6. In answer to a student who wrote to ask her "Is the grandson really dead?" Welty responded, "My best answer would be: Phoenix is alive." What might have led the student to ask that question? How can the author's remark be seen as an answer?
Apparently this student and I were on the same page because I was wondering the same question. Although it is not explicitly stated, I think that the grandson is indeed dead. The reason I think so is mainly because of the scene at the doctor's office where some subtle clues are given in her interaction with one of the nurses. Basically, I think that Phoenix is sort of crazy. At one point in the story, on page 224, she hallucinates and says that a little boy brings her a piece of marble-cake. Since this is clearly not the case, I took it as my first sign that she may not be completely sane. Also, the way that other characters act towards her seemed sympathetic. It seemed like many people knew of her condition so they let her be and didn't give her any trouble. The nurse was one of these characters. When she questions Phoenix about her grandson, she says "Throat never heals, does it?", implying that she had been getting him antibiotics for a long time. When she said that, I got a sense that her grandson had died a long time ago and she was just unwilling to accept the truth.
The author's answer illuminates the fact that whether the grandson is still alive or not is not important. The story is focused on the character of Phoenix and is unaffected by his absence. Either way, the story would have had the same effect because he was not the focal point.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"Evilene" by James Joyce
1. Analyze the first brief paragraph in detail. How does it help to introduce the story's theme? Why does the narrator use the unexpected word "invade" in the first sentence? Why is the second sentence written in passive voice?
This opening paragraph helps introduce the story's theme because it emphasizes the character's lack of control in her own life. When she describes the evening as "invading" the avenue, I got the sense that she did not like its presence. However, like so many other things in her life, she had no control of the time of day. This was further accentuated in the next few sentences written in passive voice. Because passive voice utilizes verbs of being, it was merely stating conditions she felt or observed. In this way, it only heightened the idea that she had no direction in her life. Eveline lived in a household where she was unappreciated and taken advantage of. Her father sounded like a somewhat cruel man, and she was only spared from his physical abuse due to the fact that she was a woman. For these reasons, I would also classify Eveline as a sympathetic character.
This opening paragraph helps introduce the story's theme because it emphasizes the character's lack of control in her own life. When she describes the evening as "invading" the avenue, I got the sense that she did not like its presence. However, like so many other things in her life, she had no control of the time of day. This was further accentuated in the next few sentences written in passive voice. Because passive voice utilizes verbs of being, it was merely stating conditions she felt or observed. In this way, it only heightened the idea that she had no direction in her life. Eveline lived in a household where she was unappreciated and taken advantage of. Her father sounded like a somewhat cruel man, and she was only spared from his physical abuse due to the fact that she was a woman. For these reasons, I would also classify Eveline as a sympathetic character.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
my thoughts
Out of the stories we read this week, I would say that "Hunters in the Snow" was my favorite. Although I disliked how self-centered the characters were, I found it most interesting and easy to follow. I also noticed a lot of humor and irony in these stories. During "Everyday Use", I found it ironic that Dee wanted to fully appreciate African culture when she had put so much effort into rejecting it throughout her childhood. She made it no secret that she hated her house and where she came from, but then later on she wanted to preserve pieces of her history - like the quilts. Whereas Maggie and her mother had appreciated their heritage all along, Dee only did superficially.
What I found most humorous about Melville's piece was the character of Bartleby. On page 670, when the narrator is trying to find a new and suitable career for Bartleby, he says "I would not like it at all; though, as I said before, I am not particular". The lawyer questions him about several different businesses he could enter and everytime his answer is the same: he would prefer not to do any of them though he is not particular. Here is a clear example of verbal irony. While Bartleby keeps stating that he is not particular, he is in fact quite the opposite. He is very particular in the fact that he prefers to do nothing at all and will not do anything that does not suit him. He must have been a frustrating character for the others to deal with.
What I found most humorous about Melville's piece was the character of Bartleby. On page 670, when the narrator is trying to find a new and suitable career for Bartleby, he says "I would not like it at all; though, as I said before, I am not particular". The lawyer questions him about several different businesses he could enter and everytime his answer is the same: he would prefer not to do any of them though he is not particular. Here is a clear example of verbal irony. While Bartleby keeps stating that he is not particular, he is in fact quite the opposite. He is very particular in the fact that he prefers to do nothing at all and will not do anything that does not suit him. He must have been a frustrating character for the others to deal with.
"Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville
6. Who is the protagonist? Whose story is it?
The protagonist of this story is the lawyer. It is told from his vantage point and directly conveys his perceptions about each of his employees. While the story itself is the lawyer's, it definitely focuses most on the character of Bartleby. Bartleby is a peculiar man whom not much is revealed about throughout the course of the story. He remains fixed and unchanging (a static character) through the plot, and his favorite phrase in his vocabulary is "I would prefer not". The other two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, are perfect foil characters for one another. Turkey was a man who worked diligently in the morning but became careless in the afternoon. Nippers, being the exact opposite, was capricious in the mornings but calm and collected in the afternoons. Because of their balancing temperaments, they were able to function well together in the office and stay productive.
The protagonist of this story is the lawyer. It is told from his vantage point and directly conveys his perceptions about each of his employees. While the story itself is the lawyer's, it definitely focuses most on the character of Bartleby. Bartleby is a peculiar man whom not much is revealed about throughout the course of the story. He remains fixed and unchanging (a static character) through the plot, and his favorite phrase in his vocabulary is "I would prefer not". The other two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, are perfect foil characters for one another. Turkey was a man who worked diligently in the morning but became careless in the afternoon. Nippers, being the exact opposite, was capricious in the mornings but calm and collected in the afternoons. Because of their balancing temperaments, they were able to function well together in the office and stay productive.
"Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff
7. What is the purpose of the scene in which Frank and Tub stop at the tavern for food and coffee, leaving the wounded Kenny in the back of the truck?
The purpose of this scene is to highlight the level of selfishness each of these characters possess. Each one of them is so absorbed in their own issue that they fail to help one another as supposedly "best friends" would do. The problem I found with Kenny was that he was overall a cruel character. He mercilessly teased Tub about his weight and killed a sick dog without a moment's hesitation. My initial reaction to him being shot was that he had it coming for himself. Frank, on the other hand, was lusting for a different woman than his wife. Perhaps even more unsettling was the fact that it was his 15 year old babysitter rather than anyone remotely his age. He had decided he was going to leave his wife for her, but this was what made him most selfish in my opinion because he had neglected to think about the effects this would have on his children. He was only thinking for himself without considering the consequences of these actions. And last but not least, Tub was selfish in yet another aspect. He was a glutton and had allowed himself to become obese by gorging himself with inordinate amounts of food. He tried to keep this a secret from everyone, blaming it on his "glands" so that no one would judge him. While Frank and Tub stopped at the tavern for food, I found the description of the four plates of pancakes he ate slightly sickening. There was also some significant irony involved with their tavern pit stop. While they were inside talking about how they would support one another with their problems, meanwhile Kenny had been left outside in the bed of his truck to die. The weather conditions were freezing and he was suffering a bullet wound, yet neither of his friends seemed to be concerned about his health. They should have been rushing him to the hospital but instead they were worried about themselves. Clearly, their levels of selfishness were extreme.
The purpose of this scene is to highlight the level of selfishness each of these characters possess. Each one of them is so absorbed in their own issue that they fail to help one another as supposedly "best friends" would do. The problem I found with Kenny was that he was overall a cruel character. He mercilessly teased Tub about his weight and killed a sick dog without a moment's hesitation. My initial reaction to him being shot was that he had it coming for himself. Frank, on the other hand, was lusting for a different woman than his wife. Perhaps even more unsettling was the fact that it was his 15 year old babysitter rather than anyone remotely his age. He had decided he was going to leave his wife for her, but this was what made him most selfish in my opinion because he had neglected to think about the effects this would have on his children. He was only thinking for himself without considering the consequences of these actions. And last but not least, Tub was selfish in yet another aspect. He was a glutton and had allowed himself to become obese by gorging himself with inordinate amounts of food. He tried to keep this a secret from everyone, blaming it on his "glands" so that no one would judge him. While Frank and Tub stopped at the tavern for food, I found the description of the four plates of pancakes he ate slightly sickening. There was also some significant irony involved with their tavern pit stop. While they were inside talking about how they would support one another with their problems, meanwhile Kenny had been left outside in the bed of his truck to die. The weather conditions were freezing and he was suffering a bullet wound, yet neither of his friends seemed to be concerned about his health. They should have been rushing him to the hospital but instead they were worried about themselves. Clearly, their levels of selfishness were extreme.
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
4. Does the mother's refusal to let Dee have the quilts indicate a permanent or temporary change of character? Why has she never done anything like it before? Why does she do it now? What details in the story prepare for and foreshadow that refusal?
I think that the mother's refusal in allowing Dee to have the quilts indicates a permanent change in her character. Because she had never previously responded to Dee that way, I think it marked a significant change in her attitude towards her and will affect how she reacts to her from here on out. Before taking the quilts away from Dee, she said that "something hit [her] in the top of [her] head and ran down to the soles of [her] feet" (page 181) which caused her to snatch them back. I think what "hit" her was the realization that Dee did not deserve the quilts and would never fully appreciate them the way Maggie would. Although it never says why Maggie and Dee were treated differently throughout childhood, I got the feeling that Maggie was sort of the neglected child. Dee was outgoing and strong-willed so she got her way most of the time. She had grown used to getting what she wanted, and refusal was not something she was familiar with. A detail that foreshadowed this event happening was when the mother thought back to when she "had offered Dee (Wangero) a quilt when she went away to college. Then she had told me they were old-fashioned, out of style". This brief insight into the mother's thoughts shows that she did not appreciate Dee's criticism of the quilts and how she suddenly expected to be able to take anything she wanted from their home the moment she came back to visit.
I think that the mother's refusal in allowing Dee to have the quilts indicates a permanent change in her character. Because she had never previously responded to Dee that way, I think it marked a significant change in her attitude towards her and will affect how she reacts to her from here on out. Before taking the quilts away from Dee, she said that "something hit [her] in the top of [her] head and ran down to the soles of [her] feet" (page 181) which caused her to snatch them back. I think what "hit" her was the realization that Dee did not deserve the quilts and would never fully appreciate them the way Maggie would. Although it never says why Maggie and Dee were treated differently throughout childhood, I got the feeling that Maggie was sort of the neglected child. Dee was outgoing and strong-willed so she got her way most of the time. She had grown used to getting what she wanted, and refusal was not something she was familiar with. A detail that foreshadowed this event happening was when the mother thought back to when she "had offered Dee (Wangero) a quilt when she went away to college. Then she had told me they were old-fashioned, out of style". This brief insight into the mother's thoughts shows that she did not appreciate Dee's criticism of the quilts and how she suddenly expected to be able to take anything she wanted from their home the moment she came back to visit.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
my thoughts
My favorite of the three stories this week was probably "How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro. I liked how there was an element of surprise in that storyline and how the ending was unexpected. Although it was a good story, I sort of got the sense that she wasn't incredibly happy with her mailman husband. She failed to mention their relationship until the last paragraph of the story, and gave the impression that she had merely settled for him because he showed interest in her. When she talked about their first date, "he asked if I would like to go to Goderich, where some well-known movie was on, I forget now what" (page 146), I found it odd that she couldn't even seem to remember the name of the movie. Don't most girls remember every detail about their first date with a guy they really like? That's my opinion at least. Regardless, I'm glad that she ended up with a good husband.
In "Interpreter of Maladies", what I took as the central conflict in the story was the fact that all the main characters were unsatisfied with their lives. I thought it demonstrated a common theme of adults being discontent with where they've come in life. Many people in today's society seem to be unhappy with their lifestyles or current situations, and I thought this story illustrated it well.
As for "A Rose for Emily", I personally just found this story unsettling. Miss Emily was a creepy main character and the townspeople can probably rest better at night knowing that she's now dead. I know that's harsh, but hey, the truth hurts is what I hear.
In "Interpreter of Maladies", what I took as the central conflict in the story was the fact that all the main characters were unsatisfied with their lives. I thought it demonstrated a common theme of adults being discontent with where they've come in life. Many people in today's society seem to be unhappy with their lifestyles or current situations, and I thought this story illustrated it well.
As for "A Rose for Emily", I personally just found this story unsettling. Miss Emily was a creepy main character and the townspeople can probably rest better at night knowing that she's now dead. I know that's harsh, but hey, the truth hurts is what I hear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)