The war was an important aspect of the reading. How, in Woolf’s mind, did life change before and after the war? What did war reveal about society?

One of the biggest changes in life after the war is that poetry turned from romantic to dark, unrelatable  pieces. Poetry, for instance, before the war was often related to the public, speaking about things people did normally. Now that the war passed, everything people did normally was done sadly, with the war still being looming over them, whether it be at luncheons or wherever. Poetry turned too strong, and became hard to relate to. What the war revealed about our society is that we become encapsulated by pain and anguish, that we feel a strong empathy towards those hurt by the war, including ourselves. We can’t get it off of our minds, and do everything we can to push through.

The other day I went to a workshop led by the NYC Music Industry club. Upon coming to the meeting, I thought this was simply a music appreciation club, but it turned out to be far more. Here, we discussed that club members often perform in live performances using a variety of instruments, ranging from the piano, drums, electric guitar, to instruments like the saxophone! The genres of music also have a wide variety, with jazz, rock, country, and even rap on some occasions. Club members sometimes form bands together and create music.

I plan to get involved by going to more club meetings. I play saxophone and the drums, so I plan to practice and then hopefully perform with everybody. Performing at a live concert seems like a great experience, and I would love to be a part of one. I’ll listen to music with a more discerning ear and get a feel for creating music, not just listening to it.

Throughout the chapter, Toklas and Stein move from place to place, going to various parties, visiting Lane, living with the Whiteheads, and going to London and France. What is important to note is that when receiving news of the war, people should be together, not alone. In a friendly home setting, the inhabitants can discuss war, and lessen each others worries. If bad news comes, you have someone to rely on and a home to relax in. Home is a safe zone, where no damage can be done, only healed. In France, war is present nearly everywhere, except in most homes. In a home, you can relax, rethink your plan of action, and sleep. By doing this, Stein and Toklas’s actions have reason and facts behind them, and are performed optimally because they had time to recuperate.

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