Victor vs. Walton

As I finished reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I began to notice even more similarities between Victor Frankenstein and Walton. On top of a thirst for knowledge and a love for new information, the last chapter of the novel expressed even more paralleling qualities. Both men would not back down on a challenge. Victor would search for his creation before he would do anything else, even before letting himself die! Walton said the same thing; "I had rather die than return shamefully, - my purpose unfulfilled" (Shelley, 160). Both of these men were totally devout to their plans and ambitions.

Another similarity was that of their love for their families, especially their sisters. Both men wanted only that their sisters be happy. They put their family before themselves. Victor himself say," I would die to make her happy" (Shelley, 139). Walton in his letter to his sister similarly says, "my beloved sister, the sickening failing of your heart-felt expectation is, in prospect, more terrible to me than my own death" (Shelley, 158). Both men are selfless in fighting for their sisters' happiness and tranquility.

Night and Day

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley went out of her way to create symbolism through the time of day. It seems that during the day, Victor and even the creature were happy; rather, they were happier than they were at night. Nighttime seemed to bring about demons. After the light diminsihed from the land, the evils came out. When the creature was about to go introduce himself to De Lacey and was full of hope, "the sun shone on the red leaves that strewed the ground, and diffused cheerfulness" (Shelley, 94). That same day, the devil within the creature rose within him. As soon as night fell, he ran wild through the forrest howling like a wild beast, "When night came I quitted my retreat and wandered in the wood" (Shelley, 97). That next morning, he woke up and seemed to have calmed down and was able to think clearly; "The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, resotored me to some degree of tranquility" (Shelley, 98). THEN, that night, "as the night advanced, a fierde wind arose from the woods, quickly dispersed the clouds that had loitered in the heavens" (Shelley, 99). There are many, many more examples than this for the creature; however, it is obvious that light brings about calmness, hopes, and dreams whereas darkness and storms bring about demons and destruciton.

Even for Victor, we see that the setting is important in regards to his state of mind. It seems that, like tha creature, nighttime seems to be when his family is brutally murdered. Similarly, the seasons have a great deal of significance on him. Spring brings about the regrowth of his soul and spirit. Henry loved the beauty and randiance of the newly blosomed plants and the beauty of the fresh earth. This passion that was instilled in Henry, shown on Victor in his deepest hours of agony.

Slavery

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, there is a common metaphor used throughout the second half of the novel. This metaphor is that of slavery. Victor was a slave from the moment he began creating life. He became obsessed with overcoming such an amazing scientific feat. He lost sight of his whole world before this process that he was bound and devoted wholeheartedly. Never did it seem that the creature was his slave. I have no idea what Victor's motive was for building such a creature other than to be the first one to create life. Did he plan on making the creature his slave? Certainly not. He fled from his creation the second he instilled life within it. The entire rest of the novel is filled with the creature overpowering Victor. The creature even said, "Remember that I have the power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!" (Shelley, 122).The creature could overcome any human. Victor was at the hands of the creature; consequently, Victor lived the rest of his life in constant fear that his family, friends, and his own life be spared for the satisfaction of the monster.

However, the monster called himself a slave. "But I was the slave, not the master, of an impulse, which I detested, yet could not disobey" (Shelley, 164). The creature claims that after growing up in such misery and dejection, he was forced to live a life of crime. He was forced to seek attention from his father, his creator. He expresses that he hated killing Victor's loved ones. The creature would weep and mourn at their deaths. He acted with passion in the murders but afterwards, felt remorse for what he had done. The creature tells Walton that he was born a benevolent creature and that emotion never fully left him, as hard as that is to believe. The creature says, "When I run over the frightful catalogue of my sins, I cannot believe taht I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of the beauty and the majestic goodness. But even so,; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil" (Shelley, 165). The monster was a slave to his emotions. He had to obey them at the extent of killing others, which ultimately killed the goodness in his soul.

The Creature's Evil Progression

   Mary Shelley's creation in Frankenstein was very complex. I believe that the creature's behaviors were directly stemmed from the world around him. I sympathise with the creature at times in the story when he mentions how he could only be wretched. What else could we expect. He was completely alone in the world, destined to live a life on his own on the run. All feared him. There was no one for him to turn to in hours of need. He was born a benevolent creature; however, after neglect has been forced upon him in every single aspect, there was no hope that he might sit back and take all that was thrust upon him. The creature's character changed drastically after a build up of inner rage. "The feelings of kindness and gentleness, which I had entertained but a few moments before, gave place to a hellish rage and gnashing of teeth" (Shelley, 101).  From there on out, the creatre sought revenge on his neglectful creator. Up until the death of Victor Frankenstein did the creature pursue the ultimate revenge that his creator never again feel happiness. If the creature was to be miserable, why should his creator ever have hopes again? The creature could not stand to see Victor happy with a spouse when he was completely alone in the world forever. His misery led the creature to a life to crime which he claimed to avow in the last days of his life.
   There were periods in which the creature allowed the reader to pity him and feel sympathy for him; however, the actions that proceded these assertions always led the reader back to viewing him as a monster.

The Creatures Connections

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as the creature began to make himself more and more educated, he began to connect himself with many of the characters whom he read about. The connection that stood out the most to me was that of himself with Satan. This entire section of the novel containted quotes from the creature of how he knew he didn't belong in the world. He felt he was completely alone and forgotten. "When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?" (Shelley, 85). The creature realized that all other men were created by God. Not only that, but God was always there for his children and loved them. When the creature realized that he was unlike all of God's creature, he concluded that he was no God-made. He in turn found that his creator was indeed still Victor Frankenstein who had fled from the creature at the moment of his birth. This abandonment caused the creature anguish and realized that if he could not associate himself with God, then he must be connected to the ultimate evil. "but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. 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).

 The only aspect that connected the creature to Adam was the fact that they were both the first and only of their kind. However, Adam was beautiful and beloved. The creature was disfigured and ugly. All feared the creature and fled his presence. Those who were courageous enough to stick around, only attacked him and screams words of unwelcoming threats. The creature was left, then, to the only reasonable explanation that he was indeed meant to be evil.

The Creature

Mary Shelley portrays her character of the creature in Frankenstein as a very misunderstood character. He was born, against his will. The creature didn't want to be born of such huge stature. He never asked to be born a monster. Then when he was made alive, Victor just runs away from him. "His jaws opened, and he muttered some unarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear" (Shelley, 35). This "monster" just smiled at his creator and tried to speak to him. He did not mean any harm at this point. However, after the man who took all the effort to bring him into the world ran away, the creature must have felt completely alone and miserable. How scared and confused this being must have felt while wandering around the cities and forests. I believe that the creature is ultimately good. He only wanted to be human. As he watched the family that he found in the woods, he began to pick up on social cues, english, and things that humans eat and do. He started to acknowlege human emotion and what caused sadness and stress. Because the creature noticed that the family was poor and unhappy, he went out of his way to do a kind deed for them. "during the night I often took his tools, the use of which I quickly discovered, and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days" (Shelley, 78). This creature was so focused on making the famil feel better that I cannot believe he killed William. I cannot wait to see what really transpired those fateful nights.

Despair

Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, becomes a character of one recurring emotion. This emotion is, without doubt, despair. The grief that overcomes his soul begins as he searches for the elixir of life. All happiness is gone from his life once this goal to become the most glorious man begins. He claims his destiny was predetermined and this destiny must not have included joy. Once he finds the secret to eternal life, the mystery of how to turn inanimate objects to life, he becomes completely hopeless. The creature itself brings him only a moment of lightened emotion. He felt he was the creator of the monster that could and would destroy all that he used to love. Victor must have felt true fear and despair in hearing that his little brother William had been murdered. Victor knew that is had to be the monster he created that did it. He blamed himself but could not turn him self in, for no one would believe him. "During the whole of this wretched mockery of justice, I suffered living torture. It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of my fellow-beings" (Shelley, 54). Not only was Victor then the cause of William's death, but also the cause of the convicted murderer Justine. "But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation" (Shelley, 59). These exclamations of total despair and hopelessness go on throughout each chapter. Victor said he even felt suicidal. "I was tempted to plunge into the silent lake, that the waters might close over me and my calamaties forever" (Shelley, 62).

Elizabeth and Justine

I believe that Mary Shelley's characters, Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine Mortiz, from Frankenstein had the same feelings. Both had been taken in by the Frankensteins, for they both had poor home lives. They were both benevolent souls that would do anything to serve others. Elizabeth was full of courage and strength. Even at the lowest of times in her life, she strove to be the comfort to others. "She inded veiled her grief, and strove to act the comforter to us all. She looked steadily on life, and assumed its duties with courage and zeal" (Shelley, 24). Elizabeth grieved terribly for the death of her adoptive mother. Caroline had shared the same story life without parents as she. Although Elizabeth was in mourning of yet another soul taken from her life, her main purpose was to be there for those she called her uncle and cousins. She even acted as a mother figure to her younger cousins William and Ernest.

Justine Mortiz was also an extremely compassionate character. As a reader, we don't get to see a whole lot of this charcter. What we do get to see is her being accused of murder. However, Elizabeth and Victor cannot believe that she would do such a thing. Elizabeth testifies, "During all that period she appeared to me the most amiable and benevolent of human creatures" (Shelley, 56). Elizabeth goes on to talk of how Justine nursed sick Caroline and her own sickly mother. What murderer would put forth so much kindness and effort into tending to the sick? I was sad to see such a kind and short lived character be killed off so quickly. I also feel as though her character might become one of more importance as the novel goes on. Justine was a Catholic who felt trapped and confessed to a sin in order that she might receive God's complete forgiveness and absolution. The mystery still remains as to how she came to be the keeper of Williams photo of his mother and of why she was acting so strangely.

Frankenstein Allusions

    One literary technique that Mary Shelley seems to use alot in Frankenstein is the use of allusions. There seems to be one every single chapter if not multiple per chapter. Shelley compares these allusions to Victor Frankenstein himself. The first, "I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead and found a passage to life, aided only by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual light" (Shelley, 31). By this quote, Victor was saying that he had felt almost buried with the dead, totally hopeless and depleated of any inspiration. Then when he discovered the secret to bringing the dead back to life, he found the light at the end of the tunnel. 

    A second allusion was more of a historical reference. "If no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved, Caeser would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed" (Shelley, 34). Here, Victor was suggesting that if we don't go for our dreams for fear of being disappointed or uncomfortable on the way, we will never accomplish anything. 

    Then, Shelley brought another allusion that ties back to literature. She references Dante, who we know from World Literatre, was a man who was sent to see the levels of Hell and all the people and events that went on down there. " he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such even Dante could not have conceived" (Shelley, 36). This quote suggests that the monster's movements and appearance were so horrifying that even Dante, who saw the worst of the worst in Hell, would be terrified. This might be a bit of an exaggeration; however, this reference does seem to call to attention how fearful Victor was of his creation.

Frankenstein vs Folktales

    As I read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I began to notice the similarities and differences between my previous assumptions of the old tale and of what is really written in the novel. The story itself has numerous accounts that are different than the prejudices I had of this eerie story. The appearance of the creation was the most different aspect. The mad scientist did not stand up and exclaim, "IT'S ALIVE!" In fact, Victor's disposition changed rather quickly. For a split second, I did notice that Victor was proud of his achievement and creation. However, this quickly changed. "I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body...but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horrow and disgust filled my heart" (Shelley, 35). I had always believed that this character used his creature and admired it. On the contrary, Victor despised the monster in almost an instant.There was no sidekick to Victor either. Where is his evil, demented assistant, Igor? Similarly, the creature itself was described radically different than what I had imagined. Although the monster was said to be eight feet tall and huge, his skin was yellow. In every picture and movie that I have seen about Frankenstein, the monster is green! Not even this, but also the monster's name isn't even Frankenstein! My entire image of this common story was completely disputed by this one chapter in Shelley's novel. The stereotypical monster that I had imagined is almsot totally false.

   This story does contain one aspect that seems to coincide with my original beliefs. Victor Frankenstein is in fact a bit insane. He does have a bit of mad scientist in him after all. Victor spent two years creating this being and bringing it to life. During this time, he shunned himself from the rest of the world. He stopped communicating with his family, friends, and anyone at the institution. His health began to deteriorate and became extremely thin. Being without human interaction for so long, caused Victor to obsess over his project and experiments. He began to go crazy in the nicest of terms. "I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves-sights which before always yielded me supreme delight!-so deeply was I engrossed in my occupations...my enthusiasm was checked by my anxiety, and I appeared rather like on doomed..." (Shelley, 34). Victor felt he was doomed to unhappiness and maybe even to Hell. He needed a God send to bring him back to life. Ironically, Victor could bring inanimate objects to life, but could not safe his soul from death.

Miss Brill

The way Katherine Mansfield writes Miss Brill allows the reader an unusual perspective. The short story is written in third person but the only insight on thoughts and feelings of characters is through the main character, Miss Brill. Because of this, the reader gets to witness the world through the eyes and mind of Miss Brill. With this perspective in mind, the reader gets a strong sense of loneliness in her. First off, with the title "Miss" instead of "Mrs.," we can conclude that she is not married. That fact alone would make it reasonable that an old, unmarried woman would be in solitude. Another aspect that added to Miss Brill's lonely character was the speaking to her fur coat. "Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again...She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it" (Mansfield, 182). Miss Brill clearly had an odd connection with this garment. The fact that wearing it made her feel a sense of companionship is a bit sad. The last clue that showed her loneliness was the act of going to the park every Sunday afternoon. Here, she would sit on a bench for hours on end and people-watch. This action alone may sound a bit creepy; however, Miss Brill was only trying to imagine her life through watching the lives of all of the people as they walk by.

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Herman Melville's portrayal of Bartleby in the short story Bartleby, the Scrivener, was very difficult for me to understand. My opinions of Bartleby fluctuated greatly throughout the story. At first, he struck me as a no nonsense, straight to work kind of fellow. He was fast at copying and very accurate. Then, my opinion of Bartleby's character changed. " '...I want you to help me compare this sheet here-take it,' and I thrust it towards him. 'I would prefer not to,' said he" (Melville, 649-650). When Bartleby kept "preferring not to" do examine the documents, I came to a conclusion that maybe Bartleby could not read and was embarrassed by it. I know Bartleby was a copyist; however, I believed that maybe he has some sort of talent where he could just copy the words without being about to read them. Quickly though, this conclusion was wrong yet again. When Bartleby starting "preferring not to" do anything at all, I knew there wasn't something quite right with him. My last conclusion was that he might have some form of autism. By his apparent lack of connection with anyone and inability to communicate to the lawyer or anyone else even further strengthened this hypothesis. Autistic people have very strict routines that they hardly stray from and are repetitive in things they say and do. They are reluctant to any type of change or anything that would deviate them from the normal day to day activities. Bartleby was clearly used to and preferred his position at the office. When his eyes went bad and couldn't copy, Bartleby still came to the office everyday. When the lawyer changed offices completely to get Bartleby out, Bartleby still went to the office everyday. " 'The time has come; you must quit this place; I am sorry for you; here his the money; but you must go.'  'I would prefer not,' he replied, with his back still toward me," (Melville, 662). The details throughout the entire short story helped prove this conclusion that I believe to be true.

APO 96225

Larry Rottmann's poem APO 96225 explains today's society and our view of war. In today's world, no one wants to think of the horrors going on in foreign countries. No one wants to think of the terrors that occur due to our own soldiers actions either. The government paints a pretty picture over every action that goes on in war. This poem reminded me of the events in the Vietnam War. No one in the United States really had a clue what was going on over there. The government informed the US that the soldiers duties were justified; however, Americans came to find out later that US soldiers were killing innocent civilians and some were treating them in complete inhumane ways. As I read the poem, I seemed to compare the boy writing to his mother to one of these soldiers. The son kept telling his mother about just the weather and anout the rain. When his mother insisted that he tell her more details, he said, "Today I killed a man. Yesterday, I helped drop napalm on women and children," (Rottmann, 846). The mother wouldn't even write back to him. The news was completely depressing, and she didn't want to hear it. The parents of the son did not want to hear the horrors, just as the US didn't want to hear of their soldiers demeaning work in Vietnam.

Much Madness is Divinest Sense

As I read Emily Dickinson's poem Much Madness is divinest Sense, I began to understand that Dickinson was inferring that madness might not be a negative thing.  This "divinest Sense" (Dickinson, 830) seems to be a rare and hard to attain. The speaker seems to say that only some become mad, but those who are mad, actually have much sense. To me, the quote, "Much Sense-the starkest Madness- 'Tis the Majority In This, as All, prevail-Assent-and you are sane," (Dickinson, 830), means that the majority of the world's population make the generalization and characterization of what a sane person is. However, the speaker seems to believe that this standard is wrong; those people marked "insane" are actually the smartest and have the most wisdom. Also, as I read, I did not know what "demur" (Dickinson, 830) meant. When I looked it up, it means "to make an objection." Within the context of the poem, I believe that Dickinson is insinuating even more persistently that the speaker objects to the society's understanding of the insane and mad people of the world.

I Felt a Funeral in my Brain

In Emily Dickinson's poem, I Felt a Funeral in my Brain, there was one main and essential metaphor given. The poem compares the speakers recent mental collapse to a funeral. When one thinks of a funeral, the first thing that jumps into mind is obviously death. In this way, I believe that Dickinson asserted that the speaker's mind was dying just as one dies right before their funeral. As the poem progresses, we can see the progression of the speaker's mind go from sane to insane. "And mourners, to and fro, keapt treading, treading," (Dickinson, 776). This description of the mourners gives picture of how the speaker's brain felt to him. He was slowly losing his mind. Using the repetition of the word "treading" in this quote and of the word "beating" in the second stanza, we can see this progression by acknowledging the spiratic tone of the poem.  These thumping and bumping sounds might possibly be a severe headache that make him feel as if someone is crawling inside his brain. As the poem progresses we get a sense that because of his recent mental disorder, the speaker becomes more and more lonely and more and more crazy. "And I dropped down, and down- and hit a world, at every plunge, and finished knowing-then-" (Dickinson, 776).

Death, be not Proud

John Donne's poem Death, be not Proud, was almost satirical. "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so," (Donne, 971). This quote mocks death as if it were a person. He takes death off his pedistal and exclaims that he has nothing to be proud of.

This quote means that some fear death, however, it is nothing to fear. I believe the author and narrator are Christian. Only people who know that death is actually the gate to an eternal life with God will not fear death. "One short sleep passed, we wake eternally" (Donne, 971). This short sleep is referring to death; after a short time, we awake in God's presence for infinite life.

Death, be not Proud shines a new light on the meaning of death. Instead of being scared of the end of our life, the narrator is excited about crossing over. The narrator chuckles in the face of death and explains that our real life occurs after we die; therefore, death is a good and wonderful thing.

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

The main message I took from Dylan Thomas' poem, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, was to live life to the fullest. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" (Thomas, 968) says it all. "do not go gentle" means that we should not let our lives end not having pushed limits. We should all set out to achieve our personal goals and ambitions. We must not go "gentle" in terms of leaving any rocks unturned in our lives.

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas, 968). This quote explains that we need to rage against and fight against the ending of our lives. We must never give up, even if we know or fear the end is approaching. The dying of the light symbolizes the end coming shortly. Thomas writes that we much not wholly accept this fact. We must push through pain in order that we leave this world having accomplished our dreams. The narrator stresses that living life to the fullest will promise having no regrets. This can only be reached by taking every moment as a gift and a way to create a more fulfilling life for oneself.

Crossing the Bar

Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennyson was extremely symbolic. He focuses the story primarily on the image of the sea. "When I put out to sea," (Tennyson, 886) represents the narrator starting out his life and his eventual crossing over into a new life. The tides and waves in this poem represent the events and obstacles in his life. The open sea was his life full of opportunities. "And may there be no sadness of farewell," (Tennyson, 886), to me, says that the narrator did not want people to grieve over his death. Maybe this man lived a good and fulfilling life; he had nothing to be sorry about. Then, the most symbolic line of the poem shows up in the second to last line. "I hope to see my Pilot face to face," (Tennyson, 886). The Pilot represents God. God was the one who flew the narrator through life. He brought the narrator to his final destination. Only He can accept the narrator when he "crosses the bar" into Heaven. The narrator views death as a new beginning. One can meet the all-knowing being who guided him throughout life's battles.

A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner's character Miss Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily gave me mixed emotions and opinions. At times in the short story, I felt sorry for Emily. She seemed to always have her life taken right out from under her. Her father died when she was still a young woman. Then, a few years later, her sweetheart, who people thought she was going to marry, left her. The emotional toll these events took on her were horrible. She was all alone except for her servant. "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all" (Faulkner, 283). On top of all this, the government was now trying to make her pay the taxes that had been excused from her family by the old mayor.

With this psychological grief, it is clear that Emily needed help or at least someone to talk to. She was in search of some concrete companionship. In this sense, I believe she was "crazy." From the text, the town seemed to believe so as well. No mentally sane woman would lock her lover/possible husband in the house and poison him. Not only that, but at the end of the story it says, "Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it...we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair" (Faulkner, 289). Emily was sick in every sense of the word. Sick in terms of sleeping with a decaying man for forty years; but, she was also sick in an emotional and psychological sense. She obviously was not in her right mind, if she every had a right mind. She was deeply disturbed. I believe she only would have killed Homer Baron for the fact that he could never leave her, and he would always be in her possession.

The Lottery

In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, the main symbol that I took away from the short story is the black box. To me, this box represented the society in this particular region. Just as the box was old, shabby, and falling apart, the city was old-fashioned. Likewise, since the people of this city are unwilling to let go of this out-dated box, the city is represented as a group that is unwilling to let go of certain tradions. It is a bit strange, however, that they are willing to overlook and replace some aspects of the tradition. Some examples of this would be exchanging paper slips for the old wood chips and, also, making the ceremony more modern. The society they live in is stuck in the past and feels life cannot go on rightfully without this lottery. Most of the town feels the lottery is completely necessary. This ritual has brainwashed the society into thinking it's normal and acceptable to stone an innocent being to death. We see this in the quote, " 'Some places have already quit lotteries,' Mrs. Adams said. 'Nothing but trouble in that,' Old Man Warner said stoutly. 'Pack of young fools.' " (Jackson, 268).
Also, the saying, "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon," (Jackson, 268), reiterates the town's devotion to old sayings, traditions, and history. They act on the mindset of "it has been said, so it must be true." I take this society's actions as completely illogical in the fact that they can pick and choose which aspects of the ritual they follow and which they can toss out or replace.

The Glass Menagerie: The Narrator

The question, "What qualities possessed by Tom, and by him alone, make him the proper narrator of the play?" at the end of Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams can be answered in only one way. Tom Wingfield is the only character to be viewed as being realistic. Amanda lives her life in the past. She obsesses over her youth and the many possibilities and potential it had. Now that her life is a disappointment to her, she cannot escape the constant nagging of the life she once lived. Laura lives in a fanatasy world as well. She hides behind her glass sculptures to hide from reality. She doesn't want to face the world she lives in by getting a job or facing prospective husbands. Although Laura does see the possibility in a bright future, she is too afraid to fight for her dreams. This is why Tom has to be the narrator. He not only dreams for a better future, but he takes the necessary measures to accomplish them. "I give you the truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (Williams, 1236). This quote even tells us that Tom tells the true story. He sees the world for what it trully is.

Society in the Glass Menagerie

Tennessee Williams portrays the 1940s society very well in Glass Menagerie. The story depicts the lives of women in two ways. A woman is to either get a job typing or answering phones or becomes a wife and a homemaker. When Laura fails at this first case, her mother demands that she devotes the rest of her youthful days in preparation to become a wife. This role of a homemaker was viewed as a pretty woman first with no obligation of a sound mind. "All pretty girls are a trap, a pretty trap, and men expect them to be" (Williams, 1263). This quote shows that in society, a man will choose a woman based on her looks first; not her personality.

We also see that this society that a homemaker is demanded to have exquisite skills around the house. "It's rare for a girl as sweet an' pretty as Laura to be domestic! But Laura, is, thank heavens, not only pretty but very domestic" (Williams, 1270). This quote emphasizes the two main qualities of a great wife, beauty and a handiness around the house. Amanda is trying to make Jim impressed by all of Laura's "skills." We see here that Amanda is no hypocrite. She is a trap, trying to sway Jim into falling for the counterfeit parts of the evening. In reality, it was Amanda who cooked and made Laura look the part; Laura wanted no part in the evening at all.

The Glass Menagerie: Father Wingfield

Throughout the entire Glass Menagerie by Tennesee Williams, the presence of the father is known. Although he has been gone for sixteen years, he impacts the family everyday. The fact that a picture of Mr. Wingfield remains hung on the wall symbolizes the family's revolvance on him. Tom is impacted the most on his father's departure. He feels betrayal and awe in his father. His father left them and left the duty of caring for the family on Tom's shoulder's; however, Tom looks up to his father. Tom adores the fact that his father went after his dream of seeing the world; maybe even getting away from his mother.

What Mr.Wingfield did to his family years before was reinacted through Tom. We see Tom progressively going towards this throughout the entire novel. However, the reader sees this in full action when Tom says to Jim, "I paid my dues this month, instead of the light bill...I won't be here" (Williams, 1269). Tom was planning on leaving his family and had taken the measures in doing so. In the end, he had accomplished his dream of getting away. "I didn't go to the moon, I went much further" (Williams, 1288).

The Glass Menagerie: Laura Wingfield

Tennessee William's character, Laura Wingfield, from Glass Menagerie is also a complex and dynamic character. She is excruciatingly shy to the point where she gets physically ill when nervous. We see this when she drops out of business school after throwing up one of the first few days. From the reading, she enjoys exploring the city while just keeping to herself. Since she dropped out of school, Laura had been filling her days with extensive walks and trips to local museums. Also, we can conclude that Laura doesn't want to disappoint her mother. She felt like she couldn't tell her mother she couldn't physically accomplish graduating from school. William's portrays Laura as such a delicate character. "she is like a piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary radiance, not actual, not lasting" (Williams, 1263). This stage direction portrays Laura best. Laura's obsession with her glass figures has become a symbol to her own personality. She takes care of the glass because it is fragile and delicate. Laura needs care in the same way.

Laura does show some progression as the story draws an end. She seems to get over a few of her shy tendencies. Even when Jim breaks her favorite glass piece, she doesn't completely freak out. The presence of someone who talks to Laura as an equal is enough to bring her out of her shell. Even after Jim explains he is engaged, she gives him the broken piece as a souveneir of their date. I think symbolically, Laura is giving away her hope of that "new Laura."

The Glass Menagerie: Tom Wingfield

Tennessee William's character, Tom Wingfield, from Glass Menagerie is very complex with two main sides. On one hand, Tom feels his obligation to his family to stay and provide for them. Other than Amanda's day job of selling magazines, his is the only real income the family has since their father up and left them sixteen years ago. He feels this burden everyday and is becomming more and more restless. This disappointment in his life is filled by long nights at the movies and by drinking. However, he stays and does his job for the love he has for Amanda and Laura.

However, there is another side of Tom that dreams. He wants anything else than to be a warehouse man. I found it ironic when Amanda calls Tom selfish, because although Tom is reluctant, he is the one that goes out and provides for the family. He has to give up his dream for the sake of his mother and sister. After Amanda says this, Tom defends himself and gives it right back.
"I get up. I go! For sixty-five dollars a month I give up all that I dream of. Why, listen, if self is what I thought of, Mother, I'd be where he is- GONE! (pointing to the father's picture)" (Williams, 1247).

At this point in the story, I felt terrible for Tom. It seemed that he was trapped in a time in his life that he couldn't get out of. He would have to prodive for his older sister and overbearing mother for the rest of his days.

The Joy of Cooking

From Elaine Magarrell's poem "The Joy of Cooking," I got the sense that the narrator didn't so much like or get along with her brother and sister. She uses alot of good imagery and diction to reference cooking terms to cooking the parts of her siblings she doesn't particularly agree with.

I believe that she wanted to cook her sister's tongue because she was loud or talked alot. Maybe even the sister told on her or spread rumors. When she says, "it will probably grow back" (Magarrell), it is inferred that the sister can never stop this habit for anything. It is in the sister's personality to be a loud mouth. This obviously bothers the narrator.

Also, she picks the heart of her brother to cook. The quote "is firm and rather dry" implies that the narrator feels that her brother isn't kind or sympathetic. She later on in that second stanza even says, "although beef heart serves six my brother's heart barely feeds two." From this quote, I inferred that she felt her brother was mean or indifferent to her.

The Winter Days

As I read "Those Winter Days" by Robert Hayden, I got a sense of the father's character. When it says "Sundays too my father got up early" (Hayden, 781), we get the sense that the father gets up really early every day. "With cracked hands that ached from labor" (Hayden, 781), shows that the father was a hard worker. It also gives a bit of information that his weekday job was hard labor. "No one ever thanked him" (Hayden, 781). This quote told me that either his children or the society never thanked him for all he does and for all his hard work. Maybe the father feels under appreciated and over worked. I also got a sense of love for his boys while reading this poem. He only woke them up from bed when the house was warm and got them ready in the morning every day.

 However, the narrator says that as a boy he didn't know of his father's loneliness and feelings.   "Speaking indifferently" (Hayden, 781), the narrator didn't show his father affection in the mornings or show gratitude for all the things his father worked for. When it says that his father "had driven out the cold" (Hayden, 781), this could also symbolize that athe father had driven out the hardships or stresses in his child's life.

The Drunkard

There was one quote from "The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor that seemed to be significant. "My brave little man!' she said with her eyes shining. 'It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel" (O'Connor, 351). The mother wasn't even mad at the little boy for drinking his father's alcohol. She was disappointed in her husband for allowing her son to be in that environment. She was even more mad at her husband's negligence. However, she praised the boy for his good deed.

This quote was symbolic. He was his guardian angel, becuase he kept his father from drinking. He kept him from going back down that downward spiral that one drink causes. The boy's action even made the father stop drinking for good. "Never again, never again, not if I live to be a thousand" (O'Connor, 350). The humiliation that the boy put his father through made him come to a realization. The father had to have an awakening in order that he might not get in trouble with the police and keep his sons safe.

Once Upon a Time

"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimen was a dark short story. The fact that this wasn't a cheerful story, made the irony in the story even that more evident. I found four points of irony in this story.

1. The narrator tells that some want her to write children's stories. She even admits, "I don't write children's stories" (Gordimer, 231). Then, while she is laying in bed and cannot sleep, she tells herself a bedtime story. However, the story is anything but soothing.

2. The father's mother gave the family the advice to build a bigger, strong, and more industrial looking wall. She then gave the little boy the book Sleeping Beauty. From this book, the little boy got the idea of courage; using this newly found courage, he got a ladder and climbed the wall which led to his death. "Next day he pretended to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace" (Gordimer, 236).

3. The wall had a sign which read "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED." This was ironic becausethe family thought the sign was to warn outsiders; however, it should have really been warning them of the dangers of the wall.

4. The family built all of these walls and installed all of these security systems in order to protect their family and especially their son. Little did they know that the barbed wire fence that they installed would be the demise of their little boy. "

A Worn Path

As I read "AWorn Path" by Eudora Welty, the character of Phoenix Jackson struck me as very complex. She seemed to be an old and fragile black woman. Phoenix wandered through country and forests. The reader never even knew where she was going until halfway through the story when she met the man in the woods. This man even met her at gun point and Phoenix continued on her way to town to get medicine for her grandson. Her main character trait would be stubborn determination. Even though she was older and the journey was not easy, she continued on her way and got up after every stumble. The love she had for her grandson was also an amazingly deep. She was going through all of this trouble and a days travel just to get medicine to help her grandson feel more comfortable.

Another part of Phoenix's character was maybe not as positive. As the reader, I got a sense that maybe Phoenix was not all there. She begins to talk to the animals and plants. She even thinks she sees a ghost. "Ghost, 'she said sharply, 'who you be the ghost of?For I have heard of nary a death clost by" (Welty, 225). Similarly, she thinks a little boy brings her a piece of cake. "She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it  ...But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air" (Welty, 224). Then, after her dangerous and long journey, when she gets to the office/clinic, she forgets why she went there.

A Raisin in the Sun: Question 5

In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry poses a large generation gap between the members of the Younger family. Mama came from a generation where African Americans had little to no rights. The Civil Rights act had probably not even started. Her and her husband had to work their way up out of nothing. The apartment they bought was a huge feat in through their hardships. Mama doesn't think that Walter and Beneatha appreciate all that was given to them. All that Mr. and Mrs. Younger accomplished was for their children to have better and easier lives than they had had. "In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too...Now here you and Beneatha-talking bout things we aint never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy. You aint satisfied or proud of nothing we done" (Hansberry, 475). Mama just doesn't understand the mindset of her children's generation.

Walter and Beneatha, however, grow up in a society where African Americans are beginning to be accepted. Not completely or perfectly, obviously, due to the fact that Clyborne Park didn't want them to be associated with them at all. Though, Beneatha is enrolled at college and is working to become a doctor. This is a dream come true for black women of Mama's generation. Walter wants to go into business. The fact that this is even a thought for him was completely contrary to any dream Mama or Mr.Younger had.

A Raisin in the Sun: Symbols

Lorraine Hansberry uses a variety of symbols in A Raisin in the Sun. I believe that one of main symbols was the apartment. Because it was cramped, old, and dark, it symbolized a trapped feeling amoung the Youngers. Throughout the years, Mr. and Mrs. Younger started a family, raised them, and became grandparents in that apartment. Not only that, but the entire clan lived in one space. The family could not rise above the society which glued them to that place.

Another symbol was the new house. This new house represented hope for a better future. The house was a way out of the poverty of the community they are living in now. It is also a symbol of a completely new way of life and a new perspective. The new house was in an all white neighborhood. This integration could symbolize the Younger's way of wanting to experience new ways of life. This could also be Mama's way of wanting to make her family equal to the rest of the society. This new house could have also symbolized new opportunities.

One of the aspects of the places they live that gets brought up a few different times is the window. In the apartment, there is hardly any outside light that shines in. This could represent the family's depression or hopelessness. When Ruth asks Mama about the new house, " Is there-is there a whole lot of sunlight?" (Hansberry, 491), I believed that this was Ruth's way of asking if the new house would bring hope to the family. This hope would bring happiness and peace to the Youngers that had not been with them for a long time.

A Raisin in the Sun: Question 10

   Walter Younger from A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, goes through an extremely dramatic character change from the beginning of the play to the end. He is very dynamic in character. At the start, the reader can tell that Walter feels suppressed by the world around him. He takes this frustration out on his wife Ruth. "That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world...Don't understand about building their men up and making 'em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something" (Hansberry, 444). At this point, Walter is aggressive towards his family and toward the community.

   Then, as the story progresses, we see the personality of Walter's character fluctuate. These roller coller emotions seem to go hand in hand with how Mama is deciding to divy up the insurance money; when she tells him that he doesn't get money, Walter strikes out; when Mama gives into this and gives him a few thousand, Walter is joyous and hopeful.

   However, the most significant change in Walter's character comes at the end of the play. After Willy Harris takes off with his investment money, Walter feels betrayed. His personality seems to completely subside and he comes off rather limp. Then, to prove that he is the man of the house, Walter decided to do whatever he could to get the money back for his family. Even if getting the money meant losing his pride. No matter what Mama tried to tell him, it seemed that she could not persuade him to change his mind. But, finally at the end of the play, Walter sees why pride is so important. "Well-what I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of pride. I mean-we are very proud people" (Hansberry, 532). We see Walter's final transformation when he tells Linder that they are moving in anyway. After this change, the family seems to be joined together in hope for the future.

A Raisin in the Sun: Question 9

One of the most prominent points in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, was when Ruth finds out she is pregnant. What a pinnacle point in the story. The 2 bedroom apartment was crazy already with 5 people living there. Ruth must feel completely vulnerable. She feels she isn't providing enough for her son Travis, works all day cleaning houses, and has a husband who she is slowly drifting away from. It is no wonder that the thought of abortion were to cross her mind. No matter how religios she was, she felt trapped into a situation in which she felt she had no other choice. This baby was going to be the demise of the family and of there economic standing. Mama even rationalizes the situation to Walter when she says, "When the world gets ugly enough-a woman will do anything for her family. The part that's already living" (Hansberry, 476).

One can see in the way Ruth acts around Walter that she is depressed. She apologizes for the baby. "I, I'm sorry about this new baby, Walter. I guess maybe I better go on and do what I started... I guess I didn't realize how bad things was with us... " (Hansberry, 486). Onto pie of all of the social and economic pressures, the factor of Walter's aggression comes to play. He is such a demanding and passionate character, that he loses sight of the love of his wife. He becomes cynical of the the world and lost connection with Ruth. Ruth of all people needed him now the most.

A Raisin in the Sun: Question 1

In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the characters are all in a state in which they dream of better ways of living. The cramped apartment is just not enough for any of them. Walter and Beneatha Younger are both searching for a way to get out of the latent lifestyle they seem to be stuck in. Walter wants to use the insurance money as an investment in a liquor store. He wants the chance to be viewed as a real businessman in the community and not as just some chauffeur or servant. He wants to be respected; he also wants respect for his son. Walter says, "Just tell me where you want to go to school and you'll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be, and you'll be it" (Hansberry, 502). Because Walter could not fulfill his dreams to the fullest, I believe that through his son Travis, he can accomplish his dreams. The basis of his dream is to have the opportunity to be whatever it is he wants and then have the ability to accomplish it.

Beneatha has a different approach in terms of getting out of poverty. She wants to become a doctor. Going to school at this time was a privilege especially for girls and especially for colored women. If she could achieve this degree, it would be a huge step for their family in the positive direction out of the poverty scene. She says, "I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick and make them whole again" (Hansberry, 520). Bennie's dream consisted of helping others, too. She felt the most honorable and respected profession was that of a doctor. Maybe she felt that if she had this prestigious title, she may be seen as an equal in society.

Hazel Tells Laverne- Kathryn Howd Machan

In Hazel Tells Laverne by Kathryn Howd Machan, the main idea of the poem is similar to the folk tale, The Princess and the Frog. It is almost like a twist of this renowned fairy tale. The woman is a maid in the hotel chain Howard Johnson, and completely disregards the frog prince. The personality and humor that comes out of this poem is what gives it its distinctiveness. When Machan uses words like "musta", "flushm", and "hitsm", we can see her language and regional accent show through. Also, with Machan's phrase, "ya little green pervert," a sense of humor enlightened the poem. She flushed the frog down the toilet instead of turning into a princess.

In a way, I feel like the character in this poem was down to earth. She wouldn't let herself become too worked up over the mere thought of becoming more than a maid. She realized that this was crazy. A talking frog? Yeah right, she thought. Maybe this poem meant to juxtapose the original fairy tale by saying that that princess does not see the realities of life.

Everyday Use- Alice Walker

The short story Everyday Use by Alice Walker was written in first person. The narrator is the mother of the other two main characters, Dee and Maggie. The fact that this story is written in first person gives alot to the concept of the story. At the end of the story, in the question whether or not the narrator refrains from making judgements, I came to the conclusion that she does in fact make sound critical of her daughter's new lifestyle. "Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much." (Walker, 175). This quote clearly shows a little resentment in the emotions and personality of her daughter Dee.

Also, as I began reading this story, I thought of the "Prodigal Son" from the Bible. I thought that in the end the mother would just forgive Dee for leaving them for years and give her all she wanted. However, I was wrong. The ending was almost the exact opposite. It was not opposite in that she disowned Dee, but she did not give Dee all those articles and family heirlooms that she demanded to have. I felt very proud of the narrator for sticking up for Maggie, the forgotten daughter. The reader could also see a personality progression of Maggie by the end of the story, too. She was tired off not having a say and she finally stood up to Dee and said ,"She can have them, Mama," (Walker, 180).

Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri

In Jhumpa Lahiri's  Interpreter of Maladies, the central conflict of the story was the agonizing connection between Mrs. Das and Mr. Kappasi. It was also about the Indian society and culture at the time. The expectations of an authentic Indian family was arranged marriages. This posed a serious problem for both of these characters in the short story. Neither were happy with their lives and were not trully in love with their spouses. The majority of this story was about Mr. Kapasi's internal conflict of falling for Mrs. Das. However, in the end of the story, Mr. Kapasi realizes this love could never be and never existed. The conflict was resolved, just not in the way he had played it out in his mind. 

To the last question at the end of the short story, "Has his (Mr. Kapasi) encounter with the Das family created any permanant change in his outlook on life or his view of himself?", I answered yes. This meeting with Mrs. Das made him completely rethink his marriage and love for his wife of many years. The fact that he had already grown so infatuated with her shows that his love for his wife was very fragile and delicate. An example of this is one page 158, "He had never admired the backs of his wife's legs the way he now admired those of Mrs. Das..." The legs of Mrs. Das here don't necessarily mean just her legs. I believe he was insinutating that he had never felt this way of his wife before.I feel that he will always have doubts the rest of his life and will never be the same. 

Mr. Z- M. Carl Holman

In Mr.Z by M. Carl Holman, I believed that he used satire and irony to prove his message. Satirizing the character of Mr. Z, Holman says, "Not one false note was struck-until he died" (Holman, 848).This quote from the poem almost makes fun of the fact that this character lived his life avoiding mistakes; and then, died. This Mr. Z clearly resented his mother's heritage. He tried his best to avoid anything that led him toward that characteristic. Worried about his pride and honor in his society, he disclaimed all that connected him to his ancestry. 

Holman also uses irony at the end of his poem. "One of the most distinguished members of his race" (Holman, 848). This quote prompted an ironic situation when I read it. Mr. Z lived his whole life doing his best to live up to the standards of the accepted race of his generation. However, he did not act like his actual race. In fact, he did his best to put that other half of him in the back of his mind. The fact that this writer refers to Mr. Z of a separate and different race, places him at a level below him. This character portrayed in the poem may have lived a common "white" lifestyle, but he will always be referred to as a separate race; never equal.

Dream Deferred- Langston Hughes

After reading the questions at the end of the poem, Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes, I realized that Hughes was actually an African American. Learning this information, I came to the conclusion that this story was probably about a lack of freedoms or civil rights. Because it says this story was written during the life of Hughes (1902-1967), I doubt it is about slavery. However, this "dream deferred" is obviously about an aspiration that was never achieved or attempted. Hughes uses his strong action words and diction such as "fester" and "sags" to accentuate the fact that the dream was destroyed to the point of no return. This poem seems to show that an African American is asking what happens when a dream is completely overlooked. In the early 1900's, this race was extremely looked down upon even though slavery was unconstitutional. This means that they weren't given the same or even any opportunities as the whites. These overlooked opportunities turn into "dreams deferred." 

Hughes,also, uses similes and metaphors to emphasize the broken dreams and goals of African Americans in this society. An example of a simile is, "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" (The metaphor that I noticed from the poem was, "or does it explode." (Hughes, 805).

Perrine's Essay

Perrine's approach to determining the "correct" interpretations of poetry was actually interesting to read. Although there were some aspects I didn't completely agree with, for the most part, he made some sense to me. When I began reading the essay, this quote perturbed me, "That all interpretations of a poem are equally valid is a critical heresy." I first disagreed completely with this. I believe that some poems have a wide variety of interpretations. But then, as I continued reading, I actually grew to understand where Perrine was coming from. His analogy of connecting the dots of a break in drew me in.  It definitely was more believable to think a man broke in than a monkey. I came to the conclusion that although each reader may come up with a dependable analysis, there are always some that make a lot more sense than others.

As I read Pierren's view of the multiple poems, my interpretations were challenged. Emily Dickinson's untitled poem really threw me through a loop. I literally took this poem as being about a ship on the ocean. I never even thought it could possibly be about a sunset or a field of flowers. Another poem that I was completely wrong about was "The Night March." How could anyone figure out that this poem was a metaphor for a starry night sky? I guess I am just a very literal person. This essay has helped me to broaden my mind a tad of the vast scope of symbols. I don't believe that poems can be about whatever we want them to be, however, most poems have deeper meanings that I may never fully understand.

Picture Caption

I went to Kings Island and figured that would be the best place to take this picture. I was having Nick take my picture on the ride while I was "reading" my book to get the cool background in...but the ride camera caught us. I thought this picture was hilarious because my little cousin Vinny was still getting really into the shooting game part of the ride while we are trying to get a good picture! :)

Picture!

The Great Gatsby: 163-180

How can Gatsby, the main character of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, be killed off? I must have been completely confused when I read chapter 8. Jay Gatsby was the one who was murdered and Mr. Wilson did it. That makes a whole lot more sense to me though. Wilson clearly murdered Gatsby since he saw Gatsby's car hit and kill his wife. I am just astounded as to how this book ended!

James Gatz randomly comes in again in this very last part of the novel. Apparently, there was a connection between Jay Gatsby and James Gatz. Gatz is his father! What else could be twisted and spun around to confuse the reader?

The end of this book made me sad for this generation of people. All of the community just used Gatsby for his parties and for his money. All he was ever trying to do was make others happy and win Daisy back. The only thing we could blame Jay Gatsby for was trying to hard to please everyone without looking out for himself. Even when he was brutally murdered, no one bothered to show up for his funeral. The nerve of all of those people who were treated so welcomingly and invited in so warmly!
"The minister glanced several times at his watch, so I took him aside and asked him ti wait for half an hour. But it wasn't any use. Nobody came, " (Fitzgerald, pg174).

The Great Gatsby: 147-162

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald maintains its ability to unleash bits of information. Earlier in my blogs, I decided to believe that Gatsby was the one who left the relationship between himself and Daisy. However, my prediction was wrong. 

"She wanted her life shaped now, immediately-and the decision must be made by some force-of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality-that was close at hand.

That force took shape in the middle of the spring with the arrival of Tom Buchanan." (Fitzgerald, pg151). 

This means that it was Daisy who ended their relationship. Daisy was the one who wanted the wealth and the life. She was just using Tom to get it. Daisy may have really loved Gatsby, but her impatience killed Gatsby's dream and love. This makes me question Daisy's whole character trait. 

AND THEN....there was ANOTHER murder. It seems as though it was Gatsby who killed Wilson! This doesn't make any sense to me. Why would he kill Wilson? He wasn't having an affair with Myrtle, Tom Buchanan was. With all of these loop holes and plot twists, I am forever confused.

The Great Gatsby: 124-145

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Tom Buchanan as a man who always is in control. His wife is his and he is allowed to also have a mistress. He seems to feel entitled to pretty much whatever he wants when he wants it. I found it extremely ironic this chapter, to see that he lost all control in his relationships. "His wife and his mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate, were slipping precipitately from his control," (Fitzgerald, pg125).

Tom just continues to surpise me as to what he says out loud to other people. He basically admits to having an affair! Why would he do that?
" 'And what's more I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myelf, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time,' " (Fitzgerald, pg131).
This is just an idiotic response and argument. Tom is suggesting that he is allowed to make the mistake of cheating on his wife as long as he always goes back and admits to always loving her. This just proves my guess of his character.

AND THEN Myrtle Wilson is hit by a car and dies. What a twist! At first it seemed that Mr.Wilson was the one who did it; I guessed this because it seemed like the Wilsons were fighting. Then to find out that it was really Daisy who was driving Gatsby's car, was crazy to me. This novel has a ton of twists I have come to find out.

The Great Gatsby: 112-123

In my last post, I mentioned that I believed all of Gatsby's actions in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald were for Daisy. I continue to back my hypothesis by the stumbling upon more examples from the text. "So the whole caravansary had fallen like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes," (Fitzgerald, pg114). Gatsby had thrown these huge elaborate parties just for the purpose of Daisy happening upon them at some point in time. Now, he has appeared to stop throwing these parties for exactly the same reason.

Daisy is such a multidimensional character. As I have continued reading, I have noticed more and more of her doubt in love for her husband.
" 'She doesn't look like her father,' explained Daisy. 'She looks like me. She's got my hair and shape of the face.' " (Fitzgerald, pg117).
To me, it seems as though Daisy is glad that her baby doesn't look like her husband. If her little girl had looked like him, that might have been a reminder of their broken bond in a relationship on a daily basis. Here even more Daisy is questioning her life at the moment. " 'What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?' cried Daisy, 'and the day after that, and the next thirty years?' " (Fitzgerald, pg118).

The Great Gatsby: 110

As I continued to read about and come to understand the love story between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I wondered what went wrong. I am still extremely confused at to why if they were so very much in love only 5 years ago, why they didn't get married.

One quote from this novel gave me an idea on this topic. It has given me a glimpse into the mindset of Gatsby.
"...a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees-he could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder" (Fitzgerald, pg110).

I wonder if Gatsby had to chose between his love of Daisy and living a life of wealth and luxury.
"if he climbed alone"- To me, this seems to suggest that he had to go on in life, without settling down with a loved one and starting a family, if he was to make a name for himself. In order for Gatsby to "suck on the pap of life" and "gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder" he had to go out alone. I also want to guess that maybe he wanted to form all this wealth for Daisy. So, maybe someday Daisy would come to him and feel all the joys of riches.

The Great Gatsby: 98-108

F. Scott Fitzgerald has continued to change directions in The Great Gatsby. James Gatz is a minor character that was thrown into the novel. I was a tad confused here. It seemed to me that James Gatz was just a jounalist or a reporter who was trying to get Jay Gatsby in trouble some way. Also, this may just be me, but doesn't James Gatz and Jay Gatsby sound the same? I wonder if this is foreshadowing or will be relevant later on in the story.

Here again in this chapter of The Great Gatsby, I noticed that women remain subordinate to men. Being written at this time period and about the 1920s, this isn't so rare. On page 103, Fitzgerald writes," 'I wonder where the devil he met Daisy. By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me. They meet all kinds of crazy fish." In this quote right here, I noticed that maybe by his words "old-fashioned ideas," Tom Buchanan meant that women were becoming more and more involved within society; however, the mindset that these women are to remain in the home and stay within supervision is still extremely prominant.

I also learned some new information of Jay Gatsby between these pages. Daisy knew Gatsby from years ago. She explains that he got a great deal of money from his drug-stores. She admits that he owned and operated alot of these stores. This was new information that may explain why maybe he was being so secretive.

The Great Gatsby: 92-97

In these pages of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I began to see the love connection of Daisy and Gatsby begin to transform. "It was the hour of a profound human change," (Fitzgerald, pg95). This quote grasped the emotion in the air of the change from embarassment and longing to recollection and reunion. I believe Daisy and Gatsby wanted Nick to remain in the house with them for multiple reasons. To be a mediator and a supporter of the two long lost lovers. 


This book is just full of quotes that hold deep meanings. I found another one on page 96. "No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart." This quote holds so much truth though. If a man or a woman truly loves someone, nothing new or challenging can possibly change what they feel deep within their heart. An example of this would be in Dear John written by Nicholas Sparks. After John comes home from the war to find Savannah, the love of his life, married to another man, he can never come to find love as deep in any other person. We witness this emotional bond in almost every other romance movie or book.

The Great Gatsby: 81-91

F. Scott Fitzgerald does an amazing job at portraying the American lifestyle of the 1920s in The Great Gatsby. His work is very serious and contains a fictional story that we all in ways can relate to. However, I found a moment of satire in the novel! On page 85, Fitzgerald gives dialogue between Nick Carraway and Daisy Buchanan.
" '...Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour.'
'Come back inan hour, Ferdie.' Then in a grave murmer: 'His name is Ferdie.'
'Does the gasoline affect his nose?'
'I don't think so,' she said innocently. 'Why?' "

This was just a little moment that almost made me laugh out loud.


On page 86, I found a great example of imagery where the description really painted a picture inside of my mind. "Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes." In this one sentence, I can feel what Gatsby was feeling. I can see him standing there dripping wet and embarassed. Fitzgerald uses amazing action verbs such as "plunged" and "glaring". The way he uses similes in this sentence was extremely effective as well. The examples are "pale as death" and "his hands plunged like weights".

The Great Gatsby 72-80

F. Scott Fitzgerald continues to confuse me in The Great Gatsby. Right as I was getting used to his unique style of writing, he throws a curve ball in there. Out of the blue Fitzgerald switched the narration from Nick Carraway to Jordan Baker. It took me a minute to even figure out the change and had to reread the passage.

There was one sentence in particular that I thought was very helpful to understanding this quick change. "(said Jordan Baker that afternoon, sitting up very straight on a straight chair in the tea-garden at the Plaza Hotel)" (Fitzgerald, pg74). This was a very good example of setting as well as imagery. This was an extremely prudent insert into Fitzgerald's novel; otherwise, the reader would have no idea what the shift was or have any chance of understanding.

This is also maybe even considered a flashback and a story within a story! This could be an example of so many vocab words!


Another quote that I found worth mentioning is, "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired" (Fitzgerald, pg79). I believe this quote to be connectable to so many different aspects. In today's society there are always those who are working their hardest to compete for a job, for someone they are in love with, or even for their life. Then there are those people who are being pursued, those who are wanted for a certain job, a college, a team, for someone else's needs. Next, there are those who are too busy with life to stop and see what's around them or too busy to add any other activities. And of course, the tired. Today, many just quit and give up when they are too tired  or have worked so hard for so long. Some may not have even reached their initial goals in life.

The Great Gatsby: 61-71

As the chapters progress in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I can see a bond building between Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. This became very prominent to me when Gatsby began telling Nick the truth about his life. This was important because it seemed everyone in the city knew stories of Gatsby but at the end announced it was just a rumor they heard. No one really knew where he was from or how he came upon his money. To me, this seems as though that's the way Gatsby wants it; so it was out of his comfort to tell Nick his real story.

"He hurried through the phrase "educated at Oxford" or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him after all," (Fitzgerald, pg65). I wonder what bothered Gatsby about this? Why wouldn't he confide fully with Nick if he began to at all? Maybe Gatsby was hiding something terrible from the world. Although, I do have confidence that he is telling the truth. I believe Gatsby to be just a retired veteran and a young, educated man who found great wealth.

Another quote that I felt was extremely important at this point in the novel was on page 66, "Then the war came, old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed to bear an enchanted life." This quote really tells the reader alot about Gatsby's character. He must have been bearing a burden in his life to where a war was a relief to him, something to get away to. He even says he was just hoping he would die in the war and went out of his way to TRY to die. He did find that when in the end he couldn't succeed in dying, he must have a deeper meaning for the world. I believe this to be the wake up call Jay Gatsby needed.

The Great Gatsby: 49-59

I am continually surprised as to how The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is written. On page 55, he writes, "Reading over what I have written so far, I see I have given the impression that the events of the three nights several weeks apart were all that absorbed me." This sentence seems the novel to be almost like a journal written by the character Nick Carraway. There are only random phrases and sentences like this; however, when I have come across reading them, it does seem random. More than the majority is just written from the viewpoint of Nick but then it seems less like a story and more like he is writing a journal.

"Dishonesty in woman is something you should never blame deeply," (Fitzgerald, pg58). Here again is another example of sexism in this novel. It appears as though women cannot be blamed for what they have become because they are vulnerable or naive.

Another quote that I believe may be potentially important or may even be foreshadowing something is on page 59. "I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known." This may even connect to something later on in the story.

The Great Gatsby: 39-48

As chapter 3 unfolded in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I began to learn alot more about the people of this generation or rather just those presented in this novel. The fact that all of these people just show up to Gatsby's home without an invitation and without even knowing him is incredibly rude to me. It seems to me as though Gatsby is okay with this. Not only this, but the community expects these lavish and extravagant parties every weekend.

"There's something funny about a man like that...He doesn't want any trouble with anybody, " (Fitzgerald, pg43).  I found this quote to be extremely ironic as well. I took this explanation in a negative way. It sounded to me as though the woman Nick overheard saying this was criticising Gatsby. She was almost insinuating that he is only this nice so he doesn't get in trouble or that he has something to hide. Others in the book speculate different ways in which he obtained all his millions. All of the rumors aren't even righteous and all paint him in a bad light. It seems as though the people can't just accept the genuine generosity of Gatsby and are just looking for a way to put him down.


"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in a life," (Fitzgerald, pg48). This quote made me view Gatsby as a man with a kind soul. At this point in the story, it seems that Nick actually likes Gatsby, so I am a bit confused as to why in the first chapter it seemed that he didn't want anything to do with him.

The Great Gatsby: 23-38

As I continue reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I am continuously surprised at how comfortable all of these men and women are with the ideas of cheating on a spouse. It seems that through each marriage displayed in this novel, there is at least one spouse being unfaithful.

I was even more dumbfounded at the idea of Tom being comfortable with Nick meeting his mistress. Hello! Nick is cousins with his own wife! My only guess for this would be that either felt Nick wouldn't have the right to tell Daisy about this or that maybe even Nick wouldn't even care about it. 

Characters in this story just keep making excuses for the affair between Tom and Myrtle Wilson.

"Neither of them can stand the person they are married to...If I was them I'd get a divorce and married to each other right away," (Fitzgerald, pg33). And then, on the same page further down it says, "It's the wife that is really keeping them apart. She's a Catholic, and they don't believe in divorce." It's extremely ironic to me that Myrtle is being shown as a saint by not divorcing her husband. As if being unfaithful to her husband isn't going against God's commandments anyway! It'd be less of a sin to just get the divorce in my eyes! This excuse must only be to make Myrtle and all of those who know about the situation a way to see it in a better light and not as a selfish sin.

The Great Gatsby : 12-21

I was extremely surprised to find that within the first chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald there would be as much drama as there already is! Tom is having an affair!  I have already come to not like this character. Not only does he seem to have few morals, but he is arrogant. He has made racist and sexist remarks to Nick Carraway. For example, on page 13, Tom insinuates that whites are better than all other people when he says, "It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things." 


Another reaso. I have grown to dislike the character of Tom Buchanan is because of this quote from page 17, "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool- that's the best thing a girl can. E in this world, a beautiful little fool." This shows me that Tom, and maybe all men of this time period, believe that women should remain subservient to men. Tom believed that women should leave the work and smarts to me.n while their only job is to be beautiful. 


There were a few bits from these pages that I was confused by. One was how did Jordan Baker know Nick already? And my other confusion was why after all of the time of being Gatsby's neighbor, had Nick never been over to talk to or at least meet Gatsby? 

The Great Gatsby

As I began reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I noticed right away that it was written from the viewpoint of the narrator in first person. This person was Nick Carraway. I enjoy books written like this because even though the reader may only be given one side of the story for the majority of the book, the language and characters are consistent throughout. I feel like the stories can become a lot more personal when one character from the story itself is telling his part. 

These first few pages already began to confuse me. I realized that Gatsby was in fact a person. This person, though, I could not decide if Nick liked. On page 2, nick explains, "Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction-Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." From this quote I already felt that Nick Carraway had a story to tell us to fill the reader on what he exactly meant by this statement. Nick later on in the same page admits that he ended up liking Gatsby; I just felt it was a different way of starting out the novel- leaving out information that would be explained later on.

Just within these first 10 pages, I began to meet and understand a few characters. I am still a bit confused on Nick. He seems to be a man of modest income who owns his own home but isn't at all wealthy. He is a man who doesn't judge people without knowing them and doesn't place importance on material wealth. Nick lived alone and just came to America. 

The next character was was able to make up was Tom Buchanan. This is Nick's cousin Daisy's husband. I took away from these pages that Tom could not let go of his college football career and lived his life as a very proud man. It seems to me that Tom would do anything to remain popular and well respected amount his peers and community.

And Daisy. This young woman appears to be extremely naive and warm hearted. She comes off as lovely and cheerful but perhaps has this facade to cover up deep emotional issues. 

The House of Mirth: Book 2 Chapters 13-14

SHE DIES!? I could not believe the ending to The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I was completely taken by surprise. Lily had just met that Nettie Struther who felt excessive gratitude for her. This sudden increase to Lily's confidence and pride seemed to fill her with enough spirit to make it a little farther in life. Her depression seemed to weaken as her visit with this kind woman strengthened her. As I read, it seemed that holding Nettie's child and seeing how that family was able to pull out of such tough time was reenergizing her spirit.

As Lily lay in bed that night after the meeting of that kind woman, she felt whole again. Wharton says on page 262, "She had been unhappy, and now she was happy-she felt herself alone, and now the sense of loneliness had vanished." If Lily was to never wake up (which happened) I believe Wharton set her up to die happy and stress free.

The fact that Selden was coming to Lily that day makes me a little perturbed. It makes this love story all the more sad. This was probably the worst ending to a book I have ever read. It was just waay too sad for me.

The House of Mirth: Book 2 Chapters 11-12

I began to feel excessive grief in these chapters of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. As Lily was speaking to Selden, I could hardly keep myself from feeling that passion with her. There was much symbolism in these chapters. Lily's plan was to leave her good side, the side Selden had always known. The side she knew he had once and always loved.
"There is someone I must say goodbye to...the Lily Bart you knew. I have kept her with me all this time,, but now we are going to prt, and I have brought her back to you-I am going to leave her here. When I go out presently she will not go with me. I shall like to think that she has stayed with you-and she'll be no trouble, she'll take up no room" (Wharton, pg251).
This quote almost made me cry. She clearly came back to Selden to tell him how much she appreciated and loved him. I feel like she is leaving the side of her to him that she always wanted to become. The side that she could have become with him and with his marriage. However, for whatever reason she felt it was too late to follow this dream. I think her plan was going to be to somehow get married, maybe even to Rosedale if she could. I don't think she even wanted to do this all. Lily's process of clearing her name and clearing her debt seemed to include clearing her mind of her forsaken love to Selden. As she softly kissed him goodbye, I knew at that moment she symbolically said goodbye to the rest of her happiness.

The House of Mirth: Book 2 Chapters 8-9-10

These next several chapters in The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton produced many quotes that seemed important to me. Also, I was a bit confused by some events that transpired.

"it was easy enought to despise the world, but decidedly difficult to find any other habitable region" (Wharton, pg212). This quote right away made alot of sense to me. In terms of this book, it was easy for Lily to hate the world, society, drama, and her family and friends around her; however, it was extremely difficult for her to do something about it. She had seemed to go through all of her resources. She had used up all of her lifelines and lives. Now, it seemed she was at a dead end. What is worse than being stuck in a place you despise and have no way of getting out of?

I have a bad feeling about what will happen to Lily. She seems terribly depressed and at her wits end. She even has a bit of a breakdown in front of her dear friend Gerty Farish. One quote from this that struck me as a little funny and ironic was, "Miss Bart had not revealed to Gerty the full extent of her anxiety" (Wharton, pg217). I found this a little satirical as I read the dialogue between Miss Bart and Mrs.Farish. It seemed to me that she let herself completely go and confided in her dear friend. If that wasn't Lily showing her full anxiety, then I don't want to see what her full feelings are.


I was also confused on a few levels. Gerty and Selden seemed to be rather digusted at the idea that Lily was staying with Mrs.Hatch. I could not understand through the reading what was so wrong with her. As I read through chapter 10, the only thing I could tell was she was involved with prescription drugs. Was she a bad influence?