Blog Post #5 Life of Galileo

Andrea: So you no longer believe a new age has started?

Galileo: On the contrary - Look out for yourself when you pass through Germany, with the truth under your coat.

from Scene 14

During the process of reading Brecht’s play Life of Galileo, I have always been wondering why he would be particularly interested in writing about Galileo Galilei, and what message he wanted to convey through the play. This dialogue stood out to me when I got to the part in which Andrea visited Galileo in “prison” and took the transcript of the “Discorsi” with him, in order to protect it from being taken away by the monks. It was interesting that Galileo mentioned Germany, and specifically, he asked Andrea to be careful passing through Germany. In class, it was mentioned that Brecht lived in exile during the Nazi period, so I would like to think that it was not a pure coincidence. 

Once I drew the connection between the church and the Nazi, everything started to make sense. Galileo Galilei embodied Brecht’s hope for people during the World War II period. He constantly urged his students to have doubts towards authority, as well as faith in humanity. “Then and there I knew, the old days are over and this is a new time. Soon humanity is going to understand its abode, the heavenly body on which it dwells. What is written in the old books is no longer good enough. For where faith has been enthroned for a thousand years doubt now sits. Everyone says: right, that’s what it says in the books, but let’s have a look for ourselves. That most solemn truths are being familiarly nudged; what was never doubted before is doubted now” (from page 7, scene 1). Here I would like to think that Brecht was appealing to people to use their reasoning, to question the Nazi propaganda, and to be aware of the situation they were in. Another example comes from page 39, scene 4: “Truth is born of the times, not of authority.”

It surprised me how Brecht used the story of Galileo to speak to the people. He was asking them to question the status quo, to beware of the lies the authority told, to see the continuing oppression of the general people, to be careful of the spies(like Virginia in the play) around them, and to protect themselves wisely (with the truth under the coat :-) ).

Blog Post 5

"These selfish and domineering men, having greedily exploited the fruits of science, found that the cold eye of science had been turned on a primeval but contrived poverty that could clearly be swept away if they were swept away themselves. They showered us with threats and bribes, irresistible to feeble souls. But can we deny ourselves to the crowd and still remain scientists?... A human race which shambles around in a pearly haze of superstition and old saws, too ignorant to develop its own powers, will never be able to develop those powers of nature which you people are revealing to it" (Brecht, 104)

This is a quote from Galileo's longest script towards the end of the play. I thought this whole passage was really interesting, but these few lines really stood out to be. Galileo is speaking with a sense of disappointment in humankind. He is disappointed because the people of Italy took his work and morphed it into some shiny, glamorous phenomenon instead of appreciating the hard science behind it and the many, many years of reading and research. He stated "A human race which shambles around in a pearly haze of superstition and old saws, too ignorant to develop its own powers, will never be able to develop those powers of nature which you people are revealing to it," which tells me that Galileo is literally screaming "Hey! Look what I did!" but society is too caught up in their misconceived ideas of religion/witchcraft to appreciate Galileo's discoveries for what they truly are.n

At first, after reading the end of this play, I thought that Galileo was giving up on society as a whole. But after rereading a few passages and thinking about it for a period of time, it almost feels like he's actually laughing at the people of Italy who are attempting to morph his discoveries into something they are not. It seems that towards the end of his life, he was determined to pass away with a sense of pride in his work, regardless of what those around him believed.

Blog #4 Atonement

After reading these two parts, the most distinct factor were the moods in part two. I thought McEwan did a great job at creating the feeling and sense of war in so many different perspectives; from Robbie, Mace, and Nettle to the Frenchmen and their Mother. I could really feel how much of an affect war has on its environment and the people involved. "When they shut their eyes, they saw those mutilated bodies" (McEwan 187), was a significant quote in me imagining what it was like for people who are haunted by wars that are not worth losing thousands of lives over. I already had a sense of what war was like but I think it hit home when McEwan put it in the perspective of a mother who lost her youngest son from a war, and how she felt about all soldiers, even if the soldiers were fighting for her own country. 

blog post #4 Atonement

"He didn't owe them explanations. He intended to survive, he had one good reason to survive, and he didn't care whether they tagged along or not." (page 181)

I really liked this quote, not just because of the context, but I found it very inspiring. Robbie is a fighter and fights for what he believes in. This quote really made me think about the character development of not just Robbie but all the characters. At the beginning of the story, he was just an awkward gardener. Now he is off in the war. Cecilia is the reason he needs to stay alive. He has been in love with her since the first part of the book. I am curious to see their relationship develop throughout the rest of the book. I cannot wait to see how the book ends and how the families' relationships develop as they age.

Blog Post #4 - Atonement

Part two and three of Atonement  by Ian McEwan is a drastic change to the first part. Instead of chapters its broken up into days (past and present), and it no longer switches between characters. In part two the point of view is Robbie's, now called "Turner", as he struggles through France in World War II. Part two is scary to read, with McEwan's attention to detail we get a graphic description of everything Robbie sees. Part two stood out to me because of the character development of Robbie, who is now referred to as Turner. He goes from a soon-to-be student in love with Cecilia, to a guilt stricken soldier (thankfully still in love with Cecilia because I love good love stories);

"Briony would change her evidence, she would rewrite the past so that the guilty became the innocent. But what was guilt these days? It was cheap. Everyone was guilty, and no one was. No one would be redeemed by a change of evidence, for there weren't enough people, enough paper and pens, enough patience and peace, to take down the statements of all the witnesses and gather in the facts. The witnesses were guilty too. All day we've witnessed each other's crimes. You killed no one today? But how many did you leave to die? Down here in the cellar we'll keep quiet about it. We'll sleep it off, Briony" (246-247).

After this Turner sleepily (and definitely sickly) decides that he should take the boy's leg from the tree, because he feels guilt for leaving it there. This small section of Turner's thoughts highlight part of the change he's had to do. First of all, he goes by Turner now, which shows his growth into a soldier. Next, the actual concept of guilt. To Turner, it's "cheap" because everyone has it, and if everyone has it, does anyone? Although he's sleep deprived and injured while his thoughts ramble on, they hold a lot of value. Despite being an innocent man, he is riddled with guilt from war. He feels responsible for the deaths he has witnessed, and in order to survive he has to move on and avoid thinking about them. Finally, Turner mentions Briony. Briony is the reason for his punishment, and this moment is not the first time he's mentioned her. He hates her and the lies she told, and thinks its because she likes him (which is crazy). What about her guilt for getting Turner into prison? Into the war zone? And even with her change of evidence, it wouldn't change the many years he's spent imprisoned. This gets us into her guilt in the next part, which is a whole other conversation.

Post #4 Atonement

"But I get the impression she's taken on nursing as a sort of penance. She wants to come and see me and talk. I might have this wrong, and that's why I was going to wait and go through this with you face to face, but I think she wants to recant. I think she wants to change her evidence and do it officially or legally."  (199)

This excerpt from Cecilia's letter to Robbie stands out a lot to me in the second half of Atonement. For one, this inspires hope to him that Cecilia can make up with her family, which he desperately wishes for her to do. Also, it will free him from the accusation that Briony placed on him for assaulting Lola, which had placed him in jail. This also serves as motivation for Robbie throughout his journey. For example, he think of his name being cleared and Cecelia while fighting fever in the crowded basement located in Dunkirk. Cecelia being suspicious of Briony wanting to tell the truth does also come to attention later in the novel as well when Briony explains that a retrial is not possible.

"She paused outside the phone box to admire the huge cumulus clouds piled against a pale blue sky. The river with its spring tide racing seaward reflected the color with dashes of green and gray. Big Ben seemed to be endlessly toppling forward against the restless sky. Despite the traffic fumes, there was scent of fresh vegetation around, newly cut grass perhaps from the hospital gardens, or from young trees along the riverside. Though the light was brilliant, there was a delicious coolness in the air. She had seen or felt nothing so pleasing in days, perhaps weeks." (pg. 269)

This passage stood out to me for a couple of reasons. When I first read this little section, the imagery really struck me. I don't know what it was about this specific imagery scene that really caught my eye, but as I was reading it, I felt refreshed and comforted. I felt like I could actually see the landscape, smell the smells, feel the air. This is a rare feeling for me to get when reading, as I am usually pretty dense concerning literature. I really like how McEwan referred to the cool air as "delicious". I feel like I knew exactly what he meant by that because I prefer cooler weather and get a sense of almost reward when I am cool, perhaps because I live in Lothrop with no AC. I also really liked the description McEwan gave about the scent of the air. The scent of freshly cut grass seems so familiar to me that I felt myself nearly smelling it while reading. The description he gives to the optical illusion of Big Ben also stood out to me because I always remember standing under huge antennas on a cloudy day as a kid and always thinking they were falling because I didn't understand the concept of perspective at the time. All in all, I think this is one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole book weather it be from the nostalgia it awakens or just the sheer sense of beauty it conveys. In a different direction, I found it odd that Briony was able to pause in the middle of her stressful day to just admire the scenery, especially because she had just been feeling strong guilt in the paragraphs before. She takes this moment as a brief escape from her own mind which ravages her with stress and guilt. This is understandable, but, for me at least, if something is stressing me out, I find myself working to get past it as everything I experience until it is resolved is tainted by it. I would probably actually look at this scene in a stressful state of mind and wouldn't think it is as beautiful just because of my mindset, so I think its admirable that Briony is able to see the good in a situation.

Atonement Post 2

“He knew these last lines by heart and mouthed them now in the darkness. My reason for life. Not living, but life. That was the touch. And she was his reason for life, and why he must survive.” (McEwan 197).

I find this interesting because after part 1 I was always interested in the relationship dynamic between Robbie and Cecilia. Does she feel so clung to him because she has never had anyone pay attention to her like he does. Even after all the claims about him that were made, why is she still so attached to him. I find it interesting that in the beginning of the book it seemed like she was trying to hide from her feelings for him, but now it seems like she is so willing to do anything for him even if that means waiting for him while he’s at war. I wonder if she knew all along her love for him and that is why she was running from him after they left school together. 

Blog #4 Atonement

pg. 220 "He would never forgive her. That was the lasting damage."

This part of the book, Robbie is thinking about Briony and how her lie had turned his life upside down. Obviously Briony is in the wrong and her story was formed out of falsehoods and probably jealousy, but the significance of her lie was so much that Robbie will never forgive her. I found this really interesting because some people might consider Briony a child while others would think that she should know better. So, is Briony a child who should be forgiven or an adult who knew full well what she was doing? From Robbie's standpoint, he believes that she knew what she was doing and I think that is why the damage is lasting. For Robbie, there was intent in Briony's actions; he even mentions how she said she loved him. It looks as though she acted out of jealousy. Was she jealous of her sister, or was she just jealous that she couldn't have Robbie? Regardless of the source of this jealousy, Briony had no business accusing Robbie of the crimes that he allegedly committed. However, Briony is also still very young when she makes the accusations. She could have been looking out for her sister and cousin when she was talking to the police. I think for an outsider, it would be easier to accept that Briony was naive and childish and therefore she acted irrationally. To Robbie (and Cecilia), Briony was a smart girl who knew what she was doing which would probably hurt more than an accident that a child should make. Briony is just at a stage in her life that makes it hard for us to put her into the category of child or young adult. Now Briony has grown up and realizes her wrongdoing. On page 215, Robbie thinks,"Here she was, offering a possibility of absolution. But it was not for him. He had done nothing wrong. It was for herself, for her own crime which her conscience could no longer bear." Robbie says he would never forgive her, but I do think that with time Brioiny can properly atone for her actions and Robbie may forgive her.

Blog Post #4 - Atonement

“They hated him and he deserved everything that was coming his way. He was answerable for the Luftwaffe’s freedom of the skies, for every Stuka attack, every dead friend. His slight frame contained every cause of an army’s defeat...But it was impossible to do nothing. Joining in would be better than nothing.” (McEwan 237).


While at the bar, defeated from the travel to the beach in Dunkirk, Robbie and his friends enter an abandoned bar in hopes for a drink, but enter in the midst of a violent mob attacking a single man. They blamed the man in the Royal Air Force for not protecting their soldiers well enough from the German air fire that struck many of their men. To avoid conflict with the other soldiers, Robbie’s friend Mace saves the man by disguising his sympathy for disgust, shouting that he will throw the RAF man in the sea, but in reality, he lets him escape. This whole conflict highlights the importance of perspective and putting oneself in another’s shoes. Of course, Robbie, Mace, and Nettle were equally frustrated as the other men, since all of them had to dodge the bombs on their strenuous travel to Dunkirk. The RAF was partially to blame, but that one man in the bar acted as their scapegoat. Taking out every emotion, they beat the man up with no mercy. The single man was obviously not the one solely responsible for all their dead comrades and their treacherous travels, but his uniform represented the air force as a whole. Robbie, Mace, and Nettle’s character shone through as they felt a responsibility to somehow save this man. They understood that he was just a man merely taking orders from a hierarchy, just as they were. Robbie Turner and his friends had the ability to take their emotions and frustrations out of the picture and put themselves in a different perspective. The man in the RAF did not kill any of their friends, it was the Luftwaffe, but the mob of men failed to recognize that. This passage also highlights the mob mentality and how dangerous it can become.

Atonement Part 2

On page 316 of Atonement, Ian McEwan writes, “Cecilia took a cigarette from a packet by the cooker, and then, remembering that her sister was no longer a child, offered one to her” (McEwan 316). I believe that this snippet is much more momentous than someone simply handing their sister a cigarette. Here, we see the cigarette representing Cecilia finally accepting Briony as an adult. At age thirteen Briony was seen as a naïve child, however, this borderline neglect forced her to come up with outrageous stories in her mind. These absurd fallacies are what ultimately caused Briony to blame Robbie Turner for the crime, but now eighteen-year old Briony is seen as an adult who must take the fall for her younger thoughts and actions. It is probably due to her age and career that Briony is finally seen as an equal, which is emphasized through her finally being old enough to smoke. However, it is interesting that before blaming Robbie for the crime she was treated as a child, yet when blame needs to be placed, everyone wants to pose her as an adult. Clearly, Briony should have to live with what she did, but I also believe that it should be considered that everyone treated thirteen-year-old Briony as almost an inferior, thus leading to her wild thoughts. Yes, she is at fault, but in a way, she almost had a very screwed up reason to. In addition, Briony coming to see Cecilia and owning up for what she did showcases that she truly has grown up, again which is emphasized through the cigarette offered by her sister.  

Atonement - Post #4

“Exhaustion made him vulnerable to the thoughts he wanted least. He was thinking about the French boy asleep in his bed, and about the indifference with which men could lob shells into a landscape. Or empty their bomb bays over a sleeping cottage by a railway, without knowing or caring who was there. It was an industrial process. He had seen their own RA units at work, tightly knit groups, working all hours, proud of the speed with which they could set up a line, and proud of their discipline, drills, training, teamwork. They need never see the end result—a vanished boy” (McEwan, 224).

This passage is all about Robbie. Obviously the content doesn't directly describe him, rather it is focused on the horrible scenes of war and how soldiers often have to desensitize themselves inn order to stay sane in times of war. But the paragraph does still give us some valuable insight into Robbie's character, what his true values are and what kind of person he is deep down. While many of his comrades in war are able to complete their duties without worrying about the "end result," Robbie is haunted by not only his own actions, but those of others as well, simply seeing some of the atrocities of war which he has been through have scarred him, leaving him unable to sleep at night. This passage, as well as this general period in the novel makes me like Robbie a lot more than I already did, as well as making me dislike Briony more than I already did. Not to say that I loved Robbie and hated Briony up until this point, but Robbie rarely did anything wrong in the novel, at least never morally wrong, he never knowingly set out to hurt others. And while Briony certainly didn't knowingly intend to hurt Robbie, her ignorance and naiveté resulted in his entire life essentially being ruined. Robbie is a character with a big heart, he cares about those he hasn't ever met simply because they are people just like him and we, as the reader, see that when he goes off to war, and it is exemplified perfectly in this passage.

Blog #4 Atonement

“She would have been about ten years old, just starting to write her little stories. Along with everyone else, he had received his own bound and illustrated tale of love, adversities overcome, reunion, and a wedding. They were on their way down to the river for swimming lesson he had promised her… He wending over the basket as he said this and he heard, but did not see, her jump in… ‘Do you know why I wanted you to save me?’… ‘Because I love you.’ She said it bravely with chin upraised, and she blinked rapidly as she spoke, dazzled by the momentous truth she had revealed.”

This quote stood out to me during the reading because it gave a look into the past, prior to us learning about the characters and their behaviors in Part 1. Briony, in the beginning of Part 1, immediately shows her capacity and eagerness to tell a story. This passage from Robbie shows the possible birth of her theatrics. Not only does the quote show the creation of Briony’s story telling tendencies and her attraction to drama, but showed a possible bias for her later accusations against Robbie. Did McEwan construct this passage and Robbie’s thoughts to show that his scolding of and disregard for Briony’s feelings could have led to his own demise? I wonder if McEwan choosing to reveal this later in the book made it possible for people to believe Robbie was Lola’s accuser.

Robbie’s thoughts over what could have lead to where he is now, as well as his situation with Cecilia and her family, shows a common theme about contemplation about past events. The story, as it changes perspective, makes the reader work to understand what the facts are as well as how to perceive the characters, this quote does exactly that, it makes you question Briony’s choices. The time at which the thoughts are occurring seems to be used by McEwan to show development of character as well as a logistical way to show the truths to the story.

“What could have been?” seems to be a good question that sums up the mental processes of characters in the latter parts of the book. Briony’s questioning of her false testimony, Robbie’s wondering of what lead him to being accused and separating from the family with Cecilia, and maybe Lola’s questioning of what she experienced with Paul when she was assaulted, and what she came to believe as true on that night.