The Grapes of Wrath: Irony and Tragedy
By Matthew Cox
Writer John Steinbeck got the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for his book called The Grapes of Wrath. He lives and travels with migrant workers in the late 1930 to understand their experiences. Tom Joad is the protagonist in the novel. He travels to California from Oklahoma with his family during the Dust Bowl. They look for work and abettor way of life. Like many other people from Oklahoma, they face discrimination by local farmers. For example, the Californians call them “Okies,” treat migrants harshly, and give them little money. Many laborers must live in Hoovervilles or government settlement camps. Hoovervilles are shantytowns named after President Herbert Hoover. The local farmers have their own issues including drought and not growing enough food to support them. Everyone in the Great Depression suffers due to economic hardship. Ironically, a big rainstorm floods the parched California farmland. The dike that holds the floodwaters back breaks and kills everyone including the Joads. John Steinbeck documents the plight of migrant workers from Oklahoma in his book, The Grapes of Wrath.
In 1936, John Steinbeck does research on people moving from Arkansas and Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl (Penguin Group). The next year, he tours areas hit by the disaster and travels with migrants on their way to the West. He writes about his experience in The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck publishes the book in 1939. This earns him critical acclaim and a Pulitzer Prize. However, many people are critical of both the harsh language and social issues that he addresses.
Teachers can do many things when preparing their students with reading. For example, they can look at photographs of poor farmers, migrant workers, areas hit by the Dust Bowl, and the like. This helps learners connect with the hardships that such people faced. Also, teachers can discuss the consequences of replacing unskilled workers with machines. Emphasize how the workers must find jobs. Instructors could also talk about the definition of family and what keeps it together. Using a roadmap to trace the route taken by the Joads helps pupils to visualize where they went. Keeping a response journal lets the class keep track of their thoughts, responses, and concerns about the story. Teacher can keep a similar record about the characters, the issues they face, questions the students might want to know, plot twists, major events, and the like. Also, educators must note the words that learners might have trouble with.
Teachers can do several things to help learners to understand the novel between chapters 1-11 in the section known as “The Land.” For example, they can ask the learners how the opening scenes suggest about the rest of the novel or family structure. Other aspects include how animals such as the land turtle play a role in the book. Students may be interested in ethical issues including the way Pastor Casey talks about sin and profanity. Also, they could analyze the power struggle between the small farm workers, and the bank and tractors. The characters have many struggles in life. For example, Muley the hunter is also the hunted. Tom Joad and his family must struggle to make ends meet as they are not able to get raise enough food for themselves. Also, pupils could be interested in the way the family members interact. For example, the generation of Tom and his family is different than those of Ma and Pa, or even the grandparents. As high schoolers learn how to make their own decisions, allowing them to analyze the choices that the Joads make will help with critical thinking. For example, they can discuss the options of staying in Oklahoma or going to California. Discussing how various members in the family feels will help the learners understand the choices that the Joads make.
Chapters 12-18 deal with the trip from Oklahoma to California in the second part known as “The Migration.” Describing the first tragic event on the way foreshadows future ramifications. Students would also like to know how the journey brings the Joads closer together. High schoolers may be interested in finding out the importance of Grandpa’s death and how Grandma takes it. Other people in the family act differently including Ma’s belief on “holding it” and Casey praying. People on the trip help each other. For example when the Joads meet the Wilsons, the notion of “I” changes to “We.” Chapter 15 implies different things about businessmen, waitresses, and truck drivers. When the car breaks down, it affects the way people relate. For example, Ma has a bad reaction. Tom and Al strain their relationship over it.
The Joads meet interesting people on their way. For example, they meet a one-eyed man in a junkyard has strong feelings about the owner. Tom gives him advice about dealing with him. The family meets a ragged man who tells Pa about California. The Joads have an interesting reaction. In general, the overnight camping changes a lot of people’s attitudes about going west. How does it renew the Joad’s strength to continue? The family’s first view of California is their first impression. Tom also hears two men from Oklahoma’s panhandle talk about their views on the Golden State. This leads Noah to leave and making Ma upset. People in California call the migrants “Okies.” Many people including the boys at the gas station in Needles in the west look down on people from Oklahoma. Pupils might enjoy learning about the symbolism in the desert. California changes the Joads perception of moving west. Both Grandma and Ma have different responses.
The third section known as “The Promised Land” has chapters 19-30. Once the Joads get to California, the farmers there do not like the migrants. Locals do not like the “Okies” because they feel that they will take their jobs or land away. As the learners about the way illegal or migrant workers to day are treated. Many people from Oklahoma must live in “Hoovervilles.” These are shanty-towns that poor people build. They are named after Herbert Hoover who many people criticize for not helping the needy. California, like other parts of the country, has economic problems too. Students might use an anticipation guide to compare and contrast how they felt about California before and after the Joads arrived. Inflation is high and wages fall. Many people do not unite because they are divided over political and social issues. Also, labor unions are not strong. The police mistreat the migrant workers. Casey attacks a deputy which shows that he does not always act Christian. The Joads face a hard life as the move from the Hooverville to a government camp. The students might also be interested in finding out the differences between the Hooverville and the government camp with critical thinking exercises.
Tom finds work on a farm. His supervisor is Mr. Thomas who treats Mr. Joad harshly. The farmer has the problems that many landowners in the 1930 face including: inflation and falling prices, drought, and migrants looking for jobs. Allowing the learners to create solutions for these problems might help them understand things from both the farmers and migrants’ viewpoints. Also, he needs people who know how to work farm machines including tractors and combines. The Joads do not know how to use these machines and are unskilled workers. Many people at this time turn against religion and the free market system. Communism and socialism become popular with needs people. Those who support this ideology are called “reds.” Discussing how communism appealed to needy people will help them understand why the philosophy is popular. Tom’s family leaves the government camp at Weedpatch because they are not getting the help they need. Working at the Hooper ranch is not much different. The Hoopers treat migrant laborers harshly and do not pay them well. Casey changes after the attack. He is not the humble Christian any more and acts violently to other people. The family moves into boxcars for shelter. Tom tries to break the family up by putting the children in orphanages. Ma does not like that idea. Although there is a drought, there is a heavy rain one night. The dike is important because it keeps the water from flooding the valley. Pupils may enjoy an essay writing exercise in which they explain the tragic irony of the dike bursting in the flood. Many people in the farming valley drown, including the Joads.
John Steinbeck documents the plight of migrant workers from Oklahoma in his book, The Grapes of Wrath. He wins the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for showing the harsh living conditions that such people must live and work in. Steinbeck lives and travels with the migrants as they escape from the Dust Bowl. He shows this experience through the eyes of the Joad family who move from Oklahoma to California to seek a bettor way of life. However life in the West is very harsh. Local farmers discrimination and treat migrant laborers harshly. Many people from Oklahoma live in poverty and make very little money. Many live in Hoovervilles which are shantytowns named after President Herbert Hoover. Others live in government camps which are not better. The California farmers have their own issues including drought and not supporting themselves with their crops. A huge rainstorm ends the story in tragic irony. It floods the valley and kills many of the migrant workers including Tom Joads family.
Work Cited
“The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.” Penguin Group. 2008 27. March 2008.
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/teaching-methods/3540.html?page=
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Pearl and Human Morality
By Matthew Cox
John Steinbeck writes The Pearl to teach people about greed and morality. Kino, the protagonist, is a poor Mexican pearl diver. He finds a large pearl and hops that it will bring fortune to his family, particularly his baby son, Coyotito. Shortly after finding the pearl, the man’s infant son gets stung by a scorpion. The people in his village, including Juana his wife, believe that the gem is evil. The main character does not believe this at first and tries to sell it. He is not able to find anyone who will buy it at a reasonable price. However, other people try to steal it from Kino. He and his family try to escape from the village and hide in the mountains. Coyotito becomes more and more fussy on the journey. Three men with a gun follow them. When Kino’s family hides in a cave by a pool, the patrollers camp by it. He steals their rifle and shoots two of them. However, he returns to the cavern and finds Juana crying and holding their dead baby. Distraught, they return to the village and throw the pearl back into the sea. The book explores many themes and symbols. For example, it shows how greed and ignorance destroy people. Also the book explores moral choices including protecting one’s family and the value of honesty. Various people represent the themes including the doctor and priest who represent desire. John Steinbeck explores ethics and greed in his story, The Pearl.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck concerns a poor Mexican fisherman, Kino, trying to support his family (Reed and Ellis). One day, Coyotito, the baby of the protagonist and his wife Juana, get stung by a scorpion. The horrified parents take their child to a neighboring town to the doctor. He refuses to look at Coyotito because Kino and Juana cannot pay. Both parents take the baby with them and go pearl diving. The father finds an expensive pearl just as the baby recovers. He thinks that the gem will provide the money for Coyotito’s future with health, education, and success. Juana thinks that the pearl will help them pay for a wedding at the church. However, the superstitious villagers tell her that their treasure is evil and bring misfortune. The village priest who did not want anything to do with Kino or Juana warns them “I hope thou wilt remember to give thanks, my son, to Him who has given thee this treasure, and to pray for his guidance in the future (Reed and Ellis)." The doctor learns of their new fortune and comes to cure the baby. He gives the baby a fake dosage of medicine which makes the baby ill. This confirms Juana’s fear that the pearl is cursed. Kino does not believe this right away. However, one night, he stabs an intruder who tries to steal the gem from its hiding place. The protagonist now believes that pearl brings bad luck. His wife begs him to get rid of it.
The next morning, the family and several villages go to the town of La Paz to sell the pearl. Juan Tomas, Kino’s brother, advises them to watch for cheaters. When the main character ties to sell the treasure to dealers, they say that it is too large to sell. One of the men offers a big sum to Kino for the pearl. He knows that he is being cheated and turns the deal town. Defeated, he and the villagers return home. Kino buries the pearl and fears that somebody will steal it. The protagonist travels a long distance on foot to sell it in the capital city. Juana tries to throw the pearl away. Her husband gets it back and tries to beat her up. As Kino leaves his house, a man tries to steal the pearl. The protagonist kills him. His wife ways that the “old life as gone forever.” The couple tries to start their journey in the canoe, Kino’s prized possession. However, they see a hole in it. As Juana goes back home to get Coyotito, she finds the house burning down. Kino takes his family to his brother’s house. They ask him to the villagers that everyone in the house is killed and the pearl stolen. All three of them escape from the village “in the dark of the moon” with the wind covering their tracks.
During the night, they walk until morning. Tired and weary, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito sleep under the shade of a tree. The main character wakes up from bad dream and tells his wife to quiet the baby. He sees one man on a horse and two on foot searching for them. They pass by the hiding family. Kino knows that they will return. He helps his family escape into the mountains. All three hide in a cave by a pool of water. However, the three patrollers make camp by the cavern. As the baby cries, one of the men lights a match. Kino sees that they have a rifle. After the patrollers go to sleep, Kino takes advantage of the moonlight to steal the gun. Just as he takes it, Coyotito cries and the men wake up. The main character fires the weapon and kills two of the men. After that, he hears Juana sobbing. Kino knows all too well that his baby died. Both of them return to La Paz as broken people, but as if in a trance. The main character throws the pearl into the sea.
Settings in stories develop the plot, symbols, themes, and characters. For example, the poor village symbolizes oppression and ignorance. Steinbeck personified the town to help the readers understand how important it is. Although the villagers depend on the sea for their living, it also represents how things in life are unpredictable or what they seem. This is represented by the passage "Although the morning was young, the hazy mirage was up. The uncertain air that magnified some things and blotted out others hung over the whole Gulf so that all sights were unreal and vision could not be trusted....There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or not there (Reed and Ellis)." Another important image is the pearl. In the beginning of the story, it appears to be “clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, glowing and gloating and triumphant (Reed and Ellis).” However, the tone and choice of words foreshadows that the gem is not what it appears to be. By the end of the story, it “ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth (Reed and Ellis).” The pearl becomes many things to Kino, a way to get a new harpoon or a gun. He even sees it as "beauty of the pearl, winking and glimmering in the light of the little candle" but hears evil music once Juana and the villagers warn him of the misfortune it might bring (Reed and Ellis). To his wife, the pearl is cursed and “It will destroy us all...Even our son (Reed and Ellis)." The canoe is another important symbol. It shows traditions as the boat belongs to Kino’s father and grandfather. Also, the vehicle is the family’s livelihood and lets the protagonist fish in ways that others cannot. This shows how owning it will provide a better life. When Kino finds the boat ruined before starting on his trip to the capital city, we realize how important it is. Other symbols including the scorpion which foreshadows death and evil.
Besides providing readers with symbols, Steinbeck also gives various themes as well. Many of them deal with moral lessons. For example, he focuses on the way uneducated people in the village act. People who are educated often exploit o look down on those who are not worldly wise. Therefore, ignorance one of the major themes explored in the book. Many of the villagers believe that the pearl will bring evil. Ironically, readers may dismiss this as superstition, another theme. However views may not understand if the pearl is “cursed” or not until the end other book; after seeing how the pearl apparently brings misfortune to Kino’s family, they realize that wealth brings evil. However, learners may not understand the subtle themes of the book including: ignorance leads to subjugation; things are not always what they seem; goodness does not always come from knowledge; evil comes in many forms; and sometimes people and intuitions that we respect are the evil things that they preach against or claim to heal.
Various characters in the story also represent different aspects of human nature. For example, the doctor is wealthier than the villagers, but not as wealthy as he would like to be. This is shown by "In his chamber the doctor sat up in his high bed. He had on his dressing gown of read watered silk that had come from Paris, a little tight over the chest now if it was buttoned" and "The doctor had once for a short time been a part of the great world and his whole subsequent life was memory and longing for France (Reed and Ellis)." This symbolizes greed. He gets fat off of of other people’s suffering. The doctor also has the power to heal, but turns down patients if they cannot pay. This also shows oppression and promoting ignorance. He also thinks that he can get the pearl for treating the baby with medicine that does not work or might be dangerous. The priest is similar to the doctor. Although he speaks for Christian morality, the clergyman acts the opposite, He does not may Kino or Juana because that are too poor to give money to the church. Also, the priest does not help when he baby becomes ill. After he hears about the pearl, the cleric tells Kino that God gives them good fortune. The pearl dealers also symbolize human greed and ignorance.
John Steinbeck explores ethics and greed in his story, The Pearl. The main character is Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver. After finding a large pearl, he suffers misfortune. For example, his infant son, Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion. The people in his town believed that the pearl is cursed. Kino’s wife also believes that the gem will bring bad luck. He does not believe this at first and tries to sell it. However, he cannot get a good deal with it. Several people try to steal the pearl. The main character’s family tries to escape from their village by hiding in the mountains. Coyotito becomes ill as they try to leave. However three men with a gun follow them. After hiding in cave near a pool, the three men camp by the unsuspecting family. He takes their gun and shoots two of the followers. Kino returns to the cave and sees his crying wife holding their baby who dies. The couple return to their village very sad. Kino throws the pearl back into the sea. Steinbeck explores both ethical behavior and greed in the story. He also shows how dishonest individuals exploit ignorant people.
Work Cited
Reed, Arthea and Ellis, Guy. Penguin/Putman Publications. 2008 27 March 2008
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/teaching-methods/3760.html?page=2
By Matthew Cox
John Steinbeck writes The Pearl to teach people about greed and morality. Kino, the protagonist, is a poor Mexican pearl diver. He finds a large pearl and hops that it will bring fortune to his family, particularly his baby son, Coyotito. Shortly after finding the pearl, the man’s infant son gets stung by a scorpion. The people in his village, including Juana his wife, believe that the gem is evil. The main character does not believe this at first and tries to sell it. He is not able to find anyone who will buy it at a reasonable price. However, other people try to steal it from Kino. He and his family try to escape from the village and hide in the mountains. Coyotito becomes more and more fussy on the journey. Three men with a gun follow them. When Kino’s family hides in a cave by a pool, the patrollers camp by it. He steals their rifle and shoots two of them. However, he returns to the cavern and finds Juana crying and holding their dead baby. Distraught, they return to the village and throw the pearl back into the sea. The book explores many themes and symbols. For example, it shows how greed and ignorance destroy people. Also the book explores moral choices including protecting one’s family and the value of honesty. Various people represent the themes including the doctor and priest who represent desire. John Steinbeck explores ethics and greed in his story, The Pearl.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck concerns a poor Mexican fisherman, Kino, trying to support his family (Reed and Ellis). One day, Coyotito, the baby of the protagonist and his wife Juana, get stung by a scorpion. The horrified parents take their child to a neighboring town to the doctor. He refuses to look at Coyotito because Kino and Juana cannot pay. Both parents take the baby with them and go pearl diving. The father finds an expensive pearl just as the baby recovers. He thinks that the gem will provide the money for Coyotito’s future with health, education, and success. Juana thinks that the pearl will help them pay for a wedding at the church. However, the superstitious villagers tell her that their treasure is evil and bring misfortune. The village priest who did not want anything to do with Kino or Juana warns them “I hope thou wilt remember to give thanks, my son, to Him who has given thee this treasure, and to pray for his guidance in the future (Reed and Ellis)." The doctor learns of their new fortune and comes to cure the baby. He gives the baby a fake dosage of medicine which makes the baby ill. This confirms Juana’s fear that the pearl is cursed. Kino does not believe this right away. However, one night, he stabs an intruder who tries to steal the gem from its hiding place. The protagonist now believes that pearl brings bad luck. His wife begs him to get rid of it.
The next morning, the family and several villages go to the town of La Paz to sell the pearl. Juan Tomas, Kino’s brother, advises them to watch for cheaters. When the main character ties to sell the treasure to dealers, they say that it is too large to sell. One of the men offers a big sum to Kino for the pearl. He knows that he is being cheated and turns the deal town. Defeated, he and the villagers return home. Kino buries the pearl and fears that somebody will steal it. The protagonist travels a long distance on foot to sell it in the capital city. Juana tries to throw the pearl away. Her husband gets it back and tries to beat her up. As Kino leaves his house, a man tries to steal the pearl. The protagonist kills him. His wife ways that the “old life as gone forever.” The couple tries to start their journey in the canoe, Kino’s prized possession. However, they see a hole in it. As Juana goes back home to get Coyotito, she finds the house burning down. Kino takes his family to his brother’s house. They ask him to the villagers that everyone in the house is killed and the pearl stolen. All three of them escape from the village “in the dark of the moon” with the wind covering their tracks.
During the night, they walk until morning. Tired and weary, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito sleep under the shade of a tree. The main character wakes up from bad dream and tells his wife to quiet the baby. He sees one man on a horse and two on foot searching for them. They pass by the hiding family. Kino knows that they will return. He helps his family escape into the mountains. All three hide in a cave by a pool of water. However, the three patrollers make camp by the cavern. As the baby cries, one of the men lights a match. Kino sees that they have a rifle. After the patrollers go to sleep, Kino takes advantage of the moonlight to steal the gun. Just as he takes it, Coyotito cries and the men wake up. The main character fires the weapon and kills two of the men. After that, he hears Juana sobbing. Kino knows all too well that his baby died. Both of them return to La Paz as broken people, but as if in a trance. The main character throws the pearl into the sea.
Settings in stories develop the plot, symbols, themes, and characters. For example, the poor village symbolizes oppression and ignorance. Steinbeck personified the town to help the readers understand how important it is. Although the villagers depend on the sea for their living, it also represents how things in life are unpredictable or what they seem. This is represented by the passage "Although the morning was young, the hazy mirage was up. The uncertain air that magnified some things and blotted out others hung over the whole Gulf so that all sights were unreal and vision could not be trusted....There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or not there (Reed and Ellis)." Another important image is the pearl. In the beginning of the story, it appears to be “clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, glowing and gloating and triumphant (Reed and Ellis).” However, the tone and choice of words foreshadows that the gem is not what it appears to be. By the end of the story, it “ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth (Reed and Ellis).” The pearl becomes many things to Kino, a way to get a new harpoon or a gun. He even sees it as "beauty of the pearl, winking and glimmering in the light of the little candle" but hears evil music once Juana and the villagers warn him of the misfortune it might bring (Reed and Ellis). To his wife, the pearl is cursed and “It will destroy us all...Even our son (Reed and Ellis)." The canoe is another important symbol. It shows traditions as the boat belongs to Kino’s father and grandfather. Also, the vehicle is the family’s livelihood and lets the protagonist fish in ways that others cannot. This shows how owning it will provide a better life. When Kino finds the boat ruined before starting on his trip to the capital city, we realize how important it is. Other symbols including the scorpion which foreshadows death and evil.
Besides providing readers with symbols, Steinbeck also gives various themes as well. Many of them deal with moral lessons. For example, he focuses on the way uneducated people in the village act. People who are educated often exploit o look down on those who are not worldly wise. Therefore, ignorance one of the major themes explored in the book. Many of the villagers believe that the pearl will bring evil. Ironically, readers may dismiss this as superstition, another theme. However views may not understand if the pearl is “cursed” or not until the end other book; after seeing how the pearl apparently brings misfortune to Kino’s family, they realize that wealth brings evil. However, learners may not understand the subtle themes of the book including: ignorance leads to subjugation; things are not always what they seem; goodness does not always come from knowledge; evil comes in many forms; and sometimes people and intuitions that we respect are the evil things that they preach against or claim to heal.
Various characters in the story also represent different aspects of human nature. For example, the doctor is wealthier than the villagers, but not as wealthy as he would like to be. This is shown by "In his chamber the doctor sat up in his high bed. He had on his dressing gown of read watered silk that had come from Paris, a little tight over the chest now if it was buttoned" and "The doctor had once for a short time been a part of the great world and his whole subsequent life was memory and longing for France (Reed and Ellis)." This symbolizes greed. He gets fat off of of other people’s suffering. The doctor also has the power to heal, but turns down patients if they cannot pay. This also shows oppression and promoting ignorance. He also thinks that he can get the pearl for treating the baby with medicine that does not work or might be dangerous. The priest is similar to the doctor. Although he speaks for Christian morality, the clergyman acts the opposite, He does not may Kino or Juana because that are too poor to give money to the church. Also, the priest does not help when he baby becomes ill. After he hears about the pearl, the cleric tells Kino that God gives them good fortune. The pearl dealers also symbolize human greed and ignorance.
John Steinbeck explores ethics and greed in his story, The Pearl. The main character is Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver. After finding a large pearl, he suffers misfortune. For example, his infant son, Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion. The people in his town believed that the pearl is cursed. Kino’s wife also believes that the gem will bring bad luck. He does not believe this at first and tries to sell it. However, he cannot get a good deal with it. Several people try to steal the pearl. The main character’s family tries to escape from their village by hiding in the mountains. Coyotito becomes ill as they try to leave. However three men with a gun follow them. After hiding in cave near a pool, the three men camp by the unsuspecting family. He takes their gun and shoots two of the followers. Kino returns to the cave and sees his crying wife holding their baby who dies. The couple return to their village very sad. Kino throws the pearl back into the sea. Steinbeck explores both ethical behavior and greed in the story. He also shows how dishonest individuals exploit ignorant people.
Work Cited
Reed, Arthea and Ellis, Guy. Penguin/Putman Publications. 2008 27 March 2008
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/teaching-methods/3760.html?page=2
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Their Eyes Were Watching God and the African-American Experience
By Matthew Cox
Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston reflects how African-American women in the 1930’s search for self-identiy. Janie, the main character, suffers through two abusive marriages. Her first one to Logan Killicks is arranged by her grandmother. Jody Starks, Janie’s second husband, seems nice, but later abuses and humiliates her. Tea Cake, the third husband, is a good person who is nice to Janie. Although he has some minor flaws, he accepts them and tried to improve himself. Janie and Tea Cake are caught up in a hurricane and flood waters. As they escape, the protagonist get attacked by a dog. The animal bites the husband who later gets rabies. Janie shoots him when he goes insane and tried to kill her. She returns home and tells her life’s story to a close friend named Phoebe. Hurston explores many themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God including women’s independence, racial equality, and abusive relationships.
Many teachers use Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston to teach the classes about the African American experience (Answers.com). Janie Starkes, the protagonist, marries Logan Killicks through an arranged wedding done by Nanny, her grandmother. However, the husband makes her do hard farm work including plowing. Also Logan abuses Janie. Later, she meets a stranger called Jody Starks. He invites Janie to come with him. She leaves Killicks and marries Jody. He opens a store and becomes mayor. After a while, the couple realize that they are growing apart and do not love each other. For example, Starks will not let her help with running the store. Also, he does not let his wife join in storytelling on the store's porch. One scene involves Janie buying an overworked and dying mule from an abusive owner. The animal dies and Jody refuses to let her participate in a mock funeral for it. Jody continues to beat and humiliate Janie. Later, the husband becomes fatally ill and tries to fight death. He dies and has a large and formal funeral.
Several months later, a stranger named Vergible Woods comes to town. His nickname is Tea Cake. He teaches Janie to play checkers. She feels like that he is treating her like a human being. They do many unseal things together including fishing at midnight. Janie falls in love with him, but does not trust him at first. She is also reluctant to have a relationship because Jody bequeathed her a large amount of money and the store. The main character sells the store and begins new life with Tea Cake. They move to Jacksonville, Florida to get married. Janie arrives on a train with two hundred dollars hidden in her suitcase. The morning after she is in Jacksonville, the main character realizes that her money and Tea Cake are gone. He returns the next day with only twelve dollars. Her husband said that he took it to throw a party. Woods promises to pay it back. When he repays her, she agrees to trust him with he additional savings. Tea Cake suggests that they find work in the Everglades.
He teaches her how to shoot and live in the wilderness. Both of them have fun with parties and enjoying social people. However, Janie gets angry when another woman flirts with Tea Cake. He assures his wife that it is nothing to worry about and they are not serious. Mrs. Turner, another woman, starts a friendship with Janie hoping that she will leave Woods for her brother. As a lighter skinned African-American, Mrs. Turner does not like ones with very dark complexions. This makes Tea Cake jealous who beats Janie to prove that he is boss over her.
A hurricane looms over Florida. Many people evacuate but Janie and Tea Cake decide to ride the storm out. When the storm hits they huddle in their cabin with “their eyes were watching God (answers.com).” Flood waters almost destroy the house and force the couple out. As they walk towards Palm Beach, Janie is attacked by a dog. She escapes by climbing on the back of a cow. Tea Cake defends her by throwing the dog into flood water. He gets tired and kills the canine with his knife. However, the dog bites him on the check. The bite does not appear to be serious and starts healing.
When the storm is over, the African-American men act grave diggers. They must separate the white bodies from the black ones; the whites will be buried in coffins and the blacks in a mass grave. The next day, Tea Cake encourages his wife to return to the everglades with him. After three weeks, Woods becomes ill with a headache. Also, he is not able to eat or drink. A doctor diagnoses him with rabies and will likely die. He is worried that Tea Cake will become violent and attack Janie. She eventually realizes that her husband is going insane from the disease. He chases her with a gun. Janie defends herself by shooting and killing him. The protagonist is arrested for murder, but gets acquitted for self defense. She gives him a fancy funeral. The story ends with Janie returning to her hometown. She meets Phoebe and tells the friend what happenes in her life.
Hurston explores various themes in the book (Answers.com). Most of them chart the development of African-American women in the 1920’s and 1930’s as the search for their true identities. Janie speaks for many different women. Literary experts see her three marriages as a search for true identity. She fights against her grandmother and two abusive husbands to find her voice. Jody, her second husband, symbolizes how greed corrupts people through wealth. He shows this by beating and humiliating her. This prevents her from living happily. When Tea Cake meets Janie, she sees that her role in town is decided by Jody’s and the town’s expectations. Tea Cake treats her with respect and lets the main character be who she wants to be. Some experts claim that that Woods stifles her independence by encouraging her to go on adventures with him. They also point out that she often times follows his lead without questioning it. Some literary experts feels that the climax when Janie shoots him forces her to reacts impulsively and not while thinking. However, other scholars feel that she does the right thing to protect herself.
Language is an important part of the novel. It reflects the speakers and the culture that they live in. For example the men in Eatonville do “eternal arguments, a contest in hyperbole and carried on for no other reason (Answers.com).” The males do not let women to participate because they think that women are not good enough to do them. However Janie learns to press “her tenth together and learned to hush” to keep out of trouble (Answers.com.). However, characters including Jody use harsh words to put her down. For example, he says “When you pull down yo’britches, you look lak de change uh life (Answers.com). Janie retaliates by comparing his body to a woman going through menopause. She learns how to assert herself and let him mistreat and control her. After the main character married Tea Cake, she joins him in socializing and participating with him. This is shown by “the men held big arguments here like they used to on the store porch. Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to. She got so she could tell big stories herself from listening to the rest (Answers.com)."
Although race is rarely mentioned In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston implies that there is a strong racial divide. For instance, many African-Americans do not have the equal rights or opportunities as whites do. Jody wants to start an all-black town and have power to them. He has a “bow-down command on his face” and a large house than makes the others seem like servant dwellings (Answers.com). This reflects the contrast between slaves and slave-owners before the Civil War. Such attitudes are ironic because Jody does not like being dominated by white people. Furthermore, he flaunts his wealth with expensive furniture, clothing, and cars. He even acts like an upper class white by looking down on poor African-Americans.
Hurston’s also criticizes attitudes on skin color with Mrs. Turner’s snobbish feeling about light-skinned African-Americans being superior to darker-skinned ones. Janie is a mulatto because her grandmother is raped by a white man. Mrs. Turner comes from an upper-class background and says “We ought to lightrn up the race (Answers.com)” Janie replies “Us can’t do it. We’se us mingled people and all of us got blck kinfolks as well as yaller kinfolks (Answers.com).” She does not see divisions in the African-American community and movers freely between social classes. Hurston uses images like these to criticize the way Americans view skin color as a social class issue. She sums up this idea about Mrs. Turner with “Behind her crude words was a belief that somehow she and others through worship could attain her paradise — a heaven of straight-haired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs. The physical impossibilities in no way injured faith (Answers.com).” The author later reveals that the woman is consumed by her own hatred of being part white and part African-American. Discrimination in the black community is just as devastating as racism between whites and African-Americans.
Hurston explores many themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God including women’s independence, racial equality, and abusive relationships. African-American women in the 1930’s face many challenges including chauvinist beliefs, racism, and being sociologically disadvantaged. Janie, the main character, speaks for women going through such experiences. Her grandmother marries her off to an abusive man named Logan Killicks. She later marries Jody Starks who seems like a good person. He becomes a successful business owner and town mayor. However, Jody abuses Janie physically and mentally. Tea Cake, the protagonist’s third husband, is decent person with some minor flaws. He understands them and tries to correct his behavior. The couple get caught in a hurricane and are flooded out of their house. Janie gets attacked by a dog when they leave. Tea Cake kills the dog but is bitten. He gets rabies and tries to kill Janie. She protects herself by shooting her husband. The protagonist goes home and tells her experience to good friend named Phoebe.
Work Cited
“Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Answers.com 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://www.answers.com/Their%20Eyes%20Were%20Watching%20God
By Matthew Cox
Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston reflects how African-American women in the 1930’s search for self-identiy. Janie, the main character, suffers through two abusive marriages. Her first one to Logan Killicks is arranged by her grandmother. Jody Starks, Janie’s second husband, seems nice, but later abuses and humiliates her. Tea Cake, the third husband, is a good person who is nice to Janie. Although he has some minor flaws, he accepts them and tried to improve himself. Janie and Tea Cake are caught up in a hurricane and flood waters. As they escape, the protagonist get attacked by a dog. The animal bites the husband who later gets rabies. Janie shoots him when he goes insane and tried to kill her. She returns home and tells her life’s story to a close friend named Phoebe. Hurston explores many themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God including women’s independence, racial equality, and abusive relationships.
Many teachers use Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston to teach the classes about the African American experience (Answers.com). Janie Starkes, the protagonist, marries Logan Killicks through an arranged wedding done by Nanny, her grandmother. However, the husband makes her do hard farm work including plowing. Also Logan abuses Janie. Later, she meets a stranger called Jody Starks. He invites Janie to come with him. She leaves Killicks and marries Jody. He opens a store and becomes mayor. After a while, the couple realize that they are growing apart and do not love each other. For example, Starks will not let her help with running the store. Also, he does not let his wife join in storytelling on the store's porch. One scene involves Janie buying an overworked and dying mule from an abusive owner. The animal dies and Jody refuses to let her participate in a mock funeral for it. Jody continues to beat and humiliate Janie. Later, the husband becomes fatally ill and tries to fight death. He dies and has a large and formal funeral.
Several months later, a stranger named Vergible Woods comes to town. His nickname is Tea Cake. He teaches Janie to play checkers. She feels like that he is treating her like a human being. They do many unseal things together including fishing at midnight. Janie falls in love with him, but does not trust him at first. She is also reluctant to have a relationship because Jody bequeathed her a large amount of money and the store. The main character sells the store and begins new life with Tea Cake. They move to Jacksonville, Florida to get married. Janie arrives on a train with two hundred dollars hidden in her suitcase. The morning after she is in Jacksonville, the main character realizes that her money and Tea Cake are gone. He returns the next day with only twelve dollars. Her husband said that he took it to throw a party. Woods promises to pay it back. When he repays her, she agrees to trust him with he additional savings. Tea Cake suggests that they find work in the Everglades.
He teaches her how to shoot and live in the wilderness. Both of them have fun with parties and enjoying social people. However, Janie gets angry when another woman flirts with Tea Cake. He assures his wife that it is nothing to worry about and they are not serious. Mrs. Turner, another woman, starts a friendship with Janie hoping that she will leave Woods for her brother. As a lighter skinned African-American, Mrs. Turner does not like ones with very dark complexions. This makes Tea Cake jealous who beats Janie to prove that he is boss over her.
A hurricane looms over Florida. Many people evacuate but Janie and Tea Cake decide to ride the storm out. When the storm hits they huddle in their cabin with “their eyes were watching God (answers.com).” Flood waters almost destroy the house and force the couple out. As they walk towards Palm Beach, Janie is attacked by a dog. She escapes by climbing on the back of a cow. Tea Cake defends her by throwing the dog into flood water. He gets tired and kills the canine with his knife. However, the dog bites him on the check. The bite does not appear to be serious and starts healing.
When the storm is over, the African-American men act grave diggers. They must separate the white bodies from the black ones; the whites will be buried in coffins and the blacks in a mass grave. The next day, Tea Cake encourages his wife to return to the everglades with him. After three weeks, Woods becomes ill with a headache. Also, he is not able to eat or drink. A doctor diagnoses him with rabies and will likely die. He is worried that Tea Cake will become violent and attack Janie. She eventually realizes that her husband is going insane from the disease. He chases her with a gun. Janie defends herself by shooting and killing him. The protagonist is arrested for murder, but gets acquitted for self defense. She gives him a fancy funeral. The story ends with Janie returning to her hometown. She meets Phoebe and tells the friend what happenes in her life.
Hurston explores various themes in the book (Answers.com). Most of them chart the development of African-American women in the 1920’s and 1930’s as the search for their true identities. Janie speaks for many different women. Literary experts see her three marriages as a search for true identity. She fights against her grandmother and two abusive husbands to find her voice. Jody, her second husband, symbolizes how greed corrupts people through wealth. He shows this by beating and humiliating her. This prevents her from living happily. When Tea Cake meets Janie, she sees that her role in town is decided by Jody’s and the town’s expectations. Tea Cake treats her with respect and lets the main character be who she wants to be. Some experts claim that that Woods stifles her independence by encouraging her to go on adventures with him. They also point out that she often times follows his lead without questioning it. Some literary experts feels that the climax when Janie shoots him forces her to reacts impulsively and not while thinking. However, other scholars feel that she does the right thing to protect herself.
Language is an important part of the novel. It reflects the speakers and the culture that they live in. For example the men in Eatonville do “eternal arguments, a contest in hyperbole and carried on for no other reason (Answers.com).” The males do not let women to participate because they think that women are not good enough to do them. However Janie learns to press “her tenth together and learned to hush” to keep out of trouble (Answers.com.). However, characters including Jody use harsh words to put her down. For example, he says “When you pull down yo’britches, you look lak de change uh life (Answers.com). Janie retaliates by comparing his body to a woman going through menopause. She learns how to assert herself and let him mistreat and control her. After the main character married Tea Cake, she joins him in socializing and participating with him. This is shown by “the men held big arguments here like they used to on the store porch. Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to. She got so she could tell big stories herself from listening to the rest (Answers.com)."
Although race is rarely mentioned In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston implies that there is a strong racial divide. For instance, many African-Americans do not have the equal rights or opportunities as whites do. Jody wants to start an all-black town and have power to them. He has a “bow-down command on his face” and a large house than makes the others seem like servant dwellings (Answers.com). This reflects the contrast between slaves and slave-owners before the Civil War. Such attitudes are ironic because Jody does not like being dominated by white people. Furthermore, he flaunts his wealth with expensive furniture, clothing, and cars. He even acts like an upper class white by looking down on poor African-Americans.
Hurston’s also criticizes attitudes on skin color with Mrs. Turner’s snobbish feeling about light-skinned African-Americans being superior to darker-skinned ones. Janie is a mulatto because her grandmother is raped by a white man. Mrs. Turner comes from an upper-class background and says “We ought to lightrn up the race (Answers.com)” Janie replies “Us can’t do it. We’se us mingled people and all of us got blck kinfolks as well as yaller kinfolks (Answers.com).” She does not see divisions in the African-American community and movers freely between social classes. Hurston uses images like these to criticize the way Americans view skin color as a social class issue. She sums up this idea about Mrs. Turner with “Behind her crude words was a belief that somehow she and others through worship could attain her paradise — a heaven of straight-haired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs. The physical impossibilities in no way injured faith (Answers.com).” The author later reveals that the woman is consumed by her own hatred of being part white and part African-American. Discrimination in the black community is just as devastating as racism between whites and African-Americans.
Hurston explores many themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God including women’s independence, racial equality, and abusive relationships. African-American women in the 1930’s face many challenges including chauvinist beliefs, racism, and being sociologically disadvantaged. Janie, the main character, speaks for women going through such experiences. Her grandmother marries her off to an abusive man named Logan Killicks. She later marries Jody Starks who seems like a good person. He becomes a successful business owner and town mayor. However, Jody abuses Janie physically and mentally. Tea Cake, the protagonist’s third husband, is decent person with some minor flaws. He understands them and tries to correct his behavior. The couple get caught in a hurricane and are flooded out of their house. Janie gets attacked by a dog when they leave. Tea Cake kills the dog but is bitten. He gets rabies and tries to kill Janie. She protects herself by shooting her husband. The protagonist goes home and tells her experience to good friend named Phoebe.
Work Cited
“Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Answers.com 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://www.answers.com/Their%20Eyes%20Were%20Watching%20God
e.e. cummings is an unconventional poet who lives in the early 20th Century. He is famous for using incomplete sentences, punctualtion symbols, compound words, and other innovative language forms to create avant-garde poetry. Although he inventes his own style, many of e.e’s works include traditional poetic forms including sonnets. Cummings gets his ideas from other writers, particularly Gertrude Stien. Some of his works make fun of various issues including love or aspects of society. Besides creating poems, the poet also writes novels, paints, and does the comic strip Krazy Kat. E.e. Cummings uses his talents to create both traditional and non-traditional forms of poetry.
Many literary experts view the poet e.e. cummings as a cutting-edge writer (Wikipedia). Many of his work is like this, but most it is traditional. Several of his poems are sonnets. Other are in blues form or acrostics. Most of Cummings poetry deals with love, nature, satire, and the relationship between the individual and masses.
Most scholars in literature say that his poetry deal with the romantic tradition in the 1800’s. However, there are oddities about his syntax, or organizing words into phrases or sentences. Much of his poetry do not have typical writing or punctuation styles. Cummings uses syntactic innovations. Also modernist poets including Gertrude Stein, Amy Lowell, and Ezra Pound influence the writer with their imagist experiments.
Some of Cummings work in free verse which is poetry that is not concerned with rhyming or metering. The sonnets have a 14 line structure and complicated rhyme scheme. Other featured about Cummings work is his typographic. He puts words, word parts, or punctuation scattered across the page. Such writings do not make sense until they are read aloud. Cummings was also a pointer and said that he uses typology to create mental pictures of his poems.
The writer experimented with various styles a young age. For example, at the age of six, he wrote a poem to his father:
FATHER DEAR. BE, YOUR FATHER-GOOD AND GOOD,
HE IS GOOD NOW, IT IS NOT GOOD TO SEE IT RAIN,
FATHER DEAR IS, IT, DEAR, NO FATHER DEAR,
LOVE, YOU DEAR,
ESTLIN.
In the early 1923, Cummings published his first work called Tulips and Chimneys. This let the public see his unconventional use of grammar and punctuation. However, some of the writer’s most famous pieces do not use an odd uses of typography or punctuation. For example, “anyone lived in a pretty how town” and “why must itself up every of a park” uses conventional ways to write poems:
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
And
why must itself up every of a park
anus stick some quote statue unquote to
prove that a hero equals any jerk
who was afraid to dare to answer "no"?
However, the poet uses his unconventional style in other such works including Buffalo Bill’s/defunct. Many people experience a sudden and incomprehensible effect when they read Cummings poetry. This comes from the writer breaking away from traditional forms of writing verse. For example, he writes of “Why must itself” and “they sowed their isn’t” with nontraditional grammar structures (wikipedia). E.e. says that the writings of Stein inspires him to write poetry and influences his early work
Cummings intentionally writes words with misspellings, phonetic devices, or incomplete sentences to represent certain dialects. One of his innovations include inventing compound words including: in Just-; puddle-wonderful; and eddieandbill. The poet uses these words in his work called “Chansom Innocent.” Other invented words in the writing include balloonman who is an ancient Greek nature god who is half-man and half-goat.
Besides inventing a new form of writing, Cummings also satirizes and addresses social issues as well. For example, the line “why must itself up every park?” implies a bias towards romanticism. Many of the common themes in e.e’s works celebrate love, sex, and rebirth. Besides writing poetry, Cummings also produces children’s books, novels, paintings, and a comic strip called Krazy Kat.
E.e. Cummings uses his talents to create both traditional and non-traditional forms of poetry. Many of his innovations include incomplete sentences, compound words, punctuation symbols, and other writing styles to create original verse. Besides using free verse, Cummings also produces traditional forms of poems including sonnets. Gertrude Stein is his biggest influence. Other writers give him ideas too. Many of his themes include love or making fun of social institutions. Cummings shows his diverse talents by writing novels, painting, and doing a comic strip called Krazy Kat.
Works Cited
“e.e. cummings.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._e._cummings#Poetry
Many literary experts view the poet e.e. cummings as a cutting-edge writer (Wikipedia). Many of his work is like this, but most it is traditional. Several of his poems are sonnets. Other are in blues form or acrostics. Most of Cummings poetry deals with love, nature, satire, and the relationship between the individual and masses.
Most scholars in literature say that his poetry deal with the romantic tradition in the 1800’s. However, there are oddities about his syntax, or organizing words into phrases or sentences. Much of his poetry do not have typical writing or punctuation styles. Cummings uses syntactic innovations. Also modernist poets including Gertrude Stein, Amy Lowell, and Ezra Pound influence the writer with their imagist experiments.
Some of Cummings work in free verse which is poetry that is not concerned with rhyming or metering. The sonnets have a 14 line structure and complicated rhyme scheme. Other featured about Cummings work is his typographic. He puts words, word parts, or punctuation scattered across the page. Such writings do not make sense until they are read aloud. Cummings was also a pointer and said that he uses typology to create mental pictures of his poems.
The writer experimented with various styles a young age. For example, at the age of six, he wrote a poem to his father:
FATHER DEAR. BE, YOUR FATHER-GOOD AND GOOD,
HE IS GOOD NOW, IT IS NOT GOOD TO SEE IT RAIN,
FATHER DEAR IS, IT, DEAR, NO FATHER DEAR,
LOVE, YOU DEAR,
ESTLIN.
In the early 1923, Cummings published his first work called Tulips and Chimneys. This let the public see his unconventional use of grammar and punctuation. However, some of the writer’s most famous pieces do not use an odd uses of typography or punctuation. For example, “anyone lived in a pretty how town” and “why must itself up every of a park” uses conventional ways to write poems:
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
And
why must itself up every of a park
anus stick some quote statue unquote to
prove that a hero equals any jerk
who was afraid to dare to answer "no"?
However, the poet uses his unconventional style in other such works including Buffalo Bill’s/defunct. Many people experience a sudden and incomprehensible effect when they read Cummings poetry. This comes from the writer breaking away from traditional forms of writing verse. For example, he writes of “Why must itself” and “they sowed their isn’t” with nontraditional grammar structures (wikipedia). E.e. says that the writings of Stein inspires him to write poetry and influences his early work
Cummings intentionally writes words with misspellings, phonetic devices, or incomplete sentences to represent certain dialects. One of his innovations include inventing compound words including: in Just-; puddle-wonderful; and eddieandbill. The poet uses these words in his work called “Chansom Innocent.” Other invented words in the writing include balloonman who is an ancient Greek nature god who is half-man and half-goat.
Besides inventing a new form of writing, Cummings also satirizes and addresses social issues as well. For example, the line “why must itself up every park?” implies a bias towards romanticism. Many of the common themes in e.e’s works celebrate love, sex, and rebirth. Besides writing poetry, Cummings also produces children’s books, novels, paintings, and a comic strip called Krazy Kat.
E.e. Cummings uses his talents to create both traditional and non-traditional forms of poetry. Many of his innovations include incomplete sentences, compound words, punctuation symbols, and other writing styles to create original verse. Besides using free verse, Cummings also produces traditional forms of poems including sonnets. Gertrude Stein is his biggest influence. Other writers give him ideas too. Many of his themes include love or making fun of social institutions. Cummings shows his diverse talents by writing novels, painting, and doing a comic strip called Krazy Kat.
Works Cited
“e.e. cummings.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._e._cummings#Poetry
Mrs. Dallowway, Revelations of a Woman
By Matthew Cox
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf opens a window into the mind of an upper class woman. Although she is a formal socialite from the British upper class, we see many aspects of her personality. The stream of consciousness techniques lets readers connect with her thoughts and feelings. For example, we see her interest in the royal family’s car. Also, Clarissa feels hurt when she is not invited to her husband’s luncheon. This shows how the protagonist is torn between her role as a hostess and desire for independence. Virginia Woolf uses the thoughts and memories of Mrs. Dalloway to fit all of the story elements into one day. Also, the book is called a “flaneur” story because it takes place as the protagonist walks on the city streets. At the end of the story, the protagonist has a party. She reveals her true feelings when a doctor says that a mentally ill friend, Septimus Warren Smith, commits suicide. Mrs. Dalloway uses thoughts and memories to show different aspect of the protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway.
Mrs. Dalloway begins with the title character, Clarissa Dalloway, walking around London to buy flowers for a party that she will host (essortment). Her stream of consciousness lets readers know what she is thinking about. She connects with other pedestrians and shows empathy. The walk seems to be an escape from the pressures of traditional high-society than a description of Mrs. Dalloway’s character. Clarissa shows her snobbishness when she gets annoyed with her daughter being more concerned about her gloves and shoes than people. Such arrogance also becomes obvious when the protagonist describes Miss Kilman, an unlucky lady whom she dislikes. The lady gets fired from her teaching job because she does not denounce the Germans during World War I.
However, the story shifts to Mrs. Dalloway’s friendship to Septimus Warren Smith, a shell-shocked veteran who is losing his mind. Both Septimus and Lucrezia, his Italian wife, with Clasissa see a car with the royal family in it. Woolf depicts the car sarcastically as “a face of great importance against the dove-grey upholstery.” As Septimus views the car as false symbol of wealth, Mrs. Dalloway is respectfully curious about it. This shows a contrast between the materialism of Clarissa and simple lifestyle of her friends. However, Woolf also demonstrates the protagonist’s sensitivity by understanding the feelings of Smith.
Another way that Mrs. Dalloway expresses her feelings is feeling hurt that she gets from Richard, her husband. He has been invited to Lady Bruton for lunch. However, Clarissa is not invited. Feeling left out encourages the main character to remember her summers spent at Bourton, her father summer estate in the country. Such memories allow readers to see how Mrs. Dalloway feels about other characters. Despite being an upper-class snob, Clarissa is a good person. For example, she greatly admires Sally Seton in very big was as illustrated by “The strange thing, on looking back, was the purity, the integrity, of her feeling for Sally. It was not like one's feeling for a man (essortment).”
Lucy, Mrs. Dalloway’s servant, sees many sides of her employer. For example, this shows up with “Of all her mistress was the loveliest--mistress of silver, of linen, of china" and later discusses how she was not like that when she was young. Clarissa has her identity in these things due to her class position; in Clarissa's position, the only options available for identity socially are in a husband and in things. Independence is not an option for her; she is trapped by class and money (essortment).”
Richard also helps readers to define the title character’s personality. When he brings home roses for Clarissa, we see the couple interacting. He does not tell his wife that he loves her and assumes that she knows it. After a few minutes if talking, he goes off to a committee meeting regarding an ethnic group. Mrs. Dalloway is not sure if they are Armenians or Albanians. This shows either her disinterest or unawareness in her husband’s interests. Also this demonstrates her misunderstanding of social injustice.
Although Clarissa has her own thoughts and personality, she does not show them because. The main character hides her true feelings and takes on the role of hostess. She is trying to live up to role in the upper class of British society and not act emotionally. Expressing ones’ feelings or being direct is considered rude in polite culture. Many of the other characters are interesting. This is due to their responses to Mrs. Dalloway or the way Mrs. Dalloway remembers them. Most of the people in the story refer to her as Mrs. Dalloway and not Clarissa because of formality in British society.
The climax is Clarissa Dalloway's party (answers.com). This event ties the characters together in one final scene. Also, Mrs. Dalloway’s celebration finishes the subplot of Septimus Warren Smith. Dr. Bradshaw comes to the party and says that one of his patients killed himself. Such irony summarizes the book’s competing themes of isolation and sociability. It also explores the limits of communication by emphasizing Clarissa’s abiding sense of being alone. Despite the main character’s loneliness, she has good people skills and is a socialite.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf is very successful in Britain and the U.S. The work in published in 1925. Both Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, published in 1926, are Woolf’s most critically acclaimed books. This story takes place on an entire day in June 1923 in London. Woolf’s unusual writing style challenges her to create enough characters to fit the action of one day. She gets around this by with a “tunneling” technique in which the characters remember past events. When the readers experience these recollections, they get a sense of who the characters are and their history.
Mrs. Dalloway in many ways is a novel without a plot. Woolf does not create a lot of major situations between the characters to move the story forward. Instead, she advances the plot by passing the hours of the day along. Another literary device is focusing on the characters thoughts in stream of consciousness. The book is called a “flaneur” novel. It is a French word meaning someone who likes to walk around town and sightsee. Virginia makes the city with its parks and streets as interesting as the characters.
M rs. Dalloway uses thoughts and memories to show different aspect of the protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway. The main character is a product of British upper class society. Despite hiding her true feelings to fit the role of a socialite, Woolf uses stream of consciousness to show the different aspects of the main character’s personality. For example, she feels interested in the British Royal family. Also, Clarissa is hurt by not being invited to her husband’s luncheon. At the end of the story there is a big part at the Galloway’s house. The protagonist shows her true feelings after hearing about the way a family friend, Septimus Warren Smith, kills himself. Writing the plot as a “flanuer” novel allows Woolf to fit all of the plot action to fit into one afternoon.
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf opens a window into the mind of an upper class woman. Although she is a formal socialite from the British upper class, we see many aspects of her personality. The stream of consciousness techniques lets readers connect with her thoughts and feelings. For example, we see her interest in the royal family’s car. Also, Clarissa feels hurt when she is not invited to her husband’s luncheon. This shows how the protagonist is torn between her role as a hostess and desire for independence. Virginia Woolf uses the thoughts and memories of Mrs. Dalloway to fit all of the story elements into one day. Also, the book is called a “flaneur” story because it takes place as the protagonist walks on the city streets. At the end of the story, the protagonist has a party.
Works Cited
“Mrs. Dalloway.” Answers.com 2008. 27 March 2008
http://www.answers.com/topic/mrs-dalloway-1
“Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.” Essortment. 2002. 27 March 2008.
http://www.essortment.com/all/mrsdallowayby_rhrk.htm
By Matthew Cox
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf opens a window into the mind of an upper class woman. Although she is a formal socialite from the British upper class, we see many aspects of her personality. The stream of consciousness techniques lets readers connect with her thoughts and feelings. For example, we see her interest in the royal family’s car. Also, Clarissa feels hurt when she is not invited to her husband’s luncheon. This shows how the protagonist is torn between her role as a hostess and desire for independence. Virginia Woolf uses the thoughts and memories of Mrs. Dalloway to fit all of the story elements into one day. Also, the book is called a “flaneur” story because it takes place as the protagonist walks on the city streets. At the end of the story, the protagonist has a party. She reveals her true feelings when a doctor says that a mentally ill friend, Septimus Warren Smith, commits suicide. Mrs. Dalloway uses thoughts and memories to show different aspect of the protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway.
Mrs. Dalloway begins with the title character, Clarissa Dalloway, walking around London to buy flowers for a party that she will host (essortment). Her stream of consciousness lets readers know what she is thinking about. She connects with other pedestrians and shows empathy. The walk seems to be an escape from the pressures of traditional high-society than a description of Mrs. Dalloway’s character. Clarissa shows her snobbishness when she gets annoyed with her daughter being more concerned about her gloves and shoes than people. Such arrogance also becomes obvious when the protagonist describes Miss Kilman, an unlucky lady whom she dislikes. The lady gets fired from her teaching job because she does not denounce the Germans during World War I.
However, the story shifts to Mrs. Dalloway’s friendship to Septimus Warren Smith, a shell-shocked veteran who is losing his mind. Both Septimus and Lucrezia, his Italian wife, with Clasissa see a car with the royal family in it. Woolf depicts the car sarcastically as “a face of great importance against the dove-grey upholstery.” As Septimus views the car as false symbol of wealth, Mrs. Dalloway is respectfully curious about it. This shows a contrast between the materialism of Clarissa and simple lifestyle of her friends. However, Woolf also demonstrates the protagonist’s sensitivity by understanding the feelings of Smith.
Another way that Mrs. Dalloway expresses her feelings is feeling hurt that she gets from Richard, her husband. He has been invited to Lady Bruton for lunch. However, Clarissa is not invited. Feeling left out encourages the main character to remember her summers spent at Bourton, her father summer estate in the country. Such memories allow readers to see how Mrs. Dalloway feels about other characters. Despite being an upper-class snob, Clarissa is a good person. For example, she greatly admires Sally Seton in very big was as illustrated by “The strange thing, on looking back, was the purity, the integrity, of her feeling for Sally. It was not like one's feeling for a man (essortment).”
Lucy, Mrs. Dalloway’s servant, sees many sides of her employer. For example, this shows up with “Of all her mistress was the loveliest--mistress of silver, of linen, of china" and later discusses how she was not like that when she was young. Clarissa has her identity in these things due to her class position; in Clarissa's position, the only options available for identity socially are in a husband and in things. Independence is not an option for her; she is trapped by class and money (essortment).”
Richard also helps readers to define the title character’s personality. When he brings home roses for Clarissa, we see the couple interacting. He does not tell his wife that he loves her and assumes that she knows it. After a few minutes if talking, he goes off to a committee meeting regarding an ethnic group. Mrs. Dalloway is not sure if they are Armenians or Albanians. This shows either her disinterest or unawareness in her husband’s interests. Also this demonstrates her misunderstanding of social injustice.
Although Clarissa has her own thoughts and personality, she does not show them because. The main character hides her true feelings and takes on the role of hostess. She is trying to live up to role in the upper class of British society and not act emotionally. Expressing ones’ feelings or being direct is considered rude in polite culture. Many of the other characters are interesting. This is due to their responses to Mrs. Dalloway or the way Mrs. Dalloway remembers them. Most of the people in the story refer to her as Mrs. Dalloway and not Clarissa because of formality in British society.
The climax is Clarissa Dalloway's party (answers.com). This event ties the characters together in one final scene. Also, Mrs. Dalloway’s celebration finishes the subplot of Septimus Warren Smith. Dr. Bradshaw comes to the party and says that one of his patients killed himself. Such irony summarizes the book’s competing themes of isolation and sociability. It also explores the limits of communication by emphasizing Clarissa’s abiding sense of being alone. Despite the main character’s loneliness, she has good people skills and is a socialite.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf is very successful in Britain and the U.S. The work in published in 1925. Both Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, published in 1926, are Woolf’s most critically acclaimed books. This story takes place on an entire day in June 1923 in London. Woolf’s unusual writing style challenges her to create enough characters to fit the action of one day. She gets around this by with a “tunneling” technique in which the characters remember past events. When the readers experience these recollections, they get a sense of who the characters are and their history.
Mrs. Dalloway in many ways is a novel without a plot. Woolf does not create a lot of major situations between the characters to move the story forward. Instead, she advances the plot by passing the hours of the day along. Another literary device is focusing on the characters thoughts in stream of consciousness. The book is called a “flaneur” novel. It is a French word meaning someone who likes to walk around town and sightsee. Virginia makes the city with its parks and streets as interesting as the characters.
M rs. Dalloway uses thoughts and memories to show different aspect of the protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway. The main character is a product of British upper class society. Despite hiding her true feelings to fit the role of a socialite, Woolf uses stream of consciousness to show the different aspects of the main character’s personality. For example, she feels interested in the British Royal family. Also, Clarissa is hurt by not being invited to her husband’s luncheon. At the end of the story there is a big part at the Galloway’s house. The protagonist shows her true feelings after hearing about the way a family friend, Septimus Warren Smith, kills himself. Writing the plot as a “flanuer” novel allows Woolf to fit all of the plot action to fit into one afternoon.
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf opens a window into the mind of an upper class woman. Although she is a formal socialite from the British upper class, we see many aspects of her personality. The stream of consciousness techniques lets readers connect with her thoughts and feelings. For example, we see her interest in the royal family’s car. Also, Clarissa feels hurt when she is not invited to her husband’s luncheon. This shows how the protagonist is torn between her role as a hostess and desire for independence. Virginia Woolf uses the thoughts and memories of Mrs. Dalloway to fit all of the story elements into one day. Also, the book is called a “flaneur” story because it takes place as the protagonist walks on the city streets. At the end of the story, the protagonist has a party.
Works Cited
“Mrs. Dalloway.” Answers.com 2008. 27 March 2008
http://www.answers.com/topic/mrs-dalloway-1
“Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.” Essortment. 2002. 27 March 2008.
http://www.essortment.com/all/mrsdallowayby_rhrk.htm
The Waste Lands, an Innovation of Style
By Matthew Cox
“The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is considered to be one of the greate4st modernist poems written. The writer shows his disillusionment with the lack of morality in post World War I Europe in the work. The plot involves the Fisher King who tries to save himself from sexual dysfunction and his kingdom from infertility. He is a hero who is similar to King Arthur that must complete an unspecific quest. Elliot does not follow traditional poetic structures. For example, he changes tone, writing style, and uses foreign languages in the work. T.S. also uses allusions to other writings including Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of Locke” and “From Ritual to Romance” by Jessie L. Weston. Each of the five sections correlates to the five elements of ancient Greece. The poet Ezra Pound helps with editing the poem and advising Elliot with creating it. “The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is one of the most influential writings in the 20th Century.
Although the writer Thomas Sterns Elliot, better known as T.S. Elliot, writes prose, drama, and literary criticism, he is best known for writing “The Waste Lands (wikipedia).” Elliot first publishes the poem in literary magazines known as the Criterion and the Dial in 1922. Many literary experts say that this work is one of the best examples of modernist poetry. Although many traditional forms of poetry use unified themes and a lucid structure, “The Waste Lands” does not. It uses unrelated concepts and references to history, mythology, religion, and other areas. Some parts of the poem are in other languages included Hindi. The patterns in the poem are so complex, that that Elliot almost put footnotes in his work. Some critics felt that the poet writes the poem in such a complicated way, that he is playing a practical joke on them.
Elliot apparently writes “The Waste Land” to show his disillusionment to the ethical decay of Europe after World War I. It seems to symbolize a quest for spiritual truth much like the search for the Holy Grail. Thomas says that gets many of his ideas from two books. The first one is called From Ritual to Romance (1920) by Jessie L. Weston. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (1890) by Sir James Frazer. Elliot got many of his ideas for the poem from his wife and friend and poet Ezra Pound. He helped T.S. edit the original draft from 800 lines to 434 lines.
Although many interpretations of “The Waste Land” exist, the five sections can be interpreted as a journey by a character known as the Fisher King. After his genitals are damaged, the character loses his fertility. With his reproductive powers gone, the Fisher King’s kingdom dries up into a waste land. In order to save his kingdom, the main character must complete several tasks. Jessie Weston points out that the idea for such quests start with an ancient myth that dates to prehistoric times. Even stories of Christian faith journeys draw from this tale. Elliot says that he got his ideas for “The Waste Lands” from this story. He refers to the myth in his work.
The writing style is eclectic and shifts from one form to another. For example, it changes from being a satire to a prophecy. The tone, locations, and speakers change abruptly. Also, it borrows from different literary styles in various parts of the world. The famous lines include the first phrase “April is the cruelest month” and the Sanskrit chant “Shantih shantih shantih” in the last line.
Elliot took a long time to complete the work (Wikipedia). In 1921, the poet Wyndham Lewis told his friend and writer Sydney Schiff that Elliot is writing a poem that is in four parts. It departs from conventional forms of writing. Eliot told his friend John Quinn that he wants to finish his incomplete poem. The writer Richard Aldington writes that T.S. gets ideas for ending “The Waste Land” by walking through a cemetery while discussing an “Elegy Written in a Country Graveyard” by Thomas Gray. The poet writes his masterpiece while recovering from an emotional breakdown. T.S. shows an early version to Ezra Pound. He recommends shorting the work by removing unnecessary or repetitive lines.
Unlike previous poems, the structure of this work changes. For example, the section including “The typist home at teatime” is written in regular stanzas with Iambic pentameters. Elliot uses the rhyming scheme of abab. This is the same writing form that Thomas Gray uses for an “Elegy Written in a Country Graveyard.” Towards the end of the poem, T.S. gives up the four line stanzas. He does not see much use in them.
In the section of the “The Fire Sermon,” Elliot imitates Alexander Pope’s style of writing in “The Rape of Lock” by using heroic couplets. Literary critics say that the character in this part resembles Bloom from James Joyce:
Leaving the bubbling beverage to cool,
Fresca slips softly to the needful stool,
Where the pathetic tale of Richardson
Eases her labour till the deed is done . . . (Wikipedia)
Pound wrote short stanzas that Elliot wanted to be placed between the five sections of “The Waste Lands.” One of these pieces Elliot calls “Dirge” and begins as:
Full fathom five your Bleistein lies
Under the flatfish and the squids.
Graves' Disease in a dead Jew's eyes!
Where the crabs have eat the lids… (Wikipedia)
Vivien, Elliot’s wife, asks him to remove a line in the “A Game of Chess” section which goes “An we shall play a game of chess/The ivory men make company between us/Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door (Wikipedia).” She did not want these lines in the poem because they seemed to reveal private things about their marriage. T.S. put the lines back in the work in 1960 after Vivien died.
Elliot wishes to call the writing “He Do the Police in Different Voices. This is allusion to “Our Mutual Friend” by Charles Dickens. T.S. wants the reader to know that there are many different voices in the poem but one consciousness. The writer feels that information that is lost by the title may be explained by commenting on common characters in the work by his notes on Tiresias. Elliot chooses the title “The Waste Land” in order to connect it with Jessie L. Weston’s book on the grail stories called From Ritual to Romance. The poem’s title is also a metaphor to the Fisher King’s sexual wounding. This causes his kingdom and farmlands to become sterile. Many people misspell the name in two ways as “The Wasteland,” or simply “Waste Land” without “The.”
The writer starts the poem with a Latin and Greek epigraph from “The Satyricon” of Petronius. It means “I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl at Cumae hanging in a jar, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, ‘what do you want?’ She replies ‘I want to die’” in English (Wikipedia). , Elliot divides the work into five different sections:
1. The Burial of the Dead
2. A Game of Chess
3. The Fire Sermon
4. Death by Water
5. What the Thunder Said
Elliot uses the first four parts to symbolize the element of ancient Greece. For example, the first section represents earth or burial. Part two corresponds with air. Ancient people associate the mind with this element. Fire in the third part connects flames with passion. Water in the fourth part evokes the fear of drowning. The fifth section refers to aether which is a perfect matter that cannot change or be damaged.
Elliot includes several pages of notes after the poem explaining the metaphors in “The Waste Land.” Some critics say that these notes help readers to understand the poem. Others argue that they only confuse people with contradictory meanings. Some of the passages are unannotated. Elliot’s publisher put the notes after the poem to make the printing longer. Some literary experts think that the notes are red herrings.
Elliot writes “The Waste Lands” to explore possibilities of creating dramatic monologue. He enjoys going to music halls. The writer puts this feeling into his work by using the pattern of music fugue. Many voices enter in various parts of the piece and restate the themes. When one reads the poem, they will enjoy the way it moves from one voice or style to another. Also, reader could also like the way Elliot uses foreign languages in the structure.
“The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is one of the most influential writings in the 20th Century. He uses the work to express his dissatisfaction of unethical behavior in Europe after the First World War. The poem involves a King Arthur-like character called the Fisher King. This is an archetypical knight who goes on quest to save his kingdom from infertility. T.S. breaks from traditional poetic forms by changing writing style, tone and using foreign languages in the piece. Each of the five sections relates to the five elements in ancient Greece. Elliot also shows influences of other writers including Dickens, Pope and his friend Ezra Pound.
Work Cited
“The Waste Land.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://www.answers.com/The%20Waste%20Land
By Matthew Cox
“The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is considered to be one of the greate4st modernist poems written. The writer shows his disillusionment with the lack of morality in post World War I Europe in the work. The plot involves the Fisher King who tries to save himself from sexual dysfunction and his kingdom from infertility. He is a hero who is similar to King Arthur that must complete an unspecific quest. Elliot does not follow traditional poetic structures. For example, he changes tone, writing style, and uses foreign languages in the work. T.S. also uses allusions to other writings including Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of Locke” and “From Ritual to Romance” by Jessie L. Weston. Each of the five sections correlates to the five elements of ancient Greece. The poet Ezra Pound helps with editing the poem and advising Elliot with creating it. “The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is one of the most influential writings in the 20th Century.
Although the writer Thomas Sterns Elliot, better known as T.S. Elliot, writes prose, drama, and literary criticism, he is best known for writing “The Waste Lands (wikipedia).” Elliot first publishes the poem in literary magazines known as the Criterion and the Dial in 1922. Many literary experts say that this work is one of the best examples of modernist poetry. Although many traditional forms of poetry use unified themes and a lucid structure, “The Waste Lands” does not. It uses unrelated concepts and references to history, mythology, religion, and other areas. Some parts of the poem are in other languages included Hindi. The patterns in the poem are so complex, that that Elliot almost put footnotes in his work. Some critics felt that the poet writes the poem in such a complicated way, that he is playing a practical joke on them.
Elliot apparently writes “The Waste Land” to show his disillusionment to the ethical decay of Europe after World War I. It seems to symbolize a quest for spiritual truth much like the search for the Holy Grail. Thomas says that gets many of his ideas from two books. The first one is called From Ritual to Romance (1920) by Jessie L. Weston. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (1890) by Sir James Frazer. Elliot got many of his ideas for the poem from his wife and friend and poet Ezra Pound. He helped T.S. edit the original draft from 800 lines to 434 lines.
Although many interpretations of “The Waste Land” exist, the five sections can be interpreted as a journey by a character known as the Fisher King. After his genitals are damaged, the character loses his fertility. With his reproductive powers gone, the Fisher King’s kingdom dries up into a waste land. In order to save his kingdom, the main character must complete several tasks. Jessie Weston points out that the idea for such quests start with an ancient myth that dates to prehistoric times. Even stories of Christian faith journeys draw from this tale. Elliot says that he got his ideas for “The Waste Lands” from this story. He refers to the myth in his work.
The writing style is eclectic and shifts from one form to another. For example, it changes from being a satire to a prophecy. The tone, locations, and speakers change abruptly. Also, it borrows from different literary styles in various parts of the world. The famous lines include the first phrase “April is the cruelest month” and the Sanskrit chant “Shantih shantih shantih” in the last line.
Elliot took a long time to complete the work (Wikipedia). In 1921, the poet Wyndham Lewis told his friend and writer Sydney Schiff that Elliot is writing a poem that is in four parts. It departs from conventional forms of writing. Eliot told his friend John Quinn that he wants to finish his incomplete poem. The writer Richard Aldington writes that T.S. gets ideas for ending “The Waste Land” by walking through a cemetery while discussing an “Elegy Written in a Country Graveyard” by Thomas Gray. The poet writes his masterpiece while recovering from an emotional breakdown. T.S. shows an early version to Ezra Pound. He recommends shorting the work by removing unnecessary or repetitive lines.
Unlike previous poems, the structure of this work changes. For example, the section including “The typist home at teatime” is written in regular stanzas with Iambic pentameters. Elliot uses the rhyming scheme of abab. This is the same writing form that Thomas Gray uses for an “Elegy Written in a Country Graveyard.” Towards the end of the poem, T.S. gives up the four line stanzas. He does not see much use in them.
In the section of the “The Fire Sermon,” Elliot imitates Alexander Pope’s style of writing in “The Rape of Lock” by using heroic couplets. Literary critics say that the character in this part resembles Bloom from James Joyce:
Leaving the bubbling beverage to cool,
Fresca slips softly to the needful stool,
Where the pathetic tale of Richardson
Eases her labour till the deed is done . . . (Wikipedia)
Pound wrote short stanzas that Elliot wanted to be placed between the five sections of “The Waste Lands.” One of these pieces Elliot calls “Dirge” and begins as:
Full fathom five your Bleistein lies
Under the flatfish and the squids.
Graves' Disease in a dead Jew's eyes!
Where the crabs have eat the lids… (Wikipedia)
Vivien, Elliot’s wife, asks him to remove a line in the “A Game of Chess” section which goes “An we shall play a game of chess/The ivory men make company between us/Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door (Wikipedia).” She did not want these lines in the poem because they seemed to reveal private things about their marriage. T.S. put the lines back in the work in 1960 after Vivien died.
Elliot wishes to call the writing “He Do the Police in Different Voices. This is allusion to “Our Mutual Friend” by Charles Dickens. T.S. wants the reader to know that there are many different voices in the poem but one consciousness. The writer feels that information that is lost by the title may be explained by commenting on common characters in the work by his notes on Tiresias. Elliot chooses the title “The Waste Land” in order to connect it with Jessie L. Weston’s book on the grail stories called From Ritual to Romance. The poem’s title is also a metaphor to the Fisher King’s sexual wounding. This causes his kingdom and farmlands to become sterile. Many people misspell the name in two ways as “The Wasteland,” or simply “Waste Land” without “The.”
The writer starts the poem with a Latin and Greek epigraph from “The Satyricon” of Petronius. It means “I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl at Cumae hanging in a jar, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, ‘what do you want?’ She replies ‘I want to die’” in English (Wikipedia). , Elliot divides the work into five different sections:
1. The Burial of the Dead
2. A Game of Chess
3. The Fire Sermon
4. Death by Water
5. What the Thunder Said
Elliot uses the first four parts to symbolize the element of ancient Greece. For example, the first section represents earth or burial. Part two corresponds with air. Ancient people associate the mind with this element. Fire in the third part connects flames with passion. Water in the fourth part evokes the fear of drowning. The fifth section refers to aether which is a perfect matter that cannot change or be damaged.
Elliot includes several pages of notes after the poem explaining the metaphors in “The Waste Land.” Some critics say that these notes help readers to understand the poem. Others argue that they only confuse people with contradictory meanings. Some of the passages are unannotated. Elliot’s publisher put the notes after the poem to make the printing longer. Some literary experts think that the notes are red herrings.
Elliot writes “The Waste Lands” to explore possibilities of creating dramatic monologue. He enjoys going to music halls. The writer puts this feeling into his work by using the pattern of music fugue. Many voices enter in various parts of the piece and restate the themes. When one reads the poem, they will enjoy the way it moves from one voice or style to another. Also, reader could also like the way Elliot uses foreign languages in the structure.
“The Waste Lands” by T.S. Elliot is one of the most influential writings in the 20th Century. He uses the work to express his dissatisfaction of unethical behavior in Europe after the First World War. The poem involves a King Arthur-like character called the Fisher King. This is an archetypical knight who goes on quest to save his kingdom from infertility. T.S. breaks from traditional poetic forms by changing writing style, tone and using foreign languages in the piece. Each of the five sections relates to the five elements in ancient Greece. Elliot also shows influences of other writers including Dickens, Pope and his friend Ezra Pound.
Work Cited
“The Waste Land.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://www.answers.com/The%20Waste%20Land
Friday, March 28, 2008
Robert Frost and Metaphores in Nature
By Matthew Cox
Robert Frost is one of the U.S.’s most revered poets in the 20th Century. Much of his work involves nature, often times as metaphors of human experiences. For example, “The Road Not Taken” symbolizes life’s journey. “Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is inspired by summer, but represents the winter. “Acquainted By the Night” depicts sense of community in an urban community. “Fire and Ice” talks about how anger and hate destroy the world. “Mending Fences” shows how people need to be friends despite their differences. Robert Frost observes the world arround him to get ideas for his poems.
He is a highly influential poet from the first half of the 20th Century. Many of his poems deal with nature and are inspired by the New England coutryside (wikipedia). For example, “The Road Not Taken” is the first poem the volume Mountain Interval, published in 1916. Also, it is the first piece that Frost prints in italics. The peom suggests a declaration for personal freedom or independence as summed in the lines “One less traveled by” and “ made all the differencce (wikipedia).” Another interpirtation includes Frost making a gentle jab at his friend and poet Edward Thomas. Another theme is that when a person takes one road, there is no turning back. Although someone can still change paths later, nobody can change the past.
The poet writes “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in 1922 for the collection New Hampshire. The volume is not published until 1923. Frost writes this poem about winter in the summer of 1922 at his home in Shaftsbury, Vermont. It uses imagery and personification to draw the reader in. He spent one night completing the poem “New Hampshire” and sees the morning sun come up. He went out to see the sunrise and got the idea for “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost said that this is his favorite poem that he writes. It uses the iambic tetrameter with an a-a-b-a rhyming scheme. The b rhymes in a chain rhyme after the a rhymes.
“Acquainted with the Night” first appears in the Virginia Quarterly Review and is published in 1928 in the volme West-Running Brook in 1928. The poem inspires a non-fiction book by the author Christopher Dewdney. Common interpritations include descriptions of a community in an urban setting. Various effects show this notion including a cry felt by the narrator which ties together a sense of close-knit belonging. The work is written as a terza rima sonnet with the following rhyming scheme: aba, bcb, cdc ,dad, and aa. The work has an iambic pentameter.
“Fire and Ice” is another poem published in New Hampshire. The writing talks about the end of the world. Fire symbolizes hate and ice represents hate.
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
is also great
And would suffice. (Wikipedia)
Although “Fire and Ice” implies a negative idea, “Mending Wall,” printed in 1914, deals with neighboring farmers. This piece appears in the book North of Boston. It concerns one man questioning why he and his neighbor are rebuilding a stone wall dividing their properties. “Mending Walls” is famous for the line “Good fences make good neighbors (wikipedia).” Frost shows his dislike of walls as a way of dividing people. However, he accepts that everyone has personal differences. The title becomes a metaphor for people who make up after disputes.
Robert Frost observes the world arround him to get ideas for his poems. Although he writes about natural phenomena, they represent human feelings and insights. His poem “The Road Not Taken” shows how we make descsions in life. “Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” shows ironic contrasts between summer and winter. “Acquainted By the Night” shows how various conepts hold a community together. “Fire and Ice” depicts how human bitterness is harmful. “Mending Fences” implies how there are no physical barriers to frindships.
Works Cited
“The Road Not Taken.” Wikipedia. 15 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Wikipedia. 22 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_by_Woods_on_a_Snowy_Evening
“Acquainted with the Night.” Wikipedia. 22 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquainted_with_the_night
“Fire and Ice.” Wikipedia. 11 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquainted_with_the_night
“Mending Walls.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008-03-28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mending_Wall
By Matthew Cox
Robert Frost is one of the U.S.’s most revered poets in the 20th Century. Much of his work involves nature, often times as metaphors of human experiences. For example, “The Road Not Taken” symbolizes life’s journey. “Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is inspired by summer, but represents the winter. “Acquainted By the Night” depicts sense of community in an urban community. “Fire and Ice” talks about how anger and hate destroy the world. “Mending Fences” shows how people need to be friends despite their differences. Robert Frost observes the world arround him to get ideas for his poems.
He is a highly influential poet from the first half of the 20th Century. Many of his poems deal with nature and are inspired by the New England coutryside (wikipedia). For example, “The Road Not Taken” is the first poem the volume Mountain Interval, published in 1916. Also, it is the first piece that Frost prints in italics. The peom suggests a declaration for personal freedom or independence as summed in the lines “One less traveled by” and “ made all the differencce (wikipedia).” Another interpirtation includes Frost making a gentle jab at his friend and poet Edward Thomas. Another theme is that when a person takes one road, there is no turning back. Although someone can still change paths later, nobody can change the past.
The poet writes “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in 1922 for the collection New Hampshire. The volume is not published until 1923. Frost writes this poem about winter in the summer of 1922 at his home in Shaftsbury, Vermont. It uses imagery and personification to draw the reader in. He spent one night completing the poem “New Hampshire” and sees the morning sun come up. He went out to see the sunrise and got the idea for “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost said that this is his favorite poem that he writes. It uses the iambic tetrameter with an a-a-b-a rhyming scheme. The b rhymes in a chain rhyme after the a rhymes.
“Acquainted with the Night” first appears in the Virginia Quarterly Review and is published in 1928 in the volme West-Running Brook in 1928. The poem inspires a non-fiction book by the author Christopher Dewdney. Common interpritations include descriptions of a community in an urban setting. Various effects show this notion including a cry felt by the narrator which ties together a sense of close-knit belonging. The work is written as a terza rima sonnet with the following rhyming scheme: aba, bcb, cdc ,dad, and aa. The work has an iambic pentameter.
“Fire and Ice” is another poem published in New Hampshire. The writing talks about the end of the world. Fire symbolizes hate and ice represents hate.
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
is also great
And would suffice. (Wikipedia)
Although “Fire and Ice” implies a negative idea, “Mending Wall,” printed in 1914, deals with neighboring farmers. This piece appears in the book North of Boston. It concerns one man questioning why he and his neighbor are rebuilding a stone wall dividing their properties. “Mending Walls” is famous for the line “Good fences make good neighbors (wikipedia).” Frost shows his dislike of walls as a way of dividing people. However, he accepts that everyone has personal differences. The title becomes a metaphor for people who make up after disputes.
Robert Frost observes the world arround him to get ideas for his poems. Although he writes about natural phenomena, they represent human feelings and insights. His poem “The Road Not Taken” shows how we make descsions in life. “Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” shows ironic contrasts between summer and winter. “Acquainted By the Night” shows how various conepts hold a community together. “Fire and Ice” depicts how human bitterness is harmful. “Mending Fences” implies how there are no physical barriers to frindships.
Works Cited
“The Road Not Taken.” Wikipedia. 15 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Wikipedia. 22 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_by_Woods_on_a_Snowy_Evening
“Acquainted with the Night.” Wikipedia. 22 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquainted_with_the_night
“Fire and Ice.” Wikipedia. 11 March 2008. 27 March 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquainted_with_the_night
“Mending Walls.” Wikipedia. 5 March 2008. 27 March 2008-03-28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mending_Wall
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