"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.
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