Frankenstein: Chapter 23-24

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

As the story progresses back to Robert's ship, the reader is reminded of the shared ambition between Victor and Robert.  Although Robert believes that his decision to retreat from the Arctic leaves him a failure in his quest to discover the hidden laws of nature, the reader can understand that Robert's decision demonstrates Victor's success in discouraging the same reckless ambition.

To display his disappointment concerning the decision to turn back, Robert writes his sister, "Thus are my hopes blasted by cowardice and indecision: I come back ignorant and disappointed," (Shelley, 160).  It is true that Robert's original ambitions to stand out in history as the first person to reach the North Pole failed.  However, Robert's disappointment creates a sort of oxymoron.  He may not have solved the most mysterious question, but he has learned one of the most practical lessons.

From the first few pages of the novel, Victor made it clear that he told his story so that Robert might escape Victor's fate.  Therefore, by choosing to abandon ambition for life, Robert proved that Victor's misery resulting from his creation persuaded him to avoid Victor's regrets.  Moreover, instead of carrying out Victor's desires that Robert destroy the creature, he allowed the creature to express his grief and destroy himself.  Robert responded to the story of ubiquitous prejudice by becoming the only being to ask the creature to stay and converse and by allowing the natural forces of the North Pole and the creature's depression to remain hidden.

Shelley uses Robert's oxymoron to force the reader to reflect on the lessons Robert truly learned in an effort to convince the reader to abandon prejudice and the desire to push the limits of existence.

Frankenstein: Chapters 21-22

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

During Victor's trial for Henry's murder, Victor undergoes tribulations that parallel those of the creature during its first months of life.  More significantly, the differences that arise between the two experiences reveal the attitudes of humanity toward outward appearances.

Upon reviewing the conditions of Victor and the creature, one recognizes that both were cast into an area where the beings understood nothing of each other.  Victor was among the Irish who mostly viewed him with distrust based on his being a foreigner while the creature's mere appearance got it chased out of villages.  Also, both Victor and the creature faced faulty prejudices and accusations.  Victor was held for Henry's murder even though he was in Scotland at the time of the murder and the creature faced adversity from the De Lacey's even though he showed them nothing but clandestine sympathy with his collection of firewood.

Although the two beings' obstacles appear parallel, their means of surmounting their obstacles were rather unbalanced.  Specifically, Victor had a sympathetic voice in Mr. Kirwin: "He had caused the best room in the prison to be prepared for me (wretched indeed was the best); and it was he who had provided a physician and a nurse," (Shelley, 131).  Conversely, the creature remarked that Satan was more fortunate than he because he had companions.  Even the elder De Lacey who initially received the creature eventually abandoned it.

This key difference of companionship reflects humanity's acceptance of Victor and rejection of the creature based on the only difference: appearances.  The inconsistent attitude of society suggests once again that humans tend to ignore humanity without a perfectly human body.

Frankenstein: Chapters 19-20

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

After Victor accepts the creature's demands, Henry's presence in England forces Victor to realize fully how his creation has plagued him and, more significantly, his family.  Through the use of metaphor, Shelley demonstrates how ambition sets people up for devastation.

While at Oxford, Henry's enthusiasm for the beauty of the city reminded Victor of his inability to feel the same enthusiasm.  To express his destitution, Victor compares himself to a tree struck by lightning: "But I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered by 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).  Like a tree, Victor strove to tower over all others in knowledge by defeating nature.  However, like lightning, tragedy sought out Victor's audacity because of its magnitude in comparison to those of all others.  The comparison of Victor to a tree sought out by lightning suggests to the reader that pushing the limits of reality will make one a target of tragedy.

Unfortunately, Victor bore only a portion of the tragedy attracted by his audacity.  Although lightning rods typically dissipate the destruction of lightning, sparing surrounding structures, Victor attracted tragedy and conducted it to his family and friends.  Victor's daring defiance toward death tempted tragedy to seek out William and Justine.

Frankenstein: Chapters 16-18

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley

After the creature's expulsion from the De Lacey residence, its desire to seek companionship confronts several obstacles.  Specifically, the situational irony surrounding the creature's unappreciated saving of the drowning girl effects a fatal shift in the its attitude toward humanity.

Even though the creature's months of selfless sacrifice in collecting the De Lacey's wood resulted only in violent rejection, the creature still sought relationships with children.  For instance, when the girl in the woods almost drowned, the creature rescued her from nature's hazards despite its familiarity with violent misunderstandings by humans who should thank him.  Instead of thanks, the creature receives only an ironic bullet from the father of the drowning girl.  The creature relates his change of attitude towards humans by recounting to Victor: "Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind," (Shelley, 101).  The creature's shift brought on by its situational irony suggests that evil results from surroundings instead of inherent nature.

Furthermore, Shelley utilizes imagery and setting to support the claim that the creature's reception by humanity effected its malevolence.  Prior to the creature's rescue of the drowning girl, fall had turned to winter.  The decay of nature seen in the freezing of the rivers and earth paralleled the decay of the nature of the creature.  Whereas the creature's desire to cooperate with humans shown in his collecting of logs for the De Laceys was natural, the decay of the creature's environment seen in the De Lacey's expulsion of the creature and the father's shooting it destroyed the creature's benevolent nature and gave rise to its retribution.

Frankenstein: Chapters 13-15

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

Finally, the reader begins to discover the source of the creature's impressive eloquence and knowledge: reading.  However, through the use of allusions to famous literary works, Shelley highlights the failure of society to accept the creature and the failure of Victor to accept the child of his ambition.

Surprisingly, the creature is proficient in understanding Lives, Sorrows of Werter, and Paradise Lost, some of the most elevated and complex pieces of literature.  Specifically, the creature's ability to enjoy the stories of the most celebrated heroes in human society as portrayed in Lives and to connect with the universal woes of death in Sorrows of Werter display an intellect and compassion worthy of human companionship.  In fact, the creature's shocking speed in understanding universal human joys and pains demonstrates the creature's superiority in granting companionship, aid, and comfort.  Nevertheless, humanity so far has rejected the creature utterly.  This situational irony created by characterization of the creature as empathetic through understanding of allusions to Lives and Sorrows of Werter signal to the reader humanity's prejudicial tendency to scorn humanity concealed under non-conventional appearances thereby creating monsters out of humans.

Moreover, the allusion to Paradise Lost allows the reader to juxtapose the characters of the creature and Victor with the characters of God, Adam, and Satan as portrayed in the work.  On one hand, as the creature argues, the creature plays a role more like Satan than Adam because of his loneliness compared to his benefactors' emotional bounty: "Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me," (Shelley, 92).  Thus, Victor would play the role of the omnipotent God who cast out his creation.  However, the reader might also believe Victor to play the role of Satan whose blind ambition to attain God-like power led to his downfall as Victor's desire to bestow life led to his post-creation depression.  Shelley's allusion to Paradise Lost and juxtapositions among its and her characters suggest that social barriers placed by prejudice leave the oppressed at the bottom via the actions of the persecutors as well as the persecutors for their malevolent ambition for power.

(Do I get a reward for using 4 lit terms in one blog post?)

Frankenstein: Chapters 10-12

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

To everyone's surprise, on his journeys, Victor reunites with his creation who speaks flawless English.  In examining the creature's eloquent story since the day of creation, the reader will discover contrasts between the two beings' parallel searches for knowledge.

First, the reader realizes that Victor and his creation experienced vastly different early lives.  Victor once remarked that no one had a better childhood than he.  His parents were loving, he had a few friends, and he was never in want of anything.  However, the creature experienced unprecedented adversity in its early days.  Its own father fled from him, he had not even a single possession, and all of humanity desired to kill it.

Consequently, their quests for knowledge varied in motive and manner.  Since Victor had access to printed works, he simply formed the basis of his knowledge with others' discoveries.  When he developed his own experiments and observations with the intent to spare humanity from death, he allegedly ended up causing more death with the creature.

However, the creature was forced to gain all of his knowledge through observation and experimentation:  "In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain," (Shelley, 72).  Because its learning of fire and language lacked any other influences, the creature developed a natural view of the world while Victor developed a warped and philosophical view.  The creature's motive of helping the poor family through simple and natural methods of prolonging life instead of defying death creates sympathy from the reader.  Most importantly, the reader learns to aid others by improving life rather than degrading death.

Frankenstein: Chapters 8-9

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

In this section, Victor faces the worst grief yet: Justine's execution.  Furthermore, the reader finds a possible foreshadow that could reveal Victor's only hope for resolution.

As stated in the last post, Victor blames himself for the circumstances surrounding William's murder because he accuses the creation as the murderer.  Therefore, when Justine is executed as the murderer, Victor adds her to his list of victims.  Obviously, if the creation is the murderer, then the family members are the victims of Victor's obsession with defeating death.  However, Justine's acceptance of death and Victor's rest on his journey provide Victor and alternate attitude towards death.

Although Justine faced imminent death, it was not her greatest concern.  In fact, she viewed death as a source of peace.  That she lied and confessed to the murder troubled her the most.  Unlike Victor, Justine approached death with a peaceful demeanor and acceptance of its universality.

Nonetheless, Victor comes to a similar conclusion while travelling.  "... when I placed my head upon my pillow, sleep crept over me; I felt it as it came and blest the giver of oblivion," (Shelley, 65).  While Victor was awake, he felt only remorse, pain, and guilt.  However, when he was asleep, he could escape his miseries.  It seemed that the lack of feeling was the only escape.

Shelley seems to suggest that, in certain dire situations, death is not an enemy, but rather the purveyor of peace.

Frankenstein: Chapters V-VII

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

In this section, Victor seemingly faces the first concrete consequences of his creation.  Although the identity of William's murderer is technically unknown, the various theories of guilt create situational irony that compounds Victor's remorse for his creation.

Victor's father, Alphonse, revealed William's murder to Victor almost immediately after Victor had recovered from his illness following the creation.  Additionally, Elizabeth wrongfully assumed guilt for the murder on the grounds that the necklace she had given William appeared to be the motive for the murder: "Oh, God! I have murdered my darling child!" (Shelley, 47).  Few would ever expect that someone so caring as Elizabeth would even be suspected of indirectly causing her cousin's murder.  Nevertheless, the reader soon finds that most expected that Justine, the dedicated servant, did in fact directly murder William.

Almost immediately, Victor accuses his creation of the murder.  Therefore, the reader is conditioned to believe that the ironies befalling his family are his doing.  Even though Victor commenced his creation with the intention of eliminating death, it has only brought misery.  Assuming that the creature murdered William, Victor allowed for the death of his brother, the depression and guilt of his cousin, and the probable execution of his faithful servant.

So far, it seems that Shelley warns the reader again that death is inevitable, and any effort to resist inevitably brings death.

Frankenstein: Chapters I-IV

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley

In this section narrated by Victor Frankenstein, the reader gets a deeper glimpse into the character and motives of Victor.  The introduction of Elizabeth into the Frankenstein family and a verbal irony from Victor's mother reveal Victor's desire to control life that influences him to prepare his creation.

Victor was born to a woman dedicated to caring for her family: Caroline Beaufort.  In fact, the primary cause of the marriage between Victor's father and Caroline had been Caroline's vigilance at her father's (and Victor's father's friend's (I apologize)) deathbed.  Victor's recollection of his back story proves to the reader his admiration for caretakers of life.  

Moreover, when Victor first meets Elizabeth, all desires to control life (benevolently) are made explicit.  Although Caroline most likely aimed to introduce Victor to Elizabeth without evoking jealousy, Victor took her words literally: "I have a pretty present for my victor-tomorrow he shall have it," (Shelley, 18).  This verbal irony uncovered Victor's obsessive attitude towards life: "... my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only," (Shelley, 18).  Upon seeing a creature so fair, Victor desired to follow in his mother's footsteps and care for Elizabeth vigilantly.  However, he would take his vigilance to a new extreme.

Undoubtedly, Victor's meeting Elizabeth prompted him to uncover the secrets of bestowing life so that he would never have to part with Elizabeth as he had to part with his mother.  Specifically, Shelley warns the reader of the consequences of an obsession with altering the natural laws of death.

Frankenstein: Letters

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

As in most literary works, the beginning of Frankenstein serves to characterize directly and indirectly the main characters.  As Robert Walton writes his sister in England, he reveals his character and that of the stranger saved from the arctic ice.

The reader soon realizes that Robert is insatiably ambitious.  Even at this point in the novel, he has embarked to reach the north pole from Russia.  This quest proves a certain disregard for family despite his deep affection for his sister; he decided to abandon his sister (perhaps forever) and pursuing this quest was a clear violation of his father's last wishes.  Although he desires to be remembered in history as one of the greatest navigators, his true motivation is to learn the secrets of the universe.  Discovering the forces behind the compass would grant him a sense of mastery over nature and a victory over uncertainty.

Once Robert recovers the stranger from the ice, he first notes his striking benevolence which allows the two to bond.  Furthermore, the stranger's own desire to discover nature's hidden laws inspires him to recount his story to Robert.  "You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been," (Shelley, 13).

The comparison between the characters of Robert and the stranger proves the power of human ambition and the necessity to learn from the mistakes of others' ambitions.

Alienation Unit: APO 96225

"APO 96225"
Larry Rottmann

Obviously, war is hell.  But, why is war hell.

The young man who became one of the few honored and cursed people to ascertain the reason obviously tried to hide his family from this answer.  His mother, still intent on enlightenment for her son's sake, both begged for and refused the answer.

Although there is great irony in the mother's response to the war, the irony is situational rather than dramatic. Although the reader may guess that the details of war sometimes are best left unknown, the reader garners only the information already known by the characters.  Utilization of situational irony provides an insight into human nature in regards to learning of atrocities.  Frequently, many claim to desire full knowledge of dangerous and destitute circumstances under the assumption that they can cope with understanding.  However, this is rarely true.  Most often, when people learn of terrible situations which they cannot reverse, they react like the young man's family: "Please don't write such depressing letters.  You're upsetting your mother" (Rottmann, 846).

It is human nature to combat those who seek to withhold information.  As the young man's family learns, sometimes, ignorance brings more comfort than complete knowledge- especially when the situation is hopeless.  Nevertheless, those who deal with the situation are left to cope with the knowledge themselves.

Alienation Unit: Much Madness is divinest Sense

"Much Madness is divinest Sense"
Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson's distance from society strikes again.  This time, however, the speaker engages society in an argument riddled with paradoxes.  One one hand, typical sense is viewed as, well, good sense; nevertheless, the speaker contends that madness is the sign of good sense.

The speaker sides with madness by claiming, "To a discerning Eye- Much Sense- the starkest Madness" (Dickinson, 830).  By using the word discerning, the speaker utilizes the connotations of prudence and wisdom to lend credibility to viewing madness as the key to sanity.

Unfortunately, the speaker points out that assuming this position lends more danger than the anticipated civil disagreement.  One one hand, validating the majority opinion by virtue of backing the majority grants one sanity.  However, dissenting from the majority opinion that sense begets sense labels one dangerous- a strong word with unprecedented connotations within the poem and the minority opinion.  Overall, the speaker contends that, because of her decision to embrace the beauty of the complexity of human consciousness (you're welcome, John Green) has delivered her to the chains of the majority.  Most importantly, the speaker is further alienated by her and her comrades' refusal to attack the opposition with the same ferocity.

Alienation Unit: I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain"
Emily Dickinson

In this completely typical Dickinson poem, the speaker utilizes vivid imagery to express her alienation.  Specifically, the sensations of feeling and hearing convey the uncomfortable and isolated experiences of the speaker.

The first scenes of feeling seem to suggest that the speaker suffers from some malady of the head.  The speaker describes her situation in terms of people walking through her head: an obviously unpleasant experience.  More than that, the people were attending a funeral.  Additionally, the activity of this funeral contributed to a numbing sensation in her head.

By using sounds of this funeral, it becomes apparent that this funeral is meant for the speaker.  "And then I heard them lift a Box And creak across my Soul..." (Dickinson, 776).  This fact hints to the alienation of the speaker from her friends who apparently view her as dead.  One can surmise that this malady is distancing the speaker from her friends or her social class.

Finally, through diction of feeling, the speaker confirms this suspicion; as if the bottom of the coffin had fallen, the speaker fell out of touch with her class and down the social ladder.

Alienation Unit: Miss Brill

"Miss Brill"
Katherine Mansfield

In this story, Mansfield (more successfully than Melville) evokes great pity for the elderly English teacher, Miss Brill.  Primarily, the use of the fur as a symbol for Miss Brill's acceptance and participation in society conveys the level of and her reaction to her alienation.

First of all, like the fur, Miss Brill's acceptance in society is dead- at least at the beginning of the story.  However, this does not deter Miss Brill from going to the Jardins Publiques in the slightest.  She simply needs to spruce up her sociability a little: "But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasn't at all firm.  It must have had a knock, somehow.  Never mind- a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came- when it was absolutely necessary... Little rogue!" (Mansfield, 182).

This sense of pride in her place in society continues into the story.  When she attends the weekly concerts at the gardens, she takes time to know all of the frequent comers.  Furthermore, she comes to the realization that she is a key character in the performances; everyone is.  All of life is a stage, and her part was to attend concerts every Sunday: a part she plays excellently.

Regardless, two little punks decide to remind Miss Brill of the popular opinion.  Just like her fur, her ostensible participation in the weekly concert is laughable and annoying.  Defeated, Miss Brill returns to her home to forget about her dreams of finding her place.  Nevertheless, as she puts away her fur, she cannot escape the fact that she is throwing away her pride.

Alienation Unit: Bartleby the Scrivener

"Bartleby the Scrivener"
Herman Melville

Melville "delights" the reader with this monstrosity of a view into the mostly undocumented life of a scrivener. First, one may note, considering this is the alienation unit, the fact that few ever take the time to understand those who dedicate their lives to simply transferring words from one document to another will be discussed, if not judged.  Sure enough, through the utilization of varying tone, Melville creates a work of didactic literature which warns the reader to take the time to look into others' stories before acting harshly.

In the first part of the story, the speaker characterizes his (sometimes) irksome assistants.  Turkey is an old man who works diligently during the morning but acts hastily in the afternoon; Nippers is substantially younger, but mornings involve severe indigestion that does not abate until the afternoon; and Ginger Nut is a determined boy who supplies the office's snacks.  Although Turkey and Nippers appear to be insufferable, the speaker analyzes their natural constraints and combined values.  As a result, the speaker speaks in a restrained tone constantly balanced by reason.

However, when Bartleby arrives, the speaker takes a different route in characterization.  Immediately, the speaker seems to judge Bartleby simply based on his almost ascetic work ethic balanced with his lack of enthusiasm.  Later, when Bartleby refuses to come into the speaker's office, the negatives start to outweigh the positives.  For the majority of the rest of the story, the speaker portrays his struggle with Bartleby as an inescapable and hopeless fight against stubbornness.  Eventually, the speaker's desperate attitude drives him to relocate, leaving Bartleby residing in the old office. Bartleby soon after is sent to prison and passes away most likely from starvation.

Upon learning more about Bartleby postmortem, the speaker learns of extenuating circumstances that effected Bartleby's unusual stubbornness.  Bartleby used to destroy letters destined to the deceased.  Surely, this depressing atmosphere is to blame for the "I'd prefer not to"s.  In evaluating Bartleby, the speaker now assumes a regretful tone: "Dead letters! does it not sound like dead men? Conceive a man by nature and misfortune prone to a pallid hopelessness, can any business seem more fitted to heighten it than that of continually handling these dead letters and assorting them for the flames?" (Melville, 675).

The speaker's lamentable experience of turbulent alterations in mood and tone offers the reader a simple lesson: one should learn the stories of everyone in order to avoid unfair or damaging actions and attitudes.

Death Unit: Death, be not proud

"Death, be not proud"
John Donne

In this poem, Donne seems to lash out against death who had previously enjoyed supremacy from its reputation.  Although he provides arguments for accepting death without fights, the hasty tone suggests an inevitable fear of death.

"Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;" (Donne, 971).  The reputation of death as an omnipotent overlord is called into question.  Typically, since literally no one can escape it, people envision death as a sort of murderous warlord.  However, when one examines death, one finds that it often strikes from the shadows.  Death claims the elderly, sickly, and injured rather than the potent.  The reader (and poet) can find comfort in this observation.  Perhaps death is not so fearsome after all.

However, in the end, death is just as powerful as before the attack.  The manner of death matters little when there is no escape in the end.  Donne seems to be grasping at a nonexistent convenient truth.  Even his last sentence confirms that death is so powerful death itself cannot escape.  

Death Unit: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"
Dylan Thomas

As his father dies, Thomas uses paradoxes to reject the common acceptance of death.  However, he eventually accepts the universality of death.

"Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go  gentle into that good night" (Thomas, 968).  Ultimately, wise men must one day accept that their wisdom is limited to life.  However, they inevitably rebel against the natural order.  Likewise, the deeds of good men seem inconsequential, wild men desire more time, and grave men rescind all acceptances of death in favor of blissful ignorance.

Overall, the actions of dying men seem to defy logic.  Nevertheless, this paradoxical behavior seems to unite all types of people.  To Thomas, this phenomenon seems like the only reasonable course of action for someone whose entire life is coming to an end.  He wants this show of humanity from his father.

Death Unit: That time of year

"That time of year"
William Shakespeare

In this rather personal poem, Shakespeare relies heavily on the use of imagery.  Specifically, the images of autumn, and a dying fire highlight Shakespeare's declining age.

First, bare trees in fall characterize Shakespeare's approaching death.  Additionally, the absence of singing birds reflect his own decreased activity: "Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang" (Shakespeare, 966).  As once in his life he was bustling and proficient in poetry, toward the end of his life, his work slowed.

The imagery takes a slightly more violent and destructive dimension.  Shakespeare's decline comes from within.  The brighter he shined in life, the faster his life dwindled because of the ensuing ash (memories of days of grandeur).  Eventually those memories will suffocate him on his deathbed.

Most significantly, Shakespeare claims all of this to his wife who he believes is already aware.  This claim comforts him because, even though she sees these declines, she remains dedicated to him.

Death Unit: A Rose for Emily

"A Rose for Emily"
William Faulkner

In this somehow more disturbing story than "The Lottery", a special emphasis on the setting draws the reader's attention to Emily Grierson as a symbol for her society.

Throughout the story, the differences between the generations plays a prominent role in the external conflicts.   From the Civil War generation of Rose's parents, to the arising young generation entering leadership positions, everyone differs on how to treat Rose.  Her father took a suffocating role toward Rose in terms of prospective husbands.  After Homer Barron disappeared, the speaker mentions the permanent impacts of this behavior: "... as if that quality of her father which had thwarted her woman's life so many times had been too virulent and too furious to die" (Faulkner, 287).  Since Rose represents her society as a whole (the post-Civil War south), her father and his contemporaries represent the Civil War generation.  As her father chased  Rose's suitors away, the author suggests that the Civil War generation as a whole isolated its children by holding onto values and false senses of superiority.

Rose's own generation treats her in a cautiously deferential way.  The mayor halted all taxes in the guise of a repaid loan.  Additionally, parents only sent their children to take china-painting lessons to keep her in a job. As a whole, Rose's contemporaries view Rose and their generation sympathetically but unrealistically.  Although they claim that the whole nation owes these Southern aristocrats their gratitude, most efforts simply go to fuel senses of superiority.

However, the young generation will be having none of this aristocratic nonsense.  The newcomers to the local government support renewing taxes and forcing her to remove the smell from her house (from her DEAD ALMOST FIANCEE).  Finally, people are starting to hold Rose's generation responsible for contributing to society regardless of delusions of grandeur.  Likewise young people are starting to tear down the superficialities of Southern aristocracy.

Only after the post-Civil War generation passed on did people finally look into the disturbing remnants of its delusions.

Death Unit: The Lottery

"The Lottery"
Shirley Jackson

In this obvious screenplay for a Twilight Zone episode, the futility and savagery of blindly clinging to tradition are presented in a rather objective tone.  However, this objective tone contributes to the verbal and situational ironies that provide the shock value which swings opinion against the traditions mentioned in the story.

Although not set in stone, the word "lottery" frequently refers to potential payoffs in the millions of dollars.  From the very beginning of the story, the reader would likely anticipate a payoff of crops or perhaps money due to the rural setting and excited atmosphere.  That reader would be dead wrong.

It turns out that the author decided to manipulate the common expectation of fortune from chance to point out the more common outcome of tragedy by chance often aided by human action.  Although a lottery like this purely  relies on impartial probability, human nature created the lottery in the first place: "'Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns.'" (Jackson, 268).

The most significant situational irony featured in the story is that nearly every aspect of the lottery was eliminated except the sacrifice.  Even though the villagers appeared to be so concerned with maintaining tradition, things like chants, containers, and protocol have been forgotten.  This irony reveals the human nature central to the theme of the story: humans will select scapegoats (Mrs. Hutchinson in this case) for everything from economic hardship to rain patterns.

The Glass Menagerie: Scene vii

The Glass Menagerie

Tennessee Williams

In an earlier scene, Tom implicitly compared his father to a magician who can escape a coffin without removing a nail.  In this scene, Tom's abandonment and neglected bill payments reinforce his analogy between his family and a coffin.  However, the idea that abandoning his family could be done without removing any nails was disproved.

Even though Tom's father seemingly escaped without regret, doing so left the family falling apart.  First of all, abandoning Amanda made her paranoid, vengeful, and controlling.  Almost every scene of the play includes Amanda's recollection of her Blue Mountain days in which she met her future husband.  Here, Amanda's desire to find success in her daughter's love life led to extreme heartbreak and disappointment.  Most significantly, the escape act emboldened Tom and inspired him to seek the same thing.  The only nails holding family together seemed to have been ripped out by the father.

Additionally, Tom found that his escape would not be without complications for him.  Tom believed that, once he escaped his situation, like a magician, he could simply take a bow and go on to adventure.  However, he never truly escaped his family: "Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!" (Williams, 1289).  Unfortunately for Tom, like when he remorsefully helped Laura pick up the pieces of glass he broke, ultimately desired to protect his sister.

The Glass Menagerie: Scene vi

The Glass Menagerie

Tennessee Williams

"You know our blood gets so thick during th' winter-it takes a while fo' us to adjust ou'selves!-when the season changes..." (Williams, 1269).

When Jim finally comes over for dinner, the audience gets a glimpse of Amanda the Southern Gentlewoman: the woman who attracted dozens of male callers at Blue Mountain.  There is just one problem; Amanda's sudden "charm ex vernacular" from her Blue Mountain days has come up on Laura's big day.  This would suggest that Amanda has dubious motives in her plans for her children.

Upon reading this section, I discovered the perfect person for the role of Amanda:

Rue McClanahan.
If you don't already know (but you should), McClanahan became famous for her role as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls.  Like Amanda, Blanche could never let go of her glory days in which men lined up to "court" her.  To prove her beauty, Blanche would pull out the heavy Southern accent to appear sophisticated and sexy.  I doubt that Amanda is trying to win Jim's heart, but I do suspect that she is seeking to set up Jim and Laura as a way to bring back memories of and triumphs of her youth.  Every "fo'" and "th'" she throws at Jim may help win him over, but, ultimately, success would embolden Amanda rather than fragile Laura.  Despite her motherly intentions, Amanda is attempting to live vicariously through Laura instead of letting Laura become her own woman.

The Glass Menagerie: Scene v

The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams

In this scene, Tom and Amanda make plans for Laura's future (read: marriage).  However, Tom expresses concerns for Laura's chances by characterizing her through the use of an analogy between Laura and her menagerie.

After Tom announced that he secured a male caller, Amanda seems to be elated.  Nevertheless, she pays little attention to Laura's chances and qualities in the present.  Instead, she thinks back to the Blue Mountain days: her past triumphs and ultimate lapse in judgment.  It seems that, in place of ensuring Laura's happiness, Amanda is attempting to erase her mistake of marrying her husband.

Tom reminds her of Laura's individualism in an unfavorable manner.  First, Tom reminds Amanda that Laura might not be attractive to the male caller; she is in a brace that corrects a disfigurement of her legs.  However, more importantly, Laura's personality might prevent her from involving herself in a relationship: "TOM. She lives in a world of her own-a world of-little glass ornaments, Mother..." (Williams, 1261).  On one hand, Laura seems to be isolating herself with her menagerie in a way that almost makes her one of the pieces shut off on a shelf.  More significantly, she is extremely fragile.  The tiniest tremor could send her crashing down.  Anyone who would want to marry her would have to spend every waking second polishing her and keeping her from falling apart.

The Glass Menagerie: Scenes iii & iv

The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams

In this section of the play, the audience gets the first glimpse of a major psychological license (a term I shall coin to refer to inaccurate memories).  When Tom sits down with his Amanda, the two engage in a loving reconciliation uncharacteristic of the mother and son.  The audience can determine that Tom has used situational and verbal irony to provide an insight into how he wished the scene to occur.

From the beginning of the conversation, Amanda and Tom apologized for their arguments about Tom's nighttime activities.  Following these tender moments, Amanda praised Tom for his toils at the warehouse.  Whereas before Amanda inquired about Tom's "movies" with nothing but suspicion, now she discusses the matter in regards to Laura's fears.  Instead of disapproval, Amanda expresses concern for Tom's future: more importantly, that his future does not coincide with his father's.

However, the audience notices that this interaction seemed unexpected because the words probably were never spoken.  In the stage directions, a significant and abrupt change in tone is noted: "(As the familiar inquisition resumes he becomes hard and impatient again.  AMANDA slips back to her querulous attitude toward him)" (Williams, 1252).  Even though this scene is probably inaccurate, it reveals much about Tom's character.  For starters, he most likely regrets how that conversation really happened or that the conversation never actually transpired.  His decision to portray this loving scene as truth also portrays his side of the debate without negation.  He has been looking for ways to escape the apartment because he feels that he cannot deal with the cramped job at the warehouse and the fact that he is the only one who believes that he makes sacrifices by laboring in the warehouse.

The Glass Menagerie: Scenes i & ii

The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams (That's not a real person.  He is made up)

Unique to this play, one of the characters (Tom, specifically) narrates the play as if he wrote this portrayal of his memories.  Being a memory subject to psychological license and selective recollection, the play exhibits several themes stated explicitly by the narrator.

In the opening scene, Tom introduces himself, the setting, and the idea of the memory play to the audience as both character and narrator.  One practical function of this introduction is to remind the audience that this version of Tom's memories will bear some exaggerations and omissions that carry Tom's interpretations of the memories.  For some reason or another, Tom is looking back on these memories and has invited the audience to study his recollections along with him.

Specifically, Tom alerts the audience in his opening speech to the idea that the characters and people of the time of his memory suffered from delusions.  Referring to the population's refusal to recognize hardships and dangers, Tom utilizes an antimetabole: "Their eyes had failed them, or they had failed their eyes, and so they were having their fingers pressed forcibly down on the fiery Braille alphabet of a dissolving economy" (Williams, 1236).  Although some might think that the characters in the play simply cannot see or recognize signals of impending doom or failure, Tom reverses the idea to point out that the characters were able but unwilling to notice.

This theme of misinterpretation and deception comes between Amanda and Laura.  Because Laura had deceived Amanda in regards to her typing classes, Amanda decided that Laura's only hope for a future lay in marriage.  However, Amanda refuses to acknowledge two facts: Laura is disabled and charm was not only her husband's way of finding a wife, but also of deceiving her.

Family Unit: Edward

"Edward"
Anonymous

This poem (most likely a sort of ballad), leaves some purposeful ambiguity surrounding the characters of Edward and his mother.  As for the purpose of the ambiguity, I have few ideas other than brevity; perhaps the author desired to point out how significant the actions of the two are in inferring their characters.

From the poem, the reader can infer that Edward is a noble who has killed his father for some reason.  Because Edward displays selfish tendencies, the reader can infer that the murder was done for selfish reasons.  Edward shows that he cares little about even his own family: " 'The world is large, let them beg through life, Mother, Mother, The world is large, let them beg through life, For them nevermore will I see, O.'" (Anonymous, 978).  Even though Edward's family most likely had little to do with the murder, they will pay the price for his actions.

The reader then learns that Edward's mother bears some responsibility for the death of her husband.  Even though she may have not been behind his murder, it is clear that Edward received his selfish values from his mother.  Instead of focusing on the fact that her husband is dead (which she most likely knew before interrogating Edward), she plays games with Edward.  She torments him with questions about his sword until he finally confesses.  Then, without a moment of grief, she asks how he will atone for his actions.  Additionally, she asks in what fate he will leave his estates, family, and mother.  Finally, Edward claims that she will bear the curse of hell for concentrating on possessions instead of how she can help her family.

Family Unit: Those Winter Sundays

"Those Winter Sundays"
Robert Hayden

Throughout the poem, the author ponders events from his childhood which he did not know at the time.  More specifically, he utilizes imagery related to winter in order to highlight the regret he feels for his lack of gratitude as a child.

The poem is told in the past tense.  More than that, the story is told in an indicative mood.  This occurrence of the father's waking up early on weekends to care for the house and his family did not happen only once; the father repeatedly made this sacrifice.  Likewise, the author and his family repeatedly neglected to show any gratitude:  "No one ever thanked him" (Hayden, 781).  Since these sacrifices were made, the author has matured and realized for himself how lonely sacrifices make one when not thanked.

In order to demonstrate the degree of sacrifice his father made on a daily basis, Hayden relies heavily on imagery related to winter, an aspect of the title.  Not only did his father have to get up early, but he had to greet a cold world and labor with cracked hands and lips for his family.  Then, Hayden shifts the imagery to warm and comfortable.  While the father faced the cold upon waking up, because of his efforts, Hayden got to wake up to a home warmed by a fire.  His father faced the hardships of the winter so that his family could enjoy the opposite of his experience.

Family Unit: The Drunkard

"The Drunkard"
Frank O'Connor

In this rather comedic story, characterizations of both the narrator and his father lay the groundwork for a prominent theme: seeing flaws in another person is sometimes the only way people improve.

The narrator's father is revealed to the reader through direct characterization.  He is a hard-working man.  When sober.  Mick spends the majority of his time saving his money and making prudent, well-informed decisions.  However, once tragedy strikes or he starts to feel superior, he decides to have a little alcohol in either mourning or celebration which turns into a few weeks of drunkenness and lost pay.  "Sooner or later, the wpiritual pride grew till it called for some form of celebration.  Then he took a drink..." (O'Connor, 344).  Every time the cycle hits this stage, the family is put in financial crisis.

Because of his father's calamitous alcohol cycle, the narrator must assume the role of a "brake" for his father. However, he is quick to point out that he has never been successful in this role before because of his lack of foresight.   Ironically, this ingenuous quality eventually led to his success.  Not knowing any better, the narrator drank his father's pint.  As a result, Mick had to take care of him, his vomiting, and his gashed head.  There is little doubt that this image of his son staggering and insulting random women would make Mick question his affinity for alcohol.

The narrator made his father realize the folly in his ways by allowing the roles to reverse for a day.

Family Unit: Once Upon a Time

"Once Upon a Time"
Nadine Gordimer

In this dark parody of a bedtime story, Gordimer uses allusion and irony to establish a theme: one should connect with instead of blocking out others if one desires safety.

In the opening scene of the story, the narrator fears that a burglar or murderer has entered her house.  Even though the source of the creaking isn't a confirmed murderer, the narrator realizes that the source of the creaking comes from the hollowing of the earth that created the potential conflict between the narrator and a murderer. In the narrator's country (South Africa, for those who neglected to read the background information), a large segment of the nation's poor, once used as cheap labor, have been rioting, burglarizing, and murdering as a result of the years of exploitation.  This allusion to real abuses lays the groundwork for the story's theme to develop.

After the allusion had been established, Gordimer focused on a major irony in the story of the family:  instead of building a wall to keep the rioters out, the family built a barrier to keep the family stuck inside the home.  The final stage of the fence is described with sinister connotation: "It as the ugliest but the most honest in its suggestion of the pure concentration-camp style, no frills, all evident efficacy" (Gordimer, 235).  While the family exerted all of its energy to protect the home from the outside world, they ended up creating a wall that shut them in their own world.  In the end, the family never encountered a single rioter; the boy's tragedy lay in his parents' isolationist designs.

If the family had responded to the conflicts of the allusion with a more accepting approach, the parents could have avoided becoming the harm they so desperately tried to avoid.

Family Unit: A Worn Path

"A Worn Path"
Eudora Welty

In this short story, Phoenix Jackson faces several obstacles alone in order to collect the medicine in town for her grandson who swallowed lye several years prior.  To highlight Phoenix's solitude in her acts, both brave and deprave, Welty relies extensively on apostrophe and personification.

On her way to town, Phoenix's exhaustion results in delusion.  She imagines that a young boy is offering her a slice of cake while she rests.  " 'That would be acceptable,' she said.  But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air" (Welty, 224).  Even though she is receiving no help at this point from anyone, she thanks the child as if he were really there.  This delusion reinforces the idea that Phoenix, in her old and vulnerable state, carries out her quest for someone in particular who would assist her if he could.

In addition to a seemingly nonsensical apostrophe, Welty utilizes personification to create a tangible conflict to reflect an intangible conflict.  During her trek, Phoenix gets caught in a thorny bush.  However, she points out that, like a security guard, the bush is simply carrying out a function it was designed to carry out.   Her only option is to outmaneuver the bush.  Similarly her economic standing is something with which she cannot negotiate; she can only take actions to alleviate her position.  In her struggle with intangible poverty, she steals and accepts charity: two options only facilitated through Phoenix's swallowing of pride and conscience.

A Raisin in the Sun: Act III

A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

In the last act of the play, Beneatha and Asagai argue about the nature of life.  Beneatha, now a realist, uses the events of the day to argue that life is just a circle without any progress against pain while Asagai, an idealist, argues that life is a line that may seem to bend but will progress eventually even if people can't see it. Nevertheless, both are proven right to some degree.

In some ways, the family doesn't progress as a result of the action of the play.  At the beginning, the family was in poor financial standing.  Even though Mama received $10,000 at one point in the play, the money is lost just as quickly as it was gained.  However, the cyclical nature of the plot is not all negative.  The typical dynamic of the family is reestablished.  Beneatha and Walter start bickering "(Angrily, precisely as in the first scene of the play)" (Hansberry, 150).  The problem that the money caused through confrontations with Walter disappeared along with the money.  The playfulness of the two siblings while the others look on with smiles returns.

However, new and largely positive elements are introduced into the family's life.  Even though the family has made little progress financially, they now possess a new house which represents a new beginning and hope for progress in the future.  Also, the family is soon to meet a new addition to the family who could potentially play a part in lifting the family out of poverty.  Most ironically, just after Beneatha and Asagai argue about the philosophy behind the universe, Asagai introduces a new alternative to Beneatha she had never had before: search for her future as a doctor with Asagai in Africa instead of dancing around an apartment in Chicago in traditional African garb.

A Raisin in the Sun: Act II Scene iii

A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

I have finished my literary terms blogs (praises be to the almighty), so I have decided to ponder task number 12: discuss a point of no return for a character.  Obviously, when Walter realizes he's been duped, he reached an awful point of no return.

Walter planned to make more money through Willy while the group waited for the liquor license to get approved.  Unfortunately, Willy planned a much more immediate use for the members' money which provided no benefit to the investors.  The worst part is that Walter didn't just blow his share of his father's money; he usurped Beneatha's share as well.   Now, there is no way of getting the money back, and he now has to live with the consequences of his selfish ways that stretch back to before the play.

First of all, Mama is beyond furious with Walter for his betrayal.  She claims he has destroyed his father's legacy by saying, "... working and working and working like somebody's old horse... killing himself... and you -you give it all away in a day" (Hansberry, 129).  Even though Big Walter died before the play opened, Beneatha's future was still among his intentions with the money he left behind.  As a result, Walter ruined his father's plans and his memory.

This point of no return was made possible by Walter's inability to see the support he gets from others.  Earlier in the play, Walter declared that no one in the family was on his side.  To get away from his family, Walter constantly searched for a plan for his future outside of the home.  However, it turned out that he could only trust family; all others would seek to take advantage of him.

A Raisin in the Sun: Act II Scene i

A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

The seemingly largest question of the play so far (what is Mama going to do with the insurance money) is finally answered.  Mama bought a new house, an escape from the cramped apartment the Younger family has filled for years.  However, the house serves as a distinct symbol for Ruth, Mama, and Walter.

To Ruth, the new house represents a future for her family.  In the apartment, there is barely room for the current inhabitants.  Mama and Beneatha share a room, Walter and Ruth share a room, and Travis has to sleep in the living room.  More importantly, Travis has nowhere to play safely.  Ruth can now say goodbye to her weary apartment.

To Mama, the house represents a new adventure with her late husband Big Walter.  Even though he is no longer with the family, it was because of him Mama got the money to buy the house.  To illustrate Big Walter's role in the new house, Mama tells Travis, "Now when you say your prayers tonight, you thank God and your grandfather- 'cause it was him who give you the house-in his way" (Hansberry, 91).

Conversely, to Walter, the house symbolizes a crushed dream.  At the beginning of the play, Walter mused about using the insurance money to invest in a liquor store that would allow him to achieve a car, an education, and a house for his family.  Mama didn't buy a house; she ruined Walter's hope for a wealthy future.

A Raisin in the Sun: Act I Scene ii

A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

The highest tension in this scene comes from Walter and his unbearable stubbornness.  More importantly, Walter's role as a flat character reflects a larger theme of the novel: a dream deferred.

Throughout the play, Walter has exhibited few traits; none of which are tolerable.  Walter appears to be extremely bitter, hot-tempered, and devoid of any sense of responsibility.  When confronted by any minor conflict, Walter succumbs to yelling and hyperbole.  Still, nothing gets Walter more fired up than discussion about Mama's money.

Walter's plan to bring his family out of poverty is to buy a liquor store, something heavily detested by a highly conservative Mama.  As a response, Walter completely blocks his family out: " RUTH: Where you going? WALTER: I'm going out! RUTH: Where? WALTER: Just out of this house somewhere- RUTH: (Getting her coat) I'll come too. WALTER: I don't want you to come!" (Hansberry, 71).  Walter seems only to have two modes: gleeful when he gets his way and furious when he doesn't.

Even though Walter still is to blame for his demeanor, the reader can understand why Hansberry decided to endow Walter with his traits.  For all of his life, Walter has lived at the bottom of society because of his financial and racial status.  Now he is on the verge of completely dropping his dreams.  With Walter, Hansberry seems to suggests that a dream deferred "explodes".

A Raisin in the Sun: Act I, Scene i

A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

Right from the beginning, Hansberry bombards the reader/spectator (choose reader or the Multiple Choice Monster will eat you in your sleep) with reminders that the Younger family is currently trapped in the lower reaches of society as most black families were after World War II.  In order to establish completely the lower social status of the Youngers which sets the scene for several conflicts, Hansberry frequently employs the vernacular and colloquialisms and cliches which I have come to associate with lower-class African Americans after viewing dozens of episodes of Good Times and The Jeffersons.

"Movin' on up"

During the first scene of Act I, the family awaits a large check from the insurance company after Lena's husband's death.  However, the fate of this check divides the family; Walter wants the money to go toward an investment on a liquor store, Beneatha (a most unfortunate name) would want any money Mama didn't keep to go to her education, and Ruth wants a new house.  Whatever future a member desired, all had in common one goal: use the money to attain a life in a higher status.  Mama illustrates the dichotomy between wealth and the family's current situation partly marked by a lack of education by declaring, "Now don't you start, child.  It's too early in the morning to be talking about money.  It ain't Christian" (Hansberry, 41).  Despite certain middle-class white teens who use "ain't" ironically, informal and nonstandard language like "ain't" generally indicates social class by indicating a lower level of education: something only money can achieve.  By nominating the social standing of the Younger family as a central aspect of the play, Hansberry lays the groundwork for the major conflicts in which characters will be attempting to find a better life through money.

Additionally, the older generation relies rather heavily on cliches, or dead metaphors.  While Beneatha fights for her own intellectual prowess against God, Mama and Ruth use antiquated metaphors to describe Beneatha's unrestrained audacity.  Hansberry utilizes this difference in  linguistic strategy to highlight the struggle between young and old.

Identity Unit: 5 (Holman)

"Mr. Z"
M. Carl Holman

Throughout the poem, Holman criticizes and satirizes the life of Mr. Z who constantly attempted to abandon his African American heritage.

First of all, Mr. Z was described as rejected things typically associated with black culture.  Mr. Z even "Disclaimed kinship with jazz and spirituals" (Holman).  Even though jazz enjoyed popularity among various races including whites, Mr. Z avoided it simply because of its pertinence to the black community.   Moreover, Mr. Z avoided certain foods like low quality pork and cornbread only because those foods were typically eaten by African Americans.  Even when he was choosing a wife, his desire to assimilate to white society led him to choose a woman who had abandoned all stereotypes of her Jewish ancestry.  Because of his superficial prejudices, Mr. Z chose a life devoid of pleasures such as jazz, cornbread, and a diverse wife.

The greatest satire comes in the last irony.  After Mr. Z's death, consistent with his life style, his wife grieved only subtly.  In fact, only one aspect fired her up.  In his obituary, when his ethnic race was mentioned, even though he was described as "one of the most distinguished members of his race", his wife was angry enough to kill.

Identity Unit: 4 (Lahiri)

"Interpreter of Maladies"
Jhumpa Lahiri

In this story, Mr. Kapasi, working as a tour guide, struggles with the idea of his other occupation: interpreting the many languages of India for a young doctor.  Specifically, Mr. Kapasi's internal conflict comes in the form of desiring a role that offers more returns.

First of all, Mr. Kapasi seemed to be unsatisfied with having to work as an interpreter in a doctor's office. As a child studying the languages of Western Europe, Mr. Kapasi envisioned a life of serving as mediator between conflicting parties.  Travelling the world and knowing the magnitude of his accomplishments enticed him the most.  Mr. Kapasi's dreams were noted by stating, "He had dreamed of being an interpreter for diplomats and dignitaries, resolving conflicts between people and nations, settling disputes of which he alone could understand both sides" (Lahiri).  After life got in the way of his aspirations, the desire to offer solutions vanished.  In the doctor's office, he could not offer solutions to the patients; he could only relay the problems and prescriptions.  However, until he met the Das family, he could not accept his role as interpreter rather than mediator.

Like in his early life, Mr. Kapasi developed ambitious dreams regarding Mrs. Das.  He would be able to entertain her with stories and save her from her unhappy life.  Unfortunately, Mrs. Das had a problem Mr. Kapasi could not remedy;  because of her crushing guilt resulting from conceiving one of her sons with another man, Mrs. Das sought a solution from Mr. Kapasi.  He could do nothing but suggest that she tell the truth.  When she disregarded this suggestion, Mr. Kapasi could do nothing for her.

With the escaping address paper, Mr. Kapasi had to let go the delusion that he could be the source of cures.  In his failure with Mrs. Das, Mr. Kapasi had to accept that his role in life as a bridge to the destination rather than the destination.

Identity Unit: 3 (Walker)

"Everyday Use"
Alice Walker

In this story, the search for identity takes two forms.  One form is exhibited by Dee and consists of preservation of family legacy.  The other form is exhibited by Maggie and consists of preservation of current family ties.  The validity of both forms is determined by the characterizations of Dee and Maggie.

Walker describes Dee mainly through indirect characterization by describing her past and present actions.  Before the time frame of the story, Dee had often expressed her disapproval of the dingy conditions of her life.  She had even neglected to show sorrow for the burning of the house she despised.  Furthermore, she developed an insatiable desire for style.  She returned to her mother and Maggie as "Wangero" with a blindingly bright dress and a motive to retrieve her grandmother's quilts.  However, she did not wish to stave off the cold.  Instead, she planned to display her embrace of African American history and rejection of Anglo-Saxon oppression.  Dee's mother mentioned that, "She was determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts" (Walker).  Above all, Dee wished to display flashiness and escape signs of poverty.  Ironically, by planning to display rather than use her grandmother's quilts, Wangero embraced the flashiness of Anglo-Saxon society and rejected the practicality of African American society.

On the other hand, the last thing Maggie wishes to do is draw attention to herself.  When the house burned down, the flames left Maggie with several large scars that severely tainted her self image.  Throughout the entire story, she says very few words and clings to her mother.  In fact, Maggie was envious of the privilege Dee experienced throughout her whole life.  While Dee was off buying stylish dresses and sunglasses to accompany her new identity free of white oppression, Maggie was with her mother making the best of what her family had made.  Maggie, above all else, was dependent on her family.

In the end, Maggie's appreciation for the utility of what her family has given her triumphed over Wangero's desire to make a statement out of her family's history.

Identity Unit: 2 (Hughes)

"A Dream Deferred"
Langston Hughes

This poem is composed almost entirely of rhetorical questions.  Most obviously, an impact of the rhetorical questions is that, instead of providing a theory, the poem searches for a conclusion.  To open the investigation, Hughes asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Hughes).  Afterward, Hughes refrains from convincing the reader of any of his suppositions.  Instead, he seeks an answer from the reader.

Through a succession of six analogies (five questions and one guess), Hughes develops a general idea and then questions it.  In the first four similes, he composes the degrading of valuable objects.  Before that raisin dried in the sun, it was a grape; before that sore developed, it was smooth skin; before the meat spoiled, it was a potential steak; before that sweet crusted, it was a delightful treat.  However, Hughes then shifts focus from an item with lost beauty to inhibiting luggage that may or may not still retain its value.

Still, Hughes leaves the reader with a question proposing that an abandoned dream might explode.  Even though explosions typically cause great destruction and harm, a new element of direct action is provided.  If the explosion causes destruction, unlike in the other analogies, a new energy would be taken causing direct outcomes.  If the explosion is an explosion of initiative, then the effect of the abandoned dream is positive.

Throughout the poem, Hughes journeys with the reader to discover the effect of dreams deferred.  Both progress through the idea that such dreams degrade and inhibit.  However, Hughes ends the poem with the suggestion that, even when one deserts a dream, the dream will still directly impact the person for better or worse.

Identity Unit: 1 (Machan)

"Hazel Tells LaVerne"
Katharyn Howd Machan

One would have to be blind not to notice that this poem is written informally.  Even though not a single letter is capitalized, not a single apostrophe signifies a contraction, and there is a total lack of punctuation, the colloquialisms and usage of the vernacular play an integral role in giving meaning to the poem.

Most significantly, the use of colloquialisms and the vernacular serve to characterize LaVerne.  Because she is cleaning out a bathroom at Howard Johnson's, the reader can safely presume that she is a member of the lower classes.  This presumption is further strengthened by this prevalence of informality, vernacular, and general incorrectness.  While a more educated person would have said "must have", LaVerne says, "when all of a sudden up pops this frog musta come from the sewer" (Machan).   This use of the vernacular and colloquialisms paints LaVerne as someone in an unfavorable position in society unable to move upward based on her education.

This indirect characterization through informal writing points out an important dichotomy.  When the frog promises her a life as a proper princess, she responds with a grammatically incorrect insult.  What this points out is that, because of her position in society, LaVerne is unable to take promises of a better life seriously.  More specifically, she views fairy-tale endings as ludicrous.  To a person who does not even know how to form a grammatically correct sentence, a life at the upper end of society where people must speak correctly is as unattainable as a talking frog.

Poets are like people who play chess with you then half-way through say you're playing checkers.

Poetry and I have a rocky relationship, and I doubt many in my class can say differently.  It's no wonder Mr. Walters decided to pretend that section of the test never happened.  So, what is so difficult about poetry?  Judging from this article, I have determined, that in my case, I have been looking at poetry incorrectly.  Up until this point, I have been studying poems as if all poems were like William Blake's poem.  I always immediately thought "allegory" when the word was really "poem".  For instance, after reading Emily Dickinson's poem, I couldn't rid myself of the idea that the poem had to be groundbreaking and represent humanity or the universe as a whole.  I saw the word "wharf" and thought "trade".  Aha! She's pointing out the beauty of human cooperation!  But, now that I have read Perrine's theories, a simple sunset makes much more sense.  Now, I observe (or will observe: I didn't read any poems in the five minutes between reading the article and starting this post) poems as a detective instead of a philosopher.

I can lay out a plan of attack for poems, but I highly doubt success is guaranteed.  Perrine described poems as a court case; perhaps to understand poems we must be lawyers who usually can't pass the Bar after one day of studying.  Nevertheless, I have to change something.  What made the most sense in this article was the discussion of details.  If our theories can't account for every deliberate detail in the poem, then our theories are not in line with the poet's intentions. For every color, image, object, and stanza, I will start to list ideas.  Whether those annotations are a possible symbol or a connotation, I will be able to find patterns in each aspect of the poem that will reduce the chance of making assumptions and ignoring a detail.  However, a difficulty will remain: maybe I will not know where to start.  How am I supposed to know to associate ships of purple with clouds when I have never seen a purple cloud and I am not aware that people tend to describe clouds as sailing?  How am I supposed to know Whitman's weapons were actual weapons while Melville's spears were stars?  My plan to analyze every detail will likely prove useful, but I doubt poetry will ever be anything other than a guessing game for me.

It is just the beginning: Pages 171-180 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Once again, it's judgment time.

I very much enjoyed the novel and not only because it was only 180 pages.  Specifically I appreciated the symbolism and the theme of abandonment.

More so than Wharton, Fitzgerald relies quite heavily on symbolism.  While most of the symbols represent life as a whole, one of my favorites was the bay.  Now, the bay is one of the many symbols that represents life, but it stands out because it ties into the last sentence of the novel: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald, 180).  Water is a common symbol for life in many cultures, including Christianity.  However, Fitzgerald uses it to point out a less refreshing tendency of people.  The bay was the one physical obstacle separating Gatsby from his goal, Daisy.  In a larger sense, their lives, things they could not change, separated them.  Nevertheless, as all people tend to do, Gatsby constantly tried to cross that barrier and attempted to go back to a time when he and Daisy were together.  But the currents of time would not allow that.  I enjoy this symbolism so much because it reminds me that I'm not the only one who wants to challenge the currents.

The main reason I enjoyed the theme of abandonment so much is that Fitzgerald was so consistent and dedicated to it.  From the story of Nick's dog that ran away to Tom's affair with Myrtle to the ungrateful guests who leave Gatsby without a word to the sudden deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby to the lack of attendees at Gatsby's funeral, the story is saturated with characters who desert the story suddenly.  In that realm where everyone was simply searching for a good time or personal validation and would leave after achieving their goals, no one could be trusted to do anything except better himself.  Fitzgerald offers a simple solution to those who find themselves stuck in a world of materialistic egoists in what Nick finally does and what I wish I could have the courage to do if I should ever find myself in that place: leave.

Oh my: Pages 169-170 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

To say the least, a lot happened in this section.  Like in the real world, when these tragedies occur, sense is an extremely difficult relief to find.  I had a lot of theories and random thoughts while reading this section.  Therefore, this post will essentially be my attempt to find meaning in this tragedy.

First, I decided to tie in the murder of Gatsby and suicide of Wilson to the overall tragic nature of the upper class.  The reason Wilson shot Gatsby was because Wilson believed Gatsby was both her lover and murderer.  The reason Wilson found Gatsby was because he was able to track down Gatsby's yellow car which is a famous symbol for his extravagant lifestyle and the car that killed his wife.  Therefore, I suppose that Fitzgerald claims that materialistic life often restrains and even takes life.  Myrtle's desire to escape her impoverished life led her to run to what she thought was Tom's car which led to her death which led Wilson to kill Gatsby and himself.

However, Gatsby had absolutely nothing to do with Myrtle, so why was he the one to take the blame?

I believe that Fitzgerald chose to kill off Gatsby in order to demonstrate the wide range of people who suffer from the search for wealth.  As he was innocent in the case of Myrtle's death, he was also (sort of) innocent when it came to his quest for wealth.  His reasons for pursuing wealth were two-fold: to invalidate the attacks on his status from his early life and to win Daisy's heart. Nevertheless, he affiliated himself with the wrong crowd.  Wolfsheim, Gatsby's closest business partner, is no stranger to the deaths of associates and seems to be surrounded by shady characters:  "But when I'd shouted 'hello' several times in vain, an argument broke out behind a partition, and presently a lovely Jewess appeared at an interior door and scrutinized me with black hostile eyes" (Fitzgerald, 170).  While Gatsby himself had pure intentions, his decisions in pursuing his intentions directly led him to danger and indirectly led him to his death.

Another message I contemplated in this section was that the tragedies of wealth are not limited in the slightest to the wealthy.  Just like the accounts of the butlers and servants toiling to prepare Gatsby's party, Wilson had been exploited.  Tom's refusal to accept that his life had slowed down and Myrtle's refusal to accept that she would not be pampered like her new dog utterly destroyed Wilson.  Any idea that he could provide anything for her wife was challenged by the knowledge of her affair and shattered by her death.  Even though the shortcomings of wealth often tax the wealthy, they more often than not bankrupt those who bear no blame.

The Storyteller: Pages 147-158 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

As anyone who has read at least a page of this novel knows by now, the story is narrated in the first person by Nick Carraway.  For whatever reasons Fitzgerald chose Nick to narrate the novel, a result of that choice was that the reader got a glimpse into the inner conflicts of the wealthy characters and that those glimpses came from a character who is most likely in a financial standing that is similar to the reader's.

By choosing Nick to narrate the novel, Fitzgerald allowed the reader the opportunity to view the other characters in an intuitive and understanding manner because Nick himself has a unique quality of understanding.  Even though Gatsby tended to hide his plans with stoic silence at his parties, Nick is able to pick up on what Gatsby wants.  For instance, Nick notes, "He was clutching at some last hope and I couldn't bear to shake him free" (Fitzgerald, 148).  This social intuition of the narrator allows the reader to pick up on the dichotomy between wealth and happiness.  The reader sees how the wealthy feign happiness like anyone can, but he also understands how truly unhappy and conflicted the wealthy are vicariously through Nick's empathy.

Fitzgerald could have chosen a wealthy character to be the narrator, but he purposefully relegated Nick to a modest income.  The relegation created a tie between Nick and the reader who, even at the time, was more likely to be in the middle rather than upper class.  As a result, Nick's perspective as an outsider looking in on the upper class shenanigans is more appealing.  In other novels about the shortcomings of wealth narrated in the third person (let's say The House of Mirth), the reader feels little obligation to view the story of wealthy tragedy as a tragedy.  In The House of Mirth, the middle and lower class readers view things objectively and place much of the blame on Lily.  However, in The Great Gatsby, the narrator's empathy easily becomes the reader's empathy.  Fitzgerald's message that everyone, regardless of social status, requires acceptance and companionship goes unmarred by the reader's resentment.

Piksha

Just me reading in my natural habitat.

Er. Mah. Gerd: Pages 133-146 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

The chaos of this section surround the seemingly most innocuous character: Daisy.  Starting with the confrontation in the hotel room from the last section, Daisy experienced a profound change in character that was forced by the struggle over her future and resulted in disaster.

Previously, Daisy was like a... daisy!  Like a daisy, Nick always recognized a delicate beauty.  She typically acted rather passive and peaceful.  At times, she almost seemed whimsical and distant-minded.  Most of all, she always seemed blissfully ignorant of the fact that her husband was cheating on her.  However, we learn that she was fully aware of her husband's lacking fidelity.  During the hotel room scene, she started to take more accountability for her marriage and challenged Tom on his dedication to her.  But Tom's oppressive behavior managed to dampen her dedication to Gatsby: "Her frightened eyes told that whatever intentions, whatever courage she had had, were definitely gone" (Fitzgerald, 135).  Yet Daisy deviated from her passivity and decided to drive Gatsby's yellow car (a symbol for his materialistic lifestyle).

Where Daisy's new-found confidence turns tragic is on the road after she leaves the hotel.  On the way home from New York, Daisy hit and killed Myrtle Wilson, her husband's mistress.  Because of the objectifying of Daisy by Gatsby and Tom, Daisy's simple innocence had been lost, forever marred by her hasty desire to lead her own life separate from Tom.  More than that, this yellow car, the symbol of wealth in both color and cost, has been the harbinger of this loss.  Daisy's shift from an innocent flower to a domineering fugitive paints the upper-class life as a destroyer.  Not only does it come back literally to kill Myrtle, but it ruins Daisy's life which will always be defined by this lapse of judgment whether planned or accidental.

Whom do I blame for Myrtle's death?

This guy!

Let me get the popcorn: Pages 121-132 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

I know what you're all thinking: "a second post so soon? Is this Christmas?" Please, contain your enthusiasm.

Anyhow, this section of the novel brings us to (what I think is) the climax.  That potential confrontation preceded by the unbearable heat has come to fruition in a New York hotel room*.  Even though the climax offers a juicy scene for the reader, its true significance comes from the virtue of revealing the inner machinations of the characters' minds.

After Tom had delivered Nick and Jordan and Gatsby had delivered Daisy to the hotel in New York (read: after Daisy had decided to live her life with Gatsby), Tom and Gatsby threw out all subtlety and argued over who should get Daisy.  Tom argued that Daisy loves him despite his infidelity while Gatsby argues that Daisy never loved Tom; Gatsby was simply too poor to marry Daisy five years prior.  Even though Gatsby seems to be correct, unlike all of Gatsby's and Tom's previous accomplishments, there is no complete victory in this argument: "' Oh, you want too much!' she cried to Gatsby.  'I love you now- isn't that enough? I can't help what's past.' She began to sob helplessly.  'I did love him once- but I loved you too" (Fitzgerald, 132).  Gatsby may be correct in claiming that Daisy does not love Tom, he cannot say simply that she never loved him; she had been married to Tom for years and had had a child with him.

The oversimplification by both Tom and Gatsby signifies both men's oversights.  To Gatsby, Daisy had represented freedom from poverty and anxiety toward all women.  As he had miraculously escaped his impoverished life on a yacht, Gatsby sought to snag Daisy for his own in a glorious display of his own potential.  Similarly, Tom simply wants to hold on to his wife as proof that his last football game in college was not his last hurrah, that his life is not zipping past him like Gatsby and Daisy did as he was getting gas at his mistress' residence, that there is hope for redemption after his mistress leaves for Chicago.  Neither men want Daisy because of her qualities alone.  Nick still seems to be the only one who notices Daisy's beauty and lovely voice.

Even though victory is not certain for anyone in this climactic clash, as in seeing a comment number above 100 on an angst-filled Facebook status, one thing is certain:

this is gonna be good.

*At this point I sang New York Minute for a good five minutes.  Scratch that. A great five minutes.

*Mysterious hand motions*: Pages 109-120 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

This section relies mainly on the utilization of foreshadowing to warn the reader of unfortunate events to come.  While the suspicion at the end of the chapter that Gatsby might only love Daisy for her access to family wealth leaves the reader worrying for his future, the weather at the beginning of the next chapter and an awkward encounter hint at a more immediate tragedy.

After Gatsby's party, Daisy and Gatsby created a mutual relationship which ironically established a mutual lack of fidelity between Daisy and Tom.  However, this did not stop Daisy from inviting Gatsby, Nick, and Jordan to the Buchanan house.  The reader knows that the occasion will be less than pleasant from the very start of the sweltering day.  The heat seemed to be inescapable.  On the train, Nick observes that a woman near him is not only uncomfortable, but in distress from the heat.  Even when he arrives at his cousin's house, the women remained stationary on the couch, pinned down by the temperature.  The reader surely expects that some tense situation is sure to come because of Daisy's and Tom's extramarital romances.  As everyone was sweating on the morning of the rendezvous, the characters of the story will be sweating from nerves because of a confrontation among the interlopers.  Also, the universal suffering and suffocation of the heat signifies that this eventual confrontation will oppress more than those directly involved in the affairs.

Another portent of tragedies to come emerges when a woman on a train, because of the oppressive heat, drops her money.  Nick defends himself by saying, "I picked  it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her, holding it at arm's length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it- but every one near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same" (Fitzgerald, 115).    This scene suggests that, in the upcoming scourge already foreshadowed, Nick will attempt to intervene according to his character, but others will accuse him of trying to capitalize on the struggles of others.  Even though his intentions will be pure, the suspicion already evinced by social status will take precedent over his desires to alleviate the situation.

Not only does foreshadowing hint at upcoming confrontations, it reminds the reader of the ever-present cause of those confrontations: money.


Foreshadow...

One of these characters is like the others: Pages 97-108 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Grab your champagne glasses and uninvited friends: there's another Gatsby party.  But this one has a twist.  For the first time, the Buchanans are in attendance.  The party for the reader comes from the fact that this story allows for a comparison between Nick and his cousin Daisy, two of the few characters in the novel who are portrayed in a mostly positive way.

The main point of similarity between Nick and Daisy comes from their attitudes toward the guests at the party.  Both characters generally disapprove of the wild behavior of the guests and their egotistical reasons for coming.  Like Nick at that first party of the novel, Daisy soberly observes with disapproval the total lack of order brought on by alcohol.  At their table, Daisy asks a woman if she is feeling well and receives drunken mumbling and stories of the doctor dumping her head in a pool as an antidote.  To Daisy, with her simple outlook on life, the idea of a party with people looking so miserable and inept doctors is borderline idiotic and being in that kind of a party is borderline miserable.  Nick also observed the lack of logical thought in the car accident after his first Gatsby party.  The strongest similarity between Nick and Daisy comes from their disgust at the fact that most of the guests at Gatsby's party were not invited.  To both of them, it shows a lack of consideration for Gatsby on the guests' parts and egotistical searches for a fun few superficial hours.

Despite their shared disapproval of Gatsby's parties, one key difference emerges after the party.  Nick observes that, "She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand" (Fitzgerald, 107).  Although Nick looks down upon the parties Gatsby throws, he does not feel so strongly about the situation.  Because he is so used to observing the inner struggles of people, he can see more than the arrogance and egotism of the guests.  Daisy's simplistic judgments might come between her and Gatsby who seeks to impress the former with such superficial displays.

Pretty Colors: Pages 85-96 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Uncharacteristically, during this section, there is comparatively little dialogue.  However, Fitzgerald fills this vacuum with a style that includes detailed imagery to develop a mood that varies from tense to relieved as does the mood of the interactions among Nick, Gatsby, and Daisy on the day of the arranged tea party.

The imagery begins with the weather.  Before Daisy arrived, it had been raining for most of the day.  As a result, when Daisy pulled up in her car through the bare trees, the yard, despite Gatsby's planning, was filled with puddles, the trees were a dismal sight, and the sky was still dreary with a chance for more rain.  Still, the unpleasant atmosphere penetrated Nick's house as well.  The initial lack of conversation portrayed everyone's uneasiness.  Understandably, Gatsby in particular felt the need to feign calmness: "Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom" (Fitzgerald, 86).  Even though Gatsby desired that every little detail put Daisy at ease so that he could impress her, every detail from the weather to the lawn to the placement of his hands to the dynamics of the conversation served to ensure the opposite.  In fact, the mood shifts when Gatsby ceases to try to impress Daisy with details that are not his.

While bare trees greeted Daisy to Nick's home, colorful flowers greeted her to Gatsby's home.  Gatsby led Nick and Daisy on a tour of his home which had undergone no special preparations for Lily's arrival but still contained the most beautiful rooms and libraries.  However, the most significant detail of his house that evinced the strongest response from Daisy came from his humble bedroom which contained little more than a bed, a wardrobe, a bathroom, and a dull gold toilet set.  While the splendor of the rest of his house enabled Gatsby to rest assured that Daisy was enjoying what she was seeing as many have before, his bedroom had previously only been for him to see.  Consequently, his bedroom represented Gatsby's true character without any affectations designed to ingratiate himself to anyone.  Luckily for Gatsby, Daisy responded to his shirts, which represent his character in a larger sense, by saying she had never seen something so beautiful in her own life.


The progression of the moods of this section.

Hello? Is anyone there?: Pages 73-84 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I am currently approaching the middle of the novel, so I should probably know the answer to one rather major question: what is the point of this novel?  So far, I have noticed the development of two major themes: rejection and the fleetingness of life.

From the very beginning of the novel, people were being rejected or abandoned; Nick's dog, Tom's affair, and, now, Gatsby's missed opportunity with Daisy.  We learn in this section that nearly every single thing Gatsby has done in his life has been to impress Daisy including his buying the house on the bay across from the Buchanans' house.  Now, he plans on luring Daisy near his house through Nick.  Because he is so afraid of being rejected for being a burden, he asks Jordan Baker to ask Nick and refuses to ask anything more from Nick after she asks him.  "'What day would suit you?' he corrected me quickly.  'I don't want to put you to any trouble, you see'" (Fitzgerald, 82).  By not being assertive or bold, Gatsby has squandered much of his life planning for some future instead of achieving it.  By contrast, Nick threw caution to the wind and asked Jordan to dinner.  This contrast serves to warn the reader against the fear of rejection that keeps people from living their lives.

Another theme of the novel is the brevity of life.  When Nick returns to his house late at night, Gatsby suggests going to Coney Island and going for a swim.  His suggestions are reminiscent of children not wanting to go to sleep.  Without even realizing it, Gatsby has allowed his life to pass him by.  Even though he is quite old, he hasn't completely grown up; he still deals with his crushes like a middle-schooler  with messengers and passive-aggressive subterfuge.  Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's shortcomings to convey lessons he views as ignored by his time: there is more to life than being accepted by others and everyone must seize life before it zips by like a bootlegger.


I found this.

Who cares about them? I do!: Pages 61-72 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

In this dialogue-based section, minor characters carry much of the significance.  Specifically, the hordes of former party guests and Gatsby's acquaintance Wolfsheim because apparently it was impossible to get a novel published before 1950 without a shady-looking Jewish minor character.

I know, right?


After the summer of parties, Nick bothered to write down every guest he noticed there.  While this action suggests that Nick is much more observant than the guests themselves, the sheer number and lack of distinction between the names almost makes all of the guests seem like one ill-informed monolith.  Almost all of the guests seem to have impulsive (and plain wrong) theories about Gatsby.  "'He's a bootlegger,; said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers.  'One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil'" (Fitzgerald, 61).  As I have mentioned before, among this group of people, logic has been long forgotten.

In addition, nothing any of the guests say is ever a personal conviction; if it has to do with someone at Gatsby's parties, it's always that this person They tells them everything the guests need to know especially when discussing who is pretending to be whose husband or wife.  These almost interchangeable characters form a being that seems to be wrongly driving a wedge between Nick and Gatsby based on nationalistic propaganda.

As in The House of Mirth, a shrewd Jewish businessman seems to signify how not to attain wealth.  Throughout the lunch, Wolfsheim treated Nick quite rudely by randomly switching his attention away from Nick and treating Nick with a degree of indignation.  Even though Gatsby randomly abandons Nick to make a phone call as well, the way Gatsby pales in comparison to Wolfsheim's shrewdness shows the reader that Gatsby's disconcerting habits result from bad influences rather than character flaws.  Moreover, Wolfsheim's anecdote about his friend who was gunned down at lunch foretells not only the tragic end to his way of life, but the tragic life itself.  If even a relaxing lunch can be tainted by the quest for good business, there is little living to begin with.  Wolfsheim represents a life completely consumed by the quest to build the "American Dream": financial success.

Symbols are getting tired; let's change the phrase to "sit for": Pages 49-60 (The Great Gatsby)

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

This part of the story, which revolves around Nick's first Gatsby Party, a sort of allegory forms.  Specifically, alcohol and cars, two of the most stereotypical icons of the decade, bear Fitzgerald's critiques on his society.

What's a party without alcohol?  Nick Caraway would probably answer that question with the word "sane".  In fact, alcohol seems to symbolize an abandon of reason and logic.  A famous singer in attendance "had drunk a quantity of champagne, and during the course of her song she had decided, ineptly, that everything was very, very sad- she was not only singing, she was weeping too" (Fitzgerald, 51).  Tying in with the theme of distortion, alcohol, most likely drunk to fit in, skews perceptions.  In the case of the singer, a song that should have been uplifting and entertaining, had a tragic representation: all because of alcohol.  The only people who retained a logical view of things were those who refrained from becoming drunk: Nick, Gatsby, and Jordan.  Alcohol's role as a symbol of abandon of reason suggests that any future heartache will be partly due to skewed perspectives.


Luckily for my permanent record, I am not out of ideas, professor (he's always the professor).


The alcohol symbolism spills over into another symbolism: cars.

Shut up! That was good imagery!
While alcohol symbolizes an abandon of reason, automobiles symbolize the direction of life, which, as everyone in our enlightened times knows, is very susceptible to the abandon of reason caused by alcohol.  As Gatsby's party ends, the drunken guests attempt to drive away.  Unsurprisingly, one of the cars ends up without a wheel, and the driver has no idea why the car stopped.  This gala of stupidity signifies the common outcome when people embrace this lifestyle of non sequiturs instead of observing from the sidelines like Nick: ending up with your life in a ditch and having no idea how it got there.