In Oscar Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest, the character of Jack Worthing endures the physical journey to and from Hertfordshire to London. This journey and experiences at each end add to the meaning of the work as a whole: the ironic importance of other people's opinions of oneself. Jack Worthing creates the fictional character of Earnest, allowing him to have an excuse to leave one location to go to the other. The creation of Earnest allows Jack to live vicariously through the excitement of a new person, a clear slate, open for all the changes and experiences he is willing to make and make up. The actual name of Earnest also symbolizes this ironic theme because the girls that both Jack and Algernon try to win over as this character of Earnest, are swooned simply by the name of Earnest. This also reveals the theme of having to be more than what they are. Jack and Algernon each need to be somebody else to be approachable to women, so they aspire to be someone they are not with this false character of Earnest.
The journey from the country to the city ultimately reveals the shallow characteristics of the people of this Victorian era. As they all arrange to meet, Gwendolyn, Cecily, Jack, and Algernon, the giant mess unfolds. Here, the false character of Ernest is shattered, due to the situation Jack and Algernon have created. This meeting reveals as well the true colors of Gwendolyn and Cecily of only wanting the men to fulfill the certain criteria they seeked, and of course holding the title of Earnest. Gwendolyn fell in love with simply the name of Earnest, and Cecily fell in love with the idea of an engagement and sharing a life with someone else. Gwendolyn, Cecily, Jack, and Algernon all aspired to find better and interesting things, and their fake and misleading actions only helped to reach their dreams. Gwendolyn and Cecily's decisions to forgive the men because they decide to both become Earnest by changing their names reveals additionally some characteristics of a typical woman of the Victorian era: swift to forgive and foolish to accept.
If it weren't for the meeting, resulting from the journey from Hertfordshire to London, this main theme would not have risen to the surface. Despite the fact that the idea of Earnest was entirely made up, it brought the characters together with their wants and revealed more of their individual characteristics. Additionally, this excitement-seeking journey from country to city with hopes of finding better things, and escaping dull life alluded to the meaning of the work as a whole: the importance of other's opinions of oneself. Jack and Algernon were so caught up in pleasing these women, that they adopted the fake role of an entirely different person. This journey essentially provided insight to the meaning of the work as a whole, by revealing the false and made up character of Earnest.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Marking Period 2 Assignment: Sound and Sense Poetry Analysis
Poem 1:
#200 "Woman Work" by Maya Angelou
p. 271
In this poem, a woman tells the story of all that is expected of her. She lists all the tasks she has to perform. She then begs for relief from many objects. This woman is desperate to be relieved of the stress she feels due to the tasks of a woman. The tasks she lists are daily events for her and other women. A woman's work is repetitive and difficult, and should not go unnoticed. Women are held to the standard that it is not okay to crumble within themselves; whatever they feel, they must not reveal, and instead keep their composure. Ultimately, man created the role of women in society, yet never actually experienced a day in their role. This woman in the text defies this role by wanting to break away from the every day life of being a woman in this time period. This woman feels oppressed and seeks a way out through nature. Although she has a family whom she cares for, she still does not feel they are her own because she connects so gravely with nature. The meaning of the poem is that the role of women in society is under appreciated and that they deserve a break every now and again.
In this poem, the point of view is that of a hard working woman looking for relief. She feels unappreciated and is desperate for an escape through nature, the only thing she holds close to her heart. Society is so demanding of women, and reading this poem from the point of view of a busy, hard-working woman exhibits the stress they experience in their role in society. The point of view demonstrates the emotional stress a woman in this time period faces, as they are bombarded with tasks expected of them by all of society. It also allows other women to relate to the feelings described in the text. If the point of view was different, say that of a man, the poem would change entirely. The reader would not understand the battle a woman faces in her mind about needing a break or feeling distant from her own family. Having the point of view from such a woman like the speaker demonstrates the actuality of this matter. The point of view allows a reader to sympathize with women in this time period. The phrase, "Storm, blow me from here" demonstrates a woman's plea to escape the tasks demanded of her. When the woman states "Shine on me, sunshine Rain on me, rain Fall softly, dewdrops And cool my brow again," she is very obviously begging for some sort of release. The point of view of a thorough, hard-working woman in this poem demonstrates the role of a woman in society quite effectively.
Another technique used in this poem to add to the meaning would be imagery. Through out the thirty lines, there are many examples of imagery. Once the woman completes the treacherous thought of her daily agenda, she seeks relief through nature. She looks to sunshine, rain, and dewdrops to relax her and keep her calm. The second stanza creates the image of bright sunshine, collecting her worries, rain washing away her stresses, and dewdrops cooling her down. Ultimately, it creates the ideal woman: relaxed and in control of herself. In the third stanza, she begs the storm to take her away and provide her a change. "Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind Let me float across the sky 'Til I can rest again". This clearly reveals her plea to a storm, which clearly cannot control its' gusts of wind or change it's direction per request of a person. In the fourth stanza, the woman dreams of snowflakes putting her to bed, tucking her in, and giving her goodnight kisses. The clear diction emphasizes this imagery. And in the final stanza, she claims that nature is the sole thing she claims as her own. A world of natural beauties cherished by a stressed woman is emphasized with Maya Angelou's chosen diction in this final stanza. Throughout this poem imagery is used to indicate the unnoticed, difficult role of a woman in this society.
In my opinion, this poem was a gracious act of revealing the struggles of a woman. So many people are dependent on a woman and what she does, but a woman never seems to be appreciated enough. Although this poem is very feminist, and I don't call myself one, I do relate to the matters touched upon in the contents of the poem. A woman does not have it easy, especially in this time period, and everyone deserves a break. Maya Angelou definitely did a great job at creating a work relatable to others. It plays upon a reader's feelings, causing the understanding of what a woman goes through. I really enjoyed the structure of this poem as well, the lengthy first stanza showed emphasis on the demands of a woman, and the following quatrains were greatly descriptive and created beautiful imagery. Overall, I was very pleased with this poem and would certainly recommend it.
Poem 2:
#254 "Life with Father" by Walter McDonald
p.314
This poem tells the story of children hiding from their father. Their father is a man who likes to drink and party, and possibly does not know how to handle himself. The children are clearly afraid of not only just their father, but what he will do to them if they don't complete their chores and behave themselves. A childhood spent in fear is certainly not a fortunate one, as these children can vouch for. The meaning of this poem as a whole is that all parents don't do a great job at their job as a parent and not all children are taken care of as well as they should be. Not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy. Symbolism and tone help to create and support the meaning of this poem as a whole.
Symbolism is used often throughout this poem. In the second stanza, "Only the Sunday funnies saved us after last night's raving," the funnies are referring to the Sunday comics in the newspaper. The comics are commonly recognized with children as a break and their way of starting the day with a good laugh. The comics represent their escape and their innocence. Even though they are so young, they are dealing with a matter much too big for children to handle, and the funnies are their release from the stress of their life. Again in the second stanza, being under covers symbolizes the relationship between the children and the father because underneath their covers they are guarded, they are safe, because they are not with their father. The covers provide a safe hiding spot, which they desperately look for. In the fourth stanza, folding the quilts and the funnies symbolizes growing up and getting over having to hide. By folding the quilts they are temporarily putting away their hiding spot, and becoming vulnerable. By folding the funnies, they are also temporarily putting away their role as a child, because they have to deal with bigger things. The father is a symbol of a terrible, terrible figure that the children can not escape, depicted through symbols like "a demon," "fi-foe-fum of his slumber," and "the heavy stalk of his stupor". He is symbolized as a monster, someone who cannot control himself and who throws his problems on his very innocent children. Symbolism plays a key role in adding to the meaning of the poem as a whole, that not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy.
The tone of this poem is very solemn. The children try to explain their relationship with their father as they know it, but being just children they explained him with their feelings: scared, sad, and deprived. They only had each other. Some specific examples of diction that add to this innocent tone are such as, "hide from whiskey in our daddy's snoring," and "crept softly through our chores as if in church, soothing the fi-foe-fum of his slumber, fearing the thrum of his boots." They speak the truth, the only way they know how. This diction creates an empathetic tone because the reader feels bad for the children: that they must go through their childhood fearing their father and only clinging to each other for love and support. Words like "saved" and "doted" and "bumbling" exhibits that the children are trying to fathom and process the experience themselves as they are trying to explain it. This creates a tone that is sad and intimate, proving that not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy.
In my opinion, I enjoyed this poem but not the content. The children told a sad story, and the words they chose truly made me feel sorry for them. I can not imagine having a alcoholic father and having to tip-toe around him. I would hate to live in fear, and truly am thankful I do not. The innocence of the poem was excellent. The children's perspective of the situation was a great approach at writing about the subject. I was truly pleased with this poem and enjoyed analyzing it as well.
#200 "Woman Work" by Maya Angelou
p. 271
In this poem, a woman tells the story of all that is expected of her. She lists all the tasks she has to perform. She then begs for relief from many objects. This woman is desperate to be relieved of the stress she feels due to the tasks of a woman. The tasks she lists are daily events for her and other women. A woman's work is repetitive and difficult, and should not go unnoticed. Women are held to the standard that it is not okay to crumble within themselves; whatever they feel, they must not reveal, and instead keep their composure. Ultimately, man created the role of women in society, yet never actually experienced a day in their role. This woman in the text defies this role by wanting to break away from the every day life of being a woman in this time period. This woman feels oppressed and seeks a way out through nature. Although she has a family whom she cares for, she still does not feel they are her own because she connects so gravely with nature. The meaning of the poem is that the role of women in society is under appreciated and that they deserve a break every now and again.
In this poem, the point of view is that of a hard working woman looking for relief. She feels unappreciated and is desperate for an escape through nature, the only thing she holds close to her heart. Society is so demanding of women, and reading this poem from the point of view of a busy, hard-working woman exhibits the stress they experience in their role in society. The point of view demonstrates the emotional stress a woman in this time period faces, as they are bombarded with tasks expected of them by all of society. It also allows other women to relate to the feelings described in the text. If the point of view was different, say that of a man, the poem would change entirely. The reader would not understand the battle a woman faces in her mind about needing a break or feeling distant from her own family. Having the point of view from such a woman like the speaker demonstrates the actuality of this matter. The point of view allows a reader to sympathize with women in this time period. The phrase, "Storm, blow me from here" demonstrates a woman's plea to escape the tasks demanded of her. When the woman states "Shine on me, sunshine Rain on me, rain Fall softly, dewdrops And cool my brow again," she is very obviously begging for some sort of release. The point of view of a thorough, hard-working woman in this poem demonstrates the role of a woman in society quite effectively.
Another technique used in this poem to add to the meaning would be imagery. Through out the thirty lines, there are many examples of imagery. Once the woman completes the treacherous thought of her daily agenda, she seeks relief through nature. She looks to sunshine, rain, and dewdrops to relax her and keep her calm. The second stanza creates the image of bright sunshine, collecting her worries, rain washing away her stresses, and dewdrops cooling her down. Ultimately, it creates the ideal woman: relaxed and in control of herself. In the third stanza, she begs the storm to take her away and provide her a change. "Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind Let me float across the sky 'Til I can rest again". This clearly reveals her plea to a storm, which clearly cannot control its' gusts of wind or change it's direction per request of a person. In the fourth stanza, the woman dreams of snowflakes putting her to bed, tucking her in, and giving her goodnight kisses. The clear diction emphasizes this imagery. And in the final stanza, she claims that nature is the sole thing she claims as her own. A world of natural beauties cherished by a stressed woman is emphasized with Maya Angelou's chosen diction in this final stanza. Throughout this poem imagery is used to indicate the unnoticed, difficult role of a woman in this society.
In my opinion, this poem was a gracious act of revealing the struggles of a woman. So many people are dependent on a woman and what she does, but a woman never seems to be appreciated enough. Although this poem is very feminist, and I don't call myself one, I do relate to the matters touched upon in the contents of the poem. A woman does not have it easy, especially in this time period, and everyone deserves a break. Maya Angelou definitely did a great job at creating a work relatable to others. It plays upon a reader's feelings, causing the understanding of what a woman goes through. I really enjoyed the structure of this poem as well, the lengthy first stanza showed emphasis on the demands of a woman, and the following quatrains were greatly descriptive and created beautiful imagery. Overall, I was very pleased with this poem and would certainly recommend it.
Poem 2:
#254 "Life with Father" by Walter McDonald
p.314
This poem tells the story of children hiding from their father. Their father is a man who likes to drink and party, and possibly does not know how to handle himself. The children are clearly afraid of not only just their father, but what he will do to them if they don't complete their chores and behave themselves. A childhood spent in fear is certainly not a fortunate one, as these children can vouch for. The meaning of this poem as a whole is that all parents don't do a great job at their job as a parent and not all children are taken care of as well as they should be. Not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy. Symbolism and tone help to create and support the meaning of this poem as a whole.
Symbolism is used often throughout this poem. In the second stanza, "Only the Sunday funnies saved us after last night's raving," the funnies are referring to the Sunday comics in the newspaper. The comics are commonly recognized with children as a break and their way of starting the day with a good laugh. The comics represent their escape and their innocence. Even though they are so young, they are dealing with a matter much too big for children to handle, and the funnies are their release from the stress of their life. Again in the second stanza, being under covers symbolizes the relationship between the children and the father because underneath their covers they are guarded, they are safe, because they are not with their father. The covers provide a safe hiding spot, which they desperately look for. In the fourth stanza, folding the quilts and the funnies symbolizes growing up and getting over having to hide. By folding the quilts they are temporarily putting away their hiding spot, and becoming vulnerable. By folding the funnies, they are also temporarily putting away their role as a child, because they have to deal with bigger things. The father is a symbol of a terrible, terrible figure that the children can not escape, depicted through symbols like "a demon," "fi-foe-fum of his slumber," and "the heavy stalk of his stupor". He is symbolized as a monster, someone who cannot control himself and who throws his problems on his very innocent children. Symbolism plays a key role in adding to the meaning of the poem as a whole, that not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy.
The tone of this poem is very solemn. The children try to explain their relationship with their father as they know it, but being just children they explained him with their feelings: scared, sad, and deprived. They only had each other. Some specific examples of diction that add to this innocent tone are such as, "hide from whiskey in our daddy's snoring," and "crept softly through our chores as if in church, soothing the fi-foe-fum of his slumber, fearing the thrum of his boots." They speak the truth, the only way they know how. This diction creates an empathetic tone because the reader feels bad for the children: that they must go through their childhood fearing their father and only clinging to each other for love and support. Words like "saved" and "doted" and "bumbling" exhibits that the children are trying to fathom and process the experience themselves as they are trying to explain it. This creates a tone that is sad and intimate, proving that not all adults are pure and not all children have it easy.
In my opinion, I enjoyed this poem but not the content. The children told a sad story, and the words they chose truly made me feel sorry for them. I can not imagine having a alcoholic father and having to tip-toe around him. I would hate to live in fear, and truly am thankful I do not. The innocence of the poem was excellent. The children's perspective of the situation was a great approach at writing about the subject. I was truly pleased with this poem and enjoyed analyzing it as well.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Marking Period 1 Blog: The Handmaid's Tale
In Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, there are many apparent themes. A specific theme that appears often throughout the work is the control of sexuality. In the novel, sex is necessary for the government to obtain their primary goal: control of reproduction. As the goverment creates the Ceremony, they are forcing the Handmaids to endure harsh sexual affairs. The Commander is essentially raping the handmaid, because the handmaid has no say in the matter. People of Gilead burn pornography magazines, are openly opposed to gays and hate the idea of abortion and anyone who believes in it. The society of Gilead is based on sex. Everything the society is about derives from sex. Reproduction would not be possible without sexual relations between a handmaid and the commander. A Commander would not use his rights as a man if it were not for the sexual beings at Jezebel's. By creating uniform, restricted, and organized sex, the society ignites rebellion. Because the society of Giliead focuses on sex so immensely, the theme appears often throughout the novel.
One of my favorite passages of The Handmaid's Tale is from chapter thirteen. "I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will. I could use it to run, push buttons of one sort or another, make things happen. There were limits, but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with me. Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I'm a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping. Inside it is a space, huge as the sky at night and dark and curved like that, though black-red rather than black. Pinpoints of light swell, sparkle, burst and shrivel within it, countless as stars. Every month there is a moon, gigantic, round, heavy, an omen. It transits, pauses, continues on and passes out of sight, and I see despair coming towards me like famine. To feel that empty, again, again" (Atwood 73-74). Though this passage is lengthy, there would be no other place to cut it off. This passage highlights Offred's feelings about her body. The memories of what it was allowed to be and what it is now used for contrast. The disappointed diction contributes to the reminiscing tone of the passage. Offred wants to have her body for herself again; it frustrates her that she is so limited to what should rightfully be her own. Because like all other handmaids, she is put through the Ceremony with her commander, it tears her body apart, along with her mental state.
My thoughts on the novel are somewhat contradictory. I loved parts of the novel, and then I was deeply angered by other parts of the novel. The idea of the society intrigued me, that the government would all of a sudden control people's rights and even their bodies. On the other hand, the idea of the society made me so angry because how could they take away the rights of one's own body? It is their own, afterall. But I do suppose that is what happens in current times, with prostitution and such. Regardless, that idea made me upset. The idea of the Ceremony also made me angry. Yes, it is rape because the handmaid had no control over the situation. She did not have a choice, and was unable to consent because the handmaids had no opinions, therefore the act of the ceremony is certainly rape. More disturbing was the Commander's wife being there, and being encouraging of her husband having sexual relations with a woman she most likely despised. Overall, the work was not hated, just some ideas in the work were. The diction was understandable, and it was not a difficult read, but the concepts and ideas were hard to read sometimes.
One of my favorite passages of The Handmaid's Tale is from chapter thirteen. "I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will. I could use it to run, push buttons of one sort or another, make things happen. There were limits, but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with me. Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I'm a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping. Inside it is a space, huge as the sky at night and dark and curved like that, though black-red rather than black. Pinpoints of light swell, sparkle, burst and shrivel within it, countless as stars. Every month there is a moon, gigantic, round, heavy, an omen. It transits, pauses, continues on and passes out of sight, and I see despair coming towards me like famine. To feel that empty, again, again" (Atwood 73-74). Though this passage is lengthy, there would be no other place to cut it off. This passage highlights Offred's feelings about her body. The memories of what it was allowed to be and what it is now used for contrast. The disappointed diction contributes to the reminiscing tone of the passage. Offred wants to have her body for herself again; it frustrates her that she is so limited to what should rightfully be her own. Because like all other handmaids, she is put through the Ceremony with her commander, it tears her body apart, along with her mental state.
My thoughts on the novel are somewhat contradictory. I loved parts of the novel, and then I was deeply angered by other parts of the novel. The idea of the society intrigued me, that the government would all of a sudden control people's rights and even their bodies. On the other hand, the idea of the society made me so angry because how could they take away the rights of one's own body? It is their own, afterall. But I do suppose that is what happens in current times, with prostitution and such. Regardless, that idea made me upset. The idea of the Ceremony also made me angry. Yes, it is rape because the handmaid had no control over the situation. She did not have a choice, and was unable to consent because the handmaids had no opinions, therefore the act of the ceremony is certainly rape. More disturbing was the Commander's wife being there, and being encouraging of her husband having sexual relations with a woman she most likely despised. Overall, the work was not hated, just some ideas in the work were. The diction was understandable, and it was not a difficult read, but the concepts and ideas were hard to read sometimes.
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