“The Wall”: An Analysis Jean-Paul Sartre

Jean Paul Sartre 1905-1980 French author Capture by Nazis, POW during WWII for one year Is an existentialist

Existentialism Writing that deals with the philosophy of human existence in that thinking begins with the human person, individually Does not believe in a God Humans exist in an emotional realm and define themselves through the concept of the Other 1930’s focus: “dread, boredom, alienation, the absurd, freedom, commitment and nothingness”. Believes that human existence is filled with: Anxiety, dread, freedom Keen awareness of death Feels that consequences of death not understood by science/physical

“The Wall” Short existential story that examines the reality of death; low and plain style of language Set in a prison cell Mentions the lack of priests/God/prayer Physical existence is a focus, but it is understood that the phy. is not helpful in understanding the reasons for death Protagonist is pessimistic, harsh, daunted, and wishes to remain “hard” Major conflict is defining death and emotions about it

How is it existential? No God is present, name used in vain by Tom twice Major conflict is defining death and emotions about it Tone is anxious: Juan and Tom display this Resolution unsettling, reality?: Pablo, although not being selfish like Winston/Julia/Mrs. Hutchinson, is still fated to cause Ramon’s death Therefore, theme= Death in inevitable; definition of self through the experience of the Other

Purposeful Syntax Use of colons and semicolons to add emphasis Periodic sentences that are curt and terse, emphasize the theme of clod hard truth about death EX. “I am alone.”

Poetry: Syntax

May Swenson 1919-1989 Amer. Poet Poetry: To “…get through the curtains of things as they appear” Deals with nature settings Ranges from formalist style,to spatial/concrete

“How Everything Happens” Spatial poem, lang. placed in diff. than formal style on page Arranged in a wave Theme: passage of time, Fate, the ways of the universe Unique in that words “stack up” as the idea of stacking up does Deals in concept of necessity of opposites to understand them: good and evil, happening and not-happening Purposeful Syntax: gerunds used to show the flow of the wave, no gerunds at end of sent., periods show end of concept and end of wave

Florence Cassen Mayers Born in 1940 American author of children’s books Include the children’s guide to baseball and basketball

“All-American Sestina” Form: Sestina used by the Provençal troubadours consists of six six-line stanzas and a three-line envoy (messenger) end words of the first stanza are repeated in varied order as end words in the other stanzas and also recur in the envoy

Cont. Theme: challenged American values Discovers a picture of material culture and how leads to desolate ghost town Discusses wealth, war, national pride Images of past and present America Delivers the message that material is not everything, cannot take it with you, and leaves a lack of community in town Syntax purposeful: bits and pieces of life composed as bits and pieces within the poem; no punctuation for this reason