How Setting and Theme Were Tied in “IND AFF”
In “IND AFF”, Fay Weldon uses her carefully chosen setting to unravel the conflicts in the mind of an unnamed girl who, in the beginning of the story, believes herself to be in love, but slowly comes to the realization, with the help of the actions of Gavrilo Princip, that it is not love she is feeling, but “a mere academic ambition”(207). This short story, which takes place in Sarajevo, the same place Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, is not only about questioning love, but also about cause and effect. The unnamed woman, who is at first sure of her love for Peter, eventually finds the supposed “love” waning. Also, she worries about the effect her relationship is really having on the marriage of the Pipers. Though she has been assured a catch is a catch even if it is already taken by someone else, the setting, which holds many threads of cause and effect itself, leads to her questions about the effect she will truly have. By using the place where a man who was looked upon, first as villain, but then as hero, Weldon is able to show the conflict going on in the young woman’s mind.
Oftentimes the events during a trip are dependent on the weather. This was the case in Weldon’s story. From the beginning the young woman was saying “This is a sad story. It has to be. It rained in Sarajevo, and we had expected fine weather.”(201) Sarajevo is often associated with the death of the Archduke of Austria. Weldon chose this dark and dreary place, a place where love withers rather than blooms, to send her characters on vacation. They were looking forward to fine weather, but were instead welcomed with plenty of rain. Their plans were ruined, as the nameless girl says “We planned to go on to Montenegro, on the coast, where the fish and the artists come from, to swim and lie in the sun, and recover from the exhaustion caused by the sexual and moral torments of the last year.” (202) The question of love, which is a prominent theme of this essay, was put on the line with this change of events. The plans of the lovers had gone awry, and in turn, they were forced to do something besides lying on the beach or swimming their cares away. This question of love, which may not have been questioned at all, had it been for a different setting, was looked at much more closely when they couple was forced to do everyday things, such as eating at a restaurant, or walking along the streets. By placing them in a bleak and dismal setting, they were forced to look at their relationship without the love making to help. After all, their favorite thing was to “buy bread, cheese, sausage, wine, and go off somewhere in [their] hired car, into the woods or the hills, and picnic and make love.”(203) Their downtime also gave Peter, the unknown woman’s lover, a chance to complain. Looking at the footprints where Princip stood to shoot the bullet that would be the death of the Archduke, Peter complained that he had come such a long way and one “can’t even see the footprints properly, just two undistinguished puddles.”(202) The setting, which yet again played a part right next to the supposed love, was what gave Peter a chance to complain. Granted, he probably would have found something to complain about no matter where he was, but in this case, he found something to complain about that was weighing heavily on the mind of the young woman. He was grumbling about something she was so enamored with. Once again, by taking the characters out of a typical setting where love can grow, they were instead put in a setting where the truth of their love would be challenged. With these tests of love, Weldon was able to show what an environment could do to a relationship.
Princip, the man who killed the Archduke, was at first looked at as a criminal, one who deserved to be locked away for life. Later, he was viewed as a hero; he was seen as the one who freed Austria. The young woman has a thirst for knowledge about this man, asking Peter all about Princip, and about the war. She kept rolling her thoughts on his actions through her mind, saying “‘I suppose Princip’s action couldn’t really have started World War I.’”(203) Her worries about what can cause something else shows another theme of the book: cause and effect. Her wonder, almost more of a hunger, for information about Princip’s actions shows that she is worried about how much of an effect she is going to have on the Piper’s marriage. She also toys with the idea of fate, and what effect that had and will have in both Princip’s and her own situation. After Princip missed the first shot aimed at the Archduke, he went off and got a cup of coffee, only to stand right back up and try again. The woman wonders “Should he have taken his cue from fate, and just sat and finished his coffee, and gone home to his mother?”(205) What about her own fate? When she left, it was “fate—or was it Bosnian willfulness?”(206) Was her fate possibly tied with that of Princip? Perhaps, in the way that he was originally the villain for killing the Archduke, but later became the hero for freeing a country, she too experienced the same thing. She was the villain for pulling a man away from his wife, but in the end she was the hero for letting him go. She realized everything she had with him was really a lie, saying she was “finally aware of how much [she] lied.”(206) Though it was indeed a sad story, as she had originally stated, she was able to leave as the hero.
Weldon incorporated a setting in which an important event happened, which led to the realization of a young woman that what she was doing wasn’t right. Without such a setting, perhaps she never would have realized. By using the setting, Weldon was able to set up a believable situation in which a young woman can finally escape the relationship with the man she thought she loved.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
IND AFF
How Setting and Theme Were Tied in “IND AFF”
In “IND AFF”, Fay Weldon uses her carefully chosen setting to unravel the conflicts in the mind of an unnamed girl who, in the beginning of the story, believes herself to be in love, but slowly comes to the realization, with the help of the actions of Gavrilo Princip, that it is not love she is feeling, but “a mere academic ambition”(207). This short story, which takes place in Sarajevo, the same place Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, is not only about questioning love, but also about cause and effect. The unnamed woman, who is at first sure of her love for Peter, eventually finds the supposed “love” waning. Also, she worries about the effect her relationship is really having on the marriage of the Pipers. Though she has been assured a catch is a catch even if it is already taken by someone else, the setting, which holds many threads of cause and effect itself, leads to her questions about the effect she will truly have. By using the place where a man who was looked upon, first as villain, but then as hero, Weldon is able to show the conflict going on in the young woman’s mind.
Oftentimes the events during a trip are dependent on the weather. This was the case in Weldon’s story. From the beginning the young woman was saying “This is a sad story. It has to be. It rained in Sarajevo, and we had expected fine weather.”(201) Sarajevo is often associated with the death of the Archduke of Austria. Weldon chose this dark and dreary place, a place where love withers rather than blooms, to send her characters on vacation. They were looking forward to fine weather, but were instead welcomed with plenty of rain. Their plans were ruined, as the nameless girl says “We planned to go on to Montenegro, on the coast, where the fish and the artists come from, to swim and lie in the sun, and recover from the exhaustion caused by the sexual and moral torments of the last year.” (202) The question of love, which is a prominent theme of this essay, was put on the line with this change of events. The plans of the lovers had gone awry, and in turn, they were forced to do something besides lying on the beach or swimming their cares away. This question of love, which may not have been questioned at all, had it been for a different setting, was looked at much more closely when they couple was forced to do everyday things, such as eating at a restaurant, or walking along the streets. By placing them in a bleak and dismal setting, they were forced to look at their relationship without the love making to help. After all, their favorite thing was to “buy bread, cheese, sausage, wine, and go off somewhere in [their] hired car, into the woods or the hills, and picnic and make love.”(203) Their downtime also gave Peter, the unknown woman’s lover, a chance to complain. Looking at the footprints where Princip stood to shoot the bullet that would be the death of the Archduke, Peter complained that he had come such a long way and one “can’t even see the footprints properly, just two undistinguished puddles.”(202) The setting, which yet again played a part right next to the supposed love, was what gave Peter a chance to complain. Granted, he probably would have found something to complain about no matter where he was, but in this case, he found something to complain about that was weighing heavily on the mind of the young woman. He was grumbling about something she was so enamored with. Once again, by taking the characters out of a typical setting where love can grow, they were instead put in a setting where the truth of their love would be challenged. With these tests of love, Weldon was able to show what an environment could do to a relationship.
Princip, the man who killed the Archduke, was at first looked at as a criminal, one who deserved to be locked away for life. Later, he was viewed as a hero; he was seen as the one who freed Austria. The young woman has a thirst for knowledge about this man, asking Peter all about Princip, and about the war. She kept rolling her thoughts on his actions through her mind, saying “‘I suppose Princip’s action couldn’t really have started World War I.’”(203) Her worries about what can cause something else shows another theme of the book: cause and effect. Her wonder, almost more of a hunger, for information about Princip’s actions shows that she is worried about how much of an effect she is going to have on the Piper’s marriage. She also toys with the idea of fate, and what effect that had and will have in both Princip’s and her own situation. After Princip missed the first shot aimed at the Archduke, he went off and got a cup of coffee, only to stand right back up and try again. The woman wonders “Should he have taken his cue from fate, and just sat and finished his coffee, and gone home to his mother?”(205) What about her own fate? When she left, it was “fate—or was it Bosnian willfulness?”(206) Was her fate possibly tied with that of Princip? Perhaps, in the way that he was originally the villain for killing the Archduke, but later became the hero for freeing a country, she too experienced the same thing. She was the villain for pulling a man away from his wife, but in the end she was the hero for letting him go. She realized everything she had with him was really a lie, saying she was “finally aware of how much [she] lied.”(206) Though it was indeed a sad story, as she had originally stated, she was able to leave as the hero.
Weldon incorporated a setting in which an important event happened, which led to the realization of a young woman that what she was doing wasn’t right. Without such a setting, perhaps she never would have realized. By using the setting, Weldon was able to set up a believable situation in which a young woman can finally escape the relationship with the man she thought she loved.
In “IND AFF”, Fay Weldon uses her carefully chosen setting to unravel the conflicts in the mind of an unnamed girl who, in the beginning of the story, believes herself to be in love, but slowly comes to the realization, with the help of the actions of Gavrilo Princip, that it is not love she is feeling, but “a mere academic ambition”(207). This short story, which takes place in Sarajevo, the same place Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, is not only about questioning love, but also about cause and effect. The unnamed woman, who is at first sure of her love for Peter, eventually finds the supposed “love” waning. Also, she worries about the effect her relationship is really having on the marriage of the Pipers. Though she has been assured a catch is a catch even if it is already taken by someone else, the setting, which holds many threads of cause and effect itself, leads to her questions about the effect she will truly have. By using the place where a man who was looked upon, first as villain, but then as hero, Weldon is able to show the conflict going on in the young woman’s mind.
Oftentimes the events during a trip are dependent on the weather. This was the case in Weldon’s story. From the beginning the young woman was saying “This is a sad story. It has to be. It rained in Sarajevo, and we had expected fine weather.”(201) Sarajevo is often associated with the death of the Archduke of Austria. Weldon chose this dark and dreary place, a place where love withers rather than blooms, to send her characters on vacation. They were looking forward to fine weather, but were instead welcomed with plenty of rain. Their plans were ruined, as the nameless girl says “We planned to go on to Montenegro, on the coast, where the fish and the artists come from, to swim and lie in the sun, and recover from the exhaustion caused by the sexual and moral torments of the last year.” (202) The question of love, which is a prominent theme of this essay, was put on the line with this change of events. The plans of the lovers had gone awry, and in turn, they were forced to do something besides lying on the beach or swimming their cares away. This question of love, which may not have been questioned at all, had it been for a different setting, was looked at much more closely when they couple was forced to do everyday things, such as eating at a restaurant, or walking along the streets. By placing them in a bleak and dismal setting, they were forced to look at their relationship without the love making to help. After all, their favorite thing was to “buy bread, cheese, sausage, wine, and go off somewhere in [their] hired car, into the woods or the hills, and picnic and make love.”(203) Their downtime also gave Peter, the unknown woman’s lover, a chance to complain. Looking at the footprints where Princip stood to shoot the bullet that would be the death of the Archduke, Peter complained that he had come such a long way and one “can’t even see the footprints properly, just two undistinguished puddles.”(202) The setting, which yet again played a part right next to the supposed love, was what gave Peter a chance to complain. Granted, he probably would have found something to complain about no matter where he was, but in this case, he found something to complain about that was weighing heavily on the mind of the young woman. He was grumbling about something she was so enamored with. Once again, by taking the characters out of a typical setting where love can grow, they were instead put in a setting where the truth of their love would be challenged. With these tests of love, Weldon was able to show what an environment could do to a relationship.
Princip, the man who killed the Archduke, was at first looked at as a criminal, one who deserved to be locked away for life. Later, he was viewed as a hero; he was seen as the one who freed Austria. The young woman has a thirst for knowledge about this man, asking Peter all about Princip, and about the war. She kept rolling her thoughts on his actions through her mind, saying “‘I suppose Princip’s action couldn’t really have started World War I.’”(203) Her worries about what can cause something else shows another theme of the book: cause and effect. Her wonder, almost more of a hunger, for information about Princip’s actions shows that she is worried about how much of an effect she is going to have on the Piper’s marriage. She also toys with the idea of fate, and what effect that had and will have in both Princip’s and her own situation. After Princip missed the first shot aimed at the Archduke, he went off and got a cup of coffee, only to stand right back up and try again. The woman wonders “Should he have taken his cue from fate, and just sat and finished his coffee, and gone home to his mother?”(205) What about her own fate? When she left, it was “fate—or was it Bosnian willfulness?”(206) Was her fate possibly tied with that of Princip? Perhaps, in the way that he was originally the villain for killing the Archduke, but later became the hero for freeing a country, she too experienced the same thing. She was the villain for pulling a man away from his wife, but in the end she was the hero for letting him go. She realized everything she had with him was really a lie, saying she was “finally aware of how much [she] lied.”(206) Though it was indeed a sad story, as she had originally stated, she was able to leave as the hero.
Weldon incorporated a setting in which an important event happened, which led to the realization of a young woman that what she was doing wasn’t right. Without such a setting, perhaps she never would have realized. By using the setting, Weldon was able to set up a believable situation in which a young woman can finally escape the relationship with the man she thought she loved.
Everyday Use
Everyday Use
Walker, contrasting the reality of one true culture to that of the stereotyped culture Mama’s daughter Dee has begun to live, develops her characterization by revealing the different parts of each character slowly, so the contrast grows more with each new piece of knowledge. Mama and Maggie both accept their culture, but they see that it isn’t just what stories tell, and know that it is more about how they live every day. They work hard and take joy in simple things such as each other and sitting in their yard. Dee, meanwhile, is trying to live out a stereotype of an African woman. She wears dresses in bright colors, and lots of dangling jewelry. As the story begins, little is known about Dee, Maggie, or Mama. Mama slowly introduces herself as a hard working woman. Later, Maggie’s character is slowly revealed as a shy worker. Dee seems questionable at first, but soon becomes a character that is disliked. By revealing her character’s personalities so slowly, Walker’s view of a true views a stereotyped culture was formed.
In the beginning of Walker’s story, little is known of Mama and Maggie. Slowly Walker develops their characters. She has Mama reveal how hard of a worker she is. Mama sums up her personality in one monologue. She says she is a “large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands.” (91) Mama’s character is one that is clearly a hard worker, who has probably done hard labor her whole life. She is very simple in her ways also, saying “Who ever knew a Johnson with a quick tongue?” (91) Her character was developed quickly. Walker did this intentionally to show the genuineness of Mama’s character. Maggie on the other hand, was developed throughout the story more slowly. In the beginning, she was painfully shy. Mama said how “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes…” (91) This development of her character is used to show the conflict between the sisters, which is most visible in the beginning of the story. Mama said “I used to think [Dee] hated Maggie too.” (92) Here, there is a development of Dee’s character. It is thrown out casually, almost as if the reader should pass by it without much thought. Yet, in the next breath Mama took back what she said about Dee hating Maggie, saying that it was only before they raised the money for Dee to go to school that she ever thought Dee hated Maggie. Walker develops a indecisive view of Dee. She does this to puzzle the reader in a way, because she wants the reader to be unsure of Dee’s character. She seems quite different from Maggie and Mama, yet Mama seems to be quite taken by her. In the beginning, Walker keeps Maggie and Dee’s characters muddy, making it unclear where they stand and who they are. Mama, on the other hand, has been laid out very neatly. By knowing who Mama is and where she stands, the reader can understand the conflict that follows, and they can understand why she acts the way she does. Walker developed her so well for this reason. On the other hand, she left the characters of Dee and Maggie underdeveloped so that she could add intensity later on.
When Dee arrives in Mama’s home, she comes like tornado. Her true character is developed during this part of the story. Maggie and Mama both stay very similar to the beginning of the story with Mama just wanting to make Dee happy and proud, while Maggie stays off to the side. Dee comes driving up in a car, and gets out wearing a “dress so loud it hurts [Mama’s] eyes,” (93) along with earrings that hang to her shoulders, and bracelets that jingle. Her character, which was before only known as a girl who liked to dress with style, has now been shown as a woman who is dressing in stereotypical African clothing, but more over the top. Walker took Dee from a girl with her own style, and almost instantly developed her into this woman who was shouting in Swahili, and running through the house taking Mama’s possessions. This development was used to show the true nature of Dee, and how her wants were all spur of the moment, another trend. Her excitement over everything handmade was seen as fake, as she even said herself “‘I never knew how lovely these benches are.’”(95) She had paid no attention to them before, but was suddenly intent on everything old and handmade. This development was made by showing how eager she was over everything, yet how she knew nothing of where it truly came from. It was Maggie who filled in all the details. Maggie didn’t flaunt her heritage, yet she knew where things came from, and why they were made. Mama stays standoffish, not wanting to displease Dee. At first, she gave her what she wanted, whatever it was. Dee asked for the butter churn, even though it was clearly being used, “the milk in it clabber…”(95) Mama, still wanting to please her daughter, agreed to give it to her. Walker developed Dee during this part of the story, while leaving the others in a state of sameness so she could show the difference in the family, as the rift between Mama and Dee slowly began to form.
Towards the end of the book, Walker develops each of the characters drastically. Dee loses her façade of a calm and happy woman, and becomes angry when Mama finally stands up to her. The conversation that took place with Dee and Mama over the quilts was where the development really took place. Walker gives Mama firmness to her tone, while at the same time; she keeps some of her love for Dee. She is still clearly simple, and kind, yet knows what she wants, saying “‘Why don’t you take one or two of the [other quilts.]… These old things were just done by me and Big Dee from some tops your grandma pieced before she died.’”(96) Dee quickly breaks down, yelling about how she doesn’t want just any old quilt, but instead prefers the ones that were handmade. Maggie pops out, saying that Dee can have the quilts, which shows that her development has yet to take place. Yet Mama becomes insistent, sticking up for Maggie for the first time. Walker saved this relationship between Mama and Maggie for the very last part of the story, making the contrast between her and Dee sharper. Dee, who can’t accept her family because of her belief that they don’t accept or understand their heritage, was turned down by the mother who had never told her no. Maggie, who was inspired by her Mama sticking up for her, was finally developed into a less frightened being. When Dee left “Maggie smiled… But a real smile, not scared.”(97) She was finally able to break out of her shell. The stereotype Dee was living was pushed away by Mama and Maggie, and they were able to hold onto the true meaning of their heritage.
Walker slowly developed each character in a way that would make the conflict between each character grow with every new piece of knowledge. Maggie, rejected before, was finally able to see that her mother loved her, while Dee came parading in with her outlandish ideas about her culture, and was sent right back out the door in the same fashion. Though in the beginning, little was known about the characters, by the end, Walker gave enough information so that the reader can understand the relationship between them all a little better.
Walker, contrasting the reality of one true culture to that of the stereotyped culture Mama’s daughter Dee has begun to live, develops her characterization by revealing the different parts of each character slowly, so the contrast grows more with each new piece of knowledge. Mama and Maggie both accept their culture, but they see that it isn’t just what stories tell, and know that it is more about how they live every day. They work hard and take joy in simple things such as each other and sitting in their yard. Dee, meanwhile, is trying to live out a stereotype of an African woman. She wears dresses in bright colors, and lots of dangling jewelry. As the story begins, little is known about Dee, Maggie, or Mama. Mama slowly introduces herself as a hard working woman. Later, Maggie’s character is slowly revealed as a shy worker. Dee seems questionable at first, but soon becomes a character that is disliked. By revealing her character’s personalities so slowly, Walker’s view of a true views a stereotyped culture was formed.
In the beginning of Walker’s story, little is known of Mama and Maggie. Slowly Walker develops their characters. She has Mama reveal how hard of a worker she is. Mama sums up her personality in one monologue. She says she is a “large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands.” (91) Mama’s character is one that is clearly a hard worker, who has probably done hard labor her whole life. She is very simple in her ways also, saying “Who ever knew a Johnson with a quick tongue?” (91) Her character was developed quickly. Walker did this intentionally to show the genuineness of Mama’s character. Maggie on the other hand, was developed throughout the story more slowly. In the beginning, she was painfully shy. Mama said how “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes…” (91) This development of her character is used to show the conflict between the sisters, which is most visible in the beginning of the story. Mama said “I used to think [Dee] hated Maggie too.” (92) Here, there is a development of Dee’s character. It is thrown out casually, almost as if the reader should pass by it without much thought. Yet, in the next breath Mama took back what she said about Dee hating Maggie, saying that it was only before they raised the money for Dee to go to school that she ever thought Dee hated Maggie. Walker develops a indecisive view of Dee. She does this to puzzle the reader in a way, because she wants the reader to be unsure of Dee’s character. She seems quite different from Maggie and Mama, yet Mama seems to be quite taken by her. In the beginning, Walker keeps Maggie and Dee’s characters muddy, making it unclear where they stand and who they are. Mama, on the other hand, has been laid out very neatly. By knowing who Mama is and where she stands, the reader can understand the conflict that follows, and they can understand why she acts the way she does. Walker developed her so well for this reason. On the other hand, she left the characters of Dee and Maggie underdeveloped so that she could add intensity later on.
When Dee arrives in Mama’s home, she comes like tornado. Her true character is developed during this part of the story. Maggie and Mama both stay very similar to the beginning of the story with Mama just wanting to make Dee happy and proud, while Maggie stays off to the side. Dee comes driving up in a car, and gets out wearing a “dress so loud it hurts [Mama’s] eyes,” (93) along with earrings that hang to her shoulders, and bracelets that jingle. Her character, which was before only known as a girl who liked to dress with style, has now been shown as a woman who is dressing in stereotypical African clothing, but more over the top. Walker took Dee from a girl with her own style, and almost instantly developed her into this woman who was shouting in Swahili, and running through the house taking Mama’s possessions. This development was used to show the true nature of Dee, and how her wants were all spur of the moment, another trend. Her excitement over everything handmade was seen as fake, as she even said herself “‘I never knew how lovely these benches are.’”(95) She had paid no attention to them before, but was suddenly intent on everything old and handmade. This development was made by showing how eager she was over everything, yet how she knew nothing of where it truly came from. It was Maggie who filled in all the details. Maggie didn’t flaunt her heritage, yet she knew where things came from, and why they were made. Mama stays standoffish, not wanting to displease Dee. At first, she gave her what she wanted, whatever it was. Dee asked for the butter churn, even though it was clearly being used, “the milk in it clabber…”(95) Mama, still wanting to please her daughter, agreed to give it to her. Walker developed Dee during this part of the story, while leaving the others in a state of sameness so she could show the difference in the family, as the rift between Mama and Dee slowly began to form.
Towards the end of the book, Walker develops each of the characters drastically. Dee loses her façade of a calm and happy woman, and becomes angry when Mama finally stands up to her. The conversation that took place with Dee and Mama over the quilts was where the development really took place. Walker gives Mama firmness to her tone, while at the same time; she keeps some of her love for Dee. She is still clearly simple, and kind, yet knows what she wants, saying “‘Why don’t you take one or two of the [other quilts.]… These old things were just done by me and Big Dee from some tops your grandma pieced before she died.’”(96) Dee quickly breaks down, yelling about how she doesn’t want just any old quilt, but instead prefers the ones that were handmade. Maggie pops out, saying that Dee can have the quilts, which shows that her development has yet to take place. Yet Mama becomes insistent, sticking up for Maggie for the first time. Walker saved this relationship between Mama and Maggie for the very last part of the story, making the contrast between her and Dee sharper. Dee, who can’t accept her family because of her belief that they don’t accept or understand their heritage, was turned down by the mother who had never told her no. Maggie, who was inspired by her Mama sticking up for her, was finally developed into a less frightened being. When Dee left “Maggie smiled… But a real smile, not scared.”(97) She was finally able to break out of her shell. The stereotype Dee was living was pushed away by Mama and Maggie, and they were able to hold onto the true meaning of their heritage.
Walker slowly developed each character in a way that would make the conflict between each character grow with every new piece of knowledge. Maggie, rejected before, was finally able to see that her mother loved her, while Dee came parading in with her outlandish ideas about her culture, and was sent right back out the door in the same fashion. Though in the beginning, little was known about the characters, by the end, Walker gave enough information so that the reader can understand the relationship between them all a little better.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Red Carpet
When I first saw this story, I was dreading reading it. I figured it would be long and dull and be a waste of time, (Sorry I doubted you Mr. G.) but after reading the first paragraph, I was like WOW! AWESOME! To comment on what Cynthia said about being called Raju, I thought that was really strange and demeaning. The fact that she called him the same name as her last driver and denied it to her friend was…well… kind of sketchy. When the friend asked if the last driver had the same name, May-dum responded with “ ‘Actually, his name was Murugesh.’ ‘Hm. I could swear…’ The other woman looked confused.”(5) Murugesh and Raju clearly aren’t the same names. I don’t think her intention was malicious though. She was noticeably kind in all other aspects of life, though her values were much different than Raju’s. Perhaps her memory was just bad or maybe she has a thing for Rajus. I did think it was strange how she told him though, almost as if she hoped he wouldn’t hear so he couldn’t protest. After hearing about his salary which had him grinning happily, ready to go home and tell his family, it was said that he “barely heard what she said next: ‘Oh, and on the job you will be called Raju.’” (3) Nice.
Raju overall was a very interesting character. I’d say he was a very round character. He wanted a good job, wanted money but wasn’t greedy, longed for a good future for his daughter, and then did a few things out of character such as tell May-dum about his worries and hopes for his daughter.
Pause. I just refreshed the comment page and saw that Jenny commented. I was also wondering about the title, and I think she came up with a really good idea about it. A red carpet wasn’t mentioned anywhere besides the car. Raju has so little, and he’s so amazed by this car, and if something like it fell into his hands, he would be so happy. But Mrs. Choudhary gets whatever she wants, and her view of the car is so much different than his.
Okay, back to what I was saying about Raju. He doesn’t really change in a huge way, but I think he has his minor changes. He finally opens up to Mrs. Choudhary, telling her everything about his little girl, and later about his town. He still blushes over her outfits, but he had more confidence in her, saying “The visit was ad he had hoped it would be. She didn’t let him down.”(10) I think Raju’s father gave him a lot less credit than he deserved, telling him to look and act smart, and also saying he wasn’t going to get the job if he didn’t get a new shirt. But from the story it seemed to me Raju was a bit naïve yet he was smart, and he was a hard worker. He pleased May-dum, which was pretty much the main thing he needed to accomplish. I found him sweet, and also believable. I didn’t feel like he was a totally made up character, and I felt like I could relate to him in a way. I’ve been nervous talking to someone who has a lot of prestige or wealth; I’ve wanted something better for my family or a friend like he wanted for his daughter, and actually, I have been embarrassed by peoples’ clothes before. So that’s why I like Raju.
Raju overall was a very interesting character. I’d say he was a very round character. He wanted a good job, wanted money but wasn’t greedy, longed for a good future for his daughter, and then did a few things out of character such as tell May-dum about his worries and hopes for his daughter.
Pause. I just refreshed the comment page and saw that Jenny commented. I was also wondering about the title, and I think she came up with a really good idea about it. A red carpet wasn’t mentioned anywhere besides the car. Raju has so little, and he’s so amazed by this car, and if something like it fell into his hands, he would be so happy. But Mrs. Choudhary gets whatever she wants, and her view of the car is so much different than his.
Okay, back to what I was saying about Raju. He doesn’t really change in a huge way, but I think he has his minor changes. He finally opens up to Mrs. Choudhary, telling her everything about his little girl, and later about his town. He still blushes over her outfits, but he had more confidence in her, saying “The visit was ad he had hoped it would be. She didn’t let him down.”(10) I think Raju’s father gave him a lot less credit than he deserved, telling him to look and act smart, and also saying he wasn’t going to get the job if he didn’t get a new shirt. But from the story it seemed to me Raju was a bit naïve yet he was smart, and he was a hard worker. He pleased May-dum, which was pretty much the main thing he needed to accomplish. I found him sweet, and also believable. I didn’t feel like he was a totally made up character, and I felt like I could relate to him in a way. I’ve been nervous talking to someone who has a lot of prestige or wealth; I’ve wanted something better for my family or a friend like he wanted for his daughter, and actually, I have been embarrassed by peoples’ clothes before. So that’s why I like Raju.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Summer Essay- One Hundred Years of Solitude
Paulo Coelho once said “You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one; each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” In One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, blindness plays a large part in the author’s purpose. As Thomas C. Foster said in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, “He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know,”(201). Although Úrsula was the only blind character in the story, she was also the only one who could truly see. Her blindness actually gave her the ability to see things in a different way. Her family on the other hand, had sight, yet was blind. The town in which they lived started off seeing, yet as they “progressed” they slowly lost their sight in a figurative sense. Each part plays a role in this story of solitude.
When Úrsula was first introduced to the story, she was portrayed as a woman who took good care of her family. She worried about her husband’s love for inventions and science, and occasionally grew angry. She stayed firm to what she wanted, and wouldn’t let her husband change her mind. When José Arcadio Buendía wanted to leave Macondo, she stood her ground, and in the end they stayed. It was said that “José Arcadio Buendía had not thought that his wife’s will was so firm.”(One Hundred Years 13) Úrsula had her sight through all of that. But one day, she noticed her eyes were changing. She dismissed it at first, but slowly realized she was going blind. One might wonder why Márquez would add such a trait to a character. Was it because she was aging? Was that the only reason? In How to Read Literature, Foster says “The author has created a minor constellation of difficulties for himself by introducing a blind character into the work, so something important must be at stake when blindness pops up in a story.”(202) Márquez’s purpose in One Hundred Years was to show how humans acted, and how they essentially never changed. Úrsula’s blindness, which did not factor into the book until about midway through, proved this point. At first, she didn’t notice how similar life was day to day, but upon becoming blind she began to notice routines that people fell into. Márquez wrote “[T]hat day she began to realize something that no one had noticed and it was that with the passage of the year the sun imperceptibly changed position and those who sat on the porch had to change their position little by little without being aware of it.”(248) No one took notice of this before because it was such a small factor. Úrsula’s blindness brought a new type of sight in which she was capable of seeing what no one else could. She began to notice things in her children and in their town that she hadn’t noticed before. Even though she was blind it was said “The watchful Úrsula realized what her son was doing, but she could not stop him.”(258) Even in blindness she is still “watchful.” Before, she was so busy that she wasn’t seeing clearly. She only looked with her eyes. Once she was forced to look with her whole being, eyes excluded, she began to notice other things. “[I]n that impenetrable solitude of decrepitude she had such clairvoyance as she examined the most insignificant happenings in the family that for the first time she saw clearly the truths that her busy life in former times had prevented her from seeing.”(248) She, like most other people, was so busy with day to day life, that she couldn’t notice the things she noticed once her sight was gone. Suddenly, the fact that humans were simple and unchanging was clear to her. Only being blind was she able to notice that.
In literature blindness often represents clairvoyance. That being said, sight sometimes takes away from actually seeing the world as it is. Foster wrote “[S]eeing and blindness are generally at issue in many works, even when there is no hint of blindness on the part of windows, alleys, horses, speculations, or persons.”(204) In One Hundred Years, Úrsula was the only physically blind person, yet she was not the only mentally blind one, so to speak. Her entire family, caught up in a web of disasters, generation after generation was blind to the fact that they had any problem at all. Not only that, but some members, such as Rebecca, further blinded themselves in ways other than sight just to escape something unpleasant. Upon the death of her husband, she becomes a hermit, talking only to her servant. She turned bitter, and blinded herself to the world and it’s goings on. The blindness of the family shows that they are all too busy with their lives, and so wrapped up in their predestined fate that they cannot even notice what they are doing and what is becoming of them. The repetition of names in One Hundred Years is a prominent topic that shows that point. Children from one generation share the names of the adults from the previous. They all seem to fall into the same trap, messing up in the same ways. Aureliano went to Pilar Ternera when he was disappointed by the rejection of his aunt. He told Pilar, and she “let out a deep laugh, the old expansive laugh that ended up as the cooing of doves. There was no mystery in the heart of a Buendiá that was impenetrable for her because a century of cards and experience had taught her that the history of the family was a machine with unavoidable repetitions, a turning wheel that would have gone spinning into eternity were it not for the progressive and irremediable wearing of the axle.”(396) Each generation makes the same mistake, yet they are all too blind to notice what they are doing. They are blinded by sight. Just as blindness caused Úrsula to see, sight caused her family to become blind to their surroundings.
As if following their original leader’s family, the town of Macondo began as a town that could see and think of their own accord, but was soon blinder than a cave full of bats. Their blindness proved that they were so obsessed with advancing as a society that instead of opening their minds, it had the reverse effect. Originally, the town was happy the way they were. They wanted to take no part in a government and they were content with what they had. Once the gypsies came to town, they began to grow more curious about inventions. When the railroad came, that is when they began to go downhill instead of further progress. The town felt that “there was not much time to think about [the lawyers who arrived], however, because the suspicious inhabitants…barely began to wonder what the devil was going on when the town had already become transformed into an encampment of wooden houses with zinc roofs inhabited by foreigners who arrived on the train from halfway around the world…” (226) Everything happened in such a flurry that they were blind to the changes that were taking place. Instead they were wrapped up by motion pictures, and telephones. The final blow came during the banana factory conflict. As thousands of people gathered at the train station, a lieutenant told them they must withdraw, or else they would open fire. The town didn’t withdraw and the guns went off, leaving José Arcadio as the sole survivor. Later, he managed to make his way towards a woman’s home, where he said “’There must have been three thousand of them.’… ‘What?’ ‘The dead,’ he clarified. ‘It must have been all of the people who were at the station.’ … ‘There haven’t been any dead here,’ [the woman] said.”(308) Blind to the massacre that has happened, people turn the other cheek when they hear about the deaths. They have been brainwashed by society, and what it seems to offer. The once friendly town lost everything, and could not see what they were doing.
Blindness was a prominent topic in One Hundred Years, proving that sometimes when one loses their sight they end up with much more. As Foster wrote, referring to a story similar to Márquez’s, “He has acquired a level of vision he never had when he was sighted. Blind as he is, he walks toward that death without assistance, as if guided by an unseen power.”(206) Just as Úrsula was able to grow stronger when sight was taken away from her, the influence of society blinded all the others. In that way, Márquez was able to show how blinded people are by technology.
When Úrsula was first introduced to the story, she was portrayed as a woman who took good care of her family. She worried about her husband’s love for inventions and science, and occasionally grew angry. She stayed firm to what she wanted, and wouldn’t let her husband change her mind. When José Arcadio Buendía wanted to leave Macondo, she stood her ground, and in the end they stayed. It was said that “José Arcadio Buendía had not thought that his wife’s will was so firm.”(One Hundred Years 13) Úrsula had her sight through all of that. But one day, she noticed her eyes were changing. She dismissed it at first, but slowly realized she was going blind. One might wonder why Márquez would add such a trait to a character. Was it because she was aging? Was that the only reason? In How to Read Literature, Foster says “The author has created a minor constellation of difficulties for himself by introducing a blind character into the work, so something important must be at stake when blindness pops up in a story.”(202) Márquez’s purpose in One Hundred Years was to show how humans acted, and how they essentially never changed. Úrsula’s blindness, which did not factor into the book until about midway through, proved this point. At first, she didn’t notice how similar life was day to day, but upon becoming blind she began to notice routines that people fell into. Márquez wrote “[T]hat day she began to realize something that no one had noticed and it was that with the passage of the year the sun imperceptibly changed position and those who sat on the porch had to change their position little by little without being aware of it.”(248) No one took notice of this before because it was such a small factor. Úrsula’s blindness brought a new type of sight in which she was capable of seeing what no one else could. She began to notice things in her children and in their town that she hadn’t noticed before. Even though she was blind it was said “The watchful Úrsula realized what her son was doing, but she could not stop him.”(258) Even in blindness she is still “watchful.” Before, she was so busy that she wasn’t seeing clearly. She only looked with her eyes. Once she was forced to look with her whole being, eyes excluded, she began to notice other things. “[I]n that impenetrable solitude of decrepitude she had such clairvoyance as she examined the most insignificant happenings in the family that for the first time she saw clearly the truths that her busy life in former times had prevented her from seeing.”(248) She, like most other people, was so busy with day to day life, that she couldn’t notice the things she noticed once her sight was gone. Suddenly, the fact that humans were simple and unchanging was clear to her. Only being blind was she able to notice that.
In literature blindness often represents clairvoyance. That being said, sight sometimes takes away from actually seeing the world as it is. Foster wrote “[S]eeing and blindness are generally at issue in many works, even when there is no hint of blindness on the part of windows, alleys, horses, speculations, or persons.”(204) In One Hundred Years, Úrsula was the only physically blind person, yet she was not the only mentally blind one, so to speak. Her entire family, caught up in a web of disasters, generation after generation was blind to the fact that they had any problem at all. Not only that, but some members, such as Rebecca, further blinded themselves in ways other than sight just to escape something unpleasant. Upon the death of her husband, she becomes a hermit, talking only to her servant. She turned bitter, and blinded herself to the world and it’s goings on. The blindness of the family shows that they are all too busy with their lives, and so wrapped up in their predestined fate that they cannot even notice what they are doing and what is becoming of them. The repetition of names in One Hundred Years is a prominent topic that shows that point. Children from one generation share the names of the adults from the previous. They all seem to fall into the same trap, messing up in the same ways. Aureliano went to Pilar Ternera when he was disappointed by the rejection of his aunt. He told Pilar, and she “let out a deep laugh, the old expansive laugh that ended up as the cooing of doves. There was no mystery in the heart of a Buendiá that was impenetrable for her because a century of cards and experience had taught her that the history of the family was a machine with unavoidable repetitions, a turning wheel that would have gone spinning into eternity were it not for the progressive and irremediable wearing of the axle.”(396) Each generation makes the same mistake, yet they are all too blind to notice what they are doing. They are blinded by sight. Just as blindness caused Úrsula to see, sight caused her family to become blind to their surroundings.
As if following their original leader’s family, the town of Macondo began as a town that could see and think of their own accord, but was soon blinder than a cave full of bats. Their blindness proved that they were so obsessed with advancing as a society that instead of opening their minds, it had the reverse effect. Originally, the town was happy the way they were. They wanted to take no part in a government and they were content with what they had. Once the gypsies came to town, they began to grow more curious about inventions. When the railroad came, that is when they began to go downhill instead of further progress. The town felt that “there was not much time to think about [the lawyers who arrived], however, because the suspicious inhabitants…barely began to wonder what the devil was going on when the town had already become transformed into an encampment of wooden houses with zinc roofs inhabited by foreigners who arrived on the train from halfway around the world…” (226) Everything happened in such a flurry that they were blind to the changes that were taking place. Instead they were wrapped up by motion pictures, and telephones. The final blow came during the banana factory conflict. As thousands of people gathered at the train station, a lieutenant told them they must withdraw, or else they would open fire. The town didn’t withdraw and the guns went off, leaving José Arcadio as the sole survivor. Later, he managed to make his way towards a woman’s home, where he said “’There must have been three thousand of them.’… ‘What?’ ‘The dead,’ he clarified. ‘It must have been all of the people who were at the station.’ … ‘There haven’t been any dead here,’ [the woman] said.”(308) Blind to the massacre that has happened, people turn the other cheek when they hear about the deaths. They have been brainwashed by society, and what it seems to offer. The once friendly town lost everything, and could not see what they were doing.
Blindness was a prominent topic in One Hundred Years, proving that sometimes when one loses their sight they end up with much more. As Foster wrote, referring to a story similar to Márquez’s, “He has acquired a level of vision he never had when he was sighted. Blind as he is, he walks toward that death without assistance, as if guided by an unseen power.”(206) Just as Úrsula was able to grow stronger when sight was taken away from her, the influence of society blinded all the others. In that way, Márquez was able to show how blinded people are by technology.
Miss Brill- Point of View
In Miss Brill, Mansfield, by using limited omniscience, slowly exposes the loneliness that Miss Brill is feeling by revealing a little at a time, sometimes through thoughts, and other times by actions, whilst always leaving the reader with more than one possible understanding. It is used to slowly inform the reader of the situation at hand, which makes the reader want to know more, while at the same time let’s them form their own opinion. It creates a new meaning with each read.
Limited omniscience, which means that the narrator does not take part in the story, yet can enter the mind of a character, was used to create a different gist with every read.The narrator does not offer an explanation for what is happening, but instead leaves it to the reader to figure out. For instance, in the beginning of the novella, the narrator says “And when she breathed, something light and sad – no, not sad, exactly – something gentle seemed to move in her bosom.” (33) The narrator follows solely what Miss Brill is feeling, or perhaps what she wants to feel. It is not made known whether the feeling was indeed a sadness pushed aside, or if it truly was a gentle feeling, not a sad one at all. The limited omniscience is further used to enhance the story. It switches from reality to Miss Brill’s thoughts seamlessly. Mansfield writes “They were all on stage… Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there; she was part of the performance after all.” (35) The narrator isn’t telling if anyone really would notice her absence, but simply repeating what Miss Brill thinks, or rather wishes. Perhaps life really is like a play, but the reality is that her absence would not cause a stir, or a mix-up. It is left to be presumed that it is all in her head. Another example of the narrator telling the reader how Miss Brill sees things, but giving no input himself happens after Miss Brill’s rejection at the park. The narrator says “On her way home she usually bought a slice of honeycake at the baker’s. It was her Sunday treat…. But to-day she passed the baker’s boy, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room —her room like a cupboard… She unclasped the necklet quickly; without looking, laid it inside. But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying.” (36) Yet again, the idea that Mansfield wishes to communicate is left up to the reader to decide. Perhaps she did hear something crying. More likely than not, it was her imagination. But either way is an arguable point. By not using an editorial omniscience Mansfield was able to leave everything up for interpretation because there was no influence in ideas from the narrator. In this way, she was able to achieve her meaning.
Limited omniscience is used to let the reader take away their own understanding from the story. The meaning of the story is very general, yet the purpose would be for the reader to be able to interpret it in their own way. Mansfield writes
“Miss Brill was glad she had decided on her fur. The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now and again a leaf came drifting down – from nowhere, from the sky. Miss Brill put up her hand and touched the fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes.” (33)”
In this piece, one can see how the narrator can tell what Miss Brill is thinking, yet holds some things back, such as where she was going or what time period it is. The reader is even in the dark as to who Miss Brill truly is. Nothing is known about her life except that she is walking, wearing her fur, and there is a slight chill in the air. That hardly gives the reader something to work with, yet this technique draws the reader in. Fur is often associated with wealth, so one can assume Miss Brill is wealthy, or merely putting on airs. The narrator hasn’t talked about her status though, so it is only something one can presume. As the story continues, Miss Brill wanders into a park. She sits down in what she calls her “special seat” in front of a bandstand, and realizes that it is only she and an older couple who share such a seat. The narrator discloses that “[The elderly couple] did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation. She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn’t listen, at sitting in other people’s lives for just a minute…”(34) Slowly letting us deeper into Miss Brill’s life, it seems that Miss Brill is perhaps lonely. She listens in on conversations, but it is not made known as to why. She could be lonely, or she could just be interested. The narrator does not go so deeply into Miss Brill’s thoughts that it is said why Miss Brill listens in. The depth of her unwanted solitude soon surfaces. To some it seems she became slightly delusional in her quest for company, dreaming of how life is just like a play in which she is part. To others it may just be a sad woman with a longing for companionship. Mansfield leaves it up to the reader to decide. Miss Brill, happy in her dreams, blathers on, saying “Yes, we understand, we understand, she thought – though what they understood she didn’t know.” (36) It seems as if she is looking to become a part of something. She wants to feel wholeness with her community, and is searching for it in any aspect of life. By using limited omniscience, the reader slowly begins to understand how lonely Miss Brill truly is. It is achieved by slowly leaking the sadness she feels, and how she had tried to push it aside, but how it really is an underlying factor in every part of her life.
Of course, limited omniscience has a clear effect on the story. This point of view leaves the true meaning to be deciphered by the reader alone. Mansfield set up all the pieces of the story, but in the end, it is the reader who must decide. The effect is one of mystery, leaving the reader asking “Is this really what happened?” The narrator gives us only what Miss Brill thinks, never his own thoughts, leaving the reader to wonder. As Miss Brill sits by the bandstand, she observes a few things happening, and with each one, the band reacts by playing their music accordingly. If something was exciting or happy it would seem that the pace would increase “And the band sounded louder and gayer.”(34) If it was a sad moment, the opposite would occur. One is left to speculate if this was not just in Miss Brill’s mind. Without limited omniscience, the reader would not have the option to guess and formulate their own ideas, making Miss Brill a very unique novella.
Using limited omniscience, Mansfield was able to create a distinctive feel to her story, which manipulated the meaning and idea. It was used to let the reader decide what the real meaning was, and it was also used to reveal small amounts to the reader at a time, which was captivating. All in all, Mansfield’s point was communicated soundly by her choice to use limited omniscience.
Limited omniscience, which means that the narrator does not take part in the story, yet can enter the mind of a character, was used to create a different gist with every read.The narrator does not offer an explanation for what is happening, but instead leaves it to the reader to figure out. For instance, in the beginning of the novella, the narrator says “And when she breathed, something light and sad – no, not sad, exactly – something gentle seemed to move in her bosom.” (33) The narrator follows solely what Miss Brill is feeling, or perhaps what she wants to feel. It is not made known whether the feeling was indeed a sadness pushed aside, or if it truly was a gentle feeling, not a sad one at all. The limited omniscience is further used to enhance the story. It switches from reality to Miss Brill’s thoughts seamlessly. Mansfield writes “They were all on stage… Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there; she was part of the performance after all.” (35) The narrator isn’t telling if anyone really would notice her absence, but simply repeating what Miss Brill thinks, or rather wishes. Perhaps life really is like a play, but the reality is that her absence would not cause a stir, or a mix-up. It is left to be presumed that it is all in her head. Another example of the narrator telling the reader how Miss Brill sees things, but giving no input himself happens after Miss Brill’s rejection at the park. The narrator says “On her way home she usually bought a slice of honeycake at the baker’s. It was her Sunday treat…. But to-day she passed the baker’s boy, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room —her room like a cupboard… She unclasped the necklet quickly; without looking, laid it inside. But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying.” (36) Yet again, the idea that Mansfield wishes to communicate is left up to the reader to decide. Perhaps she did hear something crying. More likely than not, it was her imagination. But either way is an arguable point. By not using an editorial omniscience Mansfield was able to leave everything up for interpretation because there was no influence in ideas from the narrator. In this way, she was able to achieve her meaning.
Limited omniscience is used to let the reader take away their own understanding from the story. The meaning of the story is very general, yet the purpose would be for the reader to be able to interpret it in their own way. Mansfield writes
“Miss Brill was glad she had decided on her fur. The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now and again a leaf came drifting down – from nowhere, from the sky. Miss Brill put up her hand and touched the fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes.” (33)”
In this piece, one can see how the narrator can tell what Miss Brill is thinking, yet holds some things back, such as where she was going or what time period it is. The reader is even in the dark as to who Miss Brill truly is. Nothing is known about her life except that she is walking, wearing her fur, and there is a slight chill in the air. That hardly gives the reader something to work with, yet this technique draws the reader in. Fur is often associated with wealth, so one can assume Miss Brill is wealthy, or merely putting on airs. The narrator hasn’t talked about her status though, so it is only something one can presume. As the story continues, Miss Brill wanders into a park. She sits down in what she calls her “special seat” in front of a bandstand, and realizes that it is only she and an older couple who share such a seat. The narrator discloses that “[The elderly couple] did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation. She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn’t listen, at sitting in other people’s lives for just a minute…”(34) Slowly letting us deeper into Miss Brill’s life, it seems that Miss Brill is perhaps lonely. She listens in on conversations, but it is not made known as to why. She could be lonely, or she could just be interested. The narrator does not go so deeply into Miss Brill’s thoughts that it is said why Miss Brill listens in. The depth of her unwanted solitude soon surfaces. To some it seems she became slightly delusional in her quest for company, dreaming of how life is just like a play in which she is part. To others it may just be a sad woman with a longing for companionship. Mansfield leaves it up to the reader to decide. Miss Brill, happy in her dreams, blathers on, saying “Yes, we understand, we understand, she thought – though what they understood she didn’t know.” (36) It seems as if she is looking to become a part of something. She wants to feel wholeness with her community, and is searching for it in any aspect of life. By using limited omniscience, the reader slowly begins to understand how lonely Miss Brill truly is. It is achieved by slowly leaking the sadness she feels, and how she had tried to push it aside, but how it really is an underlying factor in every part of her life.
Of course, limited omniscience has a clear effect on the story. This point of view leaves the true meaning to be deciphered by the reader alone. Mansfield set up all the pieces of the story, but in the end, it is the reader who must decide. The effect is one of mystery, leaving the reader asking “Is this really what happened?” The narrator gives us only what Miss Brill thinks, never his own thoughts, leaving the reader to wonder. As Miss Brill sits by the bandstand, she observes a few things happening, and with each one, the band reacts by playing their music accordingly. If something was exciting or happy it would seem that the pace would increase “And the band sounded louder and gayer.”(34) If it was a sad moment, the opposite would occur. One is left to speculate if this was not just in Miss Brill’s mind. Without limited omniscience, the reader would not have the option to guess and formulate their own ideas, making Miss Brill a very unique novella.
Using limited omniscience, Mansfield was able to create a distinctive feel to her story, which manipulated the meaning and idea. It was used to let the reader decide what the real meaning was, and it was also used to reveal small amounts to the reader at a time, which was captivating. All in all, Mansfield’s point was communicated soundly by her choice to use limited omniscience.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Why I write
I write for many reasons. I began to write because it was required. I continued writing because I loved it. I do agree with Hickey, the author of Air Guitar, that an experience a person has becomes difficult to translate onto paper, but I think that is what I like about it. It is like a challenge. How can I take these words, and twist them to become what I want them to? How can I give them their full potential? Some people like math. It is very logical and straight forward. I would much rather have something that I can twist, something that no one can take from me. Grammar can be wrong, but words… not so much. (Of course I say that with a grain of salt.) Sometimes I think I am writing to forget, but years later I look back, happy that I can remember. I write to clear my mind. When I am feeling like everything is out of control, I can still touch pen to paper, and know I at least have one thing that is solid. Even when everything is spinning, I still have words. No one can take those from me. I write to leave a mark on the world. I write to be different, but I also write to connect to those who have written before me. My writing will always reflect styles of other writers or other things that have happened in my life, and there is nothing I can do to stop that. But that’s okay. It ties me to that other person, or people, and that experience. So I guess if I needed to sum up why I write: It’s just because I love to.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Summer Reading- One Hundred Years of Solitude
Part I-
I hope this post isn't horrible. I read the whole book during a vacation, and it never occurred to me to make note on what I wanted to comment about. Firstly, the names all confused the heck out of me, I'm not going to lie. I made constant reference to the family tree while reading, but it was still very difficult to figure out if it was Jose Arcadio who married Rebecca, or was it Colonel Aureliano? I'm so bad with names. So that was a big time stealer. I totally agree with Paul about the gypsies visit being both a good and bad thing. Although it brings life to the village, it also brings death and anger. It pretty much led to the downfall of Jose Arcadio Buendia in the end. He was so obsessed with finding out the way things work. Marquez wrote "Jose Arcadio Buendia, whose unbridled imagination always went beyond the genius of nature and even beyond miracles and magic, thought that it would be possible to make use of that useless invention to extract gold from the bowels of the earth... For several months he worked hard to demonstrate the truth of his idea." (2) He saw what the gypsies did, and he saw so many other things that could be done with it. He talked later of building houses from ice, and tried to make weapons from glass. His imagination, bigger than he was, took him to new heights. But that intensity eventually led to a breakdown. He could have been so smart that he was just misunderstood, but even so, people hate what they cannot grasp. He ended up tied to a tree, living there until a few days before his death. But if Jose Arcadio Buendia had such an unbridled imagination, as it was described, his fate was probably already set. His imagination would have gotten the best of him one way or another, I believe. I also wondered about the amount of incest, along with the links to Christianity as stevie wonder ii pointed out. Although I was mildly disgusted, I was also intrigued by the circle they were paving for themselves. Every act of incest led to a downfall of that couple. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) But at the same time, it was all done in such a loving way that if you could look past the initial horror, you instead find something sweet.With Aureliano wanting to marry a mere child, I think he may have gotten two types of love confused somewhere along the lines. When he had first seen her, he wished to raise her as a daughter, and had that kind of love for her. But the more he thought about her, the more his thoughts changed from a father/ child love to a sexual love. As far as Amaranta goes, I think she was just too afraid to get married, or show her love. Plus, Pietro Crespi pretty much took her because he couldn’t get Rebecca. She was second best. Whether she saw that or not, I can’t really say. Perhaps her heart really was just too tender for the possible pains of marriage.
Part II-Wow! Gypsyloo, can I just say that was some AWESOME insight? I totally agree that the family was like ice. They were together in the beginning, a solid force, but they soon broke apart, melted if you will. So, as many people have pointed out, Meme is very different from her mother, and from the rest of the family. First of all, she does what she wants. She isn’t old fashioned. She does go out to visit with her friends, and all in all lives a more carefree life than most of the other members of the family. Until she gets sent away that is. I feel like she symbolizes the possibility of change. There is no one else called Meme, and even though that’s a nickname, perhaps she can escape from the fate set out for her. I think even getting away from her mother is the best thing that can be done. I think the repetition of names is to show that people just don’t change. In How to Read Literature, the author said that there is only one story ever, and stories always contain parts from other stories. So we have all these men with the same names, and even the women have the same names. No author would do that without a reason. What I don’t understand is why they would keep naming them the same names if they realize they have fallen into a trap. Ursula realizes their fates have been laid down, because she said she always wondered if the twins had gotten their names switched at some point or another. Amaranta seemed to be giving into love with her nephew. I think this really shows that the family is living their lives in circles. It was as if she was destined to fall in love with a family member. She rejected those outside of her family, yet gives into the lust she feels towards Aureliano Jose, for at least a while. It’s like she really doesn’t want to, but somehow keeps going back to him, or in the very least, letting him come to her. Aureliano Jose of course is totally into the idea, much like all the men before him. He doesn’t care who thinks what, or what animal curse the baby would be born with. The wars in this book all confuse me. I don’t even know what to say about them. I’m never sure what they are for. I sort of want to reread the book because I think I’d get more out of it. Who knows.
Part III-
Wow, was I surprised at the ending. That of course is most fresh in my mind, but Meme’s son also came home in the third part. (At least in the way I divided the book he did.) Poor thing, hidden in a closet. That definitely taps into Fernanda’s psychological issues. People were saying they had trouble remembering the book was fiction at times. I felt the same way, but when I read about Meme’s Aureliano being locked in the closet, and at one point escaping, naked and dirty, I was snapped back to remembering it was fictional. Kids locked in closets don’t usually survive since they don’t get the touch and interaction required, but anyway, that is a WHOLE different subject. Sorry, tangent. Another part of the book that totally freaked me out is when there was a whole shooting at the station. The shooting itself didn’t frighten me, but what happened after the fact did. Jose Arcadio Segundo went to a woman’s home to escape, having just awoken in a sea of bodies. He was talking to her, and said “’There must have been three thousand of them,’ he murmured. ‘What?’ ‘The dead,’ he clarified. ‘It must have been all the people who were at the station.’… ‘There haven’t been any dead here,’ she said. ‘Since the time of your uncle, the colonel, nothing has happened in Macondo.’”(308) To deceive people about a death of that high a number is amazing. There had to have been tons of people who were missing after that, yet people still didn’t believe it. Was JAS hallucinating, or going insane, or what? I don’t think he was though, because when he was holding the little boy to see before the shooting, it was said that “Many years later that child would still tell, in spite of people thinking that he was a crazy old man, how Jose Arcadio Segundo had lifted him over his head and hauled him, almost in the air, as if floating on the terror of the crowd, toward a nearby street.”(305) So it must have happened. It reminds me of the people who still deny the Holocaust ever happening. It’s like… people wrote journals on it, how can’t you believe it? Just like the people of Macondo must have known at least a few of the people who were killed if the number was so high. That part really freaked me out. I think the end of the Buendia clan was foreshadowed a lot in the third part. One example that really stuck out was “Aureliano Segundo returned home with his trunks, convinced that not only Ursula but all the inhabitants of Macondo were waiting for [the rain] to clear in order to die.”(322) Pretty much they did. Once the rain cleared, it seemed like the book was all downhill from there. I don’t feel like going into depth as to why, but I felt bad for Gaston. Hooray for pointless sentences!THE ENDING WAS SO COOOOOOOOL! (Sorry, I haven’t slept in awhile.) When I was reading the book I was wondering why they kept sticking with the same names that brought them such a bad fate, but it turns out that they pretty much couldn’t help it because it was already mapped out for them and they had no idea. So the gypsies coming was part of all that, and so was the rain, and nothing could be avoided. Was it because human nature is always going to be the same? Or was Melquiades just so smart and all knowing from his long life and travels? Either way, I really loved the way this book was summed up, all neat and such. Although I guess it wasn’t really that neat. I’m still wondering about the wars and about how Melquiades knew, and such. But I guess that’s what makes it a good book. Anyway, Night!
I hope this post isn't horrible. I read the whole book during a vacation, and it never occurred to me to make note on what I wanted to comment about. Firstly, the names all confused the heck out of me, I'm not going to lie. I made constant reference to the family tree while reading, but it was still very difficult to figure out if it was Jose Arcadio who married Rebecca, or was it Colonel Aureliano? I'm so bad with names. So that was a big time stealer. I totally agree with Paul about the gypsies visit being both a good and bad thing. Although it brings life to the village, it also brings death and anger. It pretty much led to the downfall of Jose Arcadio Buendia in the end. He was so obsessed with finding out the way things work. Marquez wrote "Jose Arcadio Buendia, whose unbridled imagination always went beyond the genius of nature and even beyond miracles and magic, thought that it would be possible to make use of that useless invention to extract gold from the bowels of the earth... For several months he worked hard to demonstrate the truth of his idea." (2) He saw what the gypsies did, and he saw so many other things that could be done with it. He talked later of building houses from ice, and tried to make weapons from glass. His imagination, bigger than he was, took him to new heights. But that intensity eventually led to a breakdown. He could have been so smart that he was just misunderstood, but even so, people hate what they cannot grasp. He ended up tied to a tree, living there until a few days before his death. But if Jose Arcadio Buendia had such an unbridled imagination, as it was described, his fate was probably already set. His imagination would have gotten the best of him one way or another, I believe. I also wondered about the amount of incest, along with the links to Christianity as stevie wonder ii pointed out. Although I was mildly disgusted, I was also intrigued by the circle they were paving for themselves. Every act of incest led to a downfall of that couple. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) But at the same time, it was all done in such a loving way that if you could look past the initial horror, you instead find something sweet.With Aureliano wanting to marry a mere child, I think he may have gotten two types of love confused somewhere along the lines. When he had first seen her, he wished to raise her as a daughter, and had that kind of love for her. But the more he thought about her, the more his thoughts changed from a father/ child love to a sexual love. As far as Amaranta goes, I think she was just too afraid to get married, or show her love. Plus, Pietro Crespi pretty much took her because he couldn’t get Rebecca. She was second best. Whether she saw that or not, I can’t really say. Perhaps her heart really was just too tender for the possible pains of marriage.
Part II-Wow! Gypsyloo, can I just say that was some AWESOME insight? I totally agree that the family was like ice. They were together in the beginning, a solid force, but they soon broke apart, melted if you will. So, as many people have pointed out, Meme is very different from her mother, and from the rest of the family. First of all, she does what she wants. She isn’t old fashioned. She does go out to visit with her friends, and all in all lives a more carefree life than most of the other members of the family. Until she gets sent away that is. I feel like she symbolizes the possibility of change. There is no one else called Meme, and even though that’s a nickname, perhaps she can escape from the fate set out for her. I think even getting away from her mother is the best thing that can be done. I think the repetition of names is to show that people just don’t change. In How to Read Literature, the author said that there is only one story ever, and stories always contain parts from other stories. So we have all these men with the same names, and even the women have the same names. No author would do that without a reason. What I don’t understand is why they would keep naming them the same names if they realize they have fallen into a trap. Ursula realizes their fates have been laid down, because she said she always wondered if the twins had gotten their names switched at some point or another. Amaranta seemed to be giving into love with her nephew. I think this really shows that the family is living their lives in circles. It was as if she was destined to fall in love with a family member. She rejected those outside of her family, yet gives into the lust she feels towards Aureliano Jose, for at least a while. It’s like she really doesn’t want to, but somehow keeps going back to him, or in the very least, letting him come to her. Aureliano Jose of course is totally into the idea, much like all the men before him. He doesn’t care who thinks what, or what animal curse the baby would be born with. The wars in this book all confuse me. I don’t even know what to say about them. I’m never sure what they are for. I sort of want to reread the book because I think I’d get more out of it. Who knows.
Part III-
Wow, was I surprised at the ending. That of course is most fresh in my mind, but Meme’s son also came home in the third part. (At least in the way I divided the book he did.) Poor thing, hidden in a closet. That definitely taps into Fernanda’s psychological issues. People were saying they had trouble remembering the book was fiction at times. I felt the same way, but when I read about Meme’s Aureliano being locked in the closet, and at one point escaping, naked and dirty, I was snapped back to remembering it was fictional. Kids locked in closets don’t usually survive since they don’t get the touch and interaction required, but anyway, that is a WHOLE different subject. Sorry, tangent. Another part of the book that totally freaked me out is when there was a whole shooting at the station. The shooting itself didn’t frighten me, but what happened after the fact did. Jose Arcadio Segundo went to a woman’s home to escape, having just awoken in a sea of bodies. He was talking to her, and said “’There must have been three thousand of them,’ he murmured. ‘What?’ ‘The dead,’ he clarified. ‘It must have been all the people who were at the station.’… ‘There haven’t been any dead here,’ she said. ‘Since the time of your uncle, the colonel, nothing has happened in Macondo.’”(308) To deceive people about a death of that high a number is amazing. There had to have been tons of people who were missing after that, yet people still didn’t believe it. Was JAS hallucinating, or going insane, or what? I don’t think he was though, because when he was holding the little boy to see before the shooting, it was said that “Many years later that child would still tell, in spite of people thinking that he was a crazy old man, how Jose Arcadio Segundo had lifted him over his head and hauled him, almost in the air, as if floating on the terror of the crowd, toward a nearby street.”(305) So it must have happened. It reminds me of the people who still deny the Holocaust ever happening. It’s like… people wrote journals on it, how can’t you believe it? Just like the people of Macondo must have known at least a few of the people who were killed if the number was so high. That part really freaked me out. I think the end of the Buendia clan was foreshadowed a lot in the third part. One example that really stuck out was “Aureliano Segundo returned home with his trunks, convinced that not only Ursula but all the inhabitants of Macondo were waiting for [the rain] to clear in order to die.”(322) Pretty much they did. Once the rain cleared, it seemed like the book was all downhill from there. I don’t feel like going into depth as to why, but I felt bad for Gaston. Hooray for pointless sentences!THE ENDING WAS SO COOOOOOOOL! (Sorry, I haven’t slept in awhile.) When I was reading the book I was wondering why they kept sticking with the same names that brought them such a bad fate, but it turns out that they pretty much couldn’t help it because it was already mapped out for them and they had no idea. So the gypsies coming was part of all that, and so was the rain, and nothing could be avoided. Was it because human nature is always going to be the same? Or was Melquiades just so smart and all knowing from his long life and travels? Either way, I really loved the way this book was summed up, all neat and such. Although I guess it wasn’t really that neat. I’m still wondering about the wars and about how Melquiades knew, and such. But I guess that’s what makes it a good book. Anyway, Night!
Summer Work- Things Fall Apart
Part I-
I'm not entirely sure of where to start. I guess I'd like to respond to Marrisa's question of who I feel sympathetic towards. My first answer would be neither Okonkwo or Unoka. I mean, I like Unoka more, because in our culture he'd be seen as an average, easy going guy. But in their culture, Unoka was detestable. I don't feel like he deserves to be sympathized with really. He did what he wanted to even though it was going against the norm for their culture, which is being a hard worker, where laziness is one of the worst things to be. Plus it wasn't like his life was really that bad. In fact, he seemed generally content, especially "when the village musicians brought down their instruments..." (4) He would play with them then, and that is when he was the happiest. It was said that "he loved ...the good fellowship,"(5). So, what I'm trying to say, is I don't feel sympathy towards him because he doesn't need it. Also,off the top of my head, I want to hate Okonkwo. As everyone has been saying, he's sexist, he's mean to his family, he breaks the clan rules, so on and so fourth. But if you look in one of the first chapters of the book, (the part that you begin to forget as you read the other chapters) Achebe had said that Okonkwo lived his life in fear. He was constantly afraid of looking like a woman, or ending up like his father. So really, I can sympathize with him. People do strange things out of fear, some of which translate into anger. I've noticed that the men in Okonkwo's clan aren't as harsh as he is. Okonkwo takes things and blows them out of proportion. For example, he talks about how he's worried about his twelve year old son who seems lazy. He doesn't sound lazy, that's for sure. Nwoye seems like any other twelve year old boy. He still secretly likes to hear his mother's stories, he longs to impress his father, and will help with any task he can, and he looks up to Ikemefuna as an older brother. He's not lazy, he's just still little. Men like Obierika, who is Maduka's father, seem much more laid back, but still manage to get work done. Obierika even tells Okonkwo "'You worry yourself for nothing',"(66). He's also much less violent, choosing to skip out on the killing of Ikemefuna. It makes him no less of a man, it just makes him a happier one. Moving on to my questions. What is the significance of a kola nut in their culture? It's mentioned a lot, and it could be nothing important, but I'm guessing that the fact that it's mentioned so much means it's significant.
Part II-
First of all, when I was reading, there was one line that just stopped me in my tracks. While Obierika, Uchendu, and Okonkwo were talking about how many thought the stories of white men were made up, Uchendu said "'There is no story that is not true... The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.'"(141).That quote stuck out to me because of how true it is. Reading the posts from the first section of this book, so many people were outraged at how the women are treated. Here, women being treated like they were lower than men or even lower than dirt just isn’t stood for. We're all about equal treatment. But in other places in the world, showing the women that the men are "above them" is just what's normal and accepted. Also, the fact that he was saying there is no story that isn't true struck me because stories seem to be such an important part of their culture. In both Okonkwo's fatherland and motherland, stories were used to teach lessons. Males tell their sons stories of war and of the past, and women spin tales that have probably been passed onto them from their mothers. I also agree with Marrisa about it being ironic that Okonkwo is punished for an accidental death. I thought it was really interesting that Obierika was pondering the fairness of this later, thinking "Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently,"(125). Most of the characters seem to do what the law is without question. To have Obierika question the rule, although it was only in his own thoughts, added a definite depth to his character.The church development surprised me. Katie was right in saying there was foreshadowing with the locusts, but I didn’t make that connection. I liked how Achebe really went into detail with the thoughts of the tribe members and how they felt torn yet amazed. In chapter sixteen, the crowd starts off with listening to the missionaries, deeply wrapped up with what they were saying. When the white man began to talk about settling with them, they became excited, but when he began to tell them their gods were false, some became angered, yet at the same time, it seems as if they thought him to be no sort of a threat, if not a little crazy. The missionary had said “’Your gods are not alive, and cannot do you any harm… They are pieces of wood and stone.’”(146) which sent the clan into fits of mocking laughter. I liked that Achebe documented all these feelings, because it helped me relate. If someone came to me and basically told me what I had believed all along was nothing but lies, I’d probably be amazed at first, but it would soon turn to an attitude of anger and disbelief. My question for this section would be: Is what we are learning about the development of the church what Obierika is hearing from Nwoye’s mother, or is it written as if we were reading it as it happened. I don’t know if I articulated that question correctly, but it said that Obierika went to see Okonkwo a few years after their first visit because he saw that Nwoye was a missionary and wanted to know what happened. When Okonkwo wouldn’t tell him the story, Achebe writes “It was only from Nwoye’s mother that he heard scraps of the story,”(144). Then the story of how the missionaries came begins to unravel. Oh, and also, when they were talking about the metal horse, I couldn’t understand what they meant. Now I know that they were referring to a bike. But how about when they say that the interpreter referred to himself as “my buttocks,”(144) instead of “myself”? Was it a misinterpretation from language to language, or what? I was trying to figure out what word could get confused with “my buttocks” but really couldn’t come up with anything.
Part III-
I, like everyone else it seems, was greatly surprised by Okonkwo's suicide. When Obierika said "‘we can take you where he is, and perhaps your men will help us.'"(206), my first thought was that Okonkwo was in hiding and Obierika was showing the men his hiding place. I was confused as to why Obierika would turn against him like that, but it was the only thing in my mind that made sense. Even when Achebe wrote "Then they came to a tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling..."(207), I still couldn't wrap my mind around what happened. Normally it doesn't take me very long to understand something, but I believe since it was such a change from what one expected, my brain refused to wrap around it.Moving on. I feel like the title of the book, "Things Fall Apart," was something that can't be tacked down to one particular moment. I think Achebe was trying to show you can't live your life fearfully and angry like Okonkwo did, but more like his father, if anything. Things will slip from your control, and if you've got something, make use of it while you can, because eventually it's going to get messed up or taken away. When the missionaries first settled, things fell apart. When Okonkwo was exiled, things fell apart. When he came back but people were too absorbed to be excited by his return, things for him fell apart. The list goes on, ending with his entire life falling apart. I, in a way, liked the negative reaction to the missionaries from some people. Coming from a Christian church you only hear about the wonderful things missionaries do and how everyone is so happy they are there and blah blah. You do hear about the struggles they go through as well, but it always seems as if they are in the right and the people they are teaching and preaching to are in the wrong. But this showed the opposite side of things. The missionaries were unfair, and stepped over their limits. I do agree that Okonkwo’s death was partly his fault because of keeping in his bottled feelings, but at the same time, if they hadn’t pushed the clan so much, events may not have unfolded in those ways. Finally, I love the way Obierika spoke to the D.C. when he told him Okonkwo was one of the greatest men in Umuofia and he was driven by the missionaries to kill himself which means he will be buried like a dog. It was like Obierika was finally realizing that their clan’s customs were wrong. At the same time, he was very against the Christians, so he disliked them as well. Obierika was angry and confused, but knew how to safely handle his anger. So, technically Okonkwo was to be buried as a dog. But would he be remembered thusly, or as a great man?
I'm not entirely sure of where to start. I guess I'd like to respond to Marrisa's question of who I feel sympathetic towards. My first answer would be neither Okonkwo or Unoka. I mean, I like Unoka more, because in our culture he'd be seen as an average, easy going guy. But in their culture, Unoka was detestable. I don't feel like he deserves to be sympathized with really. He did what he wanted to even though it was going against the norm for their culture, which is being a hard worker, where laziness is one of the worst things to be. Plus it wasn't like his life was really that bad. In fact, he seemed generally content, especially "when the village musicians brought down their instruments..." (4) He would play with them then, and that is when he was the happiest. It was said that "he loved ...the good fellowship,"(5). So, what I'm trying to say, is I don't feel sympathy towards him because he doesn't need it. Also,off the top of my head, I want to hate Okonkwo. As everyone has been saying, he's sexist, he's mean to his family, he breaks the clan rules, so on and so fourth. But if you look in one of the first chapters of the book, (the part that you begin to forget as you read the other chapters) Achebe had said that Okonkwo lived his life in fear. He was constantly afraid of looking like a woman, or ending up like his father. So really, I can sympathize with him. People do strange things out of fear, some of which translate into anger. I've noticed that the men in Okonkwo's clan aren't as harsh as he is. Okonkwo takes things and blows them out of proportion. For example, he talks about how he's worried about his twelve year old son who seems lazy. He doesn't sound lazy, that's for sure. Nwoye seems like any other twelve year old boy. He still secretly likes to hear his mother's stories, he longs to impress his father, and will help with any task he can, and he looks up to Ikemefuna as an older brother. He's not lazy, he's just still little. Men like Obierika, who is Maduka's father, seem much more laid back, but still manage to get work done. Obierika even tells Okonkwo "'You worry yourself for nothing',"(66). He's also much less violent, choosing to skip out on the killing of Ikemefuna. It makes him no less of a man, it just makes him a happier one. Moving on to my questions. What is the significance of a kola nut in their culture? It's mentioned a lot, and it could be nothing important, but I'm guessing that the fact that it's mentioned so much means it's significant.
Part II-
First of all, when I was reading, there was one line that just stopped me in my tracks. While Obierika, Uchendu, and Okonkwo were talking about how many thought the stories of white men were made up, Uchendu said "'There is no story that is not true... The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.'"(141).That quote stuck out to me because of how true it is. Reading the posts from the first section of this book, so many people were outraged at how the women are treated. Here, women being treated like they were lower than men or even lower than dirt just isn’t stood for. We're all about equal treatment. But in other places in the world, showing the women that the men are "above them" is just what's normal and accepted. Also, the fact that he was saying there is no story that isn't true struck me because stories seem to be such an important part of their culture. In both Okonkwo's fatherland and motherland, stories were used to teach lessons. Males tell their sons stories of war and of the past, and women spin tales that have probably been passed onto them from their mothers. I also agree with Marrisa about it being ironic that Okonkwo is punished for an accidental death. I thought it was really interesting that Obierika was pondering the fairness of this later, thinking "Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently,"(125). Most of the characters seem to do what the law is without question. To have Obierika question the rule, although it was only in his own thoughts, added a definite depth to his character.The church development surprised me. Katie was right in saying there was foreshadowing with the locusts, but I didn’t make that connection. I liked how Achebe really went into detail with the thoughts of the tribe members and how they felt torn yet amazed. In chapter sixteen, the crowd starts off with listening to the missionaries, deeply wrapped up with what they were saying. When the white man began to talk about settling with them, they became excited, but when he began to tell them their gods were false, some became angered, yet at the same time, it seems as if they thought him to be no sort of a threat, if not a little crazy. The missionary had said “’Your gods are not alive, and cannot do you any harm… They are pieces of wood and stone.’”(146) which sent the clan into fits of mocking laughter. I liked that Achebe documented all these feelings, because it helped me relate. If someone came to me and basically told me what I had believed all along was nothing but lies, I’d probably be amazed at first, but it would soon turn to an attitude of anger and disbelief. My question for this section would be: Is what we are learning about the development of the church what Obierika is hearing from Nwoye’s mother, or is it written as if we were reading it as it happened. I don’t know if I articulated that question correctly, but it said that Obierika went to see Okonkwo a few years after their first visit because he saw that Nwoye was a missionary and wanted to know what happened. When Okonkwo wouldn’t tell him the story, Achebe writes “It was only from Nwoye’s mother that he heard scraps of the story,”(144). Then the story of how the missionaries came begins to unravel. Oh, and also, when they were talking about the metal horse, I couldn’t understand what they meant. Now I know that they were referring to a bike. But how about when they say that the interpreter referred to himself as “my buttocks,”(144) instead of “myself”? Was it a misinterpretation from language to language, or what? I was trying to figure out what word could get confused with “my buttocks” but really couldn’t come up with anything.
Part III-
I, like everyone else it seems, was greatly surprised by Okonkwo's suicide. When Obierika said "‘we can take you where he is, and perhaps your men will help us.'"(206), my first thought was that Okonkwo was in hiding and Obierika was showing the men his hiding place. I was confused as to why Obierika would turn against him like that, but it was the only thing in my mind that made sense. Even when Achebe wrote "Then they came to a tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling..."(207), I still couldn't wrap my mind around what happened. Normally it doesn't take me very long to understand something, but I believe since it was such a change from what one expected, my brain refused to wrap around it.Moving on. I feel like the title of the book, "Things Fall Apart," was something that can't be tacked down to one particular moment. I think Achebe was trying to show you can't live your life fearfully and angry like Okonkwo did, but more like his father, if anything. Things will slip from your control, and if you've got something, make use of it while you can, because eventually it's going to get messed up or taken away. When the missionaries first settled, things fell apart. When Okonkwo was exiled, things fell apart. When he came back but people were too absorbed to be excited by his return, things for him fell apart. The list goes on, ending with his entire life falling apart. I, in a way, liked the negative reaction to the missionaries from some people. Coming from a Christian church you only hear about the wonderful things missionaries do and how everyone is so happy they are there and blah blah. You do hear about the struggles they go through as well, but it always seems as if they are in the right and the people they are teaching and preaching to are in the wrong. But this showed the opposite side of things. The missionaries were unfair, and stepped over their limits. I do agree that Okonkwo’s death was partly his fault because of keeping in his bottled feelings, but at the same time, if they hadn’t pushed the clan so much, events may not have unfolded in those ways. Finally, I love the way Obierika spoke to the D.C. when he told him Okonkwo was one of the greatest men in Umuofia and he was driven by the missionaries to kill himself which means he will be buried like a dog. It was like Obierika was finally realizing that their clan’s customs were wrong. At the same time, he was very against the Christians, so he disliked them as well. Obierika was angry and confused, but knew how to safely handle his anger. So, technically Okonkwo was to be buried as a dog. But would he be remembered thusly, or as a great man?
My Summer Work- The Remains of the Day
Part I-
I find it strange that the main character is a butler. Like many have said, I believe Stevens is going on a journey. He has this idea in mind that he’ll see Miss Kenton and ask her about coming back and such matters, but what will really happen? I hope he becomes less stiff. Every story he tells is about keeping your emotions contained. The butler in India was very restrained when he saw the tiger, and Stevens definitely recalled that story with pride. Emotions are like a very negative thing for him. The relationship between Stevens and Mr. Farraday is a very strange one. I couldn’t exactly tell what Mr. Farraday thinks of Stevens, but I suppose he must like him since he was sending him on the trip and paying for expenses. The only reason I was confused is just how they joke. When Stevens tried to joke back, Mr. F was super confused. I just wasn’t sure if he was really confused, or if he was more like why are you joking with me? I agree that Stevens might have a bit of a crush on Miss Kenton. He still calls her MISS Kenton (maybe trying to block out the thoughts that she’s married?) and he also makes excuses for her it seems. He said in one breath that he was bothered when people left for marriage, but in the next breath he claimed that he was not bothered by Miss Kenton’s leave for she was always very professional. Is that reading too far into it, or does that make sense?
Part II-
First, I’d like to comment on what babaloo said (“I don't understand why Steven's wants to hire Miss Kenton if he believes her to be this crazed almost having OCD about things, to come work with him.”) I think Stevens almost likes that manner. I’d say he almost seems to have a case of OCD himself. He wants everything done and everything perfect, even when it means practically ignoring the death of his father. Also, that quote that Courtney can’t think of a cool display name chose annoyed me as well. It seems that Stevens was contradicting his own opinion by having an opinion on not having an opinion. Boy, that was a mouthful. I guess in a way he is almost right. Though everyone CAN have an opinion, there are so many billions of people that one opinion can’t change the whole world. Stevens really is a very odd man. He said he denied working for Lord Darlington in order to escape any unpleasant feelings that might surface. But does it really reflect on Stevens so much that he has to deny it? I think that there is more to it than that. I’m almost positive he has doubts otherwise about Lord Darlington. Stevens just wants to be such a perfectionist that he won’t admit that he saw faults in the man he worked for. The connection I made to this: The other day me, a friend, and my dad were watching something on TV where Mr. Brown was talking to some lady about the school. (Channel 3, one of those shows.) He was saying problems from our school aren’t like drugs and stuff like you see on TV, but some real problems are poverty. My friend was like “I had no idea.” My dad, who is a social worker, said it is a big problem, and he’s worked with people in our town who suffer from it, but no one wants to admit that their family has a problem. Stevens worked for Lord Darlington for so long, and it was like Lord Darlington made mistakes, and Stevens didn’t want anyone to know he came from someplace where there were mistakes made. I guess that connection is slightly far stretched, but does anyone see where I’m going with it?
Part III-
This book really didn’t manage to make it even close to my top favorites. Perhaps it was the way Stevens talked, or perhaps it was because I couldn’t really relate to him.As many have mentioned, the part when Miss Kenton’s aunt passes away brings an odd, yet almost expected reaction from Stevens. He forgets to try and comfort her, or say he is sorry about the death, or anything of the sort. When he does remember, he wants to tell her, but since she was in her room, he assumed she was crying and didn’t want to interrupt a private matter such as that. Most people want comfort from their tears and sadness. This was all so foreign to Stevens that he had no idea that to comfort her might help. It just goes to show one more example of how strange and caged his emotions are. Also probably why Miss Kenton left to meet other people. Who would want to stay with someone so stiff, someone who only knows how to interact by giving orders or commenting on cleaning? That’s hardly even interaction. Also I feel like Stevens clings on to doing his job as a way to cope with having no social skills and losing Miss Kenton.I didn’t understand Stevens’ denial over having qualities of a gentleman. When Mr. Morgan asks what Stevens thinks a gentleman is, saying he must know because he is one, Stevens replied with “It is hardly for me to pronounce upon the qualities I may or may not possess.” (185) Does servanthood really run so deeply through him that he isn’t even allowed to think of himself as a gentleman? The last part of the book, day 6, really was sad. Stevens finally let his emotions (sort of) show, when talking to the man, who told him to stop looking back. His reunion with Miss Kenton was a bittersweet one, as he never told her how he felt. But in the end, he at least has the hope that he can go back and surprise Mr. Faraday. Even with that hope though, the final tone is rather sad.
I find it strange that the main character is a butler. Like many have said, I believe Stevens is going on a journey. He has this idea in mind that he’ll see Miss Kenton and ask her about coming back and such matters, but what will really happen? I hope he becomes less stiff. Every story he tells is about keeping your emotions contained. The butler in India was very restrained when he saw the tiger, and Stevens definitely recalled that story with pride. Emotions are like a very negative thing for him. The relationship between Stevens and Mr. Farraday is a very strange one. I couldn’t exactly tell what Mr. Farraday thinks of Stevens, but I suppose he must like him since he was sending him on the trip and paying for expenses. The only reason I was confused is just how they joke. When Stevens tried to joke back, Mr. F was super confused. I just wasn’t sure if he was really confused, or if he was more like why are you joking with me? I agree that Stevens might have a bit of a crush on Miss Kenton. He still calls her MISS Kenton (maybe trying to block out the thoughts that she’s married?) and he also makes excuses for her it seems. He said in one breath that he was bothered when people left for marriage, but in the next breath he claimed that he was not bothered by Miss Kenton’s leave for she was always very professional. Is that reading too far into it, or does that make sense?
Part II-
First, I’d like to comment on what babaloo said (“I don't understand why Steven's wants to hire Miss Kenton if he believes her to be this crazed almost having OCD about things, to come work with him.”) I think Stevens almost likes that manner. I’d say he almost seems to have a case of OCD himself. He wants everything done and everything perfect, even when it means practically ignoring the death of his father. Also, that quote that Courtney can’t think of a cool display name chose annoyed me as well. It seems that Stevens was contradicting his own opinion by having an opinion on not having an opinion. Boy, that was a mouthful. I guess in a way he is almost right. Though everyone CAN have an opinion, there are so many billions of people that one opinion can’t change the whole world. Stevens really is a very odd man. He said he denied working for Lord Darlington in order to escape any unpleasant feelings that might surface. But does it really reflect on Stevens so much that he has to deny it? I think that there is more to it than that. I’m almost positive he has doubts otherwise about Lord Darlington. Stevens just wants to be such a perfectionist that he won’t admit that he saw faults in the man he worked for. The connection I made to this: The other day me, a friend, and my dad were watching something on TV where Mr. Brown was talking to some lady about the school. (Channel 3, one of those shows.) He was saying problems from our school aren’t like drugs and stuff like you see on TV, but some real problems are poverty. My friend was like “I had no idea.” My dad, who is a social worker, said it is a big problem, and he’s worked with people in our town who suffer from it, but no one wants to admit that their family has a problem. Stevens worked for Lord Darlington for so long, and it was like Lord Darlington made mistakes, and Stevens didn’t want anyone to know he came from someplace where there were mistakes made. I guess that connection is slightly far stretched, but does anyone see where I’m going with it?
Part III-
This book really didn’t manage to make it even close to my top favorites. Perhaps it was the way Stevens talked, or perhaps it was because I couldn’t really relate to him.As many have mentioned, the part when Miss Kenton’s aunt passes away brings an odd, yet almost expected reaction from Stevens. He forgets to try and comfort her, or say he is sorry about the death, or anything of the sort. When he does remember, he wants to tell her, but since she was in her room, he assumed she was crying and didn’t want to interrupt a private matter such as that. Most people want comfort from their tears and sadness. This was all so foreign to Stevens that he had no idea that to comfort her might help. It just goes to show one more example of how strange and caged his emotions are. Also probably why Miss Kenton left to meet other people. Who would want to stay with someone so stiff, someone who only knows how to interact by giving orders or commenting on cleaning? That’s hardly even interaction. Also I feel like Stevens clings on to doing his job as a way to cope with having no social skills and losing Miss Kenton.I didn’t understand Stevens’ denial over having qualities of a gentleman. When Mr. Morgan asks what Stevens thinks a gentleman is, saying he must know because he is one, Stevens replied with “It is hardly for me to pronounce upon the qualities I may or may not possess.” (185) Does servanthood really run so deeply through him that he isn’t even allowed to think of himself as a gentleman? The last part of the book, day 6, really was sad. Stevens finally let his emotions (sort of) show, when talking to the man, who told him to stop looking back. His reunion with Miss Kenton was a bittersweet one, as he never told her how he felt. But in the end, he at least has the hope that he can go back and surprise Mr. Faraday. Even with that hope though, the final tone is rather sad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
