Who invited you?

As Marlow continues his account of the expedition, affairs within the company seem to be unorganized and chaotic. Marlow's ship has been badly damaged and in need of repair. He is stuck in the ruthless jungle with little hope of seeing his way out, the repair is expected to take months. Marlow's encounter with the brick layer is strange. He observes that this man has a more luxurious resting place than most of the company men. He even has a whole candle to himself which seems to be unusual. What is even more unusual is that this "brick layer" does not seem to exhibit any work at all. He does not deserve the luxuries of light and comfort that have been presented to him. There is no sign of the brick layer's trade within the station. This makes Marlow question if his presence is truly needed. He describes this station as "unreal as everything else--as the philanthropic pretence of the whole concern, as their talk, as their government, as their show of work" (93). There is no purpose to their presence in this station or the entire region. He compares the state of this station to the company as a whole. There seems to be no form of organization and no philanthropic goals. The only thing present is the selfish exploitation of the native community, senseless jobs and the dark jungle.

Marloooooh

The novel begins on a ship, with the narrator detailing the Thames river and its brilliance. He is abruptly interrupted by Marlow, an experienced seaman, pessimistically reminding him of the dangers as well. Marlow seems to be a realist, stating that although the Thames has been a place of excellence, it has also "been one of the darkest places of the Earth" (Conrad 67). Marlow goes on to share an account of his expedition to the Congo. He describes the natives as near death, malnourished, chained and overworked. He also claims that the Company he works for, labels them as enemies. In the following paragraph he describes the white accountant with his fancy, elegant and expensive clothes. The juxtaposition of these paragraphs further illuminates the extreme differences in culture. The wealthy aristocrats with garments of silk ruling over the native tribes who do not even wear clothing. This so called "trading" company is really just exploiting the natives tribes for their resources. As Marlow explains, the shore has washed away the natives' once primitive lifestyle with the legality of contracts and slavery.

Peace out

I would choose to leave. I would not be able to live with the fact that everyone in Omelas prospers off  the exploitation of an innocent child. I would run for the hills with the hope of inspiring more individuals to make my choice. When I am depressed or sad, I tend to take the world's problems and make them my own. I'll find myself crying about the existence of predator drones and war in the Middle East, making my initial cause of despair obsolete. I don't know if that makes me an angst ridden teenager or a compassionate person. I would simply go mad if I knew about the existence of that child. I would camp out in the mountains and meditate, live without luxury. I just could not stay in that city. No matter how many muscular dudes begged me to stay and copulate with them, I could not live with the guilt. Pretending that it does not exist, does not change anything.

I Go Back to May 1937

In this poem by Sharon Olds, she is looking at a photograph of her parents graduating from college. She talks of their innocence and naiveness, unaware of their whole life ahead of them. She urgently wishes to warn them against a potentially disastrous relationship. However, she knows that her warning would bring about quite a predicament. She would not exist if it weren't for her parents dysfunctional relationship. Even though her parents suffered because of their choices, she was born to write and tell of these events. She wants to save them from the sad situation but she makes the selfish choice of life as opposed to her parents happiness

A Broken Appointment

This poem by Thomas Hardy details a certain woman who is uninterested in him. The first line of the first stanza (which is also the last line), "you did not come", illustrates a disappointed and despondent Thomas Hardy. He has been let down by this fair woman, who did not show up when she was expected. Hardy's use of the words, loss, numb, grieved and reluctance help contribute to the poem's melancholic and hopeless tone. This mystery woman never came to soothe Hardy's sorrows and does not love him as he loves her. This is  evident by the first line of the second stanza "you love not me" (also the last line). He uses the parallel structure of "you did not come" and "you love not me" to make his sadness clear. He places the responsibility of his unhappiness upon this woman.

Denial-George Herbert

In the poem Denial by George Herbert, he discusses his doubtfulness in the existence of God. The tone of this piece is melancholic and defeated. Herbert discusses his desperate devotions to God that fall on his "silent ears". The moment when he needs God's guidance there seems to be no answer or "no hearing". Herbert uses the metaphor "My feeble spirit, unable to look right, like a nipped blossom, hung, discontented". He compares his weak spirit to a nipped blossom. Herbert's spirit is unsatisfied with his current circumstances just as a blossom would be if it were to be plucked. Herbert's poem also acts as another desperate call to God, as he asks God to waste no time and to mend his rime. Herbert's use of the word "rime" illustrates a wintry, dreary and depressing scene. Herbert seems to be desperate for God's assistance but has lost faith that he is listening to the cries.

Same Love

Antonio's relationship with Bassanio is full of overwhelming love and loyalty. Antonio is more than willing to risk all of his wealth and his life, in order to fulfill the aspirations of his dearest friend. However, there is a point where one begins to question, is this just innocent amity? Or is there a more hidden, intimate relationship between Antonio and Bassanio? There are several scenes with Anotonio  that make the reader question whether or not he is a heterosexual. As Bassanio proposes the loan to Antonio, he finds that his friend is eager to offer his aid. Antonio informs Bassanio that, "[his] purse, [his] person, [his] extremist means/Lie all unlocked to [Bassanio's] occasion" (1.1.137-138). Not only does Antonio offer up his wealth but also his person. This could be interpreted to have some sexual dimensions, Antonio possibly alluding to a more than friendly relationship between himself and Bassanio. In Act 2, Antonio claims "he only loves the world" (2.8.50) for Bassanio. Antonio's love seems to be dramatic considering Bassanio is just his pal. Antonio also convinces Bassanio to give away Portia's ring. Were there hidden motives behind this persuasion? Antonio perhaps secretly resents Portia for being Bassanio's lover. When Bassanio gives away the ring it symbolizes a dim future for his relationship with Portia. Maybe once they're in Splitsville, him and Antonio can live happily ever after like it was always meant to be. 

Faith can heal you

Out of all the characters in The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is the only one who practices Judaism. Intolerance of the Jewish faith is apparent amongst the Christian characters in the play. Shylock's treatment by the other characters is harsh, he suffers many verbal insults and criticisms. Not only is he spat upon by Antonio but Shylock is also referred to as the devil by Solanio. The Christians seem to have no patience for Shylock, often teasing and belittling him. Shylock's thirst for vengeance is fueled by his mistreatment by others. However, Shylock is not merely a victim. He reveals his true feelings about Antonio in Act 1, Scence 3: "I hate him for he is a Christian" (1.3.38). Antonio hates Shylock because he is a Jew and Shylock hates Antonio because he is a Christian. This religious conflict contributes to the other conflicts within the play, such as Antonio and Shylock's disturbing money for flesh agreement. Shylock's hatred towards Antonio is so fierce that he does not care about losing 3,000 ducats. He simply wants to watch Antonio suffer for all the cruelties he has committed towards Shylock. This Christan Vs. Jew conflict may also mirror the thoughts and feelings of many Elizabetheans of time period, seeing as Jews were officially banned from England in 1290.