Friday, April 30, 2010
Guest Blogger: Megan S.
Blog Post
During class this week we have been working on determining the different themes of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. Shelley uses multiple themes to construct the novel. The main themes that we came up with in class were a focus on knowledge and people are afraid what is different and out of place.
Starting with knowledge, I think that dealing with knowledge is a key factor in understanding Frankenstein. The two characters that are symbols of knowledge are Victor and Walton. Both Victor and Walton use an abundance of knowledge. The motivation of their knowledge is driven by greed. They wanted to be the first one to create something or the first to discover something new. They drove their selves to reach their goals, by pushing their knowledge to the limit. However once Victor has enough knowledge to create the monster, he regrets it in the end. He has so much knowledge that he does what nature cannot. Bad things happen to Victor because he went past the knowledge limit. Although Victor and Walton share the need for knowledge, they are very different cases. Walton uses his knowledge to discover, however he doesn’t tamper with nature. Victor uses his knowledge to create, and he changes and alters nature. Other characters in the novel experience changes in knowledge. For example, the monster in the story gains knowledge as he progresses in his new life. So, in the monsters case, knowledge helped him in life but it also hindered him. In the case of knowledge helping the monster, he learned how to keep himself warm and how to survive in the wild. In the case of knowledge hindering the monster, he learned how to have many emotions and feels certain things that without knowledge he would have never experienced. For example, if the monster didn’t have knowledge he wouldn’t be feel like he was alone in the world.
Finally, people are afraid of what is different and out of place is an important theme in Frankenstein. Once Victor Frankenstein created the monster he was afraid of his creation. Another example would be when the monster enters the town and everyone screamed and fainted. They didn’t have a chance to talk or get to know the monster. The townspeople reacted without knowing anything about the monster. The monster is different and was out of place, therefore he was not accepted.
Theme is a very important part in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Two of the many key themes in the novel were about knowledge and people fear what is different and out of place. Our class time discussing theme was well worth it.
During class this week we have been working on determining the different themes of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. Shelley uses multiple themes to construct the novel. The main themes that we came up with in class were a focus on knowledge and people are afraid what is different and out of place.
Starting with knowledge, I think that dealing with knowledge is a key factor in understanding Frankenstein. The two characters that are symbols of knowledge are Victor and Walton. Both Victor and Walton use an abundance of knowledge. The motivation of their knowledge is driven by greed. They wanted to be the first one to create something or the first to discover something new. They drove their selves to reach their goals, by pushing their knowledge to the limit. However once Victor has enough knowledge to create the monster, he regrets it in the end. He has so much knowledge that he does what nature cannot. Bad things happen to Victor because he went past the knowledge limit. Although Victor and Walton share the need for knowledge, they are very different cases. Walton uses his knowledge to discover, however he doesn’t tamper with nature. Victor uses his knowledge to create, and he changes and alters nature. Other characters in the novel experience changes in knowledge. For example, the monster in the story gains knowledge as he progresses in his new life. So, in the monsters case, knowledge helped him in life but it also hindered him. In the case of knowledge helping the monster, he learned how to keep himself warm and how to survive in the wild. In the case of knowledge hindering the monster, he learned how to have many emotions and feels certain things that without knowledge he would have never experienced. For example, if the monster didn’t have knowledge he wouldn’t be feel like he was alone in the world.
Finally, people are afraid of what is different and out of place is an important theme in Frankenstein. Once Victor Frankenstein created the monster he was afraid of his creation. Another example would be when the monster enters the town and everyone screamed and fainted. They didn’t have a chance to talk or get to know the monster. The townspeople reacted without knowing anything about the monster. The monster is different and was out of place, therefore he was not accepted.
Theme is a very important part in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Two of the many key themes in the novel were about knowledge and people fear what is different and out of place. Our class time discussing theme was well worth it.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Process Paper detailed
2nd Semester Process Paper
We have just finished reading and analyzing three pieces of literature, Turn of the Screw, Ethan Frome and As I Lay Dying. For this process essay, please choose a literary technique or element and discuss said element using each of the three novels.
Guidelines:
o Text support with citations is required, along with a Works Cited page
o Length should be between 4-5 pages typed, double spaced
o All three pieces need to be discussed in relation to your chosen technique/element
o Essay should focus on analysis, not plot summary
o Paper is due on Monday, April 19th and needs to be submitted to SafeAssign by midnight on the 19th
We have just finished reading and analyzing three pieces of literature, Turn of the Screw, Ethan Frome and As I Lay Dying. For this process essay, please choose a literary technique or element and discuss said element using each of the three novels.
Guidelines:
o Text support with citations is required, along with a Works Cited page
o Length should be between 4-5 pages typed, double spaced
o All three pieces need to be discussed in relation to your chosen technique/element
o Essay should focus on analysis, not plot summary
o Paper is due on Monday, April 19th and needs to be submitted to SafeAssign by midnight on the 19th
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Guest Blogger: Caitlyn B.
I think from writing As I Lay Dying from the perspectives of multiple narrators, William Faulkner was able to show different opinions and ways of handling the situation at hand. The family in this novel is going through most families’ worst nightmare, a death. The different characters each have very unique personalities and they are exposed through the multiple-narrator format.
Cash seems to be very introverted and focused on his carpentry. He seems to be uneducated, which limits him as a narrator. As the novel continues though, Cash becomes more vocal in the story, and by the end takes over as the main narrator when Darl’s sanity is lost.
Darl seems to take his mother’s death relatively well at the beginning. He seems to be a well-educated narrator, which gives him the ability to tell the story in a clear way. Addie’s death appears to turn Darl into a sort of philosopher, and he begins thinking very deeply about things. “And since sleep is is-not and rain and wind are was, it is not. Yet the wagon is, because when the wagon is was, Addie Bundren will not be. And Jewel is, so Addie Bundren must be. And then I must be, or I could not empty myself for sleep in a strange room. And so if I am not emptied yet, I am is.” (page 80). As the end of the novel approaches, Darl looses his sanity. It is not clearly stated whether this is simply an act to protect the Bundren family or if he is actually going insane.
Vardaman is such a young boy his character gives a unique perspective. This perspective is one of confusion. Vardaman is confused as well as confusing, which makes his chapters difficult for the reader to decipher. He does not understand what is going on, so in order to make sense of it for himself, he begins his own rationalization process. “And so if Cash nails the box up, she is not a rabbit. And so if she is not a rabbit I couldn’t breathe in the crib and Cash is going to nail it up. And so if she lets him it is not her. I know. I was there. I saw when it did not be her. I saw. They think it is and Cash is going to nail it up” (page 66). This quote from Vardaman is very similar to the quote from Darl above. Both of these characters go through processes of deep thinking, that are unclear and hard to follow for the reader. Vardaman also seems to be very focused on identity. “My mother is a fish” (page 84). When Darl goes insane, Vardaman has a passage in stream of consciousness in which he repeats over and over again my brother Darl.
Dewey Dell and Anse have one very similar characteristic; they are both very self-absorbed. Throughout the novel, all Anse cares about is getting his new teeth, and he even takes Dewey Dell’s money to do so. Dewey Dell is so worried about her pregnancy and keeping it a secret that she tells when Darl burns the barn down.
These very different family members each add a unique element to this story. While I found the multiple narrators confusing at times, I also thought it allowed Faulkner to show thoughts and reactions he could not have shown with a different point of view.
Cash seems to be very introverted and focused on his carpentry. He seems to be uneducated, which limits him as a narrator. As the novel continues though, Cash becomes more vocal in the story, and by the end takes over as the main narrator when Darl’s sanity is lost.
Darl seems to take his mother’s death relatively well at the beginning. He seems to be a well-educated narrator, which gives him the ability to tell the story in a clear way. Addie’s death appears to turn Darl into a sort of philosopher, and he begins thinking very deeply about things. “And since sleep is is-not and rain and wind are was, it is not. Yet the wagon is, because when the wagon is was, Addie Bundren will not be. And Jewel is, so Addie Bundren must be. And then I must be, or I could not empty myself for sleep in a strange room. And so if I am not emptied yet, I am is.” (page 80). As the end of the novel approaches, Darl looses his sanity. It is not clearly stated whether this is simply an act to protect the Bundren family or if he is actually going insane.
Vardaman is such a young boy his character gives a unique perspective. This perspective is one of confusion. Vardaman is confused as well as confusing, which makes his chapters difficult for the reader to decipher. He does not understand what is going on, so in order to make sense of it for himself, he begins his own rationalization process. “And so if Cash nails the box up, she is not a rabbit. And so if she is not a rabbit I couldn’t breathe in the crib and Cash is going to nail it up. And so if she lets him it is not her. I know. I was there. I saw when it did not be her. I saw. They think it is and Cash is going to nail it up” (page 66). This quote from Vardaman is very similar to the quote from Darl above. Both of these characters go through processes of deep thinking, that are unclear and hard to follow for the reader. Vardaman also seems to be very focused on identity. “My mother is a fish” (page 84). When Darl goes insane, Vardaman has a passage in stream of consciousness in which he repeats over and over again my brother Darl.
Dewey Dell and Anse have one very similar characteristic; they are both very self-absorbed. Throughout the novel, all Anse cares about is getting his new teeth, and he even takes Dewey Dell’s money to do so. Dewey Dell is so worried about her pregnancy and keeping it a secret that she tells when Darl burns the barn down.
These very different family members each add a unique element to this story. While I found the multiple narrators confusing at times, I also thought it allowed Faulkner to show thoughts and reactions he could not have shown with a different point of view.
Guest Blogger: Michael B.
The past few weeks we have been doing a lot of work with perspectives so I guess I’ll explore that some more. As we have read the past few books, Turn of the Screw, Ethan Frome, and As I Lay Dying, we’ve experienced a wide variety of these perspectives. In Turn of the Screw it was really more of just an introduction into the idea of not just an outside all-knowing narrator, and by changing that, the story itself was changed. In As I Lay Dying, this was taken even further as we were placed inside of almost every character in the book to see their perspectives on the events occurring with the death of Addie and the family’s trip to Jefferson. Now this past weekend we read A Rose for Emily, and saw another perspective, first person, but plural with we rather than the typical singular and using I. This seems to be a very interesting idea; no longer does an author necessarily have to show agreement from each individual in a community using a multiple perspective approach as in As I Lay Dying. Yet using we still gives a greater sense of importance, and a more believable opinion than if an outside narrator said, “The town thought she was crazy”. This use of we, in A Rose for Emily, allows the town’s collective thoughts to be heard, “We did not say she was crazy then. We believed she had to do that.” (Faulkner 5). This is seen again in the first paragraph of the short story as well, “…our whole town went to her funeral…” (Faulkner 1). Without this first person plural perspective, the town would lose the “our” emphasis, no longer would the reader feel as connected to the town, whereas by using we and our, Faulkner helps connect the reader. In A Rose for Emily, this helps to further the contrast between the generations as well. Faulkner is able to use the different perspective to create a space around Emily, while still maintaining a more intimate feel of the first person narrative. In the final paragraph of the short story, the difference between first person with I and first person with we is shown again when Faulkner writes, “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it…” (Faulkner 10). Faulkner continues his sense of a community, and actions done are done by the community with his use of we noticed. When one of the members of the group lifts something off the pillow, rather than a typical “I” if written in first person singular, Faulkner uses one of us, still linking the community to the action. I thought this was very interesting, all the different perspectives, but especially using we as a point of view. What do you think, interesting? Weird? Confusing? Also, what other types of perspectives can or might an author write from?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Guest Blogger: Sarah S.
In this last unit, we have been talking a lot about the ideology behind the type of narration that the three books we have been reading have used. In Turn of the Screw, we discussed how Henry James used the governess to create ambiguity and also help us to believe the governess more readily, despite all of her ethereal claims. It was because of his choice to do so that she didn’t seem so crazy. In Ethan Frome, we talked about how Ethan himself couldn’t have narrated his own story. He wasn’t curious enough or articulate enough to explain everything to us in a complete fashion. That’s why we needed the narrator Edith Wharton chose to find out Ethan’s story for us and relate it back to us. Both of those books included only one character narrating.
Now, we have all recently finished As I Lay Dying. This book, unlike the other two, has 15 different narrators, all of whom talk differently, understand the events differently, and give us as the readers a glimpse into all of their minds. I looked up online how many narrators there are, and while doing so, I found a quote from Cash in the book that really explains, indirectly, the thinking behind having many narrators well: “Sometimes I ain’t sho who’s got ere a right to say when a man is crazy and when he aint. Sometimes I think it aint none of us pure crazy and aint none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. […] That’s how he can’t see eye to eye with other folks. And I reckon they aint nothing else to do with him but what the most folks says is right” (“As I Lay Dying Narrator…”). To me, this really describes how, especially in this book, we needed all of those perspectives. When members of the Bundren family describe what is going on, it is easy to see they are a little different than other families. Even when the Tulls talk, it shows how they are different than most other people. For the “puzzle” activity we just did in class, my group focused on the five narrators that had either never seen the Bundrens before, or in Peabody’s case, have rarely seen them. It is from these five perspectives in six different chapters that we really get a glimpse into how queer the Bundren family is. For example, Mosely (who ran the drug store) describes the sensation the family made in his town: “It must have been like a piece of rotten cheese coming into an ant-hill, in that ramshackle wagon that Albert said folks were scared would fall all to pieces before they could get it out of town, with that home-made box and another fellow with a broken leg lying on a quilt on top of it, … and the marshal trying to make them get out of town” (Faulkner 203-204). Clearly, Mosely and the other townsfolk find their situation an abomination. As both Rachel, Samson’s wife, and Lula, Armstid’s wife, say, “It’s an outrage!” (Faulkner 117 and 187). Without these other viewpoints, we, the readers, would never see to what extent how odd the Bundrens are. We see how socially awkward they are, how peculiar their journey is, and how others see them as lazy (especially Anse) and queer. No one understands why they are making this long, and apparently smelly, trip to Jefferson. With Faulkner’s choice to include all of these narrators, we get great glimpses that help to get the full story from many people’s point of view. We get a fuller picture, and really see how the Bundrens themselves, and their trip, are so strange.
Works Cited:
“As I Lay Dying Narrator: Fifty-nine sections comprised of fifteen different first person narrators.” Shmoop University, Inc. 2010. 10 April 2010..
*Note: The quote I took from this website is found in our books on page 238, but the version from the website is a different. I chose to use that version, rather than our version, because I think it explained how point of view makes a big difference better than our book.
Now, we have all recently finished As I Lay Dying. This book, unlike the other two, has 15 different narrators, all of whom talk differently, understand the events differently, and give us as the readers a glimpse into all of their minds. I looked up online how many narrators there are, and while doing so, I found a quote from Cash in the book that really explains, indirectly, the thinking behind having many narrators well: “Sometimes I ain’t sho who’s got ere a right to say when a man is crazy and when he aint. Sometimes I think it aint none of us pure crazy and aint none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. […] That’s how he can’t see eye to eye with other folks. And I reckon they aint nothing else to do with him but what the most folks says is right” (“As I Lay Dying Narrator…”). To me, this really describes how, especially in this book, we needed all of those perspectives. When members of the Bundren family describe what is going on, it is easy to see they are a little different than other families. Even when the Tulls talk, it shows how they are different than most other people. For the “puzzle” activity we just did in class, my group focused on the five narrators that had either never seen the Bundrens before, or in Peabody’s case, have rarely seen them. It is from these five perspectives in six different chapters that we really get a glimpse into how queer the Bundren family is. For example, Mosely (who ran the drug store) describes the sensation the family made in his town: “It must have been like a piece of rotten cheese coming into an ant-hill, in that ramshackle wagon that Albert said folks were scared would fall all to pieces before they could get it out of town, with that home-made box and another fellow with a broken leg lying on a quilt on top of it, … and the marshal trying to make them get out of town” (Faulkner 203-204). Clearly, Mosely and the other townsfolk find their situation an abomination. As both Rachel, Samson’s wife, and Lula, Armstid’s wife, say, “It’s an outrage!” (Faulkner 117 and 187). Without these other viewpoints, we, the readers, would never see to what extent how odd the Bundrens are. We see how socially awkward they are, how peculiar their journey is, and how others see them as lazy (especially Anse) and queer. No one understands why they are making this long, and apparently smelly, trip to Jefferson. With Faulkner’s choice to include all of these narrators, we get great glimpses that help to get the full story from many people’s point of view. We get a fuller picture, and really see how the Bundrens themselves, and their trip, are so strange.
Works Cited:
“As I Lay Dying Narrator: Fifty-nine sections comprised of fifteen different first person narrators.” Shmoop University, Inc. 2010. 10 April 2010.
*Note: The quote I took from this website is found in our books on page 238, but the version from the website is a different. I chose to use that version, rather than our version, because I think it explained how point of view makes a big difference better than our book.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Guest Blogger: Sam M.
Blog Post for March 30, 2010
William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying uses many perspectives to show a journey of the Bundren family to the city. Two of these perspectives belong to Cora and Vernon Tull, neighbors of the Bundren family. Cora comes in first, with her debut in the second chapter of the novel. Cora is the Christian zealot of the novel. About every other thought she has regards God or sin, and she regularly criticizes and scolds others for their perceived impiety. For example, at one point, Cora is having a flashback in which she talks to Addie Bundren about religion. Addie acknowledges her sin and is ready to accept a just punishment, and Cora replies “Who are you, to say what is and what is not sin? It is the Lord’s part to judge...” (Faulkner 167). It seems that Cora is more interested in being able to hold higher moral ground than actually acknowledging that Addie is a decent person. Addie does know her sin, and she accepts the punishment, which would normally be viewed as noble, but Cora turns it into a matter of Addie questioning God’s authority and insight into the human mind. Cora’s desire to hold this moral authority also stems from her simple dislike of the Bundren family as a whole. The only one she actually likes is Darl, whom she says is the only one besides his mother with “natural affection” (Faulkner 21). Cora finds Addie somewhere in the middle, as Cora sees that natural affection in her, but frequently criticizes her for loving Jewel more than Darl. The rest of the family is simply abominable in Cora’s mind. She characterizes them as greedy and heartless.
While Cora sits on the sidelines judging, Vernon continually helps the Bundren family. There is evidently a history of charity to the Bundrens, as shown when Vernon thinks, “Like most folks around here, I done holp him so much already I can’t quit now.” (Faulkner 33). In addition to showing that many people in the area help the Bundrens, this thought reveals that Vernon doesn’t really feel the urge to help out of goodwill, but more the feeling that if he doesn’t help more, all of his previous efforts would be a waste. That said, Vernon is shown to be a pretty good guy simply due to his continued help, despite the lack of gratitude by the Bundren family.
The Tulls are two very different people. Cora sits on the sidelines, judging and hating and trying to keep a moral authority, while Vernon actually helps the Bundrens, despite their lack of gratitude.
William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying uses many perspectives to show a journey of the Bundren family to the city. Two of these perspectives belong to Cora and Vernon Tull, neighbors of the Bundren family. Cora comes in first, with her debut in the second chapter of the novel. Cora is the Christian zealot of the novel. About every other thought she has regards God or sin, and she regularly criticizes and scolds others for their perceived impiety. For example, at one point, Cora is having a flashback in which she talks to Addie Bundren about religion. Addie acknowledges her sin and is ready to accept a just punishment, and Cora replies “Who are you, to say what is and what is not sin? It is the Lord’s part to judge...” (Faulkner 167). It seems that Cora is more interested in being able to hold higher moral ground than actually acknowledging that Addie is a decent person. Addie does know her sin, and she accepts the punishment, which would normally be viewed as noble, but Cora turns it into a matter of Addie questioning God’s authority and insight into the human mind. Cora’s desire to hold this moral authority also stems from her simple dislike of the Bundren family as a whole. The only one she actually likes is Darl, whom she says is the only one besides his mother with “natural affection” (Faulkner 21). Cora finds Addie somewhere in the middle, as Cora sees that natural affection in her, but frequently criticizes her for loving Jewel more than Darl. The rest of the family is simply abominable in Cora’s mind. She characterizes them as greedy and heartless.
While Cora sits on the sidelines judging, Vernon continually helps the Bundren family. There is evidently a history of charity to the Bundrens, as shown when Vernon thinks, “Like most folks around here, I done holp him so much already I can’t quit now.” (Faulkner 33). In addition to showing that many people in the area help the Bundrens, this thought reveals that Vernon doesn’t really feel the urge to help out of goodwill, but more the feeling that if he doesn’t help more, all of his previous efforts would be a waste. That said, Vernon is shown to be a pretty good guy simply due to his continued help, despite the lack of gratitude by the Bundren family.
The Tulls are two very different people. Cora sits on the sidelines, judging and hating and trying to keep a moral authority, while Vernon actually helps the Bundrens, despite their lack of gratitude.
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