Monday, December 8, 2008
Meaningful Connection!!!
A connection between Heart of Darkness and Waiting for the Barbarians can be seen through the women of both novels. Both Kurtz and the Magistrate have affairs with barbarian/native girls. Although both characters have these relationships, the significance of each is very different.
In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz has a relationship with the "magnificent black woman." This relationship, however, is less about the woman and more about nature. As Douglas Kerr says in his article, Kurtz's real relationship is with nature. It is therefore fitting to say that she represents nature -- a notion that is also discussed by Marianna Torgovnick in her article, "Primitivism and the African Woman in Heart of Darkness." In this novel, Kurtz does not really have a love for the African people or his "magnificent black woman," but instead just enjoys his power over them, his "fantasies" (Torgovnick).
In Waiting for the Barbarians, the Magistrate has a relationship with a captive barbarian girl. During his encounter with the torture of captives and the barbarian girl, he comes to find sympathy for the barbarians. His intitial attraction to the barbarian girl is his need to heal her. He washes her every night (in a very sensual fashion), therefore becoming rather close to her. Whether he comes to truly love her is a very debatable and gray area, however, it is safe to say that on the whole he stands up for the proper treatment of prisoners (barbarians). The Magistrate clearly has a struggle with his attraction to the barbarian girl -- admiring/praising her at times and then going on in disgust about her ugliness. This shows some initial prejudice towards her kind, but he eventually gets over that and invites her back with him. His actions are very different from Kurtz's, and although he may be a slightly annoying, kind of bipolar, bitter about aging (and way too obsessed with his sex life) man (and kind of a man whore), he is definitely a much more thoughtful and genuine man than Kurtz.
While the magistrate found a sympathy for the barbarians and stood up against their mistreatment, Kurtz manipulated the Africans -- took advantage of them. While both are "outlaws" to their people (as Kerr concluded), they have very different roles and emotions. The connection between the two novels is the encounters that men have with barbarians and native peoples (especially through women).
About 400 words
In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz has a relationship with the "magnificent black woman." This relationship, however, is less about the woman and more about nature. As Douglas Kerr says in his article, Kurtz's real relationship is with nature. It is therefore fitting to say that she represents nature -- a notion that is also discussed by Marianna Torgovnick in her article, "Primitivism and the African Woman in Heart of Darkness." In this novel, Kurtz does not really have a love for the African people or his "magnificent black woman," but instead just enjoys his power over them, his "fantasies" (Torgovnick).
In Waiting for the Barbarians, the Magistrate has a relationship with a captive barbarian girl. During his encounter with the torture of captives and the barbarian girl, he comes to find sympathy for the barbarians. His intitial attraction to the barbarian girl is his need to heal her. He washes her every night (in a very sensual fashion), therefore becoming rather close to her. Whether he comes to truly love her is a very debatable and gray area, however, it is safe to say that on the whole he stands up for the proper treatment of prisoners (barbarians). The Magistrate clearly has a struggle with his attraction to the barbarian girl -- admiring/praising her at times and then going on in disgust about her ugliness. This shows some initial prejudice towards her kind, but he eventually gets over that and invites her back with him. His actions are very different from Kurtz's, and although he may be a slightly annoying, kind of bipolar, bitter about aging (and way too obsessed with his sex life) man (and kind of a man whore), he is definitely a much more thoughtful and genuine man than Kurtz.
While the magistrate found a sympathy for the barbarians and stood up against their mistreatment, Kurtz manipulated the Africans -- took advantage of them. While both are "outlaws" to their people (as Kerr concluded), they have very different roles and emotions. The connection between the two novels is the encounters that men have with barbarians and native peoples (especially through women).
About 400 words
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Waiting for the Barbarians
Waiting for the Barbarians begins by introducing two very different characters -- Colonel Joll and the narrator, the magistrate. I found both to be portrayed very well and I especially loved the use of the sunglasses to reveal character and the different lifestyles. Not only do the sunglasses keep Colonel Joll hidden and in a veil of mystery, but they represent the technology differences between the capital and the outskirted village. The sunglasses are new to the village; they are an invention that the villagers have never seen before.
I enjoy the writing and content. I find the writing to really connect the readers with the narrator and I find the story interesting.
I found that I don't care for Colonel Joll at all. I find him intimidating and cruel, not to mention superior-feeling. The narrator I like better. I find him to be an easy-going, simple man who finds himself wrapped up in more than he expected because he has a heart. I found his sympathy for the prisoners to be appropriate and appreciated his efforts of kindness and good treatment towards the boy captive. I also found his thoughts on torture and reflections on "clean" and "unclean" men to be very interesting. They were a great representation of the different cultures and the "old school" versus "new school." He seems to be a fair and decent man, and it was very kind of him to bring the blind woman back to the village with him. However, I find the dynamic between them to be very odd and I came to view him as kind of a manipulator some of the time. In conclusion, my views and opinions on the narrator are not fully formed, but he seems decent.
About 270 words
I enjoy the writing and content. I find the writing to really connect the readers with the narrator and I find the story interesting.
I found that I don't care for Colonel Joll at all. I find him intimidating and cruel, not to mention superior-feeling. The narrator I like better. I find him to be an easy-going, simple man who finds himself wrapped up in more than he expected because he has a heart. I found his sympathy for the prisoners to be appropriate and appreciated his efforts of kindness and good treatment towards the boy captive. I also found his thoughts on torture and reflections on "clean" and "unclean" men to be very interesting. They were a great representation of the different cultures and the "old school" versus "new school." He seems to be a fair and decent man, and it was very kind of him to bring the blind woman back to the village with him. However, I find the dynamic between them to be very odd and I came to view him as kind of a manipulator some of the time. In conclusion, my views and opinions on the narrator are not fully formed, but he seems decent.
About 270 words
Monday, November 17, 2008
Heart of Darkness
"Primitivism and The African Woman in Heart of Darkness" pg. 396
- Kurtz has mated with the magnificent black woman, violating British social standards
- Marlow conceives her as a substitute for Kurtz's white "Intended"
- the heads that adorn Kurtz's abode connect the primitivity of Africa with the primitive societies of Scotland (Macbeth time) and England
- Head-hunting practices in primitive societies had specific purposes and goals: "absorption of a slain enemy's courage and power"
- Expressions of virility and masculinity
- Kurtz collected heads to act out a Western fantasy of savagery
- Acephale (European writings) explores the metaphor of headlessness: emblem shows a naked man, headless, with a death's-head in place of where the penis should be, de-emphasizing the European preoccupation with the mind and rationality, and symbolizing a more primitive-driven masculinity, one that is not driven by the mind
- men's need to maintain masculinity through saparation, difference, and control -- seen in Kurtz: isolated from other Europeans, complete control over the Africans
- The Africans and Africa have become a "stage" for Kurtz to play out his fantasies, representing masculinity in his culture's view, borrowing rituals practiced by certain African groups, but "perverting" them to "Western ends"
- primitive Africa contrasts with civilized Europe: "emptiness of modern European life"
The Woman
- prejudiced language: sorrow = "wild"; pain = "dumb"; her resolve = "half-shaped"; her purpose = "inscrutible," she is "fecund and mysterious" "tenebrous and passionate," (like the landscape); "fool nigger" "insolent black head"
- woman = embodiment of Africa, African landscape; African landscape = death, the "white man's grave"
- Kurtz has mated with the magnificent black woman, violating British social standards
- Marlow conceives her as a substitute for Kurtz's white "Intended"
- the heads that adorn Kurtz's abode connect the primitivity of Africa with the primitive societies of Scotland (Macbeth time) and England
- Head-hunting practices in primitive societies had specific purposes and goals: "absorption of a slain enemy's courage and power"
- Expressions of virility and masculinity
- Kurtz collected heads to act out a Western fantasy of savagery
- Acephale (European writings) explores the metaphor of headlessness: emblem shows a naked man, headless, with a death's-head in place of where the penis should be, de-emphasizing the European preoccupation with the mind and rationality, and symbolizing a more primitive-driven masculinity, one that is not driven by the mind
- men's need to maintain masculinity through saparation, difference, and control -- seen in Kurtz: isolated from other Europeans, complete control over the Africans
- The Africans and Africa have become a "stage" for Kurtz to play out his fantasies, representing masculinity in his culture's view, borrowing rituals practiced by certain African groups, but "perverting" them to "Western ends"
- primitive Africa contrasts with civilized Europe: "emptiness of modern European life"
The Woman
- prejudiced language: sorrow = "wild"; pain = "dumb"; her resolve = "half-shaped"; her purpose = "inscrutible," she is "fecund and mysterious" "tenebrous and passionate," (like the landscape); "fool nigger" "insolent black head"
- woman = embodiment of Africa, African landscape; African landscape = death, the "white man's grave"
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Closure in The Sound and the Fury
At the end of The Sound and the Fury, the pear tree blooms on Easter Sunday. This ending scene provides closure for the novel because its characters and images represent hope and forgiveness. The pear tree represents original sin; Caddy's climbing it with her muddy drawers, which represent her loose affairs to come, and Quentin's (number 2) descending it to meet her lovers, etc. connect human sin with the tree, and therefore the tree is a symbol of sin. The pear tree finally blooms on Easter Sunday, now a sign of forgiveness, because of the significance of the day on which it bloomed. Easter Sunday is the day that Jesus rose from the dead after dying for the sins of the world. His resurrection was hope for the world, and so in the blooming of the pear tree, we see the sins of the characters forgiven and hope for the future.
Interesting factoid: This is not the first time that a pear tree (specifically) has been connected with Jesus or his dying, etc. The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written back in a time when Christians were persecuted and not allowed to practice their faith as a way to teach their children about the religion without actually speaking of it. "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree," in this line, the partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus on the cross. So, in this song the pear tree also acts as a symbol of sin and forgiveness, just as in The Sound and the Fury.
word count: 268
Closure in The Sound and The Fury
At the end of The Sound and the Fury, the pear tree blooms on Easter Sunday. This ending scene provides closure for the novel because its characters and images represent hope and forgiveness. The pear tree represents original sin; Caddy's climbing it with her muddy drawers, which represent her loose affairs to come, and Quentin's (number 2) descending it to meet her lovers, etc. connect human sin with the tree, and therefore the tree is a symbol of sin. The pear tree finally blooms on Easter Sunday, now a sign of forgiveness, because of the significance of the day on which it bloomed. Easter Sunday is the day that Jesus rose from the dead after dying for the sins of the world. His resurrection was hope for the world, and so in the blooming of the pear tree, we see the sins of the characters forgiven and hope for the future.
Interesting factoid: This is not the first time that a pear tree (specifically) has been connected with Jesus or his dying, etc. The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written back in a time when Christians were persecuted and not allowed to practice their faith as a way to teach their children about the religion without actually speaking of it. "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree," in this line, the partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus on the cross. So, in this song the pear tree also acts as a symbol of sin and forgiveness, just as in The Sound and the Fury.
Interesting factoid: This is not the first time that a pear tree (specifically) has been connected with Jesus or his dying, etc. The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written back in a time when Christians were persecuted and not allowed to practice their faith as a way to teach their children about the religion without actually speaking of it. "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree," in this line, the partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus on the cross. So, in this song the pear tree also acts as a symbol of sin and forgiveness, just as in The Sound and the Fury.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Meaningful Images
In Eben Bass’s article “Meaningful Images in The Sound and the Fury,” she (or maybe it’s a he…. I don’t know if Eben is a guy or girl’s name! I’ll look it up later!) comments on Caddy’s slipper, the pear tree, the mirror and the fire. Out of these images I found the pear tree to be the most interesting. Bass points out how the tree connects Caddy and Quentin (her daughter). Caddy ascends the pear tree to observe Grandmother’s wake, but Quentin descends from it to meet with her lovers. In this way the tree connects mother and daughter, but Bass connects them through the tree on an even deeper level saying that Caddy’s muddy drawers offend Quentin (her brother) and foreshadow Caddy’s love affair, which results in the birth of Quentin (her daughter) who then uses the tree for her own love affairs. In addition, Benjy always associates Caddy with the smell of trees. These are all very good points that Bass makes and I agree with her.
She (or he) also says, however, that Caddy, metaphorically, becomes Quentin’s (her brother) wife through his “jealous incest-fantasy” and that his suicide is because of his “shame and remorse” and jealousy that he has had to “share” her with other men. Since Caddy’s muddy drawers, which offend Quentin, connect her to the tree and foreshadow her love affairs, Quentin and his death, in turn, are also connected to the tree. However, I disagree with Bass on these conclusions about Quentin’s suicide. Although it is a clever, well thought-out, and not without evidence, I think that Quentin’s suicide is motivated more by his feelings of disgrace and embarrassment about the family honor. It is not so much that he has incestuous fantasies and is angry about sharing her, but more that he wishes that everything could be simple like it was when they were kids. Caddy is, after all, his best friend, and it pains him to see her (and the family) disgraced. He loves her, has her on a pedestool, and despises the fact that she is now a “loose” girl, no longer the same little girl that she was when they were children. He feels trapped in life and in his situation and powerless to change Caddy and their circumstances, and he would rather die than lead his tormented life. In this way I disagree with Bass’s conclusions about the motive of Quentin’s suicide. I do, however, like her acknowledgement of the tree as a central image connecting Caddy and Quentin (her daughter), and ultimately all of the children.
Word count: 431
She (or he) also says, however, that Caddy, metaphorically, becomes Quentin’s (her brother) wife through his “jealous incest-fantasy” and that his suicide is because of his “shame and remorse” and jealousy that he has had to “share” her with other men. Since Caddy’s muddy drawers, which offend Quentin, connect her to the tree and foreshadow her love affairs, Quentin and his death, in turn, are also connected to the tree. However, I disagree with Bass on these conclusions about Quentin’s suicide. Although it is a clever, well thought-out, and not without evidence, I think that Quentin’s suicide is motivated more by his feelings of disgrace and embarrassment about the family honor. It is not so much that he has incestuous fantasies and is angry about sharing her, but more that he wishes that everything could be simple like it was when they were kids. Caddy is, after all, his best friend, and it pains him to see her (and the family) disgraced. He loves her, has her on a pedestool, and despises the fact that she is now a “loose” girl, no longer the same little girl that she was when they were children. He feels trapped in life and in his situation and powerless to change Caddy and their circumstances, and he would rather die than lead his tormented life. In this way I disagree with Bass’s conclusions about the motive of Quentin’s suicide. I do, however, like her acknowledgement of the tree as a central image connecting Caddy and Quentin (her daughter), and ultimately all of the children.
Word count: 431
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Crazy, Creepy Story!
When I began the story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” I found the narrator to seem quite normal (perhaps she was prone to a slight nervous condition, how should I know?!) and I thought that the severity and strictness of her husband’s rules were a little much – no company, no activity, etc., nothing but sleeping and eating. Because the character seemed rather normal, I found the story to be rather boring – a rather repetitive, running commentary of all the narrator’s thoughts on basically…nothing, since she is cooped up with nothing to do but write, secretly. Anyways, I was glad to find that the story became increasingly more interesting as I began to realize that the narrator is indeed sick in the mind…crazy, very crazy! I began reading into things she commented on (you can’t always trust a crazy person you know!)… were the knawed corners on the bed really from before, or were they her doing all along? When she commented on getting a rope to capture the woman and a stool to stand on, I wondered if she was going to commit suicide during a crazy hallucination, thinking herself to be the woman that she was trying to catch! This, however, brings me to another question.
Who is the woman behind the bars in the wall, and what is the connection between her and the narrator, and what does this tell us about the narrator? At first, I believed the figure in the wall to be a trick of the wallpaper, a simple abstract shape found within the lines, a being not unlike those that we found in our rooms as children (for me it was a pine tree outside that, in the shadows of the night, looked like a witch and really scared me). However, as I began to realize her craziness, I thought that the woman was definitely a representation of the narrator’s feelings. The woman, being trapped behind bars shows how the narrator is trapped inside this house, and is going increasingly insane because of it! It is expected that the narrator would feel sympathy for this woman since she can relate to her situation, but the narrator displays increasing insanity and hallucinating by claiming to see the creeping woman all around when looking out the windows, and even more so by becoming the creeping lady! Well, finally coming to the conclusion that the creeping lady behind the bars in the wall did not exist and that it was a representation of her feelings (and craziness!) that morphed into a physical reality is what led me to wonder if in her attempts to catch the woman (who was actually herself) with rope, to lasso her with, and a stool, to stand on in order to reach further, was going to end up as a suicide (one which she had no control over, but was the result of “mixed up identities” so to say). I am, however, slightly unsure of what the ending meant (perhaps you talked about it in class, but I was absent that day…and I was sad to miss English!). The narrator says that her husband fainted, but like I said, crazy people can’t always be trusted. I, personally, find it difficult to believe that her husband, being a physician and aware of her condition (even if he did not know how bad it was), would have such a reaction to actually faint, therefore I am not sure what to make of the ending. The only conclusions that I could make were that 1) she brought some kind of harm to him, knocking him out or something, or 2) he fainted from walking in upon a scene that was much more shocking than the narrator has told us (for example, if she were standing on the stool with the rope around her neck)!!!
The scariest, creepiest, and most interesting aspect of the story was definitely having such insight into the mind of a crazy, hallucinating woman! I found it rather eerie to be “reading her thoughts,” to almost be in her mind….scary!!!
Lastly I wanted to say a bit about some of the short story reading that I have done. This past week I read “A View From Castle Rock.” It is the first story that captured my interest from the beginning, part of this may be because the fifth word of the story is “Edinburgh” (one of my favorite places!!! J). It is a very captivating story about a journey to America on a ship, and it explores so many themes and different emotions, etc. that it would present a myriad of topics that one could write about, a few of them being 1) the American dream, 2) the blending of religion and superstition, 3) new versus old times, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!!! (I won’t write any more now though, because I’ve already written way too much! J)
word count: 814
Who is the woman behind the bars in the wall, and what is the connection between her and the narrator, and what does this tell us about the narrator? At first, I believed the figure in the wall to be a trick of the wallpaper, a simple abstract shape found within the lines, a being not unlike those that we found in our rooms as children (for me it was a pine tree outside that, in the shadows of the night, looked like a witch and really scared me). However, as I began to realize her craziness, I thought that the woman was definitely a representation of the narrator’s feelings. The woman, being trapped behind bars shows how the narrator is trapped inside this house, and is going increasingly insane because of it! It is expected that the narrator would feel sympathy for this woman since she can relate to her situation, but the narrator displays increasing insanity and hallucinating by claiming to see the creeping woman all around when looking out the windows, and even more so by becoming the creeping lady! Well, finally coming to the conclusion that the creeping lady behind the bars in the wall did not exist and that it was a representation of her feelings (and craziness!) that morphed into a physical reality is what led me to wonder if in her attempts to catch the woman (who was actually herself) with rope, to lasso her with, and a stool, to stand on in order to reach further, was going to end up as a suicide (one which she had no control over, but was the result of “mixed up identities” so to say). I am, however, slightly unsure of what the ending meant (perhaps you talked about it in class, but I was absent that day…and I was sad to miss English!). The narrator says that her husband fainted, but like I said, crazy people can’t always be trusted. I, personally, find it difficult to believe that her husband, being a physician and aware of her condition (even if he did not know how bad it was), would have such a reaction to actually faint, therefore I am not sure what to make of the ending. The only conclusions that I could make were that 1) she brought some kind of harm to him, knocking him out or something, or 2) he fainted from walking in upon a scene that was much more shocking than the narrator has told us (for example, if she were standing on the stool with the rope around her neck)!!!
The scariest, creepiest, and most interesting aspect of the story was definitely having such insight into the mind of a crazy, hallucinating woman! I found it rather eerie to be “reading her thoughts,” to almost be in her mind….scary!!!
Lastly I wanted to say a bit about some of the short story reading that I have done. This past week I read “A View From Castle Rock.” It is the first story that captured my interest from the beginning, part of this may be because the fifth word of the story is “Edinburgh” (one of my favorite places!!! J). It is a very captivating story about a journey to America on a ship, and it explores so many themes and different emotions, etc. that it would present a myriad of topics that one could write about, a few of them being 1) the American dream, 2) the blending of religion and superstition, 3) new versus old times, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!!! (I won’t write any more now though, because I’ve already written way too much! J)
word count: 814
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Revelation of Equality
The author of Revelation seeks to make a statement about equality through a very judgmental, superior-thinking, and fake character. By reading the thoughts of Ruby Turpin, as well as what she actually says, the reader is allowed to discover just how skewed of a person she is. It is by having the ability to know Ruby’s thoughts that the reader finds how contradictory of a person she is, and is able to come to the conclusion, as she eventually will, that she is definitely not any better than the other people that she meets that day.
Ruby Turpin is revealed to be a very judgmental and critical person from the very beginning. Upon her entrance into the doctor’s waiting room, she observes the rude manners of the little boy and criticizes the size of the room. She then goes on to observe the others in the room, and it is obvious by her thoughts that she believes she has everyone figured out, not leaving any room for getting to know the actual person. Ruby comments that the woman who she describes as white-trash and “worse than niggers any day” (20) is wearing bedroom slippers, something that she does not find surprising, as she admits that it is “exactly what you would have expected her to have on” (22). Throughout the story she continues to make judgments about the “white-trashy” woman that we see through her thoughts and the internal, rude comments that she makes to herself. While attempting to engage in normal, casual conversation with the other women, the white-trash woman says about her son and mother, “Look like I can’t get nothing down them two but Co’Cola and candy” (77), only to receive a judgment from Ruby who thinks to herself, “that’s all you try to get down em” (78). Without knowing anything about the woman
except the way she dresses and talks, Ruby assumes that she does not attempt to feed her child and mother properly, making a judgment about her character without knowing her at all.
Aside from being judgmental, it is clear that Mrs. Turpin places herself a cut above the rest, the best kind of person, superior to the other individuals in the waiting room, especially the white-trash woman. Her superior-thinking nature is displayed in many ways, through her body language, tone of voice, and thoughts. Ruby clearly takes class very seriously, and, after hearing a comment made by the white-trash woman, exchanges a look with the lady that she is talking to that “indicated they both understood that you had to have certain things before you could know certain things” (52). This shows that Ruby figures since the woman is obviously poor and of a lower class, she does not have the ability or right to know certain things, placing herself superior to the woman and others like her. She also uses her tone to express her self-endowed superiority. When discussing the Back-to-Africa solution (which was popular during the time), Ruby points out how the white-trash woman’s ideas are very foolish and could never work. The author indicates that Ruby’s tone was demeaning by using the word “explained” (65), as if talking to a foolish child who did not understand. Her thoughts reveal her superior thinking by all of the questions she admits to pondering upon before she goes to bed. Mrs. Turpin describes how she debates whether she would be white-trash or black if she could not be herself and had to choose. Here, she is clearly placing herself above both groups and then asking which is the less bad of two undesirable classes. These are but a few ways that Ruby exerts herself as being superior.
Despite her thoughts of being exceptionally good, the readers discover that Ruby is actually a very fake, insincere person. Mrs. Turpin obviously finds herself to be a good and generous person, noting that to help anybody out was her life’s philosophy, that she “never spared herself when she found somebody in need, whether they were white, black, trash or decent” (75). As a reader, however, this is difficult to believe. Knowing her true sentiments about different types of people, her judgment, her criticism, and other prejudices, it becomes clear that she does not help anybody out of a pure goodness in her heart, but rather helps people so that she can say, “Look at me! Look how good I am,” so that she can put a checkmark on a list of the things she thinks a decent person would do. She acknowledges another fake quality about herself when describing to a woman in the doctor’s office how she pretends to be kind to the blacks who are working for them, allowing them to think that she thinks of them as equal to herself. These instances show how Ruby is not at all the person she thinks or hopes to be.
These aspects of Mrs. Turpin’s character, her being judgmental, superior-thinking, and fake, do not raise her up as a virtuous woman. The insight the readers have into her thoughts, which are usually sarcastic and rude, support the point that a person cannot be judged just by what is apparent when first looking at him/her. One cannot size up someone’s character or moral integrity by an outward appearance. In this way, Ruby has a very humbling experience in the story. Mrs. Turpin wonders why she would be singled out to receive this message “when there was trash in the room to whom it might justly have been applied” (130). The answer is in her question: it is her pride that causes her downfall. The other individuals in the room had their own faults, no doubt, but Ruby failed to see her faults, labeling people as trash and finding herself superior. Why was she singled out for this message? Because she had not figured out that she was no better than everyone else, and she needed to be told.
Ruby finally learns her lesson through her vision. After seeing a variety of souls entering into heaven via a bridge in the sky, she has a revelation, understanding that just because she is white or has a better house or more money, does not make her more favored than other human beings. Through this vision and revelation, the author makes his point about equality, that as far as worth and trash are concerned, everyone is equal.
(1067 words)
What did you find interesting about Mary Grace? What was the reason for her attitude and scowl at the beginning of the story and how did it change throughout?
Did you find Mary Grace's choice of action to be surprising? Why or why not?
What do you think this story says about race relations at the time? How did Mrs. Turpin's and the white-trash lady's opinions differ when discussing blacks and why do you think this is?
Ruby Turpin is revealed to be a very judgmental and critical person from the very beginning. Upon her entrance into the doctor’s waiting room, she observes the rude manners of the little boy and criticizes the size of the room. She then goes on to observe the others in the room, and it is obvious by her thoughts that she believes she has everyone figured out, not leaving any room for getting to know the actual person. Ruby comments that the woman who she describes as white-trash and “worse than niggers any day” (20) is wearing bedroom slippers, something that she does not find surprising, as she admits that it is “exactly what you would have expected her to have on” (22). Throughout the story she continues to make judgments about the “white-trashy” woman that we see through her thoughts and the internal, rude comments that she makes to herself. While attempting to engage in normal, casual conversation with the other women, the white-trash woman says about her son and mother, “Look like I can’t get nothing down them two but Co’Cola and candy” (77), only to receive a judgment from Ruby who thinks to herself, “that’s all you try to get down em” (78). Without knowing anything about the woman
except the way she dresses and talks, Ruby assumes that she does not attempt to feed her child and mother properly, making a judgment about her character without knowing her at all.
Aside from being judgmental, it is clear that Mrs. Turpin places herself a cut above the rest, the best kind of person, superior to the other individuals in the waiting room, especially the white-trash woman. Her superior-thinking nature is displayed in many ways, through her body language, tone of voice, and thoughts. Ruby clearly takes class very seriously, and, after hearing a comment made by the white-trash woman, exchanges a look with the lady that she is talking to that “indicated they both understood that you had to have certain things before you could know certain things” (52). This shows that Ruby figures since the woman is obviously poor and of a lower class, she does not have the ability or right to know certain things, placing herself superior to the woman and others like her. She also uses her tone to express her self-endowed superiority. When discussing the Back-to-Africa solution (which was popular during the time), Ruby points out how the white-trash woman’s ideas are very foolish and could never work. The author indicates that Ruby’s tone was demeaning by using the word “explained” (65), as if talking to a foolish child who did not understand. Her thoughts reveal her superior thinking by all of the questions she admits to pondering upon before she goes to bed. Mrs. Turpin describes how she debates whether she would be white-trash or black if she could not be herself and had to choose. Here, she is clearly placing herself above both groups and then asking which is the less bad of two undesirable classes. These are but a few ways that Ruby exerts herself as being superior.
Despite her thoughts of being exceptionally good, the readers discover that Ruby is actually a very fake, insincere person. Mrs. Turpin obviously finds herself to be a good and generous person, noting that to help anybody out was her life’s philosophy, that she “never spared herself when she found somebody in need, whether they were white, black, trash or decent” (75). As a reader, however, this is difficult to believe. Knowing her true sentiments about different types of people, her judgment, her criticism, and other prejudices, it becomes clear that she does not help anybody out of a pure goodness in her heart, but rather helps people so that she can say, “Look at me! Look how good I am,” so that she can put a checkmark on a list of the things she thinks a decent person would do. She acknowledges another fake quality about herself when describing to a woman in the doctor’s office how she pretends to be kind to the blacks who are working for them, allowing them to think that she thinks of them as equal to herself. These instances show how Ruby is not at all the person she thinks or hopes to be.
These aspects of Mrs. Turpin’s character, her being judgmental, superior-thinking, and fake, do not raise her up as a virtuous woman. The insight the readers have into her thoughts, which are usually sarcastic and rude, support the point that a person cannot be judged just by what is apparent when first looking at him/her. One cannot size up someone’s character or moral integrity by an outward appearance. In this way, Ruby has a very humbling experience in the story. Mrs. Turpin wonders why she would be singled out to receive this message “when there was trash in the room to whom it might justly have been applied” (130). The answer is in her question: it is her pride that causes her downfall. The other individuals in the room had their own faults, no doubt, but Ruby failed to see her faults, labeling people as trash and finding herself superior. Why was she singled out for this message? Because she had not figured out that she was no better than everyone else, and she needed to be told.
Ruby finally learns her lesson through her vision. After seeing a variety of souls entering into heaven via a bridge in the sky, she has a revelation, understanding that just because she is white or has a better house or more money, does not make her more favored than other human beings. Through this vision and revelation, the author makes his point about equality, that as far as worth and trash are concerned, everyone is equal.
(1067 words)
What did you find interesting about Mary Grace? What was the reason for her attitude and scowl at the beginning of the story and how did it change throughout?
Did you find Mary Grace's choice of action to be surprising? Why or why not?
What do you think this story says about race relations at the time? How did Mrs. Turpin's and the white-trash lady's opinions differ when discussing blacks and why do you think this is?
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Importance of Amanda
The story Teenage Wasteland by Anne Tyler displays a variety of challenges and problems caused by families and the way they function. Amanda, though a small character, is very significant to the overall picture that we see. Her tiny presence allows us to see past just the major characters and realize how the dysfunctionality of the rest of the family will not only effect them, but others also, possibly having a domino effect.
Daisy notes how when she first began helping Donny with his homework, she would often brush Amanda aside. This is an early sign that she (Amanda) is not going to have a good relationship with her mother. Amanda, however, unlike Donny, actually wants to have a relationship with her mother and is clearly trying to by attempting to talk to her. Daisy, however, is too wrapped up in Donny and his problems to give Amanda the attention that she needs.
When contemplating what she did wrong in her raising of Donny, Daisy wonders if she neglected him when Amanda was born, failing to give him the proper attention. This is very ironic seeing that she now is doing what she questions as a potential source to her problems with Donny to her other child. Reading this, one wonders where Daisy’s head is, if she is not completely stupid, and how she could be so blind!
In their messing up with Donny, Daisy and her husband also ruin any hope for normality with Amanda. With a seemingly absent father and a clueless mother who does not pay attention to her, it is no surprise that by the end of the story it is commented that Amanda tries to spend as much time as possible away from home! This final statement brings the story full-circle, showing how Daisy and her husband have officially messed up another kid. They start with one problem teenager, but the potential of good and normality in Amanda, only to end up with a really disturbed, vanished son, and an elusive daughter who has been chased away.
Anne Tyler’s story concerns the inner workings of the family and how parents and children effect one another. Without Amanda, this story would only show a small, confined picture, a bomb that blows up within the home but does not reach outside of it. By means of Amanda’s character, Anne Tyler can now show how these effects will reach out into the world through the daughter. Although we cannot know for sure, it is not unreasonable to assume that Amanda will influence the world by means of a domino effect. Amanda may now have her own family, and without having a good example of parenting, could cause similar problems in her children like those that Daisy caused in her, and so on through the generations. This is not for sure, however, whether Amanda creates a domino effect in this way or not, it can be said for sure that the outside world was effected. Amanda’s character allows us to see how Daisy’s bad parenting and neglect led to even more problems outside of the home as she pushed Amanda away.
(519 words)
Daisy notes how when she first began helping Donny with his homework, she would often brush Amanda aside. This is an early sign that she (Amanda) is not going to have a good relationship with her mother. Amanda, however, unlike Donny, actually wants to have a relationship with her mother and is clearly trying to by attempting to talk to her. Daisy, however, is too wrapped up in Donny and his problems to give Amanda the attention that she needs.
When contemplating what she did wrong in her raising of Donny, Daisy wonders if she neglected him when Amanda was born, failing to give him the proper attention. This is very ironic seeing that she now is doing what she questions as a potential source to her problems with Donny to her other child. Reading this, one wonders where Daisy’s head is, if she is not completely stupid, and how she could be so blind!
In their messing up with Donny, Daisy and her husband also ruin any hope for normality with Amanda. With a seemingly absent father and a clueless mother who does not pay attention to her, it is no surprise that by the end of the story it is commented that Amanda tries to spend as much time as possible away from home! This final statement brings the story full-circle, showing how Daisy and her husband have officially messed up another kid. They start with one problem teenager, but the potential of good and normality in Amanda, only to end up with a really disturbed, vanished son, and an elusive daughter who has been chased away.
Anne Tyler’s story concerns the inner workings of the family and how parents and children effect one another. Without Amanda, this story would only show a small, confined picture, a bomb that blows up within the home but does not reach outside of it. By means of Amanda’s character, Anne Tyler can now show how these effects will reach out into the world through the daughter. Although we cannot know for sure, it is not unreasonable to assume that Amanda will influence the world by means of a domino effect. Amanda may now have her own family, and without having a good example of parenting, could cause similar problems in her children like those that Daisy caused in her, and so on through the generations. This is not for sure, however, whether Amanda creates a domino effect in this way or not, it can be said for sure that the outside world was effected. Amanda’s character allows us to see how Daisy’s bad parenting and neglect led to even more problems outside of the home as she pushed Amanda away.
(519 words)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Social Commentary and Satire in Mr. Collins, The Fool
In chapter 19 of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins makes his marriage proposal to Elizabeth, and in his words we find many of Jane Austen's stylistic traits. Also, we see how the subject matter of Mr. Collins and Lizzy's discussion (marriage) is, obviously, a major theme of the novel. In this passage it is evident that Jane Austen uses Mr. Collins' character to convey her social commentary. Mr. Collins verbalizes the popular sentiment of the time about the importance of marriage and how often it was more of a business transaction than it was about love. After Lizzy's refusal to his proposal, he argues that "it does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desireable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of De Bourgh and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in my favor." Here, Mr. Collins displays his bewilderment of why anyone would not want to marry such a wonderful man, and completely ignores the notion of love. His ignorance of love in the course of marriage is also displayed in his statements a couple pages earlier when he says, "my reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. secondly, that I am convinced it will ass very greatly to my happiness, and thirdly, which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advise and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness." Here, as in the other passage, Mr. Collins makes no mention of love in his reasons for marriage (for neither himself nor Elizabeth). He goes on to point out to Elizabeth that, "in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you." This uncertainty pointed out by him is why so many women married without love, for if they passed up an offer to get married, they may be left with nothing when their father died and his inheritance was transfered to the male members of the family.
Aside from Jane Austen's social commentary, we see other aspects of her style through Mr. Collins. Jane Austen's language is very elegant, but it is often satirical at the same time, and her characters can be very funny in what they say (and how they act) while still speaking eloquently. Mr. Collins displays this elegant satire in his obstinate display with Elizbeth. After proposing marriage with a long speech, he ends saying, "when we are married," forgetting that Lizzy has yet to make an answer, so confident is he that she cannot decline. She does, however, decline, stating that her feelings could simply not allow their union (for Lizzy does consider love, or at least attraction in her consideration of marriage). Mr. Collins proceeds to be sure that Elizabeth really does mean to marry him, but that it is her wish to increase his love by suspence, "according to the usual practice of elegant females," and thus continues to look foolish. He repeats these suspicions after numerous refusals by Elizabeth where she practically begs him to believe her sincerity. This scene, while using Jane's elegant language, is certainly satirical and hilarious in Mr. Collins' ignorance and pompous confidence.
Aside from Jane Austen's social commentary, we see other aspects of her style through Mr. Collins. Jane Austen's language is very elegant, but it is often satirical at the same time, and her characters can be very funny in what they say (and how they act) while still speaking eloquently. Mr. Collins displays this elegant satire in his obstinate display with Elizbeth. After proposing marriage with a long speech, he ends saying, "when we are married," forgetting that Lizzy has yet to make an answer, so confident is he that she cannot decline. She does, however, decline, stating that her feelings could simply not allow their union (for Lizzy does consider love, or at least attraction in her consideration of marriage). Mr. Collins proceeds to be sure that Elizabeth really does mean to marry him, but that it is her wish to increase his love by suspence, "according to the usual practice of elegant females," and thus continues to look foolish. He repeats these suspicions after numerous refusals by Elizabeth where she practically begs him to believe her sincerity. This scene, while using Jane's elegant language, is certainly satirical and hilarious in Mr. Collins' ignorance and pompous confidence.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Summer Reading -- The secret Life of Bees
This summer I didn't get to read as many books as I usually would, but I did read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Pride and Prejudice (obviously) by Jane Austen, part of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, part of Twilight by Stephanie Meyers, and part of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (I have a lot of unfinished reading projects!) :)
I found The Secret Life of Bees to be very captivating and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. As the novel deals with a number of serious issues such as abuse, racism, violence, and death, it would have been very easy for it to have slipped into a depressing and stagnant state; however the mystery that envelops the novel and the presence of characters like August and Zach keep the book on a lighter (though still serious) and more positive and inspirational note.
The mystery in the novel is based around the secrets that the various characters carry with them throughout the book. Driven by the mystery of her mother's past and the nature of her death, Lily Owens, the potagonist of the story, takes off on an adventure to discover her mother through her secret past. As Lily searches for the truth about her mother, she meets several characters who are like her adopted mothers to her. Although several women have motherly-type relations with Lily, the primary and most significant of these is August, an older black woman living with her two sisters who raise bees.
The theme about mothers in this novel is illustrated by the picture of the Black Madonna that labels August's honey and that also led Lily to find August and her sisters. Eventually we find that August was a nanny to Lily's mother, and so like her mother as well as Lily's. This "substitute mother" concept also breaks down racial barriers, as Lily and her mother are white and being mothered by a black woman. Since the novel takes place in 1964, this racial integration within a home is quite novel and revolutionary. However, in finding a mother in August, Lily also discovers the universal mother, mother of all mothers, in her encounter with the Black Madonna residing in August's home. During her stay with the sisters, August introduces Lily to the Black Madonna and their personal form of Christianity. From the statue of the Black Madonna, Lily senses strong feelings of empowerment, inspiration, and comfort. August explains how they all can draw strength from the Black Madonna, and so Lily discovers not only a physical mother in August, but a spiritual or internal mother in the Black Madonna. Through the Black Madonna, Sue Monk Kidd shows how everyone is in need of a mother and searching for the comfort and care of one somewhere or another. In the end, we see how the image of the Black Madonna pulls the story together, resolving Lily's search and tying the themes together. Not only does the image represent everyone's need for a mother, but it breaks race barriers and represents the secrecy/mystery that envelops the book.
The End! :)
I found The Secret Life of Bees to be very captivating and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. As the novel deals with a number of serious issues such as abuse, racism, violence, and death, it would have been very easy for it to have slipped into a depressing and stagnant state; however the mystery that envelops the novel and the presence of characters like August and Zach keep the book on a lighter (though still serious) and more positive and inspirational note.
The mystery in the novel is based around the secrets that the various characters carry with them throughout the book. Driven by the mystery of her mother's past and the nature of her death, Lily Owens, the potagonist of the story, takes off on an adventure to discover her mother through her secret past. As Lily searches for the truth about her mother, she meets several characters who are like her adopted mothers to her. Although several women have motherly-type relations with Lily, the primary and most significant of these is August, an older black woman living with her two sisters who raise bees.
The theme about mothers in this novel is illustrated by the picture of the Black Madonna that labels August's honey and that also led Lily to find August and her sisters. Eventually we find that August was a nanny to Lily's mother, and so like her mother as well as Lily's. This "substitute mother" concept also breaks down racial barriers, as Lily and her mother are white and being mothered by a black woman. Since the novel takes place in 1964, this racial integration within a home is quite novel and revolutionary. However, in finding a mother in August, Lily also discovers the universal mother, mother of all mothers, in her encounter with the Black Madonna residing in August's home. During her stay with the sisters, August introduces Lily to the Black Madonna and their personal form of Christianity. From the statue of the Black Madonna, Lily senses strong feelings of empowerment, inspiration, and comfort. August explains how they all can draw strength from the Black Madonna, and so Lily discovers not only a physical mother in August, but a spiritual or internal mother in the Black Madonna. Through the Black Madonna, Sue Monk Kidd shows how everyone is in need of a mother and searching for the comfort and care of one somewhere or another. In the end, we see how the image of the Black Madonna pulls the story together, resolving Lily's search and tying the themes together. Not only does the image represent everyone's need for a mother, but it breaks race barriers and represents the secrecy/mystery that envelops the book.
The End! :)
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