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
Saturday, March 29, 2008
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
The Great Gatsby in Lessons
By Matthew Cox
Teachers across the U.S. use The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in English lessons. The story concerns Jay Gatsby, a wealthy businessman, who tried to win the love of Daisy Fay. Ironically, she left him years ago for a wealthy alcoholic Tom Buchanan. Also, Gatsby is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a gas station owner. While on an outing with friends, Jay and Tom get into an argument over Daisy. She drives back to new York in Gatsby’s car and kills Myrtle. George goes to talk with Jay about his wife’s death. However, he finds the protagonist dead. Readers later find out the Gatsby makes his money from bootlegging. Prohibition in the 1920’s makes it illegal to make or sell alcohol. There are various ways to teach The Great Gatsby. They include asking critical thinking questions. Also, students may role-play different scenarios or answer critical thinking questions. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent lesson resource for teachers.
The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald sets the story The Great Gatsby in New York around the 1920’s (Pearson Education). James Gatz, or Jay Gatsby, is the main character. He appears to be an upwardly mobile and social young man with a good social life. Half-way through the novel, Gatsby reveals that he is the son of a poor farmer. Daisy Fay, dates Jay in 1922, but leaves him for Tom Buchanan, a wealthy alcoholic. He also had several affairs since getting married. Gatsby’s current lover is Myrtle Wilson, the wife of George Wilson, an owner of a gas station. The main character gets rich off of dishonest business deals. His plan is to win Daisy back. Jay thinks that having Fay is the only thing that will make him happy. Oscar Wild once said that “There is only one thing worse than not getting what you want is getting what you want (Pearson Education).” The narrator, Nick Caraway, drives to New York one day with Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, and Jordan Baker, a childhood friend of Daisy. Gatsby and Tom get into a dispute. The main character insists that Daisy return to Long Island with him. Daisy promises to drive Jay’s car, but accidentally runs over Myrtle in front of the gas station. Tom, unaware that his wife is driving Gatsby’s car, tells George that the protagonist’s car is involved in the accident. Wilson goes to Jay’s house, but sees him dead inside. This book criticizes the American dream of getting rich and successful.
Several of the situations in The Great Gatsby reflect things in Fitzgerald’s life. For example, he is born in the Midwest, but moves east. Fitzgerald serves in the army during World War I. Also, Scott once solved a girl from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald becomes rich from his writings. Not like Gatsby, the writer does not worry about money. However, both men are heavy drinkers. Scott’s alcoholism leads to heart attack that most likely kills him at the age of 44.
Many critics say The Great Gatsby is the greatest book that reflects the
1920’s. any historians also believe that Fitzgerald coins the term “Jazz Age.” This form of music developed the 1920’s by combining ragtime and blues. After the financial boom following World War I, many people spend their money frivolously. Also, many young people criticize the older generation for the conditions leading up to the war. However, this extravagance fills in the void and nihilism of young people at that time period. That notion falsely reflect the American dream in which individuals can succeed through hard work. The protagonist’s father shows that Jay writes a chart of his own self importance. By this time readers know the Gatsby gets rich from bootlegging. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution bans manufacturing and selling of alcohol. After the government passes the Amendment in 1917, organized crime makes and sells liquor. Although people like Gatsby seem honest and decent on the surface, they are crooked underneath. This shows the hypocrisy of people who seem to be respectable.
Teachers can do many activities that students can do before and after reading chapters in the book. Questions that learners can think about before reading include: Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald call his book The Great Gatsby? How can people become great? Think of five different ways. Activities for after reading the story involve working in pairs or small groups. For example, learners can role-play a telephone conversation in chapters one and two between Tom and Myrtle as nick is eating dinner at their house. The learners can bring up the following points: the ash piles; Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes; and why Tom is attracted to Myrtle; she is not attractive. Activities for chapters five and six involve making a list of facts and rumors about Gatsby. This lesson can begin with learners working in pairs or small groups. After compiling their lists, each team can share their findings with the class. Another activity involves creating a dialogue and role-playing the first meeting between James Gatz and Dan Cody. Techniques for chapters nine and ten involve similar methods. For example, learners can role play what Wilson probably said to Gatsby before shooting him. Also, Nick is not able to contact Daisy until after Gatsby’s death. Allow the learners to create and role-play a conversation between the two characters.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent lesson resource for teachers. Many schools require high school English teachers to teach The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, is a wealthy businessman. He tried to win back the love of his former lover Daisy Fay. She does not love him but marries a rich heavy drinker named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby has been having an affair with Myrtle Wilson who is married to a gas station owner. One day Tom, Jay, Daisy, and a few friends have an outing. Buchanan and Gatsby argue over Daisy. She leaves in the main character’s car. Ironically, Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle. George, her husband, tries to confront Jay about it. However, he sees Gatsby dead at his house. The reader later discovers that the main character makes his money from bootlegging. Teachers use many techniques to teach The Great Gatsby. Such methods include critical thinking exercises and role-playing activities.
Works Cited
“The Great Gatsby” Pearson Education. 2001 27 March 2008
By Matthew Cox
Teachers across the U.S. use The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in English lessons. The story concerns Jay Gatsby, a wealthy businessman, who tried to win the love of Daisy Fay. Ironically, she left him years ago for a wealthy alcoholic Tom Buchanan. Also, Gatsby is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a gas station owner. While on an outing with friends, Jay and Tom get into an argument over Daisy. She drives back to new York in Gatsby’s car and kills Myrtle. George goes to talk with Jay about his wife’s death. However, he finds the protagonist dead. Readers later find out the Gatsby makes his money from bootlegging. Prohibition in the 1920’s makes it illegal to make or sell alcohol. There are various ways to teach The Great Gatsby. They include asking critical thinking questions. Also, students may role-play different scenarios or answer critical thinking questions. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent lesson resource for teachers.
The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald sets the story The Great Gatsby in New York around the 1920’s (Pearson Education). James Gatz, or Jay Gatsby, is the main character. He appears to be an upwardly mobile and social young man with a good social life. Half-way through the novel, Gatsby reveals that he is the son of a poor farmer. Daisy Fay, dates Jay in 1922, but leaves him for Tom Buchanan, a wealthy alcoholic. He also had several affairs since getting married. Gatsby’s current lover is Myrtle Wilson, the wife of George Wilson, an owner of a gas station. The main character gets rich off of dishonest business deals. His plan is to win Daisy back. Jay thinks that having Fay is the only thing that will make him happy. Oscar Wild once said that “There is only one thing worse than not getting what you want is getting what you want (Pearson Education).” The narrator, Nick Caraway, drives to New York one day with Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, and Jordan Baker, a childhood friend of Daisy. Gatsby and Tom get into a dispute. The main character insists that Daisy return to Long Island with him. Daisy promises to drive Jay’s car, but accidentally runs over Myrtle in front of the gas station. Tom, unaware that his wife is driving Gatsby’s car, tells George that the protagonist’s car is involved in the accident. Wilson goes to Jay’s house, but sees him dead inside. This book criticizes the American dream of getting rich and successful.
Several of the situations in The Great Gatsby reflect things in Fitzgerald’s life. For example, he is born in the Midwest, but moves east. Fitzgerald serves in the army during World War I. Also, Scott once solved a girl from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald becomes rich from his writings. Not like Gatsby, the writer does not worry about money. However, both men are heavy drinkers. Scott’s alcoholism leads to heart attack that most likely kills him at the age of 44.
Many critics say The Great Gatsby is the greatest book that reflects the
1920’s. any historians also believe that Fitzgerald coins the term “Jazz Age.” This form of music developed the 1920’s by combining ragtime and blues. After the financial boom following World War I, many people spend their money frivolously. Also, many young people criticize the older generation for the conditions leading up to the war. However, this extravagance fills in the void and nihilism of young people at that time period. That notion falsely reflect the American dream in which individuals can succeed through hard work. The protagonist’s father shows that Jay writes a chart of his own self importance. By this time readers know the Gatsby gets rich from bootlegging. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution bans manufacturing and selling of alcohol. After the government passes the Amendment in 1917, organized crime makes and sells liquor. Although people like Gatsby seem honest and decent on the surface, they are crooked underneath. This shows the hypocrisy of people who seem to be respectable.
Teachers can do many activities that students can do before and after reading chapters in the book. Questions that learners can think about before reading include: Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald call his book The Great Gatsby? How can people become great? Think of five different ways. Activities for after reading the story involve working in pairs or small groups. For example, learners can role-play a telephone conversation in chapters one and two between Tom and Myrtle as nick is eating dinner at their house. The learners can bring up the following points: the ash piles; Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes; and why Tom is attracted to Myrtle; she is not attractive. Activities for chapters five and six involve making a list of facts and rumors about Gatsby. This lesson can begin with learners working in pairs or small groups. After compiling their lists, each team can share their findings with the class. Another activity involves creating a dialogue and role-playing the first meeting between James Gatz and Dan Cody. Techniques for chapters nine and ten involve similar methods. For example, learners can role play what Wilson probably said to Gatsby before shooting him. Also, Nick is not able to contact Daisy until after Gatsby’s death. Allow the learners to create and role-play a conversation between the two characters.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent lesson resource for teachers. Many schools require high school English teachers to teach The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, is a wealthy businessman. He tried to win back the love of his former lover Daisy Fay. She does not love him but marries a rich heavy drinker named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby has been having an affair with Myrtle Wilson who is married to a gas station owner. One day Tom, Jay, Daisy, and a few friends have an outing. Buchanan and Gatsby argue over Daisy. She leaves in the main character’s car. Ironically, Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle. George, her husband, tries to confront Jay about it. However, he sees Gatsby dead at his house. The reader later discovers that the main character makes his money from bootlegging. Teachers use many techniques to teach The Great Gatsby. Such methods include critical thinking exercises and role-playing activities.
Works Cited
“The Great Gatsby” Pearson Education. 2001 27 March 2008
The Metamorphosis, the Unrealistic Truth
By Matthew Cox
Franz Kafka writes the unrealistic story, The Metamorphosis, in a realistic way. The plot shows what happens when the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, turns into a cockroach. His family is shocked and tried to keep the condition a secret. However they must find work and take in lodgers to support themselves. The story ends when Gregor dies. Their charwoman finds him dead. Gregor’s family get rid of the rude lodgers. After that, they take a train trip and encourage Grete, Gregor’s sister, to get married. Despite the story being unrealistic, Kafka writes it in a direct and factual way. This let him show readers how we must find enjoyable work. Franz Kafka tells a realistic lesson through unrealistic means.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka focuses on the way Gregor Samsa turns into a roach. Grete, his sister, tries to feed and take care of her brother (Summary Central). Herr and Frau Samsa, Gregor’s parents, return to work because they needed money. Minor characters revolve around the main ones. There include rude and distrustful lodgers who rent rooms in Samsa’s apartment. Another one is the cleaning woman who finds Gregor dead. Most of the action takes place in the flat. Gregor gets locked in his room and is not allowed to wander in other parts of the house. The family spends most of their time talking and eating in the dining room.
The plot involves the way the protagonist wakes up one day and finds out that he is a roach. Despite his new form, Gregor still feels that he can do everyday things including go to work. However, Samsa sadly realizes that he cannot do these things because of his state. Although his family finds out (but they aren’t sure) that Gregor is a roach, nobody else believes them. For example, The main character’s boss comes to their door to look for Gregor. The employer leaves very frustrated and Samsa worried about losing his job. The family is still not sure that Gregor is the roach, so they push him back into his room. He gets badly bruised.
Samsa’s family loses money because Gregor brings home the income. Luckily, Herr has saved money that will last a year. Each one in the family goes back to work. Herr finds a job at a bank. Grete works as a store clerk. And Frau goes back to knitting lingerie. Grete is the only ones who enters Gregor’s room; she feeds him twice a day. After a while, the family fires the maid and hires a charwoman to do the cleaning. They also rent out a room to three lodgers to help pay for the rent. They do not know about Gregor as a roach. One night he leaves the room after hearing one of the lodgers play music on the violin. Herr pushes them into their room so they would not see his son. The lodgers threaten to leave without paying. The father also pushes Gregor back into his room as well. Early the next morning, the charwoman cleans the house and finds the main character dead. After she tells the rest of the family, they order the three lodgers out of the flat. All of the family members take the day off to relax. They take a train trip where the family realizes that Grete should remarry.
The story elements have symbols. For example, the hospital represents help for Gregor that is both near and far away. Music is the universal language that the main character has with his sister. The lodgers show how the Samsa family has no control over their son’s situation. The symbols also include various concepts as well. For example, the family is financially stable before Gregor turns a roach. This contrasts with the family’s condition afterwards when they lose money. Herr, Frau, and Grete must find their own work to support themselves. Kafka suggests with this philosophy that we do not need to work like bugs with jobs that we do not enjoy. Gregor takes pride in his work and does a good job. The family finds this out at the end of the story.
The author uses a simple and direct writing style. For example, Gregor does not feel shocked by turning into a roach. However, his family is quite surprised. Kafka uses third person omniscient to help readers stay factual. They also understand how different people in the story respond to Gregor’s condition.
There are several famous quotes from the story. For example, page 538 says “As Gregor Samsa awake one morning from a troubled dream, he found himself changed in his bed to some monstrous kind of vermin.” Kafka depicts how Gregor finds out that he is a bug. “The next train went at seven; to catch it he must hurry madly, and his collection of samples was not packed” on page 539 shows how Gregor want to go to work even though he is a bug. “He’s lying there, absolutely dead as a doornail” on page 577 depicts how the charwoman reports Gregor’s death to his family. However, Herr Samsa responds to his son’s death with “We can thank God for that!” on page 577. Herr Samsa says this in response to the news that his son just died
Franz Kafka tells a realistic lesson through unrealistic means. He takes an ordinary family with financial issues and turns their money earner into a cockroach. Although Gregor, the main character, tries to live a normal life, his family keeps his condition a secret. They find to work to earn money, hire a cleaning woman, and take in three lodgers. After Gregor dies, his family gets rid of the lodgers, and take a trip. Herr and Frau try to get their daughter, Grete, to marry. Kafka’s surreal, but factual writing method lets readers see how we must fine enjoyable work.
Work Cited
“The Metamorphasis by Franz Kafka.” Summary Central 2008. 27 March 2008
http://members.tripod.com/~SummaryCentral/themetamorphosis.htm
By Matthew Cox
Franz Kafka writes the unrealistic story, The Metamorphosis, in a realistic way. The plot shows what happens when the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, turns into a cockroach. His family is shocked and tried to keep the condition a secret. However they must find work and take in lodgers to support themselves. The story ends when Gregor dies. Their charwoman finds him dead. Gregor’s family get rid of the rude lodgers. After that, they take a train trip and encourage Grete, Gregor’s sister, to get married. Despite the story being unrealistic, Kafka writes it in a direct and factual way. This let him show readers how we must find enjoyable work. Franz Kafka tells a realistic lesson through unrealistic means.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka focuses on the way Gregor Samsa turns into a roach. Grete, his sister, tries to feed and take care of her brother (Summary Central). Herr and Frau Samsa, Gregor’s parents, return to work because they needed money. Minor characters revolve around the main ones. There include rude and distrustful lodgers who rent rooms in Samsa’s apartment. Another one is the cleaning woman who finds Gregor dead. Most of the action takes place in the flat. Gregor gets locked in his room and is not allowed to wander in other parts of the house. The family spends most of their time talking and eating in the dining room.
The plot involves the way the protagonist wakes up one day and finds out that he is a roach. Despite his new form, Gregor still feels that he can do everyday things including go to work. However, Samsa sadly realizes that he cannot do these things because of his state. Although his family finds out (but they aren’t sure) that Gregor is a roach, nobody else believes them. For example, The main character’s boss comes to their door to look for Gregor. The employer leaves very frustrated and Samsa worried about losing his job. The family is still not sure that Gregor is the roach, so they push him back into his room. He gets badly bruised.
Samsa’s family loses money because Gregor brings home the income. Luckily, Herr has saved money that will last a year. Each one in the family goes back to work. Herr finds a job at a bank. Grete works as a store clerk. And Frau goes back to knitting lingerie. Grete is the only ones who enters Gregor’s room; she feeds him twice a day. After a while, the family fires the maid and hires a charwoman to do the cleaning. They also rent out a room to three lodgers to help pay for the rent. They do not know about Gregor as a roach. One night he leaves the room after hearing one of the lodgers play music on the violin. Herr pushes them into their room so they would not see his son. The lodgers threaten to leave without paying. The father also pushes Gregor back into his room as well. Early the next morning, the charwoman cleans the house and finds the main character dead. After she tells the rest of the family, they order the three lodgers out of the flat. All of the family members take the day off to relax. They take a train trip where the family realizes that Grete should remarry.
The story elements have symbols. For example, the hospital represents help for Gregor that is both near and far away. Music is the universal language that the main character has with his sister. The lodgers show how the Samsa family has no control over their son’s situation. The symbols also include various concepts as well. For example, the family is financially stable before Gregor turns a roach. This contrasts with the family’s condition afterwards when they lose money. Herr, Frau, and Grete must find their own work to support themselves. Kafka suggests with this philosophy that we do not need to work like bugs with jobs that we do not enjoy. Gregor takes pride in his work and does a good job. The family finds this out at the end of the story.
The author uses a simple and direct writing style. For example, Gregor does not feel shocked by turning into a roach. However, his family is quite surprised. Kafka uses third person omniscient to help readers stay factual. They also understand how different people in the story respond to Gregor’s condition.
There are several famous quotes from the story. For example, page 538 says “As Gregor Samsa awake one morning from a troubled dream, he found himself changed in his bed to some monstrous kind of vermin.” Kafka depicts how Gregor finds out that he is a bug. “The next train went at seven; to catch it he must hurry madly, and his collection of samples was not packed” on page 539 shows how Gregor want to go to work even though he is a bug. “He’s lying there, absolutely dead as a doornail” on page 577 depicts how the charwoman reports Gregor’s death to his family. However, Herr Samsa responds to his son’s death with “We can thank God for that!” on page 577. Herr Samsa says this in response to the news that his son just died
Franz Kafka tells a realistic lesson through unrealistic means. He takes an ordinary family with financial issues and turns their money earner into a cockroach. Although Gregor, the main character, tries to live a normal life, his family keeps his condition a secret. They find to work to earn money, hire a cleaning woman, and take in three lodgers. After Gregor dies, his family gets rid of the lodgers, and take a trip. Herr and Frau try to get their daughter, Grete, to marry. Kafka’s surreal, but factual writing method lets readers see how we must fine enjoyable work.
Work Cited
“The Metamorphasis by Franz Kafka.” Summary Central 2008. 27 March 2008
http://members.tripod.com/~SummaryCentral/themetamorphosis.htm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Jungle and Muckraking
by Matthew Cox
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair shows the plight of immigrants and destitute people in Chicago during the early 1900’s. Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant and protagonist, is exploited by corrupt businessmen and political leaders. His family also suffers from poverty, financial loss, and death. The main character becomes a corrupt foreman but losses his job. However, the Socialist Party in Chicago helps Jurgis find a good job and benefits. Although teaching the book is difficult, there are many ways to put it in terms that the students will understand. For example, teachers can focus on the literary period and Sinclair’s purpose as a muckraker. The book lead to federals laws that improve sanitation in the meatpacking industry. Students can understand other themes in the story including naturalism and socialism. Also, they can compare and contrast the ideas in the book to ones in other novels. Learners can enjoy exploring the connections that Sinclair had with other socialist writers and artists. Upton Sinclair writes The Jungle to expose the harsh living conditions of immigrants in the early 1900’s.
The plot of the Jungle by Upton Sinclair revolves around Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus (Pink Monkey). He comes to America to create a better life for himself. It starts with a flashback to a wedding between Jurgis and Ona Lukoszaite in a bar in Chicago’s Packingtown. The next chapter returns to the home country a Lithuanian lady, Elizabieta, has a brother who says that he wants to move to America. Another Lithuanian, Jokubas Szedvilas, introduces Jurgis’s family to a slummy part of Chicago where they will live. The protagonist, Jurgis and Jonas soon get work. Dede Antanas, Jurgis’s father, suffers from prejudice and is not able to fine employment. Rudkus’ family live in a run down boarding house owned by Aniele Jukniene. Jurgis wants to buy his own house. He sees and advertisement in a news paper for a home. However, the agent is dishonest and demands more money. Jurgis does not understand the terms of the housing agreement. The rest of the family takes up work to pay for the expenses. Ona wraps hams. Stanislovas, Elzbieta’s youngest son, fills lard cans.
Jurgis and Ona become bankrupt shortly after their wedding. At marriage parties in Lithuania, guests leave money for the bride and groom. However, the Americanized younger guests do not following the wedding tradition. This explains the opening scene.
After starting their Jobs, the family realizes the true horrors of Packingtown. The labor conditions are harsh and bosses treat their workers horribly. Dede can only get work by bribing a supervisor in a meat packing plant. However, he is overworked and dies from exhaustion. Winter is a bad time to work. Snow covers the streets and makes walking hard. Also, the factories do not have heat. The only positive thing in the winter is Timosius, a violin player at the wedding party, falling in love with Marija.
She does not fare to well by losing her job when the factory shuts down. It reopens, but Marija gets fired after her pay is cut and she demands her rights. Jurgis joins a union and learns English. Ona gets pregnant and has trouble from her supervisor. The boss runs prostitution and uses women at the factory. Mrs. Rudkushas a baby boy. His parents name him Antanas after Jurgis’s father. Ona does not recover her health because she goes back to work after a week.
Jurgis sprains his ankle at work and the factory will not take responsibility for the accident. Jonas leaves the family and disappears. Jurgis goes back to work at the killing beds and his supervisor refuses to hire him again. He gets a job at the fertilizer plant, the worst working place in town. Elzbieta’s son, Kristoforas, dies after eating a contaminated sausage. Ironically, she has to take job there to support her family. Ona expects another baby and becomes depressed. Jurgis tries to bury his problems at work with alcohol.
Ona does not come home from work one night. She tells her husband that she spent the night with her friend Jadvyga because heavy snows shut down the street cars. Jurgis later finds out that his wife is lying about her whereabouts after work. Ona’s supervisor, Phil Connor, forces her to sleep with him. Her husband beats up Connor and gets sentenced to thirty days in jail. In incarceration, Jurgis meets Jack Duane, an educated safecracker. After getting out, the protagonist discovers that his family is evicted from their home and is back at Aniele Jukiene’s rooming house.
When Jurgis come too Aniele’s place, he sees Ona give birth prematurely and dying. He begs a midwife to help. Neither Ona nor the child survives. Her husband drinks for two days and leaves the house. After returning, Elzbeita asks him to find work to support Antana. Jurgis cannot find work because he is blacklisted for attacking Connor. He finds a job as a harvester through the union after weeks of searching. However, the job lasts little more than a week.
When Jurgis returns to Packingtown, he gets works at a steel mill with help from a settlement officer who saw Juosapas, Elzbiet’s son, looking for food in a dump. The family earns money and is able to afford a better home and food. However, Anatas drowns in the sewage filled street neat the rooming house. Jurgis is devastated and leaves his family to live as a hobo. He is happy living this way, but the cold winter forces him to return. Rudkus works for digging tunnels by digging freight tunnels. The protagonist gets hurt in an accident and goes to the country hospital.
After recovering, Jurgis has no money and cannot find work. He tries all everything to survive, including begging. The main character meets Freddie Jones, a young drunk and the son of a wealthy packer. Jones takes Jurgis to his mansion and gives him a 100 dollar bill. When Rudkus makes change at a bar, the bartender tried to cheat him. They get into a fight and Jurgis gets arrested again. He meets Jack Duane again in jail. Both men become partners in crime. Duane has connections with organized crime, politicians and business leaders. Rudkus is soon recruited by Buck Halloran and Bush Harper. They are two men who work for Mike Scully. The main character begins to work for the Democratic party. Scully helps Jurgis get a job in Packingtown. Jurgis repays Scully by helping one of Mike men become an alderman. When strikes disrupt the packinghouses, Jurgis becomes a strikebreaker. Eventually, he becomes a corrupt boss.
Jurgis happens to meet Connor one day and assaults him. Rudkus get arrested again. He asks Harper to bail him out. Bush tells the protagonist that Connor works for Scully and is politically powerful. He gives all of his savings to Harper as a bribe for his help. Homeless and destitute again, Jurgis lives out of soup kitchens and homeless shelters. One day, he meets Marija. She works in a brothel to support herself, her kids, and Elzbeita. The main character wants to find a job before he meets Elzbeita. During his searches, Jurgis finds a Socialist rally. The speaker tells the audience about the benefits of socialism. He is the Polish scientist Ostrinski. The intellectual helps Rudkus and teaches him about socialism. Jurgis gets a job as a hotel porter and goes back to Elzbieta.
The hotel manager, Tommy Hinds, is a strong Socialist. Rudkus improves himself and studies Socialism. His two favorite writers on the philosophy are Lucas and Schliemann, whom he meets. Jurgis strongly believes in a society in which wealth is not controlled by corrupt capitalists. The presidential election of that year show significant gains for Chicago’s Socialist Party. The book ends at a speech where a speaker encourages his party to support socialists and move Chicago away from the packers.
High school aged students are usually interested in the unclean conditions in the meatpacking industry as depicted in The Jungle. Also, learners often times are interested in why the book is written, the public reaction to it, and how it lead to federal legislation. Teachers say that the most difficult part teaching the book is explaining the political implications. It should be taught as a novel on politics. Letting students compare it to other political novels will let them understand the political viewpoints of Sinclair. The teacher can judge the story with criteria involving political and social considerations.
Although Upton’s literary style is hard to explain, teachers can focus on many different aspects of the novel. For example, he uses crude language to show the harsh living conditions. For example, Sinclair uses vivid images to describe poverty, harsh working conditions, or the issues that Jurgis faces. Educators can also concentrate on the three separate but related literary movements that the writer is involved in. Firstly, the novel comes from the muckraking period. Writers in this time expose corruption and social problems through their writings. Theodore Roosevelt coined this term. This idea is similar to the Man with the Muckrake in Pilgrim’s progress. Other famous muckrakers include Lincoln Steffens who writes the Shame of the Cities. Ida Tarbell writes the History of the Standard Oil Company in 1901 to show the devastating effects of monopolies and corruption in big business.
The Jungle is part of the naturalist movement. All 21 chapters of the book have the form and content of naturalism in the period. The psychological aspects in the story follow the plot. This is characterized by the way Jurgis’s family break down into disorder. Literary characters with similar issues include the female protagonists in Maggie by Stephen Crane, McTeague by Frank Norris, and Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. Such characters are victims of social and economic forces beyond their control. These pressures have a mechanical or sinister tone.
The ideas of naturalism turn into socialism in the last four chapters. This lets Sinclair end his book in a happy way. Teacher should explain to the students that the writer is a socialist and uses his writings to promote his beliefs. Upton connects himself with a group of artists, writers, and socialists that live in Greenwich Village. Such people include Floyd Dell, Randolph Bourne, Lincoln Steffens, Max Eastman, and John Reed. They publish The Masses, a radical socialist magazine. Socialistic writers know that they can use fiction and journalism to spread their views. Sinclair views of capitalism are common with socialists in the early 1900’s.
Educators may compare various themes or ideas in the book for exercises in writer, or questions and answers. For example, the attacks of wage slavery in The Jungle are similar to criticism of slavery against African Americans in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Students can compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the meat packing industry and other businesses. They can also see the false way that money provides a false sense of security. Classes might discuss the way that The Jungle and other novels portray immigrants. Another way to teach literature is to compare and contrast this work to the pieces of other muckrakers including The Shame of the Cities and the History of the Standard Oil Company. Students can explore the connections between Sinclair and other radical writers including Max Eastman and John Reed.
Upton Sinclair writes The Jungle to expose the harsh living conditions of immigrants in the early 1900’s. The plot centers on the Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus. He is exploited by dishonest capitalists and politicians. He also has family issues including illness, poverty, and deaths. Jurgis faces other issues including arrest and being homeless. For a short time, he is a company foreman who mistreats workers. After losing his job, Jurgis joins the Socialist party of Chicago. They help him to find a job and improve his life. Although Sinclair’s writing style makes classroom discussions hard, teacher can help the students understand the book. For example, they can assist students with understanding the themes of naturalism and socialism in the story. Also, learners might enjoy learning how Sinclair acts as a muckraker and exposes harsh working conditions. The book promotes federal laws improving sanitation in meatpacking companies. Pupils may enjoy comparing and contrasting themes of the book to ones in other writings. Also, students could like understanding the way Sinclair connected to other writers and artists of his time.
Works Cited
“The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.” Pink Monkey. 2008. 25 March 2008.
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmJungle06.asp
Wilson, James. “Upton Sinclair (1787-1968) Georgetown.edu. 2008. 25 March 2008
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/heath/syllabuild/iguide
/sinclair.html
by Matthew Cox
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair shows the plight of immigrants and destitute people in Chicago during the early 1900’s. Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant and protagonist, is exploited by corrupt businessmen and political leaders. His family also suffers from poverty, financial loss, and death. The main character becomes a corrupt foreman but losses his job. However, the Socialist Party in Chicago helps Jurgis find a good job and benefits. Although teaching the book is difficult, there are many ways to put it in terms that the students will understand. For example, teachers can focus on the literary period and Sinclair’s purpose as a muckraker. The book lead to federals laws that improve sanitation in the meatpacking industry. Students can understand other themes in the story including naturalism and socialism. Also, they can compare and contrast the ideas in the book to ones in other novels. Learners can enjoy exploring the connections that Sinclair had with other socialist writers and artists. Upton Sinclair writes The Jungle to expose the harsh living conditions of immigrants in the early 1900’s.
The plot of the Jungle by Upton Sinclair revolves around Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus (Pink Monkey). He comes to America to create a better life for himself. It starts with a flashback to a wedding between Jurgis and Ona Lukoszaite in a bar in Chicago’s Packingtown. The next chapter returns to the home country a Lithuanian lady, Elizabieta, has a brother who says that he wants to move to America. Another Lithuanian, Jokubas Szedvilas, introduces Jurgis’s family to a slummy part of Chicago where they will live. The protagonist, Jurgis and Jonas soon get work. Dede Antanas, Jurgis’s father, suffers from prejudice and is not able to fine employment. Rudkus’ family live in a run down boarding house owned by Aniele Jukniene. Jurgis wants to buy his own house. He sees and advertisement in a news paper for a home. However, the agent is dishonest and demands more money. Jurgis does not understand the terms of the housing agreement. The rest of the family takes up work to pay for the expenses. Ona wraps hams. Stanislovas, Elzbieta’s youngest son, fills lard cans.
Jurgis and Ona become bankrupt shortly after their wedding. At marriage parties in Lithuania, guests leave money for the bride and groom. However, the Americanized younger guests do not following the wedding tradition. This explains the opening scene.
After starting their Jobs, the family realizes the true horrors of Packingtown. The labor conditions are harsh and bosses treat their workers horribly. Dede can only get work by bribing a supervisor in a meat packing plant. However, he is overworked and dies from exhaustion. Winter is a bad time to work. Snow covers the streets and makes walking hard. Also, the factories do not have heat. The only positive thing in the winter is Timosius, a violin player at the wedding party, falling in love with Marija.
She does not fare to well by losing her job when the factory shuts down. It reopens, but Marija gets fired after her pay is cut and she demands her rights. Jurgis joins a union and learns English. Ona gets pregnant and has trouble from her supervisor. The boss runs prostitution and uses women at the factory. Mrs. Rudkushas a baby boy. His parents name him Antanas after Jurgis’s father. Ona does not recover her health because she goes back to work after a week.
Jurgis sprains his ankle at work and the factory will not take responsibility for the accident. Jonas leaves the family and disappears. Jurgis goes back to work at the killing beds and his supervisor refuses to hire him again. He gets a job at the fertilizer plant, the worst working place in town. Elzbieta’s son, Kristoforas, dies after eating a contaminated sausage. Ironically, she has to take job there to support her family. Ona expects another baby and becomes depressed. Jurgis tries to bury his problems at work with alcohol.
Ona does not come home from work one night. She tells her husband that she spent the night with her friend Jadvyga because heavy snows shut down the street cars. Jurgis later finds out that his wife is lying about her whereabouts after work. Ona’s supervisor, Phil Connor, forces her to sleep with him. Her husband beats up Connor and gets sentenced to thirty days in jail. In incarceration, Jurgis meets Jack Duane, an educated safecracker. After getting out, the protagonist discovers that his family is evicted from their home and is back at Aniele Jukiene’s rooming house.
When Jurgis come too Aniele’s place, he sees Ona give birth prematurely and dying. He begs a midwife to help. Neither Ona nor the child survives. Her husband drinks for two days and leaves the house. After returning, Elzbeita asks him to find work to support Antana. Jurgis cannot find work because he is blacklisted for attacking Connor. He finds a job as a harvester through the union after weeks of searching. However, the job lasts little more than a week.
When Jurgis returns to Packingtown, he gets works at a steel mill with help from a settlement officer who saw Juosapas, Elzbiet’s son, looking for food in a dump. The family earns money and is able to afford a better home and food. However, Anatas drowns in the sewage filled street neat the rooming house. Jurgis is devastated and leaves his family to live as a hobo. He is happy living this way, but the cold winter forces him to return. Rudkus works for digging tunnels by digging freight tunnels. The protagonist gets hurt in an accident and goes to the country hospital.
After recovering, Jurgis has no money and cannot find work. He tries all everything to survive, including begging. The main character meets Freddie Jones, a young drunk and the son of a wealthy packer. Jones takes Jurgis to his mansion and gives him a 100 dollar bill. When Rudkus makes change at a bar, the bartender tried to cheat him. They get into a fight and Jurgis gets arrested again. He meets Jack Duane again in jail. Both men become partners in crime. Duane has connections with organized crime, politicians and business leaders. Rudkus is soon recruited by Buck Halloran and Bush Harper. They are two men who work for Mike Scully. The main character begins to work for the Democratic party. Scully helps Jurgis get a job in Packingtown. Jurgis repays Scully by helping one of Mike men become an alderman. When strikes disrupt the packinghouses, Jurgis becomes a strikebreaker. Eventually, he becomes a corrupt boss.
Jurgis happens to meet Connor one day and assaults him. Rudkus get arrested again. He asks Harper to bail him out. Bush tells the protagonist that Connor works for Scully and is politically powerful. He gives all of his savings to Harper as a bribe for his help. Homeless and destitute again, Jurgis lives out of soup kitchens and homeless shelters. One day, he meets Marija. She works in a brothel to support herself, her kids, and Elzbeita. The main character wants to find a job before he meets Elzbeita. During his searches, Jurgis finds a Socialist rally. The speaker tells the audience about the benefits of socialism. He is the Polish scientist Ostrinski. The intellectual helps Rudkus and teaches him about socialism. Jurgis gets a job as a hotel porter and goes back to Elzbieta.
The hotel manager, Tommy Hinds, is a strong Socialist. Rudkus improves himself and studies Socialism. His two favorite writers on the philosophy are Lucas and Schliemann, whom he meets. Jurgis strongly believes in a society in which wealth is not controlled by corrupt capitalists. The presidential election of that year show significant gains for Chicago’s Socialist Party. The book ends at a speech where a speaker encourages his party to support socialists and move Chicago away from the packers.
High school aged students are usually interested in the unclean conditions in the meatpacking industry as depicted in The Jungle. Also, learners often times are interested in why the book is written, the public reaction to it, and how it lead to federal legislation. Teachers say that the most difficult part teaching the book is explaining the political implications. It should be taught as a novel on politics. Letting students compare it to other political novels will let them understand the political viewpoints of Sinclair. The teacher can judge the story with criteria involving political and social considerations.
Although Upton’s literary style is hard to explain, teachers can focus on many different aspects of the novel. For example, he uses crude language to show the harsh living conditions. For example, Sinclair uses vivid images to describe poverty, harsh working conditions, or the issues that Jurgis faces. Educators can also concentrate on the three separate but related literary movements that the writer is involved in. Firstly, the novel comes from the muckraking period. Writers in this time expose corruption and social problems through their writings. Theodore Roosevelt coined this term. This idea is similar to the Man with the Muckrake in Pilgrim’s progress. Other famous muckrakers include Lincoln Steffens who writes the Shame of the Cities. Ida Tarbell writes the History of the Standard Oil Company in 1901 to show the devastating effects of monopolies and corruption in big business.
The Jungle is part of the naturalist movement. All 21 chapters of the book have the form and content of naturalism in the period. The psychological aspects in the story follow the plot. This is characterized by the way Jurgis’s family break down into disorder. Literary characters with similar issues include the female protagonists in Maggie by Stephen Crane, McTeague by Frank Norris, and Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. Such characters are victims of social and economic forces beyond their control. These pressures have a mechanical or sinister tone.
The ideas of naturalism turn into socialism in the last four chapters. This lets Sinclair end his book in a happy way. Teacher should explain to the students that the writer is a socialist and uses his writings to promote his beliefs. Upton connects himself with a group of artists, writers, and socialists that live in Greenwich Village. Such people include Floyd Dell, Randolph Bourne, Lincoln Steffens, Max Eastman, and John Reed. They publish The Masses, a radical socialist magazine. Socialistic writers know that they can use fiction and journalism to spread their views. Sinclair views of capitalism are common with socialists in the early 1900’s.
Educators may compare various themes or ideas in the book for exercises in writer, or questions and answers. For example, the attacks of wage slavery in The Jungle are similar to criticism of slavery against African Americans in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Students can compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the meat packing industry and other businesses. They can also see the false way that money provides a false sense of security. Classes might discuss the way that The Jungle and other novels portray immigrants. Another way to teach literature is to compare and contrast this work to the pieces of other muckrakers including The Shame of the Cities and the History of the Standard Oil Company. Students can explore the connections between Sinclair and other radical writers including Max Eastman and John Reed.
Upton Sinclair writes The Jungle to expose the harsh living conditions of immigrants in the early 1900’s. The plot centers on the Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus. He is exploited by dishonest capitalists and politicians. He also has family issues including illness, poverty, and deaths. Jurgis faces other issues including arrest and being homeless. For a short time, he is a company foreman who mistreats workers. After losing his job, Jurgis joins the Socialist party of Chicago. They help him to find a job and improve his life. Although Sinclair’s writing style makes classroom discussions hard, teacher can help the students understand the book. For example, they can assist students with understanding the themes of naturalism and socialism in the story. Also, learners might enjoy learning how Sinclair acts as a muckraker and exposes harsh working conditions. The book promotes federal laws improving sanitation in meatpacking companies. Pupils may enjoy comparing and contrasting themes of the book to ones in other writings. Also, students could like understanding the way Sinclair connected to other writers and artists of his time.
Works Cited
“The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.” Pink Monkey. 2008. 25 March 2008.
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmJungle06.asp
Wilson, James. “Upton Sinclair (1787-1968) Georgetown.edu. 2008. 25 March 2008
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/heath/syllabuild/iguide
/sinclair.html
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Ethan Frome, a Contrast of Ironies
By Matthew Cox
Author Edith Wharton writes the story Ethan Frome to explore the relationships between a family in Starkville, Massachusetts. Teachers often times use the tale to teach critical thinking skills to high school students. It deals with ethical issues, choices, social pressures, and the like. The story deals with the relationship that the title character has with his wife Zeena and cousin Mattie. Both Ethan and Mattie love each other. Also, they try to take care Zeena who is very difficult. Each woman does not get along. Although Ethan tried to get away from their quarreling, he does not have the money to move. After getting very upset with the way Zeena treats them, Ethan and Mattie try to kill themselves by sledding into an elm tree. They end up crippled with Zeena taking care of them. Literary critics attach various kinds of significance to the story. These reflect the experiences that Wharton had in life. Edith Wharton uses conflict to explore family relationships in her story Ethan Frome.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is an easy book for high schoolers to read. It is short and east for teenagers to identify with and concentrate on. Young people can identify with the moral choices and identity conflict of Ethan. Also, students could understand what it is like to be pulled in different directions by friends and family. Lessons from this book also deal with people taking responsibility for themselves. Other issues in Ethan Frome also deal with suicide, love, social relationships, and the like. Today’s teenager should connect such ideas with ones that happen today. Most teachers say that the book is good about teaching critical thinking and multisensory lessons.
The Prologue introduces the story from an omniscient narrator’s point of view. He never tells us our name, but says that he is an engineer. Our speaker is sent to a job in Massachusetts and is detained in Starkfield. The narrator asks the towns people how he is deformed by his accident and is twisted to one side. However the main character’s landlady Mrs. Hale and the stagecoach driver, Herman Gow. He is also known as the oracle. Mrs. Hale volunteers some information about Ethan’s early life. Gow also tells the narrator that Frome has a tragic past, but does not go into a lot of detail. The title character agrees to take the speaker to his new job. During the ride, both men get to know each other a little better. Both men get into snowstorm and the narrator is able to figure out the background of his travelling companion.
The first chapter introduces Ethan as a young man who takes classes at a technical college and is interested in physics. He stops when his father dies and the family loses money. The protagonist goes to pick up his wife’s cousin, Mattie Silver, from a church dance. His village is buried under two feet of snow. Before arrive at the church, he pauses for a moment to look at a big hill behind the church, a good place for sledding. This foreshadows a tragedy in Chapter 9. Readers learn that Mattie in an orphan who lives with the Fromes to help Ethan’s wife, Zenobia, who is an invalid. Both Ethan and Mattie share communion to make Zeena jealous. The cousin is sensitive and lazy. Plus, she does not live housework. Mrs. Frome implies that she can replace her cousin with someone who can do the housework. Mattie dances with many partners. Ethan remembers his wife’s threats and feels uneasy.
In chapter two, Both Ethan and Mattie walk home past the big elm at the bottom of the hill. They talk about two engaged friends, Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum. Mattie mentions how both of her friends almost ran into the tree while coasting. This is more foreshadowing. Mr. Frome implies that Mattie gets married and leaves his house. His cousin rejects the idea. While they walk past the family cemetery, Ethan has a vision of possibly living forever with Mattie and having her beside him when they are dead. This vision is interrupted by Zeena who is standing at the front door. She does not hide the house key in its usual place. Mrs. Frome gives the couple a harsh stare. It seems to accuse them of improper behavior. Also, this part contrasts Zeena’s ugliness and unhappiness with Mattie’ beauty.
Chapter three starts with Ethan remembering how ill Mattie looks when she moved to Starkfield. Now, the cousin is healthier and stronger. When Miss Silver is twenty, her father dies and leaves the family bankrupt. She does not have many work skills. Zeena plans to talk with the doctor in Bettsbridge. Ethan does not like this because he knows that it will be costly. He knows that the long trip will be expensive. Besides, the main character does not want to endure a long trip with his unpleasant wife. To avoid making the journey, Mr. Frome lies about picking up lumber he ordered. However, he will regret this later.
The fourth chapter concerns Ethan and Mattie alone together. Mr. Frome feels happy with Zeena gone. He reveals more about his past. Than is social and enjoys college studies. After returning to Starkfield to take care of his farm and mother, he becomes more serious and withdrawn. The mother is a talker in the past, but withdraws after becoming sick. Now, the silence is so overwhelming, that Zeena’s chatter his loneliness unbearable. After his mother dies, Mr. Frome marries his wife with plans to leave Starkfield. He wants to try his luck in a larger place. Zeena does not like the town but does not want to move to a place where nobody knows her. After year in the marriage, the wife becomes withdrawn and a hypochondriac.
Although Ethan enjoys his evening with Mattie in chapter five, he worries about Zenobia. The cousin serves a snack of pickles on Mrs. Frome’s best glass dishes and the cat accidentally breaks it. Both Ethan and Mattie are upset. He orders his cousin not to cry. This command gives him a feeling of superiority that he has not felt in years. After calming down, both people talk about Ned’s and Ruth’s engagement. Ethan worries that Mattie will get married soon and leave. Miss Silver is curious about Zeena’s negative attitude towards her. Both cousins do not want to discuss this topic . The fire in the fireplace symbolizes the unspoken and unfulfilled desires.
Chapter six starts with Ethan hoping wondering about what life in Zeena’s view is like. Unfortunately, the day has problems. When the main character finds glue to repair the broken dish, Zeena comes home and finds out what happens. Upset she goes into her room for the rest of the day. Jonathan Powell, the hired man who drives her back from the station refuses food that Etna offers to him. This hints that something ominous will happen.
Zeena’s medical report in chapter seven says that she has complications that prevent her from doing heavy work around the house. She hires another girl to help with the chores. Mr. Frome is horrified with both the extra expense and thinking about losing Mattie. He shouts at Zeena and accuses her poor health on taking care of his mother. When Mrs. Frome says that the cousin must leave to make room for the other girl, Ethan’s depression turns into hatred for his wife. Later at supper, the protagonist breaks the news to his cousin. He kisses her and promises never to kick her out. Zeena interrupts them and talks about her own health issues to make them upset. This chapter ends when the wife argues with Ethan and Mattie over the broken pickle dish. Mrs. Frome uses it as proof that Miss Siler is incompetent and dishonest.
Ethan goes into his cold study to think of a plan to get rid of Zenobia. Acting without thinking, he plans to move west with Mattie. He writes a letter to Zeena stating that he will leave her the farm and mill. However, the protagonist realizes that he does not have the money. Exhausted, he calls asleep and dismisses his false hopes. Jonathan Powell tells Ethan that Zeena kicked Mattie out and told her to take the 6:00 train. Mr. Frome goes to Andrew Hale and planning to ask him for money. On the way, he meets Mrs. Hale who sympathizes with him. This helps Ethan to realize that he want to take advantage of their kindness. Seeing that this is wrong, the protagonist still feels responsible for taking care of his wife. This is stronger than wanting to help Mattie. Reluctantly, Ethan goes back to the farm.
The climax in chapter nine explains the events in the earlier part of the book. Mr. Frome demands that he takes Mattie to the train station although Zeena tells him to stay home. Both cousins take a detour around Shadow Pond. They think about the happy moments that they share. Also, Ethan and Mattie regret that the circumstances did not permit to care for each other. Each relative feels overwhelmed with sadness. They plan to commit suicide by sledding down the hill and hitting the elm tree. However, they miss the tree and survive the crash terrible injured. The first person narrative ends.
When the narrator enters the house, he sees two unpleasant looking women in a sparsely furnished room. Ethan introduces them as his wife and cousin. After the accident, Zeena and Mattie put their differences aside. With tragic irony, Zenobia has been caring for both Mattie and Ethan for over twenty years. Mrs. Hale says that it is her opinion that Ethan may have escaped his problems if Mattie died. He is defenseless and stuck between women who do not get along. His land lady also compares the Frome home life to the people buried in the family cemetery. The only difference is that the graveyard is quiet.
Many literary experts look for significance in Ethan Frome. For example, Elizabeth Ammons indicates that the novel shows her evaluations of romantic love, marriage, divorce, and motherhood in her own experiences. Wendy Gimble says that such novels are journeys of self realization and identity. Susan Goodman finds that the characters find independence in unusual ways. David Holbrook says that Wharton depicts Ethan as an unsatisfactory male. Such negative attitudes towards men come from the abuse that Edith suffered caused by her father. Candace Waid says that Edith uses her stories to explore women’s place in society. Carol Wershoven says that characters including Zeena are examples of intrusive women common to Wharton’s work. Another theme that the writer deals with is her own identification with women outside of the social boundaries in early 20th Century America. Most literary experts agree that the writer explores the relationships between individual choices, family pressures, and society’s expectations. Such critics say that these themes reflect Edith Wharton’s own need for impulse control.
Edith Wharton uses conflict to explore family relationships in her story Ethan Frome.
Many educators use the work to teach high school students about cause and effect. Ethan Frome has material on ethical choices, family relations, and how people interact to each other. The story takes place during the winter in Starkville, Massachusetts. It involves the interactions between Frome, Zeena, Mattie, and a few other characters. Although Ethan and Mattie love each other, Zeena tried to get in the way. Ironically, both are trying to take care of Mrs. Frome. However, both women are at odds. Ethan wants to leave with Mattie but does not have the resources. The cousins do not like the way that Zeena act towards them. They try to commit suicide by running their sled into an elm tree. Both of them survive and are deformed. Zeena takes care of them for twenty years. Literary critics see different view point in the work based on their and Wharton’s life experiences.
Works Cited
Asya, Ferda. “Edith Wharton's Dream of Incest: Ethan Frome.” Questia. 2008. 23
March 2008.
7 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=HmbQlX6
hRNnLkLLBnHqPjDMy6CQZQGcZgwsQP7qWv mvXRv7v!1308704489?docId=5001503659
Bell, Wendy. “A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Edith Wharton’s
Ethan Frome.” Penguingroup.com 2008. 23 March 2008.
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/ethanfrome.pdf
By Matthew Cox
Author Edith Wharton writes the story Ethan Frome to explore the relationships between a family in Starkville, Massachusetts. Teachers often times use the tale to teach critical thinking skills to high school students. It deals with ethical issues, choices, social pressures, and the like. The story deals with the relationship that the title character has with his wife Zeena and cousin Mattie. Both Ethan and Mattie love each other. Also, they try to take care Zeena who is very difficult. Each woman does not get along. Although Ethan tried to get away from their quarreling, he does not have the money to move. After getting very upset with the way Zeena treats them, Ethan and Mattie try to kill themselves by sledding into an elm tree. They end up crippled with Zeena taking care of them. Literary critics attach various kinds of significance to the story. These reflect the experiences that Wharton had in life. Edith Wharton uses conflict to explore family relationships in her story Ethan Frome.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is an easy book for high schoolers to read. It is short and east for teenagers to identify with and concentrate on. Young people can identify with the moral choices and identity conflict of Ethan. Also, students could understand what it is like to be pulled in different directions by friends and family. Lessons from this book also deal with people taking responsibility for themselves. Other issues in Ethan Frome also deal with suicide, love, social relationships, and the like. Today’s teenager should connect such ideas with ones that happen today. Most teachers say that the book is good about teaching critical thinking and multisensory lessons.
The Prologue introduces the story from an omniscient narrator’s point of view. He never tells us our name, but says that he is an engineer. Our speaker is sent to a job in Massachusetts and is detained in Starkfield. The narrator asks the towns people how he is deformed by his accident and is twisted to one side. However the main character’s landlady Mrs. Hale and the stagecoach driver, Herman Gow. He is also known as the oracle. Mrs. Hale volunteers some information about Ethan’s early life. Gow also tells the narrator that Frome has a tragic past, but does not go into a lot of detail. The title character agrees to take the speaker to his new job. During the ride, both men get to know each other a little better. Both men get into snowstorm and the narrator is able to figure out the background of his travelling companion.
The first chapter introduces Ethan as a young man who takes classes at a technical college and is interested in physics. He stops when his father dies and the family loses money. The protagonist goes to pick up his wife’s cousin, Mattie Silver, from a church dance. His village is buried under two feet of snow. Before arrive at the church, he pauses for a moment to look at a big hill behind the church, a good place for sledding. This foreshadows a tragedy in Chapter 9. Readers learn that Mattie in an orphan who lives with the Fromes to help Ethan’s wife, Zenobia, who is an invalid. Both Ethan and Mattie share communion to make Zeena jealous. The cousin is sensitive and lazy. Plus, she does not live housework. Mrs. Frome implies that she can replace her cousin with someone who can do the housework. Mattie dances with many partners. Ethan remembers his wife’s threats and feels uneasy.
In chapter two, Both Ethan and Mattie walk home past the big elm at the bottom of the hill. They talk about two engaged friends, Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum. Mattie mentions how both of her friends almost ran into the tree while coasting. This is more foreshadowing. Mr. Frome implies that Mattie gets married and leaves his house. His cousin rejects the idea. While they walk past the family cemetery, Ethan has a vision of possibly living forever with Mattie and having her beside him when they are dead. This vision is interrupted by Zeena who is standing at the front door. She does not hide the house key in its usual place. Mrs. Frome gives the couple a harsh stare. It seems to accuse them of improper behavior. Also, this part contrasts Zeena’s ugliness and unhappiness with Mattie’ beauty.
Chapter three starts with Ethan remembering how ill Mattie looks when she moved to Starkfield. Now, the cousin is healthier and stronger. When Miss Silver is twenty, her father dies and leaves the family bankrupt. She does not have many work skills. Zeena plans to talk with the doctor in Bettsbridge. Ethan does not like this because he knows that it will be costly. He knows that the long trip will be expensive. Besides, the main character does not want to endure a long trip with his unpleasant wife. To avoid making the journey, Mr. Frome lies about picking up lumber he ordered. However, he will regret this later.
The fourth chapter concerns Ethan and Mattie alone together. Mr. Frome feels happy with Zeena gone. He reveals more about his past. Than is social and enjoys college studies. After returning to Starkfield to take care of his farm and mother, he becomes more serious and withdrawn. The mother is a talker in the past, but withdraws after becoming sick. Now, the silence is so overwhelming, that Zeena’s chatter his loneliness unbearable. After his mother dies, Mr. Frome marries his wife with plans to leave Starkfield. He wants to try his luck in a larger place. Zeena does not like the town but does not want to move to a place where nobody knows her. After year in the marriage, the wife becomes withdrawn and a hypochondriac.
Although Ethan enjoys his evening with Mattie in chapter five, he worries about Zenobia. The cousin serves a snack of pickles on Mrs. Frome’s best glass dishes and the cat accidentally breaks it. Both Ethan and Mattie are upset. He orders his cousin not to cry. This command gives him a feeling of superiority that he has not felt in years. After calming down, both people talk about Ned’s and Ruth’s engagement. Ethan worries that Mattie will get married soon and leave. Miss Silver is curious about Zeena’s negative attitude towards her. Both cousins do not want to discuss this topic . The fire in the fireplace symbolizes the unspoken and unfulfilled desires.
Chapter six starts with Ethan hoping wondering about what life in Zeena’s view is like. Unfortunately, the day has problems. When the main character finds glue to repair the broken dish, Zeena comes home and finds out what happens. Upset she goes into her room for the rest of the day. Jonathan Powell, the hired man who drives her back from the station refuses food that Etna offers to him. This hints that something ominous will happen.
Zeena’s medical report in chapter seven says that she has complications that prevent her from doing heavy work around the house. She hires another girl to help with the chores. Mr. Frome is horrified with both the extra expense and thinking about losing Mattie. He shouts at Zeena and accuses her poor health on taking care of his mother. When Mrs. Frome says that the cousin must leave to make room for the other girl, Ethan’s depression turns into hatred for his wife. Later at supper, the protagonist breaks the news to his cousin. He kisses her and promises never to kick her out. Zeena interrupts them and talks about her own health issues to make them upset. This chapter ends when the wife argues with Ethan and Mattie over the broken pickle dish. Mrs. Frome uses it as proof that Miss Siler is incompetent and dishonest.
Ethan goes into his cold study to think of a plan to get rid of Zenobia. Acting without thinking, he plans to move west with Mattie. He writes a letter to Zeena stating that he will leave her the farm and mill. However, the protagonist realizes that he does not have the money. Exhausted, he calls asleep and dismisses his false hopes. Jonathan Powell tells Ethan that Zeena kicked Mattie out and told her to take the 6:00 train. Mr. Frome goes to Andrew Hale and planning to ask him for money. On the way, he meets Mrs. Hale who sympathizes with him. This helps Ethan to realize that he want to take advantage of their kindness. Seeing that this is wrong, the protagonist still feels responsible for taking care of his wife. This is stronger than wanting to help Mattie. Reluctantly, Ethan goes back to the farm.
The climax in chapter nine explains the events in the earlier part of the book. Mr. Frome demands that he takes Mattie to the train station although Zeena tells him to stay home. Both cousins take a detour around Shadow Pond. They think about the happy moments that they share. Also, Ethan and Mattie regret that the circumstances did not permit to care for each other. Each relative feels overwhelmed with sadness. They plan to commit suicide by sledding down the hill and hitting the elm tree. However, they miss the tree and survive the crash terrible injured. The first person narrative ends.
When the narrator enters the house, he sees two unpleasant looking women in a sparsely furnished room. Ethan introduces them as his wife and cousin. After the accident, Zeena and Mattie put their differences aside. With tragic irony, Zenobia has been caring for both Mattie and Ethan for over twenty years. Mrs. Hale says that it is her opinion that Ethan may have escaped his problems if Mattie died. He is defenseless and stuck between women who do not get along. His land lady also compares the Frome home life to the people buried in the family cemetery. The only difference is that the graveyard is quiet.
Many literary experts look for significance in Ethan Frome. For example, Elizabeth Ammons indicates that the novel shows her evaluations of romantic love, marriage, divorce, and motherhood in her own experiences. Wendy Gimble says that such novels are journeys of self realization and identity. Susan Goodman finds that the characters find independence in unusual ways. David Holbrook says that Wharton depicts Ethan as an unsatisfactory male. Such negative attitudes towards men come from the abuse that Edith suffered caused by her father. Candace Waid says that Edith uses her stories to explore women’s place in society. Carol Wershoven says that characters including Zeena are examples of intrusive women common to Wharton’s work. Another theme that the writer deals with is her own identification with women outside of the social boundaries in early 20th Century America. Most literary experts agree that the writer explores the relationships between individual choices, family pressures, and society’s expectations. Such critics say that these themes reflect Edith Wharton’s own need for impulse control.
Edith Wharton uses conflict to explore family relationships in her story Ethan Frome.
Many educators use the work to teach high school students about cause and effect. Ethan Frome has material on ethical choices, family relations, and how people interact to each other. The story takes place during the winter in Starkville, Massachusetts. It involves the interactions between Frome, Zeena, Mattie, and a few other characters. Although Ethan and Mattie love each other, Zeena tried to get in the way. Ironically, both are trying to take care of Mrs. Frome. However, both women are at odds. Ethan wants to leave with Mattie but does not have the resources. The cousins do not like the way that Zeena act towards them. They try to commit suicide by running their sled into an elm tree. Both of them survive and are deformed. Zeena takes care of them for twenty years. Literary critics see different view point in the work based on their and Wharton’s life experiences.
Works Cited
Asya, Ferda. “Edith Wharton's Dream of Incest: Ethan Frome.” Questia. 2008. 23
March 2008.
7 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=HmbQlX6
hRNnLkLLBnHqPjDMy6CQZQGcZgwsQP7qWv mvXRv7v!1308704489?docId=5001503659
Bell, Wendy. “A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Edith Wharton’s
Ethan Frome.” Penguingroup.com 2008. 23 March 2008.
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/ethanfrome.pdf
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Kate Chopin, a Feminist Revolutionary
By Matthew Cox
Kate Chopin is a 19th Century writer famous for her subject matter which is revolutionary for its time. Her themes deal with divorce, sexual relations, alcholholism, and other things from a female’s point of view. She bases her work on living in the South. They concern how people from different races, social classes, and ethnic backgrounds relate with each other. Chopin’s most famous work is The Awakening. It deals with Edna Pontellier, aun upper class woman who is not happy in her marriage. Her husband is a work-aholic and does not spend time with the main character. While vacationing in Grande Isle, Edna meets Robert, a man who truly loves her. However, he breaks up with her because she is married. Edna is so upset that she drowns herself. A short story that Chopin writes is called “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” Mrs. Sommers is a woman who finds fifteen dollars. She spends it on herself to buy nice clothes, an expensive meal, and to see a play. The character shows how independent women should be with their own money. Kate Chopin writes stories about women thinking and feeling good about themselves.
Kate Chopin is a cutting-edge writer who lives in the late 1800’s (Skaggs). Her stories deal with controversial issues for the time including interracial relationships, divorce, female sexuality, and infidelity. She is born into a wealthy Roman Catholic Family in St. Louis. Chopin attends catholic schools and married Oscar Chopin, a Cajun businessman from south Louisiana. Kate has six children and acts as a socialite with her husband. After going bankrupt, the family moves from New Orleans to Coulterville. There, they manage a farm and store owned by the Chopin family. In 1882, Oscar dies and leaves Kate to care for their family. With little money. Two years later, the move back to St. Louis.
At the age of 39, Kate starts to write fiction and poetry in 1889. Within ten years, she publishes twenty poems, ninety-five short stories, two novels, one play, and eight essays of literary criticism. Critics say that her fiction is are her best pieces. Most of her stories take place in 19th Century Louisiana. They deal with the relationships between the upper and lower classes. She also explores the interactions of ethnic groups including Creoles, Cajuns, Anglo-Americans, mulattoes, and African Americans. Mostly, the books deal with the way men and women relate to each other.
Chopin’s work deals with avant-garde subject matter. Her first two stories include “Wiser Than God” and “A Point of an Issue.” The central ideas of both tales focus on women asserting their independence from their husbands and traditional values. She also points out how independent women have happy marriages and lives of their own. Literary experts say that these stories do not have the finesse of her later books. However, they pave the way for her most important work “The Awakening.” In 1890, Chopin writes her first novel, At Fault. She portrays the protagonist as a strong woman who deals with two taboo subjects for the time: divorce and alcoholism. Boldness like this ends her literary career nine years later. Despite the controversial themes, the book receives little attention.
The writer publishes her first stories in newspapers and magazines in St. Louis and New Orleans. They concern feminist ideas. Kate also writes two children’s stories, including “Loka” and “Odalie Misses Mass” in eastern magazines. Over the next few years, she puts out works including the story collections of Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie. Chopin completes an unpublished collection called A Vocation and a Voice. It contains both children’s stories and ones with mature themes. Her other adult writings include "Athénaïse," "A Pair of Silk Stockings," "The Story of an Hour," and The Awakening. These stories involve women who feel enslaved by their husbands or marriages. In other tales including “Regret,” she portrays females who are happy with their family life. Kate’s daring works include “Desiree’s Baby.” It shows interracial love relationships. “La Belle Zoraide” depicts the eveils of slavery even under the kindest masters. “A Voice and a Vocation” concerns the identity crises in both men and women when they face sexual attrition towards each other.
Many literary scholars in the 20th Century do not take Chopin seriously. After her Complete Works is published, critics begin to notice how important her style is. They see the influences of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Henry James, and Guy de Maupassant. The ideals of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and realism show up too. Many experts also note the feminist ideas in the stories as well.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is quite shocking for its time (Evans). Edna Pontellier, the protagonist has unconventional behavior and “sexual awakenings. The plot starts in Grande Isle where the Pontellier family is vacationing. Leonce, Edna’s husband is Creole who puts business before family. She is no happy because women in her day are expected to marry because of social status and not love. The husband puts her on a pedestal and does not really treat her like a person. While at Grande Isle, the wife falls in love with Robert Lebrun. They often times go to the beach together. The woman finally realizes that she is an individual at the age of 28. This is like Edna wakes up from a dream and faces reality. After making the discovery, Mrs. Pontellier becomes a new person. She ignores her children and disobeys her husband. The protagonist also learns how to swim which symbolizes her independence. At this time, Edna becomes friends with two other women, Mademoiselle Reisz, a pianist, and Madame Ratignolle, a motherly lady.
Mrs. Pontellier gets upset when Robert leaves for Mexico. Leonce insists that she follows the expectations of their conservative, upper class lifestyle. Once, he tried to get Edna to attend her sister’s wedding, but she refuses. Her husband goes to new York on a Business trip, but she wants to stay behind. The children stay with their grandparents, and Mrs. Pontellier enjoys being alone. She starts a love affair with Alcee Arobin. He shows her how sex can be wonderful. Leonce never made interment relations pleasant for her. Edna moves into a smaller house. When Leonce comes back, he tried to cover his wife’s strange behavior by putting a notice in the newspaper saying that their house is being remodeled. Mrs. Pontellier likes the smaller house better than the mansion that her family lives in.
Robert comes back and Edna sees him at Mademoiselle Reisz house. The protagonist is very upset because he has been in New Orleans for two days and does not contact her. Despite having an affair, Edna till loves Robert. Both people meet a few days later and he walks her home. The boyfriend says that he is still in love with her. However, Robert regrets that they cannot stay together because she is married. The couple gets interrupted when a person sends Edna massage that Madame Ratignolle is sick. She asks Robert to wait for her. When Edna gets back, she finds that Robert is gone. He leaves her a note telling her goodbye. The main character is so distraught, she returns to Grande Isle. Edna swims out to far and commits suicide by drowning.
Another famous story by Chopin is “A Pair of Silk Stockings” which is published in 1894 in the collection called Bayou Folk. The main character is Mrs. Sommers who finds fifteen dollars one night (Chopin). She debates if investing the money is better than spending it. Mrs. Sommers thinks about buying clothes for her children. However, she feels like that her husband never gets things that are important to her. Also, Mrs. Sommers worries if she will regret spending the money on herself or the family. The protagonist thinks about bargains what she wants the cash for.
One day, she feeds the children while running errands and forgets to have lunch herself. In a hungry daze, the protagonist leans against a display of silk stockings and feels how good they are. The pieces of clothing cost $1.98. Mrs. Sommers buys a pair for five dollars. A female store clerk helps her to fit them on. However, the customer is very wrapped up with letting the stockings feel good on her skin. She does not pay attention to the price difference from the ones she already looks at. Next, Mrs. Sommers buys a pair of expensive gloves with more of her money. They give her a sense of comfort. Still feeling hungry, the protagonist buys a meal at the local restaurant. After that, she sees a play and buys a box of fine chocolates. This takes the rest of her money. Mrs. Sommers enjoys her day doing what she wishes. Kate Chopin writes stories about women thinking and feeling good about themselves.
The writer is controversial for her time because she writes about taboo tapics including divorce, sexual relations, alcholholism, and other issues concerning women. Much of her work deal with the relationships between races, social classes, ethnic groups, and men and women in the South. Kate’s most popular is The Awakening. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a woman who is in an unhappy marriage. Leonce, the hushand, work all the time and shows her little respect. She meets a man who truly loves her named Robert while vacationing on Grande Isle. They break up because he does not want to date a married woman. The woman drowns herself because she is so distraught. Chopin’s short story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings” involves Mrs. Sommers. She finds fifteen dollars and spends it on herself to buy things that she enjoys including nice clothes, an expensive meal, and a play.
Works Cited:
Chopin, Kate. “A Pair of Silk Stockings” Cyber Studios, Inc. 2008. 22 March 2008
http://chopin.classicauthors.net/silkstockings/
Evans, Patricia. “Kate Chopin's The Awakening” Internet School Library Media
Center. 2008. 22 March 2008.
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/southchopin.html
Skaggs, Patricia. “Kate Chopin.” Houghton Mifflin College Division. 2008.
22 March 2008.
http://www.college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/
late_nineteenth/chopin_ka.html
By Matthew Cox
Kate Chopin is a 19th Century writer famous for her subject matter which is revolutionary for its time. Her themes deal with divorce, sexual relations, alcholholism, and other things from a female’s point of view. She bases her work on living in the South. They concern how people from different races, social classes, and ethnic backgrounds relate with each other. Chopin’s most famous work is The Awakening. It deals with Edna Pontellier, aun upper class woman who is not happy in her marriage. Her husband is a work-aholic and does not spend time with the main character. While vacationing in Grande Isle, Edna meets Robert, a man who truly loves her. However, he breaks up with her because she is married. Edna is so upset that she drowns herself. A short story that Chopin writes is called “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” Mrs. Sommers is a woman who finds fifteen dollars. She spends it on herself to buy nice clothes, an expensive meal, and to see a play. The character shows how independent women should be with their own money. Kate Chopin writes stories about women thinking and feeling good about themselves.
Kate Chopin is a cutting-edge writer who lives in the late 1800’s (Skaggs). Her stories deal with controversial issues for the time including interracial relationships, divorce, female sexuality, and infidelity. She is born into a wealthy Roman Catholic Family in St. Louis. Chopin attends catholic schools and married Oscar Chopin, a Cajun businessman from south Louisiana. Kate has six children and acts as a socialite with her husband. After going bankrupt, the family moves from New Orleans to Coulterville. There, they manage a farm and store owned by the Chopin family. In 1882, Oscar dies and leaves Kate to care for their family. With little money. Two years later, the move back to St. Louis.
At the age of 39, Kate starts to write fiction and poetry in 1889. Within ten years, she publishes twenty poems, ninety-five short stories, two novels, one play, and eight essays of literary criticism. Critics say that her fiction is are her best pieces. Most of her stories take place in 19th Century Louisiana. They deal with the relationships between the upper and lower classes. She also explores the interactions of ethnic groups including Creoles, Cajuns, Anglo-Americans, mulattoes, and African Americans. Mostly, the books deal with the way men and women relate to each other.
Chopin’s work deals with avant-garde subject matter. Her first two stories include “Wiser Than God” and “A Point of an Issue.” The central ideas of both tales focus on women asserting their independence from their husbands and traditional values. She also points out how independent women have happy marriages and lives of their own. Literary experts say that these stories do not have the finesse of her later books. However, they pave the way for her most important work “The Awakening.” In 1890, Chopin writes her first novel, At Fault. She portrays the protagonist as a strong woman who deals with two taboo subjects for the time: divorce and alcoholism. Boldness like this ends her literary career nine years later. Despite the controversial themes, the book receives little attention.
The writer publishes her first stories in newspapers and magazines in St. Louis and New Orleans. They concern feminist ideas. Kate also writes two children’s stories, including “Loka” and “Odalie Misses Mass” in eastern magazines. Over the next few years, she puts out works including the story collections of Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie. Chopin completes an unpublished collection called A Vocation and a Voice. It contains both children’s stories and ones with mature themes. Her other adult writings include "Athénaïse," "A Pair of Silk Stockings," "The Story of an Hour," and The Awakening. These stories involve women who feel enslaved by their husbands or marriages. In other tales including “Regret,” she portrays females who are happy with their family life. Kate’s daring works include “Desiree’s Baby.” It shows interracial love relationships. “La Belle Zoraide” depicts the eveils of slavery even under the kindest masters. “A Voice and a Vocation” concerns the identity crises in both men and women when they face sexual attrition towards each other.
Many literary scholars in the 20th Century do not take Chopin seriously. After her Complete Works is published, critics begin to notice how important her style is. They see the influences of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Henry James, and Guy de Maupassant. The ideals of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and realism show up too. Many experts also note the feminist ideas in the stories as well.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is quite shocking for its time (Evans). Edna Pontellier, the protagonist has unconventional behavior and “sexual awakenings. The plot starts in Grande Isle where the Pontellier family is vacationing. Leonce, Edna’s husband is Creole who puts business before family. She is no happy because women in her day are expected to marry because of social status and not love. The husband puts her on a pedestal and does not really treat her like a person. While at Grande Isle, the wife falls in love with Robert Lebrun. They often times go to the beach together. The woman finally realizes that she is an individual at the age of 28. This is like Edna wakes up from a dream and faces reality. After making the discovery, Mrs. Pontellier becomes a new person. She ignores her children and disobeys her husband. The protagonist also learns how to swim which symbolizes her independence. At this time, Edna becomes friends with two other women, Mademoiselle Reisz, a pianist, and Madame Ratignolle, a motherly lady.
Mrs. Pontellier gets upset when Robert leaves for Mexico. Leonce insists that she follows the expectations of their conservative, upper class lifestyle. Once, he tried to get Edna to attend her sister’s wedding, but she refuses. Her husband goes to new York on a Business trip, but she wants to stay behind. The children stay with their grandparents, and Mrs. Pontellier enjoys being alone. She starts a love affair with Alcee Arobin. He shows her how sex can be wonderful. Leonce never made interment relations pleasant for her. Edna moves into a smaller house. When Leonce comes back, he tried to cover his wife’s strange behavior by putting a notice in the newspaper saying that their house is being remodeled. Mrs. Pontellier likes the smaller house better than the mansion that her family lives in.
Robert comes back and Edna sees him at Mademoiselle Reisz house. The protagonist is very upset because he has been in New Orleans for two days and does not contact her. Despite having an affair, Edna till loves Robert. Both people meet a few days later and he walks her home. The boyfriend says that he is still in love with her. However, Robert regrets that they cannot stay together because she is married. The couple gets interrupted when a person sends Edna massage that Madame Ratignolle is sick. She asks Robert to wait for her. When Edna gets back, she finds that Robert is gone. He leaves her a note telling her goodbye. The main character is so distraught, she returns to Grande Isle. Edna swims out to far and commits suicide by drowning.
Another famous story by Chopin is “A Pair of Silk Stockings” which is published in 1894 in the collection called Bayou Folk. The main character is Mrs. Sommers who finds fifteen dollars one night (Chopin). She debates if investing the money is better than spending it. Mrs. Sommers thinks about buying clothes for her children. However, she feels like that her husband never gets things that are important to her. Also, Mrs. Sommers worries if she will regret spending the money on herself or the family. The protagonist thinks about bargains what she wants the cash for.
One day, she feeds the children while running errands and forgets to have lunch herself. In a hungry daze, the protagonist leans against a display of silk stockings and feels how good they are. The pieces of clothing cost $1.98. Mrs. Sommers buys a pair for five dollars. A female store clerk helps her to fit them on. However, the customer is very wrapped up with letting the stockings feel good on her skin. She does not pay attention to the price difference from the ones she already looks at. Next, Mrs. Sommers buys a pair of expensive gloves with more of her money. They give her a sense of comfort. Still feeling hungry, the protagonist buys a meal at the local restaurant. After that, she sees a play and buys a box of fine chocolates. This takes the rest of her money. Mrs. Sommers enjoys her day doing what she wishes. Kate Chopin writes stories about women thinking and feeling good about themselves.
The writer is controversial for her time because she writes about taboo tapics including divorce, sexual relations, alcholholism, and other issues concerning women. Much of her work deal with the relationships between races, social classes, ethnic groups, and men and women in the South. Kate’s most popular is The Awakening. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a woman who is in an unhappy marriage. Leonce, the hushand, work all the time and shows her little respect. She meets a man who truly loves her named Robert while vacationing on Grande Isle. They break up because he does not want to date a married woman. The woman drowns herself because she is so distraught. Chopin’s short story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings” involves Mrs. Sommers. She finds fifteen dollars and spends it on herself to buy things that she enjoys including nice clothes, an expensive meal, and a play.
Works Cited:
Chopin, Kate. “A Pair of Silk Stockings” Cyber Studios, Inc. 2008. 22 March 2008
http://chopin.classicauthors.net/silkstockings/
Evans, Patricia. “Kate Chopin's The Awakening” Internet School Library Media
Center. 2008. 22 March 2008.
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/southchopin.html
Skaggs, Patricia. “Kate Chopin.” Houghton Mifflin College Division. 2008.
22 March 2008.
http://www.college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/
late_nineteenth/chopin_ka.html
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