"Down and Out in Paris and London" follows the life of tramps, or people that went "down and out" in life. We read chapter XXXIII, and I am going to share my thoughts around that chapter.
First of all, I would like to say that the author is astonishing in a way that he makes the reader feel like he/she is really close to the main characters, which makes it more personal and real. He also writes in a very "British" way, using words that are rarerly used in the American language, such as "have-nots, margarine, crown (money) ect."
Moreover, Orwell is really good at catching a reader, and he also makes it easy to both understand and continiue reading, which often is a problem among authors. His way of making the language and dialogue flow is something to point out, as it is one of the most important aspects of his writings.
However, the story follows tramps living in both Paris and London, and how they manage to come around and about in the cold and dim cities, living far below the poverty line, and in a collective of men and women that are considered to be failures in the society. The tramps usually sleep in churches and other places that are there for the poor and the needy, and they spend their days glimmering and strolling about in the streets of the city. The chapter ends with all the tramps rioting against a local church because they somehow feel that the church looks down on them, and helps out because the church thinks that the tramps actually needs it.
I like this text because the author's language is very good, and so the reader gets interested. On the controrary I think that it has somehow grown to be too old, and out of date. It is always interesting to read about "real" persons and characters, and the book is truly one of the better by British authors.
Mathias~
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/bookclub/down-and-out-in/
mandag 21. september 2009
tirsdag 1. september 2009
"Does It Matter"
Losing your legs, losing your sight and losing your mind or dream.
No, because the poem explains that by fighting in a war the soldier will earn respect among his or her community. However, the poem is very ironic. It feels like the soldier has given up, and does not care about his or her life.
The reason why this poem has experienced some sort of revival considering its popularity is because Britain is still involved in wars, such as the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We feel that "Does It Matter" were more appealing to us than "The Soldier" because "The Soldier" was very complicated and difficult to understand, while "Does It Matter" was easier to read between the lines. It was filled with a sort of melancholy which gave the poem depth.
After seeing the documentary on YouTube, it became clear that the author had the background necessary to write such a poem, criticizing the government and the society for sending the lower-class families into the war, and not caring enough for the injured after the war. The British goverment could not hold him in court, as he was known around the country for his heroism, so they submitted him to a mental hospital instead.
Mathias~
No, because the poem explains that by fighting in a war the soldier will earn respect among his or her community. However, the poem is very ironic. It feels like the soldier has given up, and does not care about his or her life.
The reason why this poem has experienced some sort of revival considering its popularity is because Britain is still involved in wars, such as the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We feel that "Does It Matter" were more appealing to us than "The Soldier" because "The Soldier" was very complicated and difficult to understand, while "Does It Matter" was easier to read between the lines. It was filled with a sort of melancholy which gave the poem depth.
After seeing the documentary on YouTube, it became clear that the author had the background necessary to write such a poem, criticizing the government and the society for sending the lower-class families into the war, and not caring enough for the injured after the war. The British goverment could not hold him in court, as he was known around the country for his heroism, so they submitted him to a mental hospital instead.
Mathias~
My hometowns
For as long as I can remember, my mom and my dad has lived seperate lives. Therefore, I have two hometowns, and as I spend a year in the US, I feel that Chaska is a place where I belong as well. Because of that, I actually have three hometowns where I feel like I'll always be welcome, so in this post I'll tell you guys some information about all three of them.
My mother lives in a house in Dønski, which lies a few kilometers out from Sandvika. The name has earned quite the reputation over the years, as many immigrants were housed there starting in the late 1980s. Many people jokingly call Dønski the ghetto, but that's just because they've never been there before. Dønski is a great place to grow up, being close to soccer fields, schools and other commericial buildings. There's also a lot of kids there, so you rarely see a kid playing by him or herself.
My dad moved to Frogner, which is a part of Oslo. He lives in an apartment with his partner and my stephsister. Frogner is known to be " one of the better parts of Oslo," as many wealthy citizens live there. I oppose that, because most of the people living there are just old and irritated, like they didn't have time to live their life. The few good things about Frogner is that it's close to one of the biggest movie theaters in Norway, and there's several beautiful parks there that people can stroll through all year around.
My third and last hometown is Chaska, which is a city to the south-west of Minneapolis in the middle of the United States. The city lies within Carver County, which is considered to be a suburb of the Twin Cities. I lived there for a year, and it was really exciting to live the life of an American student.
Mathias~
My mother lives in a house in Dønski, which lies a few kilometers out from Sandvika. The name has earned quite the reputation over the years, as many immigrants were housed there starting in the late 1980s. Many people jokingly call Dønski the ghetto, but that's just because they've never been there before. Dønski is a great place to grow up, being close to soccer fields, schools and other commericial buildings. There's also a lot of kids there, so you rarely see a kid playing by him or herself.
My dad moved to Frogner, which is a part of Oslo. He lives in an apartment with his partner and my stephsister. Frogner is known to be " one of the better parts of Oslo," as many wealthy citizens live there. I oppose that, because most of the people living there are just old and irritated, like they didn't have time to live their life. The few good things about Frogner is that it's close to one of the biggest movie theaters in Norway, and there's several beautiful parks there that people can stroll through all year around.
My third and last hometown is Chaska, which is a city to the south-west of Minneapolis in the middle of the United States. The city lies within Carver County, which is considered to be a suburb of the Twin Cities. I lived there for a year, and it was really exciting to live the life of an American student.
Mathias~
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