Live Fast Die Young

"We Real Cool" by author Gwendolyn Brooks is a simple yet profound poem exploring the mindset of our wayward youth. "We real cool. We left school" (1,2) this is a accurate statement of the mindset felt by the youth. Many kid's do consider themselves cool while displaying unacceptable behavior based on society standards, also the word we as opposed to I is relevant here; because when bad or confused kid's run rampant they are more than likely to be in groups thus allowing their negative energy to feed off each other. "We strike straight"(3,4) is a passage indicating this may be some type of violent gang. This poem speaks volumes on how many kid's feel powerful, even eurphoric running around causing trouble, and also how they feel a sense of physcial invincibility; because of their age they think "nothing can happen to me i'm too young to die" why would one live so reckless unless they truely felt nothing can harm them? What is really important here are the events that take place with decisions we map out for our lives,mainly the bad decisions. The young people are being destructive and thinking they are having a grand ole time, live for today and damm tomorrow, never once considering the repercussions of their actions. Then one day their world of good times comes crashing down; and it's time to pay your dues, karma comes knocking at the door,the inevitably of such an lifestyle is at your feet.The tragic stories vary but the end result is always the same "We Die soon"(7,8)

Real Life Connection

The poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke was a poem that really stood out to me. At first like many other poeple who have read the poem I saw this poem as an abusive relationship between a father and son. The image that you get when the speaker paints the picture of whisky lingering in Papa's breath would make many people think that the father has a drinking problem. The battered knuckles of Papa also make it seem as though he is a hard and harsh man. Once you look deeper into the poem though you can see that the speaker is just trying to paint an image of his father that he can hold on to. He is using the smell of whisky as a smell that reminds him of his father. The roughness of the fathers knuckles just shows that he is a really hard working man to support his family. This really reminds me of my own father. He was a really hard working man to do the best for his family. He worked in a factory during the day and when he came home he ran the family farm. His hands were always rough from all the work that his did for us. And for that I appreciate him ever so much.

Torn

A dislike for poetry is unfair. So, I would not say I do not like poetry, but I also would not say I love poetry either. Poems are a short and sweet story that are sometimes understandable to me. A short story limits an authors word choice; crafty words are used to complete the message being sent by the author. Because of these crafty words, I often times come across words I do not know the meaning of which creates confusion to the poem. Sometimes the words make an entire stanza hard for me to decipher. I use a thesaurus when I come across these crafty words to help me better understand the story being told.
Poems that do not relate to me or poems that just do not make sense are boring. I tend to loose interest and forget poems with these characteristics."Digging" is an example of a poem I totally did not relate to or understand. When a poem comes along that does make sense and that does relate to my life, I will not just like this poem, but I will love them poem. An example of a poem such as this would be Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz". Memories of my father and I come out of this poem, great memories of dancing with my father. In conclusion, poems for me creates a love/hate relationship; I would not choose to bore myself to death with pointless, confusing poems, but I would love to discover more poems of interest to me.

Poetry

I have read poems before, many times. It wasn't until last week that I realized that some poems have a deeper meaning. I always just read them at face value. I do not really like the poetry we have read so far. I never know if it means what it says or if it has a deeper meaning. It confuses me sometimes, something I am not a fan of. I have not read, nor do I understand, much poetry. I do really like Robert Frost's "The Road Less Taken." I like it after having it explained to me that he doesn't really mean he took the road less taken and that you take the path you take. You never know if the path you took is the one less taken because he can't go back.

Degeneration X

Sometimes a generation improves itself based on seeing the faults the previous generation had. In Raymond Carver's "Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second Year" the writer continutes his fathers habit of alcohol abuse and maybe even is a worse addict. The writer has the benefit of seeing the way alcohol took so much away from his fathers life and still he allows it to become a problem in his life. He actually is mad at his father not because of this trait that was passed on to him but rather that he "didn't even know the places to fish...(15). The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My thoughts On Poetry

Back in the day, I used to truly loathe poetry; I used to read through the poem, motivated by mothing more than the fact that it was a class assignment, and think about nothing more than the how much time I wasted on reading it. I saw no message within the stanzas, and criticized the authors for even thinking that there could even possibly be a message within their work. There was one thing that woke me up to the message that poets send, that one thing is something we call "life".

During my teenage years, I've experienced a lot; love hate, pleasure, pain, and an incredible amount of events what could trigger these feelings. There was one time when I decided to against the conformity of everyone else and wrote a song. There was a sadness I had bottled up, and I simply wanted to let it out the best way I knew how. After that one song, I wrote more and more, and after a few more songs, I truly saw the power of what poetry can do. If you have experienced a traumatic event, and you manage to stumble across another person who just so happens to write a poem about it, you realize that there is someone out there that can relate to your struggle. That someone is also constructing a way of relaying that struggle for a world to understand, poetry can be a powerful tool.

So in this present day, my opinion on poetry has changed. Whenever I feel the need to vent, or even express creativity, the one thing I used to hate is now the one thing I turn to to express myself.

Why poems?

Poems are definitely not one of the easiest things to understand. You may think you understand what you need to know from the poem but when talking in class there is so much more to it. In my opinion I think poems are too complicated and maybe a bit overrated. Why not just say what you want instead of beating around the bush and adding more into it that isn’t necessary.
Remember the good old days of Dr. Seuss. They were easy to understand, rhymed a bit and were just fun to read. That’s what all poems should be like. Once they become hard to understand and aren’t being very clear with what they are saying is when I loss all interest. Most of the time I dislike poems even the ones I write myself. It may just be the format and the way they come off most of the time that makes me not care for them a whole lot. I also don’t like that I have to read one poem a few times just to understand it. Why are poems even that great? Maybe to show feelings but that really about it. Otherwise a short and sweet story will do just fine.

Reflection on Poetry

Poetry is a very unique type of writing. It does not always make sense, it does not always rhyme, and it is not always straight forward. Readers interpret poems in different ways and often times it is not the way the writer intends. In a poem, the writer only has so many lines to express the feeling or story they are trying to get across. Each person that reads the same poem could get a different meaning from the poem. Poetry can be hard to understand at times because of the limited stanzas writers can use in poetry. Some are just written in dialogue that is hard to understand. Poems that readers can relate to are going to be more easily understood. I am not very good at discovering meanings of poems, but this poetry section is helping me get better. After breaking down poems into smaller sections and looking closer at them, poetry becomes a lot more interesting. Poems are not always what they seem, which I think is one way poetry is different from other types of writing. The hidden meanings are what make readers think and decide what the writer is trying to portray in their work. Often times poems will not be interpreted the same way by readers, but this is what makes poetry more interesting. Everyone can use their own opinion to decide what each specific poem means to them.

Poetry Blog Casey Laub

So far I haven't minded reading poetry as much as I used to. I've honestly only read two poems so far, I only enjoyed one of them. I read My Papa's Waltz and Photograph of My Father In His Twenty Second Year. I liked My Papa's Waltz because after talking about it in class you can see how our society hears whiskey and we immediately assume somthing bad is happening. Then I read Photograph of My Father In His Twenty Second Year and don't know what to think: which is usually what happens when I read poetry. I don't get it there are so many angles you can take on poems. The thing that makes it unnapealling to me is that you never know which angle is the absolute correct one unless the author explains it afterwards. For example in My Papa's Waltz, in class we came to the conclusion that either he was abusive or he just drank casually when he got home from work. Who even knows which one actually happened and caused the poet to write the poem. I think: the poet that writes the poem should have a page after the poem that says what exactly he or she meant just to make it clear.

Reaction to Poetry

Poetry is something that I am not too familiar with. This is the first time I have really had to sit down and read poems. I already see that I was wrong thinking that poetry was primarily rhyming and really created without deep meaning. From what we have done in class I already understand that there is a lot of information that needs to be uncovered in a very small space. For me poetry is hard to read and fully understand without classroom discussion. I catch myself reading the words and thinking very basic much of the time leading to my misinterpretation of the poem. I look forward to reading more poetry and seeing what I think about it after I can relate to it a little better.

Poetry is More Than Ryhming Words

I was never really interested in poetry before I started this class, but I never really disliked it either. What I've learned about poetry in this class, so far, is that it is much more than just rhyming words together. Poems have so much depth and emotion to them and it's up to the reader to really scope out what the writer is portraying in such few words.
It's been enjoyable to read the assigned poems and analyze them. They're all so different in nature. Some are straightforward, while others have hidden meanings behind carefully selected words. It's also nice to find a poem in which you can relate to, which can also make it easier to interpret. With many poems, the reader can interpret it in many ways, but only the author will know the true message of their words. This combination of mystery and emotion is what makes poetry so powerful.

What I feel about poetry

Peotry is a special form of telling a story or a particular time in life. The author may know what the poem means but the reader may misinterpret it in many different ways. For example, the reader may just read the first to stanzas and just assume that the poem is about something because it's mentioned in those first stanzas. This is how our society is these days; we judge the poem and don't look into depth. Poetry can also be a form of music, such as bob dylan. Bob Dylan's songs are mostly based on poems. These are the kind of poems that I'm mostly interested in. I think it's pretty cool when a poem has a different meaning and can be told through reading and listening. Poetry is very different than short stories or novels, because the poets don't have a lot of room to get all there information in and they have to write it all in a certain format. The poetry I mostly dislike is the kind that use really big words that I don't know the meaning of; and that just making interpreting the poem a lot more difficult. The poetry that I can stand would be something that I can relate to, such as sports or family. This would catch my attention and maybe because I can relate to it more, I would read more in depth with it. Overall my thoughts on poetry is that, to understand the poem you have to really read it over and over and think about why the author would say whatever has been said. Personally I like poetry and I think that writing it can be fun at times, but obviously reading most of the more difficult ones can be confusing for me.

Brennan melts Frost

I'm not very good at deciphering poetry and uncovering the hidden meanings about bad childhoods or a secret life a speaker may have had. However, the poems I do love to read are about love, very girly I know. But I think if a poet is great then he should be able to express a love in a few lines that can take writers pages to do so or a singer an entire song. My favorite poem is "Because She Would Ask Me Why I Loved Her" by Christopher Brennan. The poem makes you think about love and has a certain flow to it; while the final few lines truely express his feelings for her. It's one of the few poems that make me smile by just reading it. However, there is an entire collection of poetry by Robert Frost that I dispise. He contridicts what he says and tells lies to the reader. As if reading a poem isn't hard enough. Also the stories of his I have read are lame and pointless. They weren't funny or held some deep emotion that moved me. I think he should of had a day job and stuck to it.

Doe Season

In the short story "Doe Season" Andy is treated differently because she is a girl. Charlie and Mac would not have a questioned her coming if she had been in boy. Andy goes out to fetch firewood and when she returns she says she saw a deer. Macs response was "I bet you really didn't see no deer, did you?"(pg 515). Were she a boy he wouldn't have questioned her. In this story hunting is something the men and boys do so they treat her like she can't do the things they can, like she is less then. The one thing that would have been the same is the shot Andy took to kill the deer. The feelings would have been different. Being a boy, she would not have felt so horrible about killing something and joined in the excitement of shooting her first deer.

All For A Queen

John Updike gives the description of a woman's body in a very class way, he was a man of a classic time. In the short story "A&P" Updike displays his writing skills by doing carefully thought out description of a teenage boys thoughts without making it sound like a romance novel. Sammy admires the girl from a far, describing her looks and ending with the simple statment of, "I mean, it was more than pretty" (225). Sammy begins to take more notice of Queenie and thinks of her body in a more respectful and loving way. He describes how her neck looks so stretched out from her shoulders but is quick to say, "The longer her neck was, the more of her there was" (225). It's clear Updike or his characthers don't want to be preceived as a sexist person but one that is appreciative of a woman. In the end of the short story Sammy does gutsy move and quits his job in an attempt of being Queenie's king but he falls short and learns a life lesson (228). One he has her to thank for.

No "Andrea", just "Andy"

In the short Story "Doe Season", written by David Michael Kaplan. The protagonist of the story, Andy, has her fair share of prejudice to put up with. Not only does she endure the constant badgering of Mac throughout the sroty, who doesn't know any better, she also must put up with the over-inflated, "manly" ego of Charlie Spoon, who should know better. With all of this in mind, one may realize that there's a possibility that if andy were a boy, the trip might have been a little bit easier on her, then again, it also might have been harder.

For being a mature adult, Charlie Spoon sure has a bias toward young, innocent Andy. And he made it quite obvious that he doesn't want her with on the trip. "Charlie spoon was driving. "I don't understand why she's coming," he said to her father. "How old is she anyway -eight?"" (Kaplan, 512) Charlie is obviously bitter about Andy's presence on their guys day out, and Mac feels the same way; he felt the need to tease her the entire trip. ""That's about your size," Mac said to tease her." Kaplan, 512) as she gets a measly day pack handed to her as the men, and boy, get large backpacks. In the other hand, if Andy were a boy, Charlie might be more accepting, maybe even willing to have Andy tag along, and Mac would have a fellow young guy to play around with that is cootie-free. However, since Andy would also be 'one of the guys' She would also need to live up to their rough-and-tough image; Andy would need to prove to the others that he was manly enough to be on this trip. If Andy got as emotional as she did in the end of the story, Charlie, Mac, and maybe even her father, would think that he (andy as a boy) was too emotionally weak to live up to their tough-guy image, and Andy may be rejected even worse.

Either way one may look at the situation, there could be prejudice. If Andy were a boy, Charlie Spoon and Mac may me a bit more hesitant to judge a book by its cover, but if Andy fails to live up to their standards, it might just be the same unnacepting situation. Either way, there is that presence of rejection.

Girly girl vs. Tom boy

If David Michael Kaplan were to make Andy a boy in his short story, “Doe Season,” I believe things would be different for many reasons. Being a girl, Andy has a lot of pressure from her dad’s friend, his son, and her dad as well. She is a daddy’s girl and probably feels more pressure to please him than a boy might feel in her situation. The ocean intimidates Andy and even though her mom was in the water, Andy cannot find the comfort in the area her mom was in. Her father stayed closer to shore and “held his white arms above the waist-deep water as if afraid to get them wet” (514). This is one of the instances that hints at Andy’s stronger bond with her father than her mother. The pressure she feels from her father pushes her to be what she believes he wants her to be. After her father tells Mac and Charlie how good Andy is at spotting deer, there is even more pressure on her to live up to her expectations. Andy tells the boys she has spotted a deer and only “caused them to spend the morning there, cold and expectant, with nothing to show for it” (517). This is another instance building up to Andy finding her true ‘girl’ self. If Andy were a boy, she would not have had the dream about the doe she felt forced to shoot, and she would not have the guilt after shooting the doe that her dad gave her the privilege to shoot.

Doe Season

This story wolud have been different had Andy been a boy based on the way she was treated during the hunting trip. Early on her fathers friend Charlie made it clear that he was not too keen on Andy's presence, enroute to the hunting trip he states "I still don't understand why she's comming"512. Charlie would not have said this if Andy were a boy, also during the trip at some point All the men start teasing Andy making her feel uncomfortable in the process. Charlie starts off by saying "so what are you going to be Andrea a boy or a girl"?517 implying she was a confused little girl and had no business on a hunting trip with a bunch of men. Charlie makes another remark concerning his displeasure of Andy's gender "That's what the woods are about anyway it's where the women don't want to go"517. Centinly none of the comments and teasing would have been made if Andy were a boy because the men would have far more accepting of Andy. What would have been the same in the story is Andy looking up to her father and trying her best to please him throughout the trip like Andy did.

This is Now 'Buck' Season

In David Michael Kaplan's short story "Doe Season" the protagonist in the story is Andy, a young female on her first deer hunting trip with her father and his friends, Mac and Charlie. Throughout the story it seems as though Andy struggles with the relationship she has with her father compared to her mother. The woods in the story are a place that is familiar for Andy and a place that she spends time with her father. On the other hand there is the scene where Andy had visited the ocean, during the visit she is uneasy and this time was when she was with her mother. "That was the first time she'd seen the ocean and it frightened her" (514). This shows that she was not close to her mother and she was scared of the 'feminine' part of herself as well as pushed her mother away. The story would have been different if Andy was portrayed of a boy because the hunting trip would be seen as more of a right of passage into manhood. Also, if Andy were a boy there would have been little teasing and tormenting from Mac and Charlie. Such comments that came from Charlie such as "So what are you gonna be, Andrea? A boy or a girl?" (517) would not happened. There also would have been more emphasize on the actual masculinity of the hunting trip other then on the feelings that Andy had when she had shot the deer. Andy as a boy would have needed to prove that he was a man and confirm that he was able to hide his feelings, showing no empathy for the deer's life.

Goodness Gracious

There are many passages where John Updike conveys wonder in his physical descriptions in "A&P". Sammy, the narrator, describes one of the young ladies as having a "good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it.(224)" He also uses the terms "chubby berry faces(225)" and "long white prima-donna legs.(225)" The girl called queenie is wearing a swim suit with the should straps down and he describes what he sees as "this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the should bones like the dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean it was more than pretty.(225)" He doesn't stop here. As the story progresses he has more colorful descriptions of the girls physical features. He speaks of "the plump one in plaid, that I liked better from the back--a really sweet can--(227)" One of the girls pulls money out of her swimsuit, as he describes as "having come from between the two smoothest scoops of vanilla(228)."
In this day and age, the way women and girls are portrayed on television and in movies is in such a sexual light that I feel Sammy could get away with his take on the girls physical appearances. He never speaks of wanting to do anything physically to the girls and his comments seem to be very normal for a boy his age. He could have observed the same girls in the same outfits and made some very crass and demeaning comments, as many boys or men might, and this would have changed completely how i viewed Sammy. However, he is a normal boy with normal interests and he handles himself much better than some would in his situation. The passages are very descriptive but not overboard.

Doe Season?

If Andy were a boy in this story, every character would be a little bit different. Charlie seems to be upset only at the fact that Andy is a girl. Because of this he seems to act in a very childish way, making remarks about how the hunt will be disturbed because of her being there. Andy's father would not have to constantly be defending his daughter and taking shit from the rest of the group. The most immature character, Mac, I believe would not be making the wise cracks and probably would have held back from making a perverted comment that made Andy somewhat uncomfortable. Knowing Andy is a girl hunting for her first time made the read a waiting game for something unfortunate to happen to Andy. I think the only thing that would have remained the same would have been the relationship between Andy and her father. He seemed to love and care about her very much. Other than that, I think that the story would have been completely different. If Andy were a man he would not have had to prove he is a man by shooting a doe.

Buck Season

There is a relation between the title, "Doe Season", and the character, Andy, in this story. Andy seems to be singled out in this story for being female. The title, "Doe Season", is referring to singling out only the female deer just as Andy is singled out by Mac and his father, Charlie Spoon, "She'll just add to the noise and get tired besides" (Kaplan 513). Therefore, Andy as a boy would change the title to "Buck Season". This new title would include each of the males in this story, making it easier for Andy to relate.
Andy's father sticks up for her through out the story. "She can do whatever she likes", Andy's father says as Charlie spoon gets after Andy about her ability to enjoy hunting and fishing (517). As a boy, Andy would be able to enjoy these activities with the approval of Charlie Spoon as well as his son, Mac. She would be able to relate to the other males better, because of this she would be able to stand up for herself more. She would be able to join in on conversations instead of her father always speaking for her. It is easier to be teased when a person is different from the others around them.
The passion Andy has for the shot doe would not stand if she were a boy. "The heat quickened under her touch, becoming warmer and warmer until it was hot enough to burn" (521). This scene is describing Andy's guilt for shooting the dear. A boy version of Andy would not feel guilt for shooting a deer; he would feel pride.

Buck Season?

In the original version of "Doe Season" Andy is thinking about her mother at home washing dishes. "She is there, and we are here: the thought satisfied Andy" (512). It seems like Andy would much rather be with the guys hunting than be at home with her mother doing "womanly" chores. This gives the impression that Andy may have an internal struggle with gender.
If Andy were a boy in "Doe Season," the story could go one of two ways. Andy would still have an issue with gender identity either way, but Kaplan could have written the story in a way that would have made Andy want to be around his mother more and afraid of the forest. For instance, perhaps Andy would have been swimming in the ocean with his mom, and had a vision of his naked father in the forest. This version would indicate his comfort with femininity, his desire to be a woman, and his fear of masculinity.
Another way Kaplan could have written the story if Andy had been a boy would be almost the same storyline. Andy would be more attracted to the idea of the ocean and being around his mother, but still afraid to go swimming with her in the ocean. his father and the other guys many have pushed him to go hunting with them due to the false idea that doing "manly" things will cure a boy of such femininity. however, he is dragged along against his wishes, and he fears the forest as well. It is not beautiful to him like it is to Andrea. This version would indicate his desire to be a woman along with his fear of actually being one, and his lack of desire to be a man.

"The Lottery" Question 10

When "The Lottery" By Shirley Jackson was published many people were angry towards her about the story. Many thought that the story was attack on small town american. Which im my opinion is obviously not the case. Its true many small town have their own little things they do, that may be weird to outsiders, but around the time that The Lottery was published nothing like this was happening. Obviously people are going to feel attacked especially if they come from a small farm town, just becasue the story is set in a small farming village. Many thought that the story was pointless, and stood no meaning. This outlook depends on how you look at the story, I didnt think anything like a stoning of an individual was going to happen even with all the symbols in the story. My first impression was that it was crazy what had happened, and why did it happen. I was confused as to what the point actually was. I dont believe Shirley Jackson had any prejudice towards anti-semitism, although the story tells a story in a gruesome sacrifice for the good and plenty of the village. I dont believe her attention was to judge and be critical of anti-semitism.

"Doe Season or Buck Season"

In questing weather the story “Doe Season” would be different if Andy was a boy rather than a girl; I am led to believe that the story would be different. The story might change as soon as the title of the story. If Andy was a boy instead of a girl, who’s to say that the story would not be called “Buck Season” instead of “Doe Season”? The story may also have changed before Andy and her father even began their deer hunting adventure. While driving to the woods Charlie begins questing why Andy is with immediately “I don’t understand why she is coming”, “And target shooting ain’t deer hunting”(512). If Andy was a boy would Charlie be questing why Andy’s father is taking her along, would Charlie be questing Andy’s shooting ability? Granted Charlie might still have questing Andy’s shooting ability if she was a boy, Charlie would not be questing why Andy’s father wants to take her hunting. Also the biggest difference a person might notice if Andy were a boy is the internal conflict Andy has throughout the story in weather she wants to show her feminism side or be more of a tom boy. The general idea of the story would stay the same weather Andy was a boy or is a girl. A father taking their son or daughter on his or her first hunting trip is a ritual that has taken place for many years and will continue to do so in the future.

Doe Season or Deer Season?

If Andy was a boy she wouldn't mind doing either of the activities her parents want her to do because when she was asked to go into the sea she just felt like she was obligated because her mom was asking and she was a girl in the story. But if she was a boy and her mom asked her she wouldn't care if it was her mom or her dad that asked her, she would just do it if she wanted to. She would probably love to go hunting because even in the story when she was a girl she wanted to go hunting. But maybe instead of just viewing the landscape and the environment around her while hunting she would be more focused on killing the animal if she was a boy. She probably wouldn't hesitate as much as she did while being pressured to shoot the doe even if her dad was right there telling her what the do. Maybe if she was a boy, her dad wouldn't be pressuring her so much because he just aspects her to know what to do even at that young age. The parents would still want her to do both activities in the story and hunting would still be the main one based on facts about males and females.

Foreshadowing and The Worn Path

~ The beginning of the story "Worn Path" starts with a good description of the time of year that it takes place as well as the surroundings of the main character Phoenix. It takes place in the winter, and knowing this helps to realize that her journey into town could be quite treacherous. the author also states about Phoenix traveling through some woods where its a bit isolated. Being in the woods could become very dangerous with her ailing age and the many wild animals. The author also states Phoenix is traveling with a cane, tapping it everywhere. It says that "she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows moving a little from side to side in her steps wit the balances heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grand father clock." The fact that she is very old and very unsteady on her feet and being in the dark pine shadows will make her trip more difficult. She seems to really care and love her grandson to take on such a challenging journey.The very first paragraph gives some good imagery and good foreshadowing of what is to come.

Foreshadowing in disguise

In “The Lottery,” foreshadowing is a key element. It is used throughout the whole story, both blatant and slightly hidden at times. The foreshadowing begins when Bobby Martin fills his pockets full of stones. This does not seem to be a big deal off hand because the other boys do the same. Many symbols in the story are large components in the foreshadowing. The black box, used to draw the slips of paper from, for example, is worn and hardly black from being used for so long. We know nothing about the relevance of this box until the conclusion of the story when we find out it has been used for the traditional brutal ‘lottery’ the town holds annually. “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one like to upset even as much as tradition as was represented by the black box” (444). The villagers may have known how horrid the lottery really was, but no one was brave enough to break the tradition of what has become a norm in their community. Mrs. Hutchinson’s absence at the beginning of the lottery was one of the biggest foreshadowing clues in the story. After she arrives, Mr. Summers announces cheerfully that he had “thought we were going to have to get on without you” (445). This gives us an idea that Tessie plays a role in an upcoming event. Subsequent to Tessie’s husband, Mr. Hutchinson, drawing ‘the winning’ ticket, Tessie objects and claims Mr. Summer’s did not give him enough time to draw. At this point, we began to realize maybe this ‘lottery’ was not about a rewarding prize. Foreshadowing is not always easy to pick out in a story, but often times it is easily recognized after the story concludes.

Was It Really Such a Surprise?

Although Shirley Jackson meant for "The Lottery" to have a surprising or ironic conclusion, many passages in the short story foreshadow such a grave ending. The boys that are gathering rocks must be the most obvious clue. Some are more subtle, however.
Jackson describes the villagers as nervous, quiet, and apprehensive while getting ready to draw names. One would think the villagers would act excited on such a day. Also, the villagers are drawing slips of paper from a black box, which sits upon a three legged stool. The color black is usually associated with death and darkness, and the three legged stool could perhaps be a symbol of the three branches of government, which further implies that the lottery is much like the law...sometimes it doesn't seem fair, but people do what they're told. It's been around for generations, so it must be there for a reason, right? However, the way Tessie argues that it's not fair and walks up to the box defiantly tells readers that whatever the villagers are drawing for is not something they desire.
And who better to be carrying the three legged stool than Mr. Graves? His name alone foreshadows death.
Another clue foreshadows something happening to Tessie at the end of this story. Tessie is chatting with Mrs. Delacroix before going to greet her husband. "She tapped Mrs. Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to make her way through the crowd" (445). The name Delacroix is French, and translates into "of the cross." Tessie is giving her last farewell before she dies, perhaps as a sacrifice for the rest of the villagers' sins.
There are also some passages in this short story which may foreshadow a future end to the lottery. Many villagers speak of other towns that have ended the lottery, and their own lottery seems less traditional and formal each year. "...at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort...,but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse" (445). The appearance of the box also fades along with the formality of the tradition. "The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained" (444).
The only surprising element of the story is that such a horrid tradition has lasted so long in this village.

Hints That Help Reveal

In Shirley Jackson's, "The Lottery" there is obvious foreshadowing, the most noticeable comes from the collecting of stones by the children that hints at the shocking ending (443). The lottery seemed to be something everyone was used to which is why they laughed and joked while waiting. They were aware of the grim ending which is why when Mr. Summers said, "Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?" when he needed help with the lottery box the men in the crowd gave hesitation (444). After the foreshadwoing of the stoning there became hints of who was going to be the one to draw the black dotted slip. Mrs. Hutchinson arrived late to the drawing where she said a farewell to her friend Mrs. Delacroix and she made her way through the crowd as she would soon do at the ending of the story (445). Another large foreshadow was when Tessie, Mrs. Hutchinson, repeated, "It's not fair" when her husband's name was called and repeated to be upset and ask for more time to draw (448). Throughout the story it becomes easy to see what the outcome will be and what person had their named drawn. Jackson does plenty of foreshadowing that slowly helps reveal the final paragraph of the short story.

War...what is it good for?

Native americans used to head buffalo off of a cliff. As long as they got the leaders to fall over the cliff, they knew the rest would follow with no hesitation. People can be the same way. In "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson the towns follow the tradition of the lottery mostly because it's what the generation ahead of them did. In smaller towns, and older society's, the elders had alot of power because they were respected.
Respect and tradition can make something that is plain crazy to the ouside world seem normal to those raised in such a manner. Take for instance polygamy, crazy to most people; normal to those raised in such a manner. To some people eating a grub would definately lead to vomiting; to those raised on grubs, it would just be another meal.
No society, no matter how civilized, is exempt from this. In the United States, all criminals are innocent until proven guilty. This applies for rapist, murders, or even terrorist. However, when American citizens cross over into foreign soil, the value of human life is much less. Men and women not old enough to handle an alcoholic beverage are given the task of deciding who lives and who dies. War is all that is needed to justify this barbaric task. These men and women are judge, jury, and exocutioner. There is no trial, there is not innocent until proven guilty. There is a teenager, an M-16, and a trigger finger. How is this justified?
America has a superiority complex, the need to police the world. The ten indivuals in Haiti accused of kidnapping are trying to get moved to American soil, with the support of the US government. Trying them here would be the best in the eyes of our government. Reverse the situation and it's not so pretty. If Haitians were in New Orleans trying to take children back home with them, after hurricane Katrina, to their beautiful tropical paradise, this would not be "rescuing" them with would be kidnapping plain and simple. A life is a life is a life. Who has the right to say life on foreign soil is worth anthing less that life on American soil ,and yet most Americans adopt this thinking blindly.

The Lottery, You Could See it Coming... If You Tried

There are moments that one will run across in "The Lottery" written by Shirley Jackson, that might cause a moment of confusion before reaching the end, simply because the human mind is rigid and and isn't used to thinking in such a manner, until the concept of the lottery becomes obvious in the conclusion. But if one were to keep their mind open (or even read the story twice with a sharper eye), they would notice subtle trinkets of information that explain just how this lottery isn't something people would be excited to win.

As the reader proceeds nearly halfway through the story there is an excerpt that evokes a different method behind the lottery: ""Horace's not but sixteen yet," Mrs. Dunbar daid regretfully. "Guess I gotta full in for the old man this year"" (Jackson 445). The key word is 'regretfully' in this excerpt; people aren't usually apt to be regretful when drawing for someone else for a lottery. Maybe she isn't the type who wants to take part in a lottery, however, it seems that there are others who feel unwilling to take part as well, such as Mrs. Hutchinson when she states "Theres Don and Eva... Make them take their chance!" (Jackson 447). Many people aren't willing to make sacrifices for a mere acquaintance; if one person has a chance to suffer, they might as well make sure someone else is there to face that chance too.

There are a few more parts within the story that foreshadow what is to come, but in order to catch these, the reader must keep his/her eyes peeled. If one were to analyze word-for-word as they read they might realize that maybe the ending isn't so shocking after all.

Tradition

Tradition means a lot to people, however, breaking tradition could mean even more. "The Lottery" had a very unique and cruel tradition, but still a tradition. Although the American culture would not stand for this in today's day and age, the individuals in "The Lottery" had grown up with this, it was the norm. For someone to stand up against a tradition like the lottery held every year would require someone potentially risking their own life. This is the reason that I think no one has stood up to this act.
When I think of some traditions that are cruel today I immediately thing about the bull fighting that goes on in Mexico. This is a fairly cruel act in many American's eyes, but is a great Mexican tradition. It is so much apart of their culture I rarely even think about anyone standing up to it. For Mexico to lose this tradition would just be awkward. Traditions have embedded themselves in our cultures and I don't think there is a clear answer on how to justify them.

Can only be alive

There is no way Phoenix Jacksons grandson could be dead in the Short novel ‘A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty. If he ever where dead why would she ever take the long trip through the woods and into town for his medicine? There could have been many other possibilities why Phoenix Jackson had to go into town and make that trip there for creating the story its self. For instance instead of getting medicine for her grandson what if she where to get something for herself like medicine or a necessity. There are not many if any clues in the story that her grandson is dead however there are clues that do support the idea of him being alive. Even the nurse knows and asks “…How is the boy doing” (Paragraph 81) clearly showing that she knows the whereabouts of Phoenix’s grandson. If he were dead I am sure the nurse wouldn’t even bring up or talk about her grandson but instead ask how she is doing. She even talks about her grandson saying “My little grandson, he sit up there in the house all wrapped up, waiting by himself” (Paragraph 94) and “Every little while his throat begin to close up again, and he not able to swallow” (Paragraph 92). So there for he can only be alive during the time of the story.

The Lottery

In the story “The Lottery” the author uses foreshadowing early in the story when the children create a pile of rocks and fill their pockets full of stones; this foreshadows the stories conclusion. Another form of foreshadowing in the story is when Tessie Hutchinson is the one who draws the slip of paper with the black dot on it. The first sign of foreshadowing in the story was when Mrs. Hutchinson forgot all about the lottery and she had to hurry just to make it to the lottery on time. The author also uses foreshadowing by how Mrs. Hutchinson keeps on saying her husband didn’t have enough time to draw the paper and when Mrs. Hutchinson keeps saying this wasn’t fair. “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted.”(Pg.447) When Mrs. Hutchinson kept on mumbling under her breath that this wasn’t fair and was saying they should re-do the lottery it led me to believe that Mrs. Hutchinson was going to be the person who was going to be winning the lottery. “I Think we ought to start over, I tell you it wasn’t fair. You didn’t give him time to choose. Everybody saw that.”(Pg.448) “The Lottery” uses foreshadowing to its advantage from the beginning of the story until the conclusion.

A Path to be Taken

Eudora Welty gives a description of Phoenix Jackson's personality in the first paragraph of "A Worn Path". Welty gives the description of Phoenix's "head tied in a red rag...", the red rag symbolizes the obstacles that hold Phoenix back on her journey (Welty 502). "She walked slowly in the dark pine shadows..." (502). This statement given by Welty shows the strong character of Phoenix Jackson; she is not afraid. Phoenix's strong attitude continues through the story as she accomplishes the obstacles put in front of her. Although she is strong, Phoenix is also tender like "the balanced heaviness and lightness of a grandfather clock" (502). The struggle made for the health of her grandson shows the unselfish and kind heart of Phoenix Jackson.
Being "an old Negro woman" in the 1940's, "a bright frozen day in the early morning" relates to the kine but shady attitude the white man and the nurse express to Phoenix in the story (502). The white man displays his "bright" attitude towards old Phoenix when "he lifted her up" out of the ditch (505). A "frozen" message is sent to Phoenix by the white man as he says to her, "Now you go one home, Granny!" (505). The white man is putting Phoenix down in this statement, making the judgment that she is not strong enough to make it to town. Phoenix does not listen to the white man and continues on her journey "meditative like the chirping of a solitary little bird" ignoring the obstacles which bring her down (502).

The Lottery

Rituals like the lottery in my opinion should not be held anywhere. It promotes and exposes violence to the youth, In paragraph 2 it shows that "The children assembled first, of course"while people who might not have wanted to take part are viciously stoned if they're the unfortunate winner of the lottery.The reason rituals like this continue year after year could be that its a long time ritual of the village as shown in paragraph 5 " The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago" and also at the end of paragraph 7 "at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery"or maybe that the people have no choice but to participate. People may not move to end the lottery possibly fearing something might happen to them or to their families. A somewhat modern day counterpart to the lottery would be the running of the bulls in Spain, where 6 bulls are released onto a street and people try out running them. Every year about 250 people are injured but the ritual still goes on year after year. People continue to still practice rituals that may not seem right to other but they are acustomed to their rituals.

The Lottery

The lottery is the story of a community becomming desensitized while viewing brutality and death. A fact that is clearly evident at the begining of the story when the children of the villiage proceed to gather stones for excution of lottery victims. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones and the other boys soon followed his example p.443. This lottery of death was a pratice that had been carried out for gererations a tradition of sorts like the fourth of July except all your neighbors gather around in order to stone you to death. The people were non-chalant on this day of June 27th. "Well now" Mr. Summers "guess we better get started, get this over with so's we can get back to work". This whole lottery concept is very curious, what is the purpose of the lottery is it such a old tradition that no one really knows why this annual necessity is still carried out. For whatever reason citizensof the community continue with the lottery. there was a mention of another town giving up the lottery and to this old man Warner states "pack of crazy fools." Is the lottery a way to control the population in order to assure provisions were abundant for all? there can be a number of posibilities. Although everyone seems fine with the lotterty when Mrs. Hutchinsons family was summoned everything changed, at the start of the lottery she was joking with her husband "get up there Bill" but then when the time came and her family was picked she no longer saw this event as the traditional lottery but more like the possible death of a loved one, she begins to complain"You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted I saw you it wasn't fair". Apparently all is well with the lottery until your name is called.

A Rose for Emily

Emaily Frierson was not a common traditional house wife fromt he South. Emily was not traditional by far. Emily was a strong women who most respected in her town. there were many menn who lived with her. Most people looked at her as a independent women. she was brought up with well manners. Emily's house was not like any other southerners house. The African americans servants cooked and shopped for her. The smell from her house was gut wrenching. the town complained about it quit often. Emily normally liked to be alone. She didn't accept anything from anyone not even from her own family. The town stated. " We were sure they were married". ( Emily and Homer Barron). " A Rose for Emily" wouldn't be considered a traditinal in these days and time.

Symbol of the South?

There are many different ways to view Miss Emily Grierson. She was a victim of the Old South for several reasons, but the number one reason is the way she was brought up by her father. He was the only man she knew how to love because that was the way he wanted it. I believe Miss Emily’s father is the reason she is the independent woman the town knows her as, but the fact that she was not able to let go of her father, or Homer after she killed him, gives the impression she may only have been independent to an extent. She lived in a home by herself with a servant to do her chores and cleaning for her. I disagree with the declaration of Miss Emily being a symbol of the South on the accounts of her not having the traditional ways of women in the South in that time period. Miss Emily did not have the tidy, up kept household that a traditional woman was expected to have. She also did not have the manners of a traditional Southern woman. After sending a letter to Miss Emily in regards to her not paying taxes, the city authorities received no response and had to go to her house. She retorted sternly with, “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves.” (210) Speaking to an authoritative figure this way, let alone a female to a male, in this time period was almost unheard of. Overall, Miss Emily was not comparable to many women of the South in that time period.

So what's this I hear about a rose for Emily?

Told through the eyes of what's understood to be the townsfolk, "A Rose for Emily" can be considered basically a collection of gossip stories accumulated through different periods of Emily's life. In the first paragraph Faulkner writes, "...our whole town went to her funeral: the men...for a fallen monument, the women...to see the inside of her house..." Emily was framed up and forced by the people of her town to be the picturesque symbol of the "Old South." In a way it was as if she was born into this life that was already laid out in front of her step by step; through the eyes of the townsfolk that is. In paragraph 25 Faulkner voices through the women of the town, "So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly." Emily refused to lead the life her local society so strongly thought she ought to have. She secluded to a private life in her home to get away from her judgmental neighbors. Consequently too long of a secluded life destroyed her social skills and slowly sent her into a quiet psychotic bliss. She was unable to keep a stable relationship and when it seemed as though the love of her life was going to leave her she, in her state of psychosis, poisoned him and preserved his body to spend with her night after night :-)

Insane or Unjust

Teachers should let their students interpret ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Gilman anyway they see best fit. It takes away their motion of thought when you limit the perspectives someone can have when reading the story. At the end the character has several ghost like qualities involving creeping and the way she responds by whispering in a very soft tone to her husband and his supposed reaction to her is unnoticed like she isn’t even saying anything as it is. (Paragraph 255-267). Feminists view points in the story included wanting to write and visit family members (Paragraphs76-77, 112), although that doesn’t last for very long and she ends up doing as John or Jane say. When putting the ideas of a feminist compatible with a gothic ghost story does not really fit what is going on in the story. At very short times during the story does it ever present the possibility of being either but not enough evidence of one gives the story away for being feminist or gothic. The only way the two can be compatible is by sharing moments in the story with which they could only share a common ground. Other then that the feministic and gothic view cannot be comparable.

The Story of an Hour

Kate Chopin did a great job with writing "The Story of An Hour", even though the story was relatively short, she was able to use imagery sucessfully to get her point across. I believe the story rejects the "postures of femininity", the reasoning behind my statement is that Mrs.Mallard is relieved to find out that her husband has died. In paragraph ten " she said it over and over under her breath:"Free,free,free". It's as if a big burden has been lifted off of her. As she was standing by the window she say the clouds open up and blue skies appearing. Normal people who are in a commited and loving relationship won't react like that if there spouse died. One could even argue that she may have been trying to get a divorce but back in 1894 women didn't have rights like they do today, so by her passing away she was able to be out of the marraige.

Any Thing but Tradition

Emily Grierson was anything but traditional. The traditional woman would have been one who kept a neat home, had perfect manners, and passed traditions down through generations. Emily did not run her home as a traditional woman in the south would have. She had her Negro servant who did all of the cooking and also shopping for Emily. The house was always described in a state of mess throughout the story as well. There was also the smell that came from the house that the town’s people complained about continuously. If Emily was a traditional woman she would have wanted to present herself in a manner that was accepted and not offensive, such as the smell. The way in which Emily treated other people directly is not in the typical thinking of traditional women. She seems to be a woman who is content to by alone, and not wanting to accept any handouts from others. When she needed help she was not willing to even reach out to her own family for assistance. Emily also was not able to pass down any of her beliefs or traditions to any of her own. Even though there was much hope in the relationship between Emily and Homer Barron. As the town’s people stated, “…we were sure that they were to be married” (213). Throughout the information that we received from the short story of “A Rose for Emily” there were many things that would not be considered as traditional for women of the time.

Story of a Wronged Woman

Kate Chopin was writing about wronged womanhood in "Story of an Hour." It is the story of a woman who has no rights, and is destined for a lifetime of emotional suffering and longing for freedom. It is quite obvious that she does not find happiness in her marriage, by quotes such as, "And yet she had loved him - sometimes. Often she had not" (198). The author illustrates women's lifestyles back then when she writes, "There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself" (198). This makes me believe Mrs. Mallard's marriage was pre-arranged, giving her no say in who she spends her life with, and giving her no chance at true love. She didn't get to fulfill any life long dreams, and spent her days catering to her husband. "It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long" (199). This also gives the idea that the woman in the story is not able to escape this unhappy marriage. She did not have the legal rights to divorce him, and she had no way out.


We can also see how the author, Kate Chopin, rejects the postures of femininity in the way that Mrs. Mallard longed for freedom. It was unlike most women to be as happy or relieved as she was to hear of her husband's passing, which is illustrated in the quote, "She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance" (197). She whispers the words, "Free, free, free" (198). She is finding more of a positive outlook in her husband's death than anything.


"But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome" (198). We share, with this woman, an hour of hope and a glimpse of what could be her future of happiness...the kind of happiness that every woman deserves.

Story of an Hour

Although short, "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin portrayed a very well-described message to the readers about just how opressed the women of that particular era actually were, well, after a few times of reading it. Once the gears started turning, and after reading the information regarding the setting of the story, the message sent was quite blunt; women were opressed during this era, and Mrs. Mallard finally got her breath of fresh air.

Something hit her while looking out that window in paragraph 5. As she looked out upon the scenery, somber and depressed, she began to notice that the shackles of marriage were unlocked from her; she was no longer held down by a more significant figure. Of Course Mr. Mallard wasn't abusive or anything of that nature, but there was such a hierarchy during this time, and since Mr. Mallard was gone, she could live life as she truly wanted. An excerpt from paragraph 14, which states "There would be no one to live for these coming years; she would live for herself." (Chopin, 1894) emphasises this point.

There is much imagery that could be noticed within paragraph 5 that relates to her situation. She is looking out whe window and catching every detail, as well as noticing just how much there is out there. The symbolism of the scenic view out the window also relates to her situation; she's there, to witness the freedom of life, with no opression or boundaries that accompany the hierarchy of men. Of course she was still saddened by the trajedy, but no human is apt to sacrifice freedom for happiness, in some ways, freedom and happiness are conjoined.

The south was the victim

Question number eight of Reading and Reacting for "A Rose for Emily" suggests that Emily was a victim of the south. I couldn't disagree more. Over and over, Emily bucks the traditions of the south and those around her are forced to cope with her rogue personality. When the town was being set up for mail delivery, it would seem a source of pride to hang your new mailbox and anxiously await your first piece of important mail. To the contrary, Emily refuses to let the town hang a mailbox or numbers by her door (214). With all the pride that would accompany having a nice house, surely having an odor emanating from it would be taken care of immediately. Emily's stubbornness is so well known that the townsmen fear bringing this to her attention. Instead they take care of the problem themselves (211). Again Emily is anything but a southern belle.
Having a proper burial for ones kin would surely be tradition in the south. It would be an opportunity to bring up all of the deceased great accomplishments, even if there weren't any. This would have been a chance for Emily and her fathers name to be elevated. Again, Emily would have no part of it. Another tradition of the south was to marry within ones class and maintain "nobless oblige" (212). Emily's choice to date Homer, a day laborer was showing she was one to do her own thing and not worry about what society thought about her.
Surely a woman of this time knew to respect a man, especially a professional. Not Emily, as can be seen by how she treats the druggist; refusing to answer his question even though it was the "law"(213). Last but not least is the apparent disregard she showed for the minister. Such disregard that "he refused to go back again" (213).
Emily, over and over, refused to followed the southern traditions laid down by society before her. She made the south a victim of her.

Lack Of Socialization?

In the story, "A Rose for Emily", it is difficult to tell if Miss Emily Grierson is a victim of chivalry, formal manners, and tradition because she did not do a lot of talking to other people. She did not fully show weather she had all these characteristics, but from some of the context it seems like she did not. When Miss Emily was arguing with the Mayor of Jefferson, she was fairly rude about it. Someone with formal manners would have just gave in and paid the taxes that they owed. She was rude to the druggist when he tried to offer a different poison and she did not answer when he told her that they are required to find out what it will be used for. Although Miss Emily did not have formal memories, she kept to the traditions. She refused to pay the taxes because her taxes were remitted some time before, so she thought it should stay that way. If Miss Emily had been more social than she was, it would have showed that she had all these qualities. Miss Emily probably wasn't trying to be rude, she just did not have the social experience that the other people of that time had.

Her Own Traditions - A Rose for Emily

Emily Grierson was not your average traditional house wife from the south. As a matter of fact she was nothing near traditional. Emily was a strong southern woman who many respected in her town, especially the men who lived there. She was known to be very independent and didn't back down from no one not even the Board of Aldermen. Its quoted in the beginning of passage 7, "she didnt even ask them to sit". That passage was referring to the Board of Aldermen which clearly showed what little respect she had for men. Emily had her own traditions, which meant she did things her own way and gave no explaination to no one. In passage 41, the druggiest is asking her to explain what she needs arsenic for? Its quoted in passage 42, "Miss Emily just stared at him, her head titled back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went adn got the arsenic and wrapped it up". Emily was very intimidating and feared, thats why she was nothing like the other women in her town. Because back in those days women had no voice and it was clear that Emily did. Emily always kept to herself and always gave people something to talk about. Emily ironically was a lot like her father, very dominant and well respected and was always driving people away. Its stated in passage 28 that Emily's father had driven all the men in Emily's life away. In the story A Rose for Emily, Emily runs nearly a lot of men and women away just like her father.

The old south and Emily Grierson

~ Emily Grierson really isnt a symbol of the south. She really didn't go with tradition of the house wife who cooks, cleans and caters to their husband. When growing up her father was always shooing the guys that she showed any interest in. She was never really showed how to be respectful to men. She eventualy got set in her own ways and started her own "traditions." She stayed in her own little world and kept to herself. Everyone who was of the old south traditions new she was different and tried to find out all her secrets. The story was not a very good example of someone of the south.

Feminist vs. Ghostly

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is no doubt a feminist story, although it does seem to fall into a ghostly story as well.
We know the narrator is sick with postpartum depression throughout the story. John, the narrator's husband,as a physician brings her away in order to cure her. "Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would to me good" the narrator explains (Gilman 394). Instead, John locks her up in a nursery and orders her to rest. He is doing what seems like to be the best thing for her, but he is not really trying to understand his wife's needs. Taking into consideration the time period, we know that men had much more power than women. John shows us his power in paragraph 133 when he refers to his wife as a "little girl".
We find throughout the story that this "cure" is not working so well for our narrator, with the vulgar descriptions of the wallpaper and such. The wallpaper seems to have taken the narrator's identity at the end of the story, creating a ghostly description of herself; "I always lock the door when I creep by daylight" (Gilman 403). Creeping is an activity usually taken on by a ghost.
In conclusion, the lack of freedom given to the narrator by her husband John, leads to a ghostly description of her character.

The Story of An Hour

In the Story of an Hour, author Kate Chopin may lead a person to believe that Kate used her literature as a way of showing wronged womanhood in the late 19th century. Everyone knows that women did not have the same rights as men did in the late 18th century and into the 19th century. Some women were not given the choice of whom they are to marry. In Story of an Hour Mrs. Mallard was much younger than Mr. Mallard was, and that may lead a person to believe that their marriage could have be arranged. It’s quoted at the beginning of the 8th paragraph that Mrs. Mallard- “She is young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength”. Another passage from the story where Mrs. Mallard led me to believe that this may have been an arranged marriage is when she is quoted saying “Free, free, free”. Mrs. Mallard was not mistreated in her marriage to Mr. Mallard she just wanted something more and to know what else was out there in the world. Little quotes by Mrs. Mallard throughout the story like- “The notes of a distant song”, “whose eyes were fixed away off yonder”, “she would live for herself” made me believe that she wanted more out of her life. Quotes like the previous ones mentioned led me to believe that the author Kate Chopin used social justice and inequalities in her literature.

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A Rose For Emily

Pondering the question of Miss Emily being a symbol of the old south one may conclude in some aspects she was. For instance it's very apparent in the story how much influance a male figure who happens to be her father has over her life, mainly concerning "all the young men her farther had drivin away" It is possible that Emily truly admired some of the young men, but due to the fact it was considerd improper at that time to disagree with a man her hands were tied. It was common pratice for a husband or father to be in charge of making desicions for the women and it was not considerd an act of oppression thats just the way things were at the time.

On the other hand Emily was somewhat of a paradox concerning the virtuous southern women. Emily's periodic interactions with other men was contracdictory to the image of the traditional southern belle, for example when representatives of the aldermen came calling she was not at all hospitable or respectful, this certaintly was not a symbol of southern womenhood. upon them entering to her home she did not offer a seat to them. And when the authorities politely inquried about her back taxes stating "Miss Emily. Didn't you get a notice from the sheriff signed by him?" Emily curtly replied "I received a paper yes perhaps he considers himself the sheriff I have no taxes in Jefferson". Also there is the matter of the scandalous affair she carried on with a laborer without the benifit of marriage, this was considered taboo behavior. Emily did what she felt without really caring what people thought of her.In Essence Emily was a victim of traditional southern values for one she was never allowed the luxury of choosing her own mate and she was forced to let her father make important decisions for her that directly effected her existance.

The Storm- Insecure Relationship

Obviously the relationship between Calixta and Bobinot was not totally stable. The reader is bound to figure this out when Alcee was invited into the family's house by Calixta without her even thinking about Bobinot's thoughts on the situation. She let him in because they used to be lovers in the past, and she obviously knew that her husband was not coming home soon because of the storm. Calixta obviously had her husband of the current time on her mind when she quoted- "I got enough to do! An' there's Bobinot with Bibi out in that storm- if he only didn't left Friedheimer's!" That quote is saying that she hopes that her husband does not leave the store and think about coming home because she has other plans to do during the storm that does not involve her husband that obviously does not fulfill her needs. The reader knows that Calixta and her old lover still have feelings for each other as the sleep with each other during the storm and re ignite old feelings they had. This is showing that Calixta just wants to have that feeling of love again, so maybe Bobinot is not showing enough love; as in the beginning of the story they say that he is a simple minded man. Now after the storm is gone and Bobinot and Bibi come back home the weird part is, is that Calixta acts extremely happy, like because of the night spent with her old lover changed her into a different person. She plays it off as nothing happened, knowing that her family will have no idea. The ending of the story bothered me very much because the reader knows that the simple minded husband that went out of his way to get his wife shrimp because he knows she loves it, will never know that his wife has had an affair and she will never tell.

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Spring 2010

Welcome to a new term of 1102! The posts below are from former students. Check them out if you would like.