#djp7

In the story “tlön,uqbar,orbis tertius” by Jorge Luis Borges there is a sense of realism. This means it uses metaphors to create a mirror to this world. It uses metaphors of perception in a world that is not in this planet. The way this world thinks about language, time and it’s application is described differently but in a way it takes us back to the world we live in.

Language in this world has many parts to it such as nouns, verbs and adjetives. However in the world of Tlön things are a little different. There are no nouns and instead “ the noun is formed by an accumulation of adjective “(borges ,9) a noun is still a noun as we think of it but they use different words to describe such a noun. In the book they use the example of a moon( borges,8). There is no word for moon but through a few more words the concept of a moon is conveyed. Apart from negating nouns or anything that might lead to classification, they also negate time. “ it reasons that the present is indefinite, that the future has no reality other than present hope , that the past has no reality other than a present memory “ ( Borges, 10) there is no past and no future in this book. In this world there is no present past or future but we speak of it and that world doesn’t. Like words, time is just a concept that they treat differently. In conclusion, a singular concept is portrayed in both world just explained differently.

During our week before Spring Break, we began to read and to discuss works that exemplify the Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism movements in American literary history. You read Mark Twain’s “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog.” We talked about humor, frame tales, and tall tales (Thank you Marissa). You read Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and it’s prequel story “At the ‘Cadian Ball.” We talked about dialect, The Cult of True Womanhood, sex and orgasm in a story written in 1898 and the imagery depicting/describing them. We talked about colorism and racism as depicted in the stories. We talked about traditional and changing “expectations.” For Monday, you are reading Charles W. Chestnutt’s “The Passing of Grandison,” Edith Wharton’s “The Quicksand,” and Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.”

For your Digital Journal Post 7, your task is to pull one of the themes mentioned in the “Introduction” to this section (pp. 1131-1139), define it, and use it to delve a bit deeper into one of the readings. (readings: Chopin, Twain, Chestnutt, Wharton, or London) For example: Pull something you know little about and look it up. I might read about Naturalism and “social darwinism” on page 1137, research the concept of “social darwinism” an then write about Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.”

Guideline 1: Find one theme or concept (from the “Introduction.”) and research it a bit so that you understand it’s meaning better.

Guideline 2: Connect this theme/concept with one of your readings (listed above).

Guideline 3: Write at least 2 full paragraphs summarizing your learning and connection.