It's Finally Over!

I have been home for about an hour and completed my last final this morning. It was a three hour chemistry test and my brain feels like a bowl of Jello-o or perhaps a pile of mush. I have determined that three hours is about two hours too long to be looking at chemistry. I had confidence on the first portion of the test which was the National 70 multiple choice question assessment, until I realized I had only mere moments to finish and was only 3/4 of the way complete. I had to guess on the last 1/4. I suppose I learned an important lesson, don't do each one in order and work them out completely...go through the test first, answer the obvious ones, and than go back and work on the hard ones. I tend to believe, however, that the creators of the test make it so that to complete the test accurately is close to impossible.

The last portion of the test was my teacher's version of the final which was supposed to be easy but after looking at two hours of multiple choice questions, I began to second guess myself and forgot formulas. In addition, formulas and equations that we didn't have to memorize throughout the semester suddenly were supposed to be memorized BUT we didn't know that. Let's just say that test didn't go well. My teacher said not to worry, so for once, I am not going to. I worked my tushie off in that class and it will be the hardest earned 'B' I ever got. If she decides to grade on a curve than I may have a chance at an 'A'...I should know in a couple days.

My other finals were less eventful, thank goodness!

I received all 'B's on my tests in Trig and my final was a take home which I am hoping was an 'A'...that would mean that with my homework and quizzes I might have pulled an 'A' in that class after all. I take it back, that was the hardest earned grade so far....so many hours of studying at home, getting help from the tutors, and asking Matt questions. I can only hope that I am prepared for Calculus next semester.

Sociology was a breeze. I already know that I got an 'A' in that class. I am glad it is over but I also am realistic enough to know that it was probably my last easy 'A'.

I also know that I got an 'A' in my Literature class. My final paper (which I will either put here on the website or email to you directly) was an 'A'.

So this is how this semester appears to be wrapping up:

Sociology A
Trigonometry B
Chemistry B
Literature A

Next semester will be:

Astronomy 101
Calculus I
Chemistry 152
STU 210 (transfer course for the U of A)
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Matt and I are looking to move again. We have decided (again) to put off purchasing a house until I am done at the U of A. Instead of buying we intend to rent again but somewhere close to the University. After discussing it for weeks we decided that to live close to the U was much more cost effective than buying a house elsewhere and having to pay for gas and a parking permit (every year). Plus the expense that we incur every day with Matt driving 65 miles a day is getting to be too much. If we move close to the U, and I mean close enough to ride my bike to, than I won't need to drive, I won't need a parking permit (because I will bike to school), and Matt will be that much closer to work. It is a win/win situation for both of us, except that we will be paying rent instead of earning equity in a house, but who can afford a house near the U?
Amazing how a little thing like gasoline can change your entire life. Our next door neighbor sold his truck and bought a car because he can't afford gas anymore and Matt and I have traded vehicles (he drives the Hyundai and I drive the truck) because the car gets better gas mileage. I wonder how much longer it will be before we will just have to sell the truck all together because we cannot afford $4.00 a gallon?

With the potential move to the University side of town also means that I will be switching Pima campuses my final semester. I will still have to attend the Desert Vista campus for chemistry since they don't offer it at Downtown, the campus nearest the U. I was kind of bummed at first until I found out my friend Brittney (that I met at East campus) got a job at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and will be moving to their dorms and attending Downtown campus too. Kind of weird how that all worked out...we might be able to even get a couple of our classes together. So, the month of December will be busy for Matt and I as we try to work out all the fine details of the move.
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As for additional plans over the holiday break, I am happy to say I have nothing huge planned. I want to clean my house, organize the garage, scrapbook a little, play lots of video games, catch up on my soap opera, visit my friends, and watch a lot of Stargate.

I cannot wait to sleep in tomorrow!

I hope you are enjoying your day and that you are doing well. We will see you soon!

XXOO

Final Literature Paper

Literature 261

4 December 2007

The Lost Generation and the City of Light

The introduction of political, social, and technological changes during the turn of the century ushered in a new era called Modernism. Modernism was expressed in art, music, and especially literature. Few had as much impact on Modern literature as the expatriate writers of the 1920s, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sylvia Beach, and Gertrude Stein. Their self imposed alienation from their home country and their common destination of Paris, France altered the confines of literature and helped to shape Modern literature as we know it today.

“The Lost Generation” of writers, as they would later be known, were born and raised during the first two decades of the 20^th century with the rigid discipline of Victorian morals (Curnutt 12). These morals and values included a deep seeded belief in the Protestant work ethic that hard work and deferred gratification would lead to security and peace (Thompson 435). By 1918 the future expatriates’ sense of society and self had been shattered by trench warfare and World War I. Many of the expatriates either lived through or witnessed first hand the devastation of World War I and its many casualties (Badertscher). One such writer was F. Scott Fitzgerald who in his first novel, This Side of Paradise, summed up his despondency stating “a new generation…grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken” (Fitzgerald 213). This devastation led to a tremendous feeling of loss, disruption, and disillusionment. American society was in constant transition and upheaval and the expatriates no longer believed that the Protestant work ethic was valid. Furthermore, the expatriates had lost faith in their elders, believing the older generation had transformed society without having given the younger generation any viable substitute (Curnutt 20). John F. Carter stated:

The older generation pretty well ruined this world before passing it onto us. My generation is disillusioned and, I think, brutalized, by the cataclysm which their complacent folly engendered…And now they are surprised that a great many of us, because they have taken away our apple-cheeked ideals, are seriously considering whether or not their game be worth our candle (Curnutt 20).

In addition to the feelings of loss and disruption, expatriate writers had an overall dissatisfaction with American literature. Before Modernism, literature was controlled by structure and organization. As the world around them changed, the expatriates desperately sought to create literature that reflected the turmoil they saw around them. Some of the literary styles that spawned from this were fragmentation, juxtaposition, and stream of consciousness (Curnutt 11). The increase in foreign travel from the United States to Europe during the 1920s also had a momentous affect on American literature. As more travelers began visiting abroad, a common consensus that American literature was not as traditional or diverse as other countries became commonplace (Curnutt 68). This belief was strongly endorsed by many expatriate writers. Additionally, expatriate writers also viewed the landscape of the United States as stagnant and lacking character therefore making it more difficult for them to create appealing works of literature (Curnutt 69). Finally, they believed with all sincerity that their written work was underappreciated and that the American public and literary scholars were “indifferent to their contributions to American culture” (Curnutt 71). The expatriates saw all of these factors as signs that they no longer belonged within the confines of the United States. These disillusionments quickly led to the voluntary migration and alienation of expatriate writers from the United States to Paris, France.

Paris, France, also known as the City of Light, was well known by travelers and writers alike as a welcoming and accepting city. Paris was known for its embracement of developing new ideas, producing new values, investigating unconventional behaviors and the undertaking of radical experimentation. Writers from all over the world converged on the Left Bank of the Seine which quickly became the central hub of creativity (“Geniuses”). One very influential author named Gertrude Stein hosted gatherings, also known as salons, in which artists and writers would congregate to discuss art and inspiration (Lovelady). The neighborhood, Montparnasse, was lined with cafes and bookstores, allowing expatriate writers to communicate and exchange ideas freely and easily (“Geniuses”). Some of these bookstores became paramount in the development of Modern literature. One of the most famous bookstores, “Shakespeare and Company”, was owned and run by expatriate writer Sylvia Beach. “Shakespeare and Company” was not simply a place of commerce, but in addition served as a lending library to other expatriate writers and was often used as a forwarding address for those leaving the United States (“Geniuses”). “Shakespeare and Company” would later gain more fame when Beach agreed to publish works of literature that were unable to be published any other way (“Geniuses”). With the increased presence of expatriate writers came an increase in alternative presses. This was one of Paris’ defining contributions to Modern literature. Small and alternative presses enabled expatriates to distribute their sometimes controversial and progressive novels, stories, and poetry to the general public. Paris had yet another endearing quality during this period of time, the money exchange rate. The cost of living was far more affordable in Paris than in the United States, allowing writers to live Bohemian, yet comfortable lifestyles without much sacrifice (Mills). This, too, afforded the alienated writers to focus on their writing and creativity and not worry about the day to day restrictions of the American work ethic.

The expatriates did not begin the Modern literature era however they were the most influential part of it. The changes they experienced and witnessed in the United States and their vocalization of their disenchantment changed literature forever. Writers such as Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald never gave up their nationalism, but rather changed locations to better serve themselves and their art. In Paris they were able to find a camaraderie, acceptance, and diversity that were not possible in America. The establishment of alternative presses allowed for creative and expressive works that have withstood the test of time. Upon reflection the expatriate writers of the United States altered the boundaries of literature and shaped Modern literature to what it is today, while simultaneously giving readers a meaningful and accurate view of the Modern era.