INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011M THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 2, PAGE 37

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations, Chapter 2, beginning Page 37

247. Page 37, Paragraph 1: Marlow overhears the manager and his uncle discussing Kurtz.
248. Page 37: What sort of influence Kurtz might have be of detriment to the manager and his uncle?
249. Page 37: The uncle suggests that the climate may remove the Kurtz problem. What does he mean?
250.Page 37: The manager reveals that Kurtz sent a messenger to him with a note saying he would not welcome any more men such as this messenger carrying that message. Does this look like killing the messenger?
251. Page 37: Marlow, now fully awake, continues to lie in the steamboat.
252. Page 38, continuing paragraph from Page 37: The uncle "growls" a question about all the ivory at this station. He is said to be "vexed" about its presence there? Is not ivory the religion of all these people including the buccaneers?
253. Page 38: The manager states that the ivory arrived in canoes under the charge of an English half-cast. What does this mean?
254. Page 38: The two men marvel that Kurtz turned back in a dug-out with only four paddling savages. Kurtz willingness to do this will become clear as we read further.
255. Page 38: The half-cast reports that Kurtz had been very ill and had recovered imperfectly.
256. Page 38: Marlow hears parts of a conversation with such words as "doctor," "Military Post," "unavoidable delays," "no news," "strange rumors," and "nine months." What do these words suggest?
257. Page 38: We are introduced to a "wandering trader" described as a "pestilential fellow." snapping ivory from the natives. We will learn more about him later.
258. Page 38: The manager wishes that Kurtz and the pestilential fellow be hanged. Why?
259. Page 38: The uncle declares that the law of the jungle would allow for the hanging of the two men and that the manager's position is secure.
260. Page 39, continuing paragraph from Page 38: Although the manager has not ordered the rivets, he claims the delays are not his fault.
261. Page 39: What may have the manager taken care to do before he left Europe?
262. Page 39: The uncle states that the situation is "very sad." Which aspects of the "situation" is he referring to?
263. Page 39: What is the import of the manager's complaint about Kurtz, " And the pestiferous absurdity of his talk." .."he bothered me enough when he was here. Each station should be like a beacon on the road to better things, a center for trade of course, but also for humanizing, improving, instructing." Keep this in mind for when we meet the "real Kurtz.


BENEFICIUM ACCIPERE LIBERTATEM EST VENDERE!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011, MIDDLE OF PAGE 33

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations starting in the middle of Page 33

220. Page 33: The Brickmaker states that only brutes lead a charmed life in the Congo, men do not. What is the import of this and the retelling of the hippo episode? Was it merely to change the subject?
221. Page 33: Marlow speaks of the Brickmaker's hooked nose and mica eyes. If we add this to his previous descriptions of him, what do we gain from the totality?
222. Page 33: Is there any justification in the text for Marlow's new hopefulness?"
223. Page 33: Why does Marlow compare his steamboat to a Huntley & Palmer biscuit-tin. Biscuits are called cookies in the U. S.
224. Page 33: Why does Marlow come to love his steamboat?
225. Page 33: Marlow tells us he does not like work, but, on the other hand, it brings him some sort of satisfaction. What is this satisfaction? Does this information conflict with his opinion of efficiency?
226. Page 33, first new paragraph: Introduction of the Boilermaker.
227. Page 33: Why do the pilgrims despise the Boilermaker?
228. Page 34, continuing paragraph from Page 33: Why does Marlow give us so very much detail about the life of the Boilermaker?
229. Page 34: "Serviette" is table napkin. What is the purpose of the information Marlow gives us about it?
230. Page 34, first new paragraph: Marlow tells the Boilermaker the rivets are coming. Is there evidence in the text to justify his belief?
231. Page 34: Note the noisy dance to celebrate the rivets and the pilgrims' reaction.
232. Page 34: Is the description of the reaction of the jungle a continuation of the earlier extended metaphor giving human characteristics to it?
233. Page 34. The splashes from the river are compared to an ichthyosaurus, a fish-lizard dinosaur.
234.Page 35, continuing paragraph from page 34: Marlow repeats that the rivets are coming and in three weeks.
235. Page 35, first new paragraph: Of course, the rivets did not come.
236. Page 35: The arrival of Eldorado Exploring Expedition in five groups each headed by a man on a donkey impresses the pilgrims. Is there a religious allusion here?
237. Page 35: Marlow then compares the expedition to thieves bringing in loot. What is this loot?
238. Page 35: Why has the expedition called itself gold-plated? Is it not ivory all these Europeans are after? In the Spanish experience in the Americas, Eldorado was the city of gold.
239. Page 35, Paragraph 2: "This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy. Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage..." What is the figure of speech employed here?
240. Page 35: "Buccaneer" is a French word derived from the Brazilian word "boucan." A boucan is a grill used cook meat. It was used by French hunters of wild oxen in Haiti. A buccaneer is thus a user of such a grill. It is now construed to mean pirate.
241. Page 35: Marlow does not know who has financed the expedition.
242. Page 35, Paragraph 3: Note the description of the manager's uncle, the leader of the expedition. Why does Marlow have an immediate negative opinion of the man?
243. Page 35: What is the analogy indicated by the word "infested?"
244. Page 35: "confab" is confabulation; it means getting together to talk. "Fabulor" is the deponent Latin verb for talk. It is also seen in such words as fable.
245. Page 36, Paragraph 1: Marlow has given up on worrying about the rivets.
246. Page 36: Marlow ponders how Kurtz has set about the moral work that he is said to wish to do.

THIS IS THE END OF PART ONE.


.IGNIS AURUM PROBAT, MISERIA FORTES VIROS

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011, TOP OF PAGE 31

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations starting at the top of Page 31

201. Page 31, top of the page: Marlow says lying has the "taint of death." Can you make the connection?
202. Page 31: Marlow describes the Brickmaker as "a young fool" and continues to let him think he is an insider. Why?
203. Page 31: Marlow says, "I became in an instant as much of a pretense as the rest of the bewitched pilgrims. This simply because I had a notion it somehow would be of help to that Kurtz whom at the time I did not see--you understand." At this point, why would Marlow wish to help Kurtz? Do you consider Marlow "a bewitched pilgrim?"
204. Page 31: Marlow compares his present reality to a dream. Discuss the elements of this situation.
205. Page 31, new paragraph 2: Discuss the metaphysical question Marlow touches on in this short paragraph.
206. Page 31, paragraph 3: Why does Marlow say his listeners see more in his story than he was able to at the time of his observations? Does this have a connection with the metaphysical question touched on in the paragraph above?
207. Page 31, paragraph 4: Why does the first narrator search for a word that gives a clew (sic) to the "faint uneasiness" inspired by this narrative? What is this uneasiness if it exists?
208. Page 32, paragraph 1: The Brickmaker speaks of "the necessity of every man to get on." Does this explain his continuing belief that Marlow is well-connected?
209. Page 32: The Brickmaker describes Kurtz as a "universal genius," but even such a person needs "adequate tools." Is this simply a justification for the Brickmaker's not making bricks?
210. Page 32: The Brickmaker does secretarial work for the manager. Is this a way for him to "get on?"
211. Page 32: Marlow lacks rivets for the repair of the steamboat. Are these the "tools' he needs for his success in this enterprise?
212. Page 32: Marlow relates that there was a surfeit of rivets at the coast. He; however, cannot have them where they are needed to repair the steamboat. Is this reinforcement for Marlow's complaint that the Belgians lack efficiency?
213. Page 32: Every week a lone messenger leaves for the coast and several times a week caravans visit the station bringing brightly-colored cloth, beads and spotted cotton handkerchiefs. Do we have echos of these items in modern stereotyping of Black culture?
214. Page 32, paragraph 2: Why does the Brickmaker tell Marlow that he fears neither God nor devil. How does this contribute to the narrative? We may find out later.
215. Page 32 , at the bottom of the page: Is the Brickmaker saying the manager has not told him to request rivets in the letters the manager dictates to him?
216. Page 33, continuing paragraph from Page 32: What is Marlow suggesting the Brickmaker do?
217. Page 33: The Brickmaker changes the subject by introducing the scenario of the nightly visits of a hippo.
218. Page 33: The pilgrims empty their rifles at the hippo.
219. Page 33: The Brickmaker states the hippo has a charmed life. Does this contribute to an extended metaphor together with the personification of the jungle and the temple metaphor?

FORTUNA VITREA EST: TUM CUM SPLENDET FRANGITUR.

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011, STARTING PAGE 29

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations, continuing at the top of Page 29

181. Page 29, continuing paragraph from Page 29: Why has Marlow decided to play along with the Brickmaker? Or stated differently, why does he not tell him he is not an insider?
182. Page 29, first new paragraph: The man with the moustache says, "Serve him right. Transgression--punishment--Bang! Pitiless, pitiless." Can we call this Belgian "tough love?" Conrad does not give us Marlow's reaction to this sentiment. Why not? "Heep of muffs" Muffs is a contemptuous term for foreigners in the English language. Keep in mind we do not know the language being used at this time.
183. Page 29: Is there any evidence in the text to justify the antipathy of the man with the moustache to the Brickmaker?
184. Page 29: Is "servile heartiness" an oxymoron? "Servare" is the Latin verb "to serve." Servus is Latin for slave. Hence, servile means characteristic of a slave or, at minimum , humble. "Heartiness" means characterized by warmth and friendliness; cordial and sincere. You do the math!
185. Page 29: "Beyond the fence the forest stood up spectrally in the moonlight and through the dim stir the faint sounds of that lamentable courtyard, went home to one's very heart,--its mystery, its greatness, the amazing reality of its concealed life." Identify the extended metaphor.
186. Page 29: "Lamentable" is from the Latin deponent verb "lamentarai" meaning to bemoan, bewail, grieve or morn.
187. Page 29: "...went home to one's heart...' Do these words and the previously mentioned extended metaphor justify our saying, "Marlow has experienced an epiphany?"
188. Page 29: We have returned to "real time" as Marlow now says. " The hurt nigger moaned feebly somewhere nearby..." Earlier he had told us the man had gone into the forest to die. We determined that was prolepsis.
189. Page 30, continuing paragraph from page 29: The Brickmaker again asks Marlow to give a good account of this station to Kurtz.
190. Page 30, first new paragraph: What does "papier-mache Mephistopheles" mean in this context? The name Mephistopheles is of uncertain Greek and or Hebrew origin and seem to be a combination of liar and destroyer. In medieval legend, Faust was said to have sold his soul to him for earthly riches and power. It has come to mean a crafty, powerful, malevolent devil.
191. Page 30: Does Marlow's description of the Brickmaker evoke a modern interpretation: an empty suit waiting to be kicked upstairs.
192. Page 30: "Precipitately" means happening or done very hastily or rashly; impetuous, headstrong. In the original Latin, it is construed to mean rushing or falling headlong. Could the scientific meanings apply, as well?
193. Page 30: The steamer is compared to the carcass of a river animal.
194. Page 30: "The smell of the primeval mud, by Jove! was in my nostrils, the high stillness of primeval forest was before my eyes; there were shiny patches on the black creek. The moon had spread over everything a thin layer of silver--over the rank grass, over the mud, upon the wall of matted vegetation standing higher than the wall of a temple..." Discuss the imagery here.
195. Page 30:The word "rank" has many meanings. Here it seems to mean strong growth, perhaps with a bad smell. "Primeval" means of the first ages.
196. Page 30: In the previous quotation, what sort of temple is suggested?
197. Page 30: Note the juxtaposition of "somber gap and "glittering, glittering."
198. Page 30: Marlow ponders whether the immensity of the jungle will handle the Europeans or the Europeans will handle it? What is his meaning?
199. Page 30: Marlow tries to envision what is in the jungle and compares his thoughts to those of people who might believe Mars is inhabited. Explain and justify this comparison, if possible.
200. Page 30, at the very bottom of the page: Is Marlow's story of the "Scotch" (sic) sailmaker analepsis? By the way, it should be "Scottish" as scotch is a whiskey or a child's game.

FORSAN ET HAEC OLIM MEMINISSE IUVABIT!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011, BOTTOM OF PAGE 22

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations starting at the bottom of Page 22

142. Page 22: Why does Marlow make his speech to the natives in English? We know he speaks French.
143. Page 22: The injured man is eager for Marlow to kill someone?
144. Page 23, continuing paragraph from page 22: What causes Marlow to remember the doctor's words?
145. Page 23: "...a pretty border of smelly mud on one side..." Is there a contradiction here?
146. Page 23: "Crazy" has a range of meanings: insane, cracked, unsound, and rickety. Which one fits here?
147: Page 23: "A neglected gap was all the gate it had, and the first glance at the place was enough to let you see the flabby devil was running that show. What or who is the "flabby devil?"
Which figures of speech are involved in this term?
148. Page 23: What information does the excitable chap with a moustache give Marlow?
149. Page 23: "Everybody had behaved splendidly! Splendidly!.." Is this the "stiff upper lip mentality attributed to the British? Is Marlow thinking with an English brain? Is it Marlow or Conrad coming through?
150. Page 23, first new paragraph: What thought comes to the back of Marlow's mind on hearing the details of the sinking of the steamer?
151. Page 24, continuing paragraph from Page 23: Discuss Marlow's first impressions on meeting the manager.
152. Page 24: "Trenchant" means keen, penetrating or incisive.
153. Page 24: What has kept this manager in his job?
154. Page 24: A "Jack" is a common fellow or a sailor. The manager seems to have been a "Jack ashore" What does this image communicate?
155. Page 24: Marlow ponders what makes the manager great.
156. Page 24: "Men who come out here should have no entrails..." The manager did not speak these words to Marlow. How can he tell us about this? Is this analepsis?
157. Page 24: Does the manager fancy himself King Arthur?
158. Page 25, continuing paragraph from page 24: Why does the manager allow his boy to treat the white men with insolence?
159. Page 25: What is the manager's rationale for taking the steamer up river?
160. Page 25: What rumors does the manager convey to Marlow?
161. Page 25: Why is the manager so very abstracted?
162. Page 25; Marlow marvels at the accuracy of the manager's estimate of the time it will take to repair the steamer.
163. Page 26, continuing paragraph from page 25: Why does Marlow focus on his work?
164. Page 26: What does the pilgrim image imply?
165. Page 26: What is the god of these pilgrims?
166. Page 26: Discuss the concept invasion versus wilderness.
167. Page 26, first new paragraph: The shed burns, people behave irrationally, but Marlow is told everybody was "behaving splendidly, splendidly." Is this the operation was a success, but the patient died?
168. Page 26, Paragraph 2: A native is blamed for the fire, is beaten and goes off into the wilderness to die.
169. Page 27, continuing paragraph from Page 26: Within earshot of Marlow, two men discuss the possibility of Kurtz' taking advantage of the shed disaster. Why is this a problem?
170. Page 27: One of these two men, a gentleman first class agent invites Marlow to his quarters. This agent has candles although only the manager is allowed to have them. He is the brickmaker, but he makes no bricks. What is Conrad's purpose in this encounter? Marlow says all this is unreal to him.
171. Page 27: What are the pilgrims waiting for?
172. Page 28, continuing paragraph from Page 27: What is the import of one man's stealing a horse is okay, but another man may not even look at a halter?
173. Page 28, first new paragraph: Why does the brickmaker think Marlow is well connected in Europe? Why does he seek information from him and about whom?
174. Page 28: "Mica discs" are complex silicates formed in mirror-like discs.
175. Page 28: "Superciliousness" is the condition of having one's eyebrows raised. It can connote pride, contempt, haughtiness, disapproval, scorn or arrogance. Which one fits Marlow's thought?
176. Page 28: Why is Marlow "full of chills?"
177. Page 28: What is the brickmaker's justification for thinking Marlow a prevaricator?
178. Page 28, second new paragraph: Marlow asks about Kurtz.
179. Page 28, third new paragraph: Kurtz is described as a prodigy and an emissary of pity, science and progress. Keep this in mind for when we meet Kurtz.
180. Page 29, continuing paragraph from page 28: Why does the brickmaker continue to believe that Marlow is an insider and knows Kurtz' future?


OPTIMUM EST PATI QUOD EMENDARE NON POSSIS!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011. STARTING PAGE 17

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations starting Page 17

113. Page 17, Continuing paragraph from page 16: In an American scenario, the native with the rifle might be labeled an "Uncle Tom." Does his "rascally grin" indicate his holding a secret or merely his understanding the "joke" of the situation? What "partnership" is suggested?
114. Page 17, first new paragraph: Why does Marlow compare all the various kinds of "devils" he has known to the men running the ivory trade? Is this comparison a prefiguring of Kurtz? Is it prolepsis since he has not yet met Kurtz?
115. Page 17, last paragraph: Does Marlow's mention of the "make-work" project reinforce his previous sarcastic remarks? If so, in what ways? Which word indicates heavy-duty sarcasm?
116. Page 17: Marlow continues to hammer home the Belgians lack of efficiency.
117. Page 18: continuing paragraph from Page 17: Is "gloomy inferno" an oxymoron? Why or why not?
118. Page 18, Paragraphs 1 and 2: Which terms or images contribute to Marlow's description of the pit of death?
119. Page 18: Marlow attempts to give food to the man with the white worsted "round" his neck. Explain Marlow's puzzlement about this accessory.
120. Page 19, first new paragraph: More horrific scenes of the dying
121. Page 19, Paragraph 2: Introduction of the accountant "in full dress:" Why does Marlow tell us this detail? Is it important?
122. Page 19, Paragraph 3: Marlow learns more about Kurtz whose name he does not yet know, but tells us that his memories will be connected to that man. Is this a bit of prolepsis?
123. Page 20, Continuing paragraph from Page 19: How has the accountant managed to keep up appearances?
124. Page 20: The accountant's books are in "apple-pie" order.
125. Page 20, first new paragraph: Belgians barter junk for ivory. Note the use of the "N" word.
126. Page 20, Paragraph 2: Note the poor construction of the accountant's office.
127. Page 20: "Truckle-bed" is trundle bed in American parlance. It is a low bed on casters that can slide under a regular bed.
128. Page 20: The groans of the sick man annoy the accountant.
129. Page 20: The accountant speaks Kurtz' name and says that Marlow will meet him.
130. Page 20, Paragraph 4: A caravan headed by a chief arrives to barter their ivory.
131. Page 21, continuing paragraph from page 20: The accountant urges Marlow to deliver a positive evaluation of the accountant's station. Why?
132. Page 21: The Central Station was Kinshasa.
133. Page 21: The accountant tells of Kurtz' prospects.
134. Page 21, first new paragraph: Note the pun: "the homeward-bound" agent.
135. Page 21, Paragraph 2: No steamer was available so Marlow had to hike with natives and others to Kinshasa.
136. Page 21, Paragraph 3: Discuss the analogy that continues on Page 22.
137. Page 22, continuing paragraph from Page 21: What is "pathetically childish" in the ruins of grass walls?
138. Page 22: Death of natives in harness
139. Page 22: Marlow's sarcastic comment on "roadway upkeep."
140. Page 22: Sixteen stone is 224 pounds.
141. Page 22: "They jibbed...." They balked, they refused to go forward.

HABENT SUA FATA LIBRI.

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011, STARTING PAGE 14 OF HEART OF DARKNESS

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations starting page 14 of Heart of Darkness


95. Page 15, paragraph 1: Has Marlow lost any good feelings he may have had for Colonialism? Did he, in fact ever entertain such feelings? Review the scene with his aunt.
96. Page 15: Note the term "catacomb." Not only does this suggest death but, also, the dark, dank, and most unpleasant burial grounds of the dead. People were not given a respectful burial; their diseased bodies, mostly from the black death, were summarily dumped in these underground pits. You may view them in Rome, Vienna, Paris, and other ancient European cities.
97. Page 15: Does the expression "impotent despair" suggest the mood of Marlow's story" Contrast this with what you, at this point, have come to believe is Conrad's tone.
98. Page 15: "It was like a weary pilgrimage amongst hints for nightmares." Is Marlow suggesting his venture is a journey into the absurd?
99. Page 15, paragraph 2: At this time "the seat of government" would have been Leopoldville. It had been named for the King of the Belgians; it is now called Kinshasa.
100. Page 15, paragraph 3, Marlow will go upstream on a steamboat captained by a Swede. Note that men from non-colonial powers are involved in Africa. He lets Marlow join him on the bridge.What is the purpose of his question about what happens to "that kind" when they go upstream?
101. Page 15: "athwart" means across the course or length of something.
102. Page 15: A Swede has hanged himself. Why is Marlow told this?
103. Page 16, continuing paragraph from page 15: Marlow details more on the lack of efficiency.
104. Page 16: A "jetty" is a seawall often with a pier.
105. Page 16: "Recrudescence" has two basic meanings: become fresh or raw and to break out fresh after a period of decline. Which fits Marlow's idea?
106. Page 16, paragraph 2, Why does Marlow use the pig imagery?
107. Page 16: "Bowlders" are roller drums or wheels in some machines.
108. Page 16: Note the decaying machinery's being compared to the carcass of a dying animal.
109. Page 16: "objectless blasting" shows more lack of efficiency.
110. Page 16: Why is building the railway useless? How does Marlow know it is useless?
111. Page 16, paragraph 3: Black work crews are chained together and regarded as "criminals"
112. Page 16: "bights" are the loops between the chains.


EXERCITATIO OPTIMUS EST MAGISTER!

INFORMATION FOR ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011 STARTING PAGE 11

I. Review of previous discussions

II. New annotations

64. Page 11, first line of paragraph 1: " 'A simple formality,' assured me the secretary, with an air of taking an immense part in all my sorrows." What sorrows is Marlow suggesting?
65. Page 11: Brussels referred to as "whited sepulcher." and "city of the dead."
66. Page 11: A cravat, in this case, a scarf-like tie is an article of male apparel worn around the neck.
67. Page 11: What is the purpose of this interlude with the clerk?
68. Page 11, paragraph 2: The body has a pulse; he is good to go. Is this the same idea as his French is good, he has the job?
69. Page 11: The doctor wishes to measure Marlow's head for academic purposes.
70. Page 11: Why does Marlow regard the doctor as a harmless fool?
71. Page 11: Does the doctor ever see any returnees? If he does not, why does he continue to measure heads?
72: Page 11: Why does the doctor ask if there has ever been an madness in Marlow's family?
73. Page 11: What is an alienist?
74. Page 12, continuing paragraph from page 11: If the doctor never sees any of the "patients" again, how can his measurements contribute to any research?
75. Page 12: Why does Marlow say he is not typical?
76: Page 12: Can something be profound but erroneous?
77. Page 12, paragraph 1: Why is Marlow's aunt triumphant?
78. Page 12: Marlow's aunt had presented him to her big-wheel friends as a gifted creature. Does having a pulse and the ability to speak French constitute a gifted creature? Stated differently, was it necessary for her to present Marlow as such person?
79. Page 12: Marlow says his aunt considers him a "Worker" using the upper case w. What is his meaning? What is her meaning?
80. Page 12: What does the term "emissary of light" reinforce?
81. Page. 12: What is Marlow's complaint against the print media of that time?
82. Page. 12: Marlow states that his aunt is "out of touch." To us, this smacks of sexism, but we live in a time in which we consider men and women equal; however, in those days, if women had power, it was behind the scenes as in Marlow's aunt's ability to secure him a position by working through her connections. Perhaps the question should be was she out of touch or merely idealist?
83. Page 13, first paragraph: Why does Marlow's aunt recommend wool clothing for the Congo?
84. Page 13: During his conversation with his aunt, why does Marlow come to feel like an impostor?
85. Page 13: Why does Marlow experience "a startled pause" before starting off for Belgium?
86. Page 13: Note Africa's seductive powers. Do they suggest the term "mal d'Afrique?"
87. Page 13: Note the description of the African Coast.
88. Page 13: Do the actions of the French seem robotic? Why or Why not?
89. Page 14, continuing paragraph from Page 13: Why do the names of the settlements and the situation in general suggest a theater piece to Marlow?
90. Page 14: How can the "voice of the surf" suggest the "speech of a brother?"
91. Page 14: Note Marlow's description of the natives.
92. Page 14: The "man-of-war" is lazily swaying up and down in the surf while "firing into a continent." Explore this image.
93. Page 14: Note the term "man-of-war" can be understood from context clues.
94. Page 14: "Nothing could happen. There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a camp of natives--he called them enemies--hidden out of sight somewhere." What does this have to do with Marlow's belief in efficiency?


SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI.

INFORMATION FOR ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011 STARTING PAGE 6

I. Review of previous discussion.

II. New annotations:

32. Page 6: In paragraph 2, Marlow says his experience, though somber, threw a kind of light. Please keep this in mind as you read.
33. Page 6: Returning from the Far East, Marlow visits his friends, then seeks work on ships.
34. Page 6: "...just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you." What is the import of the word choice "civilize."
35. Page 6: Marlow, as a child, is introduced to the Congo as a blank spot on a map.
36. Page 7: In paragraph 1, the blank spot becomes a "delightful mystery." Why is it delightful?
37. Page 7: The Congo River resembles a snake. Is this a casual remark or does the negative connotation entertained by many people to come into play?
38. Page 7: Marlow, unable to get employment on an ocean-going ship, realizes rivers need steamboat sailors.
39. Page 7: At the end of paragraph 1, as Marlow went along Fleet Street, he comes to understand that snake had charmed him. Why is he in Fleet Street? Why is he charmed by the snake?
40. Page 7: In paragraph 2, Marlow speaks of a Continental concern and tells us he has family in Europe; it is cheap there and not as nasty as it looks. Is this a hint toward his feelings for Brussels?
41. Page 7: In the last paragraph, Marlow, a seemingly independent person, asks his male relatives in Europe to help him find a position, but it comes to his aunt to help him.
42. Page 8: Conrad, himself, had applied to La Societe Anonyme Belge pour le commerce de Haute-Congo. In a letter to his cousin, he states he had only 3 days to prepare to leave for Africa
43. Page 8: Marlow is appointed.
44. Page 8: Paragraph 1: Here we have some prolepsis as Marlow's story jumps ahead to tell us about the recovery of Fresleven's bones.
45. Page 8: Fresleven had lost his cool over a deal about chickens. He was killed by the chief's son. Europeans "change" when in the Congo the doctor said.
46. Page 8: Why does the village disappear?
47. Page 8: Does the Fresleven episode prefigure the Kurtz episode?
48. Page 8: Why has Fresleven's body not been touched since his killing?
49. Page 9: What is the meaning of the sarcasm at the ending of the continuing paragraph from page 8?
50. Page 9: Paragraph 1: "whited sepulchers"
51. Page 9: What shows the ivory trade as the major business in Brussels?
52. Page 9: Note the description of Brussels and particularly the area of the office.
53. Page 9: What does the description of the women in the office connote?
54. Page 9: "Deal table" I need help with this one. Can this be some sort of card table?
55. Page 9: Colors on the map denote which European nations have control on the map.
56. Page 10: Note the word "sanctuary." Is this office a funeral home or a church?
57. Page 10: Why is the head of the company described as "The great man?"
58. Page 10: Was the only requirement for the job the ability to speak French well?
59. Page 10: Why is the secretary who has Marlow sign the papers compassionate, full of desolation and sympathy?
60. Page 10: Note Marlow's reaction to the atmosphere in the last paragraph.
61. Page 10: Note the words "eerie," ominous." "uncanny," "fateful," "door of Darkness." and "warm pall."
62. Page 10: Does "the starched white affair she wore on her head" prefigure the headdress of the African witch-woman or does it reinforce the idea of a sanctuary or church?
63. Page 10: "Morituri te salutant" Latin for "They, who are about to die, salute you (singular)."
This seems to be a variant of the gladiators salute to the emperor before the combat: "Morituri te salutamus" ("We,who are about to die, salute you (singular, the emperor)." In Marlow's usage, we must ask who the "they", "you", or "we" are.

LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA VOI CH'ENTRATE!

INFORMATION FOR ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM 2011

PAGE BY PAGE ANNOTATIONS OF CHAPTER ONE TO PAGE 6:

1. Page 1: Note the placement and movement of the yacht.
2. Page 1: What is the effect of the imagery in paragraph 2?
3. Page 1: Compare "varnished spirits" to "whited sepulchers."
4. Page 1: First use of the words "mournful," "gloom," and "brooding."
5. Page 1: Repetition of brooding and gloom in paragraph 3.
6. Page 1: Note the occupations of the men on the yacht. Is there any importance?
7. Page 1: The mizzen-mast is the mast closest the stern.
8. Page 2: Marlow described as an idol. What is the import of this?
9. Page 2: Continuing paragraph from the previous page: note the use of loaded words.
10. Page 2: Repetition of the words gloom and brooding.
11. Page 2: In paragraph 2, gloom is repeated again.
12. Page 2: Note the "tranquil dignity" of the Thames.
13. Page 2: Description of the Thames will be contrasted with the Congo later on.
14. Page 2: Continuing in paragraph 2, what does "We looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs forever, but in the august light of abiding memories" mean?
15. Page 2: A bit of British Navel History
16. Page 3: Paragraph continuing from page 2: note the introduction of the "torch" motif.
17. Page 3: Paragraph 1: repetition of "brooding gloom"
18. Page 3: Paragraph 2: Marlow's first words
19. Page 3: Paragraph 3: Marlow as seaman and wanderer
20. Page 4: Note the "kernal" analogy. How does it apply?
21. Page 4: Marlow begins his narrative in paragraph 3.
22. Page 4: Why does Marlow detail the problems of Romans in Ancient Britain?
23. Page 5: Ravenna was a major Roman navel base located in Northwest Italy.
24. Page 5: Roman treasure-seekers foreshadow European and especially Belgian treasure-seekers.
25. Page 5: In paragraph 1, Marlow is posed as Buddha.
26. Page 5: Marlow gives his views on efficiency. Why is this important?
27. Page 5: Marlow views the Romans as plunderers. Is the author's opinion creeping in and does this foreshadow his feelings about the Belgians?
28. Page 5: What is the redemption spoken of 4 lines from the bottom of the page?
29. Page 6: Marlow tells us he was once a freshwater sailor.
30. Page 6: Marlow denies the audience wishes to hear his personal part in the story. Why?
31. Page 6: First mention of Kurtz but without using his name.


MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO.

INFORMATION FOR ACADEMIC DECATHLON 2011

Dear Team Members,

I am please to be able to work with you for the English and history sections of your studies.

It appears that we will not have time to work on Greek and Latin roots. We will start with the history of Joseph Conrad. Please bring a note pad for each session.

1. The birth, life, work and death of Joseph Conrad.
2. Be aware of his other works.
3. Suggest Prompts for essays


Essay Prompts:

1. "Spark Notes" suggested essays will be discussed.
2, "Questions" from the British Edition of the text prepared for Canadian secondary students as prompts will be discussed.
3. My personal essay prompts.

My personal prompts:

1. If we accept the premise that the Belgians were the most brutal of all the Colonial Powers, What scenes or elements support this idea?

2.In a politically correct world, does this novella purposely avoid touching on the good work done by the Colonial Powers?

3. Conrad could have written his works in several languages. How is it that he chose to write in English?

4. What is the value and effect writing Heart of Darkness as a story within a story?

5. Discuss Kurtz' relationships with his girlfriend in Belgium and the African witch woman. Does he love either one or has he lost the ability for real love?

!BUENA SUERTE!

Welcome to the new competition

Dear Academic Decathlon Team Members:

I wish to introduce you to my blog. My plan is to let you see what I plan to discuss before each session we have together. This should allow you time to prepare.

Not only would I like to work with you on Heart of Darkness, I hope to have time to do some work with you on Greek and Latin word roots, grammar problems, rhetorical terms and essay writing.


PAX DEORUM SIT SEMPER VOSBISCUM!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM CHAPTER 26

MORE ON THE GRAPES OF WRATH


Chapter 26, Page 53 of the authorized text:

1. Page 350: Malnutrition setting in.
2. Page 350: If the camp store provides credit, why are Winfield and Rose of Sharon not well fed?
3. Page 350: Ma continues to take the lead.
4. Page 350: The men defend their attempts to find work.
5. Page 350: Ma demands a decision.
6. Page 351: Fruit to pick in Marysville-it is too far.
7. Page 351: Cotton to pick in Tulare-They have the gas to go there.
8. Page 352: They decide to leave.
9. Page 352: Ma is ready to fight.
10. Page 352: Ma says to get action from a man, it is necessary to make him angry.
11. Page 353: Al says the car is ready.
12. Page 354: Rose of Sharon is still mooning about Connie.
13. Page 354: Why is Rose of Sharon eating slack lime?
14. Page 354: Why does Ma give her earrings to Rose of Sharon?
15. Page 354: Ear piercing
16. Page 355: What is the connection between the earrings and the baby?
17. Page 355: Al's promise to marry the blond girl
18. Page 356: Al satisfies himself.
19. Page 356: Al says he will return with a pocket full of jack.
20. Page 356: Pa tells Mr. Huston that the Joad's are leaving.
21. Page 356: Pa has become accustomed to a daily bath.
22. Page 357: Tom fears he may kill someone if the family has to go to another Hooverville.
23. Page 357: Jule Vitela asks Tom if he has been in a strike.
24. Page 358: Horses worth more than men.
25. Page 358: Winfield has hit another boy for calling him an Okie.
26. Page 359: Why do the nice toilets make Uncle John feel sinful.
27. Page 360: The battery has run down, so the car has to be cranked.
28. Page 361: Tom continues to goad Al.
29. Page 361: Tom knows Al has been having sex.
30. Page 362: Ma says they have to have a house.
31. Page 363: Ma says she is losing her spunk.
32. Page 363: Nail in the tire
33. Page 364: Why does the man driving the roadster and offering peach-picking jobs have a large gold ring and a gold football on a chain across his chest?
34. Page 365: Is it in the Joad's best interest for Tom to reveal that there are many men looking for jobs at the government camp?
35. Page 365: Al runs over a gopher snake.
36. Page 366: Why does Steinbeck relate the Happy Hooligan story?
37. Page 367: Discussion of suicide
38. Page 367; Ma brings up Purty Boy Floyd again.
39. Page 368: Police escort Joads and five other cars to the peach camp.
40. Page 369: The pay is five cents per box of unbruised peaches.
41. Page 370: The company store give credit.
42. Page 371: How do the holes in the buckets keep people from stealing?
43. Page 371: Al's outburst
44. Page 371: Pa's response to Al's outburst
45. Page 371: Tom intervenes.
46. Page 371: Joads peaches rejected as bruised.
47. Page 372: Rose of Sharon faints.
48. Page 372: The Joads receive one Dollar for shopping at the company store.
49. Page 373: Pa says Ruthie and Winfield are "wild as rabbits."
50. Page 373: Ruthie and Winfield reject the idea of going to school
51. Page 373-374: Ma's experience at the company store. Prices high, no guarantees
52. Page 375. The storekeeper defends his work.
53. Page 376: How is it that only the poor can help the poor?
54. Page 376: Tom decides to walk out to the road to find out what all the fuss was.
55. Page 377: Tom hints that Al is looking for girls again.
56. Page 377: The camp is not as well-equipped as the government camp.
57. Page 378: The camp guards say there will be no peace until the government camps are destroyed.

MORE TO COME

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM CHAPTER 25

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Chapter 25, page 346 of the authorized text:

1. This chapter shows the crop cycle from spring through harvest.
2. Produce prices drop; small farmers cannot afford to hire workers for the harvest.
3. Commercial farmers diversify and will survive.
4. The Roosevelt Administration orders the destruction of crops. There is a mass slaughter of pigs and their burial follows. All this as people go hungry.
5. People try to collect potatoes dumped in rivers, but are stopped by the government.


CARPE DIEM!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM CHAPTER 24

MORE ON THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Chapter 24, Page 331:

1. Page 331: Preparations for the camp dance
2. Page332: The men of the camp prepare for the forewarned riot.
3. Page 332: Huston instructs Eaton to tell the men not to harm the perpetrators of the riot.
4. Page 333: The plan is to remove the perpetrators through the back entrance.
5. Page 334: Keep in mind the camp is federal territory and cannot be entered by local law enforcement unless there is a problem.
6. Page 334: The ladies in Unit Three had had a fight earlier in the day. They threw garbage at each other.
7. Page 334: The Ladies' Committee was told the fight was their problem. The men would not step in.
8. Page 335: Security system establishment completed
9. Page 335: What is Steinbeck's purpose in having the "Jesus lovers" sit in front of their tents during the dance?
10. Page 336: Tom reappears.
11. Page 336: Why does Tom tease Rose of Sharon?
12. Page 336: Tom's sarcastic remark about Connie: "Well, she might's well give him up. He's prob'ly to be President of the United States by now."
13. Page 337: Tom is asked to participate in the security by watching who comes in the front gate. Would you have chosen Tom for this job if you knew his history? Why? or Why not?
14. Page 337: What is the real reason Rose of Sharon will not dance?
15. Page 338: Why did Black Hat lose his job?
16. Page 339: According to Black Hat, why was his little boy taunted in a Californian school?
17. Page 339: Pa is chastised by Black Hat for his willingness to take twenty cents per hour.
18. Page 339: The dance begins.
19. Page 339: Jule Vitela, a half-Cherokee is sent to help Tom at the front gate.
20. Page 339: Why does Jule wish he were a full-blooded Indian?
21. Page 340: Three suspects come in saying they were invited by Jackson.
22. Page 341: How did the suspects know Jackson?
23. Page 341: According to Willie, how was Jule able to spot the suspects.
24. Page 341: The caller shouts instructions to the dancers.
25. Page 342: "Dol ce do" is corrupted French for back to back.
26. Page 342: "Swedes up in Dakota...Put pepper on the floor. Gits up in the ladies' skirts an' makes 'em purty lively-lively as a filly in season. Swedes do that sometimes"
27. Page 342: The sin of dancing-does the quotation in Number 26 reinforce this concept.
28. Page 342: Why do the children invade the dance floor when the music stops?
29. Page 343: One of the suspects tries to cut in on a couple.
30. Page 343: A whistle blows and the suspects are "walled in" by the camp security.
31. Page 343: The music and dancing resume. Why?
32. Page 343: Deputies drive into the camp.
33. Page 343: Security guards demand to see the deputies' warrant.
34. Page 343: The deputies decide there is no riot and drive out of the camp.
35. Page 343: The security guards question the three perpetrators, wishing to know who put them up to causing a riot.
36. Page 344: Huston uses a moral argument to persuade the perpetrators to say who hired them.
37. Page 345: Pa predicts change.
38. Page 345: Black hat alludes to the Appalachians' march against a tire company in Akron, Ohio in 1936. It is referred to as "The Turkey Shoot."
39. Page 345: Black Hat wishes to have a turkey shoot in California.

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

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Chapter 23 (already covered in class):

1. This is another chapter without the Joads.
2. Entertainments in the camps
3. Story of the naked Indian shot on the hilltop
4. How does this Indian story relate to the story of the Joads?
5. Relating a movie scenario
6. Cinematic allusion to Hollywood scandals
7. Newsreels shown after the films
8. Religious reformers are accused of not biting deep enough to know how miserable they are.
9. The narrator states he has joined the "brotherhood of the worlds." We have discussed Steinbeck's use of the word world before. What does it mean here?
10. Musical entertainments
11. Dancing at the camps-remember Mrs. Sandry's attack on dancing.
12. Famous cowboy song: "...I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen, all wrapped in white linen and cold as the snow..."
13. Traveling preachers' routine: calculating them, gauging them, and when they were squirming on the ground, throwing them in the water.
14. Saved is the same as "born again."

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO.

iNFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

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Chapter 21, Page 282:

1. Page 282: More small animal imagery
2. Page 282: Passage about the Teuton's taking Rome
3. Page 283: Barbarians at the gates
4. Page 283: Okies undercutting wages
5. Page 283: Reference to Old Russia
6. Page 283: More on the demise of the family farm
7. Page 283: Okies compared to ants


PAX DEORUM SIT SEMPER VOBISCUM!

MORE INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

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Chapter 22, Page 285 of the authorized test:

1. Page 285: The Joads are at the government camp.
2. Page 285: There are bumps in the roadway to prevent speeding in the camp.
3. Page 286: Big Brother provides.
4. Page 286: The camp has its own security guards.
5. Page 287: The camp watchman asks the Joads about money.
6. Page 287: Camp residents may pay by working at the camp.
7. Page 287: Why is Tom looking a gift horse in the mouth?
8. Page 287: The camp has a central committee. This term was used in The Soviet Union.
9. Page 288: Camp dances
10. Page 288: Sanitary Units
11. Page 288: Tom refuses to tell Ma the details of the camp. Why?
12. Page 289: Ma fusses about Tom's not telling her the details.
13. Page 290: Clothing stiff with "filler." This is most likely sizing still used by cheap manufacturers to make clothing fit the buyer before it is washed.
14. Page 290: "The kindness of strangers"
15. Page 291: Tom gets a job offer.
16. Page 292. Tom wishes to leave to take the job.
17. Page 292. An old man is working to pay his camp fees? (actually, just paying off a fine)
18. Page 292: Tom meets Timothy and Wilkie Wallace.
19. Page 293: Tom wishes to know why they invite him to join them on the job.
20. Page 294: Thirty cents per hour for laying pipe
21. Page 294: The Farmers Association's official name is Associated Farmers.
22. Page 294: The Bank of the West is now The Bank of America.
23. Page 295: The Bank of America forces the farmers to cut the workers wages. Why?
24. Page 295: Newspaper says citizens burned the camp of agitators.
25. Page 295: The men accept twenty-five cents an hour.
26. Page 296: Mr. Thomas, the employer, described as a good man.
27. Page 296: Mr. Thomas warns of planned trouble in the camp. This would allow local police to come in.
28. Page 296: The plan is a camp fight. Tom fails to understand why someone would wish to cause a fight.
29. Page 297: More on The Central Committee
30. Page 298: Reds defined by Mr. Hines.
31. Page 298: Ruthie tries to enter the sanitary unit.
32. Page 299: Ruthie lies to Winfield to peek his curiosity.
33. Page 299: Ruthie discovers toilets.
34. Page 299: Ruthie and Winfield explore the sanitary unit.
35. Page 300: Ruthie tells Ma that Tom has a Job. Ruthie seems to be the center of trouble a number of times. Is Al right in saying she needs punishment.
36. Page 301: Ma enters the men's room unknowingly.
37. Page 302: Is Ma freaking out about the visit of The Ladies' Committee?
38. Page 302: Ma chastises Rose of Sharon again.
39. Page 303: Ma does not wish to have the family appear "frawny." The word means covered dust mixed wit sweat.
40. Page 303: Ma asks Pa to clean up the children.
41. Page 304: Jim Rawley, the camp manager, is pleasant and welcoming.
42. Page 304: The camp is running well.
43. Page 305: Ma is overcome with happiness about the camp.
44. Page 306: Al wishes to get a job in a garage, buy a car, and, of course, pick up girls.
45. Page 306: Pa does not trust the camp manager. Why?
46. Page 307: Rose of Sharon explains how to use a shower to Ma.
47. Page 308: The Apple Lady, Mrs. Elizabeth Sandry, tells Rose of Sharon that dancing is a sin. "...and if you have got sin on you-you watch out for that there baby."
48. Page 309: Why does Steinbeck need this lecture on dancing?
49. Page 309: Mrs. Sandry continues the tirade with an attack on theater and saying the Devil is loose in the camp.
50. Page 310: Mrs. Sandry tells of a sinning girl's whose baby died. Why?
51. Page 310-311: The camp manager explains that Mrs. Sandry likes to make trouble.
52. Page 311: Ma pays Connie a "backhanded" compliment.
53. Page 312: The Ladies' Committee arrives.
54. Page 314: There is dissension in the committee.
55. Page 315: The committee wishes to limit toilet paper.
56. Page 315: A woman confesses that her children have the "skitters."
57. Page 315: Residents can get credit at the Weedpatch store.
58. Page 316: Mrs. Joyce rejects charity.
59. Page 316: Mrs. Littlefield rails at the Salvation Army. Why?
60. Page 317: Ruthie forces herself into the croquet game.
61. Page 318: Why does Ruthie break down?
62. Page 319: John's guilt continues.
63. Page 319: John predicts the return of Casy.
64. Page 319: When Al says he would like a job in garage, Pa grunts. Is Pa objecting to this idea?
65. Page 320: Mrs. Sandry speaks out again.
66. Page 320: Ma tells Mrs. Sandry to leave.
67. Page 321: Ma threatens Mrs Sandry.
68. Page 321: What is Mrs. Sandry's problem?
69. Page 321: The camp manager tells Ma that Mrs. Sandry is ill.
70. Page 323: Ma's flashbacks

CARPE DIEM!

iNFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

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Chapter 20, Page 240 of the authorized text:

1. Page 240: The autopsy of Grandma
2. Page 240: Grandma had always wished for a nice funeral.
3. Page 240: Ma rubs the side of her mouth. (See number 5)
4. Page 241: There is no money for a proper burial.
5. Page 241: Ma rubs the side of her mouth again. What does this body language mean?
6. Page 241: The coroner is bossy, but nice.
7. Page 241: Another Hooverville. Hoovervilles were funded by charities.
8. Page 241 How should we interpret "slovenly despair?'
9. Page 242: There are no road maps.
10. Page 242: Pa is trying to be polite about asking permission to camp. The bearded man seems not to understand.
11. Page 243: The interplay between Pa and the bearded man continues. Are they testing each other?
12. Page 243: The bearded man or the "mayor" is he mentally ill?
13. Page 244: This camp is a Hooverville.
14. Page 244: The young man says the mayor is "bull-simple." Does this mean crazy?"
15. Page 244: The Okies are pushed on so that they cannot settle down and become voters.
16. Page 245: Work is available in Salinas.
17. Page 245: The rationale for putting out so very many handbills.
18. Page 246: The peach orchard requires only nine men year round, but 3000 at harvest.
19. Page 246: "Tom said angrily, 'Them peaches got to be picked right now, don't they? Jus' when they're ripe?'" Is Tom thinking about a strike?
20. Page 246: What would a strike do to the orchard industry?
21. Page 246: When Tom suggests that the peaches be left to rot. The young man responds, "Well, you figgered out somepin, didn't you. Come right outa your own head." This is obviously an insult. Note how Tom reacts to this insult.
22. Page 247: Okie spokesmen are often sent to jail.
23. Page 247: Okie leaders are blacklisted by employers.
24. Page 247: Okie troublemakers are killed.
25. Page 247: Are these revelations foreshadowing?
26. Page 247: Why does a veil draw down over the young man's eyes?
27. Page 248: Tom is told to play dumb if the police come. Is it in Tom's character to play dumb?
28. Page 248: Tom is told to watch out for stools. Have we not been told that the Okie "worlds" are unified?
29. Page 249: Ma prepares a stew.
30. Page 249: Al harbors feelings of fear about his responsibility for the vehicle.
31. Page 249: Ton still has the cap he got when he left prison.
32. Page 250: People compared to trapped birds.
33. Page 250: Casy believes his prayers do not work.
34. Page 250: Young people compared to old by Casy.
35. Page 250: Five Dollars for Grandma's burial marker.
36. Page 251: Will Casy flee just as the dog has.
37. Page 251: Casy states he wishes to leave.
38. Page 251: Note the foreshadowing as Tom suggests a break or a riot.
39. Page 252: Tom suggests when nice quiet folks know nothing, something is going on. What can go on if people know nothing?
40. Page 252: Rose of Sharon has morning sickness.
41. Page 252: Will Connie go to school?
42. Page 252: Connie's regrets
43. Page 252: Rose of Sharon asserts that they must have a house for the baby.
44. Page 253: The little boy lies about having eaten well. Is this a manifestation of pride?
45. Page 254: Discussion about a government camp.
46. Page 254: Details about life in a government camp.
47. Page 254: When Ruthie and Winfield talk about Grandma, why does Ma shut them up?
48. Page 254: Al is randy again.
49. Page 255: Why does Al reveal that his brother killed someone?
50. Page 255: Why does Al warn Floyd about his brother?
51. Page 255: Floyd sets limits on Al. "You better git use' to a jalopy."
52. Page 255: Is Floyd giving up?
53. Page 256: Floyd chides Al: "You ain't learned," he said, "Takes gas to get roun' the country. Gas costs fifteen cents a gallon."
54. Page 257: Ma would like to feed everyone.
55. Page 259: A woman is angry that Ma fed her child. Does the show a crack in the unity of the worlds we have discussed?
56. Page 259: Now there is work in Santa Clara.
57. Page 260: Floyd lays it all out.
58. Page 260: Cotton picking starts in a month.
59. Page 261: Ma is still the boss.
60. Page 262 Floyd becomes the spokesperson.
61. Page 263: Floyd asks for a contract and demands that the contractor have a license.
62. Page 263: The law is that contractors have a license.
63. Page 263: The police question Floyd and Tom and warn them to leave.
64. Page 264: The police suggest that the camp might be broken up.
65. Page 264: A fight breaks out.
66. Page 264: Floyd escapes into the woods, a woman's hand is hit, Tom trips the deputy, Casy kicks the deputy in the neck rendering him unconscious, the contractor flees, and Tom tosses the gun away.
67. Page 265: Why does Tom toss the gun away?
68. Page 265: Why must Tom leave?
69. Page 265: Why will Casy take the blame?
70. Page 265: Tom flees to the river.
71. Page 266: Al thinks Casy is a damn fool to take the blame.
72. Page 266: Casy is arrested.
73. Page 267: Why is there a curious look of conquest on Casy's face?
74. Page 267: Ma tells John not to burden others with his sins. Firstly, she suggests he tell God, but then she says that he tell them to the river. What is the import of all this?
75. Page 267: Pa agrees with Ma's words by saying, " She's right. It gives a fella relief to tell, but it jus' spreads out his sin." Contrast this with "a trouble shared is a trouble halved."
76. Page 268: Connie has left. Is it for good?
77. Page 268: Ma chastises Rose of Sharon for feeling sorry for herself.
78. Page 268: Discussion of John holding out five Dollars. Ma does not see much sin in that. John; however, had kept the money out to get drunk and feels guilty.
79. Page 269: John exchanges his money for two silver Dollars so that he may get drunk. Is there any point in temporarily assuaging his by getting drunk. What is Steinbeck's idea here?
80. Page 269: Does the term self-abasement indicate the John hates himself?
81. Page 270: What is Steinbeck's purpose in having Ruthie and Winfield play drunk?
82. Page 270: Why do Al and Tom chastise the children?
83. Page 270: Why does Al feel that Ruthie has done enough to be punished?
84. Page 271: More discussion on the disappearance of Connie.
85. Page 271. Floyd warns that the pool-room boys will come to burn them out.
86. Page 271: Al asks Floyd for directions to the government camp.
87. Page 271: Floyd warns that the deputies have arrest quotas.
88. Page 272: Pa fails to understand group punishment.
89. Page 272: More discussion of Connie. Ma quizzes Rose of Sharon.
90. Page 272: Pa declares that Connie is no good.
91. Page 272: Ma tries to protect Rose of Sharon from hearing Pa's comment.
92. Page 273: Tom explains to Ma why they must leave.
93. Page 273: Now they have to find Uncle John who was allowed to go to get drunk.
94. Page 274: Tom tells the liquor store proprietor to give Connie the wrong directions if he shows up.
95. Page 274: Uncle John found drunk in a ditch.
96. Page 274: What is the import of the songs Uncle John is singing?
97. Page 274: Uncle John voices suicidal thoughts.
98. Page 274: Uncle John threatens to stay behind.
99. Page 276: Tom insists that Uncle John continue the journey.
100. Page 276: Tom renders Uncle John unconscious.
101. Page 277: Rose of Sharon refuses to leave.
102. Page 277: Tom lies to Rose of Sharon saying Connie will find them.
103. Page 277: Rose of Sharon is grasping at straws.
104. Page 278: The Joads pack up.
105. Page 278: Tom says there is a time to fight.
106. Page 279: Ma fears the family is breaking up.
107. Page 278: Local vigilantes block roads.
108. Page 278: Tom turns the truck around to avoid more trouble.
109. Page 280: As they drive back past the camp, it is burning.
110. Page 280: The Joads search for the government camp.
111. Page 280: Ma says rich people will self-destruct, but the poor will endure.
112. Page 281: Ma compared to a statue.

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Chapter 19, Page 231 of the authorized text:

1. Page 231: This chapter is a rehash of the push of history.
2. Page 231: The owners of the land are no longer related to the land.
3. Page 231: Owners motivated by profit, not simply to feed the family.
4. Page 232: The cavalcade of history: waves of newcomers
5. Page 232: The new farmers are more like shop keepers.
6. Page 232: The death of family farms is still taking place.
7. Page 232: Corporate farms bring in foreign workers.
8. Page 233: The owners were happy with the status quo; the Okies would destroy this.
9. Page 233: The Okies do not consider themselves foreign invaders.
10 Page 233: Californians consider the Okies to be the new barbarians.
11. Page 234: Owners, shopkeepers, townspeople are nebulous; the Okies are unified.
12. Page 234: A fallow field is a sin.
13. Page 234: Be sure to understand the full implications of the term "Hoovervilles."
14. Page 235: Single-crop farms become the norm. Why?
15. Page 236: Locals versus Okies
16. Page 236: Lombards, Turks, Gaul, Byzantium: The historical sophistication here seems out of place or did students learn a great deal in Californian schools in those days?
17. Page 236: In the above question, was Steinbeck superimposing his own knowledge on the people of California?
18. Page 237: Okie camps burned for health reasons.
19. Page 238: The owners take up arms.
20. Page 238: The owners cause their own destruction. Were they really destroyed?

SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI!

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Chapter 18 continued, starting on Page 219 of the authorized text:

50. Page 219: Mrs. Wilson wishes to die while her husband is sleeping.
51. Page 219: Mrs. Wilson reminisces.
52. Page 220: Ma and Pa offer money and food to Mr. Wilson as they leave.
53. Page 220: Pit stop at Needles, California
54. Page 221: Service attendant questions the wisdom of the Joad's decision to cross the desert in their jalopy at night.
55. Page 221: Okies discussed as less than human.
56. Page 223: Connie and Rose of Sharon discuss having sex.
57. Page 224: John believes he is bad luck for the family because he let his wife die. Is this magical thinking?
58. Page 225: John wonders if his failure to save his wife was a sin.
59. Page 225: Connie and Rose of Sharon have sex while lying near Sharon's dead Grandmother.
60. Page 225: Inspector wishes to check for vegetables and seeds at Daggett.
61. Page 226: Ma lies to prevent the inspection.
62. Page 226: Ma continues to let the family think Grandma is alive.
63. Page 226: Pa describes Ma as a "wild one." Why?
64. Page 227: Why does Al say, ..."I got this goddamn car on my soul?"
65. Page 227: The Joads have crossed the desert.
66. Page 227: The Joads have their first view of a fertile valley.
67. Page 228: Ma reveals that Grandma is dead.
68. Page 229: Ma not sorry about keeping Grandma's death secret.
69. Page 229: Connie and Rose of Sharon come to grips with the fact that they had sex next to a dead body.
70. Page 229: Note John's reaction to Al's saying, "Ever'body got to die."
71. Page 229: Uncle John revisits his guilt feelings.
72. Page 230: Why does Tom say that only Ruthie and Winfied are seeing California?
73. Page 230: Is Pa's response to Tom's comment sarcastic?
74. Page 230: Tom runs over a rattlesnake. Is there a connection to Al's attempt to run over a cat?
75. Page 230: The Joads know they have to notify the coroner. Why is it different from when they just put Grandpa in the ground?


PAX DEORUM SIT SEMPER VOBISCUM!

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

MORE ON THE GRAPES OF WRATH


Chapter 18, Page 201 of the authorized text:


1. Page 201: Why does the border guard ask about plants?
2. Page 201: Why is water expensive?
3. Page 202: Why does Steinbeck devote so very little time to Arizona?
4. Page 202: Ruthie and Winfield in a "reedy" place-Is this an oblique reference to Moses in the reeds?
5. Page 204: Note Tom's calling California "murder country" and contrast this with his mention of their "hard scrabble" life in Oklahoma.
6. Page 204: Why does Steinbeck introduce negative ideas about California at this point?
7. Page 204: What is the panhandle?
8. Page 205: Why do the Okies not understand the problems newcomers bring?
9. Page 205: The age-old conflict between ranchers and farmers? This was the background of many a western story.
10. Page 205: The Joads finally hear the term "Okie."
11. Page 206: Note Native Californians' fear factor.
12. Page 206: Owners cheat cotton pickers.
13. Page 206: William Randolph Hearst. His castle is a tourist attraction.
14. Page 206: Mr. Hearst kept his mistress at Los Altos on Wilshire Blvd. just west of Rossmore in what is now Korea Town.
15. Page 207: Grandpa had had a battle with Navajos.
16. Page 207: Materialism does not bring happiness.
17. Page 207: The man's declaimer on the availability of job opportunities in California.
18. Page 207, bottom of the page: Uncle John's "Que sera, sera" attitude about jobs in California. Does this attitude fit his character?
19. Page 208: Note the "returner's remorse on having told the truth about California?
20. Page 208: Why does Steinbeck have Noah leave the family?
21. Page 209: bottom of the page: Is Ma's message to Rose of Sharon a bit pompous
22. Page 210: Ma talks about the cycle of life.
23. Page 210: Visit of the "prayer" lady to Grandma's tent
24. Page 210: Ma denies Grandma's illness.
25. Page 211: Ma asserts the religiousness of the Joad family while refusing the offer of the prayer lady.
26. Page 211: Ma's rationalization for refusing
27. Pages 211 and 212: Note the powerful description of chanted prayer.
28. Page 212: Grandma is calmed by the sound of the praying.
29. Page 212: Ma describes the preacher, Casy.
30. Page 212: Ma ponders her rejection of prayer as a sin on her part.
31. Page 213: Rose of Sharon reveals Connie's plans for the future.
32. Page 213: Why does Rose of Sharon fantasize about ice?
33. Page 213: Another encounter with authority
34. Page 214: Ma confronts authority.
35. Page 214: Ma hears the word "Okie" for the first time.
36. Page 214: Why is Ma "fighting with her face?"
37. Page 214: Note the little boy playing muskrat.
38. Page 215: Ruthie sent to fetch Tom and sees him naked.
39. Page 215: Tom shoos Ruthie away.
40. Page 215: Ma fears that Tom may hit the policeman.
41. Page 215: Tom recalls the days when Ma was gentle.
42. Page 215: Ma relates the "Okie" episode to Tom.
43. Page 216: Tom tells Ma about Noah's leaving.
44. Page 216: Tom decides the family must heed the policeman's warning.
45. Page 217: Is despair setting in?
46. Page 217: Why are Noah's problems Pa's fault?
47. Page 217: The Wilsons cannot continue the journey because Sairy is ill.
48. Page 218: Mrs. Wilson asks for Casy as clergy.
49. Page 218: Casy declares he has no god.

MORE TO COME ON CHAPTER 18

INFORMATION FOR THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM

MORE ON THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Chapter 17, Page 193 of the authorized text:

1. Page 193, first paragraph: Note the insect imagery.
2. Page 193: Emphasis on sharing
3. Page 193: More on the cooperative society
4. Page 194 and the following pages: Note the use of the term "worlds."
5. Page 194: Development of communes
6. Page 194: Cooperative rules
7. Page 194: What are these "worlds?"
8. Page 195: Note the romanticizing.
9. Page 195: Organized work rules
10. Page 196: Manifesto of the Migrant
11. Page 196, middle of the page: Note the single-mindedness.
12. Page 196: Okie etiquette
13. Page 197: Okie ritual of welcome
14. Page 197: What is Steinbeck's purpose in the boy talk about gold?
15. Page 198: Girl talk-contrast with boy talk.
16. Page 198: Propriety-people with more means not eating better food in front of the poor
17. Page 198: Traditional feelings of guilt for presumed mistreatment of the land and subsequent punishment by the gods
18. Page 198: Discussion of contour plowing
19. Page 199: Problems of education
20. Page 199: More on entertainment
21. Page 199: Reprise of the the word world

CARPE DIEM!