Wow, I'm actually done this project. Honestly, I'm going to miss it. I really enjoyed posting my thoughts of the reading I had completed from The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys (even though getting started was hard). It was a great experience posting my own opinions of something on the Internet. I'm probably going to miss this project because it allows our opinions to be viewed and marked in an informal style of writing. Having it available on the Internet is just a bonus, I like having the possible extra time to complete projects without worry.
The only aspect in which I feel like a stronger reader is in the analyzing of the novel I read, this also shows in my writing. I don't feel like I have improved in reading much more than that because I tend to read novels by authors that I get sucked into, emotions and all. I feel as my writing has improved through combining both my opinions, and evidence through quotes from the book. A wider audience made me realize that what I write is important and I really have to believe in what I present.
Before this project I had only tried to read two Canadian authors, those being Heather O'Neill (author of Lullabies for Little Criminals) and Alice Munro (author of Lives of Girls and Women). I loves the O'Neill novel, but I couldn't make it through the one by Munro. I really enjoyed Helen Humphreys novel, and in the future I plan to try and read more Canadian novels.
What I have learned about myself is that I like to change up the type of projects I have. This was a great learning experience, I have already explained what I have learned so I don't want to waste anymore time on that subject. Basically I'm glad we did this project, it was a nice change from journal entries and formal essays.
Thanks Mrs. Walker, for the chance to try this new form of learning. It was great.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Works Cited
Apologia Bibliography
Humphreys, Helen. The Lost Garden. Toronto, ON, Canada: HarperCollins Publisher Ltd., 2002.
"Helen Humphreys - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 5 Mar. 2009
Humphreys, Helen. The Lost Garden. Toronto, ON, Canada: HarperCollins Publisher Ltd., 2002.
Richards, Linda. "Interview Helen Humphreys." January Magazine. 5 Mar. 2009
Humphreys, Helen. The Lost Garden. Toronto, ON, Canada: HarperCollins Publisher Ltd., 2002.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Apologia
The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys should be considered a great Canadian Novel. There are many reasons why someone should read this novel, the one I'm going to focus on is Helen Humphreys writing style. I'll quickly introduce Helen Humphreys as a poet, her writing style as well as the affect it had on me, as the reader.
First off, Helen Humphreys is not only a novelist, she is also a poet. That's why one of the most intriguing parts of this novel is her writing style. As a poet she has had four books of her poetry published(Wikipedia), and it is very evident in her novel, The Lost Garden. In the novel her lead character Gwen Davis considers what writing means to the author, "When a writer writes, it's as if she holds the sides of her chest apart, exposes her beating heart. And even though everything wants to heal, to close over and protect the heart, the writer must keep it bare, exposed"(182). I'm sure she approaches her writing the same way as many of the events in this book was based off of her parent's lives (January Magazine).
Secondly, as Helen Humphreys is a poet her novels show this through the vocabulary she has chosen to use. The novel is narrated by the main character, Gwen Davis. The poetic language is used in a way to describe what she is experiencing, "I remember being a child and sitting outside the house in the dark. The flowers in the beds were shadows beside me, swaying slightly in a way I was used to, a way I found comforting"(158). Imagine being a child finding the swaying of flowers that calming and peaceful, this is what it does for you. The vocabulary she has chosen puts you in the garden with those swaying flowers. You can picture it vividly. With the words she has chosen to express herself you can imagine everyday occurrences that you would not even consider describing the way she does, "His muscles move like water under his skin"(121). Also as I have previously mentioned, Gwen Davis is a horticulturist and because of this the language used refers to plants through the novel. Whether she is describing the falling of petals from a flower, "[D]ropped it waxy cache of petals to the ground in glorious failure"(120). Or if she is describing a person, "and [I] run my hands over his skin, soft as petals"(196).
Finally, what her language affects the most is the image she is trying to create with her story. As I read this book I felt like I was actually experiencing what the characters were. There were times when Gwen was describing a picture being shown to her as, ""If I peer hard at the photograph in David's hand, at the girl on the rock and the sweater on the girl, I can see stabs of white breaking open the black. I can see the stars he means"(192). Or describing flowers, "I stop in front of the wave of peonies, frozen in the act of crashing to the ground, of going overboard"(194). Not only does she describe what is happening but she gives the action personality - otherwise known as personification. This sheds a whole new light onto what is happening from page to page.
In conclusion, The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys should be considered a great Canadian novel. She is a poet that has created beautiful imagery that carries the readers attention throughout the novel with descriptions of little events. Her poetic license makes the novel that much better as it creates an image for which the reader can respond and relate to. "The moment opens. The moment closes. There is sunlight. There is frost. There is the brief idea of roses amid the patch of weeds"(140).
First off, Helen Humphreys is not only a novelist, she is also a poet. That's why one of the most intriguing parts of this novel is her writing style. As a poet she has had four books of her poetry published(Wikipedia), and it is very evident in her novel, The Lost Garden. In the novel her lead character Gwen Davis considers what writing means to the author, "When a writer writes, it's as if she holds the sides of her chest apart, exposes her beating heart. And even though everything wants to heal, to close over and protect the heart, the writer must keep it bare, exposed"(182). I'm sure she approaches her writing the same way as many of the events in this book was based off of her parent's lives (January Magazine).
Secondly, as Helen Humphreys is a poet her novels show this through the vocabulary she has chosen to use. The novel is narrated by the main character, Gwen Davis. The poetic language is used in a way to describe what she is experiencing, "I remember being a child and sitting outside the house in the dark. The flowers in the beds were shadows beside me, swaying slightly in a way I was used to, a way I found comforting"(158). Imagine being a child finding the swaying of flowers that calming and peaceful, this is what it does for you. The vocabulary she has chosen puts you in the garden with those swaying flowers. You can picture it vividly. With the words she has chosen to express herself you can imagine everyday occurrences that you would not even consider describing the way she does, "His muscles move like water under his skin"(121). Also as I have previously mentioned, Gwen Davis is a horticulturist and because of this the language used refers to plants through the novel. Whether she is describing the falling of petals from a flower, "[D]ropped it waxy cache of petals to the ground in glorious failure"(120). Or if she is describing a person, "and [I] run my hands over his skin, soft as petals"(196).
Finally, what her language affects the most is the image she is trying to create with her story. As I read this book I felt like I was actually experiencing what the characters were. There were times when Gwen was describing a picture being shown to her as, ""If I peer hard at the photograph in David's hand, at the girl on the rock and the sweater on the girl, I can see stabs of white breaking open the black. I can see the stars he means"(192). Or describing flowers, "I stop in front of the wave of peonies, frozen in the act of crashing to the ground, of going overboard"(194). Not only does she describe what is happening but she gives the action personality - otherwise known as personification. This sheds a whole new light onto what is happening from page to page.
In conclusion, The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys should be considered a great Canadian novel. She is a poet that has created beautiful imagery that carries the readers attention throughout the novel with descriptions of little events. Her poetic license makes the novel that much better as it creates an image for which the reader can respond and relate to. "The moment opens. The moment closes. There is sunlight. There is frost. There is the brief idea of roses amid the patch of weeds"(140).
Friday, April 10, 2009
Explication of Obstacles to Love in The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys
The situation I have chosen from Polti's Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is Obstacles to Love. This situation is apparent in The Lost Garden, a novel by Helen Humphreys as the main character falls for a soldier but is unable to engage in a relationship.
Gwen Davis befriends a Canadian soldier named Captain Raley at the beginning of the novel, and as it progresses so does their relationship. They grow closer when they share their feelings and past experiences that has caused them pain. In order to show Raley that she cares for him she purchases a tree that he recalled from his memories of Toronto. Gwen as the narrator says, "Raley wants to plant the magnolia so that he can see it from his room at Mosel. We dig the hole at the front of the house, right under his window. Raley does most of the work of digging, leaning hard into the shovel with the full weight of his body"(121).
Their relationship soon grows into something that much more complicated and unattainable. This brings me to the dramatic situation I have chosen for this novel, obstacles to love. This as you may already have assumed consists of two lovers, and one obstacle that prevents them from loving each other to their full potential. "“Gwen,” says Raley. I can feel the tension in his body, can feel the sweat from his hands through my shirt. “My friend who died. Peter. He wasn’t just my friend. He was my lover. We have been, had been, lovers since we were young. I’ve tried, while I've been here at Mosel, I’ve tried to get over it. But I can’t. There is nothing else for me”(197). After reading page 197 I believe she felt betrayed or even stupid as to believe Raley cared for her the same she did for him. But she does continue to care for him despite what he has just told her.
As Gwen cares for Raley, I believe she would want him to be happy, but at the same time she is pained. Before Raley informed her of his sexual orientation, she had been trying to comfort him on going into war. The comfort lead to the sharing of kisses, Gwen feels so much passion in the moment that, "[she] say[s] what [she] feel[s] but [was] never never meant to utter... "“I love you,” I say" (196). Most people have known the feeling of putting yourself out there, in this position. It feels as if the world has stopped, as if you can't breathe until you get the answer you're hoping for. But what if you don't receive the answer that you wanted to hear? It feels as if your world like you know it has ended. You have told the person you desperately care for that you do, only to be rejected, creating an awkward environment for yourselves every time you see them after that. Gwen experiences this and it tears her apart.
Raley leaves that night saying "“I’m sorry... I never meant to hurt you”"(197). Gwen then dwells on this event for the following years believing, " if only I hadn’t said those words we would have been lovers that night"(197). Although the previous quote shows me she regrets telling him how she felt, I personally believe it was necessary. Humphreys writes: "I touch his lips, gently, so gently, and then I kiss him. I kiss him and he lets me. Then he kisses me back. We push against each other and topple off the bench onto the grass... He kisses me and I feel as if I have never breathed before now" (195-196). This quotation shows Gwen cared strongly for Raley for she wouldn't have said it felt like she had never breathed before the moment they shared if she hadn't. If you were to feel that strongly for someone you would most likely want to take chance if you thought it could end with your happiness.
As mentioned previously, this did tear Gwen apart as one of the greatest loves she has ever known has turned out to be one she misread and although you may have been led to believe she regretted sharing her feelings there is also proof that they carried on. Before he leaves to go to the battle front she gives him her favourite book, one that she had memorized because she has read it so often, To The Lighthouse by Virgina Woolfe. " I rush up... and thrust the book into his hands. We don't speak... The car drives off. I stand on the driveway, long after the car is down the hill and gone. Past the stream and through the village. Long after it has turned into the entrance to the station. In some measure, I am always standing watching the car with Raley in it drive away. I am always there. Even now" (201).
After the war, Gwen stays at Mosel where throughout her life was the one place that felt like home. She recalls Raley as one would remember a loved one, "Raley was killed at Dieppe in 1942, but the tree Raley and I planted continues to grow. Every spring it loses its fragrance to the earth in one reckless gesture, like a young boy standing at the rail of the ship and saying to his friend-Let us take our coats off and throw them in the sea" (210). This is the story that Raley shared with her one night, his friend was his lover, and this was what she remembered. Her love, and her lover's love.
In conclusion, of Polti's Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, Obstacles to Love was the situation that agreed with the events that played out in the pages of Helen Humphreys' novel, The Lost Garden.
"Dead flowers hold their fragrance. That is one truth. Sometimes our passion is our ruin. That is another" (209).
Gwen Davis befriends a Canadian soldier named Captain Raley at the beginning of the novel, and as it progresses so does their relationship. They grow closer when they share their feelings and past experiences that has caused them pain. In order to show Raley that she cares for him she purchases a tree that he recalled from his memories of Toronto. Gwen as the narrator says, "Raley wants to plant the magnolia so that he can see it from his room at Mosel. We dig the hole at the front of the house, right under his window. Raley does most of the work of digging, leaning hard into the shovel with the full weight of his body"(121).
Their relationship soon grows into something that much more complicated and unattainable. This brings me to the dramatic situation I have chosen for this novel, obstacles to love. This as you may already have assumed consists of two lovers, and one obstacle that prevents them from loving each other to their full potential. "“Gwen,” says Raley. I can feel the tension in his body, can feel the sweat from his hands through my shirt. “My friend who died. Peter. He wasn’t just my friend. He was my lover. We have been, had been, lovers since we were young. I’ve tried, while I've been here at Mosel, I’ve tried to get over it. But I can’t. There is nothing else for me”(197). After reading page 197 I believe she felt betrayed or even stupid as to believe Raley cared for her the same she did for him. But she does continue to care for him despite what he has just told her.
As Gwen cares for Raley, I believe she would want him to be happy, but at the same time she is pained. Before Raley informed her of his sexual orientation, she had been trying to comfort him on going into war. The comfort lead to the sharing of kisses, Gwen feels so much passion in the moment that, "[she] say[s] what [she] feel[s] but [was] never never meant to utter... "“I love you,” I say" (196). Most people have known the feeling of putting yourself out there, in this position. It feels as if the world has stopped, as if you can't breathe until you get the answer you're hoping for. But what if you don't receive the answer that you wanted to hear? It feels as if your world like you know it has ended. You have told the person you desperately care for that you do, only to be rejected, creating an awkward environment for yourselves every time you see them after that. Gwen experiences this and it tears her apart.
Raley leaves that night saying "“I’m sorry... I never meant to hurt you”"(197). Gwen then dwells on this event for the following years believing, " if only I hadn’t said those words we would have been lovers that night"(197). Although the previous quote shows me she regrets telling him how she felt, I personally believe it was necessary. Humphreys writes: "I touch his lips, gently, so gently, and then I kiss him. I kiss him and he lets me. Then he kisses me back. We push against each other and topple off the bench onto the grass... He kisses me and I feel as if I have never breathed before now" (195-196). This quotation shows Gwen cared strongly for Raley for she wouldn't have said it felt like she had never breathed before the moment they shared if she hadn't. If you were to feel that strongly for someone you would most likely want to take chance if you thought it could end with your happiness.
As mentioned previously, this did tear Gwen apart as one of the greatest loves she has ever known has turned out to be one she misread and although you may have been led to believe she regretted sharing her feelings there is also proof that they carried on. Before he leaves to go to the battle front she gives him her favourite book, one that she had memorized because she has read it so often, To The Lighthouse by Virgina Woolfe. " I rush up... and thrust the book into his hands. We don't speak... The car drives off. I stand on the driveway, long after the car is down the hill and gone. Past the stream and through the village. Long after it has turned into the entrance to the station. In some measure, I am always standing watching the car with Raley in it drive away. I am always there. Even now" (201).
After the war, Gwen stays at Mosel where throughout her life was the one place that felt like home. She recalls Raley as one would remember a loved one, "Raley was killed at Dieppe in 1942, but the tree Raley and I planted continues to grow. Every spring it loses its fragrance to the earth in one reckless gesture, like a young boy standing at the rail of the ship and saying to his friend-Let us take our coats off and throw them in the sea" (210). This is the story that Raley shared with her one night, his friend was his lover, and this was what she remembered. Her love, and her lover's love.
In conclusion, of Polti's Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, Obstacles to Love was the situation that agreed with the events that played out in the pages of Helen Humphreys' novel, The Lost Garden.
"Dead flowers hold their fragrance. That is one truth. Sometimes our passion is our ruin. That is another" (209).
Friday, April 3, 2009
Explication Planning
Obstacles to Love
Elements: Two lovers, an obstacle
I'm thinking I should use this dramatic situation as it is most fitting, and actaully applies to one of the conflicts in my novel. With this I can examine Gwen Davis and Captain Raley's relationship throughout the and more specifically in the last section.
Explanation of Choice
The two lovers would therefore be Gwen Davis and Captain Raley. The obstacle to love would be Raley's sexual orientation. It's obvious that through the novel they have grown to care for each other, but the way they care for each other is extremely different. I'll also examine the scene/ chapter in which Gwen discovers that Raley is a homosexual man.
Elements: Two lovers, an obstacle
I'm thinking I should use this dramatic situation as it is most fitting, and actaully applies to one of the conflicts in my novel. With this I can examine Gwen Davis and Captain Raley's relationship throughout the and more specifically in the last section.
Explanation of Choice
The two lovers would therefore be Gwen Davis and Captain Raley. The obstacle to love would be Raley's sexual orientation. It's obvious that through the novel they have grown to care for each other, but the way they care for each other is extremely different. I'll also examine the scene/ chapter in which Gwen discovers that Raley is a homosexual man.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Apologia Planning
Reasons to pay attention to this novel and author:
- the novel is historically accurate, time line with everything that occurs in the novel is on track
- her writing style is beautiful as it is very poetic and the imagery used is unbelievable
- the development of characters within this novel are perfect for the story because they are believable
- the conflict that the characters witness is relateable as people often go through nearly the same events
I want to get across in this that when I read this book, I felt like I was there. I felt Gwen Davis's emotions whenever she approached a situation. The effect the war had on the girls, and soldiers a like, was heartbreaking. This book should be considered a great Canadian novel for these points alone, and I will discuss them further in the actual Apologia.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Question #5
This blog was made to summarize the links I have found to answer Question #5.
Biography of Helen Humphreys (Wikipedia)
Book Review (Canadian Books and Authors)
Biography of Helen Humphreys (Wikipedia)
Helen Humphreys was born March 29, 1961 in London, England. She has written both novels and poetry. She now lives in Kingston, Ontario.
Book Review (Canadian Books and Authors)
In the book review I found, the reviewer mentions that, "It's obvious that Humphreys is a poet. Her writing is lyrical, beautiful, and her characters leave a lasting impression. The book itself has an old-fashioned feel, antique even, with its smaller size and gorgeous cover. This is a book about longing and it is definitely worth reading" (Canadian Books and Authors).
Britain During WWII - Britain Alone (BBC)
This section of the website explains what Britain went through during the war.
For Example, "The story of the Battle of Britain resounds through the years as one of the defining moments of recent British history. Dr Chris Bellamy examines what happened, and explodes some enduring myths concerning this crucial conflict"(The Battle of Britain).
Devon, England (Wikipedia)
This website explains what Devon (or Devonshire) in England is like as this is where the book takes place. There is a geological section of Devon on this site that would explain the conditions for growing various plants. "[B]ecause of the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as culm. This formation stretches from Bideford to Bude in Cornwall, and contributes to a gentler, greener, more rounded landscape" (Wikipedia).
Helen Humphreys Official Website (Helen Humphreys)
As the title of this link explains it is the author's official website. On the home page it discusses many of her accomplishments as well as use of her books by others (i.e. film production). You can click on links that will further explain her other works as well.
Interview with Helen Humphreys (January Magazine)
Again, this is as the title claims, an interview with Helen Humphreys. This goes through everything from her inspiration for The Lost Garden as well as her writing career. The inspiration for this novel was taken from her own parents' lives, "The Lost Garden opens during the time of the blitz in London, an event both of Humphrey's parents lived through. A lost RAF [Royal Air Force] pilot figures prominently in the story and one of Humphreys' grandfathers disappeared in 1941 and was never found again. The other grandfather found a lost garden on the English estate where he was living at the time. He worked with the garden: brought it back to its own fullness and, after his death, the estate was sold to a condo developer and the garden was lost again: this time forever" (January Magazine). She is also asked how she got into writing when she was kicked out of school, and how she is taking a break from poetry right now so her writing can evolve from the "I" poems.
Summary & References (Lorenzo Reading Series)
This site goes through all of her accomplishes following each of her books and summarizes The Lost Garden.
The Flower Encyclopedia (Flower Possibilities)
This is just a website that I felt I should include as you could search from a variety of different flowers and learn their origins, specified handling techniques, colours, etc. This is one of the better sites I found, but it does not contain every flower as it would be much larger.
The London Blitz, 1940 (Eye Witness to History)
This site discusses the London Blitz that were described as the goings-on and what the population witnessed. There is also a witness account on this site from Ernie Pyle a key correspondent, describing one of the attacks he witnessed.
The Women's Land Army (Spartacus Educational)
This site explains the women's land army, in The Lost Garden the main character Gwen Davis leaves her home in London to head a group of girls for the women's land army."During the First World War the government established the Women's Land Army. The severe shortage of labour persuaded the government to reform the organization and by 1944 there were 80,000 women volunteers working on the land. The majority already lived in the countryside but around a third came from Britain's industrial cities" (Spartacus Educational).
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