Frankenstein (2nd half)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Victor’s Trial

After disposing of the female creature’s body parts, Victor falls asleep in a boat that drifts to Ireland. Upon his arrival, he is treated poorly and is not welcome by the inhabitants of the area in which he arrived. Victor has no idea why he is being treated like this. Everyone in the area believes that Victor is a murderer, and Victor is imprisoned and a trial is planned for him. Victor’s only advocate, Mr. Kirwin is going to help him with his case based on Victor’s reaction to the murder victim, his dearest friend Henry Clerval. “I gasped for breath’ and, throwing myself on the body, I exclaimed, ‘Have my murderous machinations deprived you also, my dearest Henry, of life?’ ”(Shelley, 129). Mr. Kirwin plays a vital role at this point in the novel because he was the only one to show Victor kindness. Without, Mr. Kirwin, Victor would have no chance of winning his trial. Victor was emotionally unstable and mentally unstable from the creature’s threat and the murder of his best friend. Moreover, Victor had been truly considering committing suicide to end his suffering. Victor was done with life and would not have the strength to make a case for himself in his trial without Mr. Kirwin.  

Frankenstein (2nd half)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The creature’s threat

After Victor decided to destroy the creation of the creature’s companion, the creature threatens Victor. “ ‘It is well. I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding night,’ ”(Shelley, 123). Victor believes that the creature plans to kill him on his wedding night. This threat is continually repeated after this point in the novel to convey how often Victor thinks about it. At first, Victor is fine with dying because it will put an end to his misery. In his thought process, however, Victor realizes that his death will cause Elizabeth, his future wife, misery. Victor concludes that his plan is to not go down without a fight for his life with the creature so that Elizabeth has a chance to be happy. Despite Victor’s carefully thought out plan, the creature does not intend to kill Victor. The creature plans to kill Elizabeth. The creature desires revenge and misery for Victor. Because the creature is completely alone, he wants to make Victor completely alone as well. The creature wants to impose the same misery he as felt with his loneliness and rejection upon Victor. Since Victor destroyed the creatures “bride,” the creature will destroy Victor’s bride.

Frankenstein (2nd half)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Theme

In the second half of Frankenstein, a subtle theme emerges from the interactions between Victor and the creature. Victor, the creator, starts his work with passion and verve. However, he becomes to immersed into his ideas and work, and it becomes unhealthy. Being the creator, one would think that Victor would have power and control over his work. On the contrary, his work changes from being something he loved into something that possessed him. In the second half of the novel, the roles are reversed, and the creature has power and control of the creator. Shelley expresses the theme of one’s job taking control of their life and wellbeing through diction referring to slavery. For example, “For an instant I dared to shake off my chains, and look around me with a free and lofty spirit; but the iron had eaten into my flesh, and I sank again, trembling and hopeless, into my miserable self,” (Shelley, 116). The creature or Victor’s work enslaves Victor with the threat of hurting his loved ones. Today, being immersed in one’s work can hurt his or her family and damage their relationship with them. Moreover, it can cause one to become separated and distant from his or her loved ones.

Frankenstein (2nd half)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Metaphor

On the way to Scotland, Henry and Victor sail through beautiful landscapes and magnificent scenes. For a brief moment, Victor enjoys the scene; however, his enjoyment ceases with Victor’s constant memory of the past and worry for the future. Shelley employs a metaphor that describes the source deep pain and torment Victor feels in his heart. “But I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul; and I felt then that I should survive to exhibit what I shall soon cease to be—a miserable spectacle of wrecked humanity, pitiable to others and intolerable to myself,” (Shelley, 116-117). The bolt and the tree used in the metaphor references the lightning bolt that shredded the tree in the beginning of the novel. The shredded tree inspired Victor’s imagination to create the creature. The lightning bolt that struck the tree, struck into his soul, which conveys the burden that Victor bears with his creation. He has been shredded with misery and regret. His life is intolerable to himself. Multiple times Victor has contemplated committing suicide. His loved ones look down on him with pity and sadness trying to do whatever they can to help him. No matter what they do, their comfort and support will not ease Victor’s pain and worry from the creature.

Frankentstein (2nd half)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

While the creature inhabited the hovel, he learned to read. Through his new knowledge, he educated himself and was introduced to Adam and Eve. From then on, the creature recognized he had a creator who abandoned him. Shelly makes comparisons throughout the novel between the creation story and the creature. For example, “No Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam’s supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him,” (Shelley, 93-94). This passage in the novel reveals the creatures desire for a companion in his lonely state.  Moreover, it reveals the reason for some of the hate and vengeance the creature has towards Victor. How could the creature possibly live in happiness if his own creator abandoned him at the sight of his appearance? The comparison to Adam and Eve addresses Victor “playing God” by creating life. Shelley’s comparison also conveys the relationship the creature wants to have with his creator.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Foreshadowing

Multiple examples of foreshadowing exist in this novel. One example is through Victor’s inner thoughts and feelings towards his actions. “Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts,” (Shelley, 60). The quote saying “the first hapless victims” foreshadows that there will be more victims from Victor’s arts. Arts imply his creation, but it can also mean Victor himself. Victor is also capable of hurting others through his own actions or arts. The creature is not the only one to blame.

                Another example of foreshadowing is the recurring image of thunderstorms or weather related disasters. Every time there is a storm, the creature appears afterward. For example, the first thunderstorm inspired Victor to create the monster. There was a thunderstorm when Victor saw the creature in the spot where his brother was murdered. In addition, there was an avalanche disaster before he saw the creature in the Alps. Whenever there is a storm, we should expect Victor to encounter the creature.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Victor’s feelings toward the creature change as events begin to unfold with the murder of his brother. Before this event, Victor never imagined that the creature would hurt anyone. Moreover, he had a tremendous fear of it. In addition, Victor felt horrors and misery through his creation. When he did not see the creature in his room, he was relieved because he did not want to see the creature again. However, when his brother was murdered and he assumed the creature was the culprit, his mood towards his creation shifted. For example, “I wished to see him again, that I might wreak the utmost extent of abhorrence on his head, and avenge the deaths of William and Justine,” (Shelley, 62). Victor went from never wanting to see the creature again to wanting to encounter and confront the creature. Moreover, his feelings of regret and misery changed to feelings of anger and vengeance. Victor had a strong desire to destroy his own creation without even knowing its development and experiences in the world.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Theme

Victor finally encounters the creature he created in the Alps. Moreover, he lets the creature share his story and his encounters. During the tale, the creature shares a timeless theme that is applicable in today’s world. For example, “Yet why were these gentle beings unhappy? They possessed a delightful house (for such it was in my eyes) and every luxury; they had a fire to warm them when chill, and delicious viands when hungry; they were dressed in excellent clothes,” (Shelley, 77). The theme implied through this quote the creature shares is that how can we be unhappy with so many blessings and gifts around us. There are other people who have much less than we do, and yet, we still complain about what we do not have. The creature lives in a hovel and feels great joy and compassion from watching the family in their cottage. It is so thankful for the opportunity just to watch a family. The message is that we should be thankful for all the blessings and opportunities that have been bestowed upon us because there are many people who could only dream to have what we have.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
(1st half of the novel)
Aphorism

Victor Frankenstein offers a wise observation about how to know when a study is unhealthy for the human mind. For example, “If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken you affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say not befitting the human mind,” (Shelley, 34). This lesson applies to today’s world, and Mary Shelley even includes historical and literary examples of where this can be applied. She uses the examples of the too rapid discovery of the Americas and the destruction of the empires of Mexico. This aphorism applies to individuals as well in the modern world and especially Victor Frankenstein. He became so obsessed with his desire to create life from nonliving body parts that he lost his sanity and appreciation for the world around him. An example of this desire weakening his affections is Victor never writing to his family despite their wishes to hear from him. This caused Victor to become increasingly distant from the people he loved. The question to this aphorism lies within human nature. Does man have the power to turn away from their desires even if they are terribly close to reaching their dream even if doing this will inflict harm?

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
(1st half of novel)
Characterization

In the beginning of the novel, Mary Shelley uses characterization to convey the workings of the two central characters within this frame story. Because characterization is often employed in the first part of the novel, knowing the interworking’s of the characters mind and their personality is essential in understanding the novel. The characterization of Victor Frankenstein starts before his background is revealed while he is on the ship with Walton. “ ‘Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also the intoxicating draught? Hear me, —let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips!’ ”(Shelley, 12). Although this quote does not explicitly define any characteristics of either Walton or Victor, this quote reveals that they have a similarity. Before this excerpt, Walton talks to Victor about his thirst for knowledge. “How gladly I would sacrifice my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise,” (Shelley, 11). Walton has a desire to discover something no man has come upon and to gain glory through his discovery. In the previous excerpt, Victor expresses relation to Walton’s desire for discovery. Through this early characterization, we see that Victor and Walton have key characteristics that are similar to each other. The tale that Victor will tell Walton will serve as a warning to prevent Walton from becoming too drunk with the desire to discover, gain knowledge, and attain glory.

"APO 96225"

“APO 96225” by Larry Rottmann

Question #2

                The American public did not know what was going on in the Vietnam War. People longed to find the truth. “ ‘We’re quite concerned. Tell us what it’s really like,’ ”(Rottmann). The young man’s mother reflects the attitude of the American people because they wanted to know what it was really like. American’s were not supportive of the war. When Americans heard negative things, their support for the war declined. Because of the poor support, government authorities felt the need not to reveal the truth of what was happening in Vietnam. When the young man finally writes the truth to his mother, she becomes upset. This reflects that attitude of  Americans because they only want to receive positive news about the war despite wanting to know the truth. The attitude of the American public was ironic because they wanted to know the truth, but they had high expectations. When they heard something negative about the war, they decided that they did not want to hear it.

"Much Madness is divinest Sense"

“Much Madness is divinest Sense” by Emily Dickinson

                This poem presents a paradox of insanity is good sense and that good sense is insane. Dickinson mentions a majority, which takes what is insane and sane into a narrower perspective. “Tis the Majority in this , as All prevail—assent—and you are sane—demur—you’re straightway dangerous,” (Dickinson). This excerpt describes how someone is perceived as sane or insane. If one disagrees with the majority because they are sticking to their beliefs, the public will see them as insane. This aligns with the paradox that insanity is good sense. One may be considered insane by the majority, but they know their beliefs and are not willing to surrender those beliefs just because the majority disagrees with those beliefs. If one agrees with the majority, they have good sense and are sane. This message correlates with the paradox that good sense is insane. Just because the majority thinks something is right or good, does not mean it is. By agreeing with the majority, one is insane because they are submerging themselves to the rules of the majority and not their own beliefs.

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain"

“I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” by Emily Dickinson

                Imagery is a primary literary technique in this poem by Emily Dickinson. Even in the title, the use of the word felt projects that this poem contains imagery. Dickinson uses imagery to describe how her mind is feeling and to describe a funeral service. “Kept beating—beating—till I thought my mind was going numb,” (Dickinson). This excerpt from the poem is an example of Dickinson using imagery to describe her brain and not the funeral. Many times when we are in deep thought our brain will seem those same Boots of Lead,” (Dickinson). In this excerpt, Dickinson employs imagery to describe the funeral and not her brain. The imagery describes the sounds of lifting the box and marching it out of the service. The point of view is from what the person inside the coffin would hear because the speaker mentions heavens and things being solitary. For example, “And I dropped down, and down,” (Dickinson). This line could describe the body being buried down into the earth.

"Miss Brill"

“Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

                In “Miss Brill,” Mansfield utilizes simile’s throughout the story. The simile that captured my attention was when Miss Brill compared the scene that she went to every Sunday to a play. “How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play,” (Mansfield, 184). Miss Brill’s thoughts continued on from this simile to the point she believed she was an actress. This comparison made Miss Brill even more excited to sit on a bench and watch people every Sunday. She compares the young couple she sees to a hero and heroine. Moreover, Miss Brill comes every Sunday at the same time to “perform” on time. Her devoted interest to her “play” could be from longing to be a part of something. Because she is alienated, Miss Brill feels a longing to be involved in some way. Her only friend is her piece of fur.

"Bartelby, the Scrivner"

“Bartelby, the Scrivner” by Herman Melville

                Bartelby’s behavior is unusual and bizarre. I wish I could tell my superiors “I would prefer not to!” like Bartelby did. The reasons for Bartelby’s behavior are not certain; however, there are segments in the short story that provide clues to why he behaves the way he does. One possibility could be that Bartelby is autistic. He challenges to connect on a social level. For example, he does not react when his coworkers are mocking and threatening him. He also never initiates a conversation. Another possibility for his behavior could be what he did at his previous job. “What I saw that morning persuaded me that the scrivener was the victim of innate and incurable disorder. I might give alms to his body, but his body did not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach,” (Melville, 658). Working at the Dead Letter Office could have caused his soul to suffer. An example of Bartelby having a bland and blank soul is him just staring at a wall outside the window. His boss finds him doing this in many instances. Bartelby’s soul could be hurt and suffering and it cannot be fixed.

"Crossing the Bar"

“Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Tennyson employs symbolism throughout the poem. It is about the journey towards death and that it may come unexpectedly. “And may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark.” This line portrays the speakers view of death as a journey. In addition, it also reveals that the speaker does not want his friends and family to be sad when he dies. “I hope to see my Pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar.” This line reveals a subtle eagerness towards death. Pilot symbolizes God because it is capitalized and it refers to seeing a person after the speaker has died.  Crossing the bar symbolizes the transition from life on earth to eternal life through death. Because death means that the speaker will move onto eternal life, he or she is accepting of it and thinks of death in a positive light.

Death, be not proud

“Death, be not proud” by John Donne

This poem employs personification when referring to death. It refers to death being proud and overthrowing people. For example, “For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow.” Personification of death contributes to the poems meaning by emphasizing that we should not fear death. The fear of death can create anxiety within people. It can act as a person when it is thought of and worried about in people’s lives, which often results in fear. The poem expresses that it knows death is coming and that there is no reason to fear it. The speaker is trying to convince himself that there is nothing to be feared in death. For example, “Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.” The tone of this line shows that there is a hint of hesitation and fearfulness of death. The speaker convinces his or herself to not fear death because there is eternal life afterwards, so we never truly die.

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"

“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas

Paradox and repetition

                The poem continually repeats “Do not go gentile into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Because of the repetition and the fact that one of the phrases is in the title, the moral of the poem is to fight for life and no to use death as an escape. The repetition of the phrases keeps the main point of the poem central and evident. This poem also contains paradoxes. “Dark is right” refers to the wise men in the poem. This conveys that wise men know that their death will come and that it is a part of the cycle of life. Because they are wise, they know how to live and fight for their life, and when death comes, they are willing to accept it. “Sad height” refers to the speaker’s father. The paradox could refer to the father on the edge of a tall building about to commit suicide. “Curse, bless, me now” in line 17 right after “sad height” could refer to the curse of the speaker’s father trying to end his life. “Bless, me know” could refer to the speaker wanting to be blessed with his father changing his mind about committing suicide and fighting for his life. The blessing would be still having a father.

"A Rose for Emily"

“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Question #5

      The point of view of this short story is first-person plural. The point of view in the story comes from the people who live in the town with Emily Grierson. The effect of this point of view is that it conveys a distance and separation between the community and Emily. The community notices abnormal behavior and portrays the unusual and weird behavior of Emily. Moreover, an advantage to first-person plural is that it creates at similar tone of legends and stories about weird people living in a suspicious and creepy house. The community whispers about Emily Grierson and her odd behavior, which creates a tone of mystery. For example, “And as soon as the old people said, ‘Poor Emily,’ the whispering began. ‘Do you suppose it’s really so?’ they said to one another. ‘Of course it is. What else could…’ ” (Faulkner, 286). The mysterious tone of “A Rose for Emily” compels the reader to become more interested in the story. If the story were not told from first-person plural point of view, it would not be as exciting to read. There would be no mystery about Emily. Moreover, there would be no evident portrayal of the separation between Emily and the community.

The Lottery

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

     This short story conveyed an important message using symbolism. Moreover, by conveying the moral or message of the story in a disturbing way, Jackson helps her audience contemplate why they follow their own traditions. Symbolism used in the story comes from Old Man Warner. He represents the constant holding onto the past and never deviating from tradition. “ ‘Some places have already quit lotteries,’ Mrs. Adams said. ‘Nothing but trouble in that,’ Old Man Warner said stoutly. ‘Pack of young fools,’ ” (Jackson, 269).He is the oldest man in the village and has survived the lottery more times than everyone else. Moreover, he is the only one who knows the reason for the lottery, which is to kill someone to have fruitful and bountiful crops. Everyone else is following the lottery tradition blindly. Times have changed and there is no longer a purpose for it. Also, villagers continue to follow the old tradition of the lottery without knowing the reason why they stone their one of their friends or family members to death. How can they stone their own friends and family members without knowing why they are doing it?! The story conveys a powerful message to not follow traditions blindly because they can hurt others and the purpose of the tradition could be meaningless.

The Glass Menagerie- nonrealistic drama

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Nonrealistic Elements

This play is far from realistic as it includes several elements that would make it nonrealistic. One of the main elements is that some of the scenes are from a memory. For example, “The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart,” (Williams, 1235). Scenes that use memory in The Glass Menagerie include scene one where Tom recalls his mother talking about the many gentlemen callers she had. In addition, Laura recalling her high school experience and her crush Jim O’Connor. Other nonrealistic elements include a transparent forth wall that the audience must imagine. Moreover, music spontaneously plays to evoke the feelings of characters in their memories and in the situations they face in the present. A narrator is another nonrealistic element in The Glass Menagerie. At the very beginning of the play, Tom states that he is the narrator. Lastly, the Wingfield family’s portrait of their father lights up in certain scenes, which contributes to the nonrealistic drama of The Glass Menagerie.  

The Glass Menagerie- Jim O'Connor

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Jim O’Connor

Jim O’Connor is the typical high school “golden boy” who was the most popular, athletic, and handsome. Laura and Jim knew each other from a distance and hardly ever spoke in high school. However, when Tom brought Jim to his family’s house, Laura reminded Jim of their days in high school. Jim and Laura talked to each other, and they began to appeal to each other. Jim becomes increasingly interested in Laura and has the impulse to kiss her. Right after he does, Jim tells Laura he cannot call her because he is engaged. “I can’t take down your number and say I’ll phone. I can’t call up next week and—ask for a date. I thought I had better explain the situation in case you—misunderstood it and—hurt your feelings…” (Williams, 1285). Jim made angry because he cannot just kiss an extremely fragile girl and then tell her he cannot date her. He tells her that she is beautiful, kisses her, and then tells Laura that he is engaged! Why did he not mention that earlier? So much for “going steady” with Betty!

The Glass Menagerie- father's impact

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Impact of father

Although Tom and Laura’s father is not a character in The Glass Menagerie, he does have a prominent impact on the characters in the play. There is a large picture of the father in the apartment. This picture symbolizes the constant reminder of the father’s impact on the family’s life. Moreover, when things go wrong, Amanda always blames the problem her husband, even though he is not present in her family’s life anymore. Amanda uses her husband as an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for her actions. Tom’s mother constantly compares him to his father. Moreover, Tom constantly threatens to leave the house because his job makes him unhappy and he is constantly getting into arguments with Amanda. She is paranoid that Tom will end up just like his father. Tom is similar to his father in the sense he seeks adventure. Despite Amanda talking negatively about her husband, Tom followed in his father’s path. For example, “I descended the steps of this fire-escape for the last time and followed, from then on, in my father’s footsteps, attempting to find in motion what was lost in space—I traveled around a great deal,” (Williams, 1288). Despite Amanda’s efforts to keep Tom from being like his father, he turned out to be just like him.

The Glass Menagerie- Aphorism

 

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Aphorism

While Jim O’Connor and Laura talk to each other, Jim offered an aphorism. For example, “And everybody has problems, not just you, but practically everybody has got some problems. You think of yourself as having the only problems, as being the only one who is disappointed. But just look around you and you will see lots of people as disappointed as you are,” (Williams, 1277). Jim’s comment provides a new perspective for Laura. She is far removed and isolated from society, and she only thinks of her problems. Realizing that other people have problems could give her more self-confidence and less anxiety. Jim’s comment is not only insightful for Laura, but for the real world as well. People easily tend to become concerned with their own problems and non-considerate of others. They become self-absorbed in their difficulties causing them to think negatively about themselves. Seeing that other people have more difficult problems can lead one to have a more positive outlook on life. Moreover, this new perspective can help people overcome their obstacles and problems to move on to bigger and better things in life.

The Glass Menagerie: Symbolism

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Symbolism

Laura’s personality and feelings are symbolized by her glass menagerie collection. One of Laura’s characteristics is that she is fragile. In a scene where her brother Tom gets angry with his mother, Tom throws his coat and knocks over Laura’s glass collection. She then becomes very upset, not only because of her glass breaking, but also by her mother and brother constantly arguing. Moreover, the glass symbolizes her isolation and removal from society by always sitting alone on a shelf. For example, “Laura’s separation increases till she is like a piece of her own glass collection, too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf,” (Williams, 1234). Laura lacks self-confidence and is extremely self-conscious of her small physical defect. Her favorite piece of glass, the unicorn, has a tiny horn. This piece of glass represents her because she has unique qualities. The horn on the unicorn symbolizes Laura’s small physical defect. When it breaks and she gives the unicorn to Jim, she lets go of her anxieties and insecurity she feels within.

The Joy of Cooking

“The Joy of Cooking” by Elaine Magarrell

Question #2

 

Although this poem depicts a grotesque image, it effectively characterizes the sister and the brother in this poem. “I have prepared my sister’s tongue, scrubbed and skinned it.” The tongue characterizes the sister in the poem. Since the speaker is cleaning it and skinning it, suggests that the sister did not have a “clean” mouth. This implies that she regularly used explicit language when speaking. Moreover, the tongue is said to be best with horseradish and creole sauce, which suggests that the sister has a “spicy” tongue. She probably talked back and spoke her mind on a regular basis. The brother is characterized with the heart in the poem. He is characterized with not having a big heart and that it needs to be stuffed. For example, “needs an apple-onion stuffing to make it interesting at all.” This implies that brother is careless and does not have passion.

Edward

“Edward” by Anonymous

Parallelism and Refrain

“Edward” contains two recurring literary techniques within the poem, which are parallelism and refrain. Each stanza has a parallel structure to the other stanzas. They each have eight lines and the second line in each stanza is “Edward, Edward.” The sixth line of each stanza is “Mother, Mother.” The repetition of the names contributes to the refrain. “Edward, Edward,” and “Mother, Mother,” are refrains in the poem because they are repeated in each stanza to create a dialogue between the Edward and his mother. The parallel structure within the dialect between Edward and his mother create suspense. For example,      

“ ‘And what penance will ye do for that,

                Edward, Edward,

And what penance will ye do for that,

   My dear son, now tell me, O.’

‘I’ll set my feet in yonder boat,

                Mother, Mother,

I’ll set my feet in yonder boat,

   And I’ll fare over the sea, O.’ ” (Anonymous, 978).

 

The parallelism and refrain emphasize what Edward and his mother say to each other. Their dialect contributes to Edward’s relationship with his parents, which must not be very good since he told his mother he would leave her the curse of hell.

The Drunkard

“The Drunkard” by Frank O’Connor

Question #5

The boys’ drunkenness is seen from four different perspectives, making “The Drunkard” quite humorous. The first perspective of the boy’s drunkenness is from the boy himself. He was motivated to drink his father’s pint because he was thirsty and curious of the drinks’ contents. He began to feel the pleasant effects of the alcohol within a few gulps. “I took a longer drink and began to see that porter might have its advantages. I felt pleasantly elevated and philosophic,” (O’Conner, 347). Through the boys eyes, the audience is able to see the internal effects of the drunkenness. He thinks deep and more “grown-up” thoughts. Also, we see that Larry’s vision becomes distorted, and he gets sick. The other perspective is from his father. He reacts with shock and is frightened of his wife’s reaction when she will see their son. He tried to get his son home as quickly as he could. The third perspective was from a group of old women outside Mrs. Roche’s house. They found Larry extremely amusing and laughed at the Larry, which provoked him to get angry. The fourth perspective is from the people in the bar. They were amused but also calm and held their composure during the scene with Larry and his father. The reactions to Larry’s actions were different with each of the perspectives. All of them found it humorous except for Larry and his father.  

Once Upon a Time

“Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer

Irony

This somewhat disturbing children’s story leads to an ironic situation at the end of “Once Upon a Time.” Because burglaries begin to escalate in the suburbs, the little boy’s parents become very cautious and install a security system. As their fears continue to grow, they install more complex and elaborate walls and security systems to keep possible burglars out of their house. Their motives behind this were to protect their house and possessions, and most importantly, their little boy. They become overly obsessed with caution that they install a “concentration camp” fence to keep out burglars. “It was the ugliest but the most honest in its suggestion of the pure concentration-camp style, no fills, all evident efficacy,” (Gordimer, 235). The ironic situation came about one day when the boy was inspired by the fairy tale his mother had read to him. So, like what most little boys would do, he acted out the fairy tale. The little boy acted as the Prince who saves the princess through the “thicket of thorns.” Henceforth, he decided to climb through the coiled tunnel with razor-sharp teeth. He was severely hurt and wounded as his parents and the housemaid tried to pull him out of the sharp thicket. The irony is that the parents tried so hard to keep their son safe by keeping people out of their house with the fence; but the son got hurt by trying to get in. Even the cat was smart enough to stay away from the razor sharp coils aligning the fence.

A Worn Path

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty

Theme

 “A Worn Path” develops a timeless theme through the course of the story. Phoenix Jackson, characterized as an old woman who walks with a cane and untied shoelaces, conveys the theme through her journey to get medicine for her grandson. Whether the grandson is dead or alive has no relevance to the theme. Because she is an old and somewhat disabled elderly woman, one would assume that she could not walk for hours through the woods in the cold winter weather. However, she defied her odds because she was driven and powered by the love for her grandson. The first obstacle Phoenix Jackson overcame was climbing up a hill. For example, “ ‘Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far,’ she said, in the voice of argument old people keep to use with themselves. ‘Something always take a hold of me on this hill—pleads I should say,’ ” (Welty, 224). She kept on to the path despite getting caught in thorny bushes. Moreover, she crossed a creek on a log with her eyes closed. She did not even flinch when a hunter pointed his gun straight toward her. Phoenix’s journey to get medicine for her grandson reveals the central theme to the story, which is that love can drive one to overcome any obstacle in their path.

A Raisin in the Sun- Pun

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Pun

A Raisin in the Sun contains multiple humorous lines; however, the pun Larraine included in this piece of pros was hilarious. “Well—that’s the way the crackers crumble,” (Hansberry, 512). This pun that Hansberry employs on the common phrase, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, is very clever. It not only depicts the tension between white and black Americans, it also creates humor in this piece. Ruth uses this pun when she and Beneatha are talking about why white people do not want African Americans moving into their neighborhoods. This clever pun reveals Ruth’s cultural awareness of the racial tension. Moreover, it reflects Ruth’s sense of humor. Ruth has not cracked any jokes and she has hardly laughed up unto this point in A Raisin in the Sun. Ruth can be funny and be serious simultaneously. This pun characterized Ruth by revealing her thoughts about why white Americans were so prejudice towards African Americans.

A Raisin in the Sun- Papa

 A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Papa

     Beneatha and Walter’s father is a very important character in A Raisin in the Sun even though he is dead. Hansberry continues to reveal more about Papa as the pros continues. Papa especially has an impact on Walter at the end when he is about to submit his pride. “And we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick,” (Hansberry, 532). Walter’s father held him together when he and his family was at their lowest point. He was not going to waste his father’s work ethic and hard-earned money to prejudice white Americans. Papa is also extremely important because the Younger family would not be able to move into a nicer home without his insurance money. He served as a role model of integrity for Walter and his family. Walter remembered him when he was about to sell his integrity. Papa’s example inspired Walter to set an example of pride for his son.

A Raisin in the Sun- Allusion

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Allusion

     When George Murchison comes to pick up Beneatha from the Younger family house, we see him interact with Walter for the first time. However, Walter is drunk and acting wild when he meets George. Moreover, Walter behaves rudely towards George and insults his style multiple times. Walter uses a metaphor to describe himself as a giant. George employs an allusion to Prometheus to poke fun at Walter. For example, “Good night, Prometheus,” (Hansberry, 485). Prometheus is a titan who was said to have shaped humans out of clay and endowed them with the spark of life. He was chained to a rock for stealing fire from Olympus. This allusion reveals George’s good education because Walter and his family had no idea what it meant. The allusion also pokes fun at Walter’s disrespectful behavior towards George because Prometheus is punished for his actions.

A Raisin in the Sun- Theme

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Theme

     A prominent theme in A Raisin in the Sun is the American Dream. The American Dream is about going after one’s dream with all they have and working hard to provide for their family and live a good life. It involves taking risk and resulting in a high reward. Walter has a dream of becoming a businessperson and working his way up in society. He wants to open up a liquor store with two of his other acquaintances Willy and Bobo.  This will not only give him a sense of accomplishment and pride, but also a better life for his family. This theme of the American Dream emerges almost immediately in A Raisin in the Sun when Walter’s dream occupies his thoughts and words when he is first introduced in this piece of pros. Walter reveals more of his typical American Dream in Act II Scene II when he describes it to his son, Travis. For example, “I’ll be pretty tired, you know what I mean, after a day of conferences and secretaries getting things wrong the way they do… ‘cause an executive’s life is hell, man,” (Hansberry, 502). The desire to work hard to get far in life distinguishes the theme of an American Dream from any other dream one can conjure.

A Raisin in the Sun- Symbolism

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Symbolism

     A prominent and recurring symbol in A Raisin in the Sun is Mama’s plant. The plant being mentioned at both the beginning and the very end of A Raisin in the Sun reveals that it is an important symbol in Hansberry’s piece. For example, “The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time,” (Hansberry, 535). In their small and run-down home in the Chicago Southside, the Younger family has only one window and one plant. The plant hardly gets any sunlight and struggles for life. Mama has a dream of owning a real home and not living in a building. Moreover, in her dream home, she must have a garden to keep up and take pride in. The plant symbolizes Mama’s dream to move out of the run-down house that oppresses a negative and unhappy mood upon the Younger family. The small light that shines upon it through their tiny window represents the small window of opportunity for only one of the Younger’s dreams to come true. When the Younger family decides to move into the house at the end of A Raisin in the Sun Mama takes the plant with her. This action symbolizes her finally finding a better life for her family and fulfilling her dream. Mama will be able to garden in piece and allow her family to live in a happy and upbeat home.

"Interpreter of Maladies"

“Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri

This short story provided an interesting perspective on American families. Mr. Kapasi noticed that the Das family looked Indian, but they dressed like foreigners. This detail provides information about American culture. America is the melting pot of the world, and it contains various nationalities. Also, Mr. Kapasi’s objective perspective on the behavior of the American family revealed insight into how American’s act.  He points out that American’s are concerned more about themselves than others. Also, he notices that they are on the go and rushing their whole life. For example, “At this Mrs. Das gave an impatient sigh, as if she had been traveling her whole life without pause,” (Lahiri, 150). On a positive note, Mr. Kapasi noticed the appreciation Americans have for hard working individuals. His job of being an interpreter is not valued in India; however, the Americans find the importance of his task because he helps save lives. The Das appeared ignorant and helpless when it came to their problems. For example, Mrs. Das took food to the second sight they went to even though Mr. Kapasi warned that food would provoke the monkeys to attack. The family was ignorant of their son being attacked by the monkeys; furthermore, not one family member rushed to help him when he was helpless and on the ground. The perspective on American families was very interesting in this short story, and it provided insight into how other cultures view America.

"Everyday Use"

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

                In “Everyday Use,” Walker employs both direct and indirect characterization. Walker directly characterizes Maggie and Dee through their mothers’ description of them in the beginning of the story. For example, “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe,” (Walker, 173). Later in the story, Walker characterizes the two sisters through indirect characterization. Through Maggie’s interaction with Dee or Wangero and her new husband, we learn that Maggie is bashful and cherishes her home. In addition, we learn that Dee is fashion forward and longs to be modern. Moreover, Dee is accustomed to getting what she wants in terms of material items.

                When Dee comes back to visit an ironic situation arises. When Dee got married, she changed her identity by changing her name to Wangero, instead of keeping her long running family tradition of the name Dee. Wangero wanted the quilts from her mother that have been in their family for generations, but Wangero or Dee’s  mom decides not to give the quilts to her because she would not truly appreciate them. As a result, Dee spouts off about her mom not understanding heritage. “ ‘What don’t I understand?’ I wanted to know.  ‘Your heritage,’ she said,” (Walker, 181). I found it ironic that Dee or Wangero was lecturing about understanding heritage when she ended a long family tradition through names, and at the same time, she is obsessed with being modern.

"Toads"

“Toads” by Phillip Larkin

Larkin utilizes symbolism in his poem, mostly when talking about the second toad. He explicitly defines the first toad as work. For example, “Why should I let the toad work squat on my life?” The first toad he mentions represents external work and burdens one deals with every day. Larkin does not directly define the second toad. However, he supplies clues and characteristics of the second toad. “For something sufficiently toad-like squats in me too.” From this detail, we can infer that the second toad is internal. The second toad symbolizes a persons’ pride. A person does not cheat in order to get money and fame because their pride does not allow them to. Pride and work coincide with each other; one cannot work without pride. People work hard and do not take short cuts in their life because they have pride in their morals and in themselves.

"Mr. Z"

“Mr. Z” by M. Carl Holman

“Mr. Z” has a theme of losing one’s identity in order to fit in with the majority. “Taught early that his mother’s skin was the sign of error,” provides a clue into Mr. Z’s childhood and identity. Because he was taught at an early age that his mothers’ skin color, which is black, is wrong, his father must have been white. Therefore, Mr. Z is biracial. He grew up learning the “Anglo-Saxon” way of life and that he needs to reject his culture. Growing up with his fathers’ ideals caused Mr. Z to lose his cultural identity. Mr. Z’s wife also contributes to the theme of losing ones’ cultural identity. For example, “His bride had somewhere lost her Jewishness.” She lost her religion because she longed to be accepted by society. Because they lived in a society where their race and religion was not accepted, Mr. Z and his wife made an effort their entire lives to change who they are and behave in a way that society accepts.

Deferred Dream

"Deferred Dream" by Langston Hughes

Answer to Question #2

Understanding that the author was a black American narrows the "cone of meaning" in this poem. Since the author, Langston Hughes, lived from 1902 to 1967, I interpreted that the poem is about the dream of civil rights. Furthermore, the comparisons Hughes made in the similes of his poem reminded me of the struggles that African Americans had to go through in their early history. They first came into the United States as slaves. “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” This part of the poem led me to think of slavery because slaves worked all day under the sun without hardly any water. “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.” This line also contributed to the reference to slavery because after working for hours and hours refer to a “heavy load” of work. Because of working all day, slaves would sag and droop from their fatigue. In addition, the poems’ similes contribute to the feelings one has when they defer their dream. A deferred dream can run away from a person or, in other words, they forget about it and move on. In addition, it can continually burden and haunt a persons’ mind. It can weigh a person down with disappointments and regrets.

Perrine Poetry Blog Entry

Perrine Poetry Blog

     An idea that struck me while reading Laurence Perrine’s piece is, “A correct interpretation, if the poem is a successful one, must be able to account satisfactorily for any detail. IF it is contradicted by any detail, it is wrong.” At a first glance, Perrine’s approach to interpretations seemed stiff in the sense that there is only one right interpretation and all other interpretations are blatantly wrong. However, when he presented this concept, I understood what he meant by saying that there are incorrect and correct readings. To find the correct interpretation, the reader needs to think of possible interpretations that will successfully touch all the details in a poem. If someone has an interpretation that does not explain all of the details, how can it be correct? Perrine’s message is that the reader needs to search and dive into the words in a poem to discover the best interpretation they can think of.  Thinking of all the possible situations the poem could entail helps one arrive at the correct interpretation. I agree with Perrine’s assessment that interpretations can be wrong because of his concept on details.

     As readers, we are responsible for putting ourselves “out there” and try to interpret what the poem means. Because we put ourselves “out there,” we have a fear of being wrong. When it comes to finding the correct interpretation, it is all right if we are incorrect because we will better understand why the poem has a different meaning than we thought. We have been taught that poems can have a variety of meanings and multiple interpretations that are correct; however, Perrine’s approach to the interpretation of poetry completely changed how I thought about interpretations. Now, I understand how interpretations to poetry can be incorrect. Poetry is open to interpretations, but only one of those interpretations can be correct. Because that is the case, we cannot get mad or discouraged if our interpretation happens to be wrong. Perrine’s revealed how some interpretations are better than others are.

Picture with book

This is a picture of me with The House of Mirth about to go on a hike in the Austrian Alps.

Look at that view!!!

Great Gatsby Entry #15

Opinion of the Work
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I found this novel much easier to read than The House of Mirth because it was not nearly as slow and the diction was not as sophisticated. Also, it was not as long of a novel. I felt like The House of Mirth dragged on during slow segments of that novel. Plus, learning about World War I in history class helped me understand the bootlegging business in the 1920s. I was very shocked and a little sad when Gatsby died. "It was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete,"(Fitzgerald, 162). I thought the valley of ashes Fitzgerald created was brilliant symbolism. Towards the end of the book, I understood more about the valley of ashes and what it symbolized. It symbolized the corruption that the wealthy have inflicted upon America through their pursuit of wealth and pleasure. The Great Gatsby is a classic that reveals a powerful message about America and people in general. I found this novel to be a wonderful read.

Great Gatsby Entry #14

Blog Entry #14

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I found the novel easy to read; however, there were sections that were somewhat confusing. There is a variety of literary techniques used in the novel and what stood out to me was the symbolism and the poetry. For example,

"In the morning,

In the evening,

     Ain't we got fun-----" (Fitzgerald, 95).

I had no idea what this poem meant. I found it random and bizarre. I also do not understand why Nick stopped liking Jordan Baker all of a sudden. I thought he just reacted in the heat of the moment with learning the truth about Gatsby, but he continued to speak shortly with Jordan. Moreover, I did not understand the symbolism of the man with the huge glasses in the library. I knew it symbolized something because the scene was so bizarre, but I was not sure what it symbolized. Other than these small segments of the novel, I understood The Great Gatsby.

Great GatsbyEntry #13

Blog Entry #13

The Great Gatsby

     Daisy and Gatsby spend months in love before Gatsby leaves for war. Their love seems eternal and full of life. Gatsby must go off to war and he ends up being gone for five years. While overseas, Daisy sends him a letter telling the love of her life that she had married someone else. “The letter reached Gatsby while he was still at Oxford,” (Fitzgerald, 151). This situation reminded me of a book and motion picture called Dear John. In this work, a man and woman fall in love during the summer. Their love seems eternal, but the man has to go off to fight in a war overseas. They write to each other for a few years and then John receives an unexpected letter. The letter is from the love of his life and it says that she has married another man. He felt betrayed and helpless just like Gatsby.

Great Gatsby Entry #12

Blog Entry #12

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     Jay Gatsby is the central character to the story, and he is a round character. Gatsby grew up poor, and developed a desire to be rich and live in luxury. “But his heart was in a constant, turbulent riot. The most grotesque and fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night,” (Fitzgerald, 99). When he got older, he met Daisy, a rich and flawless girl he fell for. Their loved blossomed before the war. Gatsby was penniless and felt the urge to be able to support her. The desire and intense love Daisy and Gatsby felt for each other provoked Gatsby to want to provide for her. When he went off to war, Daisy married Tom Buchanan because she felt pressure without Gatsby at her side. Henceforth, Gatsby dedicated his life to winning Daisy back. To win back Daisy, he needed millions of dollars; so, he turned to the bootlegging business.

     In the beginning of the novel, Gatsby is depicted as a mystery because no one knows how he came to earn such a living. Moreover, Gatsby’s business affairs are mysterious because he is a bootlegger. In chapter seven, the readers’ impression of Gatsby is distant and dishonest. In chapter eight, however, Gatsby reveals his true personality to Nick. He is caring, naïve, and hurt from the love he lost.

Great Gatsby Entry #11

Blog Entry #11

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby grow to be good friends and trusting of each other. In chapter seven, however, the real Gatsby is revealed and it shows that Nick and Gatsby are opposites. The truth caused both Daisy and Nick to lose faith in Gatsby. When Nick found out the truth, he became very angry with Gatsby. “I disliked him so much by this time that I didn’t find it necessary to tell him he was wrong,” (Fitzgerald, 143). Nick is honest and values happiness and self-worth over money. He follows the rules and always does what is morally right. While Nick is quiet and reserved, Gatsby is social and confident. Gatsby is full of ambition and dreams that blind him from reality. This causes him to be dishonest with Daisy and Nick. Also, his ambition to be wealthy causes him to get involved with bootlegging. Gatsby’s wealth, ambition, and dishonesty makes him appear to be the antithesis of Nick.

Great Gatsby Entry #10

Blog Entry #10

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter seven is the climax of the novel. Tom discovers Gatsby’s love affair with Daisy. On the other hand, Tom found out some interesting things about Gatsby in his small investigation, “ ‘That, drug-store business was just small change,’ continued Tom slowly, ‘but you’ve got something on now that Walter’s afraid to tell me about,’ ” (Fitzgerald, 134). Tom tells Daisy, Nick, and Jordan that Gatsby is a bootlegger involved in a large business. This sudden revealing of the truth in the heat of the moment reminded me of multiple spy movies. In these classics, the spy has to reveal to his wife or girlfriend that he kills people for a living. As a result, their companion feels shocked and betrayed because they were lied to. They also feel conflicted because they love a person who commits crimes for a living. Daisy probably felt the same way when the truth was revealed about Gatsby. On the contrary, being a professional spy is much more appealing than being a bootlegger.

Great Gatsby Entry #9

Blog Entry #9

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     Gatsby sees Daisy for the first time in five years. He tries desperately to impress her by inviting her to his house party. Gatsby recalls their love for each other from five years ago. “ ‘You can’t repeat the past. ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can,’ ” (Fitzgerald, 110). With everything that has changed in Daisy’s life and in Gatsby’s life, it is impossible to repeat the past love they had for each other. Henceforth, this scenario reminded me of a common theme, learn from the past and look to the future. Gatsby is so caught up with what happened between him and Daisy that he is blind from their possible future. He needs to learn from his past and use the most memorable moments he and Daisy had together. He can look to the future by inspiring the special moments he had with Daisy to strengthen their love for each other. Being obsessed with past events can dissipate ones’ common sense. Too many variables change in the future to repeat the past, which is why it is essential to look to the future.

Great Gatsby Entry #8

Blog Entry #8 (pgs. 81-96)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     F. Scott Fitzgerald employs a variety of writing tools to convey the novels meaning. One of the unique and intriguing tools he uses is poetry. His use of poetry is so effective because it can act as multiple literary tools. For example,

“ ‘I’m the Sheik of Arbay.

Your love belngs to me.

At night when you sleep

Into your tent I’ll creep----“ (Fitzgerald, 78).

This couplet symbolizes Jay Gatsby’s love for Daisy and it foreshadows what their feelings will transpire to. The integration of poetry into the novel displays Fitzgerald’s unique writing style. Moreover, it provokes a deeper thought process into the circumstances of the novel. Furthermore, the deep thought process Fitzgerald instigates helps convey his message across more clearly. The poetry Fitzgerald utilizes is just a small portion of the symbolism used throughout the novel. Each symbolic passage will come together in the end to portray a powerful message.

Great Gatsby Entry #7

Blog Entry #7 (pgs. 74-80)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     The deeper we go into the novel, the more we discover about Jordan Baker. When she is first introduced, she was depicted as stiff, elegant, and quiet. However, she seems to blossom the more we learn about her. She was shy in the first chapter because she did not know Nick. However, at Gatsby’s party, Nick finds her more relaxed and more outgoing. Thus far, in the novel, Jordan is portrayed as a static character. Her bubbly personality has remained constant, along with her relationship with Nick. As the plot develops, Jordan becomes a pawn in helping Gatsby renew his love with Daisy. Nick also becomes a pawn in Gatsby’s plan, which brings him closer to Jordan. For example, “Her wan, scornful mouth smiled, and so I drew her up again closer, this time to my face,” (Fitzgerald, 80). The quality that could keep Nick and Jordan apart is Jordan’s dishonesty.

Great Gatsby Entry #6

Blog Entry #6 (pgs. 61-74)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     This segment of the novel reminded me of the movie Legends of the Fall. There are rumors about Gatsby being a bootlegger, which is a logical accusation because he needs to make a great deal of money to take care of his house. “ ‘He’s a bootlegger,’ said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers,” (Fitzgerald, 61). In Legends of the Fall, the time frame of the setting is in the 1920s. Moreover, the main character, Tristan, becomes involved in the bootlegging business. He earns a great deal of money from it, but he puts himself and his family in danger. If Gatsby is involved in the bootlegging business, he could be putting himself in danger.  In the novel, Gatsby talks briefly about his time in the war. In Legends of the Fall, Tristan and his brother go off to fight in the war. While overseas, Tristan’s brother dies on the same battlefield as him. Gatsby is very fortunate he survived, especially since he participated in a bloody battle.

Great Gatsby Entry #5

Blog Entry #5 (pgs. 50-59)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     A character in the novel tells The Great Gatsby; therefore, the novel is told in a first person point of view. Nick, the narrator, lives next door to Gatsby on West Egg in New York. Nick is also Daisy Buchanan’s cousin. His calm temper and objective judgment make Nick a great character to narrate The Great Gatsby. “I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bones,” (Fitzgerald, 1). This quote conveys Nick’s open mindedness and his ability not to pass judgment.  The narrator lets the audience interpret and judge the characters on their own because of the objective view Fitzgerald characterizes Nick. Moreover, he is quiet and a good listener, which compels people to like him and trust him. At the end of chapter three, he discovers that he is one of the only honest people he knows. His observant and honest qualities make him the most suited character to narrate the novel.

Great Gatsby Entry #4

Blog Entry #4 (pgs. 39-49)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Setting Analysis

     Nick finally meets Gatsby, and it was in a very chaotic setting. Gatsby hosts parties every Saturday in his house and people just show up without an invitation. While at the party, Nick spends time with Jordan Baker and she made a clever remark about the party, “ ‘And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy,’ “ (Fitzgerald, 49). It’s somewhat ironic how huge parties have privacy and small parties do not. Where Jordan Baker is coming from is that there are a lot less people one knows at large parties. At small parties, everyone knows each other, and it is much easier to spot how people interact with each other. At Gatsby’s huge and chaotic party, Nick could not find anyone he know at first. The clusters of people made it more difficult for him to find an acquaintance. Once he found Jordan Baker, Nick stayed with her the whole night. The chaotic and clustered setting helped glue Jordan and Nick together because it made them feel lonely and uncertain to wander alone through the house without each other. Large parties cause people to stay close with their acquaintances so they do not get lost in the chaos. The setting helps develop Nick’s relationship with Jordan Baker. They both begin to develop feelings for each other.

Great Gatsby Entry #3

Blog Entry # 3 (Ch.2 pgs. 23-38)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     The first paragraph of chapter two talks about the valley of ashes, which is the place Nick and Tom Buchanan are traveling to meet Tom’s mistress. Tom pursues wealth and his own pleasure. The ashes represent the trail he leaves behind. Moreover, the valleys of ashes symbolize the decay that men create in society through their pursuit of selfish desires. For example, “…men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air,” (Fitzgerald, 23). The ashes also represent the life of the poor. They live in the filthy ashes created by the wealthy in their pursuit of pleasure. They live in an “impenetrable cloud” where they cannot rise above the ashes to escape to a better life. In these ashes the rich are able to conceal their operations from their acquaintances. “Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens there obscure operations from your sight,” (Fitzgerald, 23).

Great Gatsby Entry #2

Blog Entry #2 (Ch.1 pgs. 11-22)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     This segment of the novel mentioned rumors and gossip, which reminded me of the halls of Roncalli High School. In high school, rumors and gossip travel faster than the blink of an eye. Our generations’ obsession with social media and the internet fuel the speed of the rumors. Even in the 1920s, rumors traveled incredibly fast without the internet. Rumors seem to travel just as fast as the internet by mouth. The House of Mirth displayed how rumors and social gossip can control a persons’ life. In just the first chapter of The Great Gatsby, rumors have caused the action in Nick’s life. For example, “The fact that gossip had published the banns was one of the reasons I had come to the East. You can’t stop going with an old friend on account of rumors, and on the other hand I had no intention of being rumored into marriage,” (Fitzgerald, 19). People always seem to believe rumors without questioning it or consider asking the person of whom the rumors are about. False rumors are especially abundant in high school.

Great Gatsby Entry #1

Blog Entry #1 (Ch. 1 pgs. 1-11)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

      “ ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had,’ “(Fitzgerald, 1). This quote captured my attention in the novel because my father tells me this too. It helps me consider other people instead of just worrying about myself. Moreover, it compels me to contemplate the many blessings I have. A various amount of wonderful blessings have been bestowed upon me that most people do not have, or could even dream of having. My parents provide me with a private education and sacrifice their time into my extracurricular activities, especially basketball. Along with being thankful for ones blessings, another important message in this quote is not to be judgmental. People find themselves judging others without even intending to. When people judge others, they do not consider the daily difficulties the person has to go through. Everyone around us has struggles they go through every day and some people have more than others do. The quote initiating the novel tells us to consider the burdens and struggles of others in order to have a broader perspective on the world and to have an objective view on people.

Opinion of the Work

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

I found the novel to be very sad. Lawrence Selden and Lily Bart could have lived together in happiness and love, but Lily had to accidentally overdose on her sleep medicine. The book was very well written. Wharton does an excellent job of portraying the feelings and inner conflicts of the characters. In addition, I love how she shifts the mood of Lily's thoughts when she thinks or talks to Selden to portray the love and attraction Lily has to him because she does not fully admit her love for Selden until the end of the novel. I got sucked into the parts where Lily talked with Selden and during the intense discussions Lily had with Gus Trenor and Rosedale. There were some parts that were boring, mostly when Wharton introduced Lily's past.

Although this book is a tragedy, the last line gives the novel a flare of happiness. "He knelt by the bed and bent over her, draining their last moment to it lees; and in the silence there passed between them the word which made all clear," (Wharton, 268). In the end they at least knew that they loved each other. I just wish they would have seen each other more often throughout the novel.

Confusion in Understanding the Novel

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton



I understood and followed the novel, but there were some segments that were unclear. Because of the time that this book was written, misunderstandings of interpretations can be misconstrued. Putting my self in the characters mind set was difficult at times because the culture and technological difference. Also, Wharton uses many similes and metaphors, and I expect that some of them might have been common phrases during the early 1900s. Henceforth, I did not understand the meaning of some of the metaphors and similes Wharton weaved in the novel. For example, "...she was: an organism as helpless out of its narrow range as the sea-anemone torn from the rock," (Wharton, 244-245). Also, the diction Wharton employed was high level and sophisticated. I did not know the meaning of some of the words she used, but I was able to interpret the meaning of the words through context clues the majority of the time. I had a hard time relating to Lily's feelings since I had never been in a situation even close to hers. I was confused at some of the actions she took. For example, I do not know why when Selden came to her for help to be someone she could talk to, she tried to excercise power over him instead of letting him know how she got to where she was. The difference in culture and the time period cause the most confusion in reading the novel.

Book II: Chapters VII & VIII

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Chapters VII & VIII (pgs. 201-221)

Simon Rosedale and George Dorset are both very attracted to Lily Bart. Moreover, they were both possible marriage candidates for Lily, and she is in desperate need of a rich husband in her terrible situation. Rosedale has been described as self-absorbed and intrusive throughout the novel. He concentrates his money to invest and build power to be accepted into the upper class social ring. Like Rosedale, George Dorset is also selfish, "...she saw that, for the first time, a faint realisation of her plight penetrated the dense surface of his self-absorbtion," (Wharton, 200). Rosedale put himself in a very good situation socially; on the contrary, George Dorset is miserable with Bertha Dorset becuase of the cheating scandal. George Dorset is willing to accept Lily as his wife despite what the marriage could do to Lily socially. Rosedale has changed his mind about marrying Lily because he thinks he only motive to marry him is he could pull her out of her current situation. Plus, marrying Lily could mean a steep decline in his social standing, which he has worked incredibly hard to build. While George Dorset is only concerned about his own well-being, Rosedale offered Lily a possible return to her social status. Because what Rosedale offered was unhonorable, Lily refused the offer. So in the end, Lily rejected both Rosedale and George Dorset.

Book II: Chapters V & VI

The House of Mirth by Edith Whartonta
Chapters V & VI (pgs. 187-201)

This portion of the novel metnions Coney Island, which reminded me of a book called Ship Ablaze. "...so they've started a sort of continuous performance of their own, a kind of social Coney Island," (Wharton, 188). Like The House of Mirth, Ship Ablaze is set in the early 1900s in New York. It is about the disaster of the General Slocum Steamboat. The first half of Ship Ablaze discusses the history of New York and Coney Island. New York had an influx of immigration, especially from Germany. The city provided many job opportunities, which were obviously very appealing to the immigrants. As a result, New York grew tremendously in population size. Coney Island became a major resort in New York; so, it was as the House of Mirth described it, chaotic and noisy. It is no longer a major New York resort because with everyone driving automobiles, people can travel to farther and better places. A popular resort for New Yorkes now is the Hamptons.