Forgotten Times

It is a big house with two floors where Leon Koves used to live. The owner of one of the biggest tailoring in Eger, a city near Budapest. He is a happily married man to Lucia, a young pretty lady with brown eyes, mid/fair skin tone and a long brown hair. In the first floor were the living room, the kitchen and the hall, where men talk politics and economy. Above were 3 bedrooms.

‘Are you ready yet? The guests are about to arrive’. Said Lucia to her husband, who was in the bathroom.

‘I just can’t find the correct tie for the suit, have you seen it? The red one I wore the other day.’

‘But sweetheart, you use that one too much. It was so dirty, that I had to wash it.’

‘Ah! What a bad luck… Okay don’t worry, I’m gonna use another one’.

Their bedroom was spacious, with a big window in one wall, some flowers and candles in littles table around, and a big bed.

Ding dong, bell rang.

 ‘Leon, the guests are here, hurry up!’

‘I’m on my way’. Said Leon coming down the stairs. First checking if everything is tidy, then ready to open the door.

‘Welcome, Antoniet and Bill. It’s a pleasure to have you here’. Says Leon while he leads them to the dining hall.

‘The pleasure is our Leon, thank you for the invitation to your nice house.’ Replies Bill. ‘Hello Lucia. Wow, I see that your baby is growing!’

‘Thank you Bill, it already has one month and a half. Time flies really fast.’

‘Lucia!’ Shouts very excited Antoniet, or maybe the echo of the vast house made it sound louder. 

‘Your belly has grown, have you planned any name for your baby yet?

‘Yes!’ Answers Lucia, eager to talk about it.

‘We will go get the wine.’ Says Leon inviting Bill and segregating the two couples.

‘I really like Jensi and Areska, Georg is pretty too.’ Answers Lucia to Antoniet. But in the kitchen Bill and Leon are talking about the future.

‘How is the cloth bussiness going?’

‘Better than ever, I haven’t stop expanding and recieveng positive numbers since six months ago.’

‘That great man, and what will you do once this city gets just too small for you.’ Says Bill while he uncorcks the wine.

‘Well Billy, that is an issue that really scares me. But thinking seriously, I think that I would have to move to the capital city.’ Says Leon a little nervous, not a usual thing on him.

Ding Dong, the bell rang again

‘Those should be the Joels!’ Shouts Lucia. Leon goes with Lucia to receive them at the door.

‘Good Evening Martin and Mariska, how you doin?’ Says warmly Leon

‘Hello Lucia and Leon, we are very glad to be here’ Answers Martin, giving them a small box.

‘Oh! Thank you for this present. Come on in, it is cold outside.’ Says Lucia inviting them to come in.

‘Open it Lucy, I can’t wait to see what is’

Lucia opens the ornate box and gets a menorah out of it. At the same time Bill and Antoniet enter the hall.

‘Hello Martin and Mariska.’ They greet kindly, and when Bill sees the menorah, he asks:

‘I’ve never understood what are those for.’

‘It’s very simple Billy.’ Answers him Martin’ At Christmas Eve, Jews place the Menorah, seven days before the twenty-five. Every day you turn on one candle. And today, twenty-three, we will turn on five candles.’

‘Oh, that’s nice’

‘Now that we are all here, lets go to eat.’ Says Leon.

They all go to the dining room and start talking. The women talk about their families, husbands and houses; and the men talk about politics and economy.

‘United States is worse than ever, I wonder if they are ever going to recover.’ Says Martin, who seems to be eating gladly the chicken.

‘I would never go with my tailoring to that country; I don’t like the people there. Its full of Puritans.’ Says Leon.

‘Yes it is.’ Confirms Martin.

Bill prefers to stay out of the conversation. And he changes the subject ‘You know something that is really worrying me?’

‘What is it Billy?’ Curiosly ask Martin.

‘It is the new politcal party raising up in Germany right now.’

‘The Nazis?’ Asks Leon

‘Yes Sr. Have you been aware of their ideology and their propaganda? Their idea is to get rid of the people they consider unuseful, like ills and mads.’

‘I didn’t know that. But I don’t think they are a problem. No one would support those proyects.’ Says Leon

‘Yes, I wouldn’t consider it dangerous at all.’ Replies Martin.

‘I can’t believe it, look how late it is. Time just flew by, its already eleven pm.’ Says Leon standing up.

‘Its true Leon, my daughter is waiting for us, I’ll have to go right now. Antoniet lets go. Thank you for everything Leon.’ Says Bill.

‘Goodbye Bill I hope you have enjoyed the evening.’ Says Leon.

‘Goodbye Leon, we had a wonderful time. Enjoy the menorah.’ Says Martin.

‘Goodbye Martin, see you tomorrow.’

Rationale

I chose to write a new beginning to Fatelessness. My idea is to show how jews lived in harmony with different religions and mostly with their neighbors. Something that is very hard to imagine now a days. The story is based on Leon Koves, the father of Georg, and it takes places before Georg was born. I wanted the characters to talk a lot and the narrator to talk just phew indications to lead the characters, so I chose a witness narrator that says what he sees in present tense.

The audience of this text is most likley to be the new generation of Jews. They just listen about the holocaust, and sometimes forget how it was before. My purpose is to show a happy world for them, so they have hope for the future.

As I wanted peace to reign, the language that I chose was informal, because characters have the enough confidence with eachother to talk how ever they feel comfortable.

The connection between the course and the story is in the chapter “Text and Context”. For people that don’t know well what happened in the IIWW, a good way to contextualize is by telling how it was before.

Finally, the title “Forgotten Times” is because, under my point of view, when Nazis attacked the Jews, every one by decades has judged them, until today. And I think that no one can imagine how it would be if everyone treat normal Jews. But the setting of my story shows that unimaginable world.

3 Quotes

"I could see straight away that he had nothing against us - nor indeed he could have, naturally." (Page 41)

In this quote, Georg says his opinion about the policeman intention. For him, the officer was just doing his job and didn't have any evil intention.

"We gathered around him exuberantly, giggling, as if he were a teacher on some school excursion, with him in the middle of the group, pensively stroking his chin"(Page 44)

Georg, eventhough he is living a very though moment in his life, just try to have fun. Because he is young, he has hope, and lot of enerrgy.

"They led us on into a maze of gray buildings, before we suddenly debouched onto a huge open space strewn with a white gravel" (Page 56)

In this quoute, Georg express how scared he is inside, by telling us the description of an unknown place for him. It is the first time he is in this situation.

Chapter II

In this chapter there are lot of changes. Georg start developing a relationship with Annemarie. His father went to a labor camp to support his family. And finally Georg discuss with Annemarie's sister about the human and races.
The setting is in the George's neighborhood, Budapest, Hungary

Vocabulary Makes the Mood

Tone: Is the attitude that the author wants to create in a specific moment. If there is any tense moment in the text, then the author uses the words that generate it.

Mood: This one refers to the atmosphere that the setting and moment in the text is having. It goes even beyond the atmosphere, it is the vibrations and essence a situation has. The mood could be sad, angry, happy, etc.

Literary Terms

1. Allegory: story or poem in which the characters, setting, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. Can be read for a literal meaning and on a second, symbolic meaning.

2. Alliteration: repetition of the same sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word.

3. Allusion: a brief reference to a person,place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature

Wondering if a woman was beautiful enough to “launch a thousand ships” would be an allusion to Helen of Troy in the Odyssey. Also, “Old Scratch” in American literature refers to the Devil.

4. Climax: The point in the plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest. After this point, nothing can remain the same; greatest turning point in the story.

The climax in THE SCARLET LETTER is when Dimmesdale finally confesses his sins to the crowd

5. Connotation: Associations and implications that go beyond the written word

“Eagle” connotes liberty and freedom that have little to do with the word’s literal meaning of describing a bird. In PUDD’NHEAD WILSON, David Wilson is called a “pudd’nhead to connote his foolishness..

6. Denotation: dictionary definition of a word

“buying a ranch” denotes purchasing land on which to raise crops and livestock

7. Flashback: scene that interrupts the normal chronological flow of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

When Hester remembers her early life with her family and her honeymoon with Chillingworth, it is a flashback.

8. Foreshadowing: use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story, often used to build suspense or tension in a story

Pudd’nhead’s repeated fingerprinting of Tom and Chambers foreshadows its later importance in the book.

9. Gothic: use of primitive, medieval, or mysterious elements in literature. Gothic writing often features dark and gloomy places and horrifying, supernatural events

Edgar Allan Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher” is a gothic story featuring a large, dark, gothic mansion.

10. Hero: a character whose actions are inspiring or noble. Tragic heroes are noble and inspiring but have a fault or make a mistake which leads to their downfall.

Some critics claim that Dimmesdale in TSL is a tragic hero who falls is society due to poor decisions.

11. Hyperbole: boldy exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true.

12. Lyric poem: a melodic poem which describe an object or emotion.

“Heart, we will forget him” describes a woman trying to recover from heartbreak

13. Metaphor: a lterary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike

14. Narrative poem: a narrative poem tells a story in verse.

15. Onomatopoeia: use of words that imitate sounds.

16. Personification: a literary device in which human attributes are given to a non-human such as an animal, object, or concept

17. Plot: sequence of events in a story, usually involves characters and a conflict.

18. Point of view: the perspective or vantage point from which a story or poem is told. Three common points of view include: first-person, omniscient, and third person limited.

19. Setting: the time and place of the story or poem’s action, it helps to create the mood of the story

20. Simile: a literary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike using the words “like” or “as.”

21. Soliloquy: A long speech made by a character who is onstage alone and who reveals his/her private thoughts and feelings to the audience.

Romeo, as he is about to kill himself in ROMEO AND JULIET speaks to the audience.

22. Stanza: a group of lines in a poem that are considered to be a unit. They function like paragraphs do in prose writing.

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy

23. Symbol: something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well.

The Liberty Bell is not only a bell but a symbol of freedom in the United States. Hester’s scarlet letter symbolized her sin of adultery.

24. Theme: an insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

One of the themes if PUDD’NHEAD WILSON is that everyone suffers in some way in a society that condones slavery.

25. Thesis: the organizing thought of an entire essay or piece of writing and which contains a subject and an opinion

“Of the three scaffold scenes in TSL, the third one best encapsulates the theme that self-punishment is the harshest outcome of sin.”

26. Tone: the writer’s attitude toward the story, poem, characters, or audience. A writer’s tone may be formal or informal, friendly or anxious, personal, or arrogant, for example

“Hooray! I’m going to get married today!” (ecstatic tone)

27. Understatement/litote: literary device that says less than intended. Oppositive of hyperbole. Usually has an ironic effect, and sometimes may be used for comic purposes.

Chapter I Analysis

1.  What characters are introduced in this chapter? 

Georg Koves, Sütó, Annamarie, Stepmother, father, mother, uncle Willie, uncle Lajos, uncle Steiner, uncle Flelschmann, grandparents, uncle Dini, Baker, Baker's wife.

2. Choose two characters and select a quote to describe them physically or psychologically. 

Georg: "Being a big boy, now in my fifteenth year.." Physicall
            "I was quite capable of grasping for my self the gravity of the blow that had been inflicted on us" Psychological

3. What is the narrative technique? Provide evidence 

Point of View: narrator (1st person)
Narrator: Direct
Speech: Reported
Tense: Past Tense

4. Describe the setting of this chapter

The first chapter takes place in Budapest, Hungary. It is setted in the year 1941-1943.

Narrative Techniques

Anne Frank

On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank’s parents give her a

diary. She’s excited because she wants someone, or

something, in which to confide all of her secret thoughts.

As Jews in German-occupied Holland, the Frank family

fears for their lives. When Anne’s sister, Margot, is called to 

appear before the authorities, which would almost surely 

mean she was being sent to a concentration camp, Anne 

and her family go into hiding. 

For two years, the Frank family lives in this Secret Annex. Mr. 

and Mrs. van Daan and their son 

Peter (who is a few years older than Anne) are also in hiding 

with the Franks. Later, Mr. Dussel, an 

elderly dentist moves in, and Anne has to share her 

bedroom with him.

Luckily, the Franks have tons of reading material and a 

radio. Anne grows in her knowledge.

We see a real change in Anne when she begins hanging out

in the attic with Peter van Daan.

Another big change for Anne happens when the war seems

to be ending. She hears that personal accounts such as her

diary will be in demand after the war ends.


Unfortunately, this does not last. Even as Anne becomes more 

and more sensitive to the suffering going on in the world, her own 

suffering becomes unbearable.

There her diary ends. Two short months after Anne’s fifteenth 

birthday, and two days after he last diary entry, the Secret Annex is 

raided.

Interview to Imre Kertész

1. Before the interview, the presenter visits a monument to the Holocaust created by the American artist Peter Eiserman. Considering the shapes, architecture and general design, in what ways do you think he represents the reality in the concentration camps?

It makes people feel totally vulnerable

2. Which is the paradox the presenter mentions regarding Imre Kertész and the place where he lives?

He lives in the country that tried to kill him, and he feels more free than in any other country

3. Refer to antisemitism before and after Auschwitz according to Kertész.

After Auschwitz, people wanted a new one

4. In what way do reminders of the past in historical books make us "much richer"?

They gave us perspective diversity

Holocaust Timeline

Image Analysis

In this image the visible objects are a bunch of dead and white people, an alive and standing white guy, a fence, a tough floor, walls. The man is reflectionating. 

What I can infer from this image is a summary of the holocaust, the artist wanted to explain that lot of people died and somes did not. But the ones that did not feel exactly the same as the ones that did.

Another inference I made, is that the standing man is remembering how he abused in his glory times, and now he has lost it all as consequence.

My main question is what does the standing man is thinking.

X writting as Y

In this case it is men writing as women and women writing as men. I found 2 good example.

J.K. Rowling writing as Harry Potter, telling the story of this young boy who discovers that he is a magician, son of excelent wizards. He is a legend also, for surviving to the attack of Voldemort (an evil magician) being just a baby.

Charles Dicken writing as Esther Summerson in "Bleak House". She tells the story of her involvement in the tortuous lawsuit of Jarndyce vs Jarndyce. The heartstrings are tugged when she tells us of losing her bloom after catching smallpox, but we know that her author will pair her up with the handsome young doctor.

The benefits of writing as an opposite sex, is that the author can express a very different perspective of how would a man or woman would react in some situation. Also there are some limitiation, because the author has never had the experience of being the other sex, so he doesn't has the escence and vibrations that women or men do have.

Some author may take another approach because of the message they want to express, also it is easier for them to express themselves.

Dunkirk Evacuation

Dunkirk, and the evacuation associated with the troops trapped on Dunkirk, was called a  "miracle" by Winston Churchill. As the Wehrmacht swept through western Europe in the  spring of 1940, using Blitzkrieg, both the French and British armies could not stop the onslaught. For the people in western Europe, World War Two was about to start for real. The "Phoney War" was now over.   The advancing German Army trapped the British and French armies on the beaches around Dunkirk. 330,000 men were trapped here and they were a sitting target for the Germans. Admiral Ramsey, based in Dover, formulated Operation Dynamo to get off of the beaches as many men as was possible. 

The British troops, led by Lord John Gort,  were professional soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force; trained men that we could not afford to lose. From May 26th 1940, small ships transferred soldiers to larger ones which then brought them back to a port in southern Britain.  The beach at Dunkirk was on a shallow slope so no large boat could get near to the actual beaches where the men were. Therefore, smaller boats were needed to take on board men who would then be transferred to a larger boat based further off shore. 800 of these legendary "little ships" were used. It is thought that the smallest boat to make the journey across the Channel was the Tamzine - an 18 feet open topped fishing boat now on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.    




Tamzine - one of the 'little ships'  Despite attacks from German fighter and bomber planes, the Wehrmacht never launched a full-scale attack on the beaches of Dunkirk. Panzer tank crews awaited the order from Hitler but it never came. In his memoirs, Field Marshall Rundstadt, the German commander-in-chief in France during the 1940 campaign, called Hitler's failure to order a full-scale attack on the troops on Dunkirk his first fatal mistake of the war. That 338,000 soldiers were evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk would seem to uphold this view.     



Their job done, the 'little boats' are towed up the Thames  One of the reasons put forward for Hitler not ordering an attack was that he believed that Britain had suffered from the might of the Wehrmacht once and that this experience would be sufficient for Britain to come to peace terms with Hitler. The total destruction of the British Expeditionary Force might have created such a climate of revenge in Britain that our involvement would be prolonged. That is one idea put forward for why Hitler did not order a full-scale attack on the beaches of Dunkirk - however, we will never know the true reason.

(Sourece: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/dunkirk.htm)

Atonement

1. What sort of social and cultural setting does the Tallis House create? What emotions and impulses are being acted upon or repressed by its inhabitants? 

Cecilia / Cee

The Tallis house creates a high class social culture, that as consecuence makes Cee imposible to be in an open relationship with Robbie, because he was an employee.

 2. A passion for order, a lively imagination, and a desire for attention seem to be Briony's strongest traits. In what ways is she still a child? Is her narcissism - her inability to see things from any point of view but her own - unusual in a thirteen-year-old?   

Briony still a child in the way she sees things just under her perspective. That is very unusual in a thirdteen-year.old child, at that time most of the kids have the hability to put themselves in the shoes of other man, empathy.

3. Why does Briony stick to her "version of the story" with such unwavering commitment? Does she act entirely in error in a situation she is not old enough to understand, or does she act, in part, on an impulse of malice, revenge, or self-importance?   

Eventhoug Briony is questioned a lot of times about what she saw at the garden, she answers always what she thinks that happend, but she isn't really sure, she didn't saw clearly Robbie's face. Briony blame Robbie because she use to be in love with him, but Robbie didn't accept her, so now Briony created a whole untrue story to blame him.

4. As she grows older, Briony develops the empathy to realise what she has done to Cecilia and Robbie. How and why do you think she does this? 

Robbie

I think that it is very difficult to a person not to develop the ability of putting themselves in other ones shoes, and it is even harder in the enviorment in which Briony lived, with good values and education. And such an important incident as the one that happend, makes Briony reflect about it, to the point she knows the pain she caused and she wants to apologize.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austin that tell us the story of Elizabeth Bennett, a modern woman that fights versus the society of the early 19th-century England. She is the one that wants to choose who its going to be her husband, and not her parents. Eventhough the novel was written in 1813 it is very popular now a days. A recent film was made with Keria Knightley as the protagonist (2005).


1. Why do you think "Pride and Prejudice" continues to be a referent for modern tales?   

Because the conflict of the story can still be seen now a days, but in different ways and prespectives.

2. What do you think is the effect that these different authors (film directors, producers, modern writers) want to achieve in today's audiences?  

I think they want women to reflect about the relation between their life, and the protagonist life.

3. If you had to choose one of the previous versions to analyse, which would be the one and why?  

I would like to analyse the first version, because it is the more similar to the book, and I consider it is a very important fact, because it is the original novel the one that is rich in content and succes.



Page 287 Questions

1) What degrees of emancipation reinforcement of 18th-century family does Elizabeth Bennett's marriage to Mr. Darcy support?

Elizabeth Bennett's marriage has some emancipation values, for example, she is over-confident of her capacity to make independent decision. She chosed to marriage Mr. Darcy and not her mother. She rejected her future husband at first too.

2) What attitudes to marriage does Pride and Prejudice convey? What other options did Elizabeth Bennett have?

The attitude that "Pride and Prejudice" convey to marriage, is that women should be confident of their capacity to make decisions by their own, and they should judge by her selves if a man is the indicated or if he is not. Elizabeth could have rejected Mr. Darcy.

PEE Structure

This structure is very useful for essay or any case where you have to argument. The idea of PEE structure is to make your argument stronger by using evidence from a text. PEE stands for:




· Point: The point is the opinion or argument you stand for.

· Evidence: To give strenght to the argument, the next step is to put a quote from the original text to prove what you say is right.

· Explanation: The final step is to show the connection between the evidence and the point so its clear for everyone what is the background of your argument.

The PEE can only be used when there is the intention of introducing a quotation in the text. The importance of quoting is based in the strenght that the argument can get. And in an essay the arguments are the most important thing,

Jewish Traditions

Mezuzah

Mezuzah: A mezuzah is a piece of parchment (often contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21). These verses comprise the Jewish prayer "Shema Yisrael", beginning with the phrase: "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezuzah  16/10/12  9:02am)




Tefillin: Tefillin, also called phylacteries, (from Ancient Greek phylacterion, meaning "to guard, protect") are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form (the singular being "tefillah"), it is loosely used as a singular as well. The hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead. The Torah commands that they should be worn to serve as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.
 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin 16/10/12  9:12am)


Shofar: A shofar, is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Shofar come in a variety of sizes.
 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar   16/10/12)






Hanukkah: (sometimes transliterated Chanukkah) is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.  In Hebrew, the word "hanukkah" means "dedication." The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.

(http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm  22/10/12)

Tzedakah: is a Hebrew word literally meaning righteousness but commonly used to signify charity. It is based on the Hebrew word (צדק, Tzedek) meaning righteousness, fairness or justice, and it is related to the Hebrew word Tzadik meaning righteous as an adjective (or righteous individual as a noun in the form of a substantive). In Judaism, tzedakah refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism emphasises are important parts of living a spiritual life. Maimonides says that, while the second highest form of tzedakah is to anonymously give donations to unknown recipients, the highest form is to give a gift, loan, or partnership that will result in the recipient supporting himself instead of living upon others. Unlike philanthropy or charity, which are completely voluntary, tzedakah is seen as a religious obligation, which must be performed regardless of financial standing, and must even be performed by poor people. Tzedakah is considered to be one of the three main acts that can annul a less than favorable heavenly decree.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzedakah)


Sabbath: According to Exodus 20:8-11, the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, on which we are to rest, in remembrance that God created the universe in six days and then “rested” on the seventh day. However, due to the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of some Christian groups, the meaning of the Sabbath day rest has been confused.   Some Christian groups, such as the Seventh Day Adventists, view the Sabbath as the day of worship, the day on which Christians should attend church / worship services. While these groups typically also teach that no work is to be done on the Sabbath, the concept of the “day of worship” is sometimes more emphasized than the “day of rest.”

(http://www.gotquestions.org/Sabbath-day-rest.html)