In Love in the Time of Cholera, the reader is able to observe the characters for their entire lives. The reader can compare and contrast how characters acted in their youth and how they acted in old age. The novel is therefore able to show many bias opinions against old people. In the final section of the novel, the reader observes many of the stereotypes that elderly people are physically and mentally limited.
Bias against old people is observable through Florentino because in the final chapter he is incapable of doing many of things he could do in his youth. When Florentino receives Fermina’s second reply, he is shocked by the vicious prose she uses in her letter. Florentino is so heartbroken by the fact that they will not have an immediate reconnection that he “lies in bed more dead than a dead man.” In comparing Florentino to a dead man, Gabriel Garcia Marquez makes it clear that Florentino is no longer as physically or mentally capable as he once was. Where a younger Florentino would probably have gone to see Fermina after reading this letter, the elderly Florentino simply lies in bed rereading this letter over and over again. By thinking about the letter constantly, Florentino is mentally unable to deal with the letter. By staying in bed all day, Florentino is emotionally unable to deal with the letter Florentino’s old age makes him incapable of immediately taking action following the news Fermina’s letter. Florentino’s inaction is an example of the bias view that the elderly are less competent than younger people.
Florentino’s limited capabilities due to old age are also apparent when he is on the cruise ship with Fermina. On the New Fidelity, Florentino finally gets his long awaited opportunity to make love to Fermina while they are aboard the ship.. However, due to his elderly conditions, Florentino is unable to perform sexually. This instance is ironic because Florentino had been extremely sexually active with other women in his younger years, but he is unsuccessful when he finally has the opportunity to make love to the women he has been waiting all of his life for. The fact that Florentino is unable to perform sexually is an example of the idea that the elderly are physically less capable of doing things. Although he later successfully makes love to Fermina, Florentino’s unsuccessful first opportunity shows a stereotype of the difficulties that come with old age.
The bias view about the limited abilities of old people is held by Florentino’s lover America Vicunia. When Florentino tells America the serious news that he intends to get married, she simply laughs at this idea. She thinks that it is simply absurd for an old man to get married. To America and the general population, it is socially unacceptable for old men and old women to marry. She therefore regards the idea of Florentino getting married as a joke. Her view shows the bias perspective that the elderly cannot do certain things that younger people are capable of doing.
However, the end result of the novel shows proves that Florentino is more capable than ever to accomplish his life goal. In his old age, he finally is able to be with Fermina, accomplishing a goal he was unable to attain in his younger years. The fact that Florentino finally gets Fermina in his elder years when he was unable to do so in his youth proves that aging did not actually limit his capabilities. The final relationship between Fermina and Florentino breaks the ropes of old age that had previously tied them down. Their connection disproves that bias of old people that was apparent in the earlier parts of the novel. (619)
Monday, December 3, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
(Fake) Love in the Time of Cholera
In Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez makes it pretty clear from the beginning that the love affair between Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza is doomed. There are many signs that are like bright, flashing lights to tell the reader that this relationship will be difficult for the two lovers. Numerous things go wrong in the beginning stages of Fermina and Florentino’s relationship that are signals that there will be problems between these two lovers. However, in my opinion, there was never any true love between these two characters. Florentino Ariza has an unhealthy physiological obsession for Fermina Daza that he mistakes for love while Fermina Daza was merely being a rebellious teenager who faked a love for Florentino Ariza.
Many instances in the first two sections of the novel portray Ariza’s obsession for Fermina Daza. This obsession is a physiological condition that is quite different from true love. The reader first notices Florentino’s intense fixation for Fermina when he begins to stalk Fermina in the park. Florentino watches Fermina walk by on her way to school every day for weeks while pretending to read the newspaper. Waiting for Fermina to walk by each morning is an act of unhealthy obsession, not true love. This action is creepy. In addition to thinking about Fermina every moment of the day, Florentino composes a seventy-page letter of compliments about her! While writing a love letter may be viewed as a cute act of devotion, the long narrative that Florentino composes is once again creepy. Similarly, Florentino literally stalks Fermina by watching her through the window of her house. These actions of Florentino’s part appear to the reader as an obsessive devotion that is not true love. A true lover of Fermina would make better choices and not act so obsessively to win Fermina’s heart. Also, Florentino’s love for Fermina stems from the wrong reasons. He immediately becomes devoted to her after taking a quick glance at her while delivering a package to her father. This quick glance does not seem like a sufficient cause of falling in true love with somebody. It makes Floretino’s feelings seem similar to a sickness, like cholera, not true love. Florentino appears to be mentally obsessed with Fermina, not truly in love with her.
Fermina, on the other hand, appears to not actually love Florentino, but merely claims to love him in an act of teenage defiance. For much of this section, Fermina outwardly expresses that she does not love Florentino. She refuses to accept the camellia, “the flower of devotion” from Florentino. This act symbolically displays that Fermina is not willing to commit to Florentino as a true lover. From this point forward, Fermina acts as a distant and sometimes uncaring lover to Florentino. In this section, the reader also notices that Fermina’s affection toward Florentino greatly intensifies when the love becomes forbidden. Fermina begins to have stronger feelings toward Florentino when she is expelled from school for writing a love letter to him. Her passion of love for him increases as soon as this love is deemed taboo. Loving Florentino becomes a rebellious act. Fermina’s teenage mind has an urging for rebellion so she fakes a true passion for him. Likewise, Fermina’s love for Florentino also increases when the act is forbidden by her father, Lorenzo Daza. Fermina wants her father to have no control over her so when Mr. Daza forbids her to love Florentino, she increases her devotion to Florentino. Fermina feigns true love for Florentino in order to rebel against her father in an attempt to display that he has no control over her life. Fermina’s love for Florentino is an act of rebellion, not a feeling of sincere love.
While Florentino has a mental obsession for Fermina, Fermina fakes a love for Florentino in order to defy her school and her father. This feigned love contrasts the true love between Dr. Urbino and Fermina. Urbino and Fermina had a true passion for one another. When Dr. Urbino was dying, his only hope was that Fermina would come quickly enough so that he could tell her how much he truly loved her. Likewise, Fermina’s biggest regret about Urbino’s death was that she never had a chance to express how much she truly loved him. Urbino and Fermina displayed true love for one another in wishing to express their respective devotions before death. This true love contrasts the forged feelings that Fermina and Florentino feel for one another. (749)
Many instances in the first two sections of the novel portray Ariza’s obsession for Fermina Daza. This obsession is a physiological condition that is quite different from true love. The reader first notices Florentino’s intense fixation for Fermina when he begins to stalk Fermina in the park. Florentino watches Fermina walk by on her way to school every day for weeks while pretending to read the newspaper. Waiting for Fermina to walk by each morning is an act of unhealthy obsession, not true love. This action is creepy. In addition to thinking about Fermina every moment of the day, Florentino composes a seventy-page letter of compliments about her! While writing a love letter may be viewed as a cute act of devotion, the long narrative that Florentino composes is once again creepy. Similarly, Florentino literally stalks Fermina by watching her through the window of her house. These actions of Florentino’s part appear to the reader as an obsessive devotion that is not true love. A true lover of Fermina would make better choices and not act so obsessively to win Fermina’s heart. Also, Florentino’s love for Fermina stems from the wrong reasons. He immediately becomes devoted to her after taking a quick glance at her while delivering a package to her father. This quick glance does not seem like a sufficient cause of falling in true love with somebody. It makes Floretino’s feelings seem similar to a sickness, like cholera, not true love. Florentino appears to be mentally obsessed with Fermina, not truly in love with her.
Fermina, on the other hand, appears to not actually love Florentino, but merely claims to love him in an act of teenage defiance. For much of this section, Fermina outwardly expresses that she does not love Florentino. She refuses to accept the camellia, “the flower of devotion” from Florentino. This act symbolically displays that Fermina is not willing to commit to Florentino as a true lover. From this point forward, Fermina acts as a distant and sometimes uncaring lover to Florentino. In this section, the reader also notices that Fermina’s affection toward Florentino greatly intensifies when the love becomes forbidden. Fermina begins to have stronger feelings toward Florentino when she is expelled from school for writing a love letter to him. Her passion of love for him increases as soon as this love is deemed taboo. Loving Florentino becomes a rebellious act. Fermina’s teenage mind has an urging for rebellion so she fakes a true passion for him. Likewise, Fermina’s love for Florentino also increases when the act is forbidden by her father, Lorenzo Daza. Fermina wants her father to have no control over her so when Mr. Daza forbids her to love Florentino, she increases her devotion to Florentino. Fermina feigns true love for Florentino in order to rebel against her father in an attempt to display that he has no control over her life. Fermina’s love for Florentino is an act of rebellion, not a feeling of sincere love.
While Florentino has a mental obsession for Fermina, Fermina fakes a love for Florentino in order to defy her school and her father. This feigned love contrasts the true love between Dr. Urbino and Fermina. Urbino and Fermina had a true passion for one another. When Dr. Urbino was dying, his only hope was that Fermina would come quickly enough so that he could tell her how much he truly loved her. Likewise, Fermina’s biggest regret about Urbino’s death was that she never had a chance to express how much she truly loved him. Urbino and Fermina displayed true love for one another in wishing to express their respective devotions before death. This true love contrasts the forged feelings that Fermina and Florentino feel for one another. (749)
Thursday, November 1, 2007
My Best (and longest) Blog Entry Yet
The characters of The Sound and the Fury all have complicated and difficult lives. These characters deal with the complications in their lives in their own special ways, some of which are significantly more effective than others. In general, I believe that the female characters of the novel handle their difficult situations more effectively than the males handle their troubles, making the females the stronger characters.
Of all the male characters in The Sound and the Fury, Quentin handles his troubles in the least effective manner. Clearly, Quentin’s main problem is psychological. He is a mental wreck due to the thought of his sister being a sexually active woman. Quentin cannot bear to see his idealist view of the Compson family honor being diminished because of Caddy’s promiscuity. Quentin’s way of handling this emotional difficulty is suicide. His suicide shows that he is not emotionally strong enough to deal with his troubles, and therefore realizes his only way out is to end his own life. This approach is a weak way to handle a difficulty. Quentin’s actions display that he is a mentally weak person is not able to deal with emotional troubles, as some of the female characters are.
Like, Quentin Benjy is also an emotionally weak character because of his inability to properly handle his sorrowful life. Benjy has good reason to be emotionally unstable due to his mental deficiencies. He is totally reliant on Caddy, desiring her attention and affection constantly, even when she has been banished for a long time. He does not handle situations well when he desires Caddy and simply cries when she is not available. However, the reader cannot blame Benjy for this behavior due to his mental condition. Nonetheless, Benjy is a mentally weak character and totally reliant on a stronger, female character.
Jason is another male character who is emotionally weak. Like mother, Jason is unable to overcome the past and is self-pitying. He attributes all his misfortunes to one instance in which he was supposed to get a well-paying job at the bank from Herbert but lost this opportunity because Caddy and Herbert split. Jason attributes all of the troubles in life, such as having a menial job at a farmer supply store and not having a wife, to this one occurrence when he lost his prospective job. Instead of directly confronting and changing his troubled life, Jason simply goes through the days with a self-pitying attitude that accomplishes nothing. This approach shows Jason is a mentally weak character, not mentally strong enough to improve his own life.
Similar to Quentin, Benjy, and Jason, Mr. Compson is unable to handle his complicated life efficiently. He faces the difficulties of having a mental ill son in Benjy, a self-pitying wife in Mrs. Compson, and a promiscuous daughter in Caddy. These three troubles cause Mr. Compson problems and lead him to drink, but his biggest problem is certainly the suicide of Quentin. Mr. Compson handles the death of his son the only way he know how to—by drinking more. This alcoholism eventually leads to Mr. Compson’s death. The fact that he handles his difficulties by drinking shows Mr. Compson is an emotionally weak character and is unable to handle his life through effective means. He is clearly a weak-willed individual.
Unlike Quentin, Benjy, Jason, and Mr. Compson, many of the female characters in the novel show strong emotional states and are able to handle their difficulties, making them strong characters. Miss Quentin has a difficult time living in the Compson household because she is the personification of Caddy’s promiscuity and therefore all of the problems in the family. Miss Quentin is constantly tormented by Jason and is clearly not happy living with the Compsons. Unlike the male characters, she takes her life into her own hands. By taking Jason’s money and leaving, Miss Quentin alters her previously doomed life with the Compsons. She effectively handles her difficulties by taking direct action to change her path and make a new life for herself. This action makes Miss Quentin an emotionally strong character, much more powerful than the male characters who are too weak to change their paths. The fact that she takes care of her own difficulties makes her a strong-willed individual.
Caddy represents another example of a strong female character in the novel. She is an extremely independent and a self-reliant woman. Although her promiscuity eventually leads to the downfall of the family, it shows that Caddy is free-spirited and not dominated by preconceived notions of how a proper woman should act. Caddy’s sexual freedom displays her mental toughness. Although Faulkner offers no commentary on Caddy’s life out of Compson household, I assume she is successfully able to start a new life and mentally handle the difficulties of her past. Caddy’s independence makes her one of the strongest characters in the novel.
However, the strongest character in the novel in undoubtedly Dilsey. Ironically, Dilsey is a female, African-American servant. These three characteristics would stereotypically make Dilsey a weak-willed person. However, Dilsey is the strongest character in the novel and the only one able to maintain order in the Compson household. Her ability to maintain order is displayed throughout the novel, but is most notable in the last section. When the Compson family is in a total state of mayhem, Dilsey single-handedly keeps the peace while serving the family breakfast. Jason is complaining about his broken window, mother is in her usual self-pitying mood, and Benjy in crying uncontrollably. Nonetheless, Dilsey is able the establish order and calm down the situation while serving a meal to the Compson’s. This instance shows that Dilsey is a strong-willed character, capable of dealing with difficult situations. She is emotionally stable enough to keep herself and the rest of the family under control throughout all of the troubles they are faced. From putting the children to bed during the Demuddy’s funeral to taking Benjy to church on the last day, Dilsey is always doing something to maintain order, making her the strongest character in The Sound and the Fury. (1,014)
Of all the male characters in The Sound and the Fury, Quentin handles his troubles in the least effective manner. Clearly, Quentin’s main problem is psychological. He is a mental wreck due to the thought of his sister being a sexually active woman. Quentin cannot bear to see his idealist view of the Compson family honor being diminished because of Caddy’s promiscuity. Quentin’s way of handling this emotional difficulty is suicide. His suicide shows that he is not emotionally strong enough to deal with his troubles, and therefore realizes his only way out is to end his own life. This approach is a weak way to handle a difficulty. Quentin’s actions display that he is a mentally weak person is not able to deal with emotional troubles, as some of the female characters are.
Like, Quentin Benjy is also an emotionally weak character because of his inability to properly handle his sorrowful life. Benjy has good reason to be emotionally unstable due to his mental deficiencies. He is totally reliant on Caddy, desiring her attention and affection constantly, even when she has been banished for a long time. He does not handle situations well when he desires Caddy and simply cries when she is not available. However, the reader cannot blame Benjy for this behavior due to his mental condition. Nonetheless, Benjy is a mentally weak character and totally reliant on a stronger, female character.
Jason is another male character who is emotionally weak. Like mother, Jason is unable to overcome the past and is self-pitying. He attributes all his misfortunes to one instance in which he was supposed to get a well-paying job at the bank from Herbert but lost this opportunity because Caddy and Herbert split. Jason attributes all of the troubles in life, such as having a menial job at a farmer supply store and not having a wife, to this one occurrence when he lost his prospective job. Instead of directly confronting and changing his troubled life, Jason simply goes through the days with a self-pitying attitude that accomplishes nothing. This approach shows Jason is a mentally weak character, not mentally strong enough to improve his own life.
Similar to Quentin, Benjy, and Jason, Mr. Compson is unable to handle his complicated life efficiently. He faces the difficulties of having a mental ill son in Benjy, a self-pitying wife in Mrs. Compson, and a promiscuous daughter in Caddy. These three troubles cause Mr. Compson problems and lead him to drink, but his biggest problem is certainly the suicide of Quentin. Mr. Compson handles the death of his son the only way he know how to—by drinking more. This alcoholism eventually leads to Mr. Compson’s death. The fact that he handles his difficulties by drinking shows Mr. Compson is an emotionally weak character and is unable to handle his life through effective means. He is clearly a weak-willed individual.
Unlike Quentin, Benjy, Jason, and Mr. Compson, many of the female characters in the novel show strong emotional states and are able to handle their difficulties, making them strong characters. Miss Quentin has a difficult time living in the Compson household because she is the personification of Caddy’s promiscuity and therefore all of the problems in the family. Miss Quentin is constantly tormented by Jason and is clearly not happy living with the Compsons. Unlike the male characters, she takes her life into her own hands. By taking Jason’s money and leaving, Miss Quentin alters her previously doomed life with the Compsons. She effectively handles her difficulties by taking direct action to change her path and make a new life for herself. This action makes Miss Quentin an emotionally strong character, much more powerful than the male characters who are too weak to change their paths. The fact that she takes care of her own difficulties makes her a strong-willed individual.
Caddy represents another example of a strong female character in the novel. She is an extremely independent and a self-reliant woman. Although her promiscuity eventually leads to the downfall of the family, it shows that Caddy is free-spirited and not dominated by preconceived notions of how a proper woman should act. Caddy’s sexual freedom displays her mental toughness. Although Faulkner offers no commentary on Caddy’s life out of Compson household, I assume she is successfully able to start a new life and mentally handle the difficulties of her past. Caddy’s independence makes her one of the strongest characters in the novel.
However, the strongest character in the novel in undoubtedly Dilsey. Ironically, Dilsey is a female, African-American servant. These three characteristics would stereotypically make Dilsey a weak-willed person. However, Dilsey is the strongest character in the novel and the only one able to maintain order in the Compson household. Her ability to maintain order is displayed throughout the novel, but is most notable in the last section. When the Compson family is in a total state of mayhem, Dilsey single-handedly keeps the peace while serving the family breakfast. Jason is complaining about his broken window, mother is in her usual self-pitying mood, and Benjy in crying uncontrollably. Nonetheless, Dilsey is able the establish order and calm down the situation while serving a meal to the Compson’s. This instance shows that Dilsey is a strong-willed character, capable of dealing with difficult situations. She is emotionally stable enough to keep herself and the rest of the family under control throughout all of the troubles they are faced. From putting the children to bed during the Demuddy’s funeral to taking Benjy to church on the last day, Dilsey is always doing something to maintain order, making her the strongest character in The Sound and the Fury. (1,014)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Caddy's Catastrophe
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner has a wide variety of complex and significant characters. These characters all come together to form interesting relationships that contribute to the main focus, or focuses, of the story. The Sound and the Fury, up to the end of the Quentin section (the point to which I have read), has been a story of tragedy and hardships for members of the Compson family. These hardships are experienced and brought about by all members of the family. Every member of the family is at least partially responsible for the difficulties of the other members. However, the character most responsible for the difficulties of the Compson family is undoubtedly Caddy.
Caddy’s promiscuity is the main reason for the tension and hardships occurring in the Compson family. Her loss of virginity and pregnancy hurt Quentin so much that he feels his only escape is suicide. Quentin has an extremely narrow-minded and old-fashioned view of women that he believes that a woman who has lost her virginity is impure. Quentin is under the impression that Caddy’s promiscuity has tainted the Compson family forever because she is no a proper woman. He is nothing less than obsessed with Caddy’s sexual promiscuity. Quentin seems like an investigative detective at times, when he and Caddy discuss her personal life. When Quentin asks Caddy how many men she has slept with, she replies “I don’t know too many” (115). This is a crushing blow to Quentin’s view of Caddy and his view of the family name. Quentin is devastated to learn that Caddy has slept with one man, let alone that she cannot even remember how many men she has slept with. Sure, Quentin is also partially driven mad by his obsession with clocks and time. But the main reason he has incurable psychological problems is that he is driven mad by Caddy’s sexual promiscuity.
At this point in the novel, I remain unclear about the father of Caddy’s child. Some hints lead the reader to believe Quentin is the father. If this were true, it would display even greater problems that Caddy causes the family. The reader is led to think Quentin is the father of Caddy’s child when Quentin tells Mr. Compson that he has committed incest. Also, Quentin’s obsession with Caddy’s baby makes the reader wonder is he is only interested because it is also his child. However, it may be that Quentin is simply obsessed with the honor of the Compson family and is not the father of the child. At this point, I am unclear who is responsible for Caddy’s pregnancy.
Caddy’s sexual promiscuity is also the cause of much of Benjy’s hardships. Caddy is the only member of the Compson family that truly cares for Benjy. She is also the only member of the Compson whom Benjy truly cares for. When she was still living with the Compson’s she made Benjy feel safe and calmed him down when he needed it. Caddy’s pregnancy forced her to be sent away to marry and care for her child, ripping her away from the person who needed her most: Benjy. Caddy’s leaving Benjy is like a mother leaving her infant child. Benjy is truly devastated because Caddy is no longer with him. This is apparent on the golf course when Benjy cannot bear to hear the golfers or Luster even say the word “Caddy” because he misses her so much. Hearing Caddy’s name is like a dagger in Benjy’s heart. In another scenario that shows how much Caddy means to him, Benjy waits by the fence every day, in hopes of seeing Caddy come home to comfort him. This waiting is to no avail every day and lands him in a predicament one time that eventually leads to his castration. The mental scar that Caddy left on Benjy by leaving him is extremely noticeable in the first section of the novel. Benjy was having a difficult enough time when Caddy was around to comfort him. Now that she is gone, Benjy’s difficulties are multiplied. Her sexual promiscuity had extreme consequences for Benjy.
The effects of Caddy’s promiscuity are apparent in both Quentin and Benjy. They may seem to affect Quentin more because he felt they were so overwhelming that the only escape was death. However, Benjy may be just as affected or even more affected by Caddy’s actions. He simply does not have them mental capacity to comprehend or display how much Caddy’s leaving has affected him.
In the first to sections, it is clear that Caddy is the source of the hardships of the two characters who have expressed their views of the situation. I am interested to see in the next section if Caddy’s sexual promiscuity caused as great of hardships for the other characters as it did for Quentin and Benjy. (807)
Caddy’s promiscuity is the main reason for the tension and hardships occurring in the Compson family. Her loss of virginity and pregnancy hurt Quentin so much that he feels his only escape is suicide. Quentin has an extremely narrow-minded and old-fashioned view of women that he believes that a woman who has lost her virginity is impure. Quentin is under the impression that Caddy’s promiscuity has tainted the Compson family forever because she is no a proper woman. He is nothing less than obsessed with Caddy’s sexual promiscuity. Quentin seems like an investigative detective at times, when he and Caddy discuss her personal life. When Quentin asks Caddy how many men she has slept with, she replies “I don’t know too many” (115). This is a crushing blow to Quentin’s view of Caddy and his view of the family name. Quentin is devastated to learn that Caddy has slept with one man, let alone that she cannot even remember how many men she has slept with. Sure, Quentin is also partially driven mad by his obsession with clocks and time. But the main reason he has incurable psychological problems is that he is driven mad by Caddy’s sexual promiscuity.
At this point in the novel, I remain unclear about the father of Caddy’s child. Some hints lead the reader to believe Quentin is the father. If this were true, it would display even greater problems that Caddy causes the family. The reader is led to think Quentin is the father of Caddy’s child when Quentin tells Mr. Compson that he has committed incest. Also, Quentin’s obsession with Caddy’s baby makes the reader wonder is he is only interested because it is also his child. However, it may be that Quentin is simply obsessed with the honor of the Compson family and is not the father of the child. At this point, I am unclear who is responsible for Caddy’s pregnancy.
Caddy’s sexual promiscuity is also the cause of much of Benjy’s hardships. Caddy is the only member of the Compson family that truly cares for Benjy. She is also the only member of the Compson whom Benjy truly cares for. When she was still living with the Compson’s she made Benjy feel safe and calmed him down when he needed it. Caddy’s pregnancy forced her to be sent away to marry and care for her child, ripping her away from the person who needed her most: Benjy. Caddy’s leaving Benjy is like a mother leaving her infant child. Benjy is truly devastated because Caddy is no longer with him. This is apparent on the golf course when Benjy cannot bear to hear the golfers or Luster even say the word “Caddy” because he misses her so much. Hearing Caddy’s name is like a dagger in Benjy’s heart. In another scenario that shows how much Caddy means to him, Benjy waits by the fence every day, in hopes of seeing Caddy come home to comfort him. This waiting is to no avail every day and lands him in a predicament one time that eventually leads to his castration. The mental scar that Caddy left on Benjy by leaving him is extremely noticeable in the first section of the novel. Benjy was having a difficult enough time when Caddy was around to comfort him. Now that she is gone, Benjy’s difficulties are multiplied. Her sexual promiscuity had extreme consequences for Benjy.
The effects of Caddy’s promiscuity are apparent in both Quentin and Benjy. They may seem to affect Quentin more because he felt they were so overwhelming that the only escape was death. However, Benjy may be just as affected or even more affected by Caddy’s actions. He simply does not have them mental capacity to comprehend or display how much Caddy’s leaving has affected him.
In the first to sections, it is clear that Caddy is the source of the hardships of the two characters who have expressed their views of the situation. I am interested to see in the next section if Caddy’s sexual promiscuity caused as great of hardships for the other characters as it did for Quentin and Benjy. (807)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Poor Leroy
“Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason is a disheartening tale. In fact, the entire story is filled with depressing moments. As a reader, I felt extremely sympathetic toward the main character, Leroy Moffitt. Leroy’s struggles create a sense of hopelessness throughout the story. At tremendously difficult turning point in his life, Leroy had to deal with the pleasing an unappeasable wife who constantly shoots downs his greatest dream.
As I reader, I began to feel pity for Leroy when learning that “He injured his leg in a highway accident four months ago” (6). Due to this injury, Leroy could no longer pursue his occupation as a truck driver and had to undergo physical therapy. Leroy’s occupational alternatives are highly limited due to his immobile leg. This situation is highly unfortunate. Leroy feels lost and inadequate because he cannot provide financially emotionally for Norma Jean and himself. Despite this difficult situation, Norma Jean shows no signs of pity for Leroy. She simply moves ahead with her busy daily life. Because Norma Jean is not sympathetic toward Leroy, the reader is.
The reader further sees Norma Jean’s lack of sympathy for Leroy in her negative attitude for Leroy’s log cabin plans. Leroy claims to be building this cabin for Norma Jean. However, in my opinion, Leroy is building this cabin for himself. Constructing a cabin seems to be Leroy’s true passion. Leroy had been talking about building a house for Norma Jean since the day they were married. He spends most of his time at home designing this cabin, from drawing blueprints to building Lincoln Log structures. Whenever he discusses the cabin with Norma Jean, she expresses her lack of interest in the cabin. At one point, when Leroy says he will build the house especially for her, she replies “I don’t want to live in any log cabin” (48). Leroy certainly notices Norma Jean’s disregard for the cabin. However, he continues to pursue the project, making it evident that he is not building the house for her. He is building the cabin for himself because it is one of his true passions in his problematic life. The fact that Norma Jean refuses to support Leroy’s cabin-building aspirations displays her insensitivity. Even if she does not like the idea, Norma Jean should notice that this project is Leroy’s true passion and should therefore support it. In not supporting this passion, Norma Jean aggravates Leroy’s already unfortunate situation. Her inconsiderateness makes the reader feel pity for Leroy.
Despite Norma Jean’s total neglect for Leroy’s feelings, Leroy continues to attempt to appease her and improve their battered marriage. Throughout the story, Leroy trys to amend the broken marriage through little jokes and attempts at starting a conversation. He wants to know about Norma Jean’s life. However, Norma Jeans turns a cold shoulder at his jokes and is not willing to engage in conversation. Leroy even buys an organ piano for her, knowing she used to play piano in her childhood. Norma Jean is extremely ungrateful of Leroy’s attempts to improve their relationship. She does not allow Leroy to know about or become a part of her personal life through her total neglect of him.
The climax of Leroy’s attempts to appease Norma Jean comes when he takes her on trip to Shiloh. From the beginning, Norma Jean has a negative attitude toward Shiloh. When her mother Mabel brings up the subject, Norma Jean coldly asks her “When are you going to shut up about Shiloh” (114). Leroy has trouble convincing Norma Jean to go the trip with him. When Leroy is sitting on the couch admiring the beauty of his wife, she finally agrees to go by frostily saying, “I’ll go to Shiloh with you if you’ll stop staring at me” (126). Norma Jean continues her unfriendly behavior on the voyage to Shiloh making Leroy feel like “some boring hitchhiker she has picked up” (127). In the car, she refuses to engage in conversation with Leroy by answering his attempts at conversation with monosyllables. As a reader, Norma Jean’s behavior makes me feel extremely sympathetic toward Leroy. In taking her to Shiloh, Leroy is making a clear attempt to amend the wrecked relationship. He is doing all he can to appease Norma Jean, and she treats him with disdain. Through this disdain, Norma Jean shoots down all of Leroy’s attempts to amend their relationship. All of this disdain climaxes, of course, when Norma Jean ends the marriage much to Leroy’s dismay.
Throughout the entire story, I cannot help but pity Leroy. He is a simple, handicapped man in a difficult situation trying to hold on to his loved one. Norma Jean causes Leroy a significant amount of pain due to her unfriendly demeanor toward him and her unsupportive nature toward his cabin project. Her behavior exponentially increases the amount of sympathy the reader feels for Leroy. The fact that Leroy did not end the marriage due to his wife’s total neglect shows how much he really loved her. (834)
As I reader, I began to feel pity for Leroy when learning that “He injured his leg in a highway accident four months ago” (6). Due to this injury, Leroy could no longer pursue his occupation as a truck driver and had to undergo physical therapy. Leroy’s occupational alternatives are highly limited due to his immobile leg. This situation is highly unfortunate. Leroy feels lost and inadequate because he cannot provide financially emotionally for Norma Jean and himself. Despite this difficult situation, Norma Jean shows no signs of pity for Leroy. She simply moves ahead with her busy daily life. Because Norma Jean is not sympathetic toward Leroy, the reader is.
The reader further sees Norma Jean’s lack of sympathy for Leroy in her negative attitude for Leroy’s log cabin plans. Leroy claims to be building this cabin for Norma Jean. However, in my opinion, Leroy is building this cabin for himself. Constructing a cabin seems to be Leroy’s true passion. Leroy had been talking about building a house for Norma Jean since the day they were married. He spends most of his time at home designing this cabin, from drawing blueprints to building Lincoln Log structures. Whenever he discusses the cabin with Norma Jean, she expresses her lack of interest in the cabin. At one point, when Leroy says he will build the house especially for her, she replies “I don’t want to live in any log cabin” (48). Leroy certainly notices Norma Jean’s disregard for the cabin. However, he continues to pursue the project, making it evident that he is not building the house for her. He is building the cabin for himself because it is one of his true passions in his problematic life. The fact that Norma Jean refuses to support Leroy’s cabin-building aspirations displays her insensitivity. Even if she does not like the idea, Norma Jean should notice that this project is Leroy’s true passion and should therefore support it. In not supporting this passion, Norma Jean aggravates Leroy’s already unfortunate situation. Her inconsiderateness makes the reader feel pity for Leroy.
Despite Norma Jean’s total neglect for Leroy’s feelings, Leroy continues to attempt to appease her and improve their battered marriage. Throughout the story, Leroy trys to amend the broken marriage through little jokes and attempts at starting a conversation. He wants to know about Norma Jean’s life. However, Norma Jeans turns a cold shoulder at his jokes and is not willing to engage in conversation. Leroy even buys an organ piano for her, knowing she used to play piano in her childhood. Norma Jean is extremely ungrateful of Leroy’s attempts to improve their relationship. She does not allow Leroy to know about or become a part of her personal life through her total neglect of him.
The climax of Leroy’s attempts to appease Norma Jean comes when he takes her on trip to Shiloh. From the beginning, Norma Jean has a negative attitude toward Shiloh. When her mother Mabel brings up the subject, Norma Jean coldly asks her “When are you going to shut up about Shiloh” (114). Leroy has trouble convincing Norma Jean to go the trip with him. When Leroy is sitting on the couch admiring the beauty of his wife, she finally agrees to go by frostily saying, “I’ll go to Shiloh with you if you’ll stop staring at me” (126). Norma Jean continues her unfriendly behavior on the voyage to Shiloh making Leroy feel like “some boring hitchhiker she has picked up” (127). In the car, she refuses to engage in conversation with Leroy by answering his attempts at conversation with monosyllables. As a reader, Norma Jean’s behavior makes me feel extremely sympathetic toward Leroy. In taking her to Shiloh, Leroy is making a clear attempt to amend the wrecked relationship. He is doing all he can to appease Norma Jean, and she treats him with disdain. Through this disdain, Norma Jean shoots down all of Leroy’s attempts to amend their relationship. All of this disdain climaxes, of course, when Norma Jean ends the marriage much to Leroy’s dismay.
Throughout the entire story, I cannot help but pity Leroy. He is a simple, handicapped man in a difficult situation trying to hold on to his loved one. Norma Jean causes Leroy a significant amount of pain due to her unfriendly demeanor toward him and her unsupportive nature toward his cabin project. Her behavior exponentially increases the amount of sympathy the reader feels for Leroy. The fact that Leroy did not end the marriage due to his wife’s total neglect shows how much he really loved her. (834)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Ignorant, Blissful People
“Ignorance is bliss” is a common adage that most definitely applies to the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. The characters of this story are certainly ignorant about the world around them. Whether they are naturally ignorant, as in the case of Hazel Bergeron, or they are ignorant due to a handicap, as in the case of George Bergeron, these characters have extremely limited knowledge of the world. The reader is supposed to feel sorry for these characters due to their ignorance and due to the oppressive government that keeps them ignorant. However, the ignorance of these characters does not make them unhappy. In fact, the characters, other than Harrison, are in bliss about their ignorance, proving the old adage. Due to this state of bliss of the characters, as a reader I am unable to feel sympathy for them and in fact I think their situation is not so unfortunate because of their personalities.
Vonnegut greatly exaggerated the oppressiveness of American society in order to prove his point that the desire to be equal creates an obstruction of freedom and an oppressive society. In doing so, he attempts to portray a world that would be unbearable to live in and that the inhabitants would despise. The reader is meant to feel pity for the characters due to their unfortunate state of oppressiveness. The reader is also meant to feel that he or she would despise living in such a terrible place. However, when reading the novel, I do not feel this pity for the characters. Although they live in extremely unfortunate circumstance and ones that I myself would greatly dislike, they appear to be happy because they are used to the handicaps and oppressiveness. I would despise this situation because I have lived in a world of freedom and that is what I am used to. George and Hazel have never experienced freedom and therefore do not know the benefits it brings. For this reason, they do not yearn for a less oppressive government or less handicaps and are happy with the situation they are in. It is the only situation they have known and therefore the only situation they desire. Due to their ignorance of what a terrible society they live in, George and Hazel are in bliss with their oppressive society.
George and Hazel display their bliss in their meaningless, shallow conversations when they watch the television. When Hazel suggests that George remove some of the weights from his handicap satchel George responds by pointing out that “[I]f I tried to get away with it, then other people’d get away with it—and pretty soon we’d be right back in dark ages again with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn’t like that would you?” Hazel replies to George’s question by agreeing, “[I] would hate it” (30). This instance shows that both George and Hazel are happy with the society in which they live. Neither of them would rather have a society with less handicaps and less equality. They are ignorant about the benefits about a society with fewer handicaps and therefore are blissful with a society with an overkill of handicaps. Due to the blissful nature shown in this quotation, as I reader, I feel no pity for George and Hazel. Their situation may not be right for the reader, but it appears perfect for them.
Another advantage to the handicapped society is that George and Hazel feel extremely limited sadness. Hazel watches her son murdered on the television. This situation would be a horrendous occurrence for anybody living in our society. The pain and sadness of this instance would last a lifetime. However, for Hazel, it lasts a mere few seconds. She forgets what has happened within seconds of watching it, removing all sorrow of the instance from her memory. When George reminds her to forget all sad incidents, she replies “I always do” (89). As displayed by this incident, George and Hazel never experience true sadness. Their memory is so short that they are ignorant of sad situations and therefore soon blissful due to this lack of memory. The reader is meant to pity them for this lack of sadness. However, as a reader, I do not pity this trait. By not remembering anything sad, the Bergerons are always happy. This situation seems quite favorable. As a reader, I find myself unable to feel remorse for characters who feel no sadness and are always in a relatively happy state of mind.
In this story, Vonnegut attempts to portray a terribly unfavorable society that would not be appropriate for any kind of people. However, what seems terribly unfavorable to some may be favorable to others. As displayed by their bliss, this society is favorable to George and Hazel. Their personalities and lack perspective make them happy in such a society. George and Hazel do not need freedom or knowledge to be happy. They are simply blissful in living their handicapped, ignorant, albeit meaningless, lives. (831)
Vonnegut greatly exaggerated the oppressiveness of American society in order to prove his point that the desire to be equal creates an obstruction of freedom and an oppressive society. In doing so, he attempts to portray a world that would be unbearable to live in and that the inhabitants would despise. The reader is meant to feel pity for the characters due to their unfortunate state of oppressiveness. The reader is also meant to feel that he or she would despise living in such a terrible place. However, when reading the novel, I do not feel this pity for the characters. Although they live in extremely unfortunate circumstance and ones that I myself would greatly dislike, they appear to be happy because they are used to the handicaps and oppressiveness. I would despise this situation because I have lived in a world of freedom and that is what I am used to. George and Hazel have never experienced freedom and therefore do not know the benefits it brings. For this reason, they do not yearn for a less oppressive government or less handicaps and are happy with the situation they are in. It is the only situation they have known and therefore the only situation they desire. Due to their ignorance of what a terrible society they live in, George and Hazel are in bliss with their oppressive society.
George and Hazel display their bliss in their meaningless, shallow conversations when they watch the television. When Hazel suggests that George remove some of the weights from his handicap satchel George responds by pointing out that “[I]f I tried to get away with it, then other people’d get away with it—and pretty soon we’d be right back in dark ages again with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn’t like that would you?” Hazel replies to George’s question by agreeing, “[I] would hate it” (30). This instance shows that both George and Hazel are happy with the society in which they live. Neither of them would rather have a society with less handicaps and less equality. They are ignorant about the benefits about a society with fewer handicaps and therefore are blissful with a society with an overkill of handicaps. Due to the blissful nature shown in this quotation, as I reader, I feel no pity for George and Hazel. Their situation may not be right for the reader, but it appears perfect for them.
Another advantage to the handicapped society is that George and Hazel feel extremely limited sadness. Hazel watches her son murdered on the television. This situation would be a horrendous occurrence for anybody living in our society. The pain and sadness of this instance would last a lifetime. However, for Hazel, it lasts a mere few seconds. She forgets what has happened within seconds of watching it, removing all sorrow of the instance from her memory. When George reminds her to forget all sad incidents, she replies “I always do” (89). As displayed by this incident, George and Hazel never experience true sadness. Their memory is so short that they are ignorant of sad situations and therefore soon blissful due to this lack of memory. The reader is meant to pity them for this lack of sadness. However, as a reader, I do not pity this trait. By not remembering anything sad, the Bergerons are always happy. This situation seems quite favorable. As a reader, I find myself unable to feel remorse for characters who feel no sadness and are always in a relatively happy state of mind.
In this story, Vonnegut attempts to portray a terribly unfavorable society that would not be appropriate for any kind of people. However, what seems terribly unfavorable to some may be favorable to others. As displayed by their bliss, this society is favorable to George and Hazel. Their personalities and lack perspective make them happy in such a society. George and Hazel do not need freedom or knowledge to be happy. They are simply blissful in living their handicapped, ignorant, albeit meaningless, lives. (831)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Growing Up in a Few Short Minutes
John Updike’s A and P may appear to be a humorous narrative about the ordinary daily life of a young adult in a grocery store. Hidden beneath this story is a coming-of-age tale involving an adolescent boy dealing with the overwhelming pressures of growing and learning to accept the repercussions of his decisions. Though A and P may be quite short and may not span a long period of time in this boy’s life, it manages to capture the essence of the hardships of Sammy’s maturing. Similar to J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Updike’s A and P tackles numerous significant adolescent themes.
The main happenings of A and P does not come until Lengel, the store manager, arrives to tell the beach-attired young women, “Girls, this isn’t the beach” (12). To the reader, this statement appears to be a reasonable assertion to make in the presence of underdressed youths in a supermarket. The girls, however, take offense to what they believe is an unnecessary display of authoritative power on the part of Lengel. They display one of the main themes of adolescent development, a resistance to authority. The girls go on to start an unnecessary argument, creating a big scene with everyone in supermarket watching, instead of simply agreeing to come decently dressed on their next visit. The fact that the three young ladies would rather create this scene of defiance to authority rather than comply to a reasonable request displays the theme of adolescent rebelliousness. The rebelliousness of these girls brings out Sammy’s inner defiance, upon his seeing this big scene.
At this point in the story, Sammy could have simply rung up the herring snacks and ended the incident. He chose not to do so for a couple of reasons. First, like a typical teenager, Sammy was attracted to the girls in bikinis and wanted to impress them. Ever since the three girls walked through the doors of the supermarket, Sammy had been closely eyeing them like a lion following its prey. He noticed everything about the girls, from their body shapes, to the way that they walked, to the clothes they were wearing. Sammy’s close attention to these details shows that he is interested in and attracted to these girls, as any nine-teen-year-old by working at a supermarket would be. Due to his attraction to the girls, Sammy wants to impress them when they defy the manager by a similar display of a rebellious nature. Sammy explains that he quickly declares “I quit […] hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (21). Clearly, part of the reason Sammy resigns from his job was to impress the girls. He hoped they would notice his standing up for them and think he was a heroic gentleman, saving them from great supermarket embarrassment. Sammy was in clear disappointment when the girls failed to notice his courageous action.
However, Sammy’s main reason for quitting was not to catch the eye of the three ladies. As a typical adolescent in a story about growing up, Sammy wished to express his rebellious nature to an authority figure. Sammy’s primary motive for quitting was to express a senseless defiance of authority. His purpose becomes evident when Lengel questions Sammy’s decision and upon second thought, Sammy explains to the reader that “remembering how he made that pretty girl blush makes me so scrunchy inside I punch the No Sale tab” (30). Sammy is cleary irritated at the condescending way that Lengel treated the younger ladies. He views Lengel as the authoritative figure abusing his managerial powers to boss around three innocent girls. Although this view might not be accurate, it is the way in which Sammy’s defiant teenage mind perceived it. Sammy felt an instinctive urge to seize an opportunity to rebel against the supermarket hierarchy and took it. In this sense, Sammy displays a key element of the main character in a coming-of-age story by his rebelliousness. This rebelliousness begins Sammy’s process of maturation and learning.
Another main component of a coming-of-age story is the main character’s being forced to deal with the impact of his actions and learning from them accordingly. Sammy experiences this situation directly after he leaves the supermarket and comes to the realization of “how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (31). Being a nine-teen-year-old who just lost a job and would have to deal with unhappy parents would certainly be a difficult situation. However, in my opinion, that situation is what Sammy is referring to. Sammy has just come to the realization that in the future he must begin to make decisions on his own and accept the repercussions of these decisions. By quitting his job and thinking about the future, Sammy suddenly recognizes that his life was in his own hands. Sammy observes that he himself will have to make choices in life and accept the impact of these choices, no matter how unfortunate they might be. This realization is the final element of a coming-of-age story, when the main character grows up and learns an important life lesson. At this point, the reader notices how much Sammy has matured throughout the story. He started as a teenager eyeing some bikini-clad girls and ended as a young adult ready to make decisions for himself.
Although the reader only observes Sammy for a few pages, he or she feels as if Sammy has grown up right in front of his or her eyes. Sammy’s act of rebellion that leads to his learning of a vital life lesson makes A and P a coming-of-age novel that deals with many significant themes of adolescence. John Updike skillfully compacts these themes into an extremely brief story of youth development. (953)
The main happenings of A and P does not come until Lengel, the store manager, arrives to tell the beach-attired young women, “Girls, this isn’t the beach” (12). To the reader, this statement appears to be a reasonable assertion to make in the presence of underdressed youths in a supermarket. The girls, however, take offense to what they believe is an unnecessary display of authoritative power on the part of Lengel. They display one of the main themes of adolescent development, a resistance to authority. The girls go on to start an unnecessary argument, creating a big scene with everyone in supermarket watching, instead of simply agreeing to come decently dressed on their next visit. The fact that the three young ladies would rather create this scene of defiance to authority rather than comply to a reasonable request displays the theme of adolescent rebelliousness. The rebelliousness of these girls brings out Sammy’s inner defiance, upon his seeing this big scene.
At this point in the story, Sammy could have simply rung up the herring snacks and ended the incident. He chose not to do so for a couple of reasons. First, like a typical teenager, Sammy was attracted to the girls in bikinis and wanted to impress them. Ever since the three girls walked through the doors of the supermarket, Sammy had been closely eyeing them like a lion following its prey. He noticed everything about the girls, from their body shapes, to the way that they walked, to the clothes they were wearing. Sammy’s close attention to these details shows that he is interested in and attracted to these girls, as any nine-teen-year-old by working at a supermarket would be. Due to his attraction to the girls, Sammy wants to impress them when they defy the manager by a similar display of a rebellious nature. Sammy explains that he quickly declares “I quit […] hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (21). Clearly, part of the reason Sammy resigns from his job was to impress the girls. He hoped they would notice his standing up for them and think he was a heroic gentleman, saving them from great supermarket embarrassment. Sammy was in clear disappointment when the girls failed to notice his courageous action.
However, Sammy’s main reason for quitting was not to catch the eye of the three ladies. As a typical adolescent in a story about growing up, Sammy wished to express his rebellious nature to an authority figure. Sammy’s primary motive for quitting was to express a senseless defiance of authority. His purpose becomes evident when Lengel questions Sammy’s decision and upon second thought, Sammy explains to the reader that “remembering how he made that pretty girl blush makes me so scrunchy inside I punch the No Sale tab” (30). Sammy is cleary irritated at the condescending way that Lengel treated the younger ladies. He views Lengel as the authoritative figure abusing his managerial powers to boss around three innocent girls. Although this view might not be accurate, it is the way in which Sammy’s defiant teenage mind perceived it. Sammy felt an instinctive urge to seize an opportunity to rebel against the supermarket hierarchy and took it. In this sense, Sammy displays a key element of the main character in a coming-of-age story by his rebelliousness. This rebelliousness begins Sammy’s process of maturation and learning.
Another main component of a coming-of-age story is the main character’s being forced to deal with the impact of his actions and learning from them accordingly. Sammy experiences this situation directly after he leaves the supermarket and comes to the realization of “how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (31). Being a nine-teen-year-old who just lost a job and would have to deal with unhappy parents would certainly be a difficult situation. However, in my opinion, that situation is what Sammy is referring to. Sammy has just come to the realization that in the future he must begin to make decisions on his own and accept the repercussions of these decisions. By quitting his job and thinking about the future, Sammy suddenly recognizes that his life was in his own hands. Sammy observes that he himself will have to make choices in life and accept the impact of these choices, no matter how unfortunate they might be. This realization is the final element of a coming-of-age story, when the main character grows up and learns an important life lesson. At this point, the reader notices how much Sammy has matured throughout the story. He started as a teenager eyeing some bikini-clad girls and ended as a young adult ready to make decisions for himself.
Although the reader only observes Sammy for a few pages, he or she feels as if Sammy has grown up right in front of his or her eyes. Sammy’s act of rebellion that leads to his learning of a vital life lesson makes A and P a coming-of-age novel that deals with many significant themes of adolescence. John Updike skillfully compacts these themes into an extremely brief story of youth development. (953)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Heritage Trade
While growing up, children, teenagers, and young adults alike are always taught to remember their roots. Keeping one’s heritage in mind is an important lesson that everyone hears time and time again, almost to the point where it becomes clichéd in the mind of a young person. Dee, a character in the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, certainly keeps her heritage in mind. Dee pays close attention to remember her early roots in Africa, while, ironically, at the same time blatantly disregards her childhood, family-oriented heritage.
When Dee returns home from college, she takes careful steps to display that she is connected with the African traditions of her ancestors. The reader first notices her African “associations” when she greets her family with the broken-up African phrase “Wa-su-zo-Tean-o.” The fact that Dee’s initial embrace with her family consists of a poorly recited African phrase displays that Dee is attempting to show off her connectedness to her roots. In the story, when Dee recites this phrase, it is broken up into syllables, as if Dee had difficulty pronouncing this language. The fact that Dee had trouble with the phrase shows that her attention to African heritage is somewhat forced and somewhat fraudulent. Dee also attempts to display her connectedness to African culture when she explains that she no longer wishes to be addressed as “Dee” but rather she wants to be called “Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo.” “Wangero” explains that she hated “being named after the people who oppress me.” She suddenly despises her original name, a name that was passed down through generations of her family. The new name and the use of African language when Dee arrives display that Dee is making a strong effort to appear connected with her African heritage. However, the reader can clearly see that this newfound connectedness is not a real desire to remember her roots, but rather a forced adherence to the new trend of African culture. During this time of the civil rights campaign, name changing and other African traditions became fashionable and popular among African-American youths. These instances lead the reader to believe that Dee has no real interest in her heritage, but is changing her name and speaking Swahili in order to be a part of the new African-American trend.
Perhaps the reason Dee wishes to be a part of this new African-American trend is that she is no longer a part of her family’s life or culture. Ironically, while Dee is meticulously attempting to remember her African heritage and speaking about how important it is to remember one’s heritage, she has lost complete connection to her family heritage. Dee’s name change is a clear example that she longer wants to remember or be a part of her family’s history or customs and would rather follow a new path. She deliberately disregards the name that has been past through generations of her family, showing her disconnection with her family’s roots. Another instance in which Dee shows her disregard for her family’s heritage is when she is taking pictures of Mama and Maggie in front of the house. Dee never once takes a picture with her family or in front of the house. Instead, she takes pictures of her family in front of her house, symbolically showing that she wished to separate herself from her family and from her childhood home. The fact that Dee does not want to be in a picture with Mama or Maggie shows her separation from her family heritage. Dee not only wishes to separate herself from her family, but also disapproves of her family’s lifestyle. She blatantly expresses this view when she tells Maggie, “You ought to try to make of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know that. Dee clearly disapproves of the way her family is leaving, which is she wishes to break with all connection to her family heritage. Dee also ironically tells Mama that she does not understand her heritage when in fact it is Dee who has lost connection to her true heritage.
In “Everyday Use,” Dee exchanges her true identity for a forced observance of African culture. The reader sees a clear case of irony when Dee so meticulously attempts to remember her African heritage while blatantly disregarding that of her family. The great emphasis Dee puts on heritage is ironic due to her forgetting her family heritage. One lesson that can be interpreted from this story is to have one’s priorities straight. Dee puts observance to the new trend of African culture before her family. She so avidly wishes to break with the modest lifestyle of her family that she loses all connection with them. In breaking with her family, Dee actually loses connection to her true roots. To Mama, Maggie, and the reader, this loss is clear. To Dee, it is not. (820).
When Dee returns home from college, she takes careful steps to display that she is connected with the African traditions of her ancestors. The reader first notices her African “associations” when she greets her family with the broken-up African phrase “Wa-su-zo-Tean-o.” The fact that Dee’s initial embrace with her family consists of a poorly recited African phrase displays that Dee is attempting to show off her connectedness to her roots. In the story, when Dee recites this phrase, it is broken up into syllables, as if Dee had difficulty pronouncing this language. The fact that Dee had trouble with the phrase shows that her attention to African heritage is somewhat forced and somewhat fraudulent. Dee also attempts to display her connectedness to African culture when she explains that she no longer wishes to be addressed as “Dee” but rather she wants to be called “Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo.” “Wangero” explains that she hated “being named after the people who oppress me.” She suddenly despises her original name, a name that was passed down through generations of her family. The new name and the use of African language when Dee arrives display that Dee is making a strong effort to appear connected with her African heritage. However, the reader can clearly see that this newfound connectedness is not a real desire to remember her roots, but rather a forced adherence to the new trend of African culture. During this time of the civil rights campaign, name changing and other African traditions became fashionable and popular among African-American youths. These instances lead the reader to believe that Dee has no real interest in her heritage, but is changing her name and speaking Swahili in order to be a part of the new African-American trend.
Perhaps the reason Dee wishes to be a part of this new African-American trend is that she is no longer a part of her family’s life or culture. Ironically, while Dee is meticulously attempting to remember her African heritage and speaking about how important it is to remember one’s heritage, she has lost complete connection to her family heritage. Dee’s name change is a clear example that she longer wants to remember or be a part of her family’s history or customs and would rather follow a new path. She deliberately disregards the name that has been past through generations of her family, showing her disconnection with her family’s roots. Another instance in which Dee shows her disregard for her family’s heritage is when she is taking pictures of Mama and Maggie in front of the house. Dee never once takes a picture with her family or in front of the house. Instead, she takes pictures of her family in front of her house, symbolically showing that she wished to separate herself from her family and from her childhood home. The fact that Dee does not want to be in a picture with Mama or Maggie shows her separation from her family heritage. Dee not only wishes to separate herself from her family, but also disapproves of her family’s lifestyle. She blatantly expresses this view when she tells Maggie, “You ought to try to make of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know that. Dee clearly disapproves of the way her family is leaving, which is she wishes to break with all connection to her family heritage. Dee also ironically tells Mama that she does not understand her heritage when in fact it is Dee who has lost connection to her true heritage.
In “Everyday Use,” Dee exchanges her true identity for a forced observance of African culture. The reader sees a clear case of irony when Dee so meticulously attempts to remember her African heritage while blatantly disregarding that of her family. The great emphasis Dee puts on heritage is ironic due to her forgetting her family heritage. One lesson that can be interpreted from this story is to have one’s priorities straight. Dee puts observance to the new trend of African culture before her family. She so avidly wishes to break with the modest lifestyle of her family that she loses all connection with them. In breaking with her family, Dee actually loses connection to her true roots. To Mama, Maggie, and the reader, this loss is clear. To Dee, it is not. (820).
Thursday, August 30, 2007
In The Secret Life of Bees, the character Sue Monk Kidd creates in Lily is quite complex. Despite some of the tragedies in her life, Lily embodies a typical adolescent girl. She is dealing with a variety of insecurities in her life and at the same time is trying to find her identity and place in the world.
Dealing with insecurities is a fundamental problem that is faced by all adolescent girls. Sue Monk Kidd creates many instances in the novel that display Lily’s insecurities. One attribute that Lily is insecure about is her belief that she lacks femininity. Due to this insecurity, Lily does not have any confidence in attempting to make friends at school. She mentions her lack of friends when speaking about her father, stating, “He didn’t believe in slumber parties or sock hops, which wasn’t a big concern because I never got invited to them anyway.” Lily’s lack of a feminine nature clearly creates problems for her, as shown by her non-existent social life. Like most teens, Lily has insecurities that that get in the way of her daily life. Sue Monk Kidd displays this fundamental human quality to make Lily appear to be a recognizable human being.
Another fundamental human attribute that that Sue Monk Kidd displays in Lily is her wanting to search for an identity and a place in the world. Due to the many tragedies in her life, Lily feels as though she has an undefined identity and lacks a true home. When Lily is living at T-Ray’s house, she does not feel that she is in the right place. T-Ray and his oppressive ways prohibit Lily from blossoming into gifted woman she will later become. T-Ray shoots down Lily’s aspiration to become a writer and English teacher by not letting her even consider attending college. Lily explains that T-Ray thought college was “a waste of money for girls, even if they did, like me, score the highest number a human being can get on the verbal aptitude test.” Clearly, T-Ray’s house is not a suitable place for Lily to find her identity and she must therefore search for a new home in order to find her place in the world. Throughout the rest of the novel, Lily searches to find herself at the communal society of August Boatwright. Lily finally comes to the realization that the Boatwright house and honey factory is the ideal location for her to find her identity and place in the world. When T-Ray arrives to take her from the motherly Boatwrights, Lily remarks bluntly, “I’m staying here. I’m not leaving,” showing that she has found the proper place to blossom into her true self. Although Lily’s search for her true identity is never fully fulfilled, she finds a home to continue this search. In writing about Lily’s search for an identity, Sue Monk Kidd shows a fundamental human quality in Lily that makes her seem like a recognizable teenage girl. Like all teenage girls, Lily hunts for an identity, making her a character that they can directly relate to.
Lily embodies a typical teenage girl in her problems with insecurities and her search for a true identity. By writing about these qualities, Sue Monk Kidd created a character that appears to have fundamental characteristics of a real-life human being. The Secret Life of Bees is a powerful and useful novel partly due to the fact that Lily is a recognizable human character who adolescent girls can find some of themselves in. Through Su Monk Kidd’s careful humanization of Lily, she becomes an inspiration and role model for young women. (605)
Dealing with insecurities is a fundamental problem that is faced by all adolescent girls. Sue Monk Kidd creates many instances in the novel that display Lily’s insecurities. One attribute that Lily is insecure about is her belief that she lacks femininity. Due to this insecurity, Lily does not have any confidence in attempting to make friends at school. She mentions her lack of friends when speaking about her father, stating, “He didn’t believe in slumber parties or sock hops, which wasn’t a big concern because I never got invited to them anyway.” Lily’s lack of a feminine nature clearly creates problems for her, as shown by her non-existent social life. Like most teens, Lily has insecurities that that get in the way of her daily life. Sue Monk Kidd displays this fundamental human quality to make Lily appear to be a recognizable human being.
Another fundamental human attribute that that Sue Monk Kidd displays in Lily is her wanting to search for an identity and a place in the world. Due to the many tragedies in her life, Lily feels as though she has an undefined identity and lacks a true home. When Lily is living at T-Ray’s house, she does not feel that she is in the right place. T-Ray and his oppressive ways prohibit Lily from blossoming into gifted woman she will later become. T-Ray shoots down Lily’s aspiration to become a writer and English teacher by not letting her even consider attending college. Lily explains that T-Ray thought college was “a waste of money for girls, even if they did, like me, score the highest number a human being can get on the verbal aptitude test.” Clearly, T-Ray’s house is not a suitable place for Lily to find her identity and she must therefore search for a new home in order to find her place in the world. Throughout the rest of the novel, Lily searches to find herself at the communal society of August Boatwright. Lily finally comes to the realization that the Boatwright house and honey factory is the ideal location for her to find her identity and place in the world. When T-Ray arrives to take her from the motherly Boatwrights, Lily remarks bluntly, “I’m staying here. I’m not leaving,” showing that she has found the proper place to blossom into her true self. Although Lily’s search for her true identity is never fully fulfilled, she finds a home to continue this search. In writing about Lily’s search for an identity, Sue Monk Kidd shows a fundamental human quality in Lily that makes her seem like a recognizable teenage girl. Like all teenage girls, Lily hunts for an identity, making her a character that they can directly relate to.
Lily embodies a typical teenage girl in her problems with insecurities and her search for a true identity. By writing about these qualities, Sue Monk Kidd created a character that appears to have fundamental characteristics of a real-life human being. The Secret Life of Bees is a powerful and useful novel partly due to the fact that Lily is a recognizable human character who adolescent girls can find some of themselves in. Through Su Monk Kidd’s careful humanization of Lily, she becomes an inspiration and role model for young women. (605)
Monday, August 27, 2007
Reading and Writing After the Bell
For many years, reading has been a significant aspect of my life, whether I wanted it to be or not. My family has always encouraged me to read and I have learned to love sitting down with a good piece of writing. In elementary and middle school, I considered any sort of reading too similar to school work and therefore only read when I was forced to do so by parents or teachers. Every since high school began, however, I have learned to love reading for pleasure, and I make attempt to read some sort of writing daily.
I read a wide array of types of writing. My personal favorite type of writing to read is periodicals. I enjoy reading newspapers to stay alert on the happenings throughout the world. Newspapers seem to directly connect me to various cities and countries where important events are taking place. Magazines are another periodical that I regularly read. I am particularly interested in politics so political magazines are among my favorite to read. I also enjoy sports and music magazines and read these genres whenever time permits. During the school year, I usually read a piece from a magazine or newspaper daily. The summer time is my only opportunity that time permits me to read books. I prefer non-fiction books, generally biographies of interesting individuals. Whether it is a book, magazine, or newspaper, reading is a noteworthy hobby of mine.
Similar to my enjoyment of reading, I also like writing my own work. During the school year, I write much more than is required from me for classes. As the editor-in-chief of the Eagle’s Nest, I usually write two or three articles for this magazine per issue. As the sports editor of the Active Voice, I also compose a couple articles per issue for this newspaper. I write for these publications because I enjoy researching and reporting on the sports events that are happening around school. Finding creative ways to report what I research is a fun component of writing for the school periodicals. During the summer, I find other ways to express my creativity through writing. For example, this past summer I kept a daily journal as I coached basketball at a camp in Los Angeles. Recording the happenings around the camp was amusing. This journal will also allow me to remember the summer of 2007 many years from now. Compiling pieces of writing such as this journal allows me to express my thoughts in a creative and enjoyable way. (418)
I read a wide array of types of writing. My personal favorite type of writing to read is periodicals. I enjoy reading newspapers to stay alert on the happenings throughout the world. Newspapers seem to directly connect me to various cities and countries where important events are taking place. Magazines are another periodical that I regularly read. I am particularly interested in politics so political magazines are among my favorite to read. I also enjoy sports and music magazines and read these genres whenever time permits. During the school year, I usually read a piece from a magazine or newspaper daily. The summer time is my only opportunity that time permits me to read books. I prefer non-fiction books, generally biographies of interesting individuals. Whether it is a book, magazine, or newspaper, reading is a noteworthy hobby of mine.
Similar to my enjoyment of reading, I also like writing my own work. During the school year, I write much more than is required from me for classes. As the editor-in-chief of the Eagle’s Nest, I usually write two or three articles for this magazine per issue. As the sports editor of the Active Voice, I also compose a couple articles per issue for this newspaper. I write for these publications because I enjoy researching and reporting on the sports events that are happening around school. Finding creative ways to report what I research is a fun component of writing for the school periodicals. During the summer, I find other ways to express my creativity through writing. For example, this past summer I kept a daily journal as I coached basketball at a camp in Los Angeles. Recording the happenings around the camp was amusing. This journal will also allow me to remember the summer of 2007 many years from now. Compiling pieces of writing such as this journal allows me to express my thoughts in a creative and enjoyable way. (418)
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