Frankenstein Doubling

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein uses the technique of doubling throughout the novel. The doubling relates three characters to each other. At the beginning of the story, we see the similarities between Walton and Frankenstein. We see how each of them have close sister like relationships, and each has a curiosity into how the natural world works. Frankenstein wants to know the secret of life, while Walton wants to know the secret of magnetism. More doubling takes place in the second half of the book between Frankenstein and his creation. Victor abandons his creature, leaving him alone by himself. Throughout the story, the creature makes Victor try to feel it feels. The creature lives without a friend in the world, and the creature makes that the life of Victor as well. He kills all of Victor's closest friends and family members. Frankenstein says :Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed" (Shelley 97). The monster hates himself so much, just as Frankenstein does after creating the creature. The two characters parallel throughout the story, showing how Victor and the creature he loathes so much are not all that different, and are actually the same.

Frankenstein Overall Impression of the Book

Overall, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was a well written book that contains many depths and complexities. The story has many characters that bring up a wealth of emotions. The brilliance of the story to me, is that Shelley was able to make a ugly disgusting monster that is so easily related to. It is pure brilliance to make something that is so easy to hate so easy to love. The monster's "Yellow skin scarcely covered his work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly witness  but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his water eyes..."(Shelley, 35). Even though the monster kills people and has disgusting yellow skin, Shelley is able to make the reader pity the creature. The reader feels sorry for the events that have happened to the creature. All the creature wanted was love, and when that was not given back to him, he was forced to make it for himself. While the monster shouldn't have killed so many people, I cannot blame it because of how he was treated by humanity. This story shows that there is a consequence to actions, and because of the rejection of the creature, he lashed out onto humanity.

Frankenstein Opionion of the Monster

While many people hate the monster in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," for the many deaths he caused, I do not. Rather, I feel sorry for the monster. His life has not been easy, and the acts he commits directly relate to the difficulty of his life. Humankind has never treated the creature well. The creature is condemned just because of his very existence. While some may feel sorry for Victor because of the loss he has endured, I believe Victor deserved every thing that came to him. Victor had no pity for his creation that he abandoned. He treated his creature with nothing but anger, and his creation gave him several chances to find the creature a companion. Victor brought the mess upon himself and his family by abandoning his beast. Victor becomes a slave to his creature, because how how he treated the new born monster. The monster says"You are my creator, but I am your master:--, obey! (Shelley, 122)." The monster has had to force a role reversal in order to get himself some sort of companionship.

Frankenstein Nature v. Nurture

In Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", the concept of nature versus nurture plays a pivotal role in the development of the creature. It is often debated whether the monster was created as evil, or if he became that way through his experiences. Some believe the monster was evil from its creation. I contend however, that it was made evil. Initially, the monster was like a newborn. It did not know what to do with itself, and was abandoned. Just as children who are abandoned often end up living hard lives and are more likely to enter into a life of crime, so was the monster. The monster is like an abandoned child. The tough times that met him, were what caused him to act the way he did. He was not inherently evil, as some might claim, rather his nurture, or lack there of is what caused him to murder. The creature says to Victor "If you consent, neither you nor any other human being shall ever see us again..."(Shelley, 105). This shows the monster does not want to kill, he simply wants a companion.  He had no one to teach him, and to help him become a well adjusted member of society. He was forced to be an outcast, hiding in the shadows, because no one would accept him.

Frankenstein Alienation

Alienation is a key thematic topic in Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein". From the time Victor first creates his creature he suffers from alienation. His creator, his father, abandons him. The creature spends the duration of its life searching for something to give it a sense of affection. At the beginning of the story, the creature seeks affection from his creator who responds by abandoning him. Next, the creature seeks affection from the DeLaceys. He speaks to the old man and receives his one and only bit of acceptance. The man listens to him for a bit, but then Felix comes in and attacks the creature, giving just another dose of alienation. The monster is rejected time after time, creating a deep anger and hatred to society. The creature says"The agony of my feelings allowed me now respite: no incident occurred from which my rage and misery could not extract its food..." (Shelley, 100).The monster's alienation makes it go the killing spree of Victor's family so he too can feel the isolation the monster feels. The alienation of the monster creates the situation Victor is in. Alienation is the key factor that makes the story so tragic.

Frankenstein Thoughts

Reading "Frankenstein", by Mary Shelly, I am over all enjoying the story. I find it pretty interesting. While I am sometimes confused by the story, I have enjoyed it. The story is not what I was expecting at all. It is much deeper a story than I had expected. The story has a lot of things going on in it, and that gives it more meaning to me. Shelly has used multiple complex literary techniques and blended them together. This makes the story more unique, and helps the story to stick out from other stories. The creation of the creature, and the reaction Frankenstein has to the beast was rather interesting to me. Rather than celebrating his achievement, immediately Frankenstein realizes that he should not have created his creature. He says"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!--God God! (35). This shows how Frankenstein hates his beast. He despises the creature, which I found rather surprising. I am finding the story interesting, and am excited to learn more.

Frankenstein Book versus Folklore

Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" is a much different story than I had originally expected. I thought the story would begin with Doctor Frankenstein, and had no idea of a ship captain. I assumed the peak of the story would be the creation of the monster, though it obviously is not. The book does not place much emphasis on the creation of the monster, saying only "I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet" (P. 34). To me, this seemed rather anticlimactic, There was no massive bolt of lightning sent through the inanimate body, simply a spark. The author spent so little time on the creation of the monster that it left me wanting for more. I wanted some details on how the creature was made, but sadly in this category it is lacking. Frankenstein is no where near what I had expected the story to be. While in some cases it has underwhelmed me, in most places it's a pretty good story. While the details don't exactly match up with what I thought would happen, they are still interesting and tell a very good story.

Frankenstein Flashback

The novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, is told almost entirely through flashback. All of the story Frankenstein tells to Walton is told looking back. For instance, towards the beginning of Frankenstein's flash back, he says""I, their oldest child, was born at Naples, and as an infant accompanied them in their rambles" (16). Frankenstein tells his story at the very beginning, his own birth. Frankenstein sometimes goes into a bit too much depth, but he makes up for it in his extreme detail. The way the story is told as a flashback, makes the story a first hand story. Frankenstein is directly relating his experiences with Walton. The way that the story is told from the past, makes the story more entertaining, but also makes the story feel more authentic. The flashback helps with making the story feel as if it is real, along with helping to keep the story interesting.

Frankenstein Frame Story

Mary Shelly tells her story "Frankenstein" in the format of a frame story. While I'm not yet sure the purpose of the frame story, I am sure it will have significant impact on the story. Two separate stories are told, that of a ship navigator, and that of a scientist. They each share similar characteristics. Frankenstein is a scientist who wants to create new life. His goal is to bring from death new life. Likewise, Walton hopes to be the first to find a path to the North Pole. He also hopes that he can discover how magnetism works at the pole. Both of these people have different careers, yet both have similar goals. They both want to achieve what has not yet been achieved. The frame makes the story interesting, because both of the stories within the frame are interesting. The story with in the story begins with "Strange and harrowing must be his story frightful the storm which embraced the gallant vessel on its course and wrecked it--thus! (14). The frame story makes the story interesting, and makes the reader wonder how the frame will relate to the story.

Frankenstein Direct Characterization

Throughout Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, direct characterization is used to describe the characters. Shelly goes on  throughout the story talking about the characters, directly telling their stories. Shelly goes on for multiple pages describing each character as they are introduced. This is key in how Shelly characterizes her characters. Talking about each character, including simply Frankenstein's parents requires a considerable amount of space in order for Shelly to tell about her characters. One thing I noticed regarding this is that while minor characters received rather lengthy characterizations, the creature Doctor Frankenstein creates receives significantly less space. Shelly is able to put the creature's characterization into a short amount of space yet still vividly describes the monster. She writes "His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was a lustrous black and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contract with his watery eyes..." (35). Shelly uses direct characterization in order to further her story, and give the readers a better image in their head.

Bartelby, the Scrivener

"Bartelby, the Scrivener" is an interesting story by Herman Melville. It tells the story of multiple odd personalities. A lawyer who refuses to make his employees follow his orders, a copier who can't write in the morning, a copier who can't write in the afternoon, and another copier who flat out refuses to copy any thing. Bartelby is the latter of the four. He is hired by the lawyer, and at first does very well. Later on however, Bartelby completely stops doing work. He begins as a great hard worker, but over time transitions into simply saying "I would rather not". He refuses to do anything the lawyer asks, and sustains himself on ginger nuts .Bartelby is such an odd character that I am not sure I have ever read of a character quite like him. I wish Melville would've given further insight into what was wrong with Bartelby. The lawyer as well is equally odd. When Bartelby  stops working, the Lawyer simply moves offices rather than firing Bartelby. This seemed extremely odd for an employer to be so afraid of firing his employee. This story was interesting due to the quirks of the characters. I am curious as to what Melville's intent was for Bartelby and why he acts the way  he does.

Miss Brill

"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield does a great job of characterization. While Mansfield does not directly characterize Brill, she does indirectly characterize Miss Brill through the actions of others. In the poem Miss Brill thinks of herself as an actress in a stage show. Mansfield writes "Even she had a part had a part and came every Sunday" (185). Miss Brill has a very high sense of herself. She often thinks of how old a person is, or how bad it would be to be a certain person. What's funny though, is that is exactly how she is. While earlier in the story she thinks of other people as "old," at the end, a couple of kids call her the old one. This is a great example of situational irony. The audience doesn't expect Miss Brill to be in fact a lonely old woman, we think instead she is simply listening to a band. Mansfield does a good job writing about Miss Brill and her peculiarities  Brill's fur coat is brought up throughout the story, and it shows how out of touch with reality she is. While the story was interesting, I thought it was also very sad. I found myself feeling sorry for Miss Brill at the end.

Much Madness is divinest Sense

While first reading Emily Dickinson's,"Much Madness is divinest Sense" I had absolutely no idea what was going on. When I went back through and tried to analyze it, I realized that she is saying madness is actually sanity. It's kind of crazy to think about, but at the same time kind of makes sense. She is saying that those that many who are deemed insane, are actually fully sane people who simply go against popular thought. It seems as if she is saying those who disagree with the majority are not insane. She is saying they simply have different opinions. She seems to want to stop the opinion that those who go against what most think are insane. She wants more diverse thought. I believe she wants people to think more freely without having to worry on the repercussions. Dickinson writes "And handled with a chain..." (7). This says that those who are deemed insane are forced to stay way from others. They are punished for their ideas.  I wonder if the story relates to Dickinson. Overall I thought this was a thought provoking poem that brought up good points.

APO 96225

While reading "APO 96225" by Larry Rottman, the first thing I noticed was the irony. The situational irony in this story gives it emotion. The irony brings feelings of sadness, but also brings humor. It is sad that the soldier's parents aren't willing to accept his actions in war, but humorous  because the reaction is different than what is expected. The reader expects the parents to console the son, for his actions, but rather he is told "Please don't write such depressing letters. You're upsetting your mother (14-15). In such a short story, Rottman is able to encapsulate many things into 20 lines. He shows the public opinion of the Vietnam War. He also relates the many emotions that were swirling around. He shows the sadness, and bad that it brought. The thing that stuck out to me was how the parents were against the son even though he was simply doing his job. The way his parents disown his actions seemed terrible because the soldier was simply doing his job.

I Felt a Funeral in My Brain

"I Felt a Funeral in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson is a great example of imagery. Many of Dickinson words relate to the senses, and bring vivid images. For example, Dickinson writes "A service like a drum--kept beating--beating--till I thought my mind was going numb..." (5-8). This quote brings to mind the sound of drums beating. The repetitive sounds are instantly recognizable. The poem continues with imagery with each line containing amazing imagery. It makes the poem more easily read, because one can more easily imagine what is being described. While I didn't completely understand the meaning of the poem, I appreciated the imagery used by Dickinson. She did a great job creating her words in the mind of the reader.

“Crossing the Bar”

“Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, uses metaphor to talk about death. He uses a sand bar to describe the barrier between life and death. He is living life, and hopes to avoid death. He says "And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea." This says that while he is living his daily life, he hopes not to die. While death is on his mind, he does not seem to fear it. He doesn't want any one to fear for his safety, though he knows he may die. At the end of the poem, he seems to take a christian stance on death. He hopes to meet his pilot, who represents God. The story uses the metaphor of a sand bar to represent the wall between life and death. It uses a real life scenario to show the intricacies of life and death. I like the use of metaphors to more easily explain complicated subjects.

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas, uses repetition to bring home his message. He uses the phrases "Do not go gentle into that good night," and "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" repeatedly. These say that one should never choose to die, rather doing all in his will to stay alive. What I got  from this poem, is that man has too much to still do, and achieve to simply give up to death. One must fight death, with all his might, so he can make his mark on the world. It seems that the poet himself felt this way, wanting to leave a lasting influence of his own. This poem has a powerful message, not to allow death to take  one, for one has too much still to do. I agree with this poem, because I think there is always more life to live. No matter how great a life one lives, or how old one lives to be, there will always be more that one could have done. One should always live life to the fullest, and never accept the blows life deals.

"Death, be not proud"

"Death, be not proud," by John Donne is a very interesting poem. It talks about death in a way that is not often heard. It speaks on how death is really not all that powerful. It is not something to fear, it is something to embrace, though it has little power. Death holds no power, the poem says "Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men." This means that death's power is overshadowed by the actions of the great like kings, and the lowly such as the desperate. This all makes sense as one reads the poem. The one thing that is confusing, however; is when the poet mentions sleep. I didn't really understand where he was going with that, and am puzzled as to what he means. I think he is saying that death and sleep are essentially the same thing, which I don't quite get, and because of that one ought want death, for it would bring the same  good tidings that sleep does. Overall, I enjoyed the message of the poem, but likely because of the dated diction, part of his message was lost to me.

A Rose for Emily

While reading William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," one thing I noticed was the narrator. It was not told in the typical fashion, of a single first or third person narrator, it is instead told in that of the first person plural point of view. This allows the reader to get an insight not usually seen in stories, that of a community rather than a single person. This can even be seen in the key quote of the story, "Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair." A group of people has found this hidden room, rather than a single person. The quote shows how Emily had been recently sleeping with a long deceased Homer Barron, leading to thoughts of whether or not she murdered him. While the form of narration may  not have been completely essential to the telling of this story, I think it made it more interesting, and different. It helps to take the reader away to another world, through it's use of words like "we", and "our". This story is interesting, and ends with a twist, making an overall enjoyable read. 

The Lottery

"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson tells the story of a lottery. It is not the lottery one would expect, however; for instead of a cash reward for being chosen, one receives the end of one's life. While reading the poem, one does not pick up on Jackson's hints throughout the story, but after rereading, it all becomes clear. She eloquently uses foreshadowing in this story. From the beginning, she hints at the "winner's" reward. She talks about how the children are collecting rocks in the town square. While this may seem trivial, for children often do things like this, it shows they are preparing for the lottery. Even the name of the postmaster who is mentioned is Mr. Graves, showing a grave ending to this story. One man mentions that the people in the north are considering ending their lotteries. One wonders why the people are ending their lotteries, though it becomes clear at the end. The one comment that gives some insight into the lottery is by the oldest man in town, who says "Lottery in June, corn to be heavy soon." While one has no idea what this means at first, we come to learn he is speaking of ritual sacrifice in hopes of plentiful crops. Shirley Jackson's foreshadowing warrants this short story a second reading, which one will likely find even better than the first.

The Glass Menagerie Tone

Tennessee Williams "A Glass Menagerie" is defined by it's tone. "Laura Wingfield... having failed to establish contact with reality, continues to live vitally in her illusions" (1234).Williams presents a very bleek, and gloomy. No one in the story is truly happy. Not a one of the characters has what they truly want. From the beginning, the audience is introduced to a fatherless home. The mother lives in the past, while the son lives only for the future. Amanda relives her days of greeting gentleman callers, which makes the audience feel sorrow for the mother whose only positive experiences are in her past. Just as Amanda hates the present, so does Tom. He dreams for escape of the present, hoping that someday he can pursue his dreams of excitement and adventure. The fact that these two resent their present makes the audience feel the tension between the members of the family. Also, the sadness and frustration of the characters is put upon the audience instilling the characters feelings upon them. Tennessee Williams truly makes this story through his sad bleek tone.

The Glass Menagerie First Person Point of View

First person point of view is vital to the development of the plot of Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie". Williams writes "Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details  others are exaggerated..." (1235). Throughout the play, the audience sees the story through Tom Wingfield's eyes. His views bring us a unique narration to the story, and help the play to stand out. Tom's view does not make this story a positive one, nor did it make the story more enjoyable, but it did help to make the story more interesting. Showing a character living bleakly in a world that he despises, makes the audience want Tom to find an escape. The audience hopes that Tom will be able to achieve his poetic dreams, but rather he finds no release, or escape from his family. Tom is forced instead of moving up, to simply move out. This made sense to me, because of how his mother treated him, and how fragile his sister was. Tom provides a unique view, that ultimately creates the mood of the story.

Glass Menagerie Thoughts

Overall, I must admit I didn't especially enjoy Tennessee Clinton's "The Glass Menagerie." I didn't especially enjoy the bleek tone of the story. Also, I did not find the characters especially relatable. None of the characters actions or words make the audience like them especially. The audience feels sympathy for all the characters, though does not feel enough sympathy to make the audience feel overemotional. I found I felt little emotion for the characters and their trials. I think Williams wrote what he himself was feeling. I'm sure those going through a situation like the Winfield family agree with certain characters, though I found they all had their own wrongs. Tom, rather than making the best of his situation, simply abandons his family. Amanda cares more for finding a suitor for Laura than supporting Tom and his dreams, and Laura is simply a nervous wreck who pukes everywhere when in social settings. The story could have used more humor to make the dark tone a little more manageable.  Williams one example of humor says "No--I remember her perfectly now. Her hands shook so that she couldn't hit the right keys! The first time we gave a speed-test, she broke down completely--was sick at the stomach and almost had to be carried into the wash-room." (1242). While I didn't like the play, I did think it was well written and developed.

Glass Menagerie Connections

Tennesse Williams' "The Glass Menagerie"  reminded me heavily of the other stage piece I have read this year, "A Raisin in the Sun". Both of these poems show a family that has hopes that are greater than what is currently possessed. Tom wants to live adventure; Walter wants to own a liquor store. Amanda wants her daughter to get married, and to live her life vicariously through her daughter: Mama simply wants to own her own house. Both of these families have dreams, though in Raisin a happy ending comes, Glass Menagerie shows a bleaker outcome. While the Younger family is kept strong through their trials, The Wingfields are driven apart. Tom abandons his family in an effort to be happy. "I didn't go to the moon, I went much further--for time is the longest distance between two places--not to long after I was fired for writing a poem on the lid of a shoe-box.I left Saint Louis." I found myself relating the plays to eachother, focusing on their similarities and differences.

The Glass Menagerie Symbol

Throughout the "Glass Menagerie," Tennessee Williams uses symbolism to show real people and events through objects. Williams explicitly describes the physical representations of the symbols he uses. The first symbol presented is that of the fire escape. Williams writes "The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire-escape, a structure whose name is a touch of accidental poetic truth, for all those huge buildings are always burning with the slow and implacable fires of human desperation" (1235). The fire escape represents Tom's escape. His soul is burning with desperation, for his need to escape the family. Tom deeply resents his family, making him yearn to leave the family. He often goes out on the fire escape to escape the family. The other example of symbolism is that of the glass menagerie itself. All of Laura's glass figures represent her. They exemplify her personality perfectly. They are delicate, and in the right light extremely beautiful. Laura is a very nervous and delicate young lady. She is very shy, and is not good around people. While this would turn off many people, when she is platformed well and gets all dressed up, she can become beautiful. Rather than the bland person she usually is, she becomes more colorful, and is more acceptable to the outside world.

Those Winter Sundays

Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays" really made me think. The poem talks about a father who without thanks works hard every day to keep the house warm, and the family happy. No one ever thanks him. "Speaking indifferently to him, who had driven out the cold and polished my good shoes as well" (Hayden). This tells the audience that he does these things, not for the thanks, but simply for the well being of his family. The author realizes that he has not fully understood the great things that his father had done for his family. I fell I sometimes too act in this way. I simply assume my parents will do the great things they have always done for me. I don't take the time to thank them for their work. From this poem, I've reflected upon my own life. I know understand I can't take those who are dear to me for granted. I must thank them for their work they do to help me and make my life better, and try to repay them in whatever way I can.

The Joy of Cooking

The Joy of Cooking by Elaine Magarrell, is a perfect example of a metaphor. The poem speaks intensively on a rather disgusting topic. Magarrell writes as if she is creating a cannibal cook book. Rather, she is describing the problems she has with her siblings. First she writes "I have prepared my sister's tongue..." (Magarrell). She is not hoping to have a nice dish of tongue however, she is simply explaining her sister's shortcoming. It seems her sister has a problem involving her tongue, perhaps she is harsh with her words. She uses her words as a weapon, perhaps hurting her sister with them. Whatever the case, Magarrell is fed up with her sister. She is also fed up with her brother. "I will have my brother's heart" (Magarrell). Her brother must be a cold, mean person. He does not act with the compassion that one's heart provides. She is frustrated with how both her siblings treat her. Rather than trying to eat her siblings, Magarrell is simply trying to explain her frustrations with them.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer, follows a quite interesting story. A man is a awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of his house settling. When he tries to go back to bed he tries to get himself to fall back to sleep by telling himself a bedtime story. He tells a story of a world full of robbers, and of a competing neighborhood to get the latest and greatest security. One family even puts a constantine wire, to keep the intruders out. The story seemed rather odd while I was reading it. I wondered where the story was headed, and what the point of it was. The people had a seemingly innocent goal, to protect their property and livelihood. The outcome from these was not ideal. Rather than ending in the hopeful security, destruction is the outcome. Gordimer writes "...The shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor teeth to his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle" (Gordimer, 236). The son ends up being mutilated in the wire that was meant to protect him. Even the truest goals can have the worst consequences.

The Drunkard

The Drunkard, by Frank O'Conner utilizes the literary technique of irony, throughout the story. The irony helps to show the humor of the story, and overall makes the story interesting. The story involves a father and son, and the relationship between them. The father is a drunk, and the son notices this about his father, and can see the warning signs and effects of his drunkenness. After a funeral, when the father orders a couple of pints of beer, the son decides to see what it takes like. The young boy is immediately plastered after one beer. He goes on to go on drunken slurs, and overall make a fool of himself. O'Connor writes "Who are ye laughing at? I shouted, clenching my fists at them. I'll make ye laugh at the other side of yeer faces if ye don't let me pass." (O'Connor, 350). This is a great example of irony due to the role reversal. The son is acting in the way his father usually would. What is especially ironic, is the father's reaction when he sees his son. The father is embarrassed, and gets angered. He fails to understand the way his son and wife are forced to see him, whenever he himself gets drunk.

A Worn Path

One of the things I picked up on in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, is symbolism. The story revolves around a grandmother on a journey to get medicine for her grandchild. As is typical with most journey related stories, the central character faces many challenges along the way. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother, phoenix says "Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and little bobwhites....Keep the big wild hogs out of my path" (Welty 223).The journey in the story represents the journey of life. Along the way, many challenges come up. Life does not simply move on without trial, it moves in an unpredictable way that brings us challenges unimaginably difficult. That being said, man still perseveres. Just as the grandmother keeps on moving, undeterred by the obstacles, man too must move on. He must not get stuck up on one of the many curve balls life throws. Rather, he must adapt, find a solution to his challenges. Even though it is often difficult, man completes his challenge, just as the grandmother finishes hers.

A Raisin in the Sun Question 8

In Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," there are two deeply contrasting characters. They revolve around Beneatha Younger. Her two suitors are stark opposites, in their approach to society. The first, George Murchison, is a wealthy black man. He has assimilated into the mainstream society, in order to increase his value. He believes the black culture should move into the popular culture in order to keep their relevance, and importance. The other suitor of Beneatha is Joseph Asagai. He is a Nigerian student, who is deeply in touch with his African heritage. He rejects the idea of african americans moving merging with the white society. He believes they should preserve their cultures separately.  Beneatha ends up choosing Joseph. That is, she chooses her African American heritage, over the new aged African American society of the day. She believes she must look to the past of her culture, rather than the future of her people. She is against assimilation, and thinks it is better to be separate. Beneatha says "The only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people" (Hansberry 456). Beneatha believes she should focus on her heritage rather than the wealth of George.

A Raisin in the Sun Question 3

In a "Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, three characters can be distinctly described. Three can be considered those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. The person who makes things happen in the story is the family's father. It is because of his hard work that the family has been able to stay afloat. The insurance check gives the family their first glimmer of hope, in the gleam wall of dispair. The person who could be described as watching things happen, is Ruth. Ruth does not actively make any major decisions in the story, but she supports those she loves, and hopes they reach the proper decision. She always has the family's best intentions in mind, and is always hopeful that they will come out better in the end. Ruth says "You know what you should do, Miss Lena? You should take yourself on a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace... "(Hansberry 451). Ruth always looks after others, over herself. The one who could be described as those who wonder what happened, is Travis. Travis is not involved directly with much any of the story. He is unaware of the drama unfolding, happy enough in his own little world. The characters together make a quite interesting story, helping to show the values of the family, and the rewards of their struggles.

A Raisin In the Sun Symbols

While reading "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, I noticed two primary symbols. The first is that of the window in the apartment. It is the only window in the apartment, and as such, the only source of natural light. I believe this window to represent hope to the family. The family hopes that they can move up, and get out of this apartment. Mama specifically, is always hoping to move into a house, that they own, rather than paying rent to an apartment. The window represents the hope to move outside of the apartment. The other symbol I found, involves Mama's plant. Mama's plant represents hope, as well as the window, but in a different way. In the small patch of dirt, with the small amount of sun available in the apartment, the plant is constricted. It can never grow to it's full size within the small confines of the apartment. As the family leaves the apartment, their hope increases. The amount of space available for the plant to grow increases as well. The plant can grow infinitely large at the family's new home, just as their hope, can go nowhere but up, with the ownership they have just recently acquired. Towards the end of the play, Hansberry writes "Open It! (She does and lifts out an elaborate, but very elaborate, wide gardining hat, and all the adults break up at the sight of it" (Hansberry 514). Mama has moved from being the caretaker of a single plant to being a gardener.

A Raisin in the Sun Dynamic Character

In the Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, one character stuck out to me as a dynamic character. Walter, the new man of the house, after his father's death, strikes a crucial change. He realizes that the family's hopes are bigger than him. While in the beginning, and almost to the end, Walter is bitterly obsessed with opening a liquor store, seeing that as his only way to move up in life. Walter sees his ambitions as dramatically more important than the rest of the family's, and as such promotes them in that fashion. After Mama puts the down payment on the house, Walter tries to put her into a guilt trip, so she will give him the money. He never stops to think that he is not only putting his goals in front of the rest of the family, but using his goals to squash the rest of the family's goals. When he uses both the money allotted for his investing, and for his sister's medical school, for his liquor store venture, Walter's ego hits the top. He then later comes down to realize that his family is more important than he is individually. Walter says "We arwe very proud people. And that's my sister over there and she's going to be a doctor..." (Hansberry 532). Walter understands the family's source of hope is the new house, and that their dreams would fit together around the structure of the house.

A Raisin in the Sun Setting

The setting of "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry is critical to the story. The main setting for the story, is the apartment of the Younger family. "The once loved fabric of the couch upholstery has to fight to show itself under acres of crocheted dollies and couch covers which have themselves finally come to be more important than the upholstery" (Hansberry 435). This shows that while the apartment was once a symbol of hope, neatly created by mama, it has now become a symbol of the family's oppression. The couch is stuck underneath the couch covers, exasperated by the weight of them, just as the family is of living in the small apartment. The whole family of four adults, and a young child live within a two bedroom apartment. The only source of light in the apartment is a small window, showing how the family has little hope, just as they have little sun. The family believes that the life insurance check will bring them out of their dispair, and as such out of the small apartment. The apartment seems to represent all the broken dreams that the family has had, and all the challenged that came up along the way. Mama had originally planned on living in the apartment for only a short time, moving into a house. That never happened. Instead, Mama has spent the entirety of her adult life inside the apartment, and needs to move on, and as such will move on to a new segment of her life, one where her dream is the limit, rather the confining walls of the small apartment.

Interpreter of Maladies

Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies, is a short story written by Jhumpa Lahiri. It really stuck out to me, because of the fact that the other poems and the other short story, that told an actual story, were all about African Americans. This story, however; is about an Indian American family. They in India to visit family. The literary technique I found central to this story is that of the style of narration. The story is told in a third person limited point of view. This allows the third party to watch the Das family, and to make observations about them, observations normal people would make. For instance, Lahiri writes, referring to Mr. Das "He had a sapphire blue visor, and was dressed in shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt" (Lahiri). This goes along well with the theme of identity. Even though Mr. Das is of Indian descent, and is even in India, he is still wearing very American clothing. Mr. Das's identity is not that of his parents, Indian, it is very different. I can only imagine in India, many people wearing traditional clothing, with a man wearing a bright blue visor. You can imagine he would stick out like a thumb. Had it not been for the point of view, this observation would not have been made. We would not hear about Mrs. Das's affair, in nearly the same way. The third person limited point of view is crucial to the telling of this story, and the effect of identity it puts forth.

Everyday Use

Alice Walker

Every day use is a short story by Alice Walker, that recounts a story about a mother and her two daughters. The technique I found most useful in this story is diction. The way the narrator speaks in this story, really makes the story come alive. It is as if we are reading the mother's diary, on what happened that day. The whole story feels very personal, and makes the reader feel as if he is in the story, watching the story as it unfolds. The mother says "He flew to marry a cheap city girl of ignorant flash people." (Walker) This quote shows that the mother thinks poorly of herself. This continues throughout the entire story. Mama seems to always think of herself as subpar, and not good enough. She sees Dee, educated, and dating an educated man. The thing I saw that really stood out to me was at the end, when Dee says that mama doesn't understand her heritage. I found this to be false. Mama is aware of her humble heritage. Her family, and the things they'd made, the life they'd lived. Mama focuses on the humble life her family has maintained. Dee has grander aspirations. She is not interested in any quilts except for those made by her grandmother with civil war scraps. She cares not for her own history, but for history itself. Mama cares about where she came from, Dee is interested only in the part of her family that has moved her forward.

Hazel Tells Laverne

Hazel Tells Laverne by Katherine Howd Machan, is a very different story. It is told in a very odd way, and has no punctuation. The poem is riddled with literary techniques. The many I noted include personification, motif, anecdote, ballad, allusion, and colloquialism. The ones I found most important are motif and colloquialism. The colloquialism gives insight into the identity of the narrator. Machan writes, "well i screams' ya little green pervert an i hitsm with my mop an has ta lush the toilet down three times" (Machan).  This shows that the narrator is uneducated. My guess is that she is African American, due to the fact that the other poems that I have profiled, have been about African Americans.  The other important literary technique is motif. Machan repeats the phrase "me a princess" (Machan) twice. This shows that Hazel doesn't think much of herself. She doesn't believe she can be a princess. She believes she couldn't possibly be chosen to be the frog prince's princess. The poem shows that importance of even the uneducated, and the poor. It is not simply the classic snow white, Cinderella character that can become a princess. Even Hazel, an uneducated person can be chosen by the frog. We all have importance, and are all of great value.

Mr. Z

M. Carl Holman

The next poem I read, was "Mr. Z", by M. Carl Holman. The first things I noticed were that the poem is split into 4 stanzas, doesn't give the character a specific name, and has an ironic tone. I think the reason Mr. Z isn't given a name is in order to not reveal any thing about the character. The author wants the reader to be free of preconceptions while reading the poem. The reader is forced to figure out who Mr. Z is through text alone, with little help from the title. It seems to me that Mr. Z is a man who rejected his African American heritage. I came to this conclusion through multiple lines throughout the poem. The poem reads "His palate shrank from cornbread, yams and collars" (Holman). This shows that he is going away from the traditionally thought of African American stapes, and moving on to a more Caucasian cuisine. The irony comes into play with the last line. Holman writes "One of the most distinguished members of his race" (Holman). Him being called the greatest member of his race is highly ironic, because he doesn't live his race, and it's culture, instead, he shunned it, moving away from it, choosing instead a more white way of acting.

Dream Deferred

Langston Hughes

While reading "Dream Deferred", by Langton Hughes, there were a a few things that struck me. First, I noticed repetition in the layout. There was repeated use of question marks and similes. Another thing I noticed is that the last like of the poem: "Or does it explode?" (Hughes), is a metaphor rather than a simile. While I initially did not understand this poem, after talking it over with some peers, I came to the conclusion that the poem was about The Civil Rights Movement. The dream is the African American dream of equality. They have been set aside, and treated poorly for so long, that they finally explode, and fight for their rights. After a bit of research into the poem, it appears it is also named "Harlem". This seems to show that the poem is about the oppression of the African American population, coming up to the Civil Rights Movement.

Perrine Blog Post

I have to say that I feel enlightened after reading the Perrine article. While I was reading the poems for class earlier, I had no idea what was going on in these poems. I did my best, and came up with what I thought were some good ideas, but they were not "correct". While reading this article, I found myself agreeing with the ideas about poems. I agree that while more than one poem interpretation may not be completely wrong, a small amount always is more correct than the others. The idea that those which rely on the least assumptions makes complete sense, and I agree one hundred percent. The idea about symbols, I also thought was correct, where rather than being metaphors for other things, they are actually the things that are mentioned, but simultaneously represent something greater than themselves. This makes sense to me, rather than being just one representing another, one thing can actually represent both.

While reading this, I found the actual meanings of the poems that we read in class very interesting. I initially thought Dickinson's poem was about flowers and bees, and while I was right in a way, Perrine showed that a representation of a sunset actually makes sense. I suspect those who said the poem was about a sunset for homework, however looked up the poem and gained that knowledge through the internet. While reading about the poems by Melville and Whitman, I thought I already knew everything about these poems. I thought they were about war, and that was it. Little did I know that Melville's poem was actually about the stars. After rereading the poem, I thought that was definitely fitting, and had I thought to look past the soldiers, I probably would have seen the stars. The poem by William blake was about corruption and good, I figured that much. I didn't figure though, that it could have so many meanings, and that they all could be correct. Overall, I feel I have gained a deeper insight into the world of poetry through this article.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 169-180

I just finished reading The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. While there were times, I wondered the points of the book, at the end I must say, it was a great story. Even though Gatsby wasn't even in the first parts of the story, and we didn't really, truly meet Gatsby until the ending parts of the book, I now know why the book is called the Great Gatsby. Even though Gatsby threw lavish parties, and was nothing but nice to all those he met, and was a great host to the many who were in attendance at his parties, there were only three men in attendance at his funeral. I felt extremely sad for Gatsby, that no one bothered to come to the funeral. When I read "What I called about was a pair of shoes I left there. I wonder if it'd be too much trouble to have the butler send them on. You see, they're tenis shoes, and I'm sort of helpless without them" (Fitzgerald 169), I found myself furious. Nick had just told this man that Gatsby had died, and asked him to come to the funeral, when the man responded that he'd try to come, but he had a picnic he had to go to instead. It truly puts the value of the human life in perspective. Even though Gatsby was a good man, and had met many, he still only had three at his funeral. None of the many people he met were truly his friends, only Nick opened himself up to be a friend. While I hoped Gatsby would end up happy with Daisy, I see now why he had to die. In death, he is immortalized. He made something great of his life, and in death, he I see him as the man who died tragically due to the words and actions of a rich man who cared for no one but himself, Tom Buchanan. I hated him from the beginning, and hate him ever so much more now, for getting The Great Gatsby killed.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 157-168

In this section of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald Gatsby meets an untimely demise. Distraught over his wife's death, George searches for his wife's killer, sure the driver of the yellow car was also the man she was cheating with. In all reality, the man George killed was neither. Gatsby was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and because of that was killed by George. I found this event very sad, and grim. I had been holding out for a happy ending, and I knew all was lost when shots were fired. I don't understand why authors think their books have to be tragedies. I like a happy ending just as much as a sad one, and think it works just as well. Anyways, this section, also made me ever angrier at Tom. Tom in all reality gets Gatsby killed. Myrtle saw Tom drive up to the garage in Gatsby's car earlier, and she is trying to get Tom's attention when Daisy hits her.Tom has been nothing but bad in this story since the beginning. It also seems Nick is finding it hard to find Gatsby's true friends, who knew who he truly was. No one seems to want to admit their connections to old Gatsby, and I find that sad. "It was after we started with Gatsby toword the house that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete" (Fitzgerald 162). The word holocaust is used in this sentence, and while if you're just reading this quote it may seem overblown, but after reading the book, and investing into the characters, it seems fitting to call the killing of two people a holocaust. I have enjoyed this book, and wish that Gatsby had gotten what he wanted. I wonder what surprises, if any will come in the last section.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 145-156

In these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, essentially nothing of interest happens. We learn a little more about Gatsby's past, how he loves Daisy, and she loved him. While reading this section, I found myself just wondering what Daisy's decision would be. Fitzgerald writes " He couldn't possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldn't bear to shake him free" (Fitzgerald, 148). From this quote it seems as if Daisy is going to choose Tom. I found this chapter had a tired feeling. I can feel the end of the story coming to an end. A decision will come soon, on who Daisy truly loves. I also wonder if Daisy will find out about Tom's mistress. I am waiting to see how this story will ultimately come to a halt.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 133-144

In these pages of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, an unfortunate event occurs. A woman is run over in the middle of the street in a tragic hit and run. Myrtle ran out into the street, and was hit by a car. A yellow car, heading away from New York. "Its driver hurried back to where Myrtle Wilson, her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and mingled her thick dark blood with the dust", She is dead, and Gatsby's car has hit Myrtle, while Daisy was driving (Fitzgerald, 137). It is sad to me that a woman was hit by a car, running into the street, especially by Daisy. It seems a bit unlikely that Daisy, Tom's wife would hit Myrtle, Tom's mistress. This seems a bit forced, and seems that it would almost never happen in reality. It does add a bit of humor though. Tom's losing his wife, and has now lost his mistress as well. I couldn't tell from the end of the fight between Tom and Gatsby, whether Daisy would choose Tom or Gatsby, but I hold out hope that she will choose Gatsby. Gatsby, even after being in a car crash, is still a gentleman, willing to take the fall for Daisy's hit and run. It seems Tom may now abuse Daisy, like he abused Myrtle that day in the hotel, for going with another man. I hope Daisy makes the right decision, and chooses Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 121-132

In this section of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Gatsby and Daisy's love affair comes to a summit. After lunch, the group of Nick, Miss Baker, Daisy, and Tom head into town. They go to a hotel to make mint juleps. On the way there, Tom talks to Myrtle's husband, who is aware his wife is having an affair with some man, but doesn't know it's Tom. When they reach the hotel, in the room, Tom and Gatsby have an argument. They yell at each other over the woman they love. Tom is aware of the affair saying "I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife" (Fitzgerald, 130). It seems Daisy is going to choose Gatsby over Tom. This seems like a good choice, as Tom is a racist who breaks women's noses. I hope Gatsby and Daisy end up together, and Myrtle and her husband end up happily, leaving Tom cold and alone.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 109-120

F. Scott Fitzgerald, in this section of The Great Gatsby, writes more about the life of Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, and Tom. For a while it seems Gatsby is sick or something for his lights are all off. As it turns out, Gatsby for some reason fired all his servants and hired new. Later, Gatsby invites Nick, Daisy, and Miss Baker over to his house. Tom comes along as well, but this doesn't stop Daisy and Gatsby from exchanging a kiss. Fitzgerald writes "As she left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth" (Fitzgerald 116). It seems Gatsby and Daisy's relationship is still developing. They share a kiss, and it seems to not seem to have been their first since their meeting of each other again. It seems their relationship will continue to go forward, and they will end up together. This is what I hope will happen, with them living happily ever after.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 97-108

In this part of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a new pice of information on Gatsby is revealed. Jay Gatsby, isn't really Jay Gatsby. Gatsby's real name was James Gatz. Gatsby changed his name at the age of 17. We also learn that Gatsby didn't really inherit all of his money. He inherited $25,000, from a Dan Cody, after 5 years of work. Before that, Gatsby had been working odd jobs, just to keep a roof over his head. This shows to me that Gatsby is truly an intelligent man. He was able to make millions out of nothing. We then go to a party that Gatsby invited Daisy to, and Tom came along to. While at the party Tom says "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" (Fitzgerald 103). This shows, to me what type of man tom is. Tom looks to control his wife, and keep her doing what he wants. He doesn't believe she should be able to go around by herself, even though he is the one cheating on her. I am still waiting to see what will happen between Gatsby and Daisy. I am curious as to see what will come in the next section.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 85-96

In this section of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby and Daisy finally meet. Gatsby is so nervous at first that he barely even talks to her. After that however, things begin to warm up, and they are happy to see each other. It seems they may end up with a romantic relationship. I hope Daisy and Tom get divorced so Gatsby and Daisy can get together. Tom is a jerk, who is cheating on Daisy, while Gatsby is the man whose dream is to be with Daisy. Gatsby seems like a much better man than Tom Buchanan. A quote that struck me says "...I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes" (Fitzgerald, 91). This shows how important Daisy is to Gatsby. If Gatsby and Daisy end up together, it will be a happy ending. I wonder what will happen through the course of this book.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 73-84

In this section of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, we learn a crucial fact about Gatsby. This comes with vital knowledge about Daisy. When Daisy was younger, and Gatsby was getting ready to go to war, they dated for a while. Daisy was very much in love with him, but her family would not have it. The next summer, she ended up marrying Tom, regretfully, it seemed. We now know why
Gatsby is in this story, he and Daisy will be a budding romance. Also, adding to Gatsby's mysterious ways, we learn of one of his friends, "Meyer Wolfsheim? No, he's a gambler. Gatsby hesitated then added coolly : He's the man who fixed the World's Series back in 1919" (Fitzgerald, 73). I hope they end up together, unlike the characters in Mirth, that were constantly being pulled toward and away, only to end up alone without each other. I hope this story has a better ending than Mirth, that is happier. I hope all the characters get what they want and need. If this story does not end up better, I feel I will be bitter towards the both of them. While I can understand these books separately, they do seem to come hand in hand. 6

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 61-72

In these pages of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald finally reveals this great Gatsby. Gatsby and Nick take a ride in Gatsby's car, where he tells a bit about himself. He was educated at Oxford, and spent some time in the Great War. It seems that he is a man of great interest. From the limited information we have been given, we are told that he was essentially a war hero in World War I. I am interested to hear about some of his other exploits. It seems he is a man of great experience, and I wonder what else he has gotten through. I enjoyed this quote "Then came the war, old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed to bear an enchanted life" (Fitzgerald, 66). I thought this quote seemed to explain Gatsby well. Going off to fight a war, with bullets rushing through his hair, was a nice break for him. Gatsby also tells Nick there will be something for Miss Baker to tell him. I am curious to find this information and wonder why Gatsby couldn't tell Nick herself.

The Great Gtasby Pgs. 37-48

I finished reading the next section of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and a few interesting events have happened. One, Tom Buchanan broke his mistresses nose. She kept repeating Daisy's name, and he slapped her in face. This seemed to fit Tom's personality greatly, a large rich man with regards for no one except for himself, it came as no surprise that he also abuses women. On a lighter note, we finally meet the great Gatsby. This mystery man, who we've been waiting to meet has been revealed. Even Nick didn't know who he was though, at first.  There was a quote in the book, that I found a bit confusing, it reads "I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands. (Fitzgerald, 38)." What exactly does this quote mean? Why is the man in his underwear, and why is Nick by his bed? This quote brings up some different questions, and I am struggling to understand what exactly it means.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 49-60

Nothing huge happened in this section of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We met Gatsby, but we still don't really know him. We have heard all sorts of rumors about Gatsby, but do not know which are true, and which are false. At this point, I'm still wondering what Gatsby's significance is. I wonder how he will impact the story. We also met a character who was just hanging out in Gatsby's study, checking out his books for a while. Later, he gets into an accident where a wheel comes off of a car. I found this man fairly interesting. It seems as if Nick and Miss Baker are becoming a couple, from meeting at Daisy's, to going on dates together. I wonder where this romance will lead. Fitzgerald writes "I'd been writing letters once a week and signing them: love Nick..." (Fitzgerald 58). Nick writes in his letters that he loves her, with his closing. I'm wondering when the main conflict will begin, and for that part, what it will be.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 25-36

In these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, we learn that Tom Buchanan has a mistress. Nick meets her with Tom. The themes of wealth, are kind of annoying to me. I feel like I've gotten to much of the upper class. One thing that we are told is that Gatsby is a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm. This makes me excited to meet this mystery man. I wonder what role Gatsby will play in this story, and because the story is named after him, why he hasn't yet been introduced properly. I thought the quote "I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon" (Fitzgerald, 29), was fairly humorous. This quote shows that Nick doesn't especially want to be there, and gets drunk. I am wondering why we have been introduced to Buchanan's mistress, and what the story of the book will be.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 13-24

I read a bit more of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Not a lot has happened, but we learn that Tom Buchanan, Nick's cousin's husband, has a mistress. I find myself disliking Tom Buchanan greatly. He is a egotistical man, who seems to have everything in the world. He is incredibly rich, with large wealth. Also, he is a massive racist. He believes that his lineage is the best, and that it is imperative that the superior race holds all positions of importance. He says "It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things" (Fitzgerald, 13). This gives me an insight into racism at the time. It is obvious that there are racists and bigots at this time, who are against other races. While Mirth didn't have anything to do with racism, it seems it may become a theme throughout the story. From Tom Buchanan, I have become aware that there have been those who are angry towards anyone different from themselves, for no reason, but their own insecurities. I am still wondering how Gatsby will factor into the story, for as we know, the story is named after him.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 1-12

So, I started reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Right off the bat, I'm feeling definite parallells to The House of Mirth. Both of these books seem to be centered around the wealthy of New York, and seem to take place within a gap of close to 30 years. I'm wondering what else was going on in New York at the time, or even better yet, the rest of the United States. I feel like we are getting a fairly narrow view of the time, because we are focusing primarily on the wealthy. I think it would be nice to see the struggles of the poor at the time, or how the working class was getting through the period. That being said, Gatsby does seem to read more easily than Mirth. I like that the diction of Gatsby is more easily comprehended, and that it seems to move with more purpose. F. Scott Fitzgerald does a great job with imagery in this story. One quote that I found reads, "The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house" (Fitzgerald, 8). I am enjoying the story and wondering where it will lead me.

The End of the House of Mirth

I didn't really like the end to The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. In fact, I hated it. The one thing that the audience has wanted throughout the entire book, is for Selden and Lily to get married. Wharton knows that, and brings them together and apart way too many times. When it comes to the very end of the book, Selden of course realizes he loves Lily. At the end Wharton writes "At the very least he had loved her..." (Wharton 267).  This of course comes to late, for Lily has overdosed on sleep medicine. Really? I understand that the author didn't want to end the book with a fairy tale ending, but did she really  have to add insult to injury by having Selden want to mary the dead Lily? I found this ending had just a bit too much coincidence, as did other pieces of this book, like the meeting at Monte Carlo. This book overall, I found to be interesting. I would've hoped that more happiness would have come to Lily Bart, after she realized her obsession with money.

The House of Mirth Book 2 Chapters 11-12

In the 11th and 12th chapters of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, Lily has been fired from her job. I find it sad, but slightly humorous, that Lily gets fired from a job, for before, she was much to good for a job, yet now, she isn't good enough. Lily's getting fired just makes her story even sadder. This sets in on Lily, and she decides she will go blackmail Bertha Dorset. I thought for a moment, that the story may have a happy ending for Lily, but, alas, she decides she will go to Selden instead. It seems as if her life will not get on track. When she is with Selden, she burns the letters. She is now doomed to her meager existence. I still don't understand why Wharton couldn't have had Lily and Selden get married, having Lily get over her need for wealth that way. It doesn't seem the story needed to come to this, but truly it has. I would have much rather seen Lily and Selden together, for they were seemingly the perfect couple. Rather than the happy ending that could have been, it seems we are in store for a sad ending. While Lily was preoccupied with the material things in life, and wasn't the greatest of people, it doesn't seem fitting for her to end like this, poor, and fired from a job at a hat store. Wharton writes "What debt did she owe to a social order which had condemned and banished her without trial" (Wharton 244)?  Lily hadn't been given a fair chance to prove her innocence, but neither did she try to. Lily truly seems to be doomed to a poor lonely life.

The House of Mirth Book 2 Chapters 9-10

In chapters 9 and 10 of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, Lily has been brought all the way down to the working class. This is so very different from the Lily from the beginning of the story. In the beginning Lily would have used the letters to regain her social affluence. Wharton writes referring to Lily "She discovered an increasing sense of loneliness--a dread of returning to the solitude of her room, while she could be anywhere else, or in any company but her own" (Wharton 238). I still wonder why Lily is so hesitant to use the letters. While she doesn't want to hurt Selden, and I can understand that it would be the right thing not to turn in the letters, I would say not many would be able to hold back the evidence. I know that if I had gone from hanging out with the richest people of New York all the way down to making hats, I would have used the letters. She would have a whole lot of money, if she would just blackmail the wretched woman who would just be getting what she deserves. Lily is also taking sleeping medication, which can't be good, is Lily destined to become homeless and addicted to drugs now? I hope not, that does not seem like the woman we first met, yet it is entirely possible now. It is quite sad how bad Lily's life has gotten, she doesn't even talk to Gerty any more, for fear of running into Selden. I hope Lily's life picks up, for it's beginning to be a bit of a sob story.

The House of Mirth Book 2 Chapters 7-8

In chapters 7 and 8 of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, Lily is forced to move further and further downward on the social ladder. Wharton writes "Society did not turn away from her, it simply drifted by, preoccupied and inattentive, letting her feel, to the full measure of her humbled pride, how completely she had been the creature of it's favour." (Wharton 212)While in the beginning of the story, Lily would not even give Rosedale the time of day, she is now so bad off that she has to propose herself marriage to Rosedale. Oh how the great have fallen. I find it funny that Lily gives this man that she loathes so much an opportunity for marriage. What's even funnier is that he refuses her. It looks like Lily's out of options. Her life has gotten harder, and harder. It then seems that she and Selden might get back together, but when he rips up the paper, it seems even that path is no blocked off. I have no idea where the Lily Barton story may go from here, but I have a feeling she will not be able to go back to the rich life she is accustomed to. Our story may take a dramatic shift, if Lily cannot get her finances in order. I am curious as to what direction the story may turn.

The House of Mirth Book 2 Chapters 5-6

In chapters 5 and 6 of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, it seems Lily is going to go back to her old ways. Even though most all her old friends have abandoned her, Carry Fisher introduces her to the Gormers. Lily, feels that she is too good for the Gormers even though she has almost no money to her own name. Lily goes on a trip with the Gormers to Alaska, helping the Gormers to move up the social ladder. When at the Gormers newly built country-house, Lily runs into George Dorset. George obviously wants a divorce from his wife, and for Lily to mary him. Oddly enough, Lily makes a moral decision, saying no, for she doesn't want to ruin the marriage. Even though her getting the Dorsets divorced would ruin Bertha, who has screwed Lily multiple times, she still refuses. Later, Lily meets George Dorset and is able to again refuse him.Wharton writes "Their eyes met, and for a second she trembled again with the nearness of the temptation" (Wharton 201). This shows that while it may have helped Lily, she is able to make the right decision. While Lily is still focused deeply on money, it seems that she is beginning to become a better person. She has become more moral and upstanding, and I am interested to see where this leads, whether Lily will ever pass into Selden's "Repuclic of the Spirit" (Wharton 54).

The House of Mirth Book 2 Chapters 3-4

In these chapters of Edith Wharton's House of Mirth, Lily's life begins to crumble away. Lily's supposed friends seemingly are abandoning her. Even Lily's aunt abandons her in death, giving Lily ten thousand dollars, while giving Grace Stepney the rest of her assets. I am curious as to where the story will go from here. It seems Lily's influential friends want nothing to do with her now. Will Lily be able to keep her lifestyle afloat, or will she be forced to live like the lowly Gerty Farish. Wharton writes "Lily had the doomed sense of the castaway who has signalled in vain to fleeing sails" (Wharton 185). While in the beginning of the story, Lily condemns the life of Gerty to Selden, it seems Lily may end up living like her, with only 10 thousand dollars to her name, which she is yet to receive. Miscommunication seems to be key in this story, for Grace hated Lily, only because she thought Lily hated her. It is due to this miscommunication that Grace tainted Lily's aunt's views of her, and has now lost her inheritance. Likewise, had Lily's aunt only questioned her about the accusations brought ahead of her, they may have found the truth was not what was told by Grace. I am curious as to what direction the story will now head, for it seems that Lily's life may have changed for good.

The House of Mirth Book 2, Chapters 1-2

So, apparently about three months have passed since Selden put off Lily, and Lily went off to the Mediterranean. In the meantime, Lily's apparently been making quite a name for herself, going all throughout Europe, meeting the most elite, including Duchesses and Lords. Selden went off to Paris for a client, and is now on vacation in Monte Carlo. Of course, by some bizarre coincidence, Lily comes to be in Monte Carlo at the exact time that Selden is there. This seemed a bit ridiculous to me, that the particular day that Selden is just hanging out trying to get over Lily, Lily just happens up out of nowhere. Mrs. Fisher even says "She looks ten year younger--I never saw her so handsome" (Wharton 150). Fate seems to bring the two together, but will not let them come together. At this point, I'm beginning to get a bit sick of the book. The fact that Lily remains essentially unchanged leaves me frustrated. While I did find it humorous that Bertha Dorset accuses Lily of having an affair with her husband, I'm still beginning to find this book a bit of a bore. I will continue to trudge on, however, in hopes that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

End of Book 1

In Chapter 15 of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, we are basically introduced to the old Lily again. All of her seemingly deep realizations, washed away. Rather than wanting to go to simply be with Selden, but to have his help to pay back her debt to Mr. Trenor. They are to meet at four o'clock. The time comes and goes, with no appearance by Selden. This is starting to get ridiculous, everytime the two meet, they fall in love, yet they never end up together. Wharton has repeatedly brought the audience in, expecting for Lily and Selden to get together, then pulling the two apart. I'm beginning to lose faith that the two will ever come together. It seems as if by fate, they are not meant to be. Anyways, after Selden fails to shows, Rosedale shows up, essentially asking Lily to marry him knowing full well she would only be marrying him for the money. It's Lily's perfect situation yet she does not say yes. As she begins to write a letter that will undoubtedly end with Lily and Rosedale married, Lily receives a correspondance asking her to join Bertha Dorset in the Mediterranean.

The House of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 13-14

In chapter 13, of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Lily is left with two notes, one from Lawrence Selden, and one from Judy Trenor. Lily believes that Lawrence wants to mary her, which she does not want. I don't understand why Lily still doesn't accept that what she truly wants is to mary Selden. She focuses so much on wealth, that she maintains to look past her true happiness. In the note from Judy, she is told to meet at the Trenor house hold. She does, but is met by Mr Trenor. I was pretty surprised when Mr. Trenor held Lily in his house. It seemed as if the situation had gotten to the point that it would end in sexual assault, but at the last moment, Trenor realizes what he is doing and tells Lily to leave. This leaves Lily pretty shaken up. I honestly didn't really understand the beginning of chapter 14, especially the whole "Alone with her cousin's kiss" (Wharton 131). I didn't really understand this quote at all. We go from Selden talking to Van Alstyne, to a cousin's kiss. So, anyway, after that, Lilly goes to Gerty's house, to be consoled over what happened. Lily does seem to realize at this point that her deep need for money is shameful. She seems as if she may be moving away from the money oriented person she is, to become a more grounded person.

The House of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 11-12

In chapter 11, of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Grace Stepney, Lily's cousin tells Lily's aunt about what she's been up to. Grace's feelings were hurt when she wasn't invited to a party,  and because of this, she decides to go tell Lilly's aunt all the shady things Lily had done, primarily the flirting with a married man, and having supposed gambling debts. Rather than simply asking Lily like any sane person would have done, she instead decides that if she talks to Lily it might "provoke a scene," so instead of questioning her niece, she simply assumes that the charges brought against Lily are true.

In chapter 12, Lily takes part in a living picture exhibit where Lily is seen as the most beautiful of all the other women included in the exhibit. During this chapter I concluded that Gerty Farish is Lily's truest friend. Just like how Lawrence Selden is her true love, but she keeps going away from him, Gerty is the one person who truly likes her for her, not how she looks, or how much money she has. While most of Lily's other friends would have talked behind Lily's back about the rumors, Gerty defends Lily saying "It makes me so angry when I hear her being called cold and conceited!" (Wharton, 108). It is likely that none of Lily's other friends would not have defended her. Selden and Lily also have a moment of passion at this event. It seems as if the story may soon come to a head over the choice of wealth or true happiness and fulfillment. I for one hope Lily chooses the the people that will allow her to live a life that is about more than just how much money one possesses.

The House of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 9-10

In the beginning of chapter 9 of The House of Mirth, we are met by the same servant girl that was at Selden's house. I found myself confused, wondering why this same woman was here. I was given an answer in little time, she has come to blackmail Lily. Lily, who usually possesses terrible luck, in this certain situation lucks out. Not only are the letters not from her, but rather they are from Mrs. Dorset, who was seemingly having a romantic encounter with Mr. Selden. I found this surprising, for I thought that Mr. Selden was a man of high integrity, who cared little about finances, and who had a vast knowledge. I was also surprised that Lily payed for the letters when they incriminated a woman that she less than cared about. She showed maturity in buying the letters to save her friend Selden the humiliation. Edith Wharton writes "She was aware only of feeling that Selden would wish the letters rescued" (Wharton, 85). I found myself surprised that Lily cared more for the feelings of someone else, than the revenge that she might enjoy.

In Chapter 10, Lily goes to the opera, with Rosedale and Gus Trenor, two people she doesn't especially enjoy. When Trenor said he wanted for her to visit him alone, I was appalled. When at the Bellomont, Mrs. Trenor had been such good friends with Lily, and to think that he believed Lily would do this to her friend. While they are talking, they are interrupted by George Dorset, who believes his wife is fooling around with another man. This gives credence to the possibility that Selden and Bertha Dorset had an affair.

The House of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 7-8

In chapters 7 and 8, of The House of Mirth, Lily's initial plans of marrying Mr. Gryce are seemingly lost. After she decides to go off with Lawrence instead of Percy, one of the women tells Percy Gryce that Lily isn't exactly the angel that she's said she is. This makes him head out on the first train out of there the next day. Lawrence goes on this train as well. I found it funny that both the man that she wanted to marry his money, and the man who company she actually enjoyed both leave her the same day. She is left with neither, after not choosing one of the other. It seems to me that she would be much happier with Lawrence, than with Percy, if she would only be willing to let go of her need for money. She needs to move on with her life, and reach for happiness wherever she can find it, rather than looking for it only in wealth.

Even at the Van Osburgh wedding, Lily is trying to get Percy to mary her, even after she is told that he is dating Evie Van Osburgh. When the wedding starts however, Wharton writes "She did not wish to see him again [Selden]... because his prescence always had the affect of... throwing her whole world out of focus" (Wharton 71). This shows that she still doesn't know what she wants. I hope this leads to a shift in her priorities, so that she can be truly happy.

The House of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 5-6

In chapter 5, of The House of Mirth, we learn from Edith Wharton's narration, Lily's true ambition is to marry Percy Gryce. She doesn't want to marry him because she loves him, or finds him interesting, she wants to marry him for his money. In fact, she recounts the boredom that she feels when she is with him. Lily has her master plan all made up, and is ready to follow it, until something she hadn't expected happens, Lawrence Selden appears. I was kind of surprised to see Selden. While I thought he was a good character as the book began, after Lily went on the train, I wasn't sure whether or not we would see Selden again. I am happy to see him back, for he and Lily, while polar opposites seem a perfect match. While Selden believes success is "To keep a kind of republic of the spirit" (Wharton, 54). Lilly however believes success lies in the materialistic society. I side with Selden, for he seems to have an insight as to how life truly is, while Lily's view is narrow, and focused only on the upper crust society that she has become accustomed to.

The House Of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 3-4

In Chapters 3 and 4 of The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton reveals to the audience the true Lily Bart. While Lily is still engrossed with the material things in life, we see another side of her. A more vulnerable side. We learn why Lilly is forced to calculate the repercussions of every action she makes. She is not rich. While she maintains an opulent lifestyle, she has not the funds to carry this on. She relies on others to allow her to live this lifestyle. We also learn why she wants to live this lifestyle. She is simply following in the way of her late mother who she so dearly looks up to. Warton writes "To the lady and her acquaintances there was something heroic in living as though one were much richer than one's bankbook denoted" (Wharton 23). This shows that as her mother did, Lily as well lives a high lifestyle with meager money. Lily is much more relatable during these chapters, her life has not been perfect, and her life is not as blessed as we were previously led to believe.

The House Of Mirth Book 1 Chapters 1-2

So, I finally started reading The House Of Mirth by Edith Warton. The story seems to focus on an upper class woman named Lilly Bart. Throughout the first two chapters, we have been given a characterization of Bart, through her words and actions. From what I can tell so far, she seems to be very caught up in the material world. She has a very high perception of herself, which is referenced when she passed by a maid, thinking "The poor thing was probably dazzled by such an unwonted apparition" (Wharton 10). She thinks of herself much higher than this lowly woman. Lilly also seems to be fairly manipulative. While she seems to be worry free when we first meet her, later she seems to be worried about what any thing she does may put off to others. She is constantly plotting her next move, on what the implications of her words and actions will have on her life of high society. We learn that she was close to being married to one Mr. Dillworth, but this broke down due to the man's mother's disapproval for Miss Bart. Lilly Bart seems highly conceited, thinking primarily of herself.