The Narrative Of Arthur Gordon Pym by James Oatis

Passage 1

jjo1032 — 2024-11-15 23:58:25 UTC

“, I at length breathed a faint ejaculation to God, and resigned myself to die. The sound of my voice seemed to arouse all the latent fury of the animal. He precipitated himself at full length upon my body; but what was my astonishment, when, with a long and low whine, he commenced licking my face and hands with the greatest eagerness, and with the most extravagant demonstrations of affection and joy! I was bewildered, utterly lost in amazement—but I could not forget the peculiar whine of my Newfoundland dog Tiger, and the odd manner of his caresses I well knew. It was he. I experienced a sudden rush of blood to my temples—a giddy and overpowering sense of deliverance and reanimation.” (pg. 21)

Passage 2

TheOnePiece — 2024-11-16 00:04:38 UTC

"I never was so astonished in my life, not knowing what he intended, and thinking that the wines and liquors he had drunk had set him entirely beside himself. He proceeded to talk very coolly, however, saying he knew that I supposed him intoxicated, but that he was never more sober in his life. He was only tired, he added, of lying in bed on such a fine night like a dog, and was determined to get up and dress, and go out on a frolic with the boat. I can hardly tell what possessed me, but the words were no sooner out of his mouth than I felt a thrill of the greatest excitement and pleasure, and thought his mad idea one of the most delightful and most reasonable things in the world. It was blowing almost a gale, and the weather was very cold - it being late October."

(Page 6)

Passage 3

nt1192_1 — 2024-11-16 00:12:15 UTC

"The representations of Peters, who had frequently visited these regions, had great weight, apparently, with the mutineers, wavering as they were between half-endangered notions of profit and pleasure. He dwelt on the world of novelty and amusement to be found among the innumerable islands of the Pacific, on the perfect security and freedom from all restraint to be enjoyed, but, more particularly, on the deliciousness of the climate, on the abundant means of good living, and on the voluptuous beauty of the women." (pg. 49)

The better Captain Amasa Delano

2024-11-18 17:28:13 UTC

I believe that Dirk Peters is a better version of Captain Delano because of his view on justice. He does want to take over the other ship but he doesn't want to cause harm or rule over them in a terrible or dehumanizing way. He just sees it as neccessary to take over to further his plans, that doesn't mean they are any less human because he won.

dirk peters

2024-11-18 17:28:31 UTC

Dirk peters seemed pretty interesting considering he starts out as a member of the mutiny but then decides to help out pym and augustus overthrow the mutiny (double mutiny?) i think thats just an interesting change of heart for a character in this situation.

-Piper B.

opening move- abby f

atf1026 — 2024-11-18 17:28:37 UTC

Dirk Peters is one of the sailors involved in the mutiny on the Grampus. This makes him seem violent and dangerous at first. However, as the story goes on, it becomes clear that there’s more to him than just being a mutineer.

Scientific racism!

2024-11-18 17:29:07 UTC

When Dirk Peters is introduced, Pym sizes him up like a scientific specimen. He offers a kind of ethnography of Peters' background and heritage and parentage, but he also focuses on anatomy and physiology in ways that evoke nineteenth-century scientific racism. Here I am thinking specifically about craniology, a discipline based on the idea that skull measurements somehow aligned with one's race and their intellectual endowments/capacities. Though Peters CANNOT be pinned down, Pym attempts--at first--to racialize him and reduce him to his body and his skull.

Opening Move

2024-11-18 17:29:30 UTC

Throughout this narrative, I was a little confused about what to think of Dirk Peters. My reasoning for this is because I didn't know whether to think if he was loyal or the complete opposite. I also didn't pick up on the reason that he chose to switch to Augustus and Pym's side so this somewhat plays a role for why I am a little confused on Peters.

Alexa

aks1092 — 2024-11-18 17:29:49 UTC

I can tell that Dirk Peters is going to be an important character that has a big role in this story. So far he has just been a great help to Augustus and Arthur as the ship is being ravaged by mutineers, which is very interesting considering he started out in the mutiny. I am wondering about his true intentions/motives because he is getting Agustus's and Arthur's support in taking over but when/if he does gain power/control, will he continue to still be nice and helpful to Arthur and Augustus?

Ryleigh

ryleighsimmons31 — 2024-11-18 17:29:51 UTC

I think he is an interesting character, and I believe he is going to be an important character in the story. I do wonder a little about his motives because he did help take over the boat, but he seems to want the boat to run a different way than the rest of the people who took the ship. I also wonder if he feels a little remorseful, and that is why he treats Augustus better.

Impressions

alancombs017 — 2024-11-18 17:29:53 UTC

I am a fan of Dirk. He's doing his best and trying to help these two boys but I feel there's a deeper motive. I feel it's interesting that he started as a "bad" guy then ended up being good and I'm just not trusting it.-Alan

Reliable Peters Always Saves the Day

2024-11-18 17:30:12 UTC

He always intervenes conveniently to save Pym...just sayin...

A Racist Version of Pickles&Joey

2024-11-18 17:30:58 UTC

Okay so that is probably a reference most of you won't get but it's from a shorts series I've been watching lately. Essentially my serious thought is that he was a racist characature of a native American man. He's said to be the son of a fur traitor which is just a native stereotype used against the idea of using the entirety of animals for human use when killing them. A lot of depictions of natives focus on a fur trade ellement in a way that seems to alienate the indiginous peoples. Esspecially with the common depiction of cave men as wearing only furs. It makes them seem savage instead of less sophistiucated.

Opening Move

2024-11-18 17:31:55 UTC

My first impression of Dirk Peters was that he wasn't loyal, but now I think he seems to have compassion for those around him. I don't think he wants to pass harm onto any one. I wonder how his character will develop as the text continues. -Ali

Maren Pinkham

2024-11-18 17:32:07 UTC

I think since Dirk was apart of the mutiny it gives him a perception of being violent and dangerous, but he turns out to be rather helpful toward the boys. I do think there is a deeper motive toward him, and I'm interested in the future of his character.

Dirk peters

2024-11-18 17:32:30 UTC

He is at first described in a racist, dehumanizing way, as a mutineer and criminal, yet he is so far doing a lot of good for the main characters and being on their side, it seems he is being set up as one of the book's heroes. I wonder what this means and how his character will develop?

Kenzie

2024-11-18 17:34:17 UTC

Dirk peters seems to be a character worth noting. He has a complex dynamic of switching from one side to the other. He switched from being apart of a mutiny to helping Augustus and Arthur when the ship is being attacked by Mutineers. Villain arch -> Hero??

Sophie, Maren, Alexa, Kenzie, Ryleigh, Piper

2024-11-18 17:53:42 UTC

Both Pym and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl demonstrate how important religion and companionship are during times of confinement and stress.

Passage 1: Sexuality and Song of Myself

2024-11-18 17:57:32 UTC

Both The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and Song of myself utilise sexual words in a non-sexual context to connect to the situation with their body of the reader, creating a different kind of connection to the text than if the sexual language had been absent.

In this text it says "an ejaculation to God" ejaculation means cumming from a penis. Which means the image conjured here straddles the line between the religious and the sexual, creating an idea that is incongruent with the common perceptions of the situation presented. This is similar to the portion of "Song of Myself" which says, "Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the
origin of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are
millions of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor
look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the
spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things
from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self."

Alan, Dylan, Abby, Jack, Michael

alancombs017 — 2024-11-18 17:58:05 UTC

In both text animal stereotypes are used by Captian Delano and Dirk Peters to gain comfort when feeling threatened.

Tomb of Self-Reflection

2024-11-18 18:00:22 UTC

These kinds of moments--in both TFA and AGP--glimpse a powerful kind of humility, where the protagonists are subjugated, suffocated, and disoriented, no longer able to attempt to "pin down," categorize, conquer, and extract their environment (including other beings).

Passage 2: Manipulation and Benito Cereno

2024-11-18 18:18:03 UTC

Both Poe's Narrative of Gordon Pym and Benito Cereno use the concept of manipulation and the uncanny to set the reading off their guard, making them question if the narrator or the speakers are telling the truth about their situation. This presents an environment to allow the reader to question each thing said, presenting an element of uncertainty and a worry of something hidden.

We assume that he is so drunk he does not know he is drunk, but there is an element to which we question of the words are true and the narration is not.

Is Augustus Pym's double?

2024-11-18 18:23:57 UTC

The passage suggests a blurring between "I" and "he." Is Pym talking to himself, convincing himself to go out on a deadly boat mission? Is he more interested in LOSING his identity than establishing it (through oceanic travel)? This contrasts with Whitman's speaker's conception of identity, where he attempts to absorb "multitudes" --other entities" --into his "self." Pym's identity might be blurring with that of Augustus, but it's going to result in more of a loss of self than a heightening or enlarging of self.

2024-11-18 18:27:57 UTC

in both texts there is a relation between support, between Augustus and Pym, and Jacobs and her grandmother, as they rely on each other for escaping from a box society placed them in.

jack, Dylan, Micheal

2024-11-18 18:29:09 UTC

Throughout both texts, stereotypes of intoxication is used to impose impulsive and dehumanizing ideals to feed the victim narrative.

Mindless Trust: Pym and Benito Cereno

ryleighsimmons31 — 2024-11-18 18:31:13 UTC

Both Pym and Benito Cereno portray characters who mindlessly follow someone who is familiar to them and who they believe will not lead them astray.

Pym follows Augustus out on the boat even though he is drunk because he believes in Augustus.

Delano follows Benito's words and chooses not to be suspicious of him because he believes that someone like him wouldn't do something bad to him.

The Grape Of Illusion

2024-11-18 18:32:13 UTC

Theme: The dictating enviroment surrounding Agustus and Unca makes them sucumb to a greater power; whether its alcohol or their sickness.