"Oh, how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play."
"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield was a very strange story. I did not really understand what the theme of the story was. I just thought the story was about a crazy old lady that liked to people watch. She would dress up and spend every Sunday eavesdropping on conversations of strangers in the park. Then she got it in her head that it was some kind of play and everyone showed up each week to act out their parts. As usual, she made sure she showed up each week for her part. However, towards the end, Mrs. Brill heard a boy and a girl talking about her and it really upset her and she broke her routine. I guess after reading it a second time I thought the theme might be about confidence because Miss Brill's level of confidence changed from beginning to end.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
"Once Upon a Time" - irony
"Then the man and his wife burst wildly into the garden and for some reason (the cat, probably) the alarm set up wailing against the screams while the bleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out of the security coil with saws, wire-cutters, shoppers, and they carried it - the man, the wife, the hysterical trusted housemaid and the weeping gardener - into the house."
"Once Upon a Time" was a depressing story. It kind of added a new meaning to the phase "once upon a time." Whenever I hear that phrase, I usually think it will be followed by a story with a happy ending. However, this was not; it was the opposite. The ending was very sad, but it was also ironic. The family was so afraid of the outside world that they kept adding barriors between them and the world. Their fear of the world crippled them more than it helped them. Every time they add a new security measure to their home they became more vulnerable to intruders because they had gotten so used to false alarms. Then the parents end up killing their little boy because of their over-the-top security system. The irony here is that the wall was meant to protect the family, however the wall killed the little boy instead.
"Once Upon a Time" was a depressing story. It kind of added a new meaning to the phase "once upon a time." Whenever I hear that phrase, I usually think it will be followed by a story with a happy ending. However, this was not; it was the opposite. The ending was very sad, but it was also ironic. The family was so afraid of the outside world that they kept adding barriors between them and the world. Their fear of the world crippled them more than it helped them. Every time they add a new security measure to their home they became more vulnerable to intruders because they had gotten so used to false alarms. Then the parents end up killing their little boy because of their over-the-top security system. The irony here is that the wall was meant to protect the family, however the wall killed the little boy instead.
"A Worn Path"
#5 Discuss the elements of plot and structure that dramatize Phoenix's journey. What are the obstacles to her quest and how does she overcome them?"
"Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead..."
In "A Worn Path," Welty uses a lot of imagery to describe Phoenix's journey into town. The imagery in the story is of the obstacles she encounters. She has to persevere and overcome many obstacles to get to town. Some of the obstacles were her age, the thorny bushes, the scarecrow, the dog, and man with the gun. Phoenix faced these obstacles with courage and overcame them because she was determined to make it to town. She overcame her age and her poor eyesight because she knew the way without being able to see because she had walked the path so many times. Phoenix had courage and persevered in order to get the medicine for her grandson because it gave her some satisfaction to know that she was helping her grandson.
"Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead..."
In "A Worn Path," Welty uses a lot of imagery to describe Phoenix's journey into town. The imagery in the story is of the obstacles she encounters. She has to persevere and overcome many obstacles to get to town. Some of the obstacles were her age, the thorny bushes, the scarecrow, the dog, and man with the gun. Phoenix faced these obstacles with courage and overcame them because she was determined to make it to town. She overcame her age and her poor eyesight because she knew the way without being able to see because she had walked the path so many times. Phoenix had courage and persevered in order to get the medicine for her grandson because it gave her some satisfaction to know that she was helping her grandson.
"Eveline"
#3 At just about the middle of the story (end of paragraph 9), Eveline sums up her life in Dublin: "It was hard work-a hard life-but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life." What about it makes it attractive to her?
"In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her."
In the story "Eveline" by James Joyce, Eveline is preparing to leave her life behind for a new life. As she reminisced about her past, Eveline began to wonder why she was leaving. She realized that her life was not that bad after all. She had a home and a family. Eveline was attracted to her lifestyle because it was comfortable. She had a daily routine that she followed and she was okay with that. Even though there was a possibility of a better life, Eveline was not sure that is what she wanted anymore. By the end of the story, the reader realizes that Eveline is afraid of change and a life in a strange new country because she chose not to go with Frank.
"In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her."
In the story "Eveline" by James Joyce, Eveline is preparing to leave her life behind for a new life. As she reminisced about her past, Eveline began to wonder why she was leaving. She realized that her life was not that bad after all. She had a home and a family. Eveline was attracted to her lifestyle because it was comfortable. She had a daily routine that she followed and she was okay with that. Even though there was a possibility of a better life, Eveline was not sure that is what she wanted anymore. By the end of the story, the reader realizes that Eveline is afraid of change and a life in a strange new country because she chose not to go with Frank.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Bartleby the Scrivener"
"I would prefer not to."
I thought "Bartleby the Scrivener" was a very strange short story. At first, it did not seem like there was a point and it was very slow. I was really bored reading this story because it seemed like it to along tome for the plot to develop. Once Bartleby entered the story, the plot started to develop more. I thought Bartleby was a very interesting character. When he started working, he was a very dilgent copyist, but he would not review anything. His only response was "I would prefer not to." While I reading, I started to wonder if the werethe only words he knew how to say. Eventually, it got to be annoying. I do not know what his situation was but I want to know more about him and I am confused as to why he died.
I thought "Bartleby the Scrivener" was a very strange short story. At first, it did not seem like there was a point and it was very slow. I was really bored reading this story because it seemed like it to along tome for the plot to develop. Once Bartleby entered the story, the plot started to develop more. I thought Bartleby was a very interesting character. When he started working, he was a very dilgent copyist, but he would not review anything. His only response was "I would prefer not to." While I reading, I started to wonder if the werethe only words he knew how to say. Eventually, it got to be annoying. I do not know what his situation was but I want to know more about him and I am confused as to why he died.
"Bartleby the Scrivener"
#2 Why do you think Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut are introduced to the reader before Bartleby?
"At the period just proceeding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as copyist in my employment and a promising lad as an office boy. First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut."
In "Bartleby the Scrivener," the minor characters are introducted before the main character. At the beginning of the story, the narrator begins by describing himself. Then he goes on to describes his employees (the minor characters) in great detail. Before the narrator could describe Bartleby, he had to describe the office setting. It was very important for the narrator to describe Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut first because it showed the narrator's acceptance of eccentric people. By describing the other characters first, the narrator establishes a feel for the office before Bartleby arrived. I think it was necessary to describe these other characters because it showed that the boss accepted the weird people because they also had good qualities as did Bartleby.
"At the period just proceeding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as copyist in my employment and a promising lad as an office boy. First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut."
In "Bartleby the Scrivener," the minor characters are introducted before the main character. At the beginning of the story, the narrator begins by describing himself. Then he goes on to describes his employees (the minor characters) in great detail. Before the narrator could describe Bartleby, he had to describe the office setting. It was very important for the narrator to describe Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut first because it showed the narrator's acceptance of eccentric people. By describing the other characters first, the narrator establishes a feel for the office before Bartleby arrived. I think it was necessary to describe these other characters because it showed that the boss accepted the weird people because they also had good qualities as did Bartleby.
"Hunters in the Snow"
#1 Which of the three principal characters do you find most sympathetic? the least sympathetic? Discuss your answers.
"You fat moron," Frank said. "You aren't good for diddly."
"What do you know about fat," Tub said. "What do you know about glands." As he spoke he kept shaking Frank. "What do you know about me."
In "Hunters in the Snow," I thought Tub was the most sympathetic and Kenny was the least sympathetic. I feltthe most sympathy forTub because Kenny and Frank did not really treat him well at all. To start, Kenny almost ran Tub over with his truck after he was an hour late to pick him up. Thenwhen they were hunting, Kenny and Frank left Tub behind. They were also always joking about how fat Tub was. The quote above shows how mean and insensitive they were to Tub and he finally stood up for himself. Then, I thought Kenny was the least sympathetic because it got what he deserved. Kenny took things way too far. Tub and Frank had no idea the farmer asked Kenny kill the dog. So when Kenny said he was going to shoot Tub, they did not think he was joking. I would have felt more sympathy for Kenny after he was shot if he had not been so rude and insensitive in the beginning.
"You fat moron," Frank said. "You aren't good for diddly."
"What do you know about fat," Tub said. "What do you know about glands." As he spoke he kept shaking Frank. "What do you know about me."
In "Hunters in the Snow," I thought Tub was the most sympathetic and Kenny was the least sympathetic. I feltthe most sympathy forTub because Kenny and Frank did not really treat him well at all. To start, Kenny almost ran Tub over with his truck after he was an hour late to pick him up. Thenwhen they were hunting, Kenny and Frank left Tub behind. They were also always joking about how fat Tub was. The quote above shows how mean and insensitive they were to Tub and he finally stood up for himself. Then, I thought Kenny was the least sympathetic because it got what he deserved. Kenny took things way too far. Tub and Frank had no idea the farmer asked Kenny kill the dog. So when Kenny said he was going to shoot Tub, they did not think he was joking. I would have felt more sympathy for Kenny after he was shot if he had not been so rude and insensitive in the beginning.
"Everyday Use" - indirect characterization
"In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man."
In "Everyday Use," Mama indirectly characterizes herself in the above quote. By describing her physcial characteristics and her actions, Mama shows the reader that she is not an ordinary housewife. From her physcial description, the reader can picture a large rough, maybe even manly, woman. Mama is a hard-working woman, who has never had an easy life. She describes how she works hard all day and never complains about having to work. This shows Mama's good nature. She also never mentions having any help which led me to believe she is a single mother.
In "Everyday Use," Mama indirectly characterizes herself in the above quote. By describing her physcial characteristics and her actions, Mama shows the reader that she is not an ordinary housewife. From her physcial description, the reader can picture a large rough, maybe even manly, woman. Mama is a hard-working woman, who has never had an easy life. She describes how she works hard all day and never complains about having to work. This shows Mama's good nature. She also never mentions having any help which led me to believe she is a single mother.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
"Interpreter of Maladies"
"When they found him, a little farther down the path under a tree, he was surrounded by a group of monkeys, over a dozen of them, pulling at his T-shirt with their long black fingers. The puffed rice Mrs. Das had spilled was scattered at his feet, raked over by the mnkeys' hands."
In this story, the monkeys were always present. I feel like they were foreshadowing what was coming. I also think they were a remindered of the parents' faults and lack of attention towards their children. The monkeys are an example of how things result from people's actions. The monkeys attacked Bobby because Mrs. Das carelessly ate rice puffs and Mr. Das was constantly taking pictures. The attack was a result of their careless actions. The monkeys would have ignored the family if they had not given them so much attention or fed them. But they did and as a result Bobby had to pay for it. However, I think it brought the family together a little because Mrs. Das finally showed some compassion and emotion towards her family.
In this story, the monkeys were always present. I feel like they were foreshadowing what was coming. I also think they were a remindered of the parents' faults and lack of attention towards their children. The monkeys are an example of how things result from people's actions. The monkeys attacked Bobby because Mrs. Das carelessly ate rice puffs and Mr. Das was constantly taking pictures. The attack was a result of their careless actions. The monkeys would have ignored the family if they had not given them so much attention or fed them. But they did and as a result Bobby had to pay for it. However, I think it brought the family together a little because Mrs. Das finally showed some compassion and emotion towards her family.
"A Rose for Emily"
"She was sick for a long time. When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl, with a vague resemblance to those angles in the colored church windows-sort of tragic and serene."
"A Rose for Emily" was a very weird story. It was also kind of confusing because the story is not in chronological order and the reader is never told dates. Time was always referred to by how many years had passed since her father's death or some other past event. Eventually a pattern arose in the story and it was easy to tell that time had passed because there was a new physcial description of Emily. The qoute above is example of this. So even though the story is not on chronological order, the reader can figure outthe order of the story by the physcial description of Emily and by how she is doing.
"A Rose for Emily" was a very weird story. It was also kind of confusing because the story is not in chronological order and the reader is never told dates. Time was always referred to by how many years had passed since her father's death or some other past event. Eventually a pattern arose in the story and it was easy to tell that time had passed because there was a new physcial description of Emily. The qoute above is example of this. So even though the story is not on chronological order, the reader can figure outthe order of the story by the physcial description of Emily and by how she is doing.
"Interpreter of Maladies" - indirect characterization
"At the tea stall Mr. And Mrs. Das bickered about who should take Tina to the toilet. Eventually Mrs. Das relented when Mr. Das pointed out that he had give the girl her bath the night before. In the rearview mirror Mr. Kapasi watched as Mrs. Das emerged slowly from his bulky white Ambassador, dragging her shaved, largely bare legs across the back seat. She did not hold the little girl's hand as they walked to the rest room."
In "Interpreter of Maladies," it does not directly say that Mrs. Das is a bad mother, inconsiderate, or rude. However, the reader can come to this conclusion by how others desribe her and how she acts. In the quote above, you can tell that she really doesn't want much to do with her children. She doesn't even want to take her daugther to the bathroom and she won't hold her hand. Mrs. Das seemed to only be concerned with herself, so it was shocking when she took in interest in Mr. Kapasi. However, her motives for her iterest in him are later revealed that she wantedhim to help her. Again it's all about Mrs. Das. She was never really interested in Mr. Kapasi, she just wanted him to fix her problems. Even though it is not expressly stated in the story, the reader can conclude that Mrs. Das is self-absorbed and inconsiderate from the indirect characterization.
In "Interpreter of Maladies," it does not directly say that Mrs. Das is a bad mother, inconsiderate, or rude. However, the reader can come to this conclusion by how others desribe her and how she acts. In the quote above, you can tell that she really doesn't want much to do with her children. She doesn't even want to take her daugther to the bathroom and she won't hold her hand. Mrs. Das seemed to only be concerned with herself, so it was shocking when she took in interest in Mr. Kapasi. However, her motives for her iterest in him are later revealed that she wantedhim to help her. Again it's all about Mrs. Das. She was never really interested in Mr. Kapasi, she just wanted him to fix her problems. Even though it is not expressly stated in the story, the reader can conclude that Mrs. Das is self-absorbed and inconsiderate from the indirect characterization.
"How I Met My Husband" -suspense
"As for me, I put it all out of my mind like a bad dream and concentrated on waiting for my letter. The mail came every day except Sunday, between one-thirty and two in the afternoon, a good time for me because Mrs. Peebles was always having her nap."
This short story really surprised me. The whole time I thought Edie was going to marry Chris. I was kind of disappointed when she married the mailman. Edie spent the most of the story describing how she met Chris, but only a paragraph about her husband. I guess it was just good use of suspense to keep the reader interested. When Edie first met Chris, I kept wondering how long it would be before they got together. Then they finally kissed before Chris left but he said he would write to her. Edie waited by the mailbox each day for the letter, but it never came. I though the waiting was just a build up of suspense because I thought a letter was actually going to come. So I was shocked when no letter came and she married the mailman. However, I think Edie's story about Chris was necessary to tell the reader how she met her husband.
This short story really surprised me. The whole time I thought Edie was going to marry Chris. I was kind of disappointed when she married the mailman. Edie spent the most of the story describing how she met Chris, but only a paragraph about her husband. I guess it was just good use of suspense to keep the reader interested. When Edie first met Chris, I kept wondering how long it would be before they got together. Then they finally kissed before Chris left but he said he would write to her. Edie waited by the mailbox each day for the letter, but it never came. I though the waiting was just a build up of suspense because I thought a letter was actually going to come. So I was shocked when no letter came and she married the mailman. However, I think Edie's story about Chris was necessary to tell the reader how she met her husband.
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