or democracy. The government in V For Vendetta was an extremely conservative government that was only concerned with being in charge of the lives with its citizens. They granted them no real human rights or any freedom. So basically, V For Vendetta and the Islamic Fundamentalism share many qualities. There is one contradicting point though. The major military force of this Islamic Fundamentalism is terrorism, meaning that forces attack civilians and their lives in an attempt to destroy moral. V in the novel can be considered a terrorist. He attacks political buildings that may have injured normal civilians in an attempt to intimidate the government, decrease the moral, and spur revolution. That being said, I could not help but notice the theme in V For Vendetta of constant spying. Many parts involved cameras scanning personal lives, just as they did in George Orwell’s 1984. It is also a story that involved government monitoring in everyday actions which to many is spying. In Conclusion, V For Vendetta, Islamic Fundamentalism, Nazi Germany, and 1984 all share similar traits.

In Chapter 19 of Foster’s book, entitled Geography Matters…, he discusses the impact that a setting has on a story. Since my group presentation was on setting, I feel I have a good grasp of his main points. In a certain place, the climate, location, weather, and the people that inhabit the area all have a huge impact on the plot. For instance in Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea, it is set in the Caribbean around Cuba. The climate is very warm and tropical. It is hot and humid and because of this it adds an element of danger. I haven’t read the story a while, but as I recall one of the Old Man’s friends is a young boy who brings him newspapers. He is impoverished due the setting of the area. The setting a poor fishing town, and if it wasn’t for this, the boy wouldn’t be the same character. Also, since it is Cuba, baseball is a popular sport as it is in America. If it weren’t for baseball, the old man and the boy would not be friends. Most of the conversations consist of the two discussing the Yankees. Without baseball, the two wouldn’t be brought together.
Another way in which setting has an impact in a story that Foster makes reference to is that when characters go south, “It’s so they can run amok.” In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the story wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t traveling south down the Mississippi. The farther south they go, the more dangerous it seems and the more challenges they face. The communities Huck Finn and his escaped slave friend Jim encounter as they travel become more and more troublesome. If they were heading farther North, or if it was a different river, the story would not be the same. So Foster’s key points that Geography is of huge importance is very true. It is integral in determining the plot. Character + Setting(Geography)= Plot, and Character->Setting(Geography)->determine Plot. Geography is an important piece in these two formulas.

#3. Analyzing Setting
In Nathaniel Bellows short story, First Four Measures, the setting plays an integral role in the story. Upon closer assessment of the setting, the reader can find that it relates to the characters, creates conflict among characters, and helps to move along the plot. The boy in the story encounters obstacles at his lessons, as he also struggles to accept Mrs. Spence, his house sitter, as his friend.
In the beginning of the story the child is in his house; which is large and full of older furniture and artwork. His mother and father, who are both going away on business, convince him that being alone in the house would make it seem emptier than if there were no one in it at all. This first part shows the conflict between the character and the setting. The boy is obviously a teenager that is unhappy with his situation and does not seem to have many friends. The fact that his parents tell him that the house would be emptier with him alone in it stresses the fact that he seems to be lonely. The empty house enhances the fact that he is lonely. If it were a smaller house with more people in it, it would not make him seem as empty.
Another setting in the story is the church in which the child takes lessons from. Every mention of the church evokes cold, eerie emotions from the child. “The Church auditorium was large and echoing, with two grand pianos, a darkened stage with heavy velvet curtains, and a side room where mechanical floor polishers and cleaning supplies were stored” (BASS, 112). The description of the church tells the reader that it is not a very pleasant place to be. It seems dark and eerie and is a precursor to future events. The eerie feelings of the setting reflect how the child feels when Mr. Nichols grazes against him. If the scenes of the piano lesson took place anywhere other than the empty, dark, eerie church, it would probably not seem as creepy. If it took place in a school with other people around, the mood would most likely be lighter and the child would not feel as awkward. To further enhance the unsettling feelings of the child before the lessons, it is always snowy and cold, further enhancing the weird feelings. Personally, I believe that the snow also represents the purity of the child. In the scenes before he is seemingly violated, the pure white snow also enhances his innocence.
Another setting in the story is the initial scene in the car when Mrs. Spence drives the child home for the first time. Mrs. Spence is trying to be nice and make friends with the child, but he is unsure of her driving and questions it. He feels unsafe and tells her she is a bad driver. The setting of the car reflects the general feelings of the child. Personally, I feel that he criticizes her not because she was a bad driver, but because he was unsure of her. He even calls her a stranger, although he knows her. The real stranger in this is the bus driver. This enhances the conflict between the two; Mrs. Spence just wants to be nice and make friends, and the child is unsure of her so he criticizes her.
As the story progresses Mrs. Spence invites the child to come over to her house and see her dog Candy. When they enter the room, the author tells us that the condo is filled with older fading paintings and is full of furniture that is worn, but not used much. This setting gives the reader information about Mrs. Spence. The condo, although decorated nicely, is not in great condition and is out of date. This shows the type of person she is: neat and tidy, yet her apartment is not full of new things. She makes the reference that it is not grand but it is a home nonetheless. This shows she does not care about fancy, expensive things. She is clearly a simple woman. In this section, the child plays with the dog in the backyard and Mrs. Spence tells him that Candy likes him. He insists that she come back to stay with them, this marks a turning point. Mrs. Spence and the child start to become friends. For once he enjoys something about her life and is not critical of her. This is also an example of SETTING+CHARACTER=PLOT. The setting is at Mrs. Spence’s condo and the child is the character. Due to this scene he begins to like her and it adds to the plot.
Personally, the setting is most powerful towards the end of the story. As it progresses in the end, the child allows Mrs. Spence to listen to him play the piano. He is unsure at first because he normally does not let anyone else listen to him play, but slowly he is okay with it. The house is the setting and earlier in the story it reflected the child’s loneliness and emptiness, but now it means more. The house, as a setting, is no longer a means of representing conflict but one of harmony between the two. As he plays for her day by day she moves a room closer to hear him. She moves closer as he becomes more comfortable. This represents that the two of them are beginning to be friends. Room by room she moves physically closer to hear him play, and this represents that they become closer, room by room at a time.

#3. Analyzing Setting
In Nathaniel Bellows short story, First Four Measures, the setting plays an integral role in the story. Upon closer assessment of the setting, the reader can find that it relates to the characters, creates conflict among characters, and helps to move along the plot. The boy in the story encounters obstacles at his lessons, as he also struggles to accept Mrs. Spence, his house sitter, as his friend.
In the beginning of the story the child is in his house; which is large and full of older furniture and artwork. His mother and father, who are both going away on business, convince him that being alone in the house would make it seem emptier than if there were no one in it at all. This first part shows the conflict between the character and the setting. The boy is obviously a teenager that is unhappy with his situation and does not seem to have many friends. The fact that his parents tell him that the house would be emptier with him alone in it stresses the fact that he seems to be lonely. The empty house enhances the fact that he is lonely. If it were a smaller house with more people in it, it would not make him seem as empty.
Another setting in the story is the church in which the child takes lessons from. Every mention of the church evokes cold, eerie emotions from the child. “The Church auditorium was large and echoing, with two grand pianos, a darkened stage with heavy velvet curtains, and a side room where mechanical floor polishers and cleaning supplies were stored” (BASS, 112). The description of the church tells the reader that it is not a very pleasant place to be. It seems dark and eerie and is a precursor to future events. The eerie feelings of the setting reflect how the child feels when Mr. Nichols grazes against him. If the scenes of the piano lesson took place anywhere other than the empty, dark, eerie church, it would probably not seem as creepy. If it took place in a school with other people around, the mood would most likely be lighter and the child would not feel as awkward. To further enhance the unsettling feelings of the child before the lessons, it is always snowy and cold, further enhancing the weird feelings. Personally, I believe that the snow also represents the purity of the child. In the scenes before he is seemingly violated, the pure white snow also enhances his innocence.
Another setting in the story is the initial scene in the car when Mrs. Spence drives the child home for the first time. Mrs. Spence is trying to be nice and make friends with the child, but he is unsure of her driving and questions it. He feels unsafe and tells her she is a bad driver. The setting of the car reflects the general feelings of the child. Personally, I feel that he criticizes her not because she was a bad driver, but because he was unsure of her. He even calls her a stranger, although he knows her. The real stranger in this is the bus driver. This enhances the conflict between the two; Mrs. Spence just wants to be nice and make friends, and the child is unsure of her so he criticizes her.
As the story progresses Mrs. Spence invites the child to come over to her house and see her dog Candy. When they enter the room, the author tells us that the condo is filled with older fading paintings and is full of furniture that is worn, but not used much. This setting gives the reader information about Mrs. Spence. The condo, although decorated nicely, is not in great condition and is out of date. This shows the type of person she is: neat and tidy, yet her apartment is not full of new things. She makes the reference that it is not grand but it is a home nonetheless. This shows she does not care about fancy, expensive things. She is clearly a simple woman. In this section, the child plays with the dog in the backyard and Mrs. Spence tells him that Candy likes him. He insists that she come back to stay with them, this marks a turning point. Mrs. Spence and the child start to become friends. For once he enjoys something about her life and is not critical of her. This is also an example of SETTING+CHARACTER=PLOT. The setting is at Mrs. Spence’s condo and the child is the character. Due to this scene he begins to like her and it adds to the plot.
Personally, the setting is most powerful towards the end of the story. As it progresses in the end, the child allows Mrs. Spence to listen to him play the piano. He is unsure at first because he normally does not let anyone else listen to him play, but slowly he is okay with it. The house is the setting and earlier in the story it reflected the child’s loneliness and emptiness, but now it means more. The house, as a setting, is no longer a means of representing conflict but one of harmony between the two. As he plays for her day by day she moves a room closer to hear him. She moves closer as he becomes more comfortable. This represents that the two of them are beginning to be friends. Room by room she moves physically closer to hear him play, and this represents that they become closer, room by room at a time.

I am choosing to do option 3 on J. Robert Lennon’s Eight Pieces for the Left Hand. The story struck me as interesting because it is divided into eight sections and describes eight different stories of people’s experiences in this town. Some of the songs I chose represent the plot of the story, while some represent the character’s feelings or emotions and some of the music style simply enhances the story.
One: The song I chose was “Why Can’t We Be Friends” by War. For some reason I can picture the song being played as all the incidents happen. It’s a friendly, upbeat song and for that reason I think it works well. The plot of the story is two rival schools fighting, and with a happy song it doesn’t relate to it but it does enhance it. If it appeared in the movie I think the song would have more of an impact because of the violent nature of the acts committed. The line of the song goes, “Why can’t we be friends?” and it repeats several times. They can’t be friends because they are rivals and hate each other, but they must attempt to come together in the end of the song.
Two: The song I chose for this part is “Fa Fa” by Guster. The song is about wishing you could be something different or do something differently. The chorus is, “Fa, Fa, never be the same again.” I think the line works on multiple levels. The author, who is jailed, will never be the same again, and his work isn’t either. The doctored poetry taints the actual manuscript he wrote and it will never be the same. The song relates to the feelings of the original author. It enhances the story because the reader would see that this man’s life and work is forever changed just as the lyrics are about a situation that is changed and will never be the same.
Three: I chose the song “Cookie Jar” by Jack Johnson. The song is about a boy who shoots someone, and every verse is about the perspective of the boy, father, and the media saying it wasn’t there fault and blaming it on someone else. The lyric in the song is, “It was you it was me it was every man, we’ve all got the blood on our hands, we only receive what we demand, and if we want hell then hell’s what we’ll have.” I think the song is powerful, because the story is about a tragic incident and where the blame lies. The theme of the song is how in society people never take responsibility for actions and this relates to the plot, while the characters actions in the story relate to each part in the song. The song enhances the story because it makes the point of the story more obvious.
Four: For this story I chose, “Baby Come Back to Me,” by 911. The story is about the author and how he loses his cat and realizes that his parents got a similar cat and pretended that it was the same. The story itself is not a very serious emotional one, so I felt that this song has a comical effect. Its purpose is to make the reader laugh because the song is about a person wanting his lover to come back, but the story is about an animal. The song doesn’t make the reader feel sorry for the author’s lost cat; its sole purpose is comedic relief.
Five: In the story, the wife of the author fears that the deaf child sign will somehow affect the unborn child, which is very superstitious. The reader knows the sign won’t cause the child to be deaf, but nonetheless it would provoke an uneasy feeling for a pregnant mother. The song I chose is “The Stone,” by The Dave Matthews Band. A lyric from the song is, “I’ve this creeping suspicion that things here are not as they seem. Oh reassure me, and why do I feel as if I’m in too deep.” The lyric represents the feeling of the pregnant mother, who is superstitious and feels that the sign will cause her child to be deaf. The husband reassures the wife it won’t, but goes as far as to throw the whole sign in the lake. The song would enhance the reader’s experience; it would let the reader know how seriously the mother feels about the sign in front of the house. The music style is very dark and dreary, so this part would feel like a horror or suspense movie to the reader.
Six: The song I selected for this story is “Two at a Time” by Guster. The song is not exactly about education of youths, but the chorus is “Two at a time, two at a time, do what you’re told.” I think it is appropriate for the song because the story is about how the students were told how to act in the play and it ended up hurting them. They became unresponsive and did not recognize others names. The chorus of the song would show the reader how being too demanding on children can be very detrimental to the child. The effectiveness of the song on the story goes beyond this; in the end of the song a choir of young children repeats the chorus, giving an added effect.
Seven: This story is about a professor who mocks a society of left handed people in his speech to them because they didn’t notice the newspaper reversed the negative, making him appear lefty. In the end he loses his right arm in a crash, and must learn to use his left hand. The most relevant song to this story is “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette. The whole story is about ironic situations that happened to people. The lyrics reflect the personal life of the professor, who is faced with an ironic situation. It enhances the story because it is ironic just as the story is.
Eight: The final song I chose was “Mad World” by Gary Jules. The song is about a person experiencing odd situations throughout his time, and it not only reflects the woman’s life, which is one filled with confusion, as she is a vagrant, but the whole entire eight pieces which are all interesting and crazy situations. The woman became so obsessed with making he work perfect, she went crazy. The style of the music is very soft, and is not only appropriate for the last story, but for ending the piece as a whole. It completes the short story for the reader because they realize not only was the last section about a mad world, but the whole piece was about a mad city.

This story was my favorite that I read so far. What made it so for me was the parallels I could draw from the first story to my own hometown. I'm sure alot of other people can relate too, but all the high schools listed and the rivalry between them is just like my hometown. The flats is the name of an area in my hometown, filled with middle class families and the Heights is just like a highschool in my area, filled with many upper class rich kids. There is even a Valley high school outside of my town which is rural, and another high school with the reputation as gang members.
After discussing the car as a symbol in class and re-reading the story, I began to see how each story with a car in it was more than just a car. It was a symbol that drove the story. In the first, cars were vandalized and used for violence, in the second, the poet was arrested on a DUI. Three of the other stories involved cars as well. I also found the story interesting because it was in a style I have never seen. All eight sections seemed like eight short stories that comprised the whole story and for that reason it made the story much better.

This is my first post in an online blog. I am really unfamiliar with using a blog, so I'm not sure how to use it. I am looking forward to a good semester in this class. I haven't taken any other writing intensive classes, but this class seems very interesting and I am looking forward to reading some of the materials. I'm not really sure what else to say on the blog, so I'll leave this short until I can read other people's entries and see an example.