Here is the link to our final project YouTube playlist which includes songs that go with the chapters of the Sun Also Rises. There is also a poster with the CD's which include pictures of the themes of each chapters.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X4zigBhTd0
Poster:
When the book starts out Milkman and Guitar have a relationship where Guitar is the older more knowing friend and Milkman is the younger friend who listens and follows Guitar around. There relationship does kind of change throughout the book. As the story goes on, Milkman kind of fears Guitar and stands up to him in conversations. This change in relationship also follows with a distance between them.
At the beginning Milkman and Guitar go over to the Pilate's house together. In the book it says, "Guitar, being older and already in high school, had none of the reluctance that his young buddy still struggled with, and was the first one to speak." (pg. 36) This shows how Guitar holds the more mature role where he introduces himself to Pilate first and then Milkman follows with guidance from Guitar. It seems kind of like a sibling relationship back then. They get along pretty well and it seems like Milkman set Guitar as an example for how he lives and acts.
When Milkman gets older it seems like he finally stands up to Guitar and is scared of him killing him after he finds out Guitar is part of the Seven Days. In the story it says, "Milkman drank his up quickly and ordered another before asking Guitar, "How come they call me Milkman?" "How the freak would I know? That's your name ain't it?" "My name is Macon Dead." "You drag me all the way over here to tell me your name?" "I need to know it."" (pg. 84) This quote shows Macon demanding something from Guitar for the first time and being the leader. We then see more scenes where Guitar tries to lecture Milkman and he comes back to fight what Guitar has just said. Then we hear the Seven Days joining of Guitar. In the story it says, "Guitar, none of that stuff is going to change how I live or how any other Negro lives. What you're doing is crazy. And something else: it's a habitat. if you do it enough, you can do it to anybody. You know what I mean? A torpedo is a torpedo, I don't care what his reasons. You can off anybody you don't like. You can off me." (pg. 160-161) This quote shows how Milkman senses that since Guitar is in the Seven Days that he could kill him and he is afraid of that happening. He is concerned for his friend and is now trying to look out for him by telling him the reasons he shouldn't be apart of this organization.
All in all, the book shows Milkman and Guitar's relationship change. They start off close and sibling like then they go into a time of distance and fighting and even fear of the other by Milkman. Their relationship is quite interesting to watch throughout the book. At first we don't expect this great of a change between them but by then end we see how it is necessary to have this change between Guitar and Milkman's friendship.
*quotes from the book but somewhat censored and have only read thru chapter 9 so far.
In the Stranger, we see Meursault having little to no emotion at his mom's funeral which makes him seem strange but then see him mindlessly agreeing to things without really thinking and finally see him murder a man. The murder is the most severe and after he shoots once, he pauses and shoots again four more times. There was no reason for the shots except for the sun which doesn't really add up as a reason to kill someone. All these events that take place, lead the court to question his morality and his soul. This is eventually what leads them to decide that he is a danger to people and is the reason why they must kill him.
Based on Meursault explanation during the kill, he seems to be responding to the sun in his kill and not to the Arab man. He then goes through the court case honest but not really saying much about what happened because their were no thoughts around why he shot the extra 4 times. I think its interesting because even after they sentenced him to death, he still didn't seem overly upset. He also has a girlfriend Marie who comes to visit him while he is in jail and is a witness to him in court. She asked him if he loved her before the murder and he said it doesn't really matter but no, and then continued in the relationship with her. After he was sentenced to execution he says, "Anyway, after that, remembering Marie meant nothing to me. (pg. 115) This quote proves how he doesn't care about people and thinks everything in life is meaningless which relates back to the killing of how he had no thoughts or emotions about the Arab, he killed.
All the events discussed above lead me to my final point; should he have been sentenced to death or prison? Well based on what we know he has killed a man with excessive shots for no apparent reason. He doesn't have morals and agrees with whatever other people tell him. For example Raymond beats his mistress after he thinks he cheats and then he asks Meursault to testify in his defense in court and Meursault's says sure. Meursault also seems to feel little emotional connection to people like in Marie and Maman's case, we see very little emotions to either of them. These instances don't necessary warrant death but possibly life in prison because he seems to have moral issues but doesn't seem like he wants to go out and shoot and kill everyone. I don't know if he is necessarily dangerous but could have a mental illness such as anxiety which is why he would feel hot so often and feel the need to run from it. I think that Meursault didn't deserve execution because of his motives but he does seem a bit uncontrollable because of how he responds when hot (or panicked). Also we in America have a different view of the death penalty than Algers in that time period did. This could lead to why they choose death penalty over life imprisonment. All in all I think Meursault is safe in the house where he can be calm but if he is out without supervision he runs into large self-control issues. The walk on the beach is like the second time we see him fully alone without many people. The rest of the time he usually has someone with him or nearby and if he did something they might be able to stop him.
*spoiler!
Starting the book, The Sun also Rises, we see how Jake and Brett seem to have some sort of romantic relationship or situationship going. We see Brett and Jake leaving the club to go drink at another place by themselves and how they end up kissing in the car. They also call each other their loves. We find out they have a past where Brett was Jake's nurse in the veteran hospital during the war which is a how they know each other so well. At the end after numerous scenes with Brett and Jake we see them in the car again this time the car seems to be pulling them together and apart. The last lines of the book are in response to the trip they all had together which ends up as a mess by the end. In the book Brett says," We could of have had such a *darn* good time together. "Jake's response to her is, "Isn't it pretty to think so? (pg. 251).
This is where the "what if's" come in because there are so many possibilities to think about. Jake and Brett could of ended up accepting what couldn't happen and having a good life together or they could have decided to change their romantic love to something else. It seems unfair to Jake at the end that he has to see his love, Brett go off with other men to have affairs while she has a fiancé and it's not him. The story line that would of made it a happily ever after would of been Brett having a large realization that she doesn't need sex and that to fulfill that she could cuddle or kiss Jake. Brett could use the growth of being with Jake to stop being so obsessed with something that she doesn't really need and could help her get control of her drinking. Brett's love for Jake was more emotional attached and she felt like she could tell her heart to him and we don't see that else where in the book. This would allow Brett to have Jake as her husband and have a more traditional relationship and have both parties benefit and be supported. They have more emotional love to each other but they do some "couple things" like kiss, and cuddling but never have sex because of Jake's injury. In this type of relationship Jake wouldn't have to see Brett go off with other men and then call him when she needs help. This ending to the book would of made it a lot happier and healthy for both of them.
In conclusion, Jake and Brett have a different type of relationship in the book that can depict Brett as immoral or a user because she calls Jake when in trouble and doesn't really regard Jake's feelings toward her sleeping with Cohn (his friend). On the contrary, Brett doesn't owe Jake anything and she has told him that a relationship won't work ever and that she has a fiancé. There situation is different than nowadays because we have more ways to medically help people than in the 1900's. If their situation were to change it would depict Brett as a better person and would eliminate her sexual promiscuities as long as she took control over it and didn't keep it at the level it was at during the book. Jake would also seem to be less stressed and nervous as he had been in the book with Brett around.
*censored from book
In Mrs. Dalloway there is a lot of events and thoughts from the characters that signify mental illness. Clarissa's thoughts seem to signify depression through her unhappiness with her marriage and her questioning if she married the correct person. Septimus thoughts and actions seem to signify PTSD which was called Shell Shock in that time and suicidal thoughts due to his actions (attempted suicide which leads to death). Both of these characters seem to be experiencing mental illness, one being more prevalent than the other.
The mental illness in the book seems to relate to Virginia Woolf's life. In her life she struggled with suicidal thoughts and attempts, and bipolar disorder which led to depression. This seems to come out in her book which is written only a few years after her suicide attempt. Virginia Woolf's personal struggles seems to come out in the book through her characters. Her life was full of mental illness and by her book she was able to educate others and get out her internal struggle she had in a way that was healthy. At the time her book was written, people didn't even know what PTSD was and thought nothing was wrong with Septimus and that he was just weak. They called it Shell Shock back then which isn't really labeling it as a disorder or something that needs to be helped. I think Virginia Woolf wanted to bring light to the darkness she faced and wanted to show how the doctors treated her with her mental illness struggled. We see this in the scene with Septimus and the doctors where they want to send him to a house to rest by himself.
Overall it seems like the relation of the characters in the book and Virginia Woolf's struggles are relevant and are a message. The way they are connected is a good way to share them without explicitly telling Virginia Woolf's story because it is through background knowledge we can connect it. I think the relation at this time was very necessary and I am very glad Virginia Woolf included this in her story. To relate this at an even personal level, I feel like in the 21st century there is so much mental illness that I am glad it comes up to show others that they are not alone and that others have struggled with the same thing they have. It also shows the progression of the society from then to now because people are a lot more likely to support and help you now then before when they thought treatment was just resting alone in the country.
Here is the link to our final project YouTube playlist which includes songs that go with the chapters of the Sun Also Rises. There is also a...
